Posted by Crewman Guy Fleegman (Security Officer) in Colony: Engineering Team
[snip]

Guy stood near the door looking out. He watched the miners who hurried about outside within their own world, uninterested in the Starfleet officers that he had been charged to protect. He felt that remaining on the surface was far less dangerous an assignment than had been given to Richard Sharp, who was going with the other party, down into the underground mining tunnels, but he still needed to remain alert for dangers above ground. Personnel and equipment had gone missing, and there was no explanation, at least none without some supernatural or magical element.

What Guy observed was miners and others hurrying equipment and tools here and there as needed as well as groups of others who didn’t seem to have jobs but stood around talking in very disgruntled tones. Glances were thrown at the Starfleet officers as well, ones that were looking increasingly angry as if they couldn’t understand why they weren’t doing anything.

Guy might well be thought of as a coward by some; that Doctor Cross had accused him of the same, but he thought of himself as a realist. He was open minded about ghosts and spirits because he knew there were more things in the universe than could be explained by current science, but he also knew that most things could be explained, and that didn’t make them any more or any less deadly, it just made them unpredictable.

The Captain had given everyone in this team a job to do, and behind him, they were all making themselves busy. Guy’s job was protection, and he would do his job to the best of his abilities. He wasn’t a coward, but neither was he a hero. What was a hero anyway? Someone who cared so little about their own life, that they would sacrifice it for a cause. That wasn’t Guy. Sure, Guy was risk averse! being risk averse kept him alive, and it kept the people he was charged to protect alive too!

Lance sat crossed legged on a chair at a desk in the main building, he sat with the data the Captain had given him and a note pad, he looked over at the engineers busy doing engineering things. He wasn’t totally sure what they were doing he was deeply focused on what he had in front of him. The numbers looking for patterns and from the patterns possible reasons for what was going on. He hummed to himself tapping his foot, he was pretty glad he wasn’t required to go into the caves, he was much happier with this numbers.

He looked at his pencil scribbles so far and looked to see if he could distinguish any patterns around when people had gone missing verses energy spikes or dips.

What Lance saw with his notes was an increasing number of incidents over the last month. What had started out as a few isolated incidents had turned into an almost daily occurrence now. Missing equipment, any equipment running on signals not working, injuries to workers, reports of nightmares from the workers to the medical teams. It definitely seemed as if there was a campaign of terror going on. It finalized with the missing miners that had disappeared in the last few days with no trace of their whereabouts.

Stella meandered around a bit outside for a bit after the captain had assigned her to come inside and work with the crew in this building. She had finally calmed herself down a bit after the run in with Hunter. Now all she wanted to do was to find some way she could help somewhere. Seeing Malone , she walked over to him and asked him. ” Hello Lieutenant. Having any luck with anything?”

Guy didn’t like it. Guy didn’t like this one little bit. It was far too quiet. It was like the calm before the storm that you got in the old 21st Century 2D films sometimes shown on History Evenings in the Forecastle Lounge. If he was honest, or as he like to think, a realist, they weren’t properly equipped for this latest mission of hide and seek. And then there was the Captain, bringing down this new officer on the landing party, you know, someone who would be like a real hero when given the chance. If he had overheard correctly earlier, Ashley hadn’t even had her medical yet.

Ashley had then stood there awaiting orders from the Chief Engineer. She had also stood there with the others. “So, what are we gonna do, guys?” She asked everyone else.

“We follow our orders from the Captain to the letter,” Guy replied to Ashley. “We stay right here where we are, and no one gets killed.”

“Faire enough.” Ashley replied back to Guy. She then decided to go right ahead and sits down on the ground.

“Sorry… Ashley? Is it? …but I have a wife and three kids and I want to get back to them… I’m going to keep you all safe. That’s what M’Mera put me here to do!”

“Yes it is. And it’s understandable that you just keep the rest of us safe. Having a family.... Is something I’ve always wanted. But I’m happy for you. Guy. Isn’t it.?” She asked him.

“Yes, Guy Fleegman. I’m from North America on Earth… Dayton, Ohio, if you’ve heard of it?” Guy replied.

“No I haven’t. I’m Ashley Walker North America on earth myself San Diego California.” She said looking at the crewman formally introducing herself to him.

“Well, I’ve never been to the West Coast either,” Guy replied. “I can’t really say that I’ve been to many places on Earth.”

“Well there would always be a good chance. Hopefully we got some shore leave saved up. I would love to show you around the West Coast. I’ve personally never been to the East Coast.” Ashley said to Guy.

“We might get some leave on Earth soon,” Guy replied, “The Merrimack has had a long tour of duty… it all depends doesn’t it, on circumstances and politics, and Galactic affairs?”

“Well that is true. Yes. But we could use the time to take that leave and I would like to see if you are wanting to join leave with me.” She said being so humble.

Stella after listening and watching, now found herself wondering how the heck those Yankees had ever won the War of Northern Aggression in such a handy fashion. ” I’m sorry, she began with a broad smile., and her deep Louisiana drawl.” But aren’t we all supposed to be looking for timelines when the comms was working or not or looking at any other sorts of deviations in any other norms of a mining colony?”

“Now as for me my orders were simple as well to figure out engineering equipment to see if most of not all of it works. So I was born to multitask as well.” She looked at Stella.

“That’s your orders,” Guy replied, “To resume communications with the Merrimack. Mine were far simpler. To keep you all alive. I can multi-task. I can talk and point a phaser at the same time.”

“Now since the captain isn’t here with us at this given point in time, I would suggest that we don’t argue with what is at hand and do our jobs. If we want to have a civil conversation with each other while doing so. So be it. Have a conversation and work at the same time. It’s the term of multitasking. That is something the Crewman and I can do. Now Stella I know we both are the same rank and all. But you do outrank me on a way missions than I am. Only because this is my first away mission. But it doesn’t mean none of us can’t just sit there be friends talk and work all at the same time. Again I don’t mean to overstep you. Or you crewman. I’m stating the fact that we should just calm down and work together then against each other other and questioning our orders from the captain.” She looked at both the Lieutenant J.G. and the crewman both at the same time.

“I’m just a redshirt. I’m a lowly grunt! Maybe my voice doesn’t count for very much here? …but there’s plenty of studies about how teamwork collaboration is inspired by better communication, and I can’t see a problem with getting to know each other a little better. As I see it, we can work together as a well-oiled team, or we can bicker at each other unsupported…?”

“Pretty much what I said. But I do agree. Again I’m not here to step on anyone’s toes or anything I just want us all to multitask and not argue and bicker. We are a team like Guy said and we need to be that team to keep this team in one piece without wanting to kill each other.” She said.

Stella listened intently. She wasn’t quite sure why everyone was getting upset with her. She had just questioned them. Once again, she questioned her own self and wondered if it weren’t her not seeing something clearly. Seriously when one thought about it. Nothing worked. People were disappearing and no one seemed to have any data or idea of what was going on. She scratched her head in confusion and said to the two. ” I’m sorry this is my first away party so I guess I may be doing something wrong. You two have a wonderful time multi- taskin’ now.”

Guy guessed that Stella wouldn’t be what you called an ‘away team player’ then!

And with that Stella turned and started to walk around the building.

“Errr… Lieutenant… Heh! Miss… Missy! …Stella.... please don’t go wandering off!” Guy called. He couldn’t keep people safe it they went wandering off on their own. Just because they now called them ‘away parties’ now people thought that they could run away! He had thought that he’d made it quite clear that they should stay here in the room.

Finally, as she found a bit of shade, she decided to sit down on a piece of an old shipping crate.

She took a deep breath and muttered. ” I reckon I’ll sit down here and multi-task by myself. Then though something occurred to her. She stood up, brushed the dust from her and smoothed her long dark hair back. She tugged this way and that way on her uniform and then started to walk in her most alluring of manners toward the opening of the shed where the men were working. ” Mama always did say when you got nothing work with what you have!”

“Xxxx!” said Guy out loud. “Xxxx! Xxxx! and Xxxx!” Guy said again. He did have a choice. He could run out after her and bring her back in, or he could stay here and keep the rest of the team safe. ..But he couldn’t do both. He could see his own career now, pictured in his mind, slowly floating away downstream, like a log on the Great Miami River when he was a young boy back in Dayton.

M’Mera is gonna have my xxxxx for this! he thought.

So, that’s what Stella did. There were lots of men in here. It seemed too easy. She sashayed into the middle of the building, her back arched, her shoulders back and exquisite posture. Looking around at all the men she smiled to the point where it nearly hurt her lips as she called out over the noise. ” Excuse me! ” She waved” Excuse me! I was wondering if you fellows keep maintenance logs and where they might be found. And if l might have a look at them?” She wasn’t sure if anyone had done this yet but at least she wouldn’t be outside by herself. Some of the miners looked kind of cute anyway.

A red headed miner with a matching flame red beard looked her up and down then smiled slowly, “Well now, they do make some nice looking Starfleet officers, now don’t they? And who may you be, miss? Would you even know how to read them there logs?” He winked at her in a winning way.

Seeing the man Stella turned on the charm. One knee appeared to weaken as it went behind the other and she smiled a smile that made her look as sweet as sugar cane just pulled and peeled from the field. ” I thank you sir.” She replied. I always do try to look my best wherever I am. There’s no reason for a girl to let herself go you know.” She then extended her hand to the big redhead man and introduced herself. ” I’m Stella Gagnon Lieutenant Junior Grade Comms officer, late of Slidell Louisiana, Tammany Parrish. ”

She stopped then and thought for a moment about the engineering repair logs. For her purposes the things would be pretty easy. All she wanted to do was to note the downtime and see if there were regular intervals of some sort between the times and then go from there in her little investigation. Still though it would be better to involve the miners in what she was doing. She wouldn’t be so much like someone getting in the way or trying to tell someone what to do. ” Well sugar,” she replied, drawing out the word. ” I might be able to understand some of it but I don’t think it would hurt too much if I had a good looking professional like you around. ” What did you say your name was again”?

The miner looked askance at her hand for a moment before rubbing his right hand on his pant leg before shaking hers.
“John Stewart, Lead on second shift. Well, when there is one. What do I call you? Lieutenant Commander Gagnon?”

” Baaaah!” Stella said waving her hand at the man. “Please John just you call me Stella. I really don’t care for all that formality stuff. And it’s nothing as grand as commander anyway. She looped her arm around the miner’s arm and stepped closer to him then as she asked. ” So, John where might we find these maintenance logs? “

John looked askance at Stella for a moment, a bit non plussed. Then he cleared his throat and pointed toward the 2nd building where Lance was working. “They are in there.” He said briefly.

” Oh, I see him over there! Stella burst out as she recognized Lance. ” O hope I can help them somehow. Sitting around is something I just don’t care for!” She then reached up and gave John a little peck on the cheek and said to him. ” Thank you, John, you’re such a dear. You watch out and keep yourself safe now sugar!”

Stella stated to walk over toward the building closing the distance quickly with her long strides. All the way she could hear the crunch of stone beneath her. She wouldn’t be able to sneak up on a deaf man in these boots. At least they weren’t as uncomfortable as they looked. By the time she reached the other building she was glad to walk into the shade. ” Lance? Lieutenant Malone?”

Stella Gagnon Lt. jg. Comms

Guy breathed a sigh of relief as he saw Stella walking back again unharmed. It looked like M’Mera wouldn’t be giving him the works just yet. He was tempted to say something more to Stella, but there was little point, these officers just did whatever they wanted to do. They expected Guy to give his life to protect their own, but they had no consideration about putting his in danger. He just hoped that the information she had been given by the miner with the read beard was worth the risk. She’d given him a kiss, so Guy thought that he must have told her something useful.

• Guy, Sec

Ashley stopped for a little bit and walked over to Guy. Putting a hand on his shoulder. “Hey Guy. Is there something wrong?” She asked him. However, she was too busy working she didn’t know what Guy was thinking.

Lieutenant J.G. Ashley Walker
Engineering Physicist
U.S.S. Merrimack