TBC

Posted on Sun Oct 25th, 2020 @ 8:06pm by Commander Elias Walker & Lieutenant Kevin Chambers

1,055 words; about a 5 minute read

Not a place that Kevin Chambers occupied, he used his quarters for sleeping and keeping all his cool shit in. Otherwise, he hung out in his office that had a number of interesting pieces of paper stuck to his walls with tape. Yes. Paper. And tape. Throwback or cool retro statement? Or perhaps all of the images he enjoyed were simply better on glossy paper that looked like they’d been liberated from magazines.

Along with the paper on his walls, Kevin had a huge spec sheet placed together from smaller images puzzle-pieced in the centre of his floor. He’d removed his shoes and was waving a capped dark marker As he tapped his chin, deep in thought.

“If I can only...” Lunging for the floor, he wielded his capped marker like a sword, pointing out a potential starting point.

Commander Walker wondered into Main Engineering with a PADD in hand. He took a few moments, while he visually scanned for Legacy’s Chief Engineer, to take in what it felt like to be in Engineering again. He had no regrets about using his time off after his wife’s death to retrain from Engineering to Comms. He felt the need to have a positive change in his life. However, some parts of him still missed the hustle and bustle of a busy engine room.

After not seeing Lieutenant Chambers in main Engineering he assumed he was using the down time to work on a private project or something in his office so he made his way there and rang the door chime before waiting to go in.

“Yo!” Kevin called out from his position on the floor as he uncapped the marker, making a lazy circle around a part of the ship. “Come on in!”

Elias walked into the Engineering Chief’s office and smiled at Chambers. “Lieutenant.” He said by way of greeting. “What are you working on today?”

“Commander,” Kevin replied and moved to stand. “Well...”

The Commander stepped closer to what the Engineer was working on. “Is that what I think it is?” He asked.

Kevin looked up at the XO. “That depends on what you think it is...” His lips twisted in a lopsided grin and waited, almost like a kid in a candy shop.

“It looks like you’re planning on doing some warp engine modifications. Pretty extensive ones too.” Walker said glancing at the Chief engineer’s work again.

Kevin could hardly contain his excitement. “Still in the planning stage, Sir.” He tugged a hidden page beneath the rest, outlining each modification in three dimensions, including each one’s impact on efficiency, antimatter mixtures, and seriously affecting the engine output. In theory. With a great deal of research backing it up. Perhaps this was his reason for seeming so scarce to the majority of the crew.

The Commander studied what was in front of his for a few minutes. “You’ve definitely done your homework work. Are you sure those antimatter mixtures won’t be too volatile?”

“And that’s the question,” admitted Kevin. “Theoretically, we can increase power output and actually decrease our need for a higher fuel mixture.”

“Until I finish the miniature for testing...” Holographically, his 3D engine was right in front of them. The physical original was in his quarters. “And even then... it’s a whole different ballgame with the big ship.” He didn’t mention Legacy by name. Not in this instance. He needed to be excited before the anxiety kicked in about performing any of the changes on The Big Girl.

“Have you brought this idea to the Captain? I think it’s a bold but good idea, it’s worth exploring outside of a computer simulation.” Walker said.

"Not yet, Commander," Kevin replied as the chain of command came supremely into focus. "I'd really rather fine tune the crap out of this model before making any sort of adjustments... 'cause this could be totally awesome!..." Kevin's face lit up with the possibilities, "... Or a career-ending disaster." Kevin's face fell slightly with the alternative. "I mean, this is seriously..." Kevin cocked his head sideways. "How the hell did you...?"

“What?” Elias asked the Engineer who seemed to be suddenly in deep thought.

"Follow... well my convoluted musings and this awesome 3D model?" Kevin grinned.

His tinkering rarely found a welcome ear the higher up the Command Chain he went. Of course unless this one... his Commander... had been an Engineer? He almost hit his forehead like an old comic strip character he'd seen once on his meanderings in search of entertainment, but then thought better of it. "Most engineers sort of dismiss me as a bit of an over-reaching dabbler in all things mechanical."

“Lieutenant, some of the best conversations I’ve had about Engineering have been with myself.” Elias beamed, “So you have nothing to worry about on that front. I like what I see here but I’d like to go over your calculations and see if there’s anything you’ve overlooked or missed. I appreciate there probably isn’t but sometimes the smallest of miscalculation can throw off your model and it does become...frustrating.”

"More eyes are better," Kevin acknowledged. "Please..." and handed over the wad of papers. He clung to them briefly as though rethinking his decision about sharing, but that was more a reflection of his pride in his work than his unwillingness to share. "Frustration is the one thing about Engineering that's the best part."

His face lit up as he spoke. "After all, that means that I'm about to learn something." And wasn't that really what life and Engineering (which in his mind was one and the same) was all about?

"It can be, but being stuck and or frustrated can also send a good engineer slowly crazy." Elias said with a chuckle. "I don't mind helping but if you want to do it but yourself that's fine too."

"Ohhhh, I don't know," Kevin said, grinning. "My grandpa always told me that you needed to have a bit of crazy in ya to be an Engineer." His grin widened and then he sat on the floor. "C'mon down, Commander. Help is always welcome."

"Alright." The Commander said with a chuckle as he knelt down on the floor next to the Engineer.

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