Ensign Saavei - One Repair Down, 40,762 To Go

[Tara W]

((Aitas’ Apartment, Shi’Kahr District, Amity Outpost))

Aitas: Should we schedule another lunch while you’re here? My father has even offered to cook. I know a lot of the shops are still down. 

Saavei allowed the topic to switch as Aitas steered it towards lunch. She had no wish to pry into her friend's past where commentary or questions may be unwelcome or inappropriate.

Saavei: That would be most enjoyable. I would be pleased to have lunch with you and Sakon once more. Berit as well, of course, if he is able to attend. Their company is pleasant.

The idea of Sakon cooking, especially if he was going to do a more Vulcan-oriented cuisine, was very appealing to Saavei. The restaurant's food had been good, she had no complaints about taste or service, but it wasn't the same thing. 

Aitas: I’m sure they’d be glad to see you as well. Will it be a bit before you’re available?

Saavei: Repairs to the station and my double shifts may continue for another week or two. We are making progress but there is much still to be done. I am certain I can arrange my schedule to accommodate lunch when it best suits everyone.

She had something to look forward to, for certain. Beyond climbing through more Jeffries Tubes.

Aitas: It shouldn’t take more than a few days to get all the preparations together for dinner. My father usually keeps a few extra supplies on hand.

Saavei: Perhaps in the future, I could host you all as well. I am sure D'Cyra would not object, or may wish to join us herself. I do not profess to be an expert but I am capable of doing more than warming field rations. If nothing else, if it is to your tastes, I arrived on Amity with a generous supply of Vulcan coffee, which has as-yet gone unused.

While not traditionally Vulcan, her Orion roommate also had a definite decorating flair which Saavei imagined many others would find pleasing. Perhaps Sakon as well, or Berit, given the greenery. If he'd been in the jungles of Betazed, he surely didn't find such environments to be unpleasant.

Aitas: I do know D’Cyra; I wouldn’t be surprised should she wish to join in. As for the coffee, well, that sounds a very efficient way with which to motivate us to join you. 

Saavei reached inside the access panel area once more, giving it a quick bit of attention with her hyperspanner. Another quick scan to make sure no water had penetrated the protective sheath on the cables.

Saavei: You mentioned not being able to leave everything to Fureri. Until I came here, I had never seen an automaton or bot like it. What are its capabilities?

Aitas: It’s a neurally linked El-Aurian bot, several hundred years old. Designed largely for observation and analysis, so it can hardly compensate for my own lack of engineering skill. 

Saavei: El-Aurian? I have not had a chance to study their technology in-depth. Clearly it is robust if Fureri is centuries old and still functions well. Would it be rude to ask how you came to possess the bot?

Aitas: It was a gift, shortly before Aurelio was born. But if you’d like the full details then you’d be better off speaking with Taelon. Such technology is a specialty of his.

Saavei: I have seen him in passing but we have not spoken yet. Next shore leave, I will attempt to rectify this if he has availability. I hear his skills are highly spoken.

Aitas: He did the installation for Fureri. ::She tilted her head slightly, evaluating the state of the room.:: But don’t let me distract you from your work. 

Saavei: These are pleasant distractions. ::She didn't smile but inclined her head in a Vulcan equivalent of expressing satisfaction:: My previous shift, a bioneural gel pack exploded as I was changing it out, and it took hours to get it out of my hair later.

Not that she wished to sound like she was complaining. Saavei would still happily climb about among the cables like a Talarian hook spider most shifts. It had only been distressing because it had happened on top of compounding fatigue. 

Aitas: That sounds very…sticky. I’m glad you were able to get it removed. 

Saavei: Yes, unfortunately I was a sight... no doubt a holo of it will appear at some point. 

Someone was sure to have caught one. It had partially been Saavei's own fault as well, for not double-checking that the current had been adjusted before sliding the new pack in.

Aitas inclined her head slightly.

Aitas: Such are the perils of engineering work. There are a few places in the district that do provide more extensive haircare, should you not wish to manage any further incidents entirely on your own. 

There wasn't much more Saavei could do about the water for now. It needed to dry, so the access hatches were left off, and she'd bring some fans in to help finish the job. A mild spray would prevent any mold or mildew from forming though the faint musty odor might persist for another day or two. It seemed to have lessened significantly now. She would be extra attentive to that though; Vulcan noses were more sensitive than human ones.

Saavei: Normally I take care of my own hair but when we are done getting Amity back up to spec... I believe I will find a spa. You are welcome to join me, if you desire. Logic dictates we have worked hard enough to have earned it.

Or so said Saavei of Vulcan. She saw it elicit a small smile from her friend.

Aitas: Regular breaks are beneficial to performance. I would be pleased to join you. 

Saavei: I will be in touch when time allows for that extended break. It will be... rejuvenating.

Aitas: Is there anything in particular you would like for the lunch? 

Aitas stepped back out of the bedroom and into the main living space.

Saavei: I would be pleased with anything. I have not had anything cooked, save for our previous trip to the restaurant, since leaving Earth after the Academy. The replicator is adequate but I do not believe I am alone in saying I can taste the difference between that and non-reconstituted food. I do not wish to overstate how luxurious anything would be in the wake of our current activity level. 

Aitas: I’ll see what my father has on hand. And don’t work too hard in the meantime. 

Saavei: I will attempt to follow your advice but can make no promises. ::She sent the notation through on her PADD for an enlisted crew member to bring those fans to Aitas' apartment, so it could finish drying:: It was, as always, a pleasant meeting. May our next one be in the wake of a less-damaging event. Live long and prosper, Aitas.

Saavei had her tools packed up once more. She'd done what she could for now. The enlisted crew member would bring the fans and then the repair team would clear out of Aitas' way. She or another could swing by later and make sure everything was sealed up once more, when they collected the fans back. She had no doubt her friend was more than capable of putting access panels back but it didn't seem like the kind of task she should have to do. There was an Engineering Team for a reason. Her PADD was already chiming with her next assignment, so having excused herself, Saavei departed.

End scene (Discussed with Aitas that this was a good ending spot).

--

Ensign Saavei

Engineering Team

Amity Outpost

A240208S13