A Delicate Operation

Posted on Wed Sep 29th, 2021 @ 11:36am by Lieutenant JG Peri Valeri & Lieutenant Zero & Ensign Vincent Parker

3,290 words; about a 16 minute read

Mission: Out of Time
Location: Main Operations

ON

Peri had adopted a corner table in main Operations. It gave her the opportunity to work on projects while taking problem reports and helping anyone who came in to the department. Most of the others knew that she liked to take apart, clean, and repair old communications devices, so they left her table alone when she had to go do a job somewhere.

Today was relatively slow as a good number of the crew were either repairing or studying the two old ships. She wanted to get her current project back together before the new Chief showed up.

However, as data from the two ships came in, she found herself getting distracted. With the Romulan ship it was little more than the repairs being done, but with the Federation ship, she was also getting some of the data they'd collected during their five-year mission.

Parker walked into the room, and looked around. "Excuse me, lieutenant. I'm not sure if this is the right place."

Peri looked up from the table. "Hi. How can I help you?" She recognized his face, although she hadn't met him before because he was working in engineering. This was another thing she didn't understand as he was assigned to ops.

"Ensign Vincent Parker, ma'am. Operations officer, currently assigned to engineering." He looked at the Vulcan. "Is there something I can do to assist you, ma'am?"

Peri raised an eyebrow. "Who assigned you to engineering?" While she knew he was working there, she didn't know why as no one in operations sent him there.

"I don't know who, lieutenant, but I received orders on the terminial in my quarters ordering me to report for temporary assignment in engineering." Parker replied.

Peri pulled up the logs for operations. "There were no orders from Ops sent to you." It didn't make sense, nor did it make sense that he didn't know who gave him the orders. She sent a quick message to the chiefs of both Operations and Engineering. In fact, the only comments were that he had yet to report in for duty. She'd definitely look into this conundrum. "Do you have a specialty?"

Parker responded, "Operations, ma'am. Best grades in my class. I also studied Engineering and Helm."

"General operations, then? Not one specific area? It's not a problem, I like to know how to utilize the strengths of the department." Ops had nothing to do with helm and rarely helped with engineering, so while they were valid areas of study, they weren't pertinent to what she needed.

"Not General Operations, ma'am...ship's Operations. I studied to be an Ops officer, and I was told that if I broadened my studies, I might get a posting sooner." responded Parker.

Peri wasn't quite sure what to make of Lieutenant Parker's response. "In the Academy you learn operations. It's not divided into ship ops or station ops. By speciality I meant did you focus on transporters, communications, cargo, or just operations. That's so I know where you'll be the most useful."

"My main course of study, ma'am, was Operations Officer." replied Parker.

Peri nodded. "Thank you." She made a mental note of his response.


Zero walked into the Operations Office, his gloved hands behind his back, as well as a PADD tucked under one of his arms. He stopped almost immediately a few feet from the door, allowing them to close behind him, before looking around the room with his blue mechanical eyes. He seemed to scan it slightly, zooming in and highlighting the two officers already there, before focusing back to the center. "My name is Lieutenant Zero. I am you're Department Head until indicated otherwise." His eyes shot between Vincent and Peri as he added. "Would you care to begin introductions or proceed to department duties and inquiries?"

"Hi," Peri said, smiling at the new arrival. "You're the boss. Which do you prefer?" There was a brief hesitation before she added, "Do you prefer being addressed as sir, sir?"

Zero looked to Peri, his eyes seemed to shift, as if zooming in on her features. He noted her pointed ears and upturned eyebrows, however her eyes were black, indicating she was a mixture of species. Perhaps Romulan or Vulcan and Betazoid. When his eyes shifted back he answered firmly. "A formal designation is not a personal requirement, however when on duty, 'Lieutenant' or 'Sir' is preferably. When not on duty I will reply to 'Zero' or the shortened 'Z' which I have grown accustomed to."

Peri nodded, smiling again. It looked a bit odd from a Vulcan, but she was a square peg in many respects. "Yes, sir. Feel free to call me Peri or Lieutenant Valeri. I'll answer to either. I'm the Assistant Chief and I'm happy to have you aboard."

Parker stood off to the side while the senior officers spoke.

"Very Well." Zero nodded, turning to face Parker, his mechanical eyes going through the same process of zooming in and shifting back to their original position. He observed his appearance and concluded he was human with the rank of Ensign. "What is your designation, Ensign?"

Parker stood straight when the senior officer addressed him. "Ensign Vincent Parker, Junior Operations Officer, sir!"

Zero tilted his head, his mechanical eyes shifted slightly, before he spoke in his calm tone. "Your immediate attention is admirable, but not necessary. You may return to being at ease, Ensign. I will not reprimand you for not standing at attention when addressed." He removed the PADD from under his arm as he continued. "Please state which designation you wish to be addressed as before we continue the conversation. You are also allowed to use the designations the Lieutenant is permitted in using when referring to me on duty and off."

"Parker will be fine, sir."

"Sir," Peri said, moving over to a console. "I've been looking at some of the data from the Resolute. The damage to the ship exceeds what is expected from a Romulan disruptor."

Zero looked over to Peri before walking up to a console. "Without needed information to assess the Romulan vessel's capabilities we have not way of knowing if this discrepancy isn't caused by an adjustment to their weapons array." He tapped the console quickly, bringing up two exterior views of the ships, before continuing. "However, as you stated, with the information collected from the Starfleet ship we can conclude that a battle did occur between the two. Information from the ship catalogued these areas of attack on the Romulan ship." He tapped more on the console to bring up highlighted areas on the display of the Romulan vessel that were damaged by the other ship and the damaged that was scanned by the tactical log. "Do we have information from the Starfleet vessel on the nebula? It would be wise to compare the information they scanned with ours to compare difference due to the passage of time."

Peri pulled it up on the computer. "Lieutenant Bálor can give you an analysis of the nebula, but this is the data we retrieved from the starship. The damage was above what was considered normal before entering the nebula, but it could have been caused by adjustments on the part of the warbird."

Zero looked over to Peri. "I just finished made the same conclusion, Lieutenant. Without information from the warbird, which we do not have access to, we cannot determine the origin of the adjustments. As far as the scans, Lieutenant Balor's information will be current. My question regards the nebula's condition at the time these two ships came in contact with it. As you know, over time, nebulas do adjust because of outside or internal factors. Knowing the state it was when they went in can give us an understanding of what to rule out." He placed his hands behind his back before adding. "Does my inquiry require more details in order for you to understand my line of thinking?"

"No, but that would be a question for science," Peri said. "The Resolute has scans of the nebula then. Science has scans of the nebula now. He can compare the two and tell you what's changed."

"I am aware, Lieutenant." Zero replied, placing his gloved hands back down on the console, before adding. "My inquiry was if we had that information. Not where to find it. I am aware of department functions and locations. I was only telling you such information can be helpful in ascertaining more information when it came to your observation."

"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir," she said. As she'd never met the chief before, she hadn't been aware of how to best respond to him, but she was rapidly learning. She pulled up the data from both scans for him to see. "This is what we have, sir." She pulled up another screen to run beside the first. "And this is the damage from the warbird before the nebula and after."

Zero looked at the screen. "No need for apologies, Lieutenant. This is our first encounter, one of many, we will understand more of our capabilities as our time on this ship progresses. I value input from all officers before assessing them in my own manner and projecting my own conclusions." He slowly removed the glove on his right hand. "Please hand me a PADD with no information." He than removed the other glove, uncomfortably revealing the Borg tubules in both hands, darting in and out of his skin, ending at his finger tips.

Peri went to a cupboard and pulled out an empty PADD. She glanced at his hands briefly, mildly curious, before handing him the PADD. "Here you are, sir. Is there anything else you need?"

Zero extended his hand, pausing just before taking the PADD. He considered his actions, remembering all the other times he utilized it, until finally taking the PADD. He took the PADD in one hand while placing his other on the console. For a brief moment, both screens flickered, before the PADD was filled with information. At the same time the console began to dim as he remained perfectly still.

Eventually, he began to move again, lowering the PADD. He placed it on the console before it seemed to shut down with him tapping on the controls. Zero returned his gaze to Peri, his hands quickly going behind his back, as if embarrassed or ashamed. "Please inform me of the need for the table over there? The one with multiple devices in various stages of assembly?"

"That was incredible, sir. Impressive." She smiled at him and turned to the table. "That's a project I've been working on in my spare time. My specialty is communications. I take apart, clean, and repair old communications systems and devices. That one is Ferengi."

"Are you implying you require more duties in order to stay busy or less work to return to your project?" Zero seemed to question without hesitation.

"Neither, sir. I'm saying that if I'm spending a shift in here and there are no other projects requiring my attention, I will work on this. Sometimes I will stay after my shift is over to work on it. My duties come first."

"Personal items in the department Offices isn't recommended." Zero replied as he slipped his hands back into his gloves one at a time. "However, if they do not distract you from your duties and it does not cause issues with your other offices I will permit them to remain." His blue mechanical eyes locked back with Peri. "Should an issue begin I will have to recommend you return them to your quarters. Are you willing to comply with those stipulations?"

"Yes, sir. Thank you." That was fair, and she had no problem complying.

Zero gave her a nod, a slight smile on his face, before he asked. "Before I proceed with any changes I will be implementing, is there any thing either of you would like to bring up in regards to your duties or shifts? Any issues that require a discussion?"

"Before you came in, Ensign Parker said he's been assigned to engineering every morning since his arrival, but I can't find any orders from operations. I sent a message to you and the chief engineer. I don't know if it requires a discussion, but it's something you should be aware of."

Zero looked over to Vincent. "Ensign Parker, please clarify these claims."

"Yes sir, In order to keep busy, sir, I took it upon myself to report to main engineering and volunteer for work. I was available to report to the bridge at a moments notice in case I was needed, sir. If I acted incorrectly, I apologize, sir." Parker responded.

"Your response..." Zero replied calmly. "Is contradictory. The Lieutenant said you were assigned and can't find orders, but you said you volunteered. While. I am not against you offering your skills to assist in the functioning of this ship, both responses are contrary to each other. If you were assigned there by a superior officer or engineering department head then I must ask you to show me these orders." He gestured to the console slightly, removing a gloved hand out from behind his back. "Please." He added with a nod.

Peri turned sharply to Parker, surprised by his response. Then she addressed Zero. "He came in and said he was Ensign Vincent Parker, operations officer assigned to engineering. When I could find no such orders in the computer, he said he received them every morning on his console." Parker made it sound like she deliberately lied to Lieutenant Zero.

Parker looked at the both of them. "When I reported aboard, I received orders on my terminal, ordering me to report to engineering on a temporary assignment. There was no name attached to said orders, and when I tried to verify the orders, the above mentioned orders were no longer on my computer. I tried to do a trace, but was unsuccessful, so I continued to report to main engineering." He took a breath. "I know that an Operation Officer may, from time to time, work hand in hand with engineering. I just assumed that this was standard operating procedure for this ship, to have a new officer exhibit his, or her. abilities."

"We'll look into it," Peri said, looking to Zero for confirmation. She didn't want to add any more to Parker's current situation, but he didn't report to operations when he came aboard and he didn't confirm the alleged orders from engineering with either department.

Zero's gaze never left Ensign Parker. It was hard to get a sense for his mood, or feeling, since his tone and facial express never seemed to change. The former Borg only tilted his head slightly while the iris of his mechanical eyes seem to rotate slightly before returning back to their original position. As he slowly returned his gloved hand back behind him, he began to speak with an almost firm but cold tone. "Ensign Parker. These events demonstrate that you are capable of being gullible, deceitful, and insubordinate. I would like to believe that you are personally not aware of these facts. To begin the analysis, you admit to receiving orders from an unnamed sender giving you instructions to report to Engineering to accomplish specific tasks. Your investigation into the source led you to no answers. However, you decided to follow those orders without question. Had this sender came from someone onboard, or someone in Engineering, I believe there would be no need to hide their identity. One theory is someone choose you because you have a history of proceeding without question. A less likely conclusion is that you are being used to sabotage the ship. Another conclusion, one that is the most likely, is that you have been involved in a prank."

Just as there seemed to be a pause in his response for Vincent to reply, Zero continued. "There is also the fact that you began to saying it was 'voluntary' before changing your story to say you were 'ordered' to engineering on temporary assignment. Both words do not mean the same thing, Ensign. In fact, as I said before, they are contradictory. In opposite to each other. This shows you either have trouble recalling events or you are being deceptive. It is my hope the case is medical and not the latter, because that would conclude you are being deceptive to me, your department head." He paused again, this time taking a step forward to him, in a very non-aggressive way, before adding. "Lastly, I recall giving you an order to to bring up your orders on the console, which you clearly ignored by giving me another variation of the events. I was going to make an attempt to retrieve those orders and identify the source, because my interface can process information at a far quicker pace. It is my experience, as a Starfleet Officer and Borg, that no information is truly deleted in a network so vast. I must admit, as your department head, I am concerned by your reaction to these events. You, Ensign Parker, followed orders from source you could not identify. To further that concern, you ignored the orders of your department head? Please identify what I have done to receive such treatment? Is it because I was once Borg?"

Parker looked at him. "I hadn't met you until today, sir. I didn't know you were once a Borg. If you can find the one that sent that order, I would like to know who it was." He paused. "Starting to look like my career is over before it started." He took off his commbadge. "I resign my commission."

Zero simply turned his head in confusion. "Ensign Parker... If I gave you the impression that I was about to ask for you to resign, then your conclusion is faulty. I am eager to determine the source of these messages as you are. I do not take satisfaction in the knowledge an officer in my department is being mislead. However, I cannot assist if you continue to avoid my questions and disregard my orders. You must understand, while this is our first encounter, what you have told me is not working in your favor." He looked over to Peri, unaware of where the fault in his assessment was, before looking back to Parker again. "I must know that, when I give an officer an order or make an inquiry, it will be carried out. He paused again, looking away from everyone else. "Perhaps I am the one in error. My skills in communication with others is not as developed as it should. It is possible I am not getting my point across in the best way."

"It's not your fault, sir. I understood you perfectly." Parker replied. "It appears that I was either lying or the victim of a practical joke. Either way, something like this would not reflect well on my service record."

"No, but it's not insurmountable," Peri said. "And it is minor. Resigning because you didn't ask questions doesn't look good, either. But it's your choice."

"Then, if I am not needed here, request permission to return to my quarters, where I will wait until required to report to duty, sir." looking at Zero.

After the Ensign received permission and left, Peri turned to Zero. "I will send you all the information I have, sir, for your perusal." She expected he would have valuable insights when he finished going through everything.

____
OFF

Lieutenant Zero
Chief Operations Officer

Lieutenant JG Peri Valeri
Assistant Chief Operations Officer

Ensign Vincent Parker
Operations Officer

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