Relieving the Engineer

Posted on Sun Apr 13th, 2025 @ 5:54pm by Captain Kelly O'Connor & Lieutenant Drake Yarrow & Lieutenant Kailani Young & Lieutenant Glenn Radars & Lieutenant Haarris Zim & Lieutenant JG Cara Ross & Petty Officer, 1st Class Goldie Brown & Prunella Grunvold

1,578 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Mission 8 - A Blast from the Past
Location: Bridge
Timeline: 2296/03/13 1530 hours

The moment that America was inside the shuttlebay, O'Connor practically ran to the hatch to exit. A large puff of pollen exited with her and floated upwards into the air ducts. She immediately commanded, "Zim, take our Romulan friend to the brig and interrogate her if she wakes up." She thought further and said, "Maybe also have medical check in on her. She didn't act like she did before. After you're done, feel free to come and locate me," she told Zim with a crooked smile. "We can talk about all of your security concerns then."

"Aye Captain." Zim said as he stepped off the shuttle with the Romulan in his arms. He would take her to the Brig and have the Doctor meet him there. It was time they got some answers.

The science officer looked back and forth, swallowing another giggle. Something was going on there, but she wasn't really sure if she was reading the innuendo, or just imagining it, because it would be damned funny. Then again, everything seemed funny at the moment.

"Good luck, Lt. Zim," the redhead offered as the security officer saw to the condition and retention of the prisoner. For her part, Cara was happy to seemingly be forgotten by the captain as she followed the shorter redhead, skipping lightly in the CO's wake.

She then went to a comm panel and called up to the bridge, "Miss Brown, can you head to the bridge? I will be needing an update and I doubt that Mr. Radars can give me what I want." There was innuendo dripping everywhere in that statement.

Goldie paused for only a moment. That did not sound like the captain. Well, it did, but not the captain she was used to. "Yes, ma'am. On my way." Hopefully she'd get as many answers as she gave.

The moment that O'Connor got onto the bridge, the Captain told the Engineer, with a crooked grin on her face, "Report, or should I ask Goldie what you have been doing?" she asked looking over at her Yeoman.

"Nothing to report really. We've remained in standard orbit as you ordered us to. Everything is fine. The ships fine, the crews fine, you seem... fine. Everything is fine." Glenn reported as he stood up from the center seat. "You can have this seat back now. That thing kills your back after a while..." he complained whilst rubbing his lower back.

"Nothing to report?" O'Connor asked with a sly grin. "Sounds like every day and evening for you. Well, then, I'll have my perfectly placed seat and I might suggest that you talk to the doctor about your back."

Glenn smirked. "Perfectly placed huh..." he said holding his head high as he slowly began to make his way towards the turbolift.

"It is not my fault that you cannot recognize perfection, Mr. Radars, but all you do is look at instruments all day, anyways. Is that not right?"

Glenn continued to smirk. "Why don't you sit down then Captain? Whilst I get back to my 'instruments' down below huh..."

"Just make certain you get out your magnifying glass when searching for your instruments down below," O'Connor replied with a snort.

The turbolift opened in time for Goldie to hear that last comment. She had to hide a giggle as she stepped onto the bridge, carefully avoiding Radars. While she found the comment funny, it was completely out of character for the captain.

As soon as she passed the lieutenant, she went over to stand beside O'Connor.

When Radars left the bridge, O'Connor sat down in her chair lazily. "So, tell me Goldie, what sort of trouble did everyone get into while I was down on the planet?"

Curious herself to the answer, Ross hung back by the science station, waving the current watch officer off and pulling the data tape out of her Tricorder to upload to the ship's computer. She didn't notice the trail of yellow footprints the two women had left, from the turbolift, across the bridge, splitting off to the back stations in one direction, and down into the command well with the other trail. Quite the oversight for the usually observant woman.

Goldie had to be honest. "The lieutenant mostly sat around and ordered people to do what he wanted. So, nothing really got done, ma'am."

Kailani glanced briefly over her shoulder as she moved her hands over her instruments. She didn't interject into the conversation, though she did smile. She found it a little amusing. Like the others, she hadn't noticed those yellow footprints.

O'Connor uncharacteristically lounged in her chair at somewhat of an angle. "So, situation normal, then. Well, Goldie, do you have any paperwork for me? Something that needs my attention?"

The captain wasn't acting like herself at all. "No, ma'am. As I said, the lieutenant didn't do anything, so there are no reports. Although if you can write up a report on the away team, I'll be happy to file it for you and then bring the tablet for your signature before sending it off to Starfleet."

"Oh, ya, I should do that, shouldn't I?" O'Connor asked, her Irish lilt starting to show up, something that normally only appeared when she drank heavily. "I'll tell ya what, Goldie lass, why don't we get a move to the meeting room and then I can dictate that report. It'll get a might bit tricky."

A might bit tricky? Goldie thought. That was definitely not like the captain. "Okay. And then I think you should visit the doctor--just to have a checkup after your trip to the planet. There's a lot of...something on your clothes." She didn't want to come right out and say the captain was high on something. That would NOT go over well.

"Oh? This?" O'Connor asked, kicking up some of the pollen that was still on her uniform, sending it into Goldie's face and into the bridge's air. "It was all over the planet. Ye should've seen it down there. Quite the mess.... That's right. I need to do that report. Why don't we get that done and we'll take that wee visit to the doctor after."

"Yes, ma'am," Goldie replied, trying to brush the pollen off her face and uniform.

Satisfied that the prisoner was secure Zim made his way to the Bridge. He would interrogate the prisoner after the Doctor sufficiently cleared the Romulan. The very thought that there was Romulan on this ship made the hair on the back of Zim's neck stand on end. He knew that there was something hidden on this ship, there had to be. He took his station and began intensive security sweeps of the ship. Whatever was here, he would find it.

The door to the bridge swished open and a woman with iron gray hair pulled back into a tight bun walked onto the bridge. "Captain, you must do something about this...mess. It's getting everywhere." She kicked some of the pollen off to the side. "Do you have any idea how hard this will be to get out of your uniforms? I insist you send a team to immediately clean it up and get it off the ship."

"Miss Grunvold." O'Connor responded with a modicum of respect. "I am certain that cleaning crews are doing their job. "Though I cannot imagine that this has gotten far."

"I want to nip this in the bud because it has already begun to spread," the laundress huffed. "I will not wait until we have an epidemic of pollen in every duct and article of clothing."

"I assure you, Miss Gurnvold, we will have the issue handled. Now, if you would kindly remove yourself from my bridge...."

"Oh, I'll leave. But if you don't deal with it, I won't wash your laundry." With that, Prunella turned and stomped off the bridge.

The moment that Prunella stomped off the bridge, O'Connor looked at Goldie and asked, "Whatever would we do without her?" Was there a hint of sarcasm in the Captain's voice?

Goldie stared at the captain for a moment. "Wash our own uniforms?" she asked. She wouldn't wash the captain's clothes if she made the laundress quit. That wasn't in her job description. At the same time, she wasn't going to mention it to her boss. "Shall we do that report, ma'am?"

O'Connor sighed. "Sure. She looked around to see who was left on the bridge to take over while she and Goldie would go to the meeting room. Lieutenant Yarrow, please take over the bridge while I do my report. She then turned to her helm officer and said, "And if he can't handle it, Lieutenant Young, you're on deck."

"Yes, captain," Kailani said properly, though she noticed her mind starting to wander a little. She spun back around, looking out at the vastness of space.

Drake obediently headed to the Captain's chair, giving Kailani a wink as he passed her.

O'Connor instructed, "Keep her in one piece and let me know immediately if you see anything on the planet."

Drake responded, "Aye, Captain."

Turning to her yeoman, O'Connor said, "All yours now, Goldie. Let's go." She then headed for the turbolift.

Silently and with no acknowledgement of what occurred on the Bridge Zim initiated his scans. He would find the threat, find the one who threatened him and his crew. Even if he had to tear the ship apart to do so.

 

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