Duty Log - Engineer - LtJg Mallow - "Crosseyed"

Posted on 241708.28 @ 1:58am by Lieutenant Hober Mallow

.:/ Main Engineering /:.

Hober Mallow leaned on a console which stood on the far side of the warp core, opposite the entrance to the cavernous room. He had relayed Engineering's standing orders to the acting chief. Lieutenant Baker had taken the news in one ear and regurgitated it back out into Mallow's lap. Delegation at its finest, Mallow thought, absentmindedly tapping through his data queue, reading what they had on the approaching nebula. Engineering had time to prepare and'batten down the hatches'.

The data queue did not have as much information about the properties of the nebula as he would have liked, but Hober did glean enough to have some ideas to stave off the predicted effects. From the very distant data scan, the data suggested the nebula shared a lot of properties as that of a class nine nebula. Well-known class nine nebulae had distinct sensor deceiving effects, to which there existed a few deterrents.

To eliminate most sensor ghosts, and false readings, they could tune one of the forward sensor arrays out of sync with the others, operate at a frequency tuned to the nebulas energy patterns. Combining the out-of-sync array with rest of them would allow a subroutine to deduce erroneous sensor readings much quicker. While outside the nebula it would be like giving the Enterprise a slightly lazy eye, and they would need a much closer scan to really tighten the frequency on the cross-eyed array just right. Despite all that Hober still thought it a good idea. They could prepare the changes, and bring them online when required, he would need help though.

At that moment Ellena Jammer strolled up to his console and interrupted his thought by slamming her hard cased satchel onto the console top. “What you thinkin` about so hard?”

“What?” Hober snapped, angry that he was startled so easily.

Ellenna poked him in the forehead pushing his head back playfully, “What was swirling around in your noggin before I scared you.”

Hober swatted her hand away with a smile, Ellena’s own smile infectious. She had a knack for disarming tempers.

“I’ll have you know, by interrupting me you volunteered for some work.” Hober patted the satchel she had just relinquished, “You’re going to need this still.”

.:/ Deck 21 Lateral Sensor Access Room /:.

A promise of drinks and dinner coaxed Jammer to help Mallow with his sensor adjustments. Their first stop was the few maintenance conduits on deck twenty one that offered direct access to the primary sensor arrays. The two engineers found themselves in the usual position of Hober half inside a wall, Ellena handing him tools. This time Hober was bent over a wall panel at the waist, wrestling with a bundle of ODN cables on the other side.

Jammer sat with her back against the wall Mallow was bent over. At her feet were the various tools that came in the satchel she brought from engineering. She had emptied the case by holding it upside down and letting things fall where they may. In between requests for tools she organized them by application.

“Coil spanner, “ Hober grunted.

She touched each piece mouthing their names until she found the spanner. She raised it above her head and let go once she felt his hand grasp the tool.

“Soooo, how come you sound so terran?” Ellena asked breaking the silence.

“What do you mean,” Hober responded stretching up straight from bending over, his back cracking in protest.

“You’re Wadi right? From the Beta quadrant? For an alien you speak like you were born on Earth.”

Mallow chortled at the remark, she was right. “I picked up human mannerisms from the academy, and then the few years I spent on the Luisa. Among my people I’d be considered a pariah. A lot of elders were happy to see me go when I left.”

Hober dropped the coil spanner and picked up a dualitic inverter continuing, “Wadi and humans don’t talk that much differently. Other than the culturally specific adages, it’s not a big leap for me to talk like you.”

Ellena bobbed her head in understanding, “Fair enough. I guess our cultures are pretty similar. I was reading up on your people.”

“Oh have you? And what did you learn?” Hober asked this time attacking a different circuit with the inverter above his head.

“According to the cultural records I found, you are all about games.”

“It’s true, our governmental process is based on an elders ability in our most challenging games of skill. It would seem weird when compared to the Federation’s democratic system, but it's been alright for the Wadi.”

“Interesting, so you good at any of these games of skill?”

“Hell no,” Hober snorted, “doesn’t mean I don't live for them though. Everything’s a game really.”

“So all this work we’re doing now? Do you see this as a game?”

Hober tossed her the dualitic inverter he was working with and rubbed his hands together, “Of course, and our opponent currently is the nebula.”
Ellena stood up and started picking up the assorted tools, depositing them back into her satchel, taking Mallow’s hand rubbing as sign that they were done in this section. Hober picked up the cover for the bulkhead and slammed it back into place. He and Ellena stepped into a common pace and continued onto the next conduit.

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LtJG Hober Mallow
Engineer

&

Ensign Ellena Jammer
Engineer (NPC)