An Engineered Solution (Placeholder)

Posted on Wednesday 29 July 2020 @ 20:59 by Lieutenant Commander Hayley Godding

Mission: A Whale of a problem (We're going to need a bigger boat)
Location: Main Engineering/CEO's Office
Timeline: MD2 - 1900
1737 words - 3.5 OF Standard Post Measure

ON:

The buzz of her promotion three hours previously was still filling Hayley as she walked into main engineering to check in with Chief Rathburn. No one had seen the plucky chief engineer for a while following a personal tragedy at home. However, she was back aboard and if the rumour mill was to be believed, already causing mayhem.

A good Chief Security Officer always kept one ear open on the ships rumour mill as sometimes a rumour had a definitive origin point, however sometimes it was merely someone trying to big up their social status by creating a story to seem more important. Sometimes these things took on a life of their own and became malicious, which would be where the security department would step in to handle disciplinary concerns. As Chief of Security in addition to her tactical duties, she was also responsible for conduct aboard the ship, submitting reports to the First Officer on a regular basis on such matters and her recommendation on what, if anything, should be done by the command team. She would also hold daily meetings with the other department leaders to discuss personnel issues like conduct as well as other matters to allow Hayley to determine if they needed to be brought to the First Officer's attention or not.

There were two major matters that brought the blonde security chief down to the bowels of the ship's engine room; first was to catch up with a fellow department head and see if there were any issues that she felt needed to be addressed and the other was to address the security requirements of engineering. It was well known that Breana Rathburn loathed having armed security personnel in engineering, and this was an issue that Hayley wanted to clear up before any potential run-in's that they might have to deal with.

Upon entering the large room, Hayley looked for the Chief Engineer before asking a nearby technician to point her out for her.

The arrival of the security officer in Engineering hadn't gone unnoticed and Doyle couldn't help but smirk with a glance at the Chief's office as he overheard one of the technicians told Hayley where Bree was. Keeping his thoughts and comments to himself, after all, he still didn't get Bree's issue's with a couple of other departments, but the woman was a bit quirky at times. Even more so here lately it seemed.

The door to the office was closed, something that Bree would do at times as if to shut the world out and focus on things she needed to do. Sometimes though, it was to give herself a moment of peace. Whatever the reason was, she had set up a few alarms to give her the heads up on who was roaming about. The problem was, as she quickly found out, the timing was off some.

"Duck! A security officer at the door." Was heard as the door wooshed open to allow Hayley to allow entrance into the office. Crap, Breana thought as she looked slightly sheepishly to the woman stepping in, and made a mental note to adjust the timing a little more so the alert would finish before the door opened.

Of course, a few chuckles and giggles where heard coming from those that had also overheard that alert.

"I see the rumours about your sense of humour are somewhat accurate." Hayley said, as she allowed the doors to close behind her. "Pray tell, do you have one for the Captain and the XO as well? Or does this dubious honour exist solely for me and my people?" She asked, smirking.

"No, the medical department also has an alert. I haven't gotten around to setting up one for the Command team, although clearly I need to work on the timing of the alert a bit more." Bree said with a smile. "You need a drink or anything? I'm assuming your down here for a reason?"

"Quite and interestingly enough it isn't to test your alerts." Hayley said. "I'd love a Barley tea if you're having." With that, she took a seat across from Bree's desk and waited until she was ready to converse. "Believe it or not, this is the first time we're meeting since I joined the ship, so I thought it'd be prudent to come say hello as well as catch up with you on stuff since you've only got back recently yourself. My condolences on your loss."

Making her way to the replicator, Breana prepared the tea and a drink for herself. "Thank you, and yes... I seemed to have missed a few of the coming and goings on the ship with everything that's gone on. Then again I tend to keep a little to myself, so that's my own doing. Anyways..." She handed over the tea. "What's up?"

Accepting the tea in the tall glass cup, Hayley placed it in front of her and picked up the PADD she'd been carrying prior to now. "I thought I'd take the time to review any discipline or conduct issues you may have had with any of your departmental team." Before Breana could react, she held up a hand. "This is a normal daily review that is held with every department head, its not a witch-hunt. Most of the time, there's nothing to report, but if you've had issues that you feel should be looked into, that's where I come in. We note the report, we look into it, and if there's anything to go on, we punt it up to the XO. Just keeps the crap off the XO's desk."

"Understandable, although you're right I really don't have anything to report. Most issues get settles pretty easily around here." Breana said with a slight smile, after all, she knew and understood that the Security officer was just doing her job in making sure everything stayed settled on the ship. Her brother often talked about the troubles that can happen on a ship when people get to rowdy, but thankfully she hadn't seen it happen too much on this ship. At least not yet...

"Excellent." Hayley said. "So my next item is your rumoured standing instruction that security personnel are not permitted inside main engineering, that you prefer that your engineers merely have access to weapons from the lockers in the event of ship defence." She frowned. "Please tell me that's a complete fabrication and that it's not true."

Breana frowned now, both with the fact that a rumor like that was out and about and that it was done by someone tristing her words around. A little shake of her head happened and she took a second to lift her glass for a drink before responding. "I did say that I would like my officers to be trained enough to protect the department. I mean if the ship was attacked, everyone needs to be able to defend it. As for the other part though, I think that came up over the joking that had happened after the conversation, it was nothing serious and shouldn't have been taken that way."

"Well, any officer or enlisted personnel who wish to brush up on their basic weapons training is more than welcome to sign up to the classes that our weapons experts run. They're open to everyone, not just security personnel, as I agree - everyone on this ship should be able to pick up a phaser and use it effectively in the event of a boarding scenario. Since main engineering is a priority target in such events, I'd expect everyone down here to be able to use a weapon to some degree of efficiency." Hayley replied. "But during a red alert, I'd like to post either personnel from the assault teams or from the marines down here as additional support, as I say, this is a key location and somewhere where a hostile force can take control of the ship. We've seen it countless times. Whilst I'd prefer to avoid a firefight around the warp core, needs must..."

"And that's where the joking had come from, nothing like firefights around the warp core from officers that shoot first and fast and miss their targets.." But it was not anything serious, my brother is Chief of Security on another ship, so I get it and understand." While they talked she made note to check into her took things this far. "But I think I'll try and get most of my crew to sign up for that extra training. Myself included."

"Glad to hear it." Hayley said, smiling. "I assume you're aware of what's going on and where we're going?"

"I do, I've been catching up and keeping up on things since I've been back..." Rathburn replied as she leaned back in her chair a little, feeling once more relaxed now that they had gotten through the rumor part of the talk.

"Excellent, then this'll make things easier." Hayley replied. "I need to run a few security drills, nothing too envasive, but enough to give my guys a dose of reality compared to the usual stuff. Think I can lean on your 'unique ingenuity' to help set up some challenges for them to overcome that go beyond the normal?"

"I can help you with that, when are you wanting to do this?" Bree asked as she grabbed a padd to start jotting down a few notes.

"Whenever you have free time to set them up." Hayley said. "I need to get my guys ready for anything and we're only getting closer and closer to our destination."

"Alrighty, I'll make some free time in the near future to test you all out." If there was one thing Bree enjoyed it was the chance to test out other departments. Perhaps it was her way of seeing just how slick she could be in getting them riled up and perhaps outdoing them, wither way a slightly wicked glint caught her eyes as she made these plans.

"Fantastic! I look forward to it." Hayley said, as she finished her tea. "Well, I shan't keep you further. Thank you for your time, Lieutenant."

"Anytime Lieutenant, my office is usually always open," Rathburn said with that smile of her's as she rose to walk out with the other woman. A few things already on her mind to set up, along with a few things she needed to check out.