Posted by Ensign Elemirre Serinde (Engineering Officer) in Main Sim - Engineering
Senior Chief Petty Officer Bekele Seifu was the second ranking non-com in the engineering roster and worked under Lt Green on most shifts. He received the message from the Lt and stared at it for a moment. He had heard that freighters had come to the system and that was it. Of the other officers aboard there was only Ensigns Serinde and Gagarin. Serinde was in the Armory working on comms to the bridge and Gagarin would be asleep. Bringing up the general quarters callout notification system he quickly tapped out the message.

=^= General Quarters. All available Engineers to stations. This is not a drill. Ens Serinde to continue duties in Armory pending further orders. =^=

With that he tapped the send button. The Lt would get the notification as well so he didn’t need to report that he did it. He did press a comms to the Bridge engineering station. =^= Orders sir? =^=

Green replied back. =^= Freighters are acting suspicious. Skipper is challenging them. I don’t expect trouble but keep alert. Prepare power distribution to hull polarization. =^=

=^= Acknowledged. =^= The broad faced bald Ethiopian picked up his palm pad and closed the channel.

The luxury of being a SCPO was that he didn’t have the authority and authorizations to do a GQ to any other ship staff. Given that the ship was not under any alert may confuse some but that was fine. He then set up a timer and positioned himself in a visible place in Engineering. Knowing how long it took for everyone to assemble was important and the Chief and for sure the Lt would want to know. Looking at his table he saw one by one the engineers acknowledging receipt of the notification. The engineers were billeted all over the ship’s decks. Despite being up two decks WO Jackson was nearly the first to arrive, still pulling on his jacket. Beta shift of course being on station were there. Gamma took longer though most of them were on the lower decks and had been asleep. They stumbled in bleary, Ens Gagarin wide eyed.

He clicked the stopwatch and logged the time. “Take your stations!” he called. “Lt Green called GQ. I want a system status on all your stations. Prepare to run EPS management program Alpha-Nine.” That was the auto program that redistributed power to defensive systems and the engineers knew it. Some faces turned to him. To the side a squad of four seamen were suiting up and preparing repair kits and fire control gear. “Ensign Gagarin, until the Chief or Lt comes you are in charge.”

Sasha paled which was a surprise given his already light complexion but moved - if a bit mechanically - to the central area near where Bekele stood and began calling out the various stations, awaiting the reply, and Bekele logged the status. The only one that was in the end not good was the tactical but they knew that and it was being addressed by Serinde. Hopefully that could be patched up. Sasha turned to Bekele who nodded. “Status logged,” he said.

Sasha moved to the comms. =^= Gagarin to Lt Green. General Quarters complete. EPS Alpha 9 ready. Damage and Fire crews moving to station. =^= When nervous his Russian accent became more pronounced. Right now, Bekele thought, it was quite thick.

• Engineers

=^= Green to Engineering. Dispatch and position fire and damage control teams 1 and 2 to decks D and F. Assign a third damage control for E deck to use if needed there or elsewhere on desks A through C. Be alert. =^=

Sasha cast a quick glance at Bekele with eyes wide. Spinning around he saw that the two teams were nearly set. One team with three and one with two. “Chief Cleare, take your team - Dorian and Galen - with you to response position Alpha on F Deck. You will cover E through G Decks but focus on F and G Deck.” He looked at the other team. “Warrant Jackson, take Clark and Kohl with you to D Deck, Alpha position. You will focus on D and E Deck.” He waited for them to acknowledge. “Move now.”

Now what. Sasha relied on expertise and experience and much of that was gone. A flash of panic settled about him. “Senior Chief, Fawkes and Fry. You are backup damage team for this deck.” That left a shift worth of people to man station if things were not going well. Still enough especially if the Chief or Serinde was coming. Serinde was sharper than he was even if nobody else saw it. He realized he needed to reply to the Lt.

=^= Gagarin here. Teams away. We are prepared for anything here. =^= There, was that confidence? Or boasting? Or bluff? All three were tossing about in his stomach like so much salad
- Gagarin, NE Eng