Warp Core Appreciation Society

Posted on 18 Oct 2023 @ 2:52pm by Ensign S'Ers-a M'Lyr'Zor & Petty Officer 3rd Class Helliun 'Hel' Inant
Edited on on 06 Nov 2023 @ 1:44pm

1,446 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Episode 18 - Cold Station 31
Location: USS Galileo-A - Deck 7, Main Engineering
Timeline: MD19 - 0700

[ON]

In front of the Warp Core, Hel took a moment to just listen to it. At power, the music was beautiful. A steady heartbeat, a breath in her lungs. She hummed, her pitch matching the sound of the core, her hand going to tap the beat out. She stopped, turning her head a little as the Vulcan approached. "Isn't she beautiful?" she asked, turning to face her properly. In the overall uniform, it was clear Hel had spent some time in Jeffries tubes today. Her hair was tied up an away from her face, exposing the scar on her face. She smiled, a sharp and warm look, in her own eyes non-threatening.

"A well-maintained warp core is an agreeable sight, Petty Officer Inant." Sera responded in agreement. Most Vulcans would have considered Hel's comment irrational as warp cores were not living and therefore not warranting a gender specific pronounce. Those Vulcans were not engineers.

Sera was not sure why exactly, but she added, "It is quite similar to a le-matya purr."

Hel looked at her with surprise, but made the same pitch as the warp core as a purr, raising an eyebrow at the Lieutenant before she stopped and nodded. "My people believe there is spirit in everything. Even those things brought to life by people," she commented, watching the warp core. "The spirit might be dormant, but still there, because all matter comes from the stars."

Sera tilted her head slightly in consideration.

"An interesting spiritual viewpoint, Petty Officer. A le-matya spirit within the warp core would be a cunningly fierce thing."

"This is a cunning and fierce ship, so would work," Hel said with a nod, watching the other woman for a moment. "I've known a few Vulcans in my career. I know we...well, I can be a bit challenging. I often speak illogically and have a tendency to sing. A lot. So...I guess I am either apologising or warning you in advance?" she gave a shrug, but the smile she had was warm. She wouldn't compromise who she was and she sure as the stars were bright wouldn't ask another to compromise who they were.

"Neither are necessary." Non-Vulcan patterns of speech and behaviors were oftentimes completely alien to her. No apologies or warnings were required. She wasn't so sure about the singing part, but would refrain from judging until she experienced it. Sera found singing to be a pleasant sound...for the most part.

"Are your species more finely attuned to harmonics or is that simply a skill unique to your person?"

"We're a musical species," Hel said as she met her eyes again, with a smile. "Our histories are oral, with song. It paints the better pictures. Of course, we are...advanced enough to record things proper, but we never lost that tradition. Some have better ears than others, I'm...average."

"It is a good quality to have in an engineer, Petty Officer. Many issues are identified by subtle shifts in sound." Sera offered up. It was not a platitude.

Hel nodded, regarding the other woman for a long moment. "Although this ship, most sounds are crash, bang..." she shook her head with a small smile. "But it happens. The last ship I was on got destroyed and now I am here. Hoping that doesn't happen again."

"That would be an unsatisfactory outcome."

"Your practical experience then outstrips my own. The Prometheus class ship I served on did not meet such a fate. It was a rather prosaic duty assignment. An experimental warp core configuration. It was...fast." Sera paused; there was much she could not say about the engines. "However, I do not believe you would have found the sound of the warp core to be amenable to your senses. It took...weeks to control my fight-or-flight response going near the warp core. The sound...discordant."

"That..." Hel's eyes widened and the pupils contracted in shock. "No. No, I would not have been able to stand that. It would have driven me up the walls. Or out the airlock. How did you cope?"

"High quality ear plugs." Sera said blandly, as she cast a glance over to Hel's direction. They had helped enough so that could continue to function until her system acclimated to the most unpleasant sound.

"This is far...superior."

"I am glad," Hel said, with some pride in it. She had worked hard with Engineering on the warp core since she had come onboard. It mattered. "This is a good ship, although small. We might seem a bit informal and..." she searched for a word, her eyes on Sera's face. "Unconventional. But you want us when there is a problem. Donald's the one you want outside repairing the hull. He has very good motorskills, his hands can capture the finest details. And for Chief Naime, there isn't anything about antimatter that she does not know, in theory and practice. She is also...a people's person. She can get the best out of people because they want to do what she says. And John, for the mouth of him and that old Wild West attitude towards everything...he knows a ship. He has built and repaired enough of them. Knows it all like the back of his hand that man does. I can't speak for the Chief Engineer, he is..." she paused, realising she was talking. A lot. "New. But seems steady. Has an appreciation for warp cores as well, and every system the ship uses. He proved skilled in repairs."

"Your insight on the others serving in this department is...acknowledged. It would appear that Engineering contains staff whom excel in diverse areas."

"I..." How does a Vulcan explain why they chose their specialty without saying 'It was logical.' "It would be logical to reciprocate. I dual trained in propulsion systems and materials/component engineering. I considered this path to be the most beneficial, especially if stationed--as I have been--to a ship that does not have the luxury of a nearby star base or space dock to obtain in-depth or specialty repairs. I accept that we must make do with ourselves and what is available. That is the challenge and a puzzle to solve. I happen to find puzzles quite...invigorating."

"This far out, we will have to solve puzzles quickly. And think a little outside the box with repairs," Hel said with approval at the Vulcan's interests. She liked what she was hearing. It sounded like this new Officer was going to be a real asset to the department and that was something Hel, a lowly Petty Officer, liked. Usefulness. "I'm...hardy," she finally said. "You can send me most places and it won't kill me. Not easily anyway."

"Understood. You will forgive my ignorance. I know nothing of your species, but I too am...hardy. No doubt we both may find ourselves in...tight places."

Hel chuckled softly in her throat. "I will watch your back, Ensign," she said, her voice silky. "Make sure no harm comes to you. You're one of us and we are a tribe. A small one, but powerful, for without us...everybody dies."

"That is an unorthodox arrangement, Petty Officer Inant, but not undesired. I pledge the same, as it is my duty."

Sera looked like she was thinking very hard for a moment; and she was. Leaning slightly closer, Sera said in a soft voice, "I do not disagree in your assessment. It is our ship; the captain just gets tells us all where she should go." Captains could think what they wanted, but every engineer knew the truth regarding whose ship it was.

Hel smiled as she held her eyes, just searching them for a moment. Seeing her spirit though them, the starlight deep inside of her. "We are the breath in her lungs, the beating of her heart," she said, her voice soft with it. "Should write a song about it, one day."

"I would caution you on waiting too long. All one has is the present. The future is promised to no one."

"Trust me," Hel said, with a smile that seemed almost playful. "I only truly embrace the present. This moment, and this breath. We will get on well, Lieutenant."

"This too is my preference. Positive interactions will increase the overall efficiency of the department." Sera was quite satisfied to hear the Petty Officer's 'verdict.' It was not easy to be the 'newbie.'

[OFF]


--

Ensign S'Ers-a M'Lyr'Zor
Deputy Engineering Officer
USS Galileo-A

&

PO3 Helliun 'Hel' Inant
Engineering Officer
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Rice]

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