Jane Sinclair's Busy Day, Part the Fourth: Tinkerers
Posted on Thu Oct 21st, 2021 @ 2:26am by Lieutenant JG Jane Sinclair & Lieutenant Commander Brandon Pratt
1,334 words; about a 7 minute read
Mission:
Handling the Fallout
Location: Shuttlebay
Timeline: Early Afternoon
The busy day continued. Jane Sinclair's phaser trials were finished and her proficiency level recorded. Her arrival physical had been conducted. She was healthy and knew how to make herself even more so. She had examined the holodeck catalogue and started having holodeck fun.
She stopped by her quarters for a light lunch and composed a message home. She knew that Mum would want to talk by video before they launched, while the ship was still in orbit of Earth. Four light years from home; if she couldn’t visit then she’d at least be able to call.
Next stop was the shuttlebay. Jane had arrived at Spacedock by passenger transport and not by shuttle, which still ate at the pilot inside. So this was her first time in the bay.
She took in a breath as she saw it. Bigger than she expected. Its full complement was already aboard and stowed, and other space was available for incoming craft.
She examined each craft. A Type-10, which she hadn’t flown before. An old Type-15; tiny but tricky. A pair each of 8s and 9s, the latter being her favourite to fly. An Argo for large amounts of cargo; like flying a drunk cow but she loved the challenge. Finally, a pair of Razors. Those weren’t hers but god were they pretty.
Jane let a finger trace along the edge of a Type-9.
“Hello gorgeous.”
That’s when she noticed a smell. Burning. An electrical fire one in the shuttle’s forward sensors. It would reduce the craft’s scanning resolution by up to 10%.
Where were the tools? And the parts? Goodness, who was running this place?
Right. You are. Focus, Jane!
“Computer, is the Chief Engineer on duty?”
The computer provided an affirmation. She saw his name on the manifest earlier but had never met him. Now was as good a time as any. She touched her commbadge. “Sinclair to Pratt. Sorry to bother you, but can you report to the shuttlebay, with a toolkit?”
- Main Engineering -
Brandon was studying the warp core matrix analytics while the USS Myogi was in fail safe modes. The mode was used to analyze the engines while maintaining operational readiness. Hearing the call from the ships shuttle bay, Hawks ears perked. Tagging his com badge, he had jumped at the chance to visit the hangar. =^= Pratt here. I'm on way now. =^=
"Alright gang. Let's finish up on the array kinematics. I want that report before 1730 today on my desk." Pratt had ordered.
"We're on it Chief." Lieutenant "Terry" Johnson replied colloquially at ease.
- Shuttlebay -
Arriving off lift #03, corridor 09 intersection baker. Leland grinned to himself. "I am getting used to that music in the lift. I like it, alot." He spoke loud enough, as he searched entering in to the shuttle bay.
Jane saw the chief engineer enter the bay. Human (Terran, if she remembered right). About her height. She waved him over to where she was working. “Lieutenant Pratt? Jane Sinclair, Chief Flight Control Officer.”
"Lieutenant." Pratt had stopped and sniffed the air. "Chief Pratt. Call me Brandon or "Brand".... Is that burning I smell?"
"I'll get right to the point," Jane said. She gestured to the maintenance area of the shuttle bay. "Whoever preceded me here apparently stripped the entire shuttle garage of spare parts and tools. Even the industrial replicator over there is inoperative, so I can't fix the problem myself. My shuttles need to be flight-worthy by launch day. Can you help a girl out?"
Pratt inwardly had grinned mischievously. 'Could I help a girl out?' Brandon re-focusing as he walked to meet Jane. He was taking out his engineer tricorder, with his tool kit strapped over his shoulder. Brandon furrowed his eyebrows as he scanned the nearest craft.
"Yes, I can help get you supplies of equipment, tooling, anything structural. Odd." Brand shook his head. "Those Base bums are here to fill inventory, not re-assign parts and tooling back on base." A hint of a cranky gruff escaped. "Did you report this to the Captain Lieutenant?" He asked.
“I just found it now,” Jane answered. “My staff have been so busy with other things, they haven’t seen to shuttle maintenance yet. But I’m prioritizing it.”
She saw that Pratt had begun scanning the shuttle she wanted to fix.
"Type - 09. The thermos polymer within the sensory compartment has been recently recalled... For this very situation." Pratt then broke into a jog across the bay, reaching the fire suppression and containment devices. At least they left us with a working fire system." The computer then initiated the LCAR protocols that were tapped in, accessing and locating the high energy burnouts within the Type 09 shuttle."
= Warning. Type 09 shuttle variant. Dorsal port sensor malfunction. Warning fire suppression in progress. Sensory compartment node LF-T4404. = The fire suppression system had locked a field and evaporated any oxygen fueling the burning unit rendering it inert.
“I’m a shuttle mechanic as well as a pilot, Brand,” Jane said. “I also diagnosed the problem, though it is good to get a confirmation. The real problem is the lack of tools and parts.”
"I apologize Lieutenant. I understand this is your hangar." Pratt had winked at Jane. "I will make a note that gets to Operations." Pratt looked around and begun to make stock of what tools were missing which was a lot of them. He rubbed at his back neck. "I just don't understand how something like this could be overlooked from Star Base crew?" From an Engineering stand point, any officer needed their tools. There just wasn't a thing where tools went missing, at least not an Engineers favored set.
"Honestly, it probably wasn't overlooked," Jane said. "We're an older, smaller ship. They probably transferred some of the equipment meant for us to more advanced ships, and then forgot to reassign us their scraps."
"It is true. I've experienced that before." Pratt acknowledged Jane. He enjoyed talking to her. So far, they weren't in official duty speak which told Brand that she was comfortable.
"The way I see it, we have two options," continued Jane. "Some of your department work with my team to replicate or machine the equipment we need. Or we apply a bit of pressure to the Spacedock quartermaster and see if we can convince them to give us something."
Brand looked at his padd. The requisition list was long, the needs were apparent. However, like any organization of its immense size, there were politics involved. "I will see what I can do on my end." Pratt already was crafting an idea of researching what this quarter masters' hobbies and interests were. He had a few ideas to elicit a response.
"I will speak to Lieutenant Commander Quintin Farros. The head of operations and supply depots on the station. See his angle." Pratt had the effect of letting his tongue slip out the side of his mouth when he was deep in thought.
"I agree, Jane. We need to be resourceful and craft what we need, at least for the time being. Let's assemble a meeting between our departments. What time would be good for you? We can work out our needs as a group." Brandon affirmed as his gaze turned to the Shuttle Craft.
“I’m free most of tomorrow,” Jane said. “I’m on the bridge for Alpha Shift but for something like this I’ll get Takumi to relieve me. Arrange the meetings and I’ll be there. And thank you! Truthfully I’ve never been good at the whole ‘office politics’ game.”
"Excellent." Pratt had gestured with his padd and clasped it. "Tommorow, after lunch break say in Meeting Room 03. 1315 Hours." Brandon proposed.
“Works for me,” Jane agreed. “See you then!”
Posting by (in order of appearance):
Lieutenant Junior Grade Jane Sinclair
Chief Flight Control Officer, USS Myogi (NCC-65918)
Lieutenant Brandon Pratt
Chief of Engineering, USS Myogi (NCC-65918)
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