Picking up the pieces

Posted on Friday October 9th, 2020 @ 10:17am by Commander Sam Perkins & Captain Franklin Johnson & Lieutenant Commander Paul Sharpe

3,377 words; about a 17 minute read

Mission: S1-A1-Ep. 1: Spectrophobia
Location: USS Poseidon; Science labs, Deck 6
Timeline: Docked at Starbase 47

[ON]

Perkins could understand to emotions behind trashing the science lab. But perhaps it had been a little over the top. To wreck everything in sight.

Now they needed to get the lab repaired. Sam did not know how long the Poseidon. Would be docked here or when she would need her science department. Repairs needed to get going and fast.

Shaking his head sadly he pressed a comm. switch. “Perkins to engineering come in please”

Sharpe was in engineering working on something when the communications panel on the wall sounded, he grumbled and extricated himself from where he was and answered it.

"Engineering here Mr Perkins, what is the trouble?" Sharpe asked in response to the hail.

Perkins could hear the annoyance in Sharpe's voice. Sam knew that downtime was even busier for engineers. There was always something that could only be fixed. Once the ship was at rest. Plus it was always the one thing that at first. Looked like an easy fix but then turned into a problem and a half.

Taking a deep breath. He spoke.

“Greetings. I am afraid we are going to need a repair crew. In the main science lab. Some cadets took their frustrations out on the equipment. To put it mildly, they smashed everything up.”Perkins explained.

Sharpe was about to respond when the Captain's voice came over the channel, this only made him grumble quietly even more.

A few minutes went by until Sam's commbadge chirped.

=/\= Lieutenant Perkins, this is the Captain. I got a report that Science is damaged, but to what extent wasn't detailed. Do you need Security down there? What happened?

Sam gulped. He hadn’t expected to hear from the Captain. Perkins took a deep breath and spoke.

“Some cadets got angry at the loss of their colleagues. They took their rage out on the science lab. Smashed virtually everything. I have requested some help from Engineering. But I would very much like your help. In handling them, sir. Should I be hard on them? They did cause a lot of damage. Should I be sympathetic after all they were morning? The deaths of their colleagues. I know they have to be punished, but how severe sir?” He asked

It was a moment before a reply came.

=/\= Hang tight, Lieutenant. I'll be down in a moment. Johnson, out. =/\=

=/\= Mr Perkins this is Commander Sharpe, I will send a repair team to your location, engineering out =/\= Sharpe said and signed off grumbling about reckless cadets.

A few minutes later a security team strolled into the Science Lab, followed by the Captain himself. Franklin stopped at the entrance and looked around, a stunned expression on his face, followed by sympathy, then grim determination. He shook his head slowly and locked eyes with those cadets still in the lab, some of whom she'd away in guilt and others with a look of fierce hatred. He turned back briefly towards the Security lead and ordered a complete lockdown on the lab before heading up to Sam.

"Hell of a welcoming party," joked the Captain with a scowl. "My apologies, Lieutenant. This isn't the first time the ship has experienced conduct such as this, but this is the first time something has happened this bad on this scale. Usually, it's cadets experiencing intoxicating drinks for the first time, parties maybe, but never this. I'll have to get with the counselling division to solve this one."

The expression on Franklins features scrunched a bit in thought, glimpsing Sam after looking around. "Speaking of, how did you know this was the reason for all this? Who told you? And do I need to get you a medic?"

Perkins looked at the Captain.

“ Actually sir it was the Commodore. He warned me that some of the cadets. Would be a little upset over the recent deaths. That plus have you ever had a dog, sir? “ Perkins asked

Taken aback, Franklin shook his head.

"No, I haven't, Mr Perkins. What does having a pet have to do with this, if I may ask?"

Perkins could tell the Captain was beginning. To have second thoughts about Sam. Being his new CSO.

“ Well, sir. Many years ago I stayed for a couple of nights round at my aunts. She had this big dog, as I remember it was a German Shepherd. One day after we’d been out for a few hours.When we returned to find a rather large vase had been smashed. No matter which angle she looked at him. The dog would not meet her gaze. Well, sir, the same thing happened here. When I came and found this mess. None of the cadets would look at me.” Perkins took a pause.

“ So it looks more than likely than were involved. Sir, I would need a medic?” Sam asked

Franklin listened intently to Sam's explanation, trying to gather his perspective from this event rather than push his own personal viewpoint. He calmly nodded between sentences, then listened to the question after.

"I asked if you needed a medic because I didn't know whether you were injured or not," Franklin offered in way of explanation. "Concerning the cadets, your metaphor seems slightly fitting, though I wouldn't venture to equate these cadets to an innocent dog who wouldn't know better. These cadets knew better, and despite their training and many services available on the ship, they took out their anger here and - effectively - on you. I'm impressed you seem so calm about this, but something needs to be done and I'd like to hear your opinion on what should be done."

Sam was calm because he did not see, that freaking out would do any good. They had smashed up the lab. Ok. It was the wrong thing to do. But they were young. In mourning for their dead friends. There had to be a balance here.

“ I am not hurt sir. This all happened before I came on board. They should help Lieutenant Finnegan and the Engineering team. To clean up this mess plus an extra night shift. Also maybe give the toilets clean and paint. By hand no technical aides.” Perkins suggested.

"Sounds like you got everything handled then," Franklin said as he crossed his arms, nodding his head in approval of Sam's statement as he looked around. Giving an approving smirk he gave one final nod to Sam. "Make sure to notate it on the report to me tomorrow, I'll approve it. You have any further creative ideas for punishment I'll look it over. Anything else you need from me?"

Perkins thought about the Captains statement.

“ Well, sir. How long do we have before the lab will be needed.” He asked.

At that moment Sharpe entered with an engineering team and he caught Perkins question "I will be the judge of that Lieutenant, well where the lab is concerned" he said and directed his team to begin repairs while he went over to the nearest interface that linked to the board, he got down on his knees and pulled the maintenance panel and climbed in, he looked at the insides and cursed loudly the only word that could be heard clearly was "Dammned Cadets!" He shimmied back out and still sitting on the floor looked at Perkins and the Captain.

"Captain I am afraid when the Cadets destroyed the console they damaged the circuits in this console leading to the physically damaged areas, I have to replace half the dammned chips and ODN relays it is a mess in there," he said indicating the innards he was sitting in front of.

The Captain took one stern look at the Cadets, almost nearly ordering his security detail to apprehend them. He took a deep breath and straightened his uniform stiffly, nodding firmly at his Chief Engineer.

"Very well, Mr Sharpe, make it so," he ordered. "You'll have whatever resources are necessary to get this lab back to functionality. We'll need it in about a week."

"I can have these replacements done in six hours, I will have my crew work around the clock to get this lab running again Captain," Sharpe said with a nod and got up and walked over to the replicator and tapped a few commands in and a tray of Isolinear chips appeared followed by a new board and some ODN cables.

Looking to Sam, Franklin sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose with two fingers. "As I told Mr Sharpe, another week," Franklin affirmed from his prior statement to the CEO. "As for you, Mr Perkins, if you don't figure something proper for these cadets, I will. I know they're not full-blown crew yet, so I'm withholding my judgement until absolutely necessary. However-" as he said that he glanced towards Paul briefly "-this new information makes that damn hard."

Perkins did not like the idea of the Captain dishing out punishments. It should be his duty after all he still was department head. Maybe the Captain was having second thoughts. But how do you tell your CO not to push in? Especially when you have only been in the job two minutes.

“ I am sure Captain they will curse the day. They stamped on our new electronic microscope. When I am finished with them.”

As Sharpe made his way back he looked at the Captain "Captain I would like these Cadets to clean my plasma manifolds and deuterium flow lines in engineering, after that do with them what you will" Sharpe said looking evilly at the Cadets.

Franklin didn't normally like to intrude on the affairs of his department heads. As he saw it, they were in as much command of their areas as he was his ship. If he created an atmosphere of nannying his subordinates, there'd be no telling to the drama he'd have to deal with. That was a trick Gregory had taught him and, until recent events, had been keen on sticking to. It was a work in progress between Gregory and himself currently.

"Very good, Lieutenant Commander," Franklin replied, satisfied.

With a nod, he got back down on the floor in front of the open maintenance hatch and looked at Perkins "Lieutenant speaking as a former Security Chief you might want to have you security clearances put on this lab so that no cadets can enter without escort, just to cut down on future mishaps" he said.

“ Already sorted,” Perkins replied.

With a smile and nod, Sharpe shimmied back into the crevice on his back taking his tools and the replicated board and Chips and OND lines. when he was looking at the area he saw a mess, he bypassed all remaining circuits and scanned the area, banging his head in the process all those in the lab could hear was loud swearing and cursing the cadets for their stupidity. "Dang flabbit! This old girl is nae getting any younger and then we get cadets throwing their damn teddies out of their cots" he complained currently not caring that he could be heard. After that, he began talking to himself quietly as he worked away disconnecting the board and replacing it with the new one and only when it was connected did he begin returning power to the lines.

Franklin eyed his Chief Engineer with a hint of worry. Not because of what he heard, but because he knew from the Academy that a CO never gets between their CEO and his ship. It was a time-long tradition that a Chief Engineer always took some responsibility of their stationed ship, on a more personal level than was traditionally seen.

"I think I'll leave you two to this," Franklin said turning away, "I'll be on the bridge if you need me."

With that stated, the Captain departed.

Sam nodded as the Captain left. Then he turned around spoke to where. He could hear Sharpe swearing.

“ Oh, I agree. But can’t show to much aggression in front of the Captain. I am after all the new guy here. In the old day's cadets who had dishonoured themselves. Were taken out to the parade ground. Stripped naked and had their swords broken. But nowadays we don’t have any swords. Plus we don’t strip anyone. But your idea for punishment seems just right.” Sam said

Sharpe gave an evil smile and with the detached circuit board in hand which was scorched beyond use shimmied out and stood up with board in hand as he looked at the Science officer "This Lieutenant is what those damn cadets have done to this ship" he angrily said holding the useless item up and then lobbing it at the cadets "A remembrance of what not to do in future" he said looking away from Perkins to the Cadets" he said then looked back at Perkins "I have to finish repairing this my team will have your lab working again, in the meantime kindly escort the cadets to engineering and speak to my second Lieutenant J'Loni and let her know what their assignments are, then return yourself here, I will need you to have you a look at the monitor and let me know connections as I return them" he said reminding himself he told the Captain six hours he already noticed that an engineering team was replacing the console that was destroyed.

Perkins nodded but at the last moment got his assistant. To take the shamefaced cadets away. He needed to get the lab up and running. In virtually no time at all. “I delegated its ok. There get what they deserve. My assistant will see to that. So how can I help? “ Sam asked

He points to the interface above his position on that screen should be a wireframe version of this section I am working on, it is all red at the moment, but when I make a successful reconnection it will turn green if it turns yellow let me know the numbers which will be its location my end and if it turns grey let me know like that, in this case, will be very bad, got it?" Sharpe asked.

"Oh and if you hear my talking it will likely be to myself, I am told I tend to babble when I get engrossed in something" Sharpe added with a raised eyebrow and returned to his position in the maintenance hole but he could still hear Perkins responded.

Perkins looked at the monitor and gave the thumbs up. “Red dead, Green Good, Yellow ok. But let you know, Grey bad.” Perkins confirmed. “That’s ok. One of my old relatives would actually have a full-blown argument, with themselves. She would even get into a fight with herself. Punching and kicking herself. She almost killed herself. When she drove her own head through a glass window.” He told him.

Sharpe simply smiled "okay let's get this done," he said and quickly slid back into the crevice and began to work it was not long before he got engrossed in his work. "now this goes in there, then that ODN over to here and that one the OW!" He exclaimed "Mr Perkins I have reconnected three ports, what are the readings?" he asked loud enough for Perkins to hear him.

Perkins looked at the monitor and watched the light. Three yellow lights came on then two changed to green. The third stayed at yellow.

“Green, green and yellow. I am afraid. Plus it’s flickering between red and yellow.” Perkins explained.

"hmm, a micro-fracture somewhere, those dammned Cadets did more damage than any enemy spy, are we sure they are not spies?" he asked as he pulled out his engineering tricorder and scanned those he just put in, he located the offending circuit and found it was fixable so he did what he was here for and sorted it, he pulled out the chip scanned it and its housing then replaced it. "Okay, all should be a solid green now Lieutenant, keep an eye moving onto the circuit above those you were looking at," Sharpe said.

Perkins nodded in agreement at Sharpe's remark. About the Cadets being spies. He looked at the place indicated by the CEO.

“That looks to be running just right now. You know if we were an Earthbound vessel. Those cadets would be forced to paint the outside. Mind you this ship does have quite a few toilets. We could make them clean them with just a toothbrush.” He said

"Nah, the plasma conduits and Deuterium tanks will suffice," he said, it came out muffled. After finishing scanning he put the rest in and scanned them again. "Mr Perkins look at second row if you will, I have connected the next row," he said.

Perkins did as Sharpe asked and nodded. Then he flushed with embarrassment. When he realised the CEO could not see him.

“Yes all lights are green but..... what’s that smell? “ Perkins asked

Sharpe sniffed "sorry that was me, I had a lamb Kebab for lunch, my wife introduced me to the old-style food, I now have one Kebab once every six months at least you now know why I rarely eat them, the smell should vanish shortly," Sharpe said as he activated the suction fan "dang that was a smell, now let me see!" he said as he used a sonic probe on an area "okay Lieutenant, the second row should be green now," he said.

Perkins shook his head smiling.

“I am the same but with Nan’s curry. She makes a simulated chicken and cauliflower one. She had learnt the recipe from an old college friend. After two helpings you can clear a room in seconds.”

From his place, Sharpe was quietly laughing at that.

He sniffed again and that same smell was back and he was certain he had not made that smell this time, so he went in search of where the smell was coming from. "Dammit, that first smell may not have been me, it is back again" his muffled voice sounded, he pulled out his tricorder and scanned the area "Mr Perkins adjust the environmental flow so it is even on all areas running through this area with a small breeze if you will!" Sharpe said.

Now Sam was concerned. He did as Sharpe instructed. The smell was even stronger. A very unpleasant thought came over him.

“You don’t think the cadets did something else, apart from smashing the place up do you?” Perkins asked.

"Nope," he said as he found what it was, "Damn it Computer lock onto rotting hamburger and beam it to recycle," he said and the rotting food vanished "activate suction" he added and the smell began to dissipate "I do not know how long that was there, but it was some rotten food," he said and put the final chips and ODN lines in and activated them "okay Mr Perkins the lights should all be green now" he added.

Perkins nodded as the board showed green.

“ Thanks for your help. Hopefully with your guidance the little you know what’s. Who did all this will soon wish? They had not.” Sam said shaking his hand.

Putting things back in place and securing them Sharpe slides back out of the hole and replaces the outer hatch and stands up, only he and Perkins are in the lab "well I see my team was efficient" Sharpe said and looked at the chrono wow a record, he tapped his Commbadge "Commander Sharpe to Captain Johnson" he began.

The Captain had just returned to his Ready Room, having engrossed himself in finishing the daily reports when his Chief Engineer contacted him. He took a moment to prepare himself then tapped his badge.

=/\= Go ahead for the Captain =/\=

"Science Labs operational again in just under three hours Captain" he commed back

=/\= I'm very pleased to hear that. Good work you two. I'll send someone to check in on Mr. Perkins later. Thanks for your help, Mr. Sharpe. Franklin, out. =/\=

[OFF]

Lieutenant Sam Perkins
Chief Science Officer
USS Poseidon

&

Lt Commander Paul Sharpe
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Poseidon

&

Captain Franklin Johnson
Commanding Officer
USS Poseidon

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