Changing of the Guard
Posted on Sun Feb 2nd, 2025 @ 7:25am by Ensign Josie Boone & Ensign Connor Turner
Edited on on Sun Feb 2nd, 2025 @ 6:28pm
757 words; about a 4 minute read
Mission:
Episode 16 - Silent Cries
Location: Main Engineering - Deck 11 - USS Pioneer
Timeline: MD004 1000 hrs
Connor did not like the idea of parting from Marjani. However, he knew that there was a new Assistant Chief Engineer and he had to meet with her. After all, there was a certain protocol that had to be observed in transferring codes and such. Oh, God! Not another woman in Engineering! Please tell me that she will be like Millie. I can talk to Millie and even Elen, even if I don't understand Elen.
Jo was monitoring the warp core from the higher level when it popped into her head that she needed to perform a diagnostic. She went to the lower level and went to a console. She began to check the holo grid when she noticed a visitor. She nodded in greeting.'
The first thing that Connor noticed was Josie's red hair. The second thing that he noticed was she was running a diagnostic. Was something wrong? He panicked, "Um, uh, is there something wrong? Uh, I was quite certain everything was in order when I left it."
"Everything is fine," Jo replied. "Just making sure. Especially the holodeck. I've heard they go wrong a lot. Or is that only the Enterprise?" Jo chuckled a little bit. "But still, it never hurts to check."
The green eyes on Jo, caused him to immediately look down. Why did all the women on this ship have to be attractive? He cleared his throat, "Um, well, holodecks are, well, ops, responsibility. Um, uh, well, I was the Assistant Chief until, well, you got here, um, well, sort of, well, by default. So, um, I have the codes.... I should, um, well, transfer them to you."
"I guess," Jo said. "And it's ops job? Just figured I would." Jojo added.
Connor involuntarily shivered. This sounded much too much like Paisley, trying to do everything and dragging him around to do it. He had no desire to go through that again, nor did he desire to get transferred back to Ops. "Um, uh, well, uh, do you want me to transfer the ACEO codes now? And, um, well, don't you think, um, we should let ops do their, um, well, jobs, uh, ma'am?
"Of course," Jo said. "And yes, transfer away. I guess that'd work best," Jo added and then she almost mentally kicked herself. She forgot to say hi. "Oh, hello by the way. I'm Ensign Boone. Call me Jo."
"I'm, uh, Ensign, Connor Turner. I guess, um, you can call me Connor. I, well, know that, um, Elen likes informality. I, well, uh, took as the Chief and was the de facto Assistant Chief until you arrived." He gulped hard.
Why did this bother him? If Elen or Starfleet thought that she was better qualified, then so be it. Until just before the entire nebula mission, he was not even certain that he had wanted to be Gamma's lead. Both Millie and Marjani had convinced him that he was ready and could do it...and he did. But, they were both ensigns....
Reluctantly he headed to the computer, whispered to it, and then started the sequence to start transferring controls.
Jo joined him. "I didn't mean to 'steal your thunder' so to speak. I just go wherever Starfleet tells me."
"Of course," Connor answered simply. "There is no thunder to steal."
"Oh cool," Jo replied, looking at the console.
Connor had to wonder what she meant by that. He had a difficult time of reading certain words, phrases, and generally people. "Is there anything that you will be expecting of me, ma'am?"
"No. I think I'm fine." Jo said. "And since we're the same rank, Jo is fine" she said.
"Um, OK. Uh, yeah, I, um, forget that Elen prefers that we use first names." He looked at Jo and then looked away. Why did all the engineer on this ship have to be pretty women? "Um, I'm Connor.... Oh, uh, well, I said that already, didn't I?"
"It's all good, Connor." Jo said.
"So, um, well, I guess I should get back to work, right? I know that I wanted to run a level 2 diagnostics on the power transfer emitters."
"That's probably a good idea."
"Um, yeah. Well, I'll get right on that, then."
A Joint Post By
Ensign Josie Boone
Assistant Chief Engineering Officer, USS Pioneer
Ensign Connor Turner
Computer Systems Specialist, USS Pioneer
RSS Feed