[USS Charon, bridge]
"Mrow." the big lioness with the slightly ruffled and mightily singed fur tapped impatiently at the helm console. This was not good. Bad in fact. And she was getting a headache.
"Mmisterrrr whatsyourname, Engineerrr over there. Why arrre my engines coughing as if they arrre on their deathbed?"
A human with a very interesting bruise on the left side of his face threw the Caitian an exasperated look and shrugged "Ma'am, it's either your engines or everyone's life support. Take your pick."
"Ah. Carrrry on then."
"Mmisterrrr whatsyourname, Engineerrr over there. Why arrre my engines coughing as if they arrre on their deathbed?"
A human with a very interesting bruise on the left side of his face threw the Caitian an exasperated look and shrugged "Ma'am, it's either your engines or everyone's life support. Take your pick."
"Ah. Carrrry on then."
M'Riarr stretched in her seat and looked over the leftovers of Charon's bridge. Everyone of the senior officers was off doing one thing or the other, and much to the Caitian's dismay, even the funny ambassador seemed to have gotten lost, leaving her in charge of a ship that was limping through a nebula, pursued by cranky Romulans. And now they would not even be able to make a run for it if the litter box hit the windmill. SO not good.
What was it her pointy eared department head always said? When in doubt, improvise. If it works, it would be illogical to ask stupid questions. Or something like that.
She tapped a few commands into her console and grinned when at least this little trick worked, however weird Shenn's voice sounded over the static. In a low purr that would be overheard by no one on the bridge, save for maybe the pretty eared Comm officer, M'Riarr answered her friend's harsh "This better be important, whoever you are."
What was it her pointy eared department head always said? When in doubt, improvise. If it works, it would be illogical to ask stupid questions. Or something like that.
She tapped a few commands into her console and grinned when at least this little trick worked, however weird Shenn's voice sounded over the static. In a low purr that would be overheard by no one on the bridge, save for maybe the pretty eared Comm officer, M'Riarr answered her friend's harsh "This better be important, whoever you are."
"It's Ria, Shenn. I need a colossal favorrrr."
"Look Ensign Kitty Cat, we're up to our necks in … Marcello, overload! Scramble!" the odd but muffled sound of something else going boom could be heard, and the Caitian's ears twitched in sympathy.
"What kind of frequency are you on, anyways? I can barely hear you, Ria."
"It's a little backup thingy Miss Sakkarrrra has installed. Thought I'd give it a trrrry. Listen, I underrrstand if you're busy, but…"
"Just say it, Ria. I'll add it to my list of 'impossible things someone else wants the engineers to pull off yesterday' and get back to you. Dammit Lucia, what did I say?"
A few very melodious words answered the Andorian's rough voice, but M'Riarr suspected the meaning was less nice that the sound.
"My engines arrre giving out on me, Shenn. That's not good."
"Tell me about it." the Andorian sounded about as happy as a man who has seen light at the end of a tunnel only to find out it had been an antimatter explosion. "Right, look, I got life support for this deck working, don't ask me for how long though. I'll see what I can do but if the CEO calls me because he needs me for something else, say wrap the hull in duct tape to keep us from shedding stembolts as we toddle along, I'll check in with ya. Good 'nuff?"
"Shenn, if we arrre sitting grayth when the Rrrromulans find us, we'll be shedding morrre than bolts."
"So we get to choose between falling apart on our own or getting blown to pieces. Someone remind me why I signed up for this, please."
"Look Ensign Kitty Cat, we're up to our necks in … Marcello, overload! Scramble!" the odd but muffled sound of something else going boom could be heard, and the Caitian's ears twitched in sympathy.
"What kind of frequency are you on, anyways? I can barely hear you, Ria."
"It's a little backup thingy Miss Sakkarrrra has installed. Thought I'd give it a trrrry. Listen, I underrrstand if you're busy, but…"
"Just say it, Ria. I'll add it to my list of 'impossible things someone else wants the engineers to pull off yesterday' and get back to you. Dammit Lucia, what did I say?"
A few very melodious words answered the Andorian's rough voice, but M'Riarr suspected the meaning was less nice that the sound.
"My engines arrre giving out on me, Shenn. That's not good."
"Tell me about it." the Andorian sounded about as happy as a man who has seen light at the end of a tunnel only to find out it had been an antimatter explosion. "Right, look, I got life support for this deck working, don't ask me for how long though. I'll see what I can do but if the CEO calls me because he needs me for something else, say wrap the hull in duct tape to keep us from shedding stembolts as we toddle along, I'll check in with ya. Good 'nuff?"
"Shenn, if we arrre sitting grayth when the Rrrromulans find us, we'll be shedding morrre than bolts."
"So we get to choose between falling apart on our own or getting blown to pieces. Someone remind me why I signed up for this, please."
"Becausssse," M'Riarr had to think a bit and then chuckled, ears flicking back and forth "if you survive it'll be another rrrreally good story to tell your kid?"
"Yea, thanks for reminding me, Ria. Listen, we're on the way now. Hey, you have any idea how they kept the shuttles from choking up in here?"
"Mrow? No. But I'll trrry to find out. Listen, Shenn, just, you know, if thissss goes bad and all, I jusssst. I…." for a moment, the Caitian's furry snout contorted into one of her rare frowns, but her green eyes twinkled with affection "I'm verrry happy you arrre my friend."
"Ria, I swear by the Mother of Fat-Grass, if you go all doomsday on me, too, I'll convert your quarters into a pool when you're not looking! Shenn out!"
A pool? M'Riarr gave a Caitian sneeze to voice her amusement and horror at the mere thought, and then tapped at the console again. The Fortis was pretty much wrecked, but there had been another shuttle, right? Maybe another kind soul could be persuaded to retrieve some data. And M'Riarr knew just whom to ask.
"Yea, thanks for reminding me, Ria. Listen, we're on the way now. Hey, you have any idea how they kept the shuttles from choking up in here?"
"Mrow? No. But I'll trrry to find out. Listen, Shenn, just, you know, if thissss goes bad and all, I jusssst. I…." for a moment, the Caitian's furry snout contorted into one of her rare frowns, but her green eyes twinkled with affection "I'm verrry happy you arrre my friend."
"Ria, I swear by the Mother of Fat-Grass, if you go all doomsday on me, too, I'll convert your quarters into a pool when you're not looking! Shenn out!"
A pool? M'Riarr gave a Caitian sneeze to voice her amusement and horror at the mere thought, and then tapped at the console again. The Fortis was pretty much wrecked, but there had been another shuttle, right? Maybe another kind soul could be persuaded to retrieve some data. And M'Riarr knew just whom to ask.
[Deck five, starboard impulse engines]
"Bloody well looks as if a bunch of klazh had a party in here." Shenn snorted as he looked into the cramped space, his twisting antennae clearly indicating his unhappiness.
"Ah si, signore azzuro." Marcello said sadly. "Ma no worry, eh? Is no better man to fix broken machina than engineer who has not slept for many hours."
"Man?" a gorgeous human woman with a posterior that always drew an extraordinary number of looks from males of all species waltzed past the two pouting males and huffed in annoyance "If we left this matter to you men, I might as well take my chances with the Romulans now. What are you standing around for? Avanti!"
"Si, amore." Marcello shrugged in the Andorian's direction and scampered after his wife who was already climbing one of the ladders up to the badly burned out panels.
"Ah si, signore azzuro." Marcello said sadly. "Ma no worry, eh? Is no better man to fix broken machina than engineer who has not slept for many hours."
"Man?" a gorgeous human woman with a posterior that always drew an extraordinary number of looks from males of all species waltzed past the two pouting males and huffed in annoyance "If we left this matter to you men, I might as well take my chances with the Romulans now. What are you standing around for? Avanti!"
"Si, amore." Marcello shrugged in the Andorian's direction and scampered after his wife who was already climbing one of the ladders up to the badly burned out panels.
The Andorian looked after the pair, trying very hard not to laugh, and finally decided to open his toolkit and get to work on the EPS power taps before Lucia would focus her temper on him. Humans could be funny, but these two took the proverbial cake any day.
"Porca Madonna!"
"I will wash your mouth with soap, Marcello, oh, if your mamma was alive to hear you!"
"Scusa me, amore. But this machina is driving me crazy."
"Eh?"
"Porca Madonna!"
"I will wash your mouth with soap, Marcello, oh, if your mamma was alive to hear you!"
"Scusa me, amore. But this machina is driving me crazy."
"Eh?"
Shenn turned his face up towards the two humans, who despite or maybe because of their incessant bickering were making excellent progress with the coil assembly, and saw the Italian woman saunter over towards her mate. In an affectionate but no-nonsense way, she nudged him aside and to Shenn's renewed amusement, went ahead and kicked the living daylight out of the stubborn conduit. What was even funnier was that only two seconds later, the engine sprung back to life with an irregular, but at least very satisfying hum.
"Ecco." Lucia announced. "Do I have to calibrate it as well or can I trust you to not break everything again?"
"I will calibrate, amore. After all, anything that requires a tender touch loves my hands, si?"
With a huff, Lucia turned on her heel and strode back to her console, her delicious hips moving in a way that had Marcello press a hand over where Shenn assumed the human heart was located, more or less.
"Viva Italia." the man said with the utmost conviction, letting his dreamy eyes rest on Lucia's voluptuous curves for another second. But before the woman in question could turn back and unleash a few more melodious incentives in his direction, he quickly ducked into the hatch again, humming a happy little melody.
"Ecco." Lucia announced. "Do I have to calibrate it as well or can I trust you to not break everything again?"
"I will calibrate, amore. After all, anything that requires a tender touch loves my hands, si?"
With a huff, Lucia turned on her heel and strode back to her console, her delicious hips moving in a way that had Marcello press a hand over where Shenn assumed the human heart was located, more or less.
"Viva Italia." the man said with the utmost conviction, letting his dreamy eyes rest on Lucia's voluptuous curves for another second. But before the woman in question could turn back and unleash a few more melodious incentives in his direction, he quickly ducked into the hatch again, humming a happy little melody.
Shenn's antennae quivered with suppressed laughter and he brought up the fuel consumption schematics, just as the doors hissed open and another familiar face with deep shadows under the usually bright, sparkling eyes peeked around the corner.
"Hey buddy. Ria asked me to drop this off, got it from the guys who are still trying to get to the sensor logs of the Fortis. Can't make heads or tails of it, though."
"That's why you're the scientist, Nils, and I'm the … what the hell?"
"Yea that was my first thought. Looks Vulcan." the tall human rubbed his eyes a bit and leaned against the bulkhead in exhaustion. But when his gaze fell on the woman bustling about on the tiny catwalk high above, the tired look almost completely disappeared from his face. "Wow. Talk about a morale booster."
"Hey buddy. Ria asked me to drop this off, got it from the guys who are still trying to get to the sensor logs of the Fortis. Can't make heads or tails of it, though."
"That's why you're the scientist, Nils, and I'm the … what the hell?"
"Yea that was my first thought. Looks Vulcan." the tall human rubbed his eyes a bit and leaned against the bulkhead in exhaustion. But when his gaze fell on the woman bustling about on the tiny catwalk high above, the tired look almost completely disappeared from his face. "Wow. Talk about a morale booster."
"Uh-huh." the Andorian muttered, frowning at the funny script on the PADD that Nils had handed him. Looked a bit like musical notes, and much more ornamental than the standard Vulcan script he knew. Damn, what was he supposed to do with this?
Lucia leaned over the metal railing, noticing that there were AGAIN two males standing around looking stupid and being completely useless.
"Ragazzi! What is the problem this time?"
"The engine specs, Ma'am" despite the fact that he was theoretically the same rank as the female engineer, Nils snapped to attention "They're, well, Vulcan. I think."
Lucia leaned over the metal railing, noticing that there were AGAIN two males standing around looking stupid and being completely useless.
"Ragazzi! What is the problem this time?"
"The engine specs, Ma'am" despite the fact that he was theoretically the same rank as the female engineer, Nils snapped to attention "They're, well, Vulcan. I think."
"Vulcane, eh?" Lucia slid down the rails and sauntered over to the bemused looking males, waving impatiently. When the Andorian didn't get the message, she simply snatched the PADD from his unresisting hands and started scrolling through the schematics. "Lanka-gar. Hm."
"You can read that? And what the hell is a lank- something?" Nils was utterly fascinated by this vision of beauty, but wisely kept his distance when a dark eyed male with dirt smeared across his face started to give him funny looks from the catwalk above.
"What, you can not?" Lucia huffed. "It is a bird. Molto graciosa." She flapped her arms a bit, imitating a large bird taking off and then returned her focus to the PADD. "Si si, capisce. Ma difficile." the Italian woman rubbed her temples thoughtfully "Who wrote this?"
"You can read that? And what the hell is a lank- something?" Nils was utterly fascinated by this vision of beauty, but wisely kept his distance when a dark eyed male with dirt smeared across his face started to give him funny looks from the catwalk above.
"What, you can not?" Lucia huffed. "It is a bird. Molto graciosa." She flapped her arms a bit, imitating a large bird taking off and then returned her focus to the PADD. "Si si, capisce. Ma difficile." the Italian woman rubbed her temples thoughtfully "Who wrote this?"
"Uh, I think it was our second Vulcan, ma'am. Second Officer. The Vulcan. Miss Tyrax. Ma'am." Nils tried not to look at the perfect hourglass shape of the woman before him, and least of all the magnificent … front … that was visible because the engineer had obviously decided to toss her jacket and all, and… he swallowed hard and tried to think of that extra hour holodeck time. Andoria in winter should do.
"Ah, normale. Have you not thought that signora Tyrax will have left a translation matrix for this? She is a woman AND a Vulcan. Not stupido."
Shenn just so managed not to sigh. Yea, it would be logical, wouldn't it?
"Sooo…"
Before he could even move an antenna, he was nudged out of the way and Lucia began hammering away at the general access panel next to the door.
"Uccello di notte. E la!"
"What?"
"Ah, normale. Have you not thought that signora Tyrax will have left a translation matrix for this? She is a woman AND a Vulcan. Not stupido."
Shenn just so managed not to sigh. Yea, it would be logical, wouldn't it?
"Sooo…"
Before he could even move an antenna, he was nudged out of the way and Lucia began hammering away at the general access panel next to the door.
"Uccello di notte. E la!"
"What?"
Rather than answering, Lucia smacked the PADD against Shenn's forehead and yelled across the room "Marcello!"
"SI, signora!" the engineer just so managed not to fall over the railing as he rushed to see what his beloved required this time.
"You and signore azzuro will read and implement, e pronto! I will tell signore Calhoun and if he does not like it, he may…" a few more melodious words followed that statement, before the woman pivoted around, nearly bumping into the utterly enchanted Nils.
"You. Ragazzo. You know how to calibrate?"
"I, uh, yes, ma'am. But I'm not an…"
"You are now. Follow. Port engine. Avanti."
"But I…" Nils sighed, throwing Shenn a 'help me' look, but the Andorian was already happily reading over the translated specs, his antennae bobbing with excitement.
"Yes, ma'am. Following."
"SI, signora!" the engineer just so managed not to fall over the railing as he rushed to see what his beloved required this time.
"You and signore azzuro will read and implement, e pronto! I will tell signore Calhoun and if he does not like it, he may…" a few more melodious words followed that statement, before the woman pivoted around, nearly bumping into the utterly enchanted Nils.
"You. Ragazzo. You know how to calibrate?"
"I, uh, yes, ma'am. But I'm not an…"
"You are now. Follow. Port engine. Avanti."
"But I…" Nils sighed, throwing Shenn a 'help me' look, but the Andorian was already happily reading over the translated specs, his antennae bobbing with excitement.
"Yes, ma'am. Following."
Once poor Nils had scampered after the engineer, Shenn blinked for a moment and then looked up towards where Marcello was still gently manipulating the power flows.
"If the CEO doesn't like it, he can what?"
"Ah I think she mean that signore Calhoun may ask her to explain schematics, if he think there is time for such silly things. Or maybe Lucia just thinks Chief Engineer is too smart to be angry when ship works better, eh?"
"One can only hope." Shenn snorted, but had to chuckle anyways "Care for some coffee, Marcello? I got just enough left in here for two mugs."
"Ma si, grazie." the dark haired human leaned over the railing to accept the lukewarm beverage and sniffed it with just a little frown. "Ahhh nessun dorma."
"Beg your pardon?"
"No sleep, signore Shenn." Marcello smirked "No one sleep."
"You got that one right."
"If the CEO doesn't like it, he can what?"
"Ah I think she mean that signore Calhoun may ask her to explain schematics, if he think there is time for such silly things. Or maybe Lucia just thinks Chief Engineer is too smart to be angry when ship works better, eh?"
"One can only hope." Shenn snorted, but had to chuckle anyways "Care for some coffee, Marcello? I got just enough left in here for two mugs."
"Ma si, grazie." the dark haired human leaned over the railing to accept the lukewarm beverage and sniffed it with just a little frown. "Ahhh nessun dorma."
"Beg your pardon?"
"No sleep, signore Shenn." Marcello smirked "No one sleep."
"You got that one right."
[End Log]
Ensign M'Riarr
Assistant Helmscat
&
Petty Officer 3rd Class Nils Olafsson
Scientist's Mate
&
Specialist Shenn
Basic Engineer's Mate
&
Lucia è Marcello
Random Italian Engineers
Assistant Helmscat
&
Petty Officer 3rd Class Nils Olafsson
Scientist's Mate
&
Specialist Shenn
Basic Engineer's Mate
&
Lucia è Marcello
Random Italian Engineers
USS Charon
(NPCs apb I-Chaya)
