[O3] LtCmdr Tristam Core, "Just a Tuesday." (Part 1)

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Deliera Jay

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Oct 18, 2017, 11:25:48 PM10/18/17
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((Outpost 3 - Day 1))

::Antor II's finest structural engineers were explaining exactly what damage had been inflicted upon this small, defenseless survey station by rude and obnoxious pirates. Equipped only with six decks, two of them for the station's operation, two for it's science-related endeavor of tracking and predicting the movements of the Mother Road, one dedicated to crew quarters and provisions, and finally, the command deck - also conveniently placed next door to it's meager shuttle bay, which in itself was simply *begging* for trouble.

::Blake had left him a few notes about how she'd found it those few months ago, having passed along an after-action report by one of the original Starfleet crew that had manned the station explaining what exactly had happened, as well as a sensor report from her vessel taken just before she'd left. The station had deteriorated in the vacuum of space, decks having collapsed in on themselves rendering them and the equipment within utterly useless. Civilian engineers had put in emergency forcefields before he'd arrived, making at least two decks relatively safe to walk through without environmental suits, but without enough hands, it'd be slow going getting the outpost up and running. He'd have to get used to sleeping in the confines of his shuttle until such time he could safely walk on the crew deck without wearing an oxygen breather.

::It was like Deep Space 17 all over again - walking onto a station that had definitely seen better days. 'Coalition Outpost Loa' wasn't nearly as big, but the workload would keep him awake at night.::

::And then there was the Starfleet crew.::

::He'd worked extensively with civilian engineers before - it came with the territory of working on stations that had been almost decimated by Vaadwaur - and it wasn't working with six civilians that was bothering him. It was the sole Starfleet Crewman 2nd Class he'd been awarded with.::

Core: Starfleet isn't expected for another two months - how on Rodul did *you* get here so quickly?

Selrus: Born and bred in the Shoals, sir. Completed my course here a few months ago.

::It wasn't too much of a stretch to consider, given that Starfleet had an annex on Esperance.::

Core: So you're a native? How long have you been an engineer here in the Shoals?

Selrus: Two years.

::Tristam paused in his step, giving Kolby a side-glance. Two years? He'd completed his course just a few months ago . . . ::

Core: Just general engineering, or do you have a field?

Selrus: Trained as a programmer, sir.

::A programmer.

::In a reconstruction.::

::The 19 year old Idanii-looking Terran wouldn't be remotely helpful until they were ready to bring the primary systems online. If he had no experience in bringing this place back together, he'd have to guide him.

Core: How's the station's navigation systems?

Selrus: We've got an Antor contractor vessel keeping the ship from drifting - all stabilizers are toast. The reactor is barely intact.

Core: Can we expect replacements?

Selrus: Sure.

Core: When?

Selrus: Tuesday.

Core: Tuesday?

Selrus: Tuesday.

Core: Right. ::He shook his head.:: Do you know who we can talk to to discuss the station's deck layout? If they want to re-purpose it for communications, we'll have to retrofit it with some better defense systems, also swapping some decks between each other for some increased security. Shouldn't be too hard to redo, given that most of the equipment is already out in space . . .

::The Terran chuckled under his breather, laugh lines more apparent.::

Selrus: We're in Antor boundaries, but I don't know if Governor Blackhurst will be taking calls about a small survey station out on the border right now. Seems like the least of her problems.

Core: Well, she's already aware of it's change of priorities.

::Deck layouts shouldn't be too hard to get a 'yes' too, depending on exactly how many technical words he wanted to deliberately throw into his request for next to no reason. They usually garnered positive attitudes, especially from weary station staff with more pressing matters to attend to - he wasn't proud of how many times he'd conned DS17's first and second officers with that nonsense, but with sound planning already applied, waiting for others to mull over it seemed rather pointless to the young Rodulan.::

Selrus: So what are you thinking?

Core: We'll have to start externally and make our way inward. Should probably take a page out of DS17's book and employ a double hull this time around - maybe Klingons won't punch through it like butter next time.

Selrus: . . . you think there'll be a next time?

::The Rodulan didn't answer for a moment, forced to climb over a piece of bulkhead that had at one point been the only separation between this deck and the rest of space - in it's place, an emergency forcefield. It didn't matter how well-designed Coalition technology was - it was still unnerving having a simple energy field keeping them from being sucked out into space.::

Core: This place is about to be the centre point of a communications network that will hopefully process faster through the tetryon interference. There will definitely be a next time.

::The two approached a powered down door. Setting his toolkit down, the Rodulan took to snapping open the emergency locks as Ashaba had detailed, allowing the door to successfully pop open.::

Core:::he continued.:: Which is why I can't start work at all until we get this place up and running, and with proper defense systems. When can we expect the rest of the Starfleet crew?

::There was hesitation in Selrus, the Terran shifting somewhat in his place as he examined a busted console.::

Selrus: . . . Tuesday.

::Tristam blinked.::

Core: Come again?

Selrus: They'll be here Tuesday.

::*Today* was Tuesday.::

Core: Right, let's assume for a moment that I don't understand local terminology, and repeat to me what you just said.

Selrus: . . . they'll be here seventeen Tuesdays from today-

Core: How does *that* constitute as a random "Tuesday"!? That's *three months* away - which in itself is *absurd*, since we're along the Mother Road.

Selrus: . . . they're pulling people from other postings within the Shoals. Last arrival is scheduled for a Tuesday.

Core: Well where are they *coming* from? Karakka?

Selrus: . . . Ketar V.

Core: Oh Artist . . .


Tbc . . .

LtCmdr Tristam Core
Components Engineer
Outpost 3
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