Originally posted on fanfiction.net - Link.
--------------------------------------
The Engineer
“How are those plasma manifolds coming along?” Rutherford asked wielding a hyperspanner.
“They’re all scrubbed, polished and installed,” Tendi chirped cheerfully working next to him. She, Boimler and Rutherford were busy repairing, rebuilding and modifying the dilapidated shuttlecraft sitting in the corner of the Repair Bay. “Just need a quick coat of lubricant before I begin testing and stabilizing the ion flow.”
“I’ve finished calibrating the navigation grid,” Boimler reported sitting in one of the worn pilot’s seats. “Though it’s pretty much unusable at this point without a working sensor matrix and more EPS modules.”
“Yo, special delivery!” Mariner called out sauntering into the Repair Bay totting a cargo container. “One sensor matrix and a batch of working EPS modules, as ordered.”
“Really? Thanks,” Boimler smiled as Mariner unpacked the equipment. “How did you ever manage to find these? The quartermaster told me there weren’t any spares available. I even checked the ship’s inventory list three times.”
“Do you really want to know?” Mariner gave him a cheeky grin. “‘Cause it involves pulling a few strings, calling in a few favors, a little blackmail…”
“Never mind,” Boimler groaned as he began installing the new, questionably-acquired modules. “I’m just going to ignore your so-called explanations and plan to plead ignorance as an unwilling accomplice if we ever wind up before a court martial.”
“Don’t worry, Boims. Nothing bad is gonna happen,” Mariner assured. “So I ‘borrowed’ a few things from the Cerritos’ emergency supplies and secondary backup systems. So what? It’s not the end of the world. The worst thing that could happen is overloading a few power couplings and destabilizing parts of the ship’s internal sensor grid, but hey, what are the chances of that?”
“Huh, that explains the recent screams from Delta shift about all their sonic showers suddenly reverting to maximum intensity,” Tendi commented. “And all the lighting panels in their bunk area burning out before exploding.”
“Man, this is great!” Rutherford grinned while working on the shuttlecraft’s exposed systems. “Piecing together old scrounged up equipment, rebuilding our own personalized vessel from scratch. Talk about real, hands-on Engineering! Though I have the strangest feeling I’ve done stuff like this before…”
“Maybe it’s a latent sensation from working on our model of the Cerritos,” Tendi suggested. “Considering all the times we’ve stopped and started over with it.”
“Na, it’s nothing like that,” Rutherford shook his head. “Though I hope this shuttlecraft turns out better than our work with the model. We still haven’t been able to lock down the magnetic constrictors without breeching the model’s warp core.”
“What?!” Boimler yelped.
“Uh, not that I expect that to happen here,” Rutherford added quickly.
“Way to build confidence, Ruthy,” Mariner drawled patting the shuttlecraft’s worn hull. “I’m sure this ol’ rust bucket will operate just like all your other infamous, independent feats of Engineering.”
“Oh great,” Boimler groaned. “We’re doomed!”
“Aw, don’t worry, Boimler. I’m sure everything will turn out just fine,” Tendi said cheerfully. “Ah, just smell that mix of well-used ODN relays and freshly replicated isolinear circuits. They remind me of why I joined Starfleet in the first place.”
“Me too!” Rutherford beamed happily. “I may sometimes feel like I have a bunch of forgotten, untapped memories clogging up my implant’s buffer cache, but there’s one thing I will never forget.” Rutherford quickly armed himself with a sonic driver and optronic coupler before proceeding to work on the shuttlecraft at lightning speed. “Hey well, alright guys! Here we go with a parallel nacelle or two! Check those Bussard collectors and warp coils and injectors and compensators and down there nodes and diodes, oooh, here’s a little code! Scan convertors, amplifiers, phase discriminators and coolant tanks…”
“Huh?” Boimler blinked watching Rutherford zip around. “Uh, Rutherford? Are you okay?”
“Oh boy, here we go,” Mariner sighed gesturing Boimler to stay back. “Look out, people. Our man Rutherford is getting in his Engineering groove.”
“He, he, he!” Rutherford cackled happily while working on the shuttlecraft’s main power grid. “Now, when I was a younger me! More than a decade back, you see! Before I knew what to do with my life!”
“O-kay,” Boimler gave Rutherford a look.
“I tinkered with Ecology! And dabbled in Psychology!” Rutherford smiled as he worked. “Along with Art and Xenolinguistics!”
“Really?” Tendi blinked. “Wow. I never knew you were ever interested in those subjects.”
“How could you not?” Mariner remarked. “Rutherford’s always going on about different alien pronunciations, even in his sleep.”
“And then one day, with clarity, I was zapped by some live circuitry!” Rutherford beamed. “And fell in love with all technology!”
“That explains a lot,” Mariner quipped. “Talk about a real ‘lightbulb-lit-by-a-lightning-strike’ moment.”
“I cried, ‘Now I know what to do! I’ll learn warp fields and Physics too!’” Rutherford continued happily. “‘Gonna make my mark and be an engineer!’"
“Speaking of which,” Boimler attempted to get Rutherford’s attention. “Maybe you should slow down a bit while working on the shuttle…”
“Calibrate the inverters now! Filter the emitters and the modulators and dampeners, polish the transtators, check the isolators, overlay the reactor display!” Rutherford rambled swiftly while working on each listed component at lightning speed. “Processors are mated now! Modulate, don’t forget to alternate, can’t have them fluctuate before we integrate and seat them as we fabricate the conduits!”
“Dude, just how much coffee and raktajino have you had today?” Mariner shot Rutherford a questioning look. “Or did you give yourself another non-recommended implant boost again?
“As time went on I got to know! How to reel off all that tech lingo! But without any real, hands-on practice!” Rutherford was too absorbed with his work to answer Mariner’s question. “Until one day, while all lost in thought, I ran into Montgomery Scott as he was traveling about the Federation!”
“WHAT?!” Boimler and Tendi squealed excitedly. “That’s amazing! Tell us all about it!”
“Eh, it probably wasn’t such a big deal,” Mariner waved. “After all, who hasn’t met and shared an old-fashioned scotch or three with good ol’ Scotty?”
“Then Scotty said, ‘Lad, you just can't stand and read ‘bout engines second-hand while letting your potential go to waste,’” Rutherford regaled his tale to his awestruck crewmates and Mariner. “‘Attend Starfleet Academy. Learn tech from ‘round the galaxy. There you can take your place among the best!’"
“Ooo!” Boimler and Tendi marveled with wide, star-struck eyes. “That’s soooooo cool! Such timeless wisdom from an original Starfleet legend!”
“Not as timeless as his advice about how to avoid and deal with hangovers,” Mariner quipped absently rubbing her head. “That’s if Ruthy ever really did meet with Scotty.”
“Huh?” Boimler glanced at her. “Are you seriously accusing Rutherford of lying? Do you have any idea how hypocritical that is?”
“I’m not saying he’s lying,” Mariner defended holding up her hands. “Just that he might be misremembering things a bit.”
“I don’t think so,” Tendi shook her head. “Rutherford’s implant gives him a perfect memory. It’s not like he’s recalling some fabricated recollection some unethical third-party deliberately programmed into his implant’s memory core. What are the chances of that?”
“Stabilize the emissions now! Transmitters and conductors all isolinears…where’s my calipers? Gotta check the computer’s pathways, secondary servers and rectilinear relays!” Rutherford chanted while continuing to speedily inspect and install the various equipment. “Buffer the inversions now! Oscillate, don’t let them all resonate! Gotta quickly calculate before we can activate and bring the warp plasma initiators online!”
“Uh, Rutherford?” Boimler gulped worriedly as he watched Rutherford zip around while cackling maniacally. “Hello? Starfleet to Rutherford, are you in there?”
“Hmmm, looks like Rutherford is really in the zone,” Tendi commented. “That perfect physical and mental state when one is perfectly in tune with their work and anything and everything is possible. Just like an ascension!”
“Let’s hope that doesn’t happen to Ruthy,” Mariner said. “Or we’ll never get our own personal shuttle up and running.”
“So, I applied and made it through the Academy’s tough training queue! Graduating as a full-fledged engineer!” A beaming Rutherford went on while wearing a proud, gleeful smile. “Now every day I get to be around such cool technology that fills my heart with such a happy cheer!”
“Yay!” Tendi chirped supportively. “Go, Rutherford! Wohoo!”
“Working on a starship’s warp core, one never knows just what’s in store, as wonders of the universe abound!” Rutherford’s eye and implant twinkled in delight. “Whether serving on the Pecos, da Vinci, Hood or Cerritos, I’m just glad to be a Starfleet Engineer!”
“So am I!” Boimler puffed up with pride. “Okay, not the ‘being an engineer’ part, but I really love my life of service, exploration and adventure in Starfleet!”
“Alright!” Mariner whooped whipping out a phaser and randomly fired it a few times into the ceiling. “Let’s hear it for Starfleet! Yeah!”
“With one exception,” Boimler sighed giving Mariner a look.
“Reinput the sequence now! An optronic harmonic conic, how ironic, a duotronic!” Rutherford grinned while quickly continuing to work on the shuttlecraft. “Need ‘em all isotonic charge-wise, can’t have them protronic. Oops! A blip warning of ionic drip!”
“What?” Tendi blinked in concern. “Oh no!”
“Sonic-based spot welding now!” Rutherford swiftly moved to correct the problem. “Analyze as the waveforms synchronize, crystalize, rejuvenize, fully energize…there!” He smiled holding up his hyperspanner in triumph. “Done programming the shuttle’s control chips!”
“Already?” Boimler looked surprised checking a panel. “Are you sure you did it right…uh Rutherford? Are you listening?”
“Yeah! C’mon you guys! Grab some tools and let’s deck out this awesome ride!” Rutherford smiled happily. “Here we have some used stabilizers and parts! Let’s turn this shuttle into a work of art!” He began zipping around like an accelerated Scalosian while integrating the array of collected parts into the shuttlecraft with a crazy look in his eye. “Here’s a regulator and a pulse actuator and generator and assembly and warp field interlink! Just gotta connect them to the main plasma distribution shunt, bypass the safeties on the flux moderator, install a few dozen processing algorithms, check the alignment of the dilithium articulation frame, replace the magnetic plasma guides, integrate the phase inducers into the ODN matrix, secure and reinforce the baffle plates, run a Level Six diagnostic on the subspace field generator, make sure the plasma intercooler and intermix chamber are compatible…”
“Wow,” Tendi blinked as Rutherford’s form became little more than a blur. “I’ve never seen anyone work so fast before.”
“Yeah, I bet Ruthy could’ve given even Data a run for his money,” Mariner whistled. “Talk about a missed opportunity.”
“Ta-da!” Rutherford smiled as he finally finished the last of the modifications to the the newly-rebuilt shuttlecraft. “There! All done!”
“Really?” Boimler blinked. “Man, that’s great!
“Great job, everybody!” Rutherford grinned proudly patting the shuttlecraft’s hull. “Now all we need is a name…”
Just then both of the shuttlecraft’s nacelles fell off and broke apart along with several other major components. Half a dozen of the shuttlecraft’s maintenance panels popped open, spilling out an array of loose parts and equipment leaving the barren hull sitting on the support blocks.
“You were saying?” Mariner gave Rutherford a look.
“Oops,” Rutherford sheepishly rubbed his head. “Guess I forgot to bolt down a few things…”
Several of the shuttlecraft’s consoles let out a collection of bangs, smoke and sparks. “Uh oh, looks like we just blew out a few power cells too…” A sudden whump was heard as the four ensigns abruptly found themselves enveloped in darkness. “Not to mention somehow losing all power to the Repair Bay.”
“Gee, guess we shouldn’t have borrowed those ODN cables and messed with the Repair Bay’s EPS grid,” Tendi laughed awkwardly.
“No, ya think?” Mariner snapped.
“Maybe we should find a different project to work on,” Boimler groaned. “Like taking up Botany.”
--------------------------------------
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek: Lower Decks or the song "The Auctioneer".
--------------------------------------
The Engineer
“How are those plasma manifolds coming along?” Rutherford asked wielding a hyperspanner.
“They’re all scrubbed, polished and installed,” Tendi chirped cheerfully working next to him. She, Boimler and Rutherford were busy repairing, rebuilding and modifying the dilapidated shuttlecraft sitting in the corner of the Repair Bay. “Just need a quick coat of lubricant before I begin testing and stabilizing the ion flow.”
“I’ve finished calibrating the navigation grid,” Boimler reported sitting in one of the worn pilot’s seats. “Though it’s pretty much unusable at this point without a working sensor matrix and more EPS modules.”
“Yo, special delivery!” Mariner called out sauntering into the Repair Bay totting a cargo container. “One sensor matrix and a batch of working EPS modules, as ordered.”
“Really? Thanks,” Boimler smiled as Mariner unpacked the equipment. “How did you ever manage to find these? The quartermaster told me there weren’t any spares available. I even checked the ship’s inventory list three times.”
“Do you really want to know?” Mariner gave him a cheeky grin. “‘Cause it involves pulling a few strings, calling in a few favors, a little blackmail…”
“Never mind,” Boimler groaned as he began installing the new, questionably-acquired modules. “I’m just going to ignore your so-called explanations and plan to plead ignorance as an unwilling accomplice if we ever wind up before a court martial.”
“Don’t worry, Boims. Nothing bad is gonna happen,” Mariner assured. “So I ‘borrowed’ a few things from the Cerritos’ emergency supplies and secondary backup systems. So what? It’s not the end of the world. The worst thing that could happen is overloading a few power couplings and destabilizing parts of the ship’s internal sensor grid, but hey, what are the chances of that?”
“Huh, that explains the recent screams from Delta shift about all their sonic showers suddenly reverting to maximum intensity,” Tendi commented. “And all the lighting panels in their bunk area burning out before exploding.”
“Man, this is great!” Rutherford grinned while working on the shuttlecraft’s exposed systems. “Piecing together old scrounged up equipment, rebuilding our own personalized vessel from scratch. Talk about real, hands-on Engineering! Though I have the strangest feeling I’ve done stuff like this before…”
“Maybe it’s a latent sensation from working on our model of the Cerritos,” Tendi suggested. “Considering all the times we’ve stopped and started over with it.”
“Na, it’s nothing like that,” Rutherford shook his head. “Though I hope this shuttlecraft turns out better than our work with the model. We still haven’t been able to lock down the magnetic constrictors without breeching the model’s warp core.”
“What?!” Boimler yelped.
“Uh, not that I expect that to happen here,” Rutherford added quickly.
“Way to build confidence, Ruthy,” Mariner drawled patting the shuttlecraft’s worn hull. “I’m sure this ol’ rust bucket will operate just like all your other infamous, independent feats of Engineering.”
“Oh great,” Boimler groaned. “We’re doomed!”
“Aw, don’t worry, Boimler. I’m sure everything will turn out just fine,” Tendi said cheerfully. “Ah, just smell that mix of well-used ODN relays and freshly replicated isolinear circuits. They remind me of why I joined Starfleet in the first place.”
“Me too!” Rutherford beamed happily. “I may sometimes feel like I have a bunch of forgotten, untapped memories clogging up my implant’s buffer cache, but there’s one thing I will never forget.” Rutherford quickly armed himself with a sonic driver and optronic coupler before proceeding to work on the shuttlecraft at lightning speed. “Hey well, alright guys! Here we go with a parallel nacelle or two! Check those Bussard collectors and warp coils and injectors and compensators and down there nodes and diodes, oooh, here’s a little code! Scan convertors, amplifiers, phase discriminators and coolant tanks…”
“Huh?” Boimler blinked watching Rutherford zip around. “Uh, Rutherford? Are you okay?”
“Oh boy, here we go,” Mariner sighed gesturing Boimler to stay back. “Look out, people. Our man Rutherford is getting in his Engineering groove.”
“He, he, he!” Rutherford cackled happily while working on the shuttlecraft’s main power grid. “Now, when I was a younger me! More than a decade back, you see! Before I knew what to do with my life!”
“O-kay,” Boimler gave Rutherford a look.
“I tinkered with Ecology! And dabbled in Psychology!” Rutherford smiled as he worked. “Along with Art and Xenolinguistics!”
“Really?” Tendi blinked. “Wow. I never knew you were ever interested in those subjects.”
“How could you not?” Mariner remarked. “Rutherford’s always going on about different alien pronunciations, even in his sleep.”
“And then one day, with clarity, I was zapped by some live circuitry!” Rutherford beamed. “And fell in love with all technology!”
“That explains a lot,” Mariner quipped. “Talk about a real ‘lightbulb-lit-by-a-lightning-strike’ moment.”
“I cried, ‘Now I know what to do! I’ll learn warp fields and Physics too!’” Rutherford continued happily. “‘Gonna make my mark and be an engineer!’"
“Speaking of which,” Boimler attempted to get Rutherford’s attention. “Maybe you should slow down a bit while working on the shuttle…”
“Calibrate the inverters now! Filter the emitters and the modulators and dampeners, polish the transtators, check the isolators, overlay the reactor display!” Rutherford rambled swiftly while working on each listed component at lightning speed. “Processors are mated now! Modulate, don’t forget to alternate, can’t have them fluctuate before we integrate and seat them as we fabricate the conduits!”
“Dude, just how much coffee and raktajino have you had today?” Mariner shot Rutherford a questioning look. “Or did you give yourself another non-recommended implant boost again?
“As time went on I got to know! How to reel off all that tech lingo! But without any real, hands-on practice!” Rutherford was too absorbed with his work to answer Mariner’s question. “Until one day, while all lost in thought, I ran into Montgomery Scott as he was traveling about the Federation!”
“WHAT?!” Boimler and Tendi squealed excitedly. “That’s amazing! Tell us all about it!”
“Eh, it probably wasn’t such a big deal,” Mariner waved. “After all, who hasn’t met and shared an old-fashioned scotch or three with good ol’ Scotty?”
“Then Scotty said, ‘Lad, you just can't stand and read ‘bout engines second-hand while letting your potential go to waste,’” Rutherford regaled his tale to his awestruck crewmates and Mariner. “‘Attend Starfleet Academy. Learn tech from ‘round the galaxy. There you can take your place among the best!’"
“Ooo!” Boimler and Tendi marveled with wide, star-struck eyes. “That’s soooooo cool! Such timeless wisdom from an original Starfleet legend!”
“Not as timeless as his advice about how to avoid and deal with hangovers,” Mariner quipped absently rubbing her head. “That’s if Ruthy ever really did meet with Scotty.”
“Huh?” Boimler glanced at her. “Are you seriously accusing Rutherford of lying? Do you have any idea how hypocritical that is?”
“I’m not saying he’s lying,” Mariner defended holding up her hands. “Just that he might be misremembering things a bit.”
“I don’t think so,” Tendi shook her head. “Rutherford’s implant gives him a perfect memory. It’s not like he’s recalling some fabricated recollection some unethical third-party deliberately programmed into his implant’s memory core. What are the chances of that?”
“Stabilize the emissions now! Transmitters and conductors all isolinears…where’s my calipers? Gotta check the computer’s pathways, secondary servers and rectilinear relays!” Rutherford chanted while continuing to speedily inspect and install the various equipment. “Buffer the inversions now! Oscillate, don’t let them all resonate! Gotta quickly calculate before we can activate and bring the warp plasma initiators online!”
“Uh, Rutherford?” Boimler gulped worriedly as he watched Rutherford zip around while cackling maniacally. “Hello? Starfleet to Rutherford, are you in there?”
“Hmmm, looks like Rutherford is really in the zone,” Tendi commented. “That perfect physical and mental state when one is perfectly in tune with their work and anything and everything is possible. Just like an ascension!”
“Let’s hope that doesn’t happen to Ruthy,” Mariner said. “Or we’ll never get our own personal shuttle up and running.”
“So, I applied and made it through the Academy’s tough training queue! Graduating as a full-fledged engineer!” A beaming Rutherford went on while wearing a proud, gleeful smile. “Now every day I get to be around such cool technology that fills my heart with such a happy cheer!”
“Yay!” Tendi chirped supportively. “Go, Rutherford! Wohoo!”
“Working on a starship’s warp core, one never knows just what’s in store, as wonders of the universe abound!” Rutherford’s eye and implant twinkled in delight. “Whether serving on the Pecos, da Vinci, Hood or Cerritos, I’m just glad to be a Starfleet Engineer!”
“So am I!” Boimler puffed up with pride. “Okay, not the ‘being an engineer’ part, but I really love my life of service, exploration and adventure in Starfleet!”
“Alright!” Mariner whooped whipping out a phaser and randomly fired it a few times into the ceiling. “Let’s hear it for Starfleet! Yeah!”
“With one exception,” Boimler sighed giving Mariner a look.
“Reinput the sequence now! An optronic harmonic conic, how ironic, a duotronic!” Rutherford grinned while quickly continuing to work on the shuttlecraft. “Need ‘em all isotonic charge-wise, can’t have them protronic. Oops! A blip warning of ionic drip!”
“What?” Tendi blinked in concern. “Oh no!”
“Sonic-based spot welding now!” Rutherford swiftly moved to correct the problem. “Analyze as the waveforms synchronize, crystalize, rejuvenize, fully energize…there!” He smiled holding up his hyperspanner in triumph. “Done programming the shuttle’s control chips!”
“Already?” Boimler looked surprised checking a panel. “Are you sure you did it right…uh Rutherford? Are you listening?”
“Yeah! C’mon you guys! Grab some tools and let’s deck out this awesome ride!” Rutherford smiled happily. “Here we have some used stabilizers and parts! Let’s turn this shuttle into a work of art!” He began zipping around like an accelerated Scalosian while integrating the array of collected parts into the shuttlecraft with a crazy look in his eye. “Here’s a regulator and a pulse actuator and generator and assembly and warp field interlink! Just gotta connect them to the main plasma distribution shunt, bypass the safeties on the flux moderator, install a few dozen processing algorithms, check the alignment of the dilithium articulation frame, replace the magnetic plasma guides, integrate the phase inducers into the ODN matrix, secure and reinforce the baffle plates, run a Level Six diagnostic on the subspace field generator, make sure the plasma intercooler and intermix chamber are compatible…”
“Wow,” Tendi blinked as Rutherford’s form became little more than a blur. “I’ve never seen anyone work so fast before.”
“Yeah, I bet Ruthy could’ve given even Data a run for his money,” Mariner whistled. “Talk about a missed opportunity.”
“Ta-da!” Rutherford smiled as he finally finished the last of the modifications to the the newly-rebuilt shuttlecraft. “There! All done!”
“Really?” Boimler blinked. “Man, that’s great!
“Great job, everybody!” Rutherford grinned proudly patting the shuttlecraft’s hull. “Now all we need is a name…”
Just then both of the shuttlecraft’s nacelles fell off and broke apart along with several other major components. Half a dozen of the shuttlecraft’s maintenance panels popped open, spilling out an array of loose parts and equipment leaving the barren hull sitting on the support blocks.
“You were saying?” Mariner gave Rutherford a look.
“Oops,” Rutherford sheepishly rubbed his head. “Guess I forgot to bolt down a few things…”
Several of the shuttlecraft’s consoles let out a collection of bangs, smoke and sparks. “Uh oh, looks like we just blew out a few power cells too…” A sudden whump was heard as the four ensigns abruptly found themselves enveloped in darkness. “Not to mention somehow losing all power to the Repair Bay.”
“Gee, guess we shouldn’t have borrowed those ODN cables and messed with the Repair Bay’s EPS grid,” Tendi laughed awkwardly.
“No, ya think?” Mariner snapped.
“Maybe we should find a different project to work on,” Boimler groaned. “Like taking up Botany.”
--------------------------------------
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek: Lower Decks or the song "The Auctioneer".
