Work The Problem
Posted on Tue Feb 24th, 2026 @ 5:55pm by Lieutenant Commander Maximo (Max) Vero & Rear-Admiral Daithi Fitzsimons & Lieutenant JG K'Ari th’Qarret & Lieutenant JG T'Chiara MD
2,021 words; about a 10 minute read
Mission:
Prologue: Joy is in the journey
Location: Starbase 3 - Federation border
ON
The shuttle touched down in the starbase bay, an expansive area filled to bursting with supplies and crates all bound for one of the three ships in dock at present. The star base itself was not a Space Dock so the ships had connected through umbilical's to the exterior of the star base, each of the three pods that came off of the main pod could accommodate two ships, one on either side so at the moment the Star base was somewhat quiet.
Asha felt the shuttle touch down between the indicated red lines, having been designated the cargo shuttle pilot to begin transporting all of the more sensitive supplies over to the USS Oberth, her new berth. It was also her first assignment after graduating from the academy so her exuberance was palpable. She was excited to be able to sit behind the navigation console and feel the ship and her engines thumbing to life.
Until then she would be at the beck and call of the ships first officer, Lieutenant Commander Max Vero. He seemed a competent enough officer but it was still early days in getting to know him.
The door behind her clicked open and the boarding ramp dropped and second later she was striding across the shuttle deck towards the Commander. His blue uniform standing out in a sea of gold and red.
"Commander, the anti-matter storage pods have been delivered and Engineering will ensure they are secured within the main containment post haste. What's next?"
"All the Medical supplies to sickbay," he said his voice thick with his Italian accent. "Then the hull supplies also need to be delivered. Any personal equipment - phasers, communicators, multi tools, scanners to the correct stores after that.
"Acknowledged. I believe Lieutenant Fitzsimons has already confirmed the Security department equipment" Asha responded as she handed over her PADD to confirm the delivery she had just completed.
"So Commander" she added almost conversationally as she tugged at her uniform skirt. It was a tiny bit to short for her liking. "What will Oberth be doing... I mean will it be a five year exploration mission or are we ear marked for other duties? With it being a new class of star ship no one at Personnel logistics could give me an answer".
"Well to be honest, I am not in the know. Yet. I mean I hope the Captain will speak with me. All of us perhaps. I imagine we will have plenty to keep us busy though Ensign," Max answered with a quick smile.
"Of course, yes sir!"
Asha added formally feeling she may have over stepped with the Commander. She also noticed another officer, red uniform and Lieutenant strips moving towards them. She recognised him as Lieutenant Fitzsimons from her brief encounter with him a few hours previous. "If you will excuse me sir, I will begin loading of the medical supplies."
Asha nodded to the Lieutenant before excusing herself from the conversation. Although an officer herself she was only a junior officer and certainly not a senior officer.
"Commander." Watching the retreating back of a colleague, Daithi couldn't help the small smile. "I hope I didn't interrupt? I think the red seems to scare people away at times."
"Not at all, and I guess they will just have to get used to the red," Max said.
K'Ari marched across the shuttlebay with purpose. The Starbase's Assistant Chief Engineer was on the warpath. She held a pad in one hand as she approached a group of officers conversing. "Is this the command team of the Oberth?" She demanded, her antenna leaned forward slightly.
Max turned to the Andorian with a raised eyebrow, and replied. When he spoke his voice was calm and quiet but his tone was authorative and level. "I am the ships first officer. Are you officially reporting in Lieutenant?
"No." K'Ari replied with a frown as he antenna leaned forward. "I want to know who's in charge of the engine room as the Oberth's intermix is running very rich. Anything could ignite it and boom, no more ship or starbase!"
"I think you mean No sir," Max said firmly.
"So let me get this straight. You are an engineer - you have to be to 1 wear that uniform, 2 - have access to the engine room and 3 - understand the intermix as you say is running rich, and you are telling the XO that the Engine room may have a issue that could blow up the ship? I think the more important question here is why are you running round to ask questions and quibble as to who is in charge and not stepping up to fix the issue if no chief or even assistant chief is available giving orders? So that the ship does not ignite and go boom? Get back to the Engine room Lieutenant. Quickly. Once we know we still have a ship and its safe then we will address any other things."
"In fact I'm coming with you," Max said simply. "Lead the way. Ensign you take charge here. I will be in engineering."
"Sir?" Asha sounded confused. She had only been out of the academy for no more than a few months but then it dawned on her what he had said. At first it was excitement which soon gave way to terror. This would be her first experience leading... well, anything! "Yes sir!"
Engineering - USS Oberth
The Andorian engineer strode into the Oberth's engine room. "Who's in charge here?" She called out as she glanced around the room trying to find the one who looked like they we're probably in charge, albeit, temporary.
Met with blank or glazed faces looking at her, she assumed no one. She sighed, 'That might explain how no one here was dealing with the problem.' "Right, you and you," She said pointing at the two closest people. "Shut down the warp core." She looked at another officer. "You, find out why the intermix sensors aren't making everyones ears bleed." K'Ari then moved towards the main console. "I'll start looking at why the mix ratio is so rich." She started tapping at controls on the console but just felt people looking at her. She looked up, "Let's go people!" She called out.
Max kept a close eye on the Andorian as she started to leap into action finally, hoping that she would redeem herself in common sense now. As people started to get busy around him hopefully ensuring they didn't meet a fast impending death he wondered where the CEO was. According to the computer he had reported in and was working this shift. The computer said he was in Engineering so this was odd. As he was not where the compute said he was when he checked the chiefs office.
Max climbed up to the second level and then went down to a large storage area with containers. Not everything was fully unpacked yet, the crates a complete mess. He walked round some more and that's when he froze for a moment.
Hitting his comm. badge he requested the chief of security get down to where he was immediatly and then called sickbay but the smell alone told him the man was already dead.
"On my way," the Vulcan CMO answered calmly upon which the line went dead.
Within a minute a Vulcan female in medical blue dress strode into engineering, her heels making a clicking sound on the smooth floor as she approached. "Where is your emergency?"
"Not so much as an emergency than a "situation" doc," Max said calmly leading her towards where he had found the man. He tried to do it discretely to not attract any attention or panic.
Daithi had entered the bay on the tail of medical; allowing them to take the lead he followed behind. The word situation had him on edge but it was the sight of a body that was a lot more concerning.
Kneeling as gracefully as decorum allowed for with the skant uniform skirt, T'Chiara examined the body. "I require a more close examination in sickbay," she announced, "but at first glance, his neck appears to have been snapped. I cannot rule out other causes until I have performed a post-mortem."
Max nodded. "Lets keep this low key Doc. Its not good for Morale someone found in this situation. Lets beam you, and the .... " he sighed. No first officer wanted this on their first watch, "Chief direct to the morgue.
"Chief Fitzsimmons contain this area and get your team looking for anything that can make sense of this," he added.
Daithi nodded in understanding. His mind already taking in scene infront of them. While the medic had been examining the body; he had already captured imagine of the positioning of the body. The scene will have already been contanminated so he also made a note to ensure medical had profiles of himself, the Doctor and Executive Officer up to date. Although...history told him not to immedigately rule out anyone.
Moving away, the security chief sent a message to 3 of his most valuable staff he trusted to analyse and examine the scene.
The Vulcan woman nodded though she wasn't keen on intra-ship transportation. "Of course," she responded. "Ready when you are."
Max nodded. He pressed his communicator, "Vero to Transporter room. Transport the chief medical officer and chief engineer to sickbay." he ordered. "We will speak soon. I will stay here as the warp drive is also having an issue."
The chief medical officer showed a minute hint of discomfort when the transporter whisked her and the body away.
K'Ari frown at what she had heard, her antenna leaned forward slightly with concern but straighten back up as she focused at the job at hand.
"The warp core is off line, Lieutenant." Called out one officer.
"We're running on auxiliary power. The bridge wants to know why the warp core is off line." Said another.
"Tell them if they want to live they'll let me work!" K'Ari replied frustrated by command officers needing to know every little detail all the time. 'That's what reports are for!' She thought to herself as her hands worked on the intermix ratio. With the core offline they were safe but they we're out of the woods yet.
She looked up, "You, slowly release the warp plasma from the nacelles. Keep it slow and steady, the rich mixture will disperse in space."
The yeoman nodded before moving to the right console to begin the release. K'Ari continued to work on setting up the new ratio. Seemed someone at spacedock had put the decimal point in the wrong place leading to the rich build up. She sighed with frustration. 'Why can't people do their jobs?!' she thought to herself.
"STOP!" She shouted at the Yeoman. "I said slowly! You really wanna kill everyone on this ship AND on the station??? Do it at half the speed!"
"Erm, yes ma'am." The Yeoman replied, wide eyed from shock, as he stopped and restarted the release.
"Good, that's better." The Andorian said with a nod.
Max headed back to where the Andorian engineer was working. "Report Lieutenant."
"Intermix ratio is stabilising, Commander, the ships engines probably need to visually inspected to make sure there isn't any damage and the safety systems will need looking into before the ship departs. I could probably get an Engineering team over from the station if you require the extra hands." K'Ari replied, respectfully.
"Only if you feel extra hands are needed. I want you to go visually inspect things and get this ship ready to depart. The chief engineer will not be returning so for now you are stepping up. I want a further status report in 4 hours," he said. "I will be on the bridge." He offered no explanation as to what had happened with the chief engineer and walked out of Engineering his head buzzing. Never did he imagine his first shot at XO would kick off with a dead chief.
END
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