Post number 53 Working together

Posted on Wed Oct 23rd, 2024 @ 7:30pm by Lieutenant David Montgomery

Mission: Shakedown II
Location: Main engineering

Location:Main Engineering

Benjamin walked into Engineering. The room was looked impeccable. Benjamin's arrival was unannounced. He was curious how long it would be, before he was spotted.

David finished giving orders to the two ensigns before him and turned to go grab his tool belt when he saw their new first officer. Heading over, he stopped in front of him.

“Commander.” He said coming to attention. “Welcome to engineering.”

“Thank you, how are things going down here?” Benjamin asked as he continued to look around.

“We’ve been pretty busy.” David said with a sigh. “It seems that there was some sloppy work done on the ship. I have my people slowly going throwing the systems and checking the components to verify they are correctly running.”

“The fine craftsmanship of the corps of engineers.”Benjamin said teasingly. It was no surprise to anyone.

David laughed at his reply. “That’s why we call this a shakedown cruise. So we can adjust things a bit and correct any issues before our first mission.”

“I am well aware of that fact.” Benjamin said with a big smile on his face, thinking maybe this guy needs to loosen up a little.

“You want to give me a hand?” David asked, thinking it would be a great way for them to connect. “I have some adjustments to make to the replicator system.”

“I can spare a couple minutes.” Benjamin said, as he walked over to David. “What can I do to help?”

“The main replicator is acting up.” David returned. It needs some replacement parts.” He grinned at Benjamin. “I’d hate for you to ask for meatloaf and get shrimp or something.”

“Okay, so would you like me to get the parts or would you like me to tear apart that replicator? I assume you mean the one here in engineering?” Benjamin ass is he looked over to David.

“Tear it apart and I’ll grab what we need to put it back together.” He looked over. “And yes, the one here in engineering. I won’t be gone long.”

“I'm good at taking things apart.” Benjamin said with the big smile on his face, he then went over to the replicator and started to remove the display panel.

David was back in no time. He was impressed by the first officers work and handed him some parts. “With both of us working on this it will be working in no time.”

“Do you have any idea why the engines powered off?” Benjamin asked, thinking to himself either critical Cascade failure or sabotage. He was hoping that David might have a preliminary assessment.

“It’s a puzzle.” David replied. “I don’t want to blame the corp of engineers but for. Brand new ship, it has many old parts. Like they were trying to cut corners.”

“sounds like the core of engineers I know.” Benjamin said teasingly. In this basically out of the manual, to get the shifts out of spacedock as soon as possible.

“If I worked there I would want to have a solid reputation and not one for shoddy work.” David murmured. “No disrespect to them I just have higher standards.” He hoped he didn’t sound judgemental.

“You know it's easy to say that when you don't work for the corps of engineers. It's hard for us to understand the pressures that they're put under.” Benjamin suggested to David.

“Good point.” David nodded. He hadn’t given it a thought. “We don’t know their orders or the availability of materials.”

“Trust me I get frustrated to you with the corps of engineers, but we haven't been in their shoes before or understand their pressure. I'm just asking you to keep an open mind I'm not trying to change your mind.” Benjamin said, hoping that he understood.

“I get what your saying.” David said with a smile. “It is good to look at any situation from two sides and not make assumptions. It still annoys me but it gives me a different perspective.”

Benjamin appreciate the fact that he understood what he was saying, Annie is having a hard time coping with the fact that he was defending the corps of engineers. But he had a responsibility as first officer to make sure his officers understood.

“I can see this replicator is going to be a pain.” Benjamin said with a big grin on his face. Most of the assembly had to be torn out, it was fried. He wasn't sure what happened to the unit prior to his arrival.

“Pretty much.” David nodded. “But this is part of the job, one of the things I don’t mind doing. I was ripping things apart as a young child much to my fathers irritation.”

“we seem to have the replicator under control, what else can I help you with?” Benjamin asked, glancing around at the organized chaos of tools and equipment.

David let out a sigh. “We’ve been pretty busy. It seems there was some sloppy work done on the ship. I have my people slowly going through the systems and checking the components to verify they’re running correctly.”

“The fine craftsmanship of the Corps of Engineers,” Benjamin teased, a knowing smile on his face. It was a sentiment that resonated with anyone who had spent time around the fleet.

David laughed at the comment. “That’s why we call this a shakedown cruise. So we can adjust things and correct any issues before our first mission.”

“I’m well aware of that fact,” Benjamin replied, returning the smile. He sensed David might need to loosen up a little.

“You want to give me a hand?” David asked, eager to foster a connection. “I have some adjustments to make to the replicator system.”

“I can spare a couple of minutes,” Benjamin said, walking over to join him. “What can I do to help?”

“The main replicator is acting up,” David explained. “It needs some replacement parts.” He grinned. “I’d hate for you to ask for meatloaf and get shrimp or something.”

“Okay, so would you like me to get the parts, or would you prefer I tear apart that replicator? I assume you mean the one here in Engineering?” Benjamin asked, already eyeing the device.

“Tear it apart, and I’ll grab what we need to put it back together,” David said. “And yes, the one here in Engineering. I won’t be gone long.”

“I’m good at taking things apart,” Benjamin said, a big smile spreading across his face as he approached the replicator and began to remove the display panel.

David was back in no time, impressed by Benjamin’s progress. He handed over some parts. “With both of us working on this, it’ll be up and running in no time.”

“Do you have any idea why the engines powered off?” Benjamin asked, his mind racing with possibilities—critical cascade failure or sabotage. He hoped David had a preliminary assessment.

“It’s a puzzle,” David replied, scratching his head. “I don’t want to blame the Corps of Engineers, but for a brand-new ship, it has many old parts, like they were trying to cut corners.”

“Sounds like the Corps of Engineers I know,” Benjamin teased, recalling the notorious reputation they had for rushing things out of spacedock.

“If I worked there, I’d want to have a solid reputation, not one for shoddy work,” David murmured. “No disrespect to them; I just have higher standards.” He hoped he didn’t come off as judgmental.

“You know, it’s easy to say that when you don’t work for the Corps of Engineers. It’s hard for us to understand the pressures they’re under,” Benjamin suggested.

“Good point,” David nodded, his perspective shifting. “We don’t know their orders or the availability of materials.”

“Trust me, I get frustrated with the Corps of Engineers too, but we haven’t been in their shoes or understood their pressure. I’m just asking you to keep an open mind. I’m not trying to change your mind,” Benjamin said, hoping his message landed.

“I get what you’re saying,” David replied with a smile. “It’s good to look at any situation from two sides and not make assumptions. It still annoys me, but it gives me a different perspective.”

After the initial work on the replicator, Benjamin and David decided to investigate the engine diagnostics to uncover the cause of the engine power down. They moved to the main console, where a series of screens displayed various readings and data.

“Alright, let’s see what we’re dealing with,” Benjamin said, pulling up the engine’s diagnostic reports. “The power fluctuations started just before the engines shut down completely.”

David leaned over, scanning the data. “Looks like we had a significant drop in power output from the warp core just prior to the shutdown. That’s unusual for a new ship.”

“Agreed,” Benjamin replied, frowning as he navigated through the logs. “It seems the core was operating within normal parameters, but there’s a strange spike here.” He pointed to a line on the screen. “Right before the engines went offline, there was an uncharacteristic surge.”

“Could it be a fault in the power distribution system?” David suggested, furrowing his brow. “If there’s a weakness in the system, it might have caused a cascading failure.”

“Possibly,” Benjamin said, tapping the screen to bring up more detailed schematics. “Let’s check the power relay junctions. If one of them is malfunctioning, it could explain the fluctuations we’re seeing.”

As they worked together, the atmosphere in Engineering became charged with focus and determination. They moved seamlessly, each anticipating the other’s actions, reinforcing their teamwork.

“Here we go,” David said, pointing to the schematic. “This relay junction connects to multiple subsystems. If it’s faulty, it could explain the drop in power across the board. We need to run a diagnostic on it.”

“Let’s do it,” Benjamin agreed, initiating the diagnostic sequence. As the data streamed in, he crossed his arms, contemplating. “You know, it’s moments like this that remind me why I love engineering. There’s always a puzzle to solve.”

David nodded, grinning. “Exactly! It’s like being a detective in a way. Every problem tells a story, and we’re just here to uncover it.”

After a few moments, the diagnostic results appeared, revealing a troubling anomaly in the relay junction. “Got it! The readings confirm it. This relay has been operating outside its parameters. If we don’t fix this, we could face more power outages down the line.”

“Let’s get to work then,” David said, energized by the discovery. “We can’t let this ship go into the field with unresolved issues.”

As they began to disassemble the relay junction, Benjamin felt a sense of camaraderie building between them. “You know, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I joined this crew, but I’m glad to see the dedication and teamwork in Engineering.”

David looked up, his expression sincere. “Same here. It’s nice to have someone like you around. You bring a fresh perspective, and it’s good to know we’re in this together.”

With the relay junction finally repaired and the diagnostics cleared, Benjamin felt a sense of accomplishment wash over him. “There! That should do it. Let’s run one final test to ensure everything is functioning properly.”

“Agreed. Fingers crossed!” David said as they initiated the test.

The engines hummed to life, their power readings steady and strong. Benjamin and David exchanged triumphant smiles.

“Looks like we did it!” Benjamin exclaimed, feeling a rush of satisfaction.

“Nice work, Commander,” David replied, clapping him on the shoulder. “This team is lucky to have you.”

As they wrapped up their work and began to clean the area, Benjamin felt a warm sense of belonging. The challenges of the day had forged a connection between him and David, and he knew that their collaboration would only strengthen the crew as they prepared for their upcoming mission.

“Let’s keep this momentum going,” Benjamin suggested, glancing at the replicator. “After this, I think we deserve a proper meal. How about we test that replicator once we’ve finished?”

David laughed. “As long as we don’t end up with shrimp, I’m in.”

With laughter echoing in Engineering, they completed their tasks, ready to face the future together. In that moment, Benjamin realized that he was not just part of a crew; he was part of a family, united in their mission and committed to overcoming whatever obstacles lay ahead.