JPL| EngO & SciO | LtJG Mallow & Ens Kharg | "Diversion"

Posted on 241708.29 @ 7:55pm by Ensign Ayissa Kharg & Lieutenant Hober Mallow

Mission: Reconstruction and Refocus
Location: Engineering

After very little sleep the night before, and a full shift of staring at endless DNA comparison readouts, Ayissa should have been utterly exhausted. She could feel the fatigue in her muscles; but it was dim, overrun by the ceaseless whirlwind of thoughts. Not having a clear method to follow, being limited by the tools at her disposal in the current moment, did not sit well. Such impatience and displeasure is what found her here, meandering into Engineering. A small cloth bag swinging easily in one hand as she made her way carefully through unfamiliar territory, quietly intent on finding the Wadi Engineer that had been recruited to assist the cause.

What started as a seemingly benign task had become a monster pain in Mallow's behind. The sensor amplifier that the botanist wanted was a crude design, but none the less had a spark of ingenuity. He was envious that he did not come up with the design himself. In any other circumstance the amplifier in question would have been useless, but Maria had come up with a simple, yet ingenious, device for the mystery signal specifically. The top of the workbench that Mallow had appropriated for his use was littered with half built circuits and bundles of ODN cables hanging over the edge of the table. He leaned back itching to hear a familiar crack, but spied a blue uniform wandering around the warp core.

While meandering with purpose, Ayissa was indeed still meandering. Sure, she had given the ship's layout a cursory glance on the trip, it had been just enough to get the general idea. Seeing it all up close and in person was a totally different story. Jade-hued gaze finally drifted from the impressive bit of machinery that was the warp core, expression brightening slightly with the recognition of her intended target seated across the way.

"Lieutenant." The Ensign nodded in greeting, making her way closer. Staying just out of range of potentially touching and mussing anything, she peered curiously over the tabletop. "I was not certain if you would still be here. How goes the project?"

"Ensign." Mallow returned the greeting by rank, less as a direct response to her greeting, but more to the point he could not remember her name from the lounge opening or the meeting with the botanist and herself. Mallow stood up from his stool and gestured at what he hoped looked like more than just a mess of junk, "It goes about as well as it looks."

"Well, it looks like a decent start!" Ayissa replied, taking something of a gamble in saying so. She couldn't have said what purpose nearly any of these components served, much less in conjunction with each other. But there was at least an impression of purpose in how it was all arranged. "I anticipate that it will be quite useful. Even after this current need of it."

"Maybe, this design is very specific to the signal we are chasing though." Hober picked at the blue paint above his eyebrow, "Maria came up with a good idea. I won't repeat that though." He tilted his head taking his attention back to Ayissa, "So what brings you down here?"

"Stagnation with progress and the inability to sleep, quite frankly." Was given in answer, accompanied by a small shrug. The motion reminded her of her small package, and she held the bag up, offering it towards Hober. "Oh, and I thought I would bring by something to maybe brighten the work."

"What's this?" Hober used a finger to poke at it.

"Biscotti." Kharg explained, "Got to see my Nan while held over on Terra. She must have sent at least five pounds of it with me. Never get through it all before it gets too stale."

Hober took a bite of the offered edible, "Hey this is pretty good."

"Goes great with coffee." Ayissa offered, "Which I felt you might be having a lot of in the immediate future."

Hober glanced at the time, which apparently he had not done for a while, and surprised himself. "I forgot to say good morning apparently." Hober stretched.

"Doesn't mean much when one hasn't slept yet." The Ensign chuckled ruefully, also directing her gaze briefly towards the clock as well. "Though, I suppose I should let you get back to work. Or off to bed. Whichever would be the most prudent."

"I wasn't tired until I was aware of the time." Hober started putting odds and ends into drawers in the worktable, "I'll walk with you out if your leaving now as well."

"Sure." Ayissa smiled. Crossing arms lightly, she leaned a hip against the table to wait, watching the process as he stowed things away. "Not in a hurry to go toss around, though I should probably try all the same."

He looked up from the edge of the table bent over a drawer, "Toss around?"

Blinking slightly, one of the woman's brows arched a bit. "You know, when you try to sleep, but it doesn't happen. Can't get comfortable, whatever, so you just thrash about in bed."

Hober walked around the table and motioned for the science officer to lead the way. "Some human adages are lost on me."

Setting a moderately slow pace, Ayissa chuckled. "Spent most of my life around that half of my heritage. Guess it doesn't seem strange to me. Though I do admit some of them are simply silly."

Hober walked in step, "My culture isn't short on them either. If I hear one more person tell me to move along home," he mused.

Giving a small snort of amusement, she cast him a sidelong glance. "Or how about to hold your horses?"

Hober followed Ayissa through the doors to main engineering into the corridor. "Oh I know that one! That's the one equating patience to holding small animals?" He said miming holding something in his arms.

Perhaps it was lack of sleep, but the mental image of trying to hold a horse in ones arms set Ayissa to laughing. "No, big animals. They're...well, were, big pack beasts. They weigh about half a ton a piece."

"Oh," Mallow said looking down at his arms and chuckled. "I didn't leave the academy grounds very often."

"I doubt you would have encountered many horses. They're largely just pets, in this era. Though I've seen a few agricultural forays that brought them along, it was still fairly rare. Still, you got the patience part right." Kharg grinned.

Mallow gave her a shallow shrug, "I try--Ayissa Kharg!" He suddenly exclaimed while stopping just before the turbolift. "Hah! I remembered your name from the the party!"

Startling slightly at the sudden proclaimation, she stared at him wide-eyed for a moment. "You didn't remember this entire time?" She inquired, amusement replacing the brief shock, stepping into the lift as the door opened. "You could have just asked."

"My memory issued a challenge, I accepted." He said as if it was a matter of fact.

"Well, Hober Mallow," Ayissa smirked, "I am glad that you did recall. Eventually. Enjoy your sleep and your biscotti. I've got plenty if you find you would like more."

"Until next time Ms Kharg," Hober said exiting the turbolift with a nod and a grin.

Shaking her head slightly as the door closed, the Ensign made her way back towards her quarters. No more ready to sleep than she had been before, it was true, but at least the amusing diversion had served its purpose in distracting her for a while.

=/\=

Lieutenant JG Hober Mallow
Engineering Officer
USS Enterprise

Ensign Ayissa Kharg
Science Officer
USS Enterprise