Inspection (Part 3 of 6)

Posted on 29 Jul 2022 @ 3:56pm by Commander Morgan Tarin & Commander Scarlet Blake & Lieutenant Aria Rice & Petty Officer 3rd Class Jeysa Zeror
Edited on on 29 Jul 2022 @ 3:58pm

1,748 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Episode 18 - Cold Station 31
Location: USS Galileo-A - Deck 4, Torpedo Launching System
Timeline: MD 06, 1448 hrs

Previously, on Inspection (Part 2)...

Aria met Blake's eyes briefly, almost grimacing, but keeping her face still. Blake had better things to do than to help them with this, and she felt bad that she was now going to be stuck with them. She looked at Turell, giving a nod. "Perhaps you'd like to lead the way, Ensign?" she suggested. Because since she was here, it might as well be a good thing to put Turell to use.

'Damn' Amanda thought, she'd hoped to escape the situation without incident, maybe make a start on the weapons maintenance Tarin wanted but that wasn't going to be the case. "Aye Sir." She turned and headed for the exit then in the direction of the nearest turbolift.

As Tarin followed Amanda, Blake took the moment behind with Aria to clap the Chief of Security on the back lightly, a silent gesture telling her not to worry about it. There were worse tasks for the ex-marine to be given.

And Now, the Continuation...

[ON]

Deck 4, Forward Torpedo Launching System/Magazines

Blake moved into the stark home of the torpedo launching system, glancing around as she tried to second guess Tarin's reaction on this one. By all accounts, it was a far more utilitarian area of the ship compared to others that were made more appealing. They didn't have the same kind of weaponry as some of the other ship classes, but, as a scientific ship, the idea was that they should only need them as a last resort in the line of defence.

The high-ceiling chamber containing the starboard launcher and its magazine looked impressively large for such a compact starship. To Tarin, it appeared roughly the same square footage as sickbay or the mess hall. Then again, it was hard to compromise the space necessary to house the launch and safety systems along with numerous probe and torpedo casings. At the fore of the room was the launch tube - currently closed by a gray hatch - and an accompanying electromagnetic conveyor ramp leading to the rear storage compartment. There, three racks of torpedo casings were stacked and separated by type. One contained roughly fifteen scientific probes of various classification and utility; another smaller one held eight photon torpedoes; and the final rack carried four quantum torpedoes.

Morgan surveyed the entirety of the system while she slowly walked around the room, hands clasped behind her back. "All ordinance seems to be here," she confirmed. At least Galileo had left Regula I with a full compliment. "Have you checked all these warheads?"

"Did it yesterday, Captain," Rice said, watching her for a long moment. She had also submitted a report on it, but she knew paperwork was more for filing than for reading by the general population of Starfleet. "All present and accounted for, fully functional."

The security chief's attentiveness was good to hear. Critical, in fact, especially where matter/anti-matter explosives were concerned. Tarin walked adjacent to one of the torpedo racks then held her arm out behind her with an open palm. "Tricorder," she instructed the Trill yeoman. Even if she possessed full confidence in Rice, she'd be remiss to not perform her own verifications.

Being the first time Jeysa had set foot in a torpedo launcher compartment she had looked around quite interested at the unusual mechanisms that made it all work, she quickly snapped back to reality as Tarin called for a tricorder again and she handed it over.

Tarin opened the handheld scanning device with a flick of her wrist then started to measure readings from the coffin-sized photon torpedo casings. Scans from the warheads' reaction chambers, fuel cells and sustainer coils all displayed within parameters. She moved the tricorder to the center-aft section of the each torpedo to scan their small ODN relay assemblies and subspace radio links. Once again, all appeared within safe operational parameters. She walked to the next rack containing the four quantum torpedoes. The tricorder audibly chirped and whirred while Morgan scanned the advanced warheads' zero-point field reaction chambers and their initiators, consisting of EM rectifiers, waveguide bundles, subspace field amplifiers and distortion emitters. She stepped back from the ordinance rack and assessed her findings.

"All ordinance appears operational. No defects or hazards detected. Number One, do you concur?" Morgan offered the tricorder to Blake to verify.

Blake scrolled down the output, nodding slowly as she did so before offering it back, stretching her back a little with the movement. "Absolutely," she nodded to Rice with acknowledgment. And relief. She didn't fancy taking these apart and cleaning them too.

"Good." Morgan folded the tricorder back into its compact form then handed it back to the yeoman. Once again she glanced at the two yellow-collared crew members. "Which science officer checked these probes?" Galileo was a scout and research vessel; its probe compliment was arguably just as important as its offensive weaponry.

"I don't know," Aria said as she looked at the Captain. The probes were the Science department's area, not hers. Or if it was, she hadn't noticed in her handover. "We should be able to request a report from Science to see who it was, or who is scheduled to do so."

The captain subtly shook her head negative. "No. I'll ask them myself when we reach the science labs for their inspection." Tarin tugged the front of her uniform vest down to smooth out the fabric before taking a final look around the room. "Well...assuming the port launcher is in the same condition, we're done here. Which means I have good and bad news for both of you." She stepped in front of the two security officers to give them a final evaluation. Hands clasped behind her back, she delivered the verdict.

"The bad news is that your department has failed inspection. The state of the small arms in the armory was unacceptable. I know this is a science vessel, but our internal defense tools always need to be in pristine condition," lectured Tarin. "The crew needs to be able to trust their lives with those weapons if needed. And to create that trust, they need to see that every phaser is in immaculate condition. Inside and out."

There was a short pause while the tall red-collared CO continued to stare at the two Security officers. "The good news is, that despite being short-staffed, your department's facilities appear...satisfactory for use. And this torpedo magazine is one of the tidiest I've seen on a starship. Let's hope we won't have to employ any of them."

Aria watched her, her features neutral. Inside, there was a little seed of feeling forming, but she pushed it aside for now. Worry about it later, focus on the task. The compliment did nothing to ease it. "May I ask what the consequences of the failed inspection will be on our record, Captain?" she asked, already suspecting she would be on the sliding motion downwards towards future demotions, and transfers. Trust had been used. Meaning, that the Captain didn't trust them.

Do I trust her? Starfleet appointed her, but do I trust her in return? The thought was unbidden, and Aria pushed it aside, next to that other little feeling planed in her. It didn't matter, not really. She had a job to do. She had already failed her first task as a Chief, it was going to be a recurring theme. She might as well get used to it, and focus instead of doing the job the best she could.

Tarin cleared her throat and glanced back to Blake before answering. "For now? Nothing. As long as you get your cleaning done before I return later this evening for armory re-inspection. Your personnel file told me this is your first career assignment as a department head." She gestured an open palm to Rice. "Consider this a learning opportunity. And make sure it doesn't happen again."

"Yes Captain. And what times will the inspection take place?" Aria asked, meting her eyes and holding them. She was making calculations, about how long on average it took to clean a weapon, with four people doing the task...no, three, Blake was the First Officer and might be too busy to assist. There was a possibility they were going to be set up to fail, but there was no point arguing it, or even considering it. A time would be a deadline. Give half an hour buffer, in case the Captain showed up earlier. Tarin had mentioned the end of the shift, but for Aria the shifts had started to bleed through a bit, with the training in the morning, and if she now had to pull Stark in as well it would mess up his shift. A firm time would be better.

"Let's make it zero-hundred hours." Morgan recalled her previous deadline but realized it was fast approaching the end of alpha shift. Perhaps a little more time might be needed despite the Nova-class' small inventory of phasers.

"Understood, Captain," Aria gave a small nod to the Captain. It was doable with three people with that time. If they finished earlier, then brilliant. She could send Turell and Stark to their beds if they made good progress.

"Good. Carry on then, lieutenant; ensign," instructed Tarin who started to turn toward the torpedo room's exit. She regarded Blake once more and quickly offered the former Marine a chance to add to the Security department's inspection evaluation before they departed. "Unless there's anything else, XO?"

Blake shook her head quickly, not wanting to keep Rice and Turell from being able to make a start on the task ahead. "No, I think you've covered everything," she nodded to Tarin to indicate she was ready to move on to the next department.

With the first officer's approval, Morgan quickly strided to the exit while making sure their yeoman was in tow. The door hissed open back out into the corridor then swished shut behind the small cadre. "Take us back up to sickbay," she said to Blake.

To Be Continued...

[OFF]

--

CMDR Morgan Tarin
Acting Commanding Officer
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Saalm]

CMDR Scarlet Blake
First Officer
USS Galileo-A

PO3 Jeysa Zeror
Yeoman
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Mimi]

LT Aria Rice
Chief of Security
USS Galileo-A

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