Protecting a Sensitive Crew

Posted on Thu Mar 4th, 2021 @ 2:27pm by Crewman Apprentice Talee Malena & Captain Elijah Michaels

809 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: The Lonesome Road
Location: Engineering

=/= Begin Log =/=

Talee was slightly sweaty from her days' work, which wasn't all that hard, but it was running about the ship. All she wanted now, which was easier to get back on the Ganymede than here, was hooch, but she would settle for a nice long shower.

But, unlucky for her, spending the day outside of engineering and working on many things meant, lots of paperwork, which she was doing now. {Who the hell thought of needing bloody reports for every bloody little thing you do,} she thought fighting the urge to just throw her PaDD and stomp out.

Elijah had been planning to head to Engineering when he had a spare moment. He wanted to examine a few modifications that were installed by the previous engineer until his departure and he was curious as to the nature of such things.

Rubbing her eyes as they started going cross-eyed from all the typing, but she was done and almost free, she just needed to put her tools away, and that was when she saw him, {fuck, really,} she thought sighing, {okay okay, just go put your tools away and just keep walking,} she thought as she walked to over where the kits were and placed hers in the rack.

"Captain on Deck!" Came to a call from one of the Engineers on Duty, a Petty Officer First Class who was doing an overhaul of the Computer System.

"As you were." Elijah smiled as he took a moment to chat with the NCO. The two of them sharing introductions and even some banter which was still well within the bounds of the Officer/Enlisted dynamic.

{Really, I mean you have nothing better to do,} Talee thought, {all I wanted to do was finish my work, and leave,} she continued to thought, but like a good little soldier she came to ease.

"Ahh Crewman Malena, how are we this evening hm? Not dismantled a bulkhead or a photon torpedo for the sheer excitement of a new posting?" Elijah asked as he approached the Ontario's special case, in this instance sent to him rather than kicked out of Starfleet.

Talee rolled her eyes at the captain, growing tired of hiding who she was, at least with her superiors, "...I am here to do a job, and I know how to do it, and if I am allowed to it, I do it well!"

"Hey, I was just trying to lighten the mood a little." He responded as he approached. "Actually you're the reason I came here this evening." He then handed her a PaDD. "Take a look at this and let me know what you think...."

The PaDD contained information on the applications of Cordanium in a ship's structural setting and also in the manufacturing development.

Talee took the PaDD and looked at the contents, "what am I looking at?"

"A Civilian Freighter incorporated elements of Cordanium into its bulkhead and parts of the hull. Apparently, its durability under the rigors of space travel holds up staggeringly well." Elijah commented.

“Ah yes, Cordanium, that new mineral I was unaware that civilians had access to it?” Talee asked looking back to the PaDD wishing it had more specs than it did.

"It's free to use, every kind of prospector and fortune seeker in the quadrant is flocking to get hold of it," Elijah responded to her.

"...and Starfleet and the Federation want to control it like they do Deuterium?" Talee asked remembering back to stories of the original Boomers, the Boomers that didn't sell out and join Earth Cargo.

"More like find some and study it, because it has already sparked interest from every major and secondary power in the quadrant," Elijah replied.

Talee scoffed at the idea and notion that the Federation just wanted to study it, all they wanted to do was control it like they want to control everything. "Give a few days and I'll look over this and get back to you with how it used or how it can be used," Talee said kinda looking forward to studying this stuff.

"Please." he nodded. "I'd ask that we keep it to ourselves for the moment since I haven't given it to the Chief Engineer yet."

"Wait, let me get this straight, this material is available to all, but you want me to keep this research a secret?"

"For the moment yes, only because it would upset a few people that an enlisted crewman is privy to this information before the Senior Engineer." He replied.

"I don't do protecting feelings, but if this an order I guess I have no options," Talee said simply looking back at the PaDD>

"Excellent." He smiled before heading off. "See you around Crewman."

Talee just sighed watching him leave, but hopefully, this assignment will allow her to hide and just work.

=/= End Log =/=

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