Posted by Lieutenant Sapeth (Chief Engineer) in Main Engineering - Ensign Shaw Check-In

Posted by Ensign Everett Shaw (Engineer) in Main Engineering - Ensign Shaw Check-In

Posted by Lieutenant Sapeth (Chief Engineer) in Main Engineering - Ensign Shaw Check-In
Posted by… suppressed (5) by the Post Ghost! 👻
The turbolift hum stopped as it reached its destination followed shortly by the doors opening. Ensign Everett Shaw gathered his thoughts, took a deep breath, and stepped out onto deck 17 and straight into the the heart of Main Engineering. Although the Chimera’s specifications that he had been reviewing while in transit to the ship had very clearly mentioned engineering spanning three decks, it wasn’t until he was seeing it with his own eyes that he began to appreciate its expansiveness. The low hum of the warp core vibrated through the deck plates—a constant reminder that this was a living, breathing engine of a starship, far more complex than the rigs back home on New Sydney, not to mention significantly more reliable.

Shaw paused for a moment, letting his eyes drift across the organized consoles, the neatly stacked parts lockers, and the catwalks running above and around the core. On New Sydney, his parents had spent long hours tending temperamental mining equipment, improvising with what they had, often repairing machinery that should have been replaced long ago. Everything here was different: precise, regulated, and meticulously maintained. He could already feel the rhythm of a ship that ran on both discipline and coordination rather than brute force, and it stirred a mix of awe and curiosity in him. He hoped that those years of repairing the same temperamental mining pods would serve him well here. Adapting to this new environment would hopefully be easier than he first thought, although the Academy experience could never truly prepare him for life aboard a ship like the Chimera.

He stopped a passing crewman to inquire as to the location of the Chief Engineer’s office. They gestured upwards towards the aft section of deck 18. He made his way towards the engineering section and paused as it slowly began its short ascent to deck 18 alongside the warp core. Shaw hesitated just slightly. He’d interacted with Vulcans before, but rarely; they weren’t exactly common on New Sydney. But he had certainly never worked for one. Still, he respected their precision and logic, even if it sometimes felt alien to his more improvisational approach to problems.

“Well, enough stalling, it’s time to actually introduce yourself,” Shaw thought to himself. He approached the lieutenant’s office and rang the chime. The door opened and Shaw entered after briefly straightening his uniform. The Vulcan was reading a data pad behind his desk. Shaw approached the desk and stood at attention. “Ensign Everett Shaw reporting for duty, sir,” he said, voice steady with the faint trace of frontier pragmatism. “Recently arrived from New Sydney by way of the Academy. Looking forward to learning from your team and doing my part to ensure the success of our mission.”

Ensign Everett Shaw - Engineering Officer

If a Vulcan could sigh, Sapeth would have then. And if he had more time, he would meditate on the human need to fill moments of silence with talking.

Making a quick note on the PADD in his hand, he placed it on the sparse desk in front of him. Like the rest of the office, there were no personal touches. It was a place to work, those items had been left in his quarters. The small workbench along the wall was bare at the moment, and all of the tools put away.

“Welcome to the Chimera Ensign. I am Lt Sapeth. I trust you had an uneventful trip to the ship.”

Lt Sapeth - Chief Engineer

Shaw thought about his transit to the Chimera which had indeed been rather uneventful. A short layover at Starbase 143 following his departure from Earth. For a moment, he considered regaling Sapeth with the mundane details, but quickly dismissed the idea. Given the Chief’s demeanor, that would likely be more irritating that informative. Brevity is the soul of wit, he reminded himself.

“Yes, sir—uneventful,” he replied. “Transport was smooth. No delays.” He wasn’t exactly sure if this was an invitation to continue speaking, but figured he might as well get to the point of why he was here.

“I’ve reviewed the Chimera’s systems specifications,” he added after a moment, shifting comfortably into more familiar territory. “Still getting a feel for the layout. Candidly sir, if I may, this is far more complex of a ship than I was expecting for a first posting. Don’t get me wrong, I’m excited for this opportunity, but it’s… a lot to digest. This is a far cry from the ore processors and mining rigs I’m used to back home.”

He paused, adjusting his uniform slightly, the movement showing a hint of unease.

Great work, his thoughts muttered. Now the boss thinks you’re some backwoods bumpkin. I mean, you are, but you didn’t need to confirm it right away.

His eyes flicked briefly toward the warp core through the office viewport before returning to the Chief.

“But I learn best by doing,” he said, steadying himself. “I’m ready to dive in. If there’s somewhere you need me, I’m ready to get started.”

Ensign Everett Shaw - Engineering Officer

“The Chimera is a Starfleet vessel, and her systems have been maintained and upgraded as appropriate. Why would you not expect the ship to be more advanced then an ore processor Ensign?” Sapeth said with a slight tilt to his head as he looked at Shaw.

Lt Sapeth - Chief Engineer

Shaw walked right into that one. Definitely the response he should have anticipated, but certainly not what he had intended by his prior comment.

He straightened slightly. “No, sir—that wasn’t my expectation,” he clarified, tone shifting as he pivoted to try and get out of this situation. “Only that I haven’t worked on systems at this scale before.” A brief pause. He chose his next words more carefully.

“I just meant…uh…that I’ll need a little time to get fully acclimated to the Chimera’s configuration,” he continued. “But the fundamentals are the same. I’ll get up to speed quickly.”

Great, he’s probably wondering how you managed to find your way to Main Engineering in the first place, he thought to himself.

Ensign Everett Shaw - Engineering Officer

Sapeth blinked once, twice, as he listened to the Ensign stumble through his reply.

“If you do not feel up to the task Ensign, notify me immediately and I will facilitate a transfer to an assignment that is, less taxing. If you wish to stay, I expect you to spend the time needed to familiarize yourself with the Chimera’s systems. A week should be sufficient.

Turning in his chair, Sapeth picked up a PADD off of his desk before handing it to Shaw. “Your duty schedule. I have assigned you to Beta shift, working with the damage control team under Lieutenant Junior Grade Dimitri. Be aware that I do intend to rotate your assignments while on the Chimera. The intent is to bring new perspectives to each team, as well as increase readiness for your shipboard qualifications.

“Any questions?”

Lt Sapeth - Chief Engineer

“Facilitate a transfer?” he thought to himself, absolutely not. He could only imagine what remote outpost or cargo vessel he might be sent to if he was kicked off his first post on the first day. No promising careers started on that trajectory. A week to familiarize himself with everything on this massive ship? A daunting task, but he was not keen to ask for any additional time. This was going to be a trial by fire, but Shaw couldn’t let the unease show through any more than it already had.

Shaw accepted the PADD and gave it a quick glance to review the duty assignment. There probably were questions he should have asked, but in that moment, less was probably more. And quite frankly, the answers were probably buried in the assignment on the PADD anyway.

“No sir, no questions. I look forward to rotating through the various duty assignments. I’ll go report to Lt. Dimitri now.” He turned to leave, taking a few steps toward the door before pausing. A brief hesitation—then he turned back. “I’ll be up to speed quickly, sir,” he said, more confident this time.

Ensign Everett Shaw - Engineering Officer

“It is what is expected Ensign. Your first shift starts at 1500 tomorrow. Dismissed Ensign.”

Lt Sapeth - Chief Engineer

“Aye sir.” Shaw turned and, this time, completed his exit from the office without making any additional slips of the tongue. He had some time to kill before tomorrow’s shift and thought it best to continue to familiarize himself with the layout of the ship. He hadn’t eaten since arriving so the first stop would be the Crew Lounge. Arriving to the Chimera was a lot like arriving at the Academy. He knew nobody, but hoped to change that quickly.

Ensign Everett Shaw - Engineering Officer