JP - Lt. Nathan Richards & Molly Williams - When One Teaches, Two Learn (Part 1)
tas9303
((Main Engineering, Amity Outpost))
Nathan busied himself around Engineering, checking in on systems and power distribution throughout the station. Since becoming Lieutenant, Nathan had taken on a few more responsibilities around Engineering to help Scotty out and welcomed the distraction.
Richards: Ensign Williams? Where are the reports on the containment in Peace Park? ::Looking towards the Ensign:: Ever since that whole deal with Lor’Vela, we can’t be too careful.
Williams: They should be just…
Sophie peered through the PADD collection she had acquired before finding the one she wanted, handing it to the lieutenant.
Williams: Here.
Nathan accepted the PADD she held out, looking down at the readings that streamed across the small screen. Everything appeared to be A-Okay. As Nathan was looking over the readings, a movement caught his eye just behind Ensign Williams. He tilted his head slightly to see a little girl attempting to hide behind her leg. Nathan gave her a warm smile before looking back up.
Richards: Did I miss a ‘bring your child to work day’ memo, Ensign?
Williams: What?
Sophie looked over her shoulders to see her small child, guilty as charged.
Williams: How did you get in here sweetie?
Ensign Williams ruffled the hair of the little girl, before looking back to Lieutenant Richards again.
Williams: l do apologise, she doesn't normally come into engineering…
Nathan chuckled, setting down the PADD.
Richards: It’s okay, Sophia. I won’t say anything. ::Looking down towards Molly:: Hi there.
The little girl smiled and waved.
Molly: Hi! I'm Molly.
Williams: Response
Richards: Hi Molly. ::Kneeling down:: I think I’ve heard about you around the station. ::Smiling:: You like to wander about, don’t you?
Molly slowly turned and looked at her mum before turning back to the lieutenant she had met, furrowing her eyebrows in an attempt of deception.
Molly: No.
Unfortunately the sarcastic tone gave her not-so secret away. Nathan chuckled, definitely not believing the little girl.
Richards: ::Looking back up towards Sophia:: Why don’t you finish up the diagnostics on Generator 4, and I’ll give Molly here a tour. ::Looking back to Molly:: What do you think?
Williams: If it's not too much of a hassle.
Molly: I'll be good!
Nathan looked back up at Sophia with a smile.
Richards: I’ll make sure she is good. Afterall, ::Winking at Molly:: how much trouble can we really get in?
Nathan knew there were plenty of things that they could do to get in trouble. But Molly’s mom didn’t need to know that.
Williams: Thank you. Now, Molly, what do you need to do?
Molly: ::looking at Richards:: I need to say "thank you for showing me around engineering", and if the lieutenant asks me to do something, I need to listen and respect his rank.
Williams: Good girl. I'll pick you up in a little bit, okay?
Richards: Don’t look so worried, Ensign. She is in good hands.
Sophie nodded, smiled and walked off to complete the diagnostic. Her daughter meanwhile (after waving her mother off) just looked at the Lieutenant, waiting for him to continue speaking.
Nathan turned back to Molly, smiling at the little girl.
Richards: Now, what do you normally like to do in your adventures around the station? Program replicators to spit out cupcakes? Cause trouble in the Mezzanine? Frame a Ferengi for embezzling Latinum?
Molly: What? No!
Richards: ::Smirking, crossing arms:: Well, then what do you like to do?
Molly: I like to explore. There’s lots of discoveries and things I don’t know, and I want to discover some things for myself.
Nathan nodded, tapping his chin for a moment as he thought.
Richards: Well, where have you seen? Where haven’t you seen? Where do you want to see?
He raised an eyebrow at the little girl.
Molly: I've been to Peace Park, and some of the Science and Research Centre's civilian and shared levels, and around the Mezzanine, and around the habitat ring, and a couple of times I've been to the upper Terminals, but I'm not meant to go there. I really want to see the Starfleet section of the Science and Research Centre. And is there anything underneath that?
Richards: There are still certain areas onboard that even I’m not allowed to go, ::Chuckling:: So I think the Borg research bays are out of the question.
Molly: Borg research bays?
Richards: Nothing. Nevermind. Forget I said that. ::Turning towards the exit:: Let’s go discover something.
Molly: Like what?
Nathan tapped his chin for a moment, trying to think of something fun and exciting he could show her.
Richards: Well, we could take a look behind the scenes of Peace Park, that’s always fun. We could mess with the day and night cycle of the Habitat Ring, that one always has interesting results. Or we could-
Molly squinted at the man, puzzling over his actions.
Molly: I thought you were going to show me something in Engineering.
Richards: ::Shrugging:: Engineering is honestly kind of boring. But we could stay here if you want. Take a look at the generators and circuitry, ::Smirking:: maybe reroute power somewhere we don’t need it and wait till Ops notices?
She jumped for no other reason than she could, and smiled.
Molly: I really don't mind either way. There's lots of Amity that I haven't seen, or that I'm not allowed to see, or parts that I have seen but not very well.
Richards: Well, you’re with an Engineer now. I can “Escort” you just about anywhere. Hmm… ::Looking left then right, bending down to speak quietly to Molly:: Have you ever been in a Jefferies tube?
Molly: I've always wanted to go explore the Jefferies tubes, but I've never been allowed or able to.
Nathis tilted his head back and forth slightly.
Richards: Alright, well they aren’t technically Jefferies Tubes here on the station. A little more spacious. ::Looking at Molly, smiling:: Let’s wander around through the maintenance tunnels and see where we end up.
She beamed, clapped her hands a couple of times before running to hug her new friend in her extreme excitement.
Molly: Thank you Lieutenant!!
Nathan knew he was being a bit of a bad influence on the little girl, but he also knew just how boring life on the station could get. If he didn’t have his work and his freetime with Robin, he might go mad.
Richards: Okay, quick. Before anyone sees us.
She immediately nodded and made sure to be quiet in all but the taps of her restless feet on Engineering's floor.
Nathan led Molly to the nearest Maintenance hatch, quickly opening it with his credentials. He helped the little girl into the tunnel before climbing in himself. The Maintenance tunnels of the station were indeed much more spacious than the Jefferies Tubes on a starship, having plenty of space for Molly to stand and walk comfortably but making Nathan have to stoop down to walk through.
Molly: Wow…
It was a secret special underground maze that would obviously have to be ruled out or scaled down for a game of hide and seek, but that's not what was happening at the moment. What was happening was Molly was going on an adventure.
Nathan sat on his knees to give his neck and back a break and shrugged.
Richards: I have no idea where any of these tunnels go exactly. I do know that there is at least one that runs to almost every section of the ship. Beyond that…::Shrugging:: I say we find out.
Molly: ::correcting him:: Outpost.
Nathan looked at the little girl with a raised eyebrow.
Richards: Huh?
Molly: Amity is an Outpost. Not a ship. The USS Independence-B is a ship.
Richards: ::Smirking:: You know, you’re right. Thank you for the correction.
Molly: ::pointing in front of them:: Let's go this way!
She began trotting down the tunnel, careful not to run too fast, but still energised enough with her excitement to not want to travel at normal walking pace. Nathan watched her move down the tunnel. If only he had half the energy she seemed to contain. He stood back up into the stooped position and followed after her.
Richards: Hey, ::Chuckling:: slow down. I can’t go that fast!
Molly: Hurry up, Lieutenant!
Nathan pushed on, eventually catching up to Molly at an intersection of the tunnels with a ladder in the center, where she had stopped to wait for him.
Richards: So, right above us is a couple more floors of Engineering. Above that is the Security and Medical Center. If we keep going up, we will eventually be inside the control room for the Habitat Ring, and beyond that will be Peace Park. Should we start our adventure up? Or do you want to poke around the Engineering levels first?
Molly: Hmm…
She looked down each of the tunnels, and then at the ladder, and then down all the tunnels again, right down to either where they turned again or faded into the distance.
Molly: Let's go up. But only a little bit.
Nathan couldn’t help but smile at the little girl. She had an adventurous, yet cautious spirit. He admired that.
Richards: Alright. If we climb up two floors…::Looking up the ladder:: I think that will put us right between the Security offices and Medical Center. ::Looking at Molly:: Onward and ::Pointing up:: upward?
Molly: Upward, and then Onward.
Richards: Alright, you go first so I can be behind you in case something happens.
Molly: Why? Are you scared?
Nathan smirked, raising an eyebrow.
Richards: I meant more in case you fall, or something. But I think I heard some of the Ensigns mention something about a ‘drop bear’ or something. If that’s up there, you’ll protect me, right?
Molly: I thought we had decided on tribbles…
TBC…
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Lieutenant Nathan Richards
Engineering Officer
Amity Outpost
A239905NR1
&
Molly Williams
Daughter of Ensign Williams
Amity Outpost
A239810RI3