Looking after family

Posted on Tue Apr 13th, 2021 @ 8:26pm by Commander Owen Nash & Commander Mindo

Mission: The Gauntlet
Location: Engineering
Timeline: 1700 hrs

ON

The atmosphere in the core was quiet for once as the ship was docked at Paradise Station. Shift change was due in fifteen minutes, so most crew were working on the report for the next officers on duty. Several crewmen were making various house calls now that primary repairs were finished.

Likewise, Lieutenant Mindo felt no rush working in his office which overlooked the entire department from up on the second tier. The core pulsated just outside. Mindo had likened it to a heartbeat, with the throbbing vibrations its constant pulse. It encompassed him like a womb. Mindo couldn't imagine why anyone would want to work on the bridge, away from this soaring, beautiful bird's warm embrace. Down here, the Pandora, the true Pandora, was his.

Seeing movement from the large window to his left, Mindo saw Commander Owen Nash approach and was reminded that, though he was the boss down here, he still took orders from the bosses up there. A heart can't function without a brain.

Still, it was always good to see the Pandora's XO. Over the last couple of years, the two of them had been in many tight situations and always, sometimes miraculously, had found a way out. In a lot of ways, Nash was the older brother Mindo never had. There wasn't any problem they couldn't conquer.

As Owen took the chance to tour the ship whilst it was docked at Paradise Station, he was eager to make sure that repairs were complete after their recent instalment and also decided it was a good idea to pay Engineering a visit.

It had been a short while since he and Mindo had caught up in the barcade but, at times like this when the future is uncertain and the path ahead is unclear, this was usually the best time to confide in family and friends and in Mindo, Owen knew he had a best friend, much like he felt the same with Cailus.

Rounding the corner and entering the Engineering deck, Owen could see that there was work quietly going on around him, but he couldn't see Mindo anywhere. In his usual cheery mock manner, Owen spoke up.

"Mindo! I know your hiding here somewhere...I'll come and find you if I have to!!" he called out.

Mindo stood from his desk and rolled his eyes. "Criminy," he said under his breath. He walked through the door of his office and yelled down. "I'm up here in my office you... uh, sir!"

Owen smiled as he heard Mindo call back and then made his way up to the second level of Engineering to make his way to Mindo's office. Once there he could see that Mindo was busy with work, but that could soon be put to one side.

"So... not exactly keeping the place clean I see?" Owen offered with a cheeky smile.

"Doing my best to catch up," Mindo replied, gesturing to a chair. "You want a drink? I've got zucchini water, orange juice, and real bourbon."

"As tempting as the real bourbon is... I'll have the orange juice," Owen said, knowing that it had been a while since they had shared a good drink together. Whilst Mindo sorted out the drinks, Owen decided to stick to business, to begin with.

"So, how's the Warpdrive doing after our run-in with the Talarians? Is she up to the task of running for the hills yet?" he asked.

Mindo nodded as he reached into the mini-fridge and pulled out the cold glass container of orange juice and poured Owen a glass. "Our starboard nacelle is back and running again. Structural damage is now down to a minimum, and if we can stay here unbothered for a few more hours the core will be ready for maximum warp."

"Well, I'll take that as a win for now, what with all the hassle we've had out here so far in trying to get home," Owen answered.

Mindo handed Owen the glass and then sat behind his desk, located close to the floor. In fact, all of the furniture was at a lower height, making Mindo look normal and everyone else giant. It was quite a switch.

Mindo picked up a PADD and examined it for a second before putting it down, leaving his left hand over it. "Have you met our new face in Intelligence? Ensign..." he looked down at the PADD, "Shiv... Shava... Shavartscarth? The Aenar."

"Actually, I have..." Owen said, taking a pause to sip his drink and to recall welcoming Ensign Sh'vastarth aboard and how surprisingly taken he was with her.

"Quite the woman from what I saw, a very impressive lady for her species and well practised in using her abilities to see and get around... Don't mess with her, I suspect there is more to her than is being let on so far, however, she's not been on board long," Owen said before taking another sip.

"A very...impressive woman indeed..." he said once more before realising it.

Mindo snickered. "Pandora to Nash, one to beam up?" He grinned, then picked up the PADD. "She's asked me to make some very significant adjustments to her quarters. Wants them to resemble Rura Penthe. Minus the smell, of course. The changes can be done and I owe her a favour. If you and Captain Temple approve, I can oversee the adjustments myself once we're back in Federation space."

Owen stopped for a moment. "Hold on... Rura Penthe? As in the Klingon Prison Planet that Kirk and McCoy were sent to way back when?" He asked, making sure he hadn't missed any of the details Mindo just said. "Damn, I'm going to need a coat when I go visit...that's going to be cold."

Owen was still stunned by the request for Ensign Sh'vastarth's quarter's adjustment and was suddenly curious as to how that would work. "So, I suppose the question is...can you do it...maybe before we get back to Federation space or is that going to be a push whilst we're being hunted by everyone in the Expanse?"

Mindo shook his head. "I simply can't expend the manpower right now for one Ensign's living conditions," he replied. "These changes will take a few days, if not a whole week... assuming we're not still working on whatever damage we accumulate getting back. With your permission, I can decrease the temperature and make it colder than the minimum negative-eighteen degrees, but that's pretty much all I can do for her for now."

Owen stood up and nodded as he heard Mindo's suggestion. "That makes sense, if you can do that for now, that will go partway to making Ensign Sh'vastarth's quarter's comfortable until you can get it changed fully," Owen agreed.

He took a sip of his orange juice before carrying on. "I am hoping that we're not going to suffer too much damage on the way home, but with the way that Talarians and the Breen have reacted so far... I'm pretty certain we're in for a rough ride," he added. "So, if I can help with anything, what do you need in Engineering? If we can be prepared and braced for anything else repairs and damage control wise... I'd rather be ready than playing catchup."

"Well," Mindo said, "everyone needs a little break. From what I've heard, the worst isn't over yet. I need about twenty-four hours for my crew to catch up on rest. I'd like to temporarily change our duty schedule to four-hour shifts with a skeleton crew for the next twenty-four hours. That's nearly a day of rest for everyone. Some people are missing time with their families. Others are so tired they can hardly function. I need all shifts to be alert and ready when we leave Paradise. I don't know how long we'll be here, but my crew needs to rest."

Mindo added, "I wouldn't mind a break too. I'm overseeing repairs, tracking the 'Stop the Pandora' signal, and running a business on the side. All are duties I'm able to manage with minimum rest. But it would be nice to work on my personal life for a little while."

Owen nodded as he listened to Mindo's demands and saw no issues with what he was asking. "Ok, so straight after we've finished chatting, get the duty schedule changed to four-hour shifts with a skeleton crew for the next twenty-four hours, that's an order. I also agree with you need ing to have some time to yourself as well," Owen added.

"As another order, you are to make sure you get at least 12 hours of rest. If you need to re-assign someone to be overseeing repairs, do it. That's one of the reasons being a Department Head has its benefits, you can designate the work. As far as the signal, make that your top priority... we need to know where it's coming from and how to stop it," Owen added.

He looked stern for a moment as he realised that his friend was looking tired as well. "As far as running a business is concerned, for now, to give yourself a break, it may well be an idea to have someone else keep an eye on things, one of the civilians on board maybe?" Owen also offered up as an idea.

"Raven and Terrekal do a fine job in my absence," Mindo said. "As for the department, I'll use Lieutenant Samson and Crewmen Zo and Greep as alternating shift leaders for the next twelve hours. It will take me about an hour to arrange all of that and finish up here. I'll try not to get into any trouble after that."

Owen smiled when he saw his friend work out a way to have the department running without issue whilst he rested. "Ok, that's good and if anyone has any issue with the orders I've given you, including the Captain, then send them my way," he added.

Pausing for a moment, Owen added, "It's for your own good, old chum. I need everyone at their best, especially now and you're our best officer for the job of making sure Engineering keeps the ship in one piece... So I'm doing this to help ok? Once we get some peace and quiet, I owe you some time in the slot arcades, on my account."

"Well thanks," Mindo said, matching Owen's smile. "For the record, no one in the Pandora's Engineering crew ever has issues with orders; yours, the Captain's, or mine."

"Good to know," Owen answered with a smile. "Now, is there anything else that you need or that I need to know before you go and take those twelve hours off?"

"Yes," Mindo said. "I'm having someone I know from intelligence look at my findings of the signal, to see if there's anything I'm missing. I have a working theory on the signal, but nothing solid to report. I also request my source remain anonymous."

"I understand and I won't pry on who your source is," Owen said. He knew better than to try and get Mindo to admit to who his source was and also to try and even push him on the matter.

"It's good that you're getting your findings checked though, with all that's going on out here and everyone making so much of an effort to stop us getting home, we need every details and piece of evidence we have to be clear cut and indisputable," Owen added. Taking a pause, Owen then stood up from his chair.

"Very well, make sure you get the rest you need and then as soon as you have anything on the signal, let the Captain and I know. Otherwise, enjoy the time off," he said with a smile.

"Yes sir," Mindo replied, formally, then added, "Thanks, Owen."

Owen smiled as he prepared to leave and carry on his inspection. "It's my pleasure, I look out for my crew, my friends and my family. You in that statement more than once, never forget that," he said before nodding and making his way out of Engineering and carrying on with his duties.