Posted by Cadet Catt Beñnet (Scientist) in A visit to engineering.

Posted by Lieutenant Meredith Monroe (Chief Engineer) in A visit to engineering.

Posted by Cadet Catt Beñnet (Scientist) in A visit to engineering.
Posted by… suppressed (6) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Catt made her way down the corridor to Main Engineering a satchel under her arm. She nodded and greeted everyone she passed as she went. She had not been down here since her tour of the ship and had never crossed paths with the chief Engineer her entire tour. So on entering she gawpped like a tourist which drew attention to her. Not that she could go unnoticed being the only Caitan on the ship.
“Can I help you with something… err Miss.” A Enginner asked her walking over wiping his hands on a rag.
Catt was like most Caitans a bit vain about her appearance so she kept out of arms reach to avoid any possible lubricant he might accidentally get on her.
“Hi. I have something for the Chief Engineer. Is she available. I’m Cadet Bennet from Sciences.” Catt berated herself her uniform dress was sciences blue. He of course already knew where she worked. The Engineer said, “I’ll go see.” Turned and walked off. Catt lost sight of him while dodging several of the crew going about their jobs.
So she got as out of the way as possible and waited.

Cadet Catt Bennet. Sciences.

A pair of booted feet slid out of the floor level access panel next to Bennet, closely followed by a long pair of legs in a rather stained set of standard uniform trousers, one knee worn through so that the material was almost transparent. A hand appeared next, liberally covered in a greasy substance, the nails caked. It waved in the general direction of an open toolkit.

“Hey you there, will ye no hand me that tub o’ thorium grease there?”

The hand pointed a finger and seemed to indicate a largish filthy tub full of a viscous gel like substance.

Lt Monroe - Chief Engineer

Catt blinked looked about to see if the talking boots could be talking to anyone else and sighed heavily when there wasn’t . She put her package down closed her eyes and dug deep into her resolve then moved over to the tub. The general noise of engineering forced her ro speak louder than was her habit. She checked the tub for biohazard , acid or other warning lables. Sighed as she said, “it’s not going to fit with you plugging the access . You coming out or going in mrrr? Sir?” her voice lyrical with a hint of self depreciating humor as she moved the tub besides the engineers feet. For all her 4’ wiry frame she was deceptively strong and moved the tub next to the feet with a bit of effort seeing as it weighed half as much as she did. while she waited for a reply. She took stock of the damages to fur and her blue uniform and laughed. “Karma. The price of vanity is always getting the dirty jobs. Mrrr? Eh Sir.” Like most Caitan’s she didn’t wear the boots and in the dress style uniform her furry white now grease smudged legs would now be visible to the engineer under the panel. As well as the tail and the twitching tuft.

Cadet Catt Bennet. Sciences

The legs slid slightly further out of the hatch, revealing the bottom half of an equally stained undershirt. The hand tapped the decking just to one side of the panel.

“Ach, will ye just put it over here where I can get at it now? My other hand is sortae busy right now, I’ve just got to finish greasing this coupling and I’ll be right oot.”

Lt Monroe - Chief Engineer

Catt moved the tub over to where the hand indicated and reaching in took a big greasy handful and transfered it to the engineers hand by way of a messy sort of handshake.

“Thank ye kindly, I’ll be oot in a jiffy.”

The hand withdrew into the crawl space, followed by the legs and feet. After a few muffled bangs and thumps and some inaudible curse words the boots appeared again, followed by the rest of the engineer, revealing a tall, red headed woman dressed in a pretty much ruined set of uniform trousers and black vest top which showed her broad shoulders and muscular upper arms.

“Anything else sir?” She said unable to keep her amusement out of her voice.

Cadet Catt Benner. Sciences

She cleaned her hands roughly with a piece of ragged cloth and extended one in a handshake to the Cadet.

“Chief Engineer Monroe, can I help ye Miss.....?”

Lt Monroe - Chief Engineer

Catt watched as the lady engineer cleaned off her hands then offered to shake. She held up her own greasy handpaw to indicade I would but, to the woman.
Catt’s tail was signalling high amusement to anyone familiar to Caitans. “Few things actually sir”, she said flicking a ear. “Do you prefer Sir, Maam, or Chief?”
She asked politely. “I am Catt Bennet from Sciences. I ran a hydroponics experiment in cargo bay 3. I wanted to thank Engineering for their role setting up the equipment and inform you that the experiment is complete . The equipment can be uninstalled and recycled to replicated matter. I would of done so but at 6 tons of machinery and semi liquid soil sludge it’s a bigger matter than I could handle alone.”, Catt said taking the rag and trying to clean off her own handpaws. The grease seemed to have a particular affextion for her fer and it was evident that a rag just wasn’t going to cut it.

Catt sighed and tossed the rag where it had previously rested. “I come bearing gifts not just 6 tons of messy work and the engineering puzzle of how do you reclaim machinery and sludge that fills a cargo bay without staining the carpet.”, and she picked up her parcel and offered it to the CE. “Fresh vegetables. They went right into stasis as is after harvest. I also have half a ton of mixed grains from Earth, Vulcan, Cait and Tellor. The previous CE asked for, for a liquide lubricants fermentation experimental process” and Catt might of winked as she said that. But her ear seemed to have developped a stutter as it fluttered.

Catt Bennet . Sciences.

“Thank ye for the veggies, I’m sure we can put those to good use. As fer the grains, I have no idea what project they might be required for, NE Glen here will take them off your hands though, dinnae worry.” Said Meredith, with a poker face a champion card player would be proud of.

NE Glen was clearly not much of a poker player however, a large grin breaking out on his face as he hurried out to arrange transport of the grains.

“As fer the mess, I can spare ye a couple of cadets to help but ye’ll need to tidy up your own room cadet, I’m sure ye can manage.”

Lt Monroe - Chief Engineer

Catt gave Ne Glen a pat on the rump as a good job boy pat leaving a greasy handprint, she started, “Oh sorry. Thats not appropriate in human culture is it. “, as she pointedly ignored the greasy handprint. “My species is more tactile than yours. Forgive me.”, she said canting her head slightly and using her best I’m innocent officer eyes.
Forgiven or not she turned and nodded to the CE. “Well sir I would just tear out and replace the carpet. Which would fall to maintanance which is of course Engineering. But the point is rather moot as cargo bays are not carpeted. But my Mother always said the sign of a good worker is that after they do a job theres no trace they were ever there. But as a Species we Caitans do tend to be a bit fussy about dirt.”, she said while making hand gestures worthy of a romance language and accidentally tagging a few passing crew with her greasy handpaw. Her eyes unable to hide her amused mischief.

Cadet Catt Bennet. Sciences. Putting her Geology spec in soils to good use.

“Are ye attempting to lecture me on the role and responsibilities of my department Cadet?”

Lieutenant Monroe drew herself up to her full height, appearing suddenly far larger and more intimidating. Her usually merry blue eyes now appeared almost the grey shade of a gathering thunderstorm on the horizon.

“First, I suggest that ye apologise for your antics to Mister Glen, who may I remind you is both a vital member of this crew AND your superior Officer. Second, I suggest ye personally go and clean up the mess ye have made in my cargo bay while I write a report to the Captain on your attitude and behaviour here today.”

The cold frosty voice was matched only by the icy blue stare that was turned upon the cadet.

“I will let the matter rest in the hands of the Captain if ye leave my engine room right now, otherwise I will personally oversee the cleaning of the cargo bay, directly after I personally oversee your demotion to the rank of ‘mop’. Do ye understand me Cadet?”

Lt Monroe - Chief Engineer