Possibilities.

Posted on 02 Aug 2012 @ 8:10pm by Crewman Aurangzeb Ameen & Lieutenant Lilou Zaren
Edited on on 08 Aug 2012 @ 5:14pm

1,866 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Episode 01 - Project Sienna
Location: USS Galileo: Main Engineering, Deck 7
Timeline: MD 08 - 0500

[ON]

[OLD]

The door to the Chief's office remained open, Aurangzeb rapped his knuckles against the metal door frame in an attempt to garner the attention of Peer's whom looked about as tired and drawn as he, only perhaps a bit cleaner. Hopefully she'd excuse his current state.

"Repairs to the primary power grid of deck four's port side has been restored ma'am; scientific laboratories, office's and full power to transporter room two has been restored." The tone of his voice remained soft-spoken and unassuming, not once betraying any sign of fatigue. "Containment fields around the hull breaches have been sustained and reinforced." He said with a nod of the head.

[NEW]

At the sound of his voice, Lilou popped up from where she'd been resting one hip on Quinn's desk, staring down the damage report board. She wanted to be out there getting her hands dirty, but the current state of affairs made it necessary that she should orbit Main Engineering, making sure that the repairs that were finished on site translated and were recognized by the ship's data networks. That, and keeping track of all the repairs, and what still needed to be done and how best to organize the teams to get the Galileo in working order as quickly and securely as possible. She noted his reports in the 'recent reports' column of the damage board and stepped back, eyeing the remaining damage.

Ameen had been on board since Starbase 152, but he kept mostly to himself. At least, so far as she could tell. Then again, Lilou really hadn't been making much of an effort to get to know her fellow engineers. She'd been so focused on getting her work done, on trying to hide the tempest in her head, that she'd largely ignored most of her coworkers. And now Troxx was missing and Quinn was in Sickbay and Remington was dead and Darius was... spirits knew how Darius was. Alive, at least. That was something. She rubbed her cheek with the backs of her fingers, looking back to Ameen. "Good. What about the ventral phasers - any luck yet?"

Aurangzeb shook his head slowly, "I checked out the damage during the initial survey; the interlocks are completely fused into place... I don't know that we can release the clamps without inflicting additional damage to the array." He stated this matter-of-factly, leaving little room for interpretation or argument. "I have an idea as to how we might be able to circumvent that issue, at least temporarily until we can return to port for comprehensive repairs." He leaned against the door frame, its metal surface cool against the hot flesh of his bare shoulder and arm. Peers, like the rest of the engineering team, looked utterly exhausted, drained... as if she were running on fumes; only she seemed more affected somehow, perhaps due to the loss of Quinn. Aurangzeb didn't know either Quinn nor Peers very well, apart from their name, rank and the orders issued; but he had a feeling that the relationship between the Warrant Officer's was undoubtedly different due to the closeness of their working relationship. Aurangzeb had yet to have made any lasting relationships since coming on board the Galileo, though he could appreciate how she may have felt and how very well she seemed to be holding it all together.

Taking a swig of water from a bottle on the desk, Lilou nodded for him to continue. If he had an idea of how to repair the ventral phasers without shutting down some of them permanently in the process, she was all ears.

Aurangzeb placed his gear and equipment aside before he distractedly picked at a dried segment of lubricating fluid that had adhered to his grey, sleeveless undershirt. "I've done a considerable amount of research on magnetically restricting the interlocks and then bypassing to an external unit to power and operate the array. Without the interlocks in place, however, bridge control would be unavailable. The array would need to be manually operated by a tactician after being tied into the main targeting sensors... they'd physically have to fire." He took a breath as he tried to smooth out a wrinkle from the dirty garment, satisfied that he'd picked away all of the schmegma. "Naturally, there'd be a slower response time in firing, but efforts could be coordinated with the bridge and at least ventral phasers would be restored. Keep in mind, of course, this is all theoretical and hasn't yet been tested in practical cases." He finished. The tone of is voice conveyed an enthusiastic excitment that was difficult to conceal. He'd studied the materials in more than enough detail to know that the technical applications were sound, the question now was if it would work in practical terms.

Lilou tapped Quinn's desk, drawing up a holographic overview of the ship and zooming in on the ventral phasers. "Whereas cutting away two of the five phase cannons would reduce the impact of the phasers, but give us the space to engineer new lines into the remaining cannons. Speed versus power. And I'm not a tactician. I'll run it up the chain and see what the XO wants. Can you get me specs by PADD? And a research outline? If he wants it done, we'll need to be quick about it."

"Of course ma'am, I'll get started on that right away." The research engineering library was currently offline, so he'd need to go to one of the scientific research library's, the only one he knew of working at the moment was on deck four, nearest where he'd restored primary power earlier that morning. "I can have the data to you within the hour." He paused, contemplating his next question and considering it very carefully. "Ma'am... do you know how many we, um, well... lost?"

She looked at him, fighting a desperate internal struggle not to wither into a weeping ball on the floor. "No. No, I don't." She pressed her lips together. She was the assistant chief. She had to do what Quinn would have done, had he been here. "Is there- I mean, did one of your friends...?"

Aurangzeb noted a subtle shift in Peers' emotional state; she seemed to hesitate in responding, as if she were trying to control whatever feelings were afflicting her from within, threatening to burble over if she were unsuccessful in suppressing them to a manageable point. It was then that he was reminded of the reason for Starfleet assigning trained Counselors on board starships, for circumstances and situations such as these... when it all seemed far too difficult to bare.

"I... um, don't really have any friends." He replied with a dismissive shrug, putting on an outward facade of not being bothered much by this. "You?" The moment he asked the question, he almost immediately regretted it, remembering Peers' current state-of-mind. His intent wasn't to cause her additional harm or pain in confronting this notion, but to engage in the conversation, regardless of how uncomfortable and awkward the exchange might become.

She looked at the corner of the desk. "I don't really have any friends either," she said quietly. And it was true. Will was dead. Quinn would likely never forgive her for his missing arm; she wasn't sure she could forgive herself for that. It should have been her, had all been right with the universe. They needed him, his expertise, his experience. She wasn't sure what Lamar was exactly, but she wasn't sure whether she could call him friend. What did he really know about her after all, besides the fact that twice she'd had to use a dermal regenerator on him? And Kestra, who she'd known longest, had gotten lost along the way; no matter how much they both wanted it, they just didn't know each other any more. Too much data through unconnected networks. She cleared her throat, straightening her shoulders. "When you're done with your ventral phaser report... are you familiar with the methods for recrystallizing dilithium matrices?"

Aurangzeb was startled by Peers' sudden change in the topic of conversation, but realized that in doing so, she was ensuring the sanctity of her current state as the Acting Chief Engineer was maintained and that, as a leader, any visible weakness would be suppressed. In a perverse sort of way, Aurangzeb found it somewhat comforting to know that he wasn't the only one on board whom didn't revel in a social group of some kind; it reminded him that he wasn't necessarily the only introverted or socially withdrawn crewman on board the Galileo and that others shared in the awkward interchanges such as his, yet delighted in privacy and solitude. Maybe her independence wasn't necessarily what Peers may have desired, but it filled Aurangzeb with some semblance of hope that his career with Starfleet could be just as successful, regardless of how many friends one had.

He shook his head, "No ma'am, I'm not familiar with that process what-so-ever." Aurangzeb's education encompassed absolutely nothing pertaining to warp field dynamics, operations and/or maintenance, including anything that might involve dilithium. His head cocked to the side, curious to know the reason for Peers' question.

"Right, then I won't assign you to the matrix," she said, looking back at the damage board. She needed more hands focused on fixing the warp core, but practiced hands. Not apprentices. "Finish your report, and then get yourself an EV suit and go to deck five. We need a manual survey of the damage on that deck, and the ODN sensors need to repaired. Can you manage that?"

"It'd be my pleasure, ma'am." He countered with a soft dip of his head in polite, respectful acknowledgement. "If you don't mind, I'd like to grab a quick shower and a change of uniform after compiling my report and then I can bring you the results and then head off to deck five." Aurangzeb's outward appearance was, well, enough evidence needing to be provided warranting approval of such a request.

"If you feel it's necessary," she allowed. It didn't make much sense to her, as he was probably going to end up in about the same state in a few hours anyway. "Keep it short, though. We need to lead by example on low energy consumption." She marked his name under the damage survey slot for deck five and took a seat to the side of Quinn's desk. She couldn't make herself sit behind the desk, in his chair. So she sat on the stool beside it and looked up at Ameen. "Go on, then. And check in with me before you head to five."

Aurangzeb nodded, "Yes, ma'am." Aurangzeb felt slightly dejected at Peers directness and believed it was due to the inappropriatness of his earlier question. He put on a brave front though, casting a handsome smile towards the Chief before bowing slightly. "Alavid." And with that, he gathered the items he'd placed aside before turning to leave, anxious for the opportunity of a momentary rest.

[OFF]

MWO Lilou Peers
Assistant Chief Engineering Officer
USS Galileo

&

Crewman Aurangzeb Ameen
Damage Control Specialist
USS Galileo

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