#180 Temp Jobs

Posted on Fri Sep 15th, 2023 @ 2:50pm by Captain Rogue Green {Meji}

Mission: Wedding Blues And Trouble
Location: various
Timeline: current

ON:

Green, standing watch on the Bridge, read the messages coming to her from around the ship. Her eyes scanned over them all, seeing issues in engineering since they were still without a leader. Two of the most skilled lieutenants in the department currently shared the duty of holding it together, and they were doing the best they could. Their engineering knowledge was unquestioned, but their experience in leading and directing others was minimal, at best, unless for maintenance crews. In her experience, Green knew that that meant that neither would ever seek the job of CEO since their focus was on the act of engineering, not directing others to do so. She needed to get down there.

Looking to the Helm, which she would always think of that position as, since Flight Control was something you did in aircraft, but helm was the control of a ship at sea. And, since space was the new sea, then calling someone a Helm officer made more sense than poor word usage. So, seeing the back of Ensign Jazmin Al-Sahir's head, Green spoke up. "Ensign Jazmin?"

Tapping her console to standby Al-Sahir half turned her chair to look back at her Number One. "Yes, Commander?"

Ro gave her instructions. "Take the Conn, Ensign. I'll be in main engineering." Ro slid her XO's PADD into its pocket on the side of her chair. "Call in a relief so you can stand watch as the Officer of the Deck."

Jazmin gave a nod, then used her station to send for a relief FC officer. Green waited patiently until the relief arrived, watching as Al-Sahir set her station to standby and vacated the helm seat, immediately going and sitting in the captain's chair, without hesitation. Ro liked that. Someone who didn't get all nervous when it came to sitting in the center seat. Beta and Gamma shifts had OOD's that sat in the chair for their entire shifts, all through the night, and they never batted an eye over it. Helm was secure and manned now. "If you need anything, Jazmin, I'll be in engineering." Receiving nod of acknowledgement, Green then used the starboard lift to leave the Bridge.

Arriving in main engineering, Green immediately went to the 'pool table' and looked at the schematic for the ship. Her eyes looked to the scrolling data stream that denoted ship status and maintenance teams. Not too shabby, but there were discrepancies that needed to be seen to. She glanced around the immediate area as she looked for a familiar face, her eyes coming to rest on Lieutenant JG Diana York, recently promoted up from Ensign. "Lieutenant York, when you can step away from your panel I would like to have a word."

"Of course, Commander," York responded, being at the tail end of her inquiry. A few moments of key tapping and then she came over. "How can I assist, Number One?" Her British accent was clear as day, and her tone well-spoken.

"You've been here for months, and your promotion says you are an officer dedicated to her duties and responsibilities." Explained Green. "So, I need your dedicated eyes and your professional focus to gauge how things are going. I want the truth," said Green, looking the woman directly in the eyes. "Don't sugarcoat, Miss York. How would you assess engineering on the Amandora?"

"It is in dire need of leadership, Commander," stated York, being as truthful as had been asked of her. "We are playing catch-up instead of staying ahead of maintenance needs. If we end up in a battle situation I cannot say for certain whether the Amandora will be able to perform as we need it to."

Green appreciated the honesty, and that last bit was brutally honest. And, true. This ship had been pummeled time and again in the last few battles, because every time they turned around the crew got uppity with opponents and a fight broke out when no fight was necessary. They tended to forgot, all too often, that they were, first and foremost, explorers and diplomats for the Federation, and combat was always the last choice. One did not make friends by insulting others with a 'better than thou' attitude. All beings deserved a measure of understanding, an effort to find common ground. Once all avenues had been exhausted in such, then, and only then, was violence to be the answer. That was what her Meji Order was for. Peace and justice for all, no matter who they were. Then thinking to herself with an inward grin; well, all but the Borg, that is. Some Borg had broken their bonds to the central collective and the Queen, and one of them had become a valued officer in Starfleet. All this passed through her mind in a few moments before she responded, and it made it seem as if she had been weighing what had been said to her; which, of course, she had been.

"Recommendations, Lieutenant?"

Diana York gave a light sigh. "Commander, it has been four months since we've had an antimatter containment leak drill. The turbolifts from deck 12 to 20 are in need of maintenance and have been that way for three weeks. Replicators and small panels such as doors and security accesses have been falling behind in the maintenance. Operations and Sciences are both included in these teams, but they can only do what the acting CEO has on the day's list."

"I see," said Green, crossing her arms over her chest and rubbing her chin as she stared at the schematics with a far away look. Her face came back up after a few moments and her arms dropped to her sides. "Your PADD, please." Ro reached her right hand out and York placed her work PADD in it. Bringing it to herself, Green tapped on it for a full minute and then handed it back. "You, Lieutenant York, are now the acting CEO. I can't be down here all the time with all I have to do each day. And, with the current dilemma, I feel I will be needed elsewhere more often than not. Can you handle that, Lieutenant, or should I look to someone else?"

York's eyes had lit up when she had read the PADD, and as Green had been speaking she brought her eyes back up to Number One, with her face recovering and settling back into a professional. "I will endeavor to do all that is needed, Commander. I understand it is only temporary, but even so, you'll have my best."

"Good," responded Green with a grin. "This is not downplaying the efforts of the other two who had been nominally in charge. I can see now that they used their engineering knowledge to keep main systems at their peak, and tended to forget the little things. You seem to understand that it all works in conjunction and even the small things can build up and cause catastrophe. The dailies will show your new position and reponsability, but you may want to let your engineers know as soon as possible. On the daily I added that your orders were to be followed like any CEO, and that they are to be obeyed as if I gave them myself."

"I see it as a chance to grow and excel," stated York. "It may be temporary, but it is going to be in my file forever."

"Precisely," smiled Green. "No pressure, right?" She giggled.

York laughed along with her. "Well, it can be a great thing on my record, or an absolute atrocity if I screw up. I don't plan to ruin my own chances later in my career."

Green shook hands with the woman. "Something tells me you'll do fine." As they shook hands Rogue could Sense good things from this woman, the Core allowing her to feel that her choice had been correct. ~Thank you, God~ She said in her mind as she relinquished the hand. "I'll let you get to it..."

Green's combadge warbled and the Commodore stated that she needed to see Ro in the Ready Room. After acknowledging the transmission, Ro looked to Diana. "See? This is why I needed you here. Take care, Chief," she said as she walked away. Leaving engineering Green made her way to the nearest lift and began her journey back to the Bridge.

OFF: