Performance of starship

Posted on Fri Nov 23rd, 2018 @ 12:06pm by Chief Petty Officer Leslie Calhoun
Edited on on Fri Nov 23rd, 2018 @ 12:13pm

1,338 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Episode 5 - It Would Be Their Pleasure
Location: XO Ready Room
Timeline: MD009 0800 hrs

Quinn and Leslie had went through the formalities of reporting in. And Quinn, was eager to get the meeting started. This was a good chance for him to meet the staff aboard the USS Pioneer. First up was Senior Chief Petty Officer Leslie Calhoun, the Data Systems Analyst. "At ease Mister Calhoun, please have a seat Senior Chief Calhoun. Do you have the data, I asked you and Lieutenant Essu to work on for me?" Asked Quinn.

Billy smirked and removed his hat as he sat down and crossed his legs. The hat removal was a habit that he had left over from the old US Army days. One always removed their head cover in the presence of a superior officer. "I do sir. But I must confess it was a curious data mine. There is certain events that the three powers in the area. That is to say Romulans, Klingons, and Federation have all deemed classified and I do not have clearance for that. But we are working on it sir." Calhoun added the last line with a knowing smirk as he took his pipe off his belt and puffed on it without lighting it.

"Work with Warrant Officer Masters, about getting that decoded, I want to know what happened to the USS Pioneer, when the crew vanished. We need answers Senior Chief." Said Quinn, in a stern tone. He wanted to make sure, his point was made. He wanted to know what happened to the USS Pioneer, he knew what happened to most of the crew, but what happened to the ship?

"Well with all due respect sir the answer to that question is relatively simple. The USS Pioneer hung empty and dead in space for one year. She was trapped or stranded in a temporal vortex poor girl. In fact the first of us to come back was the ship. That is the physical and all ship's data banks reflect that what remained of the sensors that is." Billy did not bother to ask if he could speak freely, he knew the Commander wanted answers so he gave it to him. "Commander, you know that I am an El Aurian as is the Ship's Counselor?"

"I am not sure what your race or secondary titles has to do with my line of questioning. However since you brought it up. I would like to see the logs for myself, the ship recorders, the senor logs, at least what remains of them. Call it a gut feeling, but something is not adding up. I rather be cautious, and comb through all the data. I understand this your vacation time, I am more than happy to do it myself Senior Chief." Said Quinn, in reality he knew he could use the help, but he was not going to ask Leslie to forfeited his vacation to chase down his gut feeling. Quinn knew he could be wrong, and did not want to order him. Quinn knew his wife would be willing to help.

Billy thought for the moment that either the Commander did not know too much about El Aurians or he played dumb. "Commander El Aurians have innate sense for time, we are aware of changes in the timeline. The reason I bring this up is because when the Counselor and I experienced the other timeline we thought that everything seemed near perfect. More to the point most of the crew were not on the Pioneer in their experiences however, we were. As to the data I am more than happy to keep digging. It would help if you tell me what your theory is. What you think happened here?"

Quinn smiled, as he thought to himself, why am I repeating myself. "That's exactly the question I am going to find out, what exactly happened here. I am going to review it all, and coordinate with Lieutenant Essu and Lieutenant Ó Flannagáin. While we are on vacation, if you want to assist you can, but this is also your down time. I would suggest you decide, how you want to spend it? Tracking down a hunch, or relaxing in a resort? "

"Commander that is just it. Folks have hunches for a reason. What do you speculate happened? I am more than happy to help. What makes doubt that the ship was simply empty?" Billy was trying to get Quinn to tell him something anything. Although Billy had started to disbelieve the empty ship theory himself.

"I have done a lot of research into strange phenomenon's, special rifts, temporal incursions, special anomalies and never once, have I have heard of a natural causing phenomenon that sends everyone to alternate universe, and before you mention to me the temporal nexus that Enterprise-D encountered, that was not an alternate reality or universe. The nexus created a fantasy world for you. No one left the Nexus. Your mind created a fabricated reality for you to cope with the nexus. It was a glorified holodeck program, to put it simply."

Billy chuckled for a moment. "But that did not make it any less real for those in the Nexus. A holographic bullet can kill someone does that make it less real. We can sit here and discuss temporal anomalies until we both are blue in the face. Perhaps sometime soon we will, but for right now back to the subject at hand. Is it your thoughts that something or someone other than Dr Zojal and the explosion, caused us all to enter alternate realities?"

"There are races capable of doing it. Like the Q Continuum, though I doubt they are responsible. Several ships over the past three decades have reported races interfering with federation ships. Voyager, entered a special anomaly so a species could study us and download our logs, the Q Continuum, constantly testing humanity, the prophets of Bajor, to name a couple of races, off the top of my head." Quinn said to back up his speculation.

Billy nodded in agreement, the Commander could be on to something. "Well commander I would recommend that you check in with Operations and perhaps Engineering. The ship's records show that life support remained active even after all of the crew was gone. If your theory is correct the ship's bio scanners would read the life signs aboard. Even Q registers on the ship's bio scanners as a life form. I will of course check the ship's logs and internals and see what if anything I can come up with. Shall this be for your eyes only sir, or shall the report be filed through normal channels?"

"Let's not jump the shark yet, restrict this to the senior staff and their assistant chief's. We need to confirm the data, before we make solid accusations. The last thing we need, is a group wide paranoia epidemic on our hands." Said Quinn. He did not want to withhold information from anyone. However as first officer, he had a responsibility to the crew, and to the moral.

"As you wish sir. I will have a review on this information by tomorrow." Billy responded. He wanted to get out of the XO's office for no other reason than his pipe. He wanted to smoke but thought it improper in the situation as it was.

"Look forward to working with you on this task, I hate to cut the meeting short, but our time is nearly up." Said Quinn, as he stood up and reached out to shake Senior Chief Calhoun's hand.

Billy took the hand as he thought that the new XO was efficient and friendly. Two qualities that Billy liked in an XO. Now he wondered what he was like when there wasn't work to be done.

A Joint Post By

Commander Quinn Ó Flannagáin
Executive Officer, USS Pioneer

Senior Chief Petty Officer Leslie Calhoun
Data Systems Analyst, USS Pioneer

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