Welcome to the Jungle

Posted on Thu Sep 30th, 2021 @ 10:43am by Ensign Edward D'Gracefull & Lieutenant Victor Barclay de Tolly & Lieutenant Alice Jordan ( Barclay de Tolly ) & Lieutenant JG Tarr Zell ( Barclay de Tolly )

Mission: Season 5: Episode 2: Operation Save Humanity
Location: Chief of Engineering’s Office
Timeline: MD 8: 09h30
1552 words - 3.1 OF Standard Post Measure

Edward Garnla Gnomomer Chel'Sata, from the House of EL, line of D'Graceful , currently stood looking around the hanger bay on the USS Elysium. His leave after decommissioning his prior ship had been terminated rather abruptly. He had been beamed on a destroyer, that was waiting for him to get into warp. He then was transferred to a express boat, where a red head had piloted a shuttle to meet the ship. That was one ride he would not want to repeat. He had piloting skills, but the red head that flew them to the ship did not like playing it safe. Ed was conservative, safe was his key word. She Ignored the warp six limit proto-calls when it came interstellar navigation. No she did not violate any letters of the laws of physics.

He did enjoy that slingshot maneuver and they did shave 12 hours off of there flight time. So all in all, it was not that bad. He shouldered his back pack and headed for Main Engineering. As he headed towards the Turbo-lift, he watched out for anything bigger than him, because the hanger deck was a busy beehive of activity. He made it safely to the turbo-lift and entered it as the doors opened.

He said "Main Engineering, please." As the lift stopped moving and the doors opened, he looked out at the large deck 29 stenciled in the engineering colors and headed towards what he assumed was the pit. That was where the matter and anti-matter came together in huge quantities that made all this possible.

As he walked in, he stopped a tech and asked, "Where is the CHIEF?" It seemed louder for some reason, but this ship was huge compared to hi destroyer. He was soon directed to the chief's office. As he pushed the call button, he seen a sign on the wall that read, " Do not meddle with the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and go well with ketchup!"

Neat he thought. He heard a enter, and walked through the doorway and snapped to attention and said," Ensign Edward Garnla Gnomomer Chel'Sata, from the House of EL, line of D'Graceful, reporting as ordered."

Victor stood up as he had been talking to the Ingavi officer Ensign Tarr Zell, “Lt. Victor, House of Barclay, line of De Tolly but I prefer Lt. Victor Barclay de Tolly. Welcome to the Jungle. I see from your profile you are Solaran and you are Scottish if I am reading it correctly. My last name may be Scottish but if you ever studied Napoleon, you will know I am mainly Russian. This is Ensign Tarr Zell.”

Tarr grin. The ape looking officer says, “So you are Tonya’s replacement. She was transfer to Logistics. Welcome aboard.”

Ed turned to the large humanoid with harry appendages and said, "What...You mean I don't have to work with ship alterations, modifications, repair packages, Blueprints, and Technical Manuals, keeping all the parts lists, and technical documentations up to date? You actually have a department for that?" Ed stood there with a rather astonished look on his face. having spent the last two years doing just that, He was not quite Sure what to with him self then.

“According to your evaluations,” Victor said with his boyish smile, “You are the type of Engineer who one day will have my job. Tonya was doing a lot but since she is my fiancé now and she wanted to be transferred to that department because she wanted more of a change of scenery for other reasons. She used to work on the bridge at the Engineering station. You will be there. This will give you more visibility. You will at times working with alterations but more like coordinating it when you are on duty. Actually you are Lt. Junior Grade now.”

Tarr asked, “Sir, do you need any more from me?”

“Hold tight,” Victor says, “I will show him around later. Ensign Napoleon Bond made improvements to the holographic displays for Medical Officers as well as for Engineering Officers.”

The door opened. Victor looked up as he saw Lt. JG. Alice Jordan, his Engineering Secretary. “Alice, I see you have the the list of the transfers in and out. Any pressing I should know about?”

“We have some cadets but only one transfer out,” Alice said with air in her throat, “It was Lt. JG. Kara Hoffman.”

“Darn,” Victor said as he thought for a moment. “Edward. Kara was my Assistant Chief. She was a great officer. I bet she found a post where she can be Chief. I know this is unorthodox but like I said from your previous job evaluations, you are management material. I want you to be the Assistant Chief.”

Ed asked," What shift will I have on the bridge? Will it be dress uniform, or will Engineering coveralls be acceptable, in cases of Mid Watch. Do I take a tool kit with just encase?"

“Alpha Shift,” Victor replied. “Just your regular uniform unless the Captain requests differently. Tool kit is located with the console station in case of Emergency. I sometimes work on the bridge but I often find myself in Engineering. “

Then the promotion part of the prior conversation kicked in. "Wait did you just say I was promoted?" Ed exclaimed in surprise.

“You were promoted even before I just assigned you to be my Assistant,” Victor says, “Your previous Chief or Captain made it so.”

Ed said , " I will start with the trouble call report, I am assuming that with a ship this size, you have a rather large one. I would like to go around to the various departments, talk to the assistants or chiefs, and introduce my self. It will be better if I get those gripes and see if there are any ruffled feathers to smooth over. Also I will grab the incoming ship alteration list and cross reference that to see if there is anything that anybody wants done prior to any thing exciting like combat action, or disasters."

“Splendid,” Victor said, “Now is there anything I need to know about you that is not in your profile? Do not worry if you need to keep a secret. Another words, you can keep your secret. I will tell you mine though at another time. It is very complicated but everyone on the ship who has been here awhile knows about it. Basically I am from an alternate reality that was erased causing anyone like myself and my daughter who have temporal immunity caused by my father being a time traveler.”

Ed looking rather impressed, said, " I never met a time traveler before. My parents are immune to hyperonic radiation, but I have never been exposed to it, so I do not know the effects it would have on me. Other than I have a high metabolism, and eat 5 times a day. I am pretty normal."

“I will keep that in mine,” Victor smiled. “What about family? Do you have any here or nearby?”

Ed said " I have a brother posted as an engineer on the USS Thunderchild, One in the brig, for something that may or may not have happened on a ship of unknown origins. It was half in another universe. I have another brother who is an operations type that is currently on shore leave waiting for his next ship assignment. My older sister, is a mad scientist, she even jokes about having a mad control group. I told her she should pay more, then they might not be so upset. She still wont return my calls."

Victor chuckled a bit. “Interesting family. I have a daughter Lara on board who is nine and she helps the Science Department. She has a relative high IQ. Her mother was from the reality in which I came. Her mother was that reality version of my fiancé Lt. Tonya King. I also have a five year old son named Victor but we call him Vick. His mother is Tonya’s sister Captain Mira King. I have a sister Nichelle who is also an Engineer on the USS Borodino. This reality version of my mother you might remember from the Academy, Professor Lara Barclay. My father however due to time traveling, there are two versions of him in this reality. Both are commanders as one serves with Captain King while the other one works for the Department of Temporal Investigations. Now let me take around Engineering so you can meet the rest of the crew.”

Ed looked around the engine room as they walked. You could get a real work out just walking around. "So", he said " Just how many people do you have on each shift, and I assume most maintenance is on the mid shift, to keep operations department happy?"

“Maintenance is done on all shifts when needed and more often than most ships because we like to run at more than 100 percent efficiency,” Victor replied. “We have about thirty officers, eight cadets and the rest are enlisted. You will get to meet them all eventually.”


"Well I will start by going around to the other departments and meeting there assistants after lunch" said Ed. He smiled then said, "That may take a while, there is a lot of area to cover!"
End Post