SIM:Lt Rogg: It takes an Engineer to know one

The events in this SIM occurred on stardate 238810.28 ((OOC: This ties together three posts. Four, if you count Waltas' request to Rogg. )) (( USS Discovery-C, Hangar Bay )) :: Chief Engineer Eskyys had come home to the Discovery, much to the Engineers' relief. With the return of the Haliian CEO the Dachlyd ACE's draconian reign had come to an end. Although the wrench jockeys of Discovery had their hands full with a new ship and Eskyys had just added a compliment of new Arrows into the mix, the Chief drew their attention to more pressing concerns: Gutting the derelict Discovery-B for parts, equipment, and if time permitted their own belongings. :: :: Also, the Chief had to briefed on what had transpired in his absence. Lieutenant Inarr "Steve" Rogg was not looking forward to particular questions about exactly how he had been involved in the destruction of the Ronin class Discovery-B. :: :: Giving Steve a couple of minutes to get everyone close, Esk dragged the crates out of the Ace. Turning he looked at the expectant faces. :: ESKYYS: OK, first order of business. Has everyone got there personal effects from B? :: After receiving only a few nods Esk continued. :: Then while you are doing that I want all the engineering supplies transferred over. While all of engineering is seeing to that task, I want Alpha to remove both turrets and put them in Engineering storage 3. Oh and don't worry about putting them back together, I plan on modifying them. And I suspect we only have tonight to get it done. So move fast, but quietly. :: Esk smiled at the chuckle that ran threw the gathered engineers. Several people made comments about what he had planned. Esk didn't even try to stifle the rumors, after all, ever ship needs scuttlebutt. :: ROGG: Aye aye, Chief. Oh, here is your report. ::Rogg handed Eskyys the encrypted chip.:: Eyes only, sir. ESKYYS: :: Taking the chip. :: Realy, interesting so this was not a simple accident? ROGG: No sir. Sssabotage. Remember all those apparently fake bombs C of S Sharpe found before shore leave? The saboteur (or 'teurss) must have been feeling out our readiness. A few more decoyss ssshowed up after leave was over. Also two real ones. Custom work; I had opportunity to get a close view of one. No sense rehashing the details when you have the report in hand. But I can elaborate on any questions or provide a sounding board for any theories you derive from the incident. ESKYYS: I will contact you later. Oh and there better not be any footprints on my cieling. :: At Steves confused/guilty look. :: You scrapped paint under you back claws. Doesn't happen when your on the carpet. ROGG: With five minutes notice I hardly had time to wipe my feet on the Hangar doormat before you landed! :: The CEO was in good humor as usual. Rogg was glad to have Eskyys back on board. For his part, Esk did not appear too miffed that Steve had been unable to stop the destruction of the old Discovery. :: (( Later )) :: Rogg finished decorating for a holiday-themed party. Although a Terran holiday, Rogg had consulted with proper authorities on the subject. Immediately after completing his self-assigned chore, Rogg was called by the Captain. Waltas convinced Rogg to arrange advanced accommodations for animals aboard the Discovery. Rogg retrieved important things from the USS Discovery-B. :: :: Done with the old Discovery, Rogg visited the Science Department on the new Discovery. He met a new face, a green one. He thanked Valdivia for saving his life. Rogg had a question to ask, one of botanical experiments. :: ROGG: Quite good luck for me that you two came to my rescue. VALDIVIA: Quite good luck for you that Delwyn used his telepathy to find you there. After that, rescuing you was our duty as part of this crew and family. :: There was a pause. Rogg looked at him, apparently trying to tell him something, but not sure of how to say it. :: ROGG: Well, with that said and acknowledged, I admit I have a department-relevant reason for coming. I have a series of experiments I was performing on the old ship. No irreplaceable equipment is required, but I should like use of one of your isolated laboratories. As well as storage space for the specimens we collected from Long Night. Just a request, sir. VALDIVIA: ::surprised. :: Oh. That's good, it's always good to have people interested in science in the other departments. Don't worry about the equipment, the lab is far from full, considering the upgrade we just got from the -B, so we'll find a place for your experiments. :: Rogg radiated bliss. Without words coming to his aid, the large, space lizard simply dipped his ponderous head in gratitude. :: :: Then, doctor Valdivia stood up and returned to the lab. :: VALDIVIA: Now, if you'll accompany me, I'd like to see the christening. (( Later, following the christening )) :: "Steve" Rogg had accompanied Dr. Valdivia to the magical baptism of the new boat. From a purely scientific perspective, it was weird. The only practical consideration might be that in ancient times water-going boats were sometimes built out of untried materials - Perhaps splashing them with a bit of liquid before launching was a precaution? If a vessel began dissolving once a bit wet, or if the splashed water or wine seeped easily from the outer hull to the interior, then the boat was obviously unseaworthy. :: :: From superstitious considerations, splashing magical water on something was ideal. Many cultures recommended it. :: oO What would happen if our space craft ever did make contact with a body of water? Would the universal solvent begin dissolving the hull which could easily resist most energy weapons? What if our metal ship sailed upon an ocean of wine? Oo :: For whatever reasons, these arbitrary suppositions drifted through Steve's mind as the ACE went with the CEO back to the Discovery-C ..now properly named in a traditional ceremony. :: ESKYYS: So I will not yell at you again for not making a better prosthetic. But I do have something to show you before you build your next one. Tonight. ROGG: Chief, I have valid concern that a sturdier shell would have done little to stop the explosion and exposure damage. If I had worn a —Wait, what are you talking about? Where is this miracle component? ESKYYS: It is in my quarters, I already unpacked it. oO Alright, so unpacking rules out it being a design or something intangible. Hm. An intangible suit would be even less confining than ..Than anything, by definition. Oo :: Rogg followed Eskyys, wondering what the Chief was on about. :: oO How would I ever get my intangible suit off? How would I know whether I had successfully removed it? Oo (( CEO Office )) :: The office was not fancy so much as it was practical. Rogg had a console outside. He wondered whether he would ever have an office? Starfleet's offices were seldom located in inaccessible locations. Rogg would probably never have an office hidden away up some Jeffries tube. Not unless the room's designation was unofficial. :: oO Hee hee. The unofficial office. Sounds good to me. The downside is that once an office is established, people expect to meet you there. Appointed place, appointment times, meetings. Oo :: Rogg's attention was recaptured by Eskyys. :: ESKYYS: I like this place, have a work bench next to my desk. Now look at this. :: Esk placed his prosthetic arm on the bench and removed the "skin" :: ESKYYS: As you can see this is based on the Soong type android, but as it was attached to me I decided the original would never work properly. ROGG: ::screaming:: AAAA! AAAA! AAAA! ::Rogg staggered backwards, reeling in shock. He had not felt so unnerved since a teenage Rogg had seen a Dachlyd holofilm wherein someone's tail had been casually lopped off.:: Aaaa! ::breathing, speaking normally:: Okay, whoa. Geez, you think you know a guy. ::Inhale.:: Great galaxies, a bit of warning next time. ::Exhale. Inhale.:: You modified Soong's designs? ESKYYS: Well for starters, look at the framework. Since I am not an android I saw no reason to have something at least ten times more powerful than my body could handle. So I lightened the frame and installed smaller hydraulics. That gave me some extra room s I added a backup power supply and a few gadgets. Here the list. PADD: Modification project 3.412 Personal Notes Ability to project a energy shield, limited time due to power consumption. A trycorder with holographic interface. A backup sub-dermal control, for special programs. (was thinking 4 buttons above the wrist for entering activation codes.) Backup batteries. Limitation: Much lighter construction than Epsilon. Although stronger than a normal arm it is not on the same level as Epsilon or Data's Exocomp style replicator, smaller with only non-power tools. :: The PADD display was modified by Rogg's own PADD into Dachlydish. Under pretense of some adjustment the Dachlyd made a note that Eskyys was at least part cyborg. With modern medicine such modifications to a body could be difficult to spot. :: ESKYYS: Now does that give some new ideas? ROGG: Well, I am not replacing any portion of my body ::Rogg chose his words carefully. A miner had once knocked him from one end of the room to the other over an awkward comment about replacement limbs.:: so any part of my prosthesis is supplementary at best. :: Rogg had difficulty speaking freely. Free thought and expression were integral of Dachlyd beliefs. But the young officer had to consider: This arm was part of Esk's body. Whatever became of the original arm, no one had told Rogg. Apart from the evident care in its construction, he had no idea how attached Eskyys was to the thing. :: :: The crafty Dachlyd Engineer had no desire to walk about wearing a toolbox for pants. People might begin calling Inarr Rogg Toolpants instead of the nicely informal "Steve" or politely formal "lieutenant". On the other claw, an energy shield always had application. If Rogg was going to frequently wear the thing, should not it serve at least as many functions as his trusty multi-tool? Still, Rogg's old suit had been built around the principle of assisting movement and never confining or injuring him. By the lack of marks from it, the prosthesis had lived up to Rogg's rigorous principles in the explosion. Stymied in his speech, Rogg tried to converse. :: ROGG: If I was going to break my tenet against power-assistance, the trade off should be worth the sacrifice of an ideal. Bare minimum, the new prosthetic would have to grant me super powers. ::Rogg imitated the pose he saw of the cover of Nickels' framed "Action Comics #1", minus cape and automobile.:: ESKYYS: I will have final say on your design, and in certain cases it may have to be approved by the Captain and XO. ROGG: Oh. Well, I could throw something together more committee-friendly, I sssupposse. Tell you what, how about I design a power augmented as well as a wearer driven prosthetic suit? ESKYYS: Good get to work, you have till 0800 to submit your plan. ROGG: Dang. :: Out of deference Rogg waited until the Chief left. He then made for the door when a Terran lieutenant entered. The fellow Engineer seemed familiar... Had Rogg seen her about, out of uniform while Eskyys was singing on Ba'ku? :: JENYYS: Lieutenant do you have a moment, I think I should share some information with you. oO Oh! The Chief's spouse. Oo ROGG: Certainly. Take a seat. ::Mindful of his tail, Rogg sat down on a chair Starfleet insisted on designing solely for races with vestigial, internal tailbones.:: JENYYS: Thank you. :: taking a seat near Rogg. :: First I wanted to commend you on an excellent job so far. ROGG: Thank you. :: The compliment did more than please Rogg. The Dachlyd Engineer had worried that people might harbor resentment of his new rank as well as performance as assistant to the Chief. Rogg had heard from Operations—always the primary source of rumor and trivial information—that his promotion was indeed without precedent. Although Rogg suspected he had only worried from habit, confirmation was a balm to his mind. Most especially as the compliment came from both a fellow Engineer and looie. :: JENYYS: I wanted you to know that you can ignore most of what Esk just said. He is angry about what happened to the B. :: Raising a hand to stop Rogg from speaking. :: He is not mad at you, he is angry with himself. He blames himself for what happened. ROGG: Really? Because since I was over Engineering at the time, and tried defusing the situation, and escaped certain death.. Well, in a formulaic story I would have died terribly, but saved the ship and all aboard. As it happened, procedure and calm evacuation saved the crew and the B perished ignobly. JENYYS: You have to understand something about Esk, he feels responsible for everyone on this ship. And when someone gets hurt, or worse he takes it personally. But this time it has seriously upset him, he was not aboard when things went wrong, and you got hurt. He cares for you Steve, and he sees you potential to be a great engineer. And the thought of loosing you upset him more than I think even he realizes. ROGG: ..And if I design a flawless prosthesis, then the assumption is that by its utility no harm can befall me. A text scenario of regret and overcompensation. That would explain his zealous pursuit of the project. oO To the extent of ripping off his own skin to show me how a well-made arm prosthesis looks inside. Oo JENYYS: He seems to be riding you especially hard right now, but it is because he cares, and you almost died while he was off on a personal mission. A trip that now he thinks was unnecessarily, and even worse to him, a mission that left Discovery and her family at risk. He has to have some time and understanding, especially from you, to get over it. :: Pausing. :: And he will. ROGG: Unless this ship explodes under similar conditions. JENYYS: the best think for you to do is ignore everything he just told you about your suit, after all it is yours. Don't let him talk you into doing something you don't want. And please be patient with him. ROGG: ::chuckle:: I am extraordinarily patient with all of you. A little more for the Chief is not undue. ::ahem:: What I mean is, most species in Starfleet service strive always to complete much in as little time as possible. Little wonder they also indulge in so much sleep between shifts. By the chaotic effort of many, a lot is achieved. Although the haste baffles me at times, I have grown accustomed to it as ::Rogg thought:: ..Routine? I shall abide Esk as the assistant of the Chief. JENYYS: Thank you. :: Standing Jen carefully gave Rogg a hug. :: Please keep an eye on him, I'm retiring and will not be in Engineering myself anymore. :: The recent events, by sheer volume, were beginning to overwhelm Rogg. Recovery. New ship. Moving in, taking charge, setting up, then stepping down once Eskyys returned. Science and magic bottle throwing. Favors for the Captain. Parties. Now heartfelt conversations and hugging? :: :: All of it was a bit much. :: :: Despite the rising tide of obligations, professional and private, Rogg felt a bond with the woman. Not out of rank, nor out of devotion to Engineering, but another world of more vital responsibility. He hugged Jenyys back. Sparing a few minutes, Rogg eyed the lieutenant appraisingly. :: ROGG: This is because of your family, I presume? There is talk about your growing brood down here, as talk passes about one crewmate to the next and so on in gossip. You adopted a ..Grant? JENYYS: Yes, Terry Grant is now part of our world. ROGG: Eskyys benefits much by your union. Both chief Engineering officer and father are meritorious claims. I believe he will adjust well to your extended role of parent- of motherhood. I envy your decision to retire in my own way. JENYYS: I think you mean in "your own way" But it all isn't all by choice. Starfleet wants me to move on, and I found that I no longer wanted to. But are you not expecting also? oO Yes, and I wish I could be full-time parent... Oo ROGG: Three eggs. Fortunately, I have Raj. But without prior parenting experience to base my decisions on, I do have concern that my work might conflict with the more important task of child care. JENYYS: OH, we all have that worry, especially the first time. But I think you will do fine. And I believe there is to be an extensive child care service aboard. ROGG: Oh? Thank you, I shall look into that. JENYYS: You do that, but don't hesitate to come see me if you run into trouble. ROGG: Your understanding and wisdom are most helpful ..insightful, even. I hope we talk again soon. Oh my, yes - do not forget about the Hallowe'en party! See you there. JENYYS: OH, Definitely. Will you be having a baby shower? ROGG: A what? ::Rogg recalled someone mentioning the curiously-named celebration before.:: Oh, well, a "baby shower" —I do not know. A clutch of eggs tends to bring out the territoriality, even in us Dachlyds. Plus, no one would know what to get Raj and me. JENYYS: I'm sure the crew will find appropriate gifts. We can discuss it more later. ROGG: Very well, then. A shower it shall be. :: Rogg scurried off like a bat seeking refuge from a rainstorm, that is to say he fairly flew with reckless abandon. Not without enough caution to use the open ceiling space. At least, not unless he was confronted by a dense clot of crew. :: :: In little time, Rogg was in his quarters, finishing designs. Half an hour later, the bold Dachlyd Engineer was down in Fabrication, using the industrial Replicators. :: ((OOC: Oh! Who lives on Discovery way up in space? Inarr Rogg ToolPants! Striated and green and squamous in face! Inarr Rogg ToolPants! If ye shout out his name ya shrill wee dwarf... Inarr Rogg ToolPants! Then climb off the deck like xenomorphs! Inarr Rogg ToolPants! Ready? Inarr Rogg ToolPants! Inarr Rogg ToolPants! Inarr Rogg ToolPants! Inarr Rogg.... ToolPants! Haha. Sung to the tune of the "SpongeBob SquarePants Theme".)) Lieutenant Inarr "Steve" Rogg d'Squamos Assistant Chief Engineer USS Discovery-C