Engineering Greetings!

Posted on 30 Sep 2022 @ 8:38pm by Lieutenant Leland Hawksley & Lieutenant JG Jarel Haze

2,260 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Orientation Posts
Location: Deck 15 Main Engineering - M/ARA Operations Center
Timeline: Orientation Post (Current)

[ON]

Sitting in his Engineering office Leland was after hours working on some PADD work. He was about to call it a day when Lieutenant JG Jarel Haze showed up at his doorway. Hearing someone was there he had called “Come on in, doors open.” Well in all actuality it wasn’t, but it was an old earth expression.

Leland had known for a short while that Lieutenant JG Haze would be going to his department as a new transfer to the USS Tomcat. Happy to have more help, and someone who knew their stuff, by the looks of the Lieutenants bio, Leland was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed to meet him.

“Ah!” He exclaimed. “Lieutenant JG Haze. Welcome to the Tomcat Engineering Department. I cannot tell you how refreshed I am to have a new face join us down here.” Hawksley had got up from his seat, in his full uniform of the day and extended his hand to shake. “I am Lieutenant Hawksley. Off duty call me Leland.” He lent a smile.

Jarel took the offered hand and gave it a polite shake. "I am glad for the opportunity. I have always wanted the opportunity to get to work in an Akira class. Which reminds me of why I am here." Jarel said offering the CO an engineering padd.

"I finished the preliminary readouts of the RCS. I compared them to the readouts from her last rotation. So far everything appears to be in order. I was hoping to get the go-ahead on starting the manual inspection, to make sure there isn't any noticeable wear and tear on the gears and energy influx systems to the inner rotator. I also want to make sure there isn't any sort of dust or build-up in the filtration system connected to the main modular or we might get overheating issues later down the road. Best to check them while we have the unit open I figure. If just to be through." Jarel explained, though he was almost sure he didn't need to. The CO would already know all of this. Still.

“Thoroughly impressed,” Hawksley stated. “I know I don’t want to pump you on your first day, but well done. This is the work I am expecting from you. Well done. You have authority to check out the deck S2 and S1 systems and re-check the redundant actuators.” He smiled.

“Tell me. What experience do you have working with antideuterium sublimation?” Hawksley asked Jarel. Hawksley wanted sequences on deck 12 to be re-formatted.

"I use to work with a similar system when the ships would dock in a station. It was part of the general work-up before they got sent into the shipyards for refitting." Jarel laminated as he wrote down the new task on his engineering padd. He was rather proficient with the pressure system used in the conversion tanks and knew what to look for in regards to any issues." I can have those finished by the end of my next shift. It would be a good idea to also stir the tanks to make sure there are not any irregularities in the line that might lead to a rupture. I'll do a bubble test on the outer lines first to check for any weak or worn areas in the piping and valves. Still, I might have to come and get permission to do a vented test, later on, to get a sample of the anti-matter to send to the Science station for further testing if we have the time."

“Can I get you a drink?” Leland turned to the replicator enjoying his engineering conversation. This was one of the first times he had such an involved Engineer other than the Former Chief, now XO Dodd.

Jarel looked stunned for a moment. "Some sweet tea, please. The sugar keeps me moving." Plus if Jarel's timing was correct Lenore was probably being propped up in her med bed right now getting ready to have a nice hot cup of tea herself, but no sugar. Or he'd like to think she was. Besides, it would be good to get out of his head and maybe try to make new friends. He had been isolated for so long in his little bubble. At the station, it had been just working. People had treated him like a piece of machinery. Like he was a ghost even.

On some shifts, Jarel would go all twelve hours without speaking to another soul. Just a padd hung on a locker full of "Honey do's", It was still strange to him to be acknowledged so openly by others. Lenny would want him to make friends. He being shy and all had always found that a difficult task. Still, he would try. Lenny would want him to try so he wouldn't be alone after... He didn't finish the thought. He never could finish that thought. Instead, he tried to think of something polite to ask. What he came up with was. "So... Umm. have you been stationed here on the Cutter... I mean the Tomcat for very long??"

Hawksley smiled and set down the ordered cup of sweet tea for Jarel.

Regarding the question, Leland watched Lieutenant JG. He had sights for this officer. He wanted to train him in the operations, hopefully. If his hunch was correct, and all the background information he had sought had been vetted appropriately, then he was beginning to see the true character, Jarel.

“Jarel. I have been on the Tomcat for a few years. I have kept my ears and eyes open, and I took advice along the way. Fleet Captain Somers and Captain Somers are some of the most incredible Captains in the fleet right now in the Federation. I personally,” He paused now regarding the plight of the injuries sustained to the Fleet Captain. He had to speak with her; he felt he needed to. It wasn’t right that he had not, since she had been back from her special ops mission, “have had the respect, dignity, and admiration afforded by these Captains and, of course, your XO, Lt. Commander Remington Dodd. The man is a class act in operating a starship. Suffice it to say, lauding is just lauding a person. Doing things right when the action calls are the proof in the pudding, so to speak.” Leland took a sip of his earl grey.

“Do you have any family onboard? Friends, that you know from other ships?” Leland, in a roundabout way, turned back to his main question. “I didn’t when I first come aboard. From then on, the Tomcat had become my Family. When you do your work, you do your work, you present it to me, and I will hack it to ensure everything is done properly. This is never to be seen as a put-down, not at all but respect. I will respect you to ensure you become the best officer you can be. I am still in the process of being hacked myself; my Former Chief is the ship’s, XO Remington Dodd. Incredible man!”

Jarel listened. He wasn't sure exactly what to remark upon first. oO Best to do it in order of course Oo.

" To answer your first question, I do have a family. A wife and two little girls. They are back on Earth though. I am hoping to bring my girls to stay with me someday. When the time is right. I don't know anyone here yet. But I am optimistic about making friends when time allows." He replied with a smile. " I believe I saw the XO at the briefing. He certainly does inspire confidence. The fact that you regard him so highly makes me think better of him."

“If you are ever at a loss, a concern. I want you here in my office, not scuttle but with others in the decks above. Please tell me to my face that you think something needs to be done differently or correctly. I take your advice, but I will not always. But I am good at that. At least, I like to think.” He quipped with a brow upward.

"I will certainly keep that in mind, sir," Jarel said taking a sip of his tea he sighed, Feeling a little guilty. Lenny couldn't have sweet tea anymore. Hadn't been able to for a while now. He had given up drinking it because he knew she missed the memory-inducing flavour it brought. He liked it because it tasted like home. It was sitting on the porch at twilight. Watching the lightning bugs blink like stars in the hot hay fields. Lenny sitting on her porch swing, eyes full of wonderment at a night sky she's seen a million times. He took another sip. The guilt was gone replaced with homesickness. Then his CO was talking again and Jarel politely gave the man his full attention again.

“Your original question. I started in the Flight Control Position as Chief. The Tomcat is a study in flight. You would know by looking at her specs already. She is not your average galaxy-class configuration. Thus… I learned a lot in the FCO position, transferred to Engineering, and then given Chief as the XO was promoted.”

"I was not permitted access to the Tomcats routes until I arrived earlier. However, I am familiar with the Akira class from my time working briefly in the shipyards at the advanced school they have outside Betazed. It was once my intention to become a ship designer. Unfortunately, well I had to alter my plans to care for my wife. I ended up losing my position in the advanced placement program. So I am very happy to finally set foot on the ship that I was studying to build in my youth. I'm very proud to be here." Jarel explained as best he could.

"This is the response I was looking for. I knew you were involved in the Starfleet advanced starship school." He was happy this was a valuable insight. "Jarel, how did you find it there? You learned the structural basis of a Starship coming together."

Jarel was glad to see that his small stint so many years ago at the shipyards would prove in anyway valuable. So far it had been pretty well worthless in his career, fixing up space stations, and doing general maintenance, though he had drafted a layout for a hydroponics lab once. Still. Basic. "I found the experience to my recollection to be stimulating and ground breaking for the time I was there. Especially in the medical technology department they really had some great thing cooking in there. I was more into propulsion systems and structures that would aid in the amplification of a experimental hyper warp travel or something of that sort. Last I heard though the program got scrubbed. Though I heard that the armor designs where refitted and such for this ship actually with some obvious modifications though. That was years ago though. I am sure the Tommy here has been upgraded since then and refitted with much better. I cant wait to get a look at it."

"Let's hope you do not become too bored at the other side of that program." Leland chuckled. "Once a ship has been built, it needs to be primed constantly, repaired, updated, and mechanically innovative solutions are demanded in everyday life cycles." Leland placed his hands on the desk as he leaned in, the starship model of the Tomcat on his desk to the side.

"A well maintained ship is a happy ship. I find solace in the day to day grind that keeps things rowing along with ease." Jarel replied with a smile, feeling more and more at ease.

"Currently, we're working on the assigned tasks handed out at our Engineering meeting. That should not take too long, and then we will be full-blown in a mission, as to which Engineering will be needed to split between two ships. I believe Jarel, you will be on the Tomcat, as will I. So, we will have plenty of time to parlay and get to know each other."

Leland could see himself having a drink or a simple coffee, sitting down and picking Jarel's brains of what he had learned in the Starship research and development program on Betazed.

"I would enjoy that very much sir. I am not use to being away from my family. So it would be nice to have a friend." Jarel finished his tea and disguarded it in the nearest disposal unit. "If it's alright with you I would like to go and get started on the redundant actuators and re checking them out. Then I'll get the system checks run on deck s1 and s2. Is there anything else you need me to look into?" He asked feeling refreshed he wanted to help the team get things ready for the upcoming mission.

Leland smiled. "Hold up, an eager beaver!" He chided jokingly. "If I didn't know better, you want my job." He played eyeing Lieutenant JG, then broke eye contact. "I'm kidding, jesting with you. And yes, please. That would go a long way in ensuring our pre-flight operations list is completed. I thank you for being so proactive, Lieutenant JG Haze."

[OFF]

Lt Jg Haze

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