The Friendliest

Posted on 11 Apr 2023 @ 11:11pm by Ensign Autumn Cole & Lieutenant Leland Hawksley

1,582 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: S3 Episode 5: Diplomatic Incident/Hydaransz Again (Main)
Location: Main Engineering
Timeline: Current

[ON]

A redhead comes wandering into Engineering....

Leland immediately turns from his workstation, having been inventorying phase delineator couplings. Turning, he met the stride of the new face has entered the department. "Well." He looked Autumn up and down silently. "You here to help, or got lost on the way to somewhere much flashier and exciting?" He snorted at his joke.

"You need some help okay Chief put me to work!" giving a grin. "I'm Ensign Autumn Cole, currently looking around the ship to get familiarized with it." Rolling up her sleeves. "What would you like me to do, sir?"

Leland paused and looked around. "Down here? Extra help." He smirked and then wiped his hands with his grease rag. He placed it aside on the workstation.

"Ok. I want some help.." Hawk accentuated the word 'help' so the other Engineering Officers could hear. "... With the EPS port outflow clamps. They need to be de-phased. The problem is if too much anti-neutron builds up, there could be a blockage in the EPS freeway taps."

Leland smiled as he took a small instrument out of his toolbox. "This little jiff stick is a tool I use to de-neutralize the EPS flows. It takes a while. The padd here lets you know the grid format for where to place the jiff stick." He started to work on the EPS tap to show Autumn how to do the work.

Autumn watched as he demonstrated the tool, giving a nod. "Okay lets see how this goes. I promise not to blow up the ship." she teased with a twinkle in her eyes.

"I appreciate your help, Ensign. How have things been treating you since you boarded?" Leland knew Autumn from their warm drink in 10-Forward.

Autumn watched the grid while he spoke. "Oh well..." her cheeks warmed up causing them to turn slightly pink. "Its been very good, I've met some lovely people. Especially Commander Dodd, he was so respectful when he assisted me to my quarters, when I was drunk. He was a perfect gentleman, and still is. " her voice had the tint of someone who really liked Remington Dodd. And it even showed in her face.

Hawksley could not help grinning like a Cheshire cat. His cheeks beamed. “So. You and Dodd.” He didn’t want to embarrass the Ensign, nor let her get away with some information. Since Hawksley himself was busy, as was the XO, they didn’t have the most time to catch up on lady matters.
“That was really nice of Dodd to ensure you back to your quarters. And don’t worry.” Scoffed Leland, as he watched the Ensign scan the EPS flow regulator. “You not the first nor the last to get drunk in 10-Forward.” He laughed.

Autumn smiled softly, "I had forgotten I had been drinking earlier in the evening, and forgot to eat so... He kept me from making a spectacle of myself. " chuckling softly.

“Then again. Dodd is a real gentleman. It is in his blood.” Hawksley remarked. “The XO is a former Engineer on the Tomcat. I replaced him when the Commander was promoted to the Bridge. So, he knows probably… Well…” Hawksley lowered his voice looking around. “He probably knows more about Engineering on the Tomcat than I do.” He winked.

"When he and I got a chance to talk he was telling me of being in engineering. I also saw the evidence on his hands. So you and he are really good friends." as she continued to monitor the eps.

“Did I tell you he also re-engineered my AI Golden Retriever Hercules? He is an automated unit, now free to waltz around the Tomcat and go on jogs with me in the evenings. Dodd did that all, just out of his own free time for me.” Leland smiled. He enjoyed pumping up Dodd because he was a man who deserved it!

"That is incredible." Autumn turning her gaze towards Hawksley once more. "I really, really like him." her face going warm as she thought of Remy. "Just something about him, makes me feel incredible."

Leland watched Autumn as they talked about the ship's XO. There was no mistake that she was developing feelings for the guy. Leland smiled as Dodd deserved someone good, and he could tell that Autumn was a good person, a warm person.

"Annnnndddd...." Leland punched in the LCARs on the nearest access panel on the wall bulkhead. He paused and re-double-checked the assessment code numbers. "It looks like the coupling has been de-atomized. If you wish, there are six more." Hawksley gestured, placing the padd in the crook of his shoulder.

"Have you participated in any athletic programs on the holodeck? Multi-player?" Leland asked about potentially finding someone else for a grouping for his curling program.

"I was in a dancing group. And did an adventure on a holosuite with a group of friends. Do you have something in mind?" Autumn fully willing to go help out on the other couplings.

Leland walked along the horizontal length of the RCS flow conduits—the constrictor segments every few feet in between. Stopping, he held out his padd and situated his engineering tricorder over the one. “This segment seems to be backflowing with graviton particles. This only occurs when there is a slag in the RCS output. This junction has given me on-and-off issues lately.” Hawksley removed his phaser spanner from his engineering belt and ran the coil amplifier over the coupling.

Autumn gave a nod, as Hawksley went on about his explanation as to what was taking place. "Juat glad it isn't chronitron partcles." she remarked then Autumn queried, "and why were you inquiring?"

“I ask regarding the holodeck because I need some extra players. I come from Earth’s cold climate. Canada and I enjoy a good game of curling. It involves a rock shaped like a circle. In short, it’s bowling on ice, except pins are replaced with holding patterns to block the opposing player from high point positions down the rink.”

Autumn gave a nod, "Oh! I've seen that sport before. It looked rather interesting. I would like to try it out most definitely."

“Really?” Leland was happy. He was surprised that one of the crew was willing to try such an antiquated, analog sport. Many other sports offered speed and adrenaline, yet Curling was antiquated.

“I would appreciate it if you would give it a try. If you like old Earth sports.” He smiled as he upturned his head. Leland then turned to his phase spanner. “If you can clamp here with duodenirum clasp, then we can better manipulate the flow through the EPS conduit,” Leland asked.

Leland then put out his fist in front of him. You place your first on top of mine, like so. Then I place mine on top of yours, and you with yours at the very top. As a team before the game starts, we state while moving up and down. “We've got the spirit! We've got the fight! We're going to win the game tonight!!”

Autumn repeats the words with great enthusiasm, almost like a cheerleader with invisible pom poms, causing a passing by engineer to give a bit of a smile and a quiet laugh, not expecting someone to do a cheer inside Engineering.

"And then I do this." Autumn placing her fists as Leland directed.

Leland had laughed, relaxed. He then watched as the Officer worked the problem with her skills and expertise have had similar levels of knowledge. Her review would do well if Autumn seamlessly ran critical systems satisfactorily.

He checked and then reported in tandem with his engineering tricorder. “Well done.”

"Thank you. " Autumn gently chewed on her lower lip, as she contemplated a question, she finally decided to ask Leland, feeling slightly bold, "Do you think Remy and I would be a good fit relationship wise? Would you approve of me pursuing a relationship with him? You sound like he and you are brothers from another mother sort of deal. And so I want your approval."

Leland was taken aback. This was one of the few times that Leland had been around Autumn. He didn’t know enough about her. Although, what he did know was that she was no slouch in the Engineering Department, and then there was Dodd.

He paused and breathed outward, thinking. “I believe you and Dodd are of similar characters. I believe both of you have talents and were happy together. I would have no problem, as I see it, to deny anything.” He chuckled.

“Autumn, If I were to deny anything, that would be the end of my friendship with Dodd anyways, so…” Leland shrugged jokingly. “I’m kidding. Of course, you are excellent for each other!” He smiled.

"Thank you, um Leland, um Hawk, um Lieutenant Hawksley." Autumn was trying to figure out just how to address him. Well, Lieutenant Hawksley was more appropriate. She then just smiled brightly. "I appreciate that very much."

"Good Stuff," He scoffed. "It's worthy!" Hawksley then nodded with a bright smile back. Leland, in his usual, be it as it may attitude to matters, accepted the great atonement to his fellow friend and officer.

[OFF]




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