One last chance
Posted on Mon Oct 12th, 2026 @ 5:28am by Captain Marc Steyn & Lieutenant JG Charlie Johnson
3,609 words; about a 18 minute read
Mission:
Season 1 Episode 2: The Garden at the Edge of Night
Location: Main engineering / Lt. Johnsons quarters
ON:
Engineering
Peters stood in front of the warp core. Repairs were complete, but they still needed the core's power to finish the other repairs, especially the warp coils. Final checks were underway before startup. Outwardly, he was an island of calm. Inwardly, he was nervous. He had hoped the PADD had reached Charlie by now.
One of the engineering team approached him. "Sir, we're ready as we'll ever be. Are you sure about this? It's a risk."
Peters nodded "Agreed, but it's a risk we're going to have to take." He took a breath. "Ok, let's begin."
Lieutenant Johnson's quarters
The door opened, and Charlie's worst fear was confirmed. It was the Captain.
"May I come in, Lieutenant?"
Outwardly, Marc had managed to regain his composure, his expression calm and his voice controlled. Internally, however, he was far from calm.
He was angry.
Not because of the accident itself. The Genesis had been built from a collection of mismatched systems and components, and everyone aboard had known there would be failures. That was an engineering problem they could solve.
What he couldn't overlook was what had happened afterwards.
Lieutenant Johnson had abandoned her post. She had left her team to deal with a not-insubstantial crisis without the one person who should have been leading them through it. Worse still, she had effectively chosen to abandon her duty to the ship when her crew needed her most.
That was the part Marc couldn't forgive.
He didn't wait for a reply. Instead, he stepped through the doorway far enough for the doors to close behind him, the PADD still firmly in his hand.
He looked at Johnson for a long moment.
The PADD was ready. He had intended to hand it over, to give her the information she needed and perhaps one final opportunity to explain herself.
But that depended entirely on what she said in the next few moments.
Marc's expression hardened.
"Care to explain yourself, Lieutenant?"
His voice had taken on a distinctly harder edge now, the patience of the Captain giving way to the authority of the man responsible for everyone aboard the Genesis.
Charlie winced at his tone. She looked down, still unable to meet his gaze. "I woke up this morning, picked up my uniform and... For a moment.... It was covered in blood. I am the chief engineer on the ship. It was my responsibility to make sure all those systems were calibrated correctly and.... and I failed. People could have died. The ship was almost destroyed. I.... I couldn't make myself put on my uniform and walk out the door"
Marc stared at her for several long seconds, his expression hardening as her words settled between them and when he finally spoke, his voice was quiet, too quiet.
“People could have died,” he repeated, almost as though testing the words. “But they didn't, Lieutenant.”
He took another step into the room, the PADD still held loosely in one hand.
“Do you understand the distinction?”
His jaw tightened.
“You made a mistake. A serious one, yes. The systems aboard this ship were poorly matched, and you were responsible for making sure they were calibrated as best they could be. But you didn't deliberately put those people in danger. You didn't sabotage the ship. You didn't send them into a battle knowing they wouldn't come back.”
His voice began to rise.
“And nobody died.”
The words hung heavily in the room.
“So forgive me if I find it difficult to stand here and watch you punish yourself as though you're carrying the graves of a hundred people on your shoulders.”
Marc's eyes remained fixed on hers.
“There are people aboard this ship who actually have to live with survivor's guilt, Charlie.”
A pause.
“I know that because I'm one of them.”
Something changed in his expression then. The anger remained, but beneath it was something older. Something far more painful.
“I walked away from the USS Roosevelt alive. Only a handful survived Wolf 359.”
His voice softened.
“I walked away while everyone else aboard that ship didn't.”
Marc swallowed, his gaze dropping for the briefest moment before returning to her.
“Do you know what that's like?”
He didn't wait for an answer.
“To wake up every morning knowing that you were one of the people who survived when the people standing beside you didn't? To look at an empty chair on the bridge of this ship and remember exactly who used to sit in it on the Roosevelt? To hear a voice in a corridor and, for half a second, expect it to belong to someone who has been dead for months?”
His fingers tightened around the PADD.
“That is survivor's guilt, Lieutenant.”
He stepped closer.
“That is knowing there are people who should still be here, and knowing that somehow, impossibly, you're not alive and they are not.”
His eyes hardened again.
“What you're feeling right now isn't that.”
Marc shook his head.
“You're feeling guilt because something went wrong on your watch. You're frightened because you believe you failed your crew. I understand that. I even understand why you couldn't look at that uniform without seeing what might have happened.”
He drew a slow breath.
“But you don't get to turn a tragedy that didn't happen into one that did.”
The words were blunt, almost brutal.
“And you certainly don't get to use it as an excuse to abandon your post.”
Marc lowered the PADD slightly.
“Your crew needed you. They were frightened. They were injured. They were trying to keep this ship alive, and their Chief Engineer wasn't there.”
His voice cracked with restrained anger.
“They needed someone to tell them what to do, Charlie. They needed you.”
He paused, allowing the silence to settle.
“You want to feel guilty? Fine. Feel guilty. You want to be angry with yourself? Be angry. You want to question whether you're good enough to wear that uniform?”
His expression softened by the smallest degree.
“Then question it, but don't confuse guilt with responsibility.”
Marc looked directly into her eyes.
“Responsibility is what you do next.”
He lifted the PADD slightly.
“And right now, your crew is waiting for you.” he thrust the PADD in her direction, not giving her a choice in accepting it. "Do I make myself completely crystal clear Lieutenant?"
Engineering
Peters hands worked the controls with skill. "Ok People!" He called out. "Here we go. Computer, set Intemix formula as inputted and prime the injectors."
"Intemix Set. Injectors primed." The Computer replied.
Peters pressed the final control, and the warp core hummed into life, the steady thrum of the blue lights heading from both top and bottom converging on the reaction chamber. He let out a breath that he had been holding. So far so good. A faint vibration travelled through the deck, and he frowned. The readout changed subtly. His eyes went wide.
"No...... No........."
Lieutenant Johnson's quarters
"Do I make myself completely crystal clear, Lieutenant?"
Charlie had no choice but to take the PADD from the Captain. Every word he had said was true, and she knew it. She had abandoned her post when the crew needed her most.
"Captain, I...." Her voice died in her throat as her attention shifted to the PADD in her hand. She did a double take. Her mind worked furiously. Surely, that had not missed that. The safety system was bypassed; it would take too long to re-initialise them. In this configuration, the power would increase exponentially until.... No, no, she must be mistaken. The computer woudl not be able to compsendate, they would have to recalibrate the EPS taps manually but that was dangerous in and of itself.
No, surely not....
She had almost convinced herself until she felt the tremor run through the deck. Her eyes went wide. They had powered up the warp core. Her mouth went dry; they had about 5 minutes until they were a cloud of dust. She realised that, one, she was still in her nightwear, and two, the Captain was still waiting for an answer, and there was no time to do anything about either.
"Damn!" she exclaimed, as she grabbed her comm badge and, fixing it to her pyjama top, she bolted past the Captain and out into the corridor in her bare feet, running for the turbolift.
Marc's expression changed almost instantly. The sudden urgency in Charlie's voice, the way she'd bolted from the room without even stopping to dress properly, told him that this wasn't simply another bout of guilt or panic. Something was seriously wrong. He hurried after her, exhaustion momentarily forgotten. “Charlie!” he called, stepping into the corridor just as the turbolift doors began to open. “Lieutenant, stop!” He had no idea what she'd seen on the PADD, but whatever it was had clearly terrified her. Marc's instincts took over. If his Chief Engineer was running barefoot through the corridors in her nightclothes with a comm badge clipped to her chest, then something aboard his ship had gone very, very wrong.
He broke into a faster pace, reaching the turbolift just as Charlie disappeared inside. “Wait!” Marc called, catching the doors before they could close. He stepped inside, breathing heavily, and fixed her with a sharp look. “What did you see?” His voice carried none of the anger from moments earlier now, replaced by concern and the unmistakable authority of the Captain who needed answers immediately. “Because unless you tell me otherwise, I'm going to assume we're about to have a very serious problem with my warp core.”
Engineering
Charlie entered Engineering just as the red alert siren began to sound. Peters snapped around, and despite the situation, the corners of his mouth curled upwards "Is this a new uniform we're unaware of, Lieutenant?" referring to her nightwear.
Charlie just glared at him before asking with no preamble, "Report!"
"Warp core pressure is doubling every 30 seconds. We're looking at a core breach in under 5 minutes. I tried the ejection system but..."
"It's offline." She completed the sentence for him.
"Your orders, Lieutenant?" Peters asked. Charlie became aware of at least 5 crewmen who were now standing, waiting for her to do something.
"We're going to have to re-initialise the command sequencers on the warp drive and manually balance the EPS grid at the same time to prevent an overload. It's going to take all of us working together to pull this off; the computer won't be able to compensate fast enough."
In his head, Peters put together what she was planning, and it was not only risky; he was pretty sure they were going to be the first ones to do something like this on the fly.
"I'm pretty sure that procedure is not written in any manual, Lieutenant..." Peters interjected, trying to keep his voice neutral. "Are you sure you can..."
"We're going to have to write the procedure on this one as we go, Ensign," Charlie replied.
Peters' eyebrow raised just a fraction, but he nodded his head "Aye, Lieutenant." He then turned to the rest of the engineering staff "You heard her. Jackson, Collins, get on the EPS taps. Brain, you monitor the warp core pressure. You two over there, get that panel off and prepare to kill the connection to the command sequencers. We don't have much time here, people. Move!"
Marc had entered Engineering with Charlie, but the moment they crossed the threshold, he had deliberately hung back. The room was already a blur of activity, with engineers moving between consoles and the warp core humming ominously at the centre of it all. He had no intention of becoming another obstacle in their way, particularly when Charlie had immediately taken command, and the crew were clearly responding to her. Whatever had happened, she was doing exactly what he had asked of her only minutes earlier—thinking, taking charge, and leading her people.
But the urgency in the room was impossible to ignore. Marc watched as Charlie issued one order after another, his tired eyes moving between the personnel and the readings flashing across the various displays. The mention of the warp core pressure, the failed ejection system and the need to manually balance the EPS grid finally pushed his concern beyond the point of simply observing. He stepped forward, his expression hardening as he approached Charlie.
“Lieutenant,” he called over the alarms and activity, his voice carrying across Engineering. “I want an explanation. Now.”
He stopped a short distance from her, deliberately keeping his voice controlled despite the growing concern in his gut. “What exactly have you discovered, and how close are we to losing this ship?”
"Captain"! I don't have time to explain! We're looking at a warp core breach in less than 5 minutes. We're going to have to re-initialise the command processor and balance the power flow manually without disrupting the plasma stream or interrupting the power." Charlie replied, still focused on the console in front of her, "And even with all the engineering staff working together, I estimate our chances of pulling this off at, what do you say, Peters? One in ten?"
Peters, who was working the console next to her, replied without looking up, "One in twenty, Lieutenant. At best!"
Marc was taken aback by the urgency of the situation. There was no denying that Charlie was stepping up now, taking command and working through a problem that threatened to destroy the ship. He could see her thinking on her feet, directing her team and finding a solution where the manuals offered none. It was precisely the kind of initiative he'd demanded of her. Yet, as he watched the engineers scramble to carry out her orders, an unwelcome thought crept into his mind. If Charlie had been here from the beginning, would the Genesis and her crew have been spared this latest disaster? He pushed the question aside. There would be time for that conversation later, assuming they all survived the next few minutes.
Instead of voicing his doubts, Marc tapped his Combadge and moved further out of the engineers' way, keeping his eyes on the unfolding crisis. “Steyn to Bridge. Take us to red alert. Begin moving the civilian population towards the escape pods, but do not launch without further orders unless the situation becomes critical.” His voice was firm, leaving no room for uncertainty. “We have a serious situation in Engineering. If this goes south, I want those civilians ready to evacuate and clear of the ship as quickly as possible. Their safety is your priority. Acknowledge.”
"Aye sir" came the noticeable uneasy reply from Ensign Hale.
"Watch those power taps!" she called out.
"Core pressure is still rising." Another crewman called out.
"Come on....Come on." Charlie muttered under her breath as the five engineers worked their consoles with all the skill and experience they could muster. "I hope you were exaggerating about those odds, Peters!"
Charlie entered the final command sequence, and the entire room held its breath.....
"Bridge to Steyn, we have Commander Vero for you!" Hale interrupted the situation.
"Put him through"
"Vero to Steyn. Sir its not just one planet but three out here. One has what looks like a deep underground mining facility and a proper ship yard. Repairs could likely be made there sir. No life signs but the lights they are on."
“Understood, Commander,” came the reply, the shrill wail of the red-alert klaxon audible in the background.
Marc glanced towards the warp core, his jaw tightening as another tremor passed through the deck. He returned his attention to his Combadge, keeping his voice level despite the urgency of the situation. “We have something of a situation here. Expect further contact shortly.” He paused, choosing his next words carefully. “If you don't hear from me again, assume the worst. You'll be on your own, Commander.”
He released the channel, his expression grim. It wasn't the sort of order any captain wanted to give, but there was no room for false reassurance. With the warp core threatening to breach, the fate of the Genesis might come down to the next few minutes—and Marc had no intention of letting the people aboard pay for his failure to prepare for the worst.
Charlie was still holding her breath. Af ter a few moments, the lights on the warp core started to slow.
A young crewman allowed himself to smile as he reported, "Sir! Reaction rate is stabilising." He let out a relieved sigh "Warp core is online. Power output has normalised."
Charlie allowed herself to relax into the chair before patting Peters on the back "Good work, Ensign."
Peters smiled in return. "Couldn't have done it without you, Lieutenant. Glad you were here."
Charlie acknowledged him with a nod and now stood and turned to the captain. "Warp drive is online. Power levels are holding steady, sir. We can stand down from red alert. I intend to do a full diagnosis to make sure everything is stable. Erm." She faltered as she realised she was still in her nightwear.
Ensgine Peters coughed gently. "Lieutenant, I believe there is a spare uniform in your office."
Charlie shot a grateful look at him before continuing. "Captain, I apologise for leaving my post unattended. I give you my word it won't happen again."
Marc held Charlie's gaze for a moment, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly now that the immediate threat had passed. The Genesis was still in one piece, the warp core was stable, and his crew were alive. For now, that was enough.
He rubbed a hand over his face, exhaustion etched into his features. The strain of the past few days was beginning to show, his patience wearing thin and his South African accent creeping back into his voice.
“Ja, Lieutenant, I should certainly hope so,” he replied, the familiar inflexion slipping through. “You and your team just saved this ship against odds I wouldn't care to repeat. You have my thanks for that.”
His expression grew serious again, and he stepped a little closer and dropped his voice so the team around them could not overhear.
“But we haven't finished discussing what happened in your quarters. Your crew needed their Chief Engineer, Charlie, and you weren't there. We'll address that properly, but later, once this crisis is behind us and we've got the Genesis back on her feet. Right now, I need you focused on getting our systems stable.”
He gave her a tired, almost apologetic look as he stepped away once again, bringing his voice back up to a normal level.
“Get changed, get something to eat, and run that diagnostic. I want to know exactly where we stand before anything else goes wrong.” A faint smile tugged at his mouth. “And next time you decide to save my ship, Lieutenant, try not to take another year off my life expectancy while you're at it, hey?”
"Yes Captain," Charlie replied. She then realised that the entire engineering crew had stopped and were staring at her, big stupid grins on their face. She gave them a moment before saying with mock sternness, "Ok you lot, back to work or I'll have to start charging you."
"No one carries any money Lieutenant," Peters whispered in her ear.
She shook her head. "I know that, that what's makes it funny... just get back to work," she added with a smile before heading into her office.
Peters turned to the Captain. "I think we can take it from here, Sir. I'll keep an eye on her, but I think we're over the worst of it now."
Marc gave Peters a weary nod, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Good. I’ll leave the Genesis in your hands, Ensign. Keep her stable, make sure those repairs hold, and let me know if anything so much as flickers unexpectedly. I’d rather not have another crisis waiting for me the next time I close my eyes.” His gaze drifted briefly towards Charlie’s office before returning to Peters, the look subtle enough to pass without comment.
“I trust you to keep things running smoothly down here, Peters. You seem to have a knack for keeping a level head when things get difficult.” He paused, giving the Ensign a knowing look. “Just make sure everyone in Engineering remembers they don't have to manage everything alone. Sometimes a little support can make all the difference.” With that, he offered a final nod and turned towards the exit, leaving the meaning behind his words for Peters to interpret.
Charlie entered her office, and the door closed behind her. She took a few paces and stopped. Inside was a freshly replicated uniform folded neatly next to a pot of coffee that was still warm and a chicken salad sandwich. There was a PADD on the uniform which read, 'Didn't think you had time to get changed - or eat. Ensign Peters.'
10 minutes later, Charlie emerged from her office. Properly dressed and now on a full stomach. She approached Ensign Peters "Thank you for the uniform and the sandwich and for all your help."
Peters straightened his own uniform. "Don't mention it Lieutenant. Just glad to have you back with us. You're looking a lot better now. The warp core diagnostics came back clean, but I've got Crewman Jackson keeping an eye on it. We should have enough power to start replicating the materials for the warp coils in about 1 hour. Shall we continue with the repairs?"
She smiled "Lead the way."
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