A stickler for protocol...

Posted on Fri Aug 19, 2016 @ 9:59pm by Lieutenant Lukiz Smyth & Captain Madelina Weisz

Mission: An Orion to Die For
Location: Bridge

Unlike many a Federation starship still in service, the Odyssey class vessel had a significant design change that made her the first of a new breed of starship. For generations, every vessel ever created at the famous shipyards of the fleet had seen the main bridge, the ships command center, placed upon the top of the primary hull on deck one. But no, the behemoth that was the Odyssey had come along and changed all that. With her new design, he massively improved systems and her radical internal shakeup, the command center was now found on deck 18, at the heart of the ship and well away from any possible weapons fire or collision damage that bridge modules often sustained.

It was to deck 18 that Lukiz Smyth, the Triumphant's new Chief Engineer, traveled. Occupying the turbo lift, the unjoined Trill waited patiently as he glanced over the deck listing he had downloaded to his data PADD. All he really needed to know was that Engineering was a further twenty-two decks from the bridge. The ship was MASSIVE, and it was his. Okay, so the Captain would claim the Triumphant as his ship, but everyone in Starfleet knew that the ship truly belonged to her engineer, after all, it was the engineer that kept her running, kept her alive.

Lost in the data PADD, the Lieutenant was taken by complete surprise when the turbo lift doors parted and almost spewed him onto the bridge of the Triumphant. As the bright lights hit him, the Engineer raised his head and stepped out, totally in awe of the sight before him. At last, he had arrived at the bridge.

Commander Madelina Weisz stood right in the center of the bridge staring at the massive viewscreen in front of her. She'd been aboard the Triumphant for over a year now, and it's sheer size still managed to impress her. If she thought about it, she was sure there were still places within the belly of the beast she'd not yet seen, but some day that would all change... when there was time for it.

Preparations for their departure were currently being made, and there were undoubtedly a thousand things she knew she should be doing with her time, but none of it was going anywhere. She could afford to spare some time to take a moment to herself. That was... until she heard the turbolift doors open. Her blue eyed gaze looked in the direction and fell on the man moving her way. "What can I do for you..." She looked to his collar and noticed the two solid pips. "Lieutenant?"

Smyth came to a halt near the voice that addressed him and had to stop himself from gawping at his surroundings. Eventually, with a little shake of his head, the Trill composed himself enough to answer the question of the nearby woman. Taking note of her uniform and rank, he had clearly found the target for which he had reported to the bridge. "Commander, yes, I'm the new Engineer. Lukiz Smyth, reporting aboard."

"Commander Madelina Weisz, Executive Officer. Welcome aboard, Mister Smyth," the redheaded woman said. "Have you had a chance to look around yet and meet the Captain, or am I your first stop?"

The Trill looked over the outrageously beautiful executive officer and let out a smile. "You are my first port of call, ma'am. I'm a stickler for protocol. Department heads should always report to their immediate superior before commencing duty."

"You would be right, Lieutenant. Tell me a bit about yourself," Maddy said.

"Blimey..." the Engineer said with a wry smile. "I'm probably one of the few non-joined Trill in fleet service. Nor do I have any intention ever to become joined. Too much hassle, too much change. I like rigidity, structure, familiarity. It's why I have spent at least four years on every posting I have been assigned to."

"I will admit... I have not met many Trill, joined or not, during my Starfleet career," the redhead said. "Do you have any questions?"

"Well, short of me going down there and finding a million things to do as is often the case with these newer vessels, are there any standing orders I need to know? Any engineering priorities?" Lukiz queried.

"Keep everything running smoothly," Maddy replied. "Try not to let anything fail, and make sure the transwarp and slipstream drives are also in working order. We taxed them fairly heavily the last two missions."

"I'll make it our top priority," the Trill confirmed with a nod.

"Then we should be good. Do you have any other questions?" she asked. "If not, then you're dismissed. You can take the time to get to know your way around your department and personnel."

"As you wish Commander," the Engineer smiled before departing and heading off for Engineering.