Signing on
Posted on Tue Jul 2nd, 2013 @ 11:52am by Captain Vorn Krace & Lieutenant Commander James Christie
Mission:
Renewed Beginnings
Location: USS Iapetus - Bridge
Timeline: MD08 0900
Christie rubbed his hands on the legs of his trousers, glanced down at them, wished he'd thought to wash up after his quick scout around the engine room. The turbo lift whirred to a halt and the doors opened onto the bridge with a swish. Jock stepped out and looked around, bigger than the USS Fife but similar in layout and apparently functional, he approved.
The bridge crew were all working quietly at their stations so he walked part way down the ramp and made eye contact with the officer in the centre seat, "Lef-tenant K'mander Christie, reportin' aboard, Sur"
"Commander," Vorn said, swivelling in his chair to face the new arrival and appraise him as he lowered the PADD he had been working on. "Welcome aboard. I assume you've already taken a look at your new engine room?" It was either that, or the engineer had just come from crawling through the ducts of his old engine room before beaming over.
"Ah Lad, yea've a mite mair power than the auld Fife, an a nice bunch a kids doon there. May ah ask why youse felt the need tae be replacin' aw the intermix gear? Yer last Chief must had a bug up his arse aboot summint. Also it smells a wee bit burny, but am sure I'll be getting it aw square'd awa proper like." Jock realised he'd let his mouth run on a bit and dragged himself to a halt.
"Ah mean, Thank ye Sur. Ah hiv." He grasped at formality, rubbing his hand through his tousled mass of reddish hair, leaving a black smudge on his forehead.
"We've been in spacedock for the last few months," Krace explained. "Since the launch of the Luna and the first of our sister ships, each has had to adapt to their environments and individual situations - and most of their systems have been upgraded by the crew on the fly, much like ours have. Since we were in for a refit, Starfleet wanted to combine all of those upgrades into our systems." He was certain that the engineer already knew most of that already, but he couldn't think off the top of his head just what upgrades required the replacement of the intermix chamber that couldn't have been done via adjustments on their existing one.
"Just so long as you keep it from over cooking the bacon though, we should be fine," the captain continued, with a smile. "Have you noticed any major problems since we left dock?" The ship was now at warp, having left the yards an hour previously, on course for the McAllister nebula.
"Nah, I jus' made it aboard masel, took a wee gander at the engines an popped up 'ere ta sign in an that. But hae nae worries, I'll watch the bacon." Jock replied. The chief was pleased with what he'd seen so far in engineering and was relishing getting to know both ship and crew. The current state of his uniform and general casual demeanour was gathering a few odd glances from the bridge crew, to which Jock was clearly oblivious.
Ploughing on regardless, "Aye, jus the think for a wee shake doon, a wander aboot thon nebula." he nodded approvingly to himself.
"That was just our thinking," Krace agreed. "The nebula should test our new scientific capabilities, and we'll get a chance to stretch our legs so-to-speak with the upgraded systems without putting them under any real stress."
"Aye, ye cannae aw ways be telling how sumint will be workin' till ye gie it a damn good kick." Jock scratched at his elbow and frowned around the bridge.
"Feel free to let me or the commander know if there is anything you need," the captain said, referring to the first officer. "In the mean time, I won't keep you from your duties any longer. Welcome aboard, Commander."
Recognising a dismissal when he saw one the engineer stepped back and nodded formally. "Aye Sur." he muttered, looked the XO sizing him up, but the man was clearly too busy to interrupt. Instead Jock headed back down into the bowels of the Iapetus, the doors closing behind him leaving a slight hint of burnt plastic and old lubricant in the air.
Captain Vorn Krace
Commanding Officer
&
Lt. Commander James Christie
Chief Engineer
USS Iapetus
