The Lamb to the Lions' Den

[Akirapryde]

The Lamb to the Lions' Den
Stardate: 53835.4
Chief Engineer's Briefing Room
USS Thunderchild
Chief Engineer Kiera Medart, Engineering Section Chiefs and Lt. Jr. Noonia

It was Lieutenant Jacobson who spoke up next, "Lieutenant Medart?" she said softly yet with a firmness that couldn't be avoided. "Do you have any suggestions?"

Lieutenant Medart barely looked up from her PADD, "huh?" She tapped some more in to her PADD as she continued to focus on what ever was on her PADD.

Once more Lieutenant Jacobson spoke firmly yet with intent, "Lieutenant Medart, shouldn't the Chief of Engineering have a suggestion?"

Lieutenant Medart looked up from her PADD and finally Lieutenant Noonia was able to see what had taken her attention. She was working on mathematical equations on her PADD. Noonia knew his stuff, but even for him this was pretty advanced stuff. He couldn't tell by just the glance he was having but he thought it had something to do with the Warp Engines. But these equations were much more involved than just dealing with the Warp Engines. "I'm sorry" she said with a half distracted voice. "Please repeat what you were saying" she asked to the disappointment of the majority of the table.

To Lieutenant Noonia's surprise, Lieutenant Jacobson didn't seem bothered or upset at the change in situation by Lieutenant Medart. Instead, the veteran lieutenant only restated the issue with the power and fuel lines within the Hanger Deck. She went in to details over what the others had suggested as a fix for the problem and Lieutenant Noonia's concerns over the limiting of power to the Flight and Hanger Decks. Lieutenant Jacobson's recap was both thoughtful and detailed. Lieutenant Noonia was floored by Lieutenant Medart's behavior. She couldn't even keep her focus on what was being said long enough to listen to what was being explained.

During the long, detailed recap, Medart's attention was drawn back to her PADD and those equations. She kept making minor changes to her equations as she was trying to solve for something. But what that something was, was beyond Noonia's guess. If he had any respect for her as a leader, it was clearly being tested now by her own actions.

Lieutenant Medart lifted her head from her PADD looking almost as if she was sick. "Oh my...." she trailed off.

Lieutenant Jacobson tilted her head in surprise, "Lieutenant?"

Lifting herself from her chair, "I....I have to go....." she said turning and starting to head for the door.

It was the slamming of the table by Lieutenant Gray that halted her departure. "What about the power lines within the Hanger Deck? Do we remove them or move them? Damnit Medart, lead your division!"

Lieutenant Medart came to a stop, "Use the transfer lines instead." she said almost as an after thought. She spoke over her shoulder almost as if she was tossing the comment back to appease everyone. The table was completely confused by the off the wall statement. Not even Noonia couldn't see where she was coming from. With a heavy sigh of disappointment Medart turned around and walked back over to Noonia and snatched the PADD from his hand. She put her own PADD under her shoulder and started to work on his PADD.

It was a move that shocked him, "the issue is not the power but the fuel lines. This ship was originally designed to be a Fleet Support Ship during its drawing board days. I should know, we build hundreds of them during the war. Before the last round of modifications which turned this class in to a fully functioning Heavy Cruiser, this ship was designed as a multi role mission ship. One such role was to be disaster relief. Like her sister ships, a pair of transfer lines run from keel to dorsal. These lines tie directly in to the main deuterium tanks aboard our ship. These lines were designed to be used to refuel four ships at a time during disasters. The lines while no longer needed for that role but are still aboard the ship. They run within armored crawl spaces long either side of the Hanger and Flight Deck. It shouldn't take long for the crews to cut in to these armored crawl spaces and tap in to these lines" she explained as she worked on Noonia's PADD.

"By adding emergency cut offs here, here and here" she said making changes to the PADD. "And extra leak sensors along these passages and within these spaces," she continued to explain her plan. "We should not only be able to fulfill the fuel needs of the Hanger Deck but also provide for running refueling operations on the Flight Deck as well. We could use the current pass over lines as EPS conduits to increase the power supply for both the Hanger and the Flight deck" she concluded explaining her idea as she took a few seconds to review what she had created on Noonia's PADD.

She handed back Noonia's PADD for his review. Her plan was bold and used what they already had to not only correct the problem but increase the operational efficiency of the Hanger and Flight Decks. Maybe he was just tired or maybe it was what she was able to do in such a short time. But Noonia was floored once more by this idea. During the amount of time she took to overview her plan, she drafted up a complete set of blue prints and schematics needed for the change. It addressed both the fuel and the power issues of the Hanger and Flight Decks. There was even a time table of when the work could be completed if started today. By her estimation, she predicted that the work could be completed within thirty six hours. She might be the worse Chief Engineer he ever met, but one thing was for sure now. Lieutenant Medart knew her ship and Lieutenant Noonia couldn't deny this.

She nodded to the stunned faces, "Okay, anything else?" she asked than answered before anyone could respond, "no? good. I have....to um go now" she said as she returned her mind to what was distracting it. "Lieutenant Noonia, that was a great suggestion. Once you guys are done here and you go over my idea, why don't you take them to Lieutenant Paxton for her review then take them to the Captain for his approval" she said with this annoying look on her face. She turned to Lieutenant Jacobson, "Tina, you have the meeting. I have to go, um....yeah...." she said as her mind started to wonder once more again. Returning her attention back to her own PADD, she then turned to leave the room. Everyone just watched as she walked out of the room. No one made a sound as the doors hissed open and then closed behind her.

For a long moment, it was if everyone was trying to figure out what just happened. As Lieutenant Noonia turned to face the crowd, it was Lieutenant Jacobson who he took note of. She only leaned back in her chair and smiled at him. She didn't seem all that surprised by what just happened. Once she was sure that she had everyone's attention, Lieutenant Jacobson spoke up. "I believe that brings to rest this issue of fuel and power supply. Lieutenant Noonia, can you please continue with more of your suggestions?"