Star Trek: New Frontier

Chapter 3

"Welcome aboard the USS Juneau." The ship's First Officer said to the small group of five replacement officers coming off the main transporter pad. "I am Commander Ashley Underwood. I'll be handing out both deck and quarter assignments in a few seconds. Those of you who are here as the ship's Helm and Navigation Officers...? Please step off to the left of the transporter pad."

"So it's true..." the first woman said with a shake of her head—spilling out a few tresses of brown hair in the process. "The ship really is in need of an overhaul."

Ashley stared at the younger woman in question. "I can have you returned to the Princeton in short order and you can live out the next week in abject humiliation with Captain Henry Trent—after I give him a personal note from me. How does that grab you...Lieutenant Warwick?"

"Just go with the flow, Shari." Her fellow shipmate said with a shrug. "Best case scenario...? The ship blows all her impulse drive relays departing Starbase Epsilon."

Another woman stepped up from behind Ashley and said with a thin Scottish brogue: "That's not happening. I can guarantee it."

The second woman stared at the ship's new Chief Engineer for a few seconds and then broke out into a wide grin. "Jan...!" She squealed—dropping her things on the floor and running over to hug her former Academy classmate.

"How the hell have you been, girl? It's been ages since we last traded subspace messages!"

Ashley's face went from stern to confused in a split second—as the two women broke down—exchanging heated bits of conversation between them both and a few more hugs to beat the band.

"I thought you were on the Tampa Bay not too long ago? Did Captain Solak get tired of you finally?"

"Solak was a good man. But he decided I had outgrown the nest," the other woman said with a smile of her own. "Actually penned his personal recommendation for a transfer over to Starbase Epsilon where I have been ever since."

"But...why, Jan?" Her friend said in a rush. "You had such a stellar career ahead of you in Slipstream Engineering...!"

"Dina..." Janice said—using her name for the first time. "It was a bit complicated. Let's just say...I needed the break. And leave it at that."

"Was it because of Tom Parker?"

Janice Scott blushed a bit, but shook her head in response.

"Oh, him? He's ancient history now. Way ancient history. My transfer was nothing to do with my breakup with him back on Tolaris V." Then she happened to glance over at her commanding officer and she noticed that she was quickly running out of patience with them both.

"Oh! Sorry about that, Ashley. Dina and I haven't spoken in awhile, so...?"

"I can see that." The other woman said. "But if you two can save the reunion for later, I can get everyone to their stations and duty assignments as quickly as possible. Last I checked, Main Engineering is still a glorified mess."

Dina looked at her friend in surprise. "You? Leave a mess? That's not like you at all, Jan. You're usually such a clean freak."

"Tell that to the Reclamation Division of Starbase Epsilon." The other woman said with a roll of her eyes. "They are responsible for the condition the Juneau is currently in."

"And I suppose some of that famous family history of yours hasn't rubbed off on anyone as of late—to help speed things along?"

"My great uncle many times removed may be a 'miracle worker', but that doesn't mean I have to be. Things are much different now with both time and technology. Not a whole lot of chances to do the impossible—due to the redundancy factor and all that."

"So what happens if we're in a jam?"

"I'll get Seth to fix it. He's always got a good set of hands."

"Anything else?"

Janice Scott blushed for real this time. "Jesus...Dina! Stop being the matchmaker for once and focus on your job as the ship's new helmsman!" She said—before laughing nervously.

"I don't need anymore guy troubles for the foreseeable future. Once was enough for me."

"Once is never enough, Lieutenant." Ashley said with a sympathetic nod of her own. Then she beckoned Lieutenant Shari Warwick over to her.

"Lieutenant? We...seem to have a problem with getting you to your station."

"Why?"

Janice raised her hand. "The Navigation station and seating arrangement has been gutted and removed. We're going to see if if we can get a replacement installed in the next 72 hours—at best."

"At best...?" The woman breathed in quiet amazement. "Just how much of this ship is still intact and operational?"

"Better not to know, Lieutenant. Better not to know..." Ashley said with some pent up misery of her own—since it was part of her job to making sure things run smoothly while onboard ship—and report any significant problems or issues to the captain.

But nobody really expected this.

***

Sixteen hours later.

"Well...that is a problem, Seth." Janice said—her voice partially muffled—while half her body lay buried up to the waist in the connecting transfer power trunk down in the bowels of Main Engineering itself.

"If the de-coupler system is offline, that means the Multi-Vector Assault Mode capability will be a moot point to say the least."

"I have some of the civvies working on it, ma'am." He offered with an exasperated sigh of his own. "But someone with more experience should be doing the work. A lot of that hardware and tech is still very much classified for a reason."

"But didn't you tell the captain that they had sufficient clearance to work on the affected systems?"

"Well...they do. But that's why we need Starfleet. And not the Corps of Engineers here."

Janice shimmied her way out for a moment and glanced up at him.

"As long as the job is done on time and meets my expectations and is up to Starfleet specs...?"

"Won't be an issue, ma'am." Seth promised her then.

"How long as it had since we both had a break?"

"Six...hours by my reckoning. I kinda lost track while bringing the port injector assembly online. Your orders—if I am not mistaken."

"And it worked—didn't it?" She said—putting her hand out to him, so she could get some assistance getting off the deck plating. He grabbed and hauled her up almost effortlessly—drawing the two of them almost together in an intimate embrace.

A few seconds passed between them, before Janice looked down. "Well, thanks for the lift, Seth. I appreciate it."

"No problem." He said, all professional now.

"But you're standing on my toes." The other woman calmly pointed out.

"Yes, I am." He said—still looking into her eyes. "Oh. Sorry."

"No problems, Lieutenant. No problems at all." Janice said—feeling a bit lost in the moment. Then she broke the embrace and stepped away.

"You have an hour lunch. I'll join you shortly." She said—by ways of an earlier promise she made to him. No matter what she told Dina, Seth was far easier to get along with, had a really charming personality, and was fiercely dedicated to his job.

"Angel hair pasta with meatballs? Green beans on the side?" Her shipmate graciously offered. "Mess hall in fifteen minutes?"

Janice smiled broadly. "One step a time, man. I still have to get washed up and changed. Damned lubricant has coated some parts of my uniform and hair."

"Fair enough. I suppose a shower and a change of uniform is in order as well."

"Do it." Janice openly suggested. "I'll have R'lor take over while we're out."

"Yes, ma'am." Seth offered with a disarming smile of his own. Then he left the tattered confines of Main Engineering and headed to his own personal quarters on Deck Fifteen.