So this is the engine

Posted on Fri May 9th, 2025 @ 6:52am by Commander Thomas Carey & Lieutenant Commander Mattys Plaatjes
Edited on on Wed Jun 4th, 2025 @ 5:10am

963 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Drydock
Location: Engineering

Thomas walked towards Engineering, onboard the Columbia, he wasn't needed there much considering, the Armoury was his home. However considering his dual role, this would be a place he would have to get to know. Walking into the engineering room, it was a lot bigger than he expected and looked around, trying to find the Lt Commander in charge.

'Commander, you lost?' a curly haired Petty Officer called down from the warp engine gantry, stripped to his undershirt and covered in a sheen of sweat, it was clear he had been working in a hot, cramped space for a while.

"Nope, just making my rounds. Commander Thomas Carey, the new XO of the Meridian. Being in the armoury department, doesn't really give me reason to visit the engine room. Seeing as now I am second in command of the ship, I figured I would change that."

'You after the Chief then, Sir?' he asked in a broad Black Country accent.

"Yes I am."

'Oi Chief!' he called down towards the rear of the bay, 'get yourself up here, First Officer wants to give you a look!' The Petty Officer turned back to Carey and grinned, 'he'll only be a minute, sir. Now if you'll kindly dismiss me, I have some plasma junctions to see to if we want a hope of leaving drydock.'

"Please do what you need to do."

Ducking under a support pylon, Plaatjes made his way to the Bay entrance. Giving an easy smile, he threw a salute in the Commander's direction. 'Commander Carey, I presume?' he asked jovially, his accent as thick as the slick of grease on his Engineering overalls. 'I'd shake your hand, Sir, but I'm afraid I'm covered in oils.'

"If I was afraid of dirt Commander, I would have stayed home." He extended his hand.

His smile turning to a grin, Plaatjes took the extended hand, and pumped it firmly. 'Always a pleasure to meet a good sport, eh?' Motioning about Engineering, he asked affably, 'much bigger than on the original NX class, and the Daedalus too. What can I do for you Commander?'

"Update on your department, so I know everything is in order before we depart."

'We've begun warming up the Warp engine,' Plaatjes replied, jerking a thumb in the direction of the brass-coloured container of the ship's faster-than-light drive. 'Should take a few days to bring it up to the right tolerances without cracking the dilithium chamber.' He shrugged, 'other than that, I have the full complement of grease monkeys I requested, and we're going top to tail looking for any potential issues. We're hoping to have had them found out in the next twenty-four hours, and solved in the twenty-four after that. That should give plenty of time for lag before we launch.'

"Very well... I'll update the Captain. So how long have you been tinkering around these ships?"

'Nx-refits Sir?' He looked around the engine room with pride. 'Well this is my first one, to be honest. The other ships I've served on aren't a patch on it. Properly state of the art.' Plaatjes shrugged, and smiled. 'We all started somewhere though, eh, before getting here. I've done my time on the Ganges-class, and I was engineer on a Daedalus-class ship last. Tough ships, but much more primitive, even with the refits.'

"Sometimes the oldies are the goodies, my family was never the starfleet fans, but sea ships... my father was... said he used to love sailing the older ones around over the newer types."

'It's a bit of a sport these days, isn't it?' Plaatjes asked rhetorically, referring to sailing the older ships. 'We used to see a lot of them racing off the coast of the Cape Bay, you know? Looked like a lot of fund, but I could never get a hang of the ropes and the sails, eh.' He looked back towards the warp engine, 'my brain is geared toward this kind of ship. Never met an engine that didn't fascinate me. What about you, though, eh, Commander? How'd you end up aboard?'

"I walked through the airlock when we were docked at starbase. Kinda boring I know." He grinned. "Weapons are what fascinated me. Romulan war, gave me the opportunity to use them."

'Oh you came up through Armoury?' Plaatjes replied. 'Tough gig. I took a few classes at the Academy, you know, to broaden my appeal to Captains and the like.' He whistled, 'not for me, not really.' Tapping on the hull of Engineering, he smiled, 'I'm more interested in keep our ships together than smashing others' apart.'

"Not all captains are about the weapons... some like a good officer dealing with the heart of the ship."

'That's true, thankfully,' Plaatjes replied with a grin. 'People do appreciate a guy who can keep the ship from flying apart - even if it does make us unpopular at times.' He folded his arms across his sizeable chest, resisting a wince at the flash of pain in his lower back. 'Hopefully together we can make sure the Meridian survives to a ripe old age, eh?'

"It should with you behind the engine."

'You're too kind, Commander,' Plaatjes replied effusively. 'It's all teamwork in Starfleet. We're only as good as our departments.'

"True enough." He smiled as he looked at the computer. "Well, I am running late to my next go to spot. Ill catch up with you at our briefing."

'Aye aye Commander, see you there,' Plaatjes replied cheerfully.

::OFF::

Commander Thomas Carey
Executive/Chief Armory Officer
USS Meridian

Lieutenant Commander Mattys Plaatjes
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Meridian

 

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