What A Surprise!

Posted on Mon Nov 13th, 2017 @ 11:36pm by Lieutenant Renee Salchin & Lieutenant Commander J'Loni Mo'Bri

Mission: https://wellington.pegasusfleet.site/index.php/sim/missions/id/4
Location: Engineering Office
Timeline: June 19, 2399 0740

ON:

Renee tugged at her uniform right before she entered main engineering, two full pips shining on each side of her collar. She brushed past enlisted and a pair of ensigns, each hearing the distinctve click click of her short heels pass them with a "Good Morning, Chief" or a "Hey, Chief", without looking up. She knew where J'Loni was, in her office sipping on her favorite morning drink and probably expecting Renee with the test results from the previous morning. No doubt she'd want to pin a pip on her collar. She pressed the chime, needing the formality, "Ma'am, it's Renee, mind if I come in?"

"Come in Renee, been expecting you. Just give me a sec and we can get down to business", she said with out looking up at that precise moment.

"Of course, ma'am." Renee half-chuckled, humor filling her emotions, "Just off hand, I don't know if you looked at test results?"

"I was about to rea...", her jaw dropped, she had started to stand, fell back into the chair, nearly tipping it over. If you had never seen a Klingon go pale before, well, today J'Loni's face did! J"Loni was stunned, shell shocked, flabbergasted, and speechless for the second time in her life. Renee Salchin was sporting two full pips signifying she WAS a FULL LIEUTENENT! When she finally found her voice, she screamed one name, "Thomas!".

"I suppose it might be easier to explain this once, then?" Renee cracked a slight smile, "It is kind of an interesting story. Sorry about the deception, ma'am."

Thomas heard the scream, as did all of engineering, but because they all knew J'Loni's tones, it was the kind of sheer surprise. He came careening around the corner of the door, came to a screeching stop, almost falling on his face, which went white, when he saw Renee staning there with Lieutenants pips on her uniform. "What the fuck...wait...what the hell...is this a bloody joke?", he whispered, cause he too, lost his voice right then.

"No Thomas, it isn't." Renee smiled softly at him, then turned herself so she was partly facing both officers, "My permanent rank is as a Lieutenant. My file and everything else I've told you is one hundred percent accurate except for my rank history. I was truly a career fuckup until when Commander Vernet saved my hide. When he was transferred to the Research and Development facility on the moon Titan in Jupiter orbit, I went with him and a year later got my commission. The promotion to full Lieutenant actually came through about..." her left eye appeared to defocus and look inwards, "Three days, seventeen hours and fourteen minutes ago." Her eye refocused,

"I was ordered to come out to the New Earth sector to find a ship I could trust to set up a testing base for some of the tech we have ready for pre-deployment tests and as things begin to come online. With my past, the beings that made the decision that I should come out as enlisted to make sure that what ever I shared some of these goodies with was willing to work with said damaged person. I found you guys and I just alerted Commander Bartlett yesterday and gave her the thumbs up."

Thomas nearly fainted at the news. J'Loni didn't know if she should yell in anger or joy. This news was the kind of news that just doesn't happen every day. It was no wonder Renee was as good as she was. She knew stuff that more than half of the team's knew and it was amazing.

Thomas finally, getting his color back into his face, finding his voice, "So you were a full lieutenant, and didn't, or couldn't even tell me? Renee I am not mad, a little disapointed that you couldn't trust me with your secrete, but...", he grabbed her and hugged her tightly, as tears of joy flowed down his cheeks, finally letting her go, "Honey, I am so proud of you!", he blubbered.

"Urf!" Renee grunted at the squeeze, then said quietly, "I just hadn't been authorized to let the cat out of the bag, sweetie, and I couldn't risk having you treat me differently for knowing." She was relieved, this had been her one real worry point.

J"Loni, finally getting her wits about her, got up an walked over to where they were standing and said, "Well if this isn't the biggest surprise ever in recorded history, this one took the cake and ice cream as well. Congratulations Lt. Renee Salchin of the Engineering Musketeers", she belowed. She slapped Renee on the back as the rest of the engineers came up and shook her hand except one...he just stood there, face frozen!

Renee beamed at everyone, until she saw Vallent, then her grin turned feral and ice replaced the glitter in her eyes. "And as a special treat," She said loudly enough for the entire engineering team could hear, "Lieutenant Jg. Vallent challenged me the other day that he was better than me at this job, even placed a wager on it. Well, Lieutenant, now's as good a time as any." She didn't even glance at J'Loni, "Boss, can you set one up for us, please?

J'Loni got one of her evil Klingon grins as she thought of a suitable challenge. One popped into her head, making her evil grin even more pronounced. "There is a problem with the matter-antimatter converter exchange unit. The constrictors are locked in the on position. I know how long it takes to fix the matter and I know that you both can do it. Thing is...how fast and once done it must work correctly!", she stated. Williams eyes popped from his head as he knew exactly what that ment. It was not an easy job. Thomas nearly fainted, bit he knew she could do it. "Agreed Renee...Vallent?", she said.

Vallent's face lit up, since he was a power specialist and knew warp cores like the back of his hands. Even Renee knew that the challenge was skewed in his favor, if done properly, but nodded, "Of course." He just nodded vigorously. In the back of engineering, the clatter of a spanner to the floor and a squeak that Renee knew was coming from the young enlisted woman whose career hung in the balance caused her to smile more.

Both engineers exploded into action, Vallent rushing to the left side of the warp core to start the proper way to isolate and identify the exact problem and solve it. Renee just strolled to the right side, where the actual equipment was buried inside the housing and popped it, easing herself into the space between. A gasp from one of the other engineers told her they recognized the real danger she might be putting herself in.

Once inside, she opened a chip housing cabinet and pulled three isolinear chips and the warp core flickered several times "Backup containment initiated." The computer announced, then the warp core went dark. Vallent froze at his still functioning console, then became more frantic. Renee worked herself through the tight crawlspace that allowed for direct access to the inner workings of the warp core when it was inert.

Once inside, she pulled out a tricorder and scanned, ensuring there was no antimatter in the immediate vicinity and a little hydrogen wouldn't hurt her and popped the containment vessel. Once that happened, she visually inspected the unit and started taking it apart, pulling out one particular piece and using a laser cutter to shave what looked to be filth from it, rubbed it against her tunic, and reinserted it, closing up the unit. She backed out into the crawlspace and closed everything up before reinserting the chips. The warp core flickered several times again before it pulsed back to life.

As she exited the housing, she looked over at Vallent who was once again frozen, "Sweetie, you gotta think outside the box." She punched up a diagnostic on the part, then walked away without looking at it.

J'Loni sat down and watched the time ticking away and she smiled to herself. She knew who would finish first and how her work would be, as she smiled looking at a worried Thomas.

Renee sauntered past the wide-eyed Vallent and over to where J'Loni was watching the time, then reached over and hit the stop on the timer, punched a few buttons to bring up the diagnostic report. It was probably a bit more than half the time of the 'proper' way of doing things and she made a moue over the results, "Yup, that'll work until we get someone in there to really do a thorough job of it. I'm going to get Andy to order an inspectorate review of that starbase engineering crew."

J'Loni nearly fell backwards in the chair laughing so hard. "Renee you know somwthing, you are just to damn efficient! You win my dear...hands down! Vallent...you get your ass over here and apologize to Renee and if I even hear of you harassing another of this crew I will make sure you will scrub the warp nacelle themselves with a damn tooth brush! Is that clear! MISTER VALLENT!?". she roared.

The other engineer came over, "y-yes, ma'am, then turned to Renee, "i'm sor-"

Renee cut him off and reached over, plucking the half pips off his collar, "Ensign Vallent, go apologize to Crewman FIRST Class Lansky then... We'll figure out what to do with you."

"Don't look at me Mister Vallent...you had that comming and I will agree with her on that. You are a big bully who doesn't want to do work but get a kick with throwing your weight around with your rank. Here, you have to bust your ass off to earn those pips, and everyone of these guys here and women have earned the right to be here, so, let those be the last I hear of that. Is that understood Mister Vallent?", she said with a stern voice.

Thomas grabbed Renee, " I am so proud of you honey!", and just hugged her infront of everyone, being careful to keep it controlled.

Renee laughed, "That's honey, ma'am to you!" She stuck her tongue out at him with a wink to make sure he knew she was joking with him

He stepped back, ""Yes ma'am Lt. Renee Salchin!", and they both laughed.


Lt. Cmdr. J'Loni Mo'Bri
Assistant Chief Engineering Officer
USS Wellington

Lt. Lg. Thomas James
Propulsion Specialist/Engineering Officer
USS Wellington

Lieutenant Renee Salchin
Research and Development Engineer
USS Wellington