Lowered Expectations

Posted on 11 Sep 2015 @ 10:40pm by Chief Warrant Officer 2 S'rivas

2,422 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: Episode 09 - Empires
Location: USS Galileo, Bridge
Timeline: MD05, 2200 Hours

[ON]

S'rivas waited patiently near one of the turbolifts on the bridge, hands clasped behind his back, his posture relaxed and positioned logically for the most efficient body heat retention in the ship's cold air. If he were capable of feeling such things S'rivas might be annoyed by how humans kept the temperature so low. As it was, he couldn't change things so he would endure. At least his own quarters, ones he didn't have to share with anyone, had the proper amount of heat.

Today, he had decided, would go much better than the last time Cadet Wintrow Paragon had endured his training efforts. Obviously the young man was far behind where he should be given his Second Year status, so that meant S'rivas would need to lower his expectations. It was simple enough, though he wondered how Paragon had managed to graduate his first year.

Well on time, Wintrow arrived on the bridge. He was in proper uniform, and even his unruly hair was somehow combed back into decent standards. "Chief Warrant," he greeted, again in proper fashion. It was obvious that somehow, today Wintrow was in a different mindset than he'd been before. He seemed calmer, and more composed so far, though the reasons were unknown. "What are we doing today?"

Already S'rivas turned a disapproving gaze upon the young man, "'Warrant Officer' will suffice, Cadet Paragon. And we shall be reviewing less intense operations than in your previous session. You have shown that your grasp of certain concepts, such as basic ship system understanding and how to use the computer, does not meet standards that a First Year cadet should know before moving on to his Second. I will endeavour to remedy your lack of skill however." The Vulcan said it in a neutral tone of voice of course, but it was still might be considered a mean observation. Brutal honesty was brutal.

Wintrow sighed to himself; was he ever going to get addressing NCO's right? No matter how hard he tried, he always seemed to get it wrong! "Yes Warrant Officer," he replied timidly, a little irritated and concerned by the fact that emotions wise, he got absolutely nothing from his instructor. It was as if he was somehow deprived of part of his senses. "Where will we start?"

"When you begin your training today, Cadet, you will be instructed on the basics of how to operate the computer. Though you may not be trained in certain areas - particle physics, for example - any crewman is expected to know how to use the various different stations. Things such as pulling up a report, initiating a diagnostic, accessing the library system to have the computer give you information and clarification. The officers on duty have been instructed to allow you to use their stations without giving you any assistance during this session."

S'rivas eyed Wintrow for a long, long moment. His face was inscrutable as usual, and his emotions were too suppressed to be noticeable. But there was a look in his eyes. A look that seemed to say that he didn't expect much from the cadet, that Wintrow didn't deserve to wear that second year pip on his collar, that maybe S'rivas didn't even think Wintrow should be in Starfleet in the first place. At least, that's what it seemed like.

"Let's begin," S'rivas entered in the commands on a PADD to begin his lecture and practical for the night.

Following the Vulcan inside, Wintrow looked around. He barely spent any time on the bridge since he'd managed to crash the Galileo into another ship and scrape the paint. "Which console do you want me to start with?" he asked quietly, refraining from walking over to the first console available. For all he knew, the Vulcan had something else in mind.

"You are training to become a pilot, Cadet," S'rivas said dryly. "Where do you believe you should start to show you have a grasp of ship operations? Once you have figured that out, I want you to initiate the fastest diagnostic of your station. Then tell me what the difference between levels one through five means." The Vulcan slid a hand into a pocket, pulled out a lollipop, and unwrapped it. The white stick was soon poking out from the corner of his mouth as he stood there, posture straight, head high, and hands clasped behind his back.

Wintrow couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of a Vulcan sucking on a lollipop as he quickly crossed the distance to the helm station. He activated the console and started a quick diagnostic, while explaining the difference between the diagnostic levels. All the while, he kept his eyes on his controls, showing that at this station at least, he knew quite well what he was doing. Well, mostly as he wasn't used to flying starships. "There seems to be a technical malfunction in this console," he reported, already in the process of sliding under the console to rip the panel off.

"Indeed," S'rivas said, waiting, sounding a little muffled with the candy in his mouth. The problem wouldn't be too hard to fix, should he have some training already in this area. Just a few processors that had their signals crossed. "Once you have completed the repairs of your station, Cadet, you will then log into the tactical system. There you will need to demonstrate how to pull up the last tactical review reports and the duty roster."

As Wintrow worked, S'rivas asked, "Why is it your studies have not progressed as they should have, Cadet? You are on board a ship but there is much that is still expected of you regardless. A tour on a ship does not mean you are able to fall behind."

"I don't know," the younger man confessed, "I have been studying hard on everything I've been given. I never physically attended the academy at any given time so I've no idea what I'm required to know at this point." He gave the underside of the console a once-over and replaced a few wires in their proper location, then closed the panel up again. Rolling to his feet, he dusted himself off then crossed to the tactical station. He did know how to pull up the roster, howelse would he know where to go? But the tactical review, he had no idea where to find, and stated as such.

S'rivas turned as Wintrow walked to Tactical. When he caught the young man's eyes with his own the Vulcan would seem to pin him with a look of continued dissatisfaction. The Boatswain didn't raise his voice but his eyes were loud enough. "That is unacceptable, Cadet," S'rivas continued, his words hammering at Wintrow's confidence as he worked, attempting to distract him. "Did the thought not occur to you that you should contact the Academy to obtain the needed information? Cadets at the Academy follow a strict daily schedule and do not need to be told to be proactive. A potential future officer does not expect things to be done for them." The way S'rivas said that word, potential, was so full of doubt that Wintrow was going to make it.

"And did you think of asking the computer through the console for the report you need, Cadet? Or are you waiting for that to be done for you as well?"

"I expect nothing that I can do for myself to be done for me," the younger man replied timidly, while entering a request to the computer, "that's why I work hard to learn and maintain anything I get to fly. That's been my focus so far and I went to the science division without anyone telling me to, to learn about stellar issues that could make navigation easier or more difficult."

"A commendable effort, Cadet, but insufficient," S'rivas said. "Proceed now to the Master Systems Display. Show me the primary EPS manifolds and where they tie into the generators and core." It was a simple enough task this time, if Wintrow had studied the specs or could decipher the large blueprint of the ship on that screen. "There is more to being a Starfleet Officer than just your specialisation. You must be knowledgeable in ship procedure, emergency protocols. You may be called upon to take a station during a crisis other than the helm and will be expected to be able to use it."

S'rivas walked towards the back of the Bridge so he could watch Wintrow's task, "As for your primary function I have concerns. In your first training exercise you demonstrated a lack of ability to scan for other vessels in the vicinity. I am also aware of your 'accident' in running the Galileo into another ship. Do you expect to pilot a vessel without knowing where other objects are nearby?"

"I know how to from a shuttle or fighter," Wintrow answered as he did wat he was told to do - although with a little difficulty -, "when I was told to pilot the Galileo, it was my first time ever piloting a starship. Which I had indicated...I did the best I could under the circumstances though I'll admit I was terrified and made a judgement error. It won't happen again."

"Hmm." S'rivas finally nodded that the young man had correctly pointed out the EPS manifolds. "It is plain to me that we must return to the very basics now. The systems you use on a shuttle to perform scans while piloting are the same as those on a starship. The controls are the same. The only difference is the capabilities. Now we shall work further on your grasp of how to operate the computer, Cadet. Proceed to the unused science station." S'rivas continued to lecture as they moved across the bridge.

"The Library Computer Access and Retrieval System, or LCARS, is our standard operating system. There are specially programmed artificial intelligence routines to interpret your needs based on vocal or keypad commands. One may also reconfigure a station with minimal effort, turning this science station into an engineering one, or tactical. It is considered to be a simple and highly intuitive system, allowing dozens of species that think in as many different ways. You will not learn anything standing there stating that you don't know how to do something. If you were to actually try I promise that even you will find this easy. You may now explore the normal capabilities of this science station."

"I want to learn all I can, and not just what I am required to," Wintrow retorted as he 'surfed' through the programs. He called up the sensor grid and ran through a simulation of piloting the ship from the science station. He turned his head when a light blinked furiously, as if meant to draw his attention. "Warrant officer, could you please activate a second station, and activate sensors? I think...I think we found something. I'd like confirmation before I make a more detailed scan. I mean, we don't really have much power to spare and I don't want to waste ship's resources."

The Boatswain had finished his lollipop and carefully placed the paper stick into the wrapper, placed both of those in his pocket. S'rivas merely leaned over the cadet's shoulder rather than active another console; as Wintrow had said, resources were limited. The Vulcan reached down a hand, not touching the cadet but certainly violating his personal space, as he tapped a few icons. "Ah," S'rivas said after a moment. "What you are seeing is the result of a previous simulation that had not been cleared from this station interacting with your own. A fortuitous lesson on why it is important for you to always clear the temporary memory buffer as part of logging out."

S'rivas straightened and clasped his hands behind his back. "Are you ready for your next task, Cadet? Or did you have any questions about the LCARS? I will be assigning you additional assignments to increase and prove your proficiency with this system, but now is the time to ask for any clarification you need at present." That's right, the evil Vulcan was going to give Wintrow homework.

Evil or not, Wintrow actually looked excited at the very idea of having homework and he smiled at the Vulcan. "I am ready warrant officer," he replied, almost cheerfully, "and thank you for that advice, I will remember that."

"We shall see," S'rivas said, not impressed. Not yet at least. His next words were likely to crush that smile as well as he assigned one of the worst possible duties on board a starship. "Now you are to retrieve an engineering kit and report to the ventral exhaust manifolds. There you will learn why routine maintenance is imperative. I expect you to finish scrubbing by 0000 hours."

"What?" The smile indeed disappeared from the youth's face. "But I already know it...I maintenance my own shuttle every day...I always make sure it's operational and ready to go."

S'rivas suddenly seemed to loom over the cadet. He wasn't a typical Vulcan in a number of ways, one of those being he was more muscular than the standard; he was a big man that usually didn't seem so given his stoicism and precise movements. He could also be far more intimidating. S'rivas used that now, his physical presence nearly as overwhelming as what he did next.

The Vulcan lowered his mental shields just enough to allow a thought to come through. I would be heard loud and clear in the young man's mind, pushed past whatever telepathic blocks that were it place. S'rivas's mental voice was filled with the fact that once again Cadet Wintrow Paragon was disappointing him.

~I have given you an order, Cadet. And now you may scrub the dorsal exhaust ports as well.~

Eyes widening in fear, Wintrow literally shrank back, hands covering his ears and pressing against his temples. "Get out of my mind!" he shouted as he took another step back, tripping over the railing and crashing down into the command pit. "Get out!"

"Move, Cadet!" S'rivas said, a snap of command in his tone. The bridge officers had turned to stare as soon as Wintrow started to scream.

Wintrow scrambled back to his feet, and ran.

[OFF]

CWO2 S'rivas
Boatswain
USS Galileo
PNPC Cyrin Xanth

Cadet Wintrow Paragon
Support Craft Pilot
USS Galileo
PNPC T'vanna Murray

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