Core Meltdown - Part I

Posted on Wed Oct 9th, 2024 @ 12:48pm by Lieutenant Fang Lee & Lieutenant Lanna Alexander & Lieutenant Chloe O'Connor MD

1,167 words; about a 6 minute read

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

ON:

=/\= Ensign Tamsar to Doctor Chloe O'Connor and Counselor Alexander. Please report to Engineering Chief Engineer's Office. Urgent =/\=

Lanna was just finishing an appointment when the call came through, she nodded politely to her departing patient before tapping the comms. “Alexander here, I’m on my way Ensign.”

=/\= I would be remiss if I didn't mention to you both...the Chief is in a mood. I think that he's about to blow an artery or something. The one pulsing on his forehead is quite vocal. =/\=

Lanna couldn’t help but wonder what had happened. “Hang In there help is on the way.”

Doctor O’Connor was about to take a bite of what was sure to be a delicious slice of millionaires shortcake when the summons came through. Why?! She pouted as the fork was stolen along with the plate before she was shooed out the door. There was no way that was gonna be there when she got back.

Snagging a medical kit she paused long enough to acknowledge the summons. She knew that usually, her boss would be fuming at someone bypassing the normal order of things, but they had gifted him an opportunity to steal her treat.

Shaking her head she headed for the lift, tightening her ponytail as she walked. Engineering - or rather engineers - were keeping them busy of late. McDonald had uttered a threat just this morning about relocating his office down there…

As the lift doors opened she nodded to the woman already inside, “counsellor. Any idea what is going on?”

Lanna hadn’t long arrived herself. “I’m afraid not Doctor, no doubt we’ll find out soon enough.”

Chloe nodded in agreement as the lift continued on its way.

Down in main Engineering Ensign Tamsar stood by the door waiting for Alexander and O'Connor. His Antennae twitched. For an Andorian he didn't like conflict. Lee looked like conflict on legs today. He'd stormed into Engineering and - after barking orders and scaring half the department - had locked himself in his office. He'd asked to see Rogers and threatened to airlock anyone who stepped out of line. This was not the usual so Ensign Tamsar had called in reinforcements.

As the doors opened, O’Connor was stepping out but abruptly stopped when she all but collided with the waiting ensign. “You called?” At least she guessed the person impatiently waiting right by the lift was the same anxious sounding ensign who had asked for help.

"Oh thank every deity in the universe. The Romulan and Klingon ones too! And Gorn! The chief is...not well. He looks like death warmed over and he's so mad he actually has a vein," The ensign pointed to his own forehead. "Right here and it looks like it's going to bust open! I was worried so I figured...both the mind and body aspect need some help."

“Breathe,” Chloe encouraged as she stepped into the corridor, giving space for her companion to follow. She glanced around, “which way?”

He pointed to the left. "Through those door and straight. I will take you. Normally we'd rely on Lieutenant Zai but...he's been suspended and he wasn't supposed to yet but then Rogers sent the letter and I gather that Zai and the Chief argued and now Rogers is...in hot water but then." He stopped pulling in several breaths. "Sorry, breathing, breathing,"

"WHERE IN THE HELLS OF ORION IS ROGERS! WHY DON'T HAVE THE CALLIBRATION DOCUMENTS ON MY DESK."

Ensign Tamsar's antennae twitched. "On second thought you two are on your own! Follow the yelling!" Ensign Tamsar turned and ran in the other direction. He had self preservation instincts after all.

He left while the words (or rather questions) were still forming. What letter? Rogers? She turned towards the yelling and took a deep breath. She had her fair share of experience when it came to angry bosses. It just wasn’t her most … ideal situation.

Lanna was certainly feeling the emotions pouring off Fang, it was taking everything she had just to keep his rage and anger from influencing her emotions as well. She hung back slightly trying to fortify her mental barriers before facing Fang.

“Maybe we shouldn’t go in together?” Chloe mused. “It will maybe make him defensive…”

Nor did she imagine it being good for their counsellor to be close to such raw emotion. “I’ll give it a go…”

Thinking on it she reached into the bag, grabbed the tricorder and ducked out of sight of the office in question. “You didn’t see this,” she whispered to the counsellor before smashing the screen as hard as she could, causing it to crack. She may have been thinking of McDonald eating her cake. Or of something else entirely. But it felt good.

“Be ready to bail me out,” she said as she took a deep breath, adjusted her grip on the medical kit and walked towards Lieutenant Fang’s ranting with fake confidence and a broken tricorder.

Every step took her closer to his wrath.

Reaching his office door she paused in the doorway and knocked lightly on the doorframe. “Knock knock….” She began as he was taking a pause to draw in a breath.

Fang looking pale, sweaty, and haggard looked up. His anger seemed to halt and the confusion was clear on his brow. "Doctor O'Connor what..." He paused and coughed, the earlier vomiting had made his throat raw and the yelling wasn't helping. He swallowed and then cleared his throat. He rasped out, "What are you doing here?" His eyes landed on the tricorder in her hand. "Another one of the batch that don't work?" He was mad yes but he had no intention of taking it out on the doctor. Not when she'd saved Zai's life. At the thought of Zai his brow wrinkled. He wondered if Zai was alright. He'd looked so lost and hurt...

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."


To Be Continued...

 

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