Post 232: Finding a Promising Life

Stardate:70619.0716
Title: Finding A Promising Life
Author: Ensign Xhian (Formerly 2 of 8)
Scene: Jeffries Tubes of The Independence
Time: Continuing From Let's Get Kraken
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"Has your husband gotten any strange looks from the crew?" Xhian asked as he continued to wrench new components into place.

"Strange looks?" Kellyn was concerned by the thought of a new officer feeling that he'd been looked down upon. "How so?"

"Looks that seem to imply. . . contempt. Or even hatred."

"Contempt? From the crew?" Now she really was alarmed. Prejudice such as this should not exist in the ranks of Starfleet, let alone on the Independence.

Xhian shrugged, unable to stop thinking about what had happened hours ago as he came from his first trip to the holodeck.

Kellyn answered as she pulled out a handful of burned wires, "If he did, he never told me about it. But I'll tell you what. If I see anybody around here giving you a hard time, especially in our department they'll have to answer to me for it. Make no mistake."

Xhian looked at the space vacated by the wires she held and analyzed the damage between the circuit relays and other systems. He made a note to redesign them and continued on.As time went by, he found that he had come up with several new ideas for improving the ship's wiring.

In his head he'd created a new layout for the circuitry which should allow it to handle greater demand for teleporter functions without interrupting power flow to the other systems.

The pair kept at it for hours relaying the wires. As they worked the Ensign took notice of the time intervals at which the com reports came in. At times the calls began one or two seconds before they were scheduled, while others were late between a half second and two seconds.

"For a department which depends on precision," he observed, "the other engineers are always off. By seconds."

"A second or so is okay, more then that and we should worry. No doubt timing is everything. But for those of us who are merely flesh and blood a few seconds one way or the other is often the best we can do."

"Very well." Xhian replied as he went back to work.

He had a lot more questions to ask and answers to offer, but he felt that it would be wiser to wait for another time or until she asked.

Ensign Xhian
Engineering Officer
USS Independence