05-11-2025, 04:48 AM
(This post was last modified: 05-11-2025, 12:50 PM by Morad Ameen.)
The short turbolift ride from the Zephyr's docking umbilical felt like a descent into a familiar, yet new, challenge. Ameen gripped the PADD Fleet Captain Vakir had provided, its contents a stark blueprint of the monumental task ahead. Vakir's briefing had been clear: the Zephyr's previous crew was gone. Every soul now assigned was, like him, a fresh transfer.
The doors opened onto the bridge. It was undeniably Steamrunner-class: compact, built for purpose. Consoles, likely running the older Daystrom HSCS-1A computer system, were arranged with focused efficiency.
HSCS-1A... Daystrom. An older generation, certainly, Ameen thought, a sense of seasoned understanding settling in. The Copernicus had its own suite of well-worn Daystrom systems – different in their specific configurations, no doubt, but of a similar vintage and often a similar temperament. I know how these older cores tend to think, their strengths and their potential failure points...
The bridge had that distinct scent of aged, hard-working machinery he knew well from his long tenure as Chief Engineer on the Copernicus.
Could that be part of it? he mused. My years as Chief Engineer on the USS Copernicus – another workhorse of this very era – even my earlier tour on the USS Intrepid... all that hands-on experience keeping aging spaceframes performing at their peak. Did Command look at this Zephyr assignment – old ship, brand new crew, urgent need – and see my background as a specific asset for this kind of demanding situation?
It was a fleeting thought, but it offered a sliver of logic. Still, what was new and daunting was the atmosphere – not the quiet hum of a seasoned crew, but the slightly disorganized energy of new arrivals. Officers in Starfleet uniforms were moving with hesitant purpose.
Alright, Morad. The general architecture of these systems may hold few deep surprises for me, but the crew and this ship's specific operational personality are entirely new ground...
He moved towards the command area. Vakir's directives echoed: Lieutenant Gath, incoming Chief of Security. The mission to Trill, departure non-negotiable within the hour. He’d scanned the manifest of Titania personnel joining him. Lieutenant Amila Ra'an's name was prominent.
Amila. Transferred under my command...
His stomach did a slow roll. The professional implications were a minefield, especially after their date.
Strict professionalism is paramount, absolutely. No question, especially now, especially here. But... I need to speak with her, privately, as soon as there's a sane moment – if one ever comes on this assignment. This... us... we need to figure out how, or even if, we can navigate this. I don't want that one date to be the end of it, even if any continuation has to be... exceptionally discreet...
For now, though, any personal considerations had to be ruthlessly suppressed. Duty first.
But then, the name that had offered a solid anchor: Lieutenant Commander Keir 77, his Chief Engineer from the USS Titania. His mind had seized on it.
Keir. Excellent. Brilliant, fiercely competent. S/he knows how I think. A Lieutenant Commander, with prior acting First Officer experience. Keir will be my acting First Officer and will head Engineering on this ship. With hir general expertise and my deep familiarity with this class of technology from the Copernicus, we'll learn this specific ship's personality quickly enough...
The Chief Tactical Officer role was still a glaring vacancy.
A young officer, her gold uniform denoting an operations or flight control specialty and her face vaguely familiar to Ameen from his time on the Titania, looked up from the operations console as Ameen neared the command chair. Her expression was taut. No sign of Keir yet, nor Amila, nor the new Security Chief, Gath.
"Report," Ameen’s voice was steady. "Arrival status of all newly assigned personnel for USS Zephyr? Specifically, I need Lieutenant Commander Keir 77, Lieutenant Amila Ra'an, and Lieutenant Gath on this bridge the moment they step aboard. Confirm current crew complement against the new manifest and give me overall ship readiness – power levels, primary systems online."
He placed his hand on the command chair. The Zephyr herself might hold few technological surprises for him. But forging a new crew into a cohesive unit on a strange ship, under this kind of pressure, for an unknown crisis – that was the real test.
The clock is ticking...
== GM-Input: What's the initial sitrep Ameen gets from Ops regarding the crew and the Zephyr's immediate status? Thanks. ==
The doors opened onto the bridge. It was undeniably Steamrunner-class: compact, built for purpose. Consoles, likely running the older Daystrom HSCS-1A computer system, were arranged with focused efficiency.
HSCS-1A... Daystrom. An older generation, certainly, Ameen thought, a sense of seasoned understanding settling in. The Copernicus had its own suite of well-worn Daystrom systems – different in their specific configurations, no doubt, but of a similar vintage and often a similar temperament. I know how these older cores tend to think, their strengths and their potential failure points...
The bridge had that distinct scent of aged, hard-working machinery he knew well from his long tenure as Chief Engineer on the Copernicus.
Could that be part of it? he mused. My years as Chief Engineer on the USS Copernicus – another workhorse of this very era – even my earlier tour on the USS Intrepid... all that hands-on experience keeping aging spaceframes performing at their peak. Did Command look at this Zephyr assignment – old ship, brand new crew, urgent need – and see my background as a specific asset for this kind of demanding situation?
It was a fleeting thought, but it offered a sliver of logic. Still, what was new and daunting was the atmosphere – not the quiet hum of a seasoned crew, but the slightly disorganized energy of new arrivals. Officers in Starfleet uniforms were moving with hesitant purpose.
Alright, Morad. The general architecture of these systems may hold few deep surprises for me, but the crew and this ship's specific operational personality are entirely new ground...
He moved towards the command area. Vakir's directives echoed: Lieutenant Gath, incoming Chief of Security. The mission to Trill, departure non-negotiable within the hour. He’d scanned the manifest of Titania personnel joining him. Lieutenant Amila Ra'an's name was prominent.
Amila. Transferred under my command...
His stomach did a slow roll. The professional implications were a minefield, especially after their date.
Strict professionalism is paramount, absolutely. No question, especially now, especially here. But... I need to speak with her, privately, as soon as there's a sane moment – if one ever comes on this assignment. This... us... we need to figure out how, or even if, we can navigate this. I don't want that one date to be the end of it, even if any continuation has to be... exceptionally discreet...
For now, though, any personal considerations had to be ruthlessly suppressed. Duty first.
But then, the name that had offered a solid anchor: Lieutenant Commander Keir 77, his Chief Engineer from the USS Titania. His mind had seized on it.
Keir. Excellent. Brilliant, fiercely competent. S/he knows how I think. A Lieutenant Commander, with prior acting First Officer experience. Keir will be my acting First Officer and will head Engineering on this ship. With hir general expertise and my deep familiarity with this class of technology from the Copernicus, we'll learn this specific ship's personality quickly enough...
The Chief Tactical Officer role was still a glaring vacancy.
A young officer, her gold uniform denoting an operations or flight control specialty and her face vaguely familiar to Ameen from his time on the Titania, looked up from the operations console as Ameen neared the command chair. Her expression was taut. No sign of Keir yet, nor Amila, nor the new Security Chief, Gath.
"Report," Ameen’s voice was steady. "Arrival status of all newly assigned personnel for USS Zephyr? Specifically, I need Lieutenant Commander Keir 77, Lieutenant Amila Ra'an, and Lieutenant Gath on this bridge the moment they step aboard. Confirm current crew complement against the new manifest and give me overall ship readiness – power levels, primary systems online."
He placed his hand on the command chair. The Zephyr herself might hold few technological surprises for him. But forging a new crew into a cohesive unit on a strange ship, under this kind of pressure, for an unknown crisis – that was the real test.
The clock is ticking...
== GM-Input: What's the initial sitrep Ameen gets from Ops regarding the crew and the Zephyr's immediate status? Thanks. ==