Core Meltdown - Part II

Posted on Wed Oct 9th, 2024 @ 12:50pm by Lieutenant Fang Lee & Lieutenant Lanna Alexander & Lieutenant Chloe O'Connor MD

1,710 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Stars Around the Well
Location: Engineering | USS Arcadia
Timeline: Current

Previously on Core Meltdown...

She glanced down at the tricorder, “more i left it lying and the screen broke when my patient stood on it. I was a hoping you might be able to fix the screen? Before my boss finds out?” She fixed him with a hopeful smile as she waved the tricorder back and forth. “I was going to ask one of the other engineers to help but they seem to be hiding.”

"Lazy! They are hiding because they're lazy!" He growled. He sighed. "I'll fix it." He took the tricorder and pointed to a chair. "Maybe it's good your here. Can I ask you a hypothetical question?"

Out in the corridor Lanna was trying to get a grip, Fang’s emotions were so strong it was hard not to let them overflow into her own personality.

Fang looked at the door an noticed a shadow looming close by. He stuck his head out the door. "Counselor? You're here too?" He sighed. "Well don't just stand there. Come in."


And Now, the Conclusion...


Lanna took a deep breath, more so at the fact that Fang had calmed down. Entering the room she gave them both an apologetic look. “Sorry I had to hang back, your emotions were, and still slightly are...” she paused. “Let’s just say...overwhelming.”

"My emotions are fine. I'm calm as a peach." Fang knew that was a lie but tried to reign in calm. He knew what she must be feeling Zai was an empath too and he tried to put himself in their place, tried being the operative word.

“You said you had a hypothetical question?” Chloe prompted, glad to see the Lieutenant seemed quieter. Less shouty.

Fang turned his head back towards the doctor. "Zai was released from sickbay. How stable is he. If he had...a devastating stressor could that hurt his recovery?"

“Not hypothetical,” Chloe pointed out. “You know I cannot discuss the medical condition of another member of the crew with you. If you are concerned then I can check in on him.”

He sighed. "Yes, please. When he left he was...in a bad state." He continued tinkering with the tricorder. "Almost fixed but doesn't look like it was stepped on. Whoever broke it dropped it. It hit something hard."

“No idea how that could’ve happened,” she lied smoothly, “but appreciate you fixing it.”

He sighed as he clicked the new screen into place. "That should do it but the hit drained the charge pack. Let it recharge for 24 to 48 hours." He sighed. "Now then...you're both here..." Before he could say something the Andorian gave a knock at the door frame.

"Sir...um...I have a message from Lieutenant Zai..." The ensign's normal blue looked a bit washed out.

"Zai? What did he say?"

"Um..." The Andorian walked over dropped a small data cassette on the desk and stood behind the doctor using her as a shield. "Sorry doc but you understand."

“My hero,” Chloe sighed, rolling her eyes.

Lanna exchanged a glance with Chloe, the fact that the engineering staff felt the need to hide was bad enough.

Fang viewed the tape. He was silent for a long moment. "Did he deliver this himself?"

"Yes but told me to tell you he didn't enter Engineering he waited outside for me to pick it up."

"I see." Fang said calmly. He ejected the tape, stood and the proceeded to smash it to bits with his fist causing his hand to cut and bleed.

The Andorian jumped. "Right...request refused, got it!" He ran out of the office.

The ensign wasn’t the only one who jumped at the reaction. Indeed, Dr O’Connor was out of her seat in an instant and taking a step back as shards of the tape broke away in all directions. All while the lieutenant seemed oblivious to his injury. “Stop!” She eventually blurted out, swallowing any fear the outburst had triggered and grasping his hands. She felt the sting as some of the broken container dug into her hands too but she couldn’t let him go on.

“Lieutenant! You are a Starfleet officer and Chief Engineer!” She snapped at him, trying a different approach to make him stop because damn, he was strong. “Behave as such!”

He ground his teeth and took a few breaths. "I'm sorry." He looked down at his hand.

“Alright! enough!!” Lanna’s comment came out sharper than she had intended, Fang’s emotions directly impacting her own attitude. “That’s...enough.” She took a deep breath. “Right, now tell us exactly what’s going on. What happened between you and Zai to get you so wound up?”

"What happened was..." Just at that women Rogers decided to show.

"Good afternoon!" Her sing song voice came as she entered. She took in the scene. "Counselor....doctor." She saw Fang's hand. "Sir, your hand!"

He held up the good one. "That's far enough." He looked at Lanna whom he noticed was staring at him. "I'm fine counselor." He looked at Chloe. "Doctor have you stopped the bleeding? May I have my hand back?"

His questioned earned him a look Dr McDonald would be proud of, "almost. I assumed you wouldn't want any scar..." she shook her head at his impatience, making another pass with the regenerator before letting go. "Done."

"Thank you." He pulled his hand back and stood noting Lanna had moved closer, probably because his anger spiked but this time the anger, the images of Zai's tear filled eyes, the pain of his words. It gave him a death calm that usually scared people more.

Lanna gave Fang a surprised and concerned look. “Fang are you alright?”

"I'm fine counselor." He gently touched her shoulder. The two women here had nothing to do with this. The one that entered however... "Ensign. Did you or did you not offer to help in an assistant position."

"Yes sir."

"I wrote a letter of reprimand for Zai. I told you to file it and make an appointment for him to see me. You didn't do that did you."

Rogers fidgeted with her hands. "ummm..."

"You deliberately changed my letter drastically and sent it to him. You antagonize him repeatedly. Even though I have been clear that your psychological bullying techniques are disgusting and have to stop. Zai's a good guy, he laughed it off for the most part but today, with that letter, You damned near broke him and you caused a rift in a friendship that spanned since the academy days. You altered an official document and you disobeyed orders." He reached into his desk and pulled out a cassette data tape tossing it to her. "When we dock at Starbase Two you are hereby dismissed from my department. transfer orders signed by Starfleet engineering."

"But sir I thought..."

"Get this through your head!" He yelled. "You are done!" He paused getting his anger under control. "That," he said pointing to the smashed tape. "Was Zai's resignation that I didn't accept. Let me be clear so that even you can understand. I have no feelings for you and your vendetta against Zai stops here. Get out of my engineering and when we arrive at base get off this ship! And Ensign let me be clear again just to drive it home." His voice was calm even though his rage was still there. "If it was a choice between you and Zai in any way I would always choose Zai. Now get out!"

She stood at attention and gave a nod. Clutching the tape she left and finally Fang sagged back in the chair. "I'm assuming that someone on my staff called you two here to calm me down." He looked from one to the other. "How about a drink...." He looked at Chloe. "And you don't have to smash tricorders to get my attention." He smiled a little. "Sit, please. I could use...friends."

Lanna was only too glad to sit down, massaging her temples as she did so. “I didn’t help much either, I haven’t had a chance to speak with Rogers. I meant to, but with one thing and another it slipped my mind, sorry Fang.”

He sighed. "Not your fault counselor in any way. She went too far. She disobeyed orders and frankly I want her off the ship. Zai was right. I should have requested her transfer earlier." He studied her. "My apologies. I keep forgetting you are Betazoid. Today I was not very good at keeping my temper and the three glasses of Grappa didn't help." He looked at Chloe. "Doctor is your hand alright?"

"Don't worry, I'm a professional," O'Connor assured him, waving her hands, "see? Good as new. And no to the drink, but if you've had Grappa, I recommend very strong coffee. Lots of it."

"Oh I've been drinking it." He sighed. "Doctor O'Connor can I count on you to check on Zai. He didn't look well and frankly being released from Sickbay...I worry he'll have complications since his emotions are all over the place."

“As are yours” Lanna offered Fang a smile. “I’m sorry if I spoke a little more sharply than I should have a few moments ago, it’s difficult blocking out strong emotions, and they do tend to influence my emotional state. It’s one of the downsides of empathy, you get it all up here...” she tapped her forehead. “Whether you want it or not.”

“How about I go check on Zai, that way it is one less thing for you to worry about?” Chloe suggested as she packed up the medical kit. It would let Fang and the counsellor talk about anything else driving this little episode, for it wasn’t something he could afford to repeat without expecting the kind of reprimands that littered a certain CMOs record.

“I think that would be a very good idea.” Lanna offered Chloe a warm smile. “Tell Zai I’ll pop by and see him later, unless he wants to see me any sooner.”

Fang watched her go and sighed. "I guess it's just you and me counselor."

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