Post 290: Learning to Work With Others

Stardate:70705.2113
Title:Learning to Work With Others
Author:Ensign Xhian
Scene: Various
Time:After Between the Devil, and Where are the Officers?

After Captain Zanh's order to work with Stratton on the problems afflicting holodeck four, Xhian looked at Stratton nervously and introduced himself formally, not having done so before.

Briggs came back to keep watch over main Engineering, freeing up Xhian and Stratton to take to the Jeffries tubes.

As he walked to the turbo lift, Xhian started making many estimates in his mind as to what could be causing the problems at hand. "So you're the newbie many of the crew have been talking about," Stratton said, beginning a conversation as the lift began to move.

Xhian looked at him, again with nothing to say but "Yes, probably."

"Your quite shy Xhian, aren't you?" Stratton observed.

"Do you have another name you prefer to be called?"

"No," Xhian answered, in almost a whisper. "Xhian is my assigned name, I am to be called by it."

"What do you like to do for fun?"

"I really have not taken up any hobbies, my work is my primary focus," Xhian answered. "I like to invent things. But Captain Zahn suggested I might try my hand at jewelry crafting after I designed the settings for the gemstones on the medals given at the awards ceremony."

"You did that?" Stratton remarked with a whistle. "I saw that work, it was amazing. You have a gift."

Xhian shrugged, unused to such compliments.

As the two stepped out of the lift, Xhian asked Stratton to check the communication relays while he inspected the wiring in the Jefferies tube to the left. Stratton nodded and complied as Xhian made his descent down the tube to the right.

[Ensign,be sure you keep in close contact, and your com line open for regular reports okay?] Stratton reminded.

Xhian made his way through the tube, looking for the panels that held the workings of the holodecks. "Everything looks good so far." When he finally found the panels that went to the holodecks, he found that a few of the relays were fried, and started to work on those first.

Stratton finished checking the communications system, unable to determine just by looking what was wrong. So he returned to engineering and began running diagnostics from there.

All day Xhian and Stratton communicated, discussing problems they discovered which were likely having some effect on the holodeck systems.

Their suspicions as to several contributing factors were confirmed when Captain Gilmore sent revised schematics down to them, pointing out key areas where they should look for malfunctions or defective components.

With the new schematics in hand and their own conclusions as well, they set to work once again.

[Zanh to Xhian, how are you doing down there?]

"We continue working, Captain. We have as yet been unable to correct all of the malfunctions. The situation is. . .complicated." Xhian replied.

[Well keep at it, and keep me posted.]

"Captain, there is something else you should know," Xhian added reluctantly, "From what we have been able to determine by our latest scans, there are indications that the safety protocols for the decks may be offline- either intermittently or consistently."

[Oh.] Zanh replied, sighing heavily. [Great.]

Ensign Xhian
Engineering Officer
USS Independence