A Step Backwards

Posted on Thu Sep 24th, 2020 @ 7:32am by Ensign Kara Hoffman

Mission: Season 3: Episode 5: Shoreleave
Location: Main Engineering
Timeline: 2 weeks ago
992 words - 2 OF Standard Post Measure

ON

Kara was annoyed. There was absolutely no hiding it. She stormed into Main Engineering, her fists clenched, sweat dripping from her brow and her beautiful white and gold jacket was almost black as the cosmos itself.

Holt had hidden himself behind the warp core. "Oh, shit." He muttered, peeked around the core itself to see a very angry Chief storm in.

Kara put up her hand,. "Alright, where is he? Where is Holt?! Wherever he is, my office, NOW!" She furrowed her brow, took off her jacket, throwing it onto an empty side console and marched into her office.

All the junior officers, watched, then all turned to look up at him. He came out from his hiding spot with trepadation and headed into her office, his hands held behind his back.

As the doors closed, Kara turned around and pointed with her eyes at the chair behind her desk. He sat and so did she.

"Right then, I don't even know where to begin with you. I thought we were fine, I thought you'd behave. What theh ell were you doing on deck 15? I've spent all morning and afternoon tidying up YOUR MESS!" This time, her voice was loud with anger. "Next time I say, recalibrate the plasma feed, I don't want the job to be left HALF DONE! Never, ever ever. Holt, look at me, NEVER." She scowled at him. "Explain, right now. Or I will drag you to the Commander myself and let HIM handle your disciplinary action. So? SO?" She snapped.

Holt's face dropped, the normal stoic nonchalant expression was gone, and he actually looked in pain. "Alright, alright. Just please, calm down and let me explain." His deep voice trembled slightly.

Kara folded her arms, she smelled awful. "I just want an explanation Holt."

Holt weakly smiled. "I started the recalibration, everything was going fine, then one of the science officers came to me in the middle of the work, said she needed an engineer to have a look at a door panel that was malfunctioning. So what was i to do, I went and had a look. Simple fix, no issue. Then as I was returning to the repair, I saw Ensign Mallard and Ensign Kilroy finishing the work that I was doing. I just assumed they would finish the work, I asked if they wanted me to finish the work I had started, but they said they'd take care of it, they wanted the practice to impress you." He explained, his voice calm and slow. This time, he had no reason to lie. Not since he discovered lying to Kara was one of the biggest mistakes he could ever make.

"Right, I'll handle those two, but you. You are a lieutenant and you should know BETTER. AT LEAST, at the very least you should have supervised them. Give them tips, make sure the job was done right. I PUT YOU ON THAT WORK, because I KNOW, you can get it done the way I WANT IT. If i had wanted Ensigns' to do the job, do you not think I would have? For goodness sake Holt, you have banjacksed my entire schedule for today." She groaned loudly, and put both hands to her head. "Please, just next time just check in with me first ok? Please? Don't go off abandoning vital work that keeps this ship operating at peak efficiency. It's not you that'll get it i nthe neck from the Captain, IT'S ME. I'm held responsible.... as for that I'm going to have to put you on record for this and send you up to the commander. You abandoned your work, and disobeyed my orders. I have to Holt, I'm sorry but you're going to have to go and have a chat with him, because I need to make absolutely sure THIS, never happens again." She sighed and looked him straight in the eyes.

"Do you understand? Oh and you are off-duty for the rest of today and that is an order Holt. Until you have spoken to the commander, I do NOT want you ANYWHERE near my engineering section. Are we clear?" She cocked her head to the side, and for just a moment Holt could see she was exhausted. Her face was pale and she looked like she hadn't slept in weeks.

Holt nodded. "Aye ma'am. I can only apologise. What happens now?" He asked.

"Best idea is to go to your quarters and wait. I still have work to do. I won't have time to bother the commander until near the end of the duty shift. You understand what I'm saying, right? If I must spell it out. I want you to have the decency and integrity to go to him yourself and admit you have messed up. Take responibility for ONCE. DO NOT make me contact the commander, if i have to Holt. I'll ensure that this is your last day onboard this ship and i'm not even close to joking. Is that understood? I am so, so dissapointed in you. If you go to the commander, tell him to contact me as soon as you arrive so I don't have to contact him. Now get out and reflect on what you have done." She sighed and turned her chair to the side.

Holt stood, saying nothing he exited the room, for a moment he stopped in the doorway. ~Maybe I should say something~ He thought. Before leaving as the doors closed behind him.

Kara sighed, and fell off her chair and onto the floor. Panting heavily, tears began to stream down her cheeks. Her head was pounding, almost as if a thousand hammers were chipping away at her skull. She tried to get back onto her feet, but her body was too heavy. It must have been at least half an hour before her eyes opened with several junior officers piled around her. She had fainted, again.

OFF