Lock and Load

Posted on Wed May 31st, 2023 @ 1:01pm by Commander Kyle Reece & Lieutenant Commander Malakai Starr [Taylor] & Lieutenant JG Zac Smithson
Edited on on Wed May 31st, 2023 @ 1:11pm

Mission: Season 6: Episode 2: Survival
Location: USS Elysium, Tactical Department
Timeline: MD 10 / 1954 hours (local)
2074 words - 4.1 OF Standard Post Measure

"Alright, Malakai," Kyle began as he finished adjusting the components he had just installed inside the port torpedo loading magazine. He then crawled back out and sat up, wiping his hands clean on a cloth he had in his pocket. "Activate the system, let's see how things go."

"Roger.] Commander." Malakai replied as he keyed in his authorization code to bring the system back online after their repairs to it. For a moment nothing happened as the system just seemed to be taking its own sweet time. Then it blinked once, twice and shut down replaced with an error code. "Hold it got an error code." Malakai announced as he swore silently. He ran a quick trouble shoot diagnostic which gave him the reason. He hadn't reentered his code. Mad at himself, he quickly entered his code and pressed engage. There was an immediate sound of a torpedo being loaded. Then nothing. "Wait a minute Commander, the system loaded one torpedo and stopped. It isn't jammed. Let me look at it from here." Malakai opened the torpedo rack, scanned it quickly and first he didn't see a problem. Then he looked again and saw it. The system's loading arms had loaded the torpedo slightly off center, so it didn't register properly. He pulled out some tools, did a readjustment on the arms, straightened up, closed the hatch and reengaged the system. He then heard the most wonderful sound of torpedoes being loaded without an issue. "I think we are good to go Commander. System is loading as it should."


Kyle nodded as he stood up and looked over the loading program himself. "Excellent work, Mr Starr. Now that the mechanics of it seems to be working, run a level five diagnostic on the targeting sensors. Be kinda pointless to throw torps, if we can't lock onto the target first." He pressed a control and the access hatch to the crawlspace he had been working in closed and locked.

"Once it's done, go get a few hours rest. I'm going to go check on the rest of the team." He offered his right hand to the other man. "Keep up the great work, Malakai."

Malakai nodded and smiled at the compliment. "Thank you very much, sir. I'll get started on the diagnostic right now because I don't know about you Commander, but I can't throw a torpedo that far." A big grin on his face. He grasped the extended right hand in a firm grip and gave it a good solid shake. "I appreciate the kind words, Commander. Are you sure you want me to rest? Still have lots to check over. Don't want the Ely to be caught unprepared." He noted.

After the men shook hands and released their respective grips, Kyle nodded as he replied. "Yes, I'm sure. There is a lot if damn work to do, and we are dangerously understaffed. I will not burn my team out while we are in a location if relative safety. There will be plenty of time for double and triple shifts, once we are moving again." He started towards the door and paused to look back as it opened. "I'm serious, Malakai. Once that diagnostic comes back green, go grab a couple hours of rest. If your cabin is pressurized, by all means use it. If not, go use one of the cots in our briefing room. Beta team will come up to relieve you guys in eight hours, so you can get back down to the camp and your family."

Malakai nodded; he knew better than to go against Kyle's orders. "Yes sir. Once the diagnostic comes back green." He repeated back word for word. " I think I'll check out the cabin. If it's pressurized, I'll sack out there, if not I'll be in the briefing room." With that he started the diagnostic. While he waited for the results. He idly wondered if he could slow down the diagnostic to get more work done. Then dismissed the idea. If Kyle found out, he'd be scrubbing the plasma injectors for months.

Confident that his ATC had things in hand, Kyle made his way to the next job location, the aft torpedo magazine, where the rest of his team, led by Lieutenant Jg Smithson, were putting things back together on the smaller system. Thus far, he was impressed by the level of dedication and hard work that his new department, currently operating at nearly 50% strength, was putting forth. If this continued, he would be putting each of them in for awards and, where applicable, promotions.

===Rear Torpedo Magazine===

Zac was in fact halfway into the aft magazine. He was grumbling nonstop. He had sent the others in the detail away so he could work and think without listening to half-baked and ill thought-out ideas. The magazine was loading the torpedoes alright but after that the fun began. The torpedoes wouldn't along automatically, they had to be moved manually and that in two words was a major pain. It was also time consuming. He found after examining the entire system the rails were bent. So he took them out, bent beat them back into shape and tired again. This time the system loaded but now the targeting sensors were out of calibration. Which is what he was doing when Commander Reece came to check on his progress.

As Kyle entered the compartment that held the magazine, the first thing he noticed was the lack of bodies present. There should have been ten personnel working in here, and yet, he only saw one. "Mister Smithson, report." His deep voice suddenly filling the empty space.

Kyle's deep voice startled Zac and he jumped, banging his head on the housing. "Well shit!" He exclaimed standing up and rubbing his head. He came to attention at seeing Kyle, "Oh! Sorry sir. My report it aft magazine loading rails were bent following the encounter with the quantum filament but have been repaired. I am currently working on the targeting sensors as they are out of calibration sir."

Kyle nodded as he listened to the report, looking over the work that was done. When he was done with his visual examination, he turned his gaze to the shorter man. "And where the rest of my people, whom I assigned to assist you in getting this job done faster?"

Zac met Kyle's gaze head on and unflinchingly. "I sent them away, sir, to get some lunch but to mostly just get out of my way. I can get more done by myself and not have to listen to competing ideas and arguing. I knew what was wrong, I fixed it sir."

While his general demeanor didn't change, Kyle's eyes did grow a bit harder. "So, if I'm understanding what you are saying, not only do you feel that you can do your work without any assistance of any kind...and... you feel that you, as a junior lieutenant, know more than a Commander and someone who is not only your department chief, but someone who has held chief positions in four different commands, five if you count the Elysium twice. Clearly you feel that I have zero idea about what I am doing. Is that it, Mister Smithson?" Now his demeanor started to get darker, as he commenced to, in layman's terms, snap a knot in the junior officer's ass.

"Did it ever occur to you that I might, just might, know what the hell I'm doing? No, I guess not. Because if you did, you would've seen that, as the senior officer of the group I assigned, I was wanting you to oversee the repairs, learn something from the senior noncoms, who by the way, have been doing this work for as long as you've been alive. You also would have seen that I wanted to see you in a command position. However, you clearly know more than I do." It was clear that Kyle was disappointed in the junior officer.

"So, as you clearly don't need any help doing maintenance on my weapons systems, that will be your sole job for the next two months. Eight hours on, six off, around the clock. Since you clearly seem to know best, I expect you will have my systems all in the green well before then." He paused a beat, then asked, "Or do you wish to try again, Mister?"

Zac was properly scolded but he didn't back down. "No sir that is not what I am saying at all. That is what you are saying. I sent the others to get something to eat so I could work more efficiently and get a vital piece of the Elysium's defenses back up and running. That is what we're trying to do isn't it sir? Get the Elysium back to a position to defend herself." He paused for a moment his eyes not wavering off Kyle. "I am sorry, I disappointed you sir. That was never my intention just the opposite. I was seeking to show you I have intuitive and could take charge of things."

Kyle could feel the attitude coming off the kid. He took a breath to calm his growing anger, before continuing. "Oh, you have shown that you have initiative alright," Kyle corrected. "However, you clearly haven't learned how to correctly take charge of things. You were the senior officer on this work detail. It didn't matter that the others might have their own ideas. At the end of the day, I put you in charge. You should have taken charge of the team and told them what had to get done. Not dismiss them and do it yourself. That is not taking initiative. That is being a poor officer and a even poorer leader." He shook his head in disappointment.

"As an officer, it is your duty to lead the crew below you, not to do their jobs for them." He thought about what needed to be done for a few beats as he stared down at the younger man, his gaze familiar with staring down threats that Zac had no idea about. "I'm going to give you one more chance, Mister Smithson. The next time I assign you to a work detail, you will lead that detail like the competent officer that I think is in there. If you disappointment me again, I will transfer tou out of my department. Do I make myself clear?!'

Properly and thoroughly chastised, Zac paled and nodded at Kyle. "Yes, sir you do. You won't be disappointed again sir. I promise you that." Thinking to himself how completely he had messed things up, he had been trying to impress Commander Reece and he did the exact opposite! He was a competent officer, and he wouldn't let Commander Reece down again. He would regain the confidence he had lost.

Kyle kept up the glate of disappointment for a few more beats. Then he sighed. "Go get some food and think about what kind of officer you really want to be. Now get out of my sight."

Zac nodded glumly but remained silent. He was crushed, his dream of making an impression on Commander Reece up in smoke. He had made an impression all right a bad one. Now he needed to work doubly hard to make up for what he had lost. As he turned and headed out of the compartment he seemed to slowly deflate.

Kyle watched the young officer leave, looking like his favorite puppy had just been kicked. Yet another thing that gave Kyle some pause. A good officer not only needed to do his or her jobs to the best of their ability, but they had to take any negative criticism in stride and learn from their mistakes. Clearly, Zac wasn't ready for any additional responsibilities. This meant that Kyle would have to find someone who was. A task that would be doubly difficult, given their current location.

Shaking his head, he moved over to check the repairs. While he was pleased with what he found, the good feelings were tempered by the wasted training opportunity for his junior crew.

Moving out of the compartment, he made the decision that he had his next assignment for his ATC. He'd have Malakai take Zac under his wing. If the young officer failed after that, Kyle would have no choice, but to look into a transfer.

~OFF~