Ensign Roop - Never, Ever, Let It Cool

[Donald Furrow-Scott]

(( Alpha Shift, TCS bays, Shuttle Repair & Fabrication Workshop, Deck 11, USS Ronin ))    

Roop: Let’s get back to fitting the correct modules in this precious lift.

(( Much Later, TCS bays, Shuttle Repair & Fabrication Workshop, Deck 11, USS Ronin ))

With a clattering PADD under the TCS master display, Ensign Nakada’s hands rubbing his eyes became the punctuation to his drowsy tossed cry for sleep.

Nakada: That’s the last one, I believe.

Blake: Ta! ::waving at the lift:: We made a fair dinkum of a dog’s breakfast taday. ::putting his hands on his hips and puffing his chest out::

With nothing more than three laser torches held aloft in mocking ceremony by the crewmen, Turbolift 6R rose up on the tractor beam and was placed into the shaft like a bowling ball into the return shoot.

 
Stretching out his arms up and making shaking fists, Roop cheered the crewmen around them.

Roop: What’s our next project?  ::Rubbing his hands together vigorously::

Nakada: Haha. :: pause :: But honestly, it was good that you pushed to get this done. We probably wouldn’t have bothered to do all of them otherwise.

Roop: It took a team to get it done. Always does.

Dahl: We believe you promised to introduce us to Peruvian chicken with Aji Verde.

PO3rd Bergallo: I’m just glad the replicators will be doing all the work.

 
Roop: Hey, then I’m buying! ::glancing at the gondola work lift sitting empty next to the USS Constitution-B’s old Galaxy class turbolift:: =/\= Ensign Roop to Sujat. =/\=

Zakdorn Sujat: =/\= Crewman Sujat, here, Sir. =/\=

Roop: =/\= When you’ve returned the probe, you two come meet us in the port mess on Ten. =/\=

Noticing Ensign Nakada’s fading lids while his hands simultaneously reached and rejected his hot chocolate mug, Roop admired the older, more experienced officer’s determination and will.

Roop: You did great, Mister Nakada. Narrowing the TCS routing calls from twenty-seven years of records to only the last two was programming genius. I learned so much about the Ronin LCARS just observing and watching you diagnose the system.

Nakada: No, it was my pleasure. It was great working with you Mr. Roop, if I may be so bold, we make a good team.

Never knowing the many reasons Terrans shook hands, Ott guessed Nakada’s offered hand was heartfelt. The skeptical officer had wrestled with an aged system seemingly bent on making things difficult, and in the end, turned the programming back on itself in an almost Zen way. He couldn’t wait to see what Keneth could accomplish when fully awake and rested.

Roop: ::shaking the offered hand, and then clasping his other web-fingered, blue-striped hand over their shaking hands in a friendly, thankful gesture:: Go get some rest. We’ll save some barbecued chicken for you.

Nakada: ::standing and yawning:: Well, if you will excuse me, I need twelve hours of sleep.

There was a chorus of ‘goodnight, Sir’ from everyone as Ensign Nakada entered turbolift 6R and the doors closed. Through the garage windows, the dark mass of 6R silently receded away to reunite with its brethren in the starboard catamaran. Horizontal shaft lights winked on as the eclipsing lift passed them, until the lift suddenly rose and vanished up into the vertical shaft. The final project lift seemed to poetically consume Nakada.

Roop: Everybody but the Professor here, police up this bay. You ::pointing at Bergallo:: go order up us all this Pollo a la Brasa you’ve been bragging about for hours.

As Cátedra made his way up the elevator into Shuttle Bay One to prepare dinner, Dahl, Blake, and Reynolds began locking down the gondola, the ‘Undefeated’ lift, and loose tools. Roop picked up Nakada’s spent mug. Thinking, he turned to the 3D holographic model of the turbolift system. Only once turbolift 6R from the garage access reached Section 15 of Deck 6 and its starred passenger exited did he turn the holoprojectors off, and place the empty mug on the replicator pile with the other leftover parts of the project for recycling.

The residual aroma of the hot chocolate gave his hands frissons again.

[ End for Nakada & Roop ]

 ===============================
Ensign Roop
HCO Officer assigned to Engineering & Lieutenant Tucker
USS Ronin NCC-34523
Captain Karrod Niac commanding
R240206OR1