Chapter 5
The Engineering Room
Stardate - 2443
The Engineering Room
The doors of the engineering room slid open and Sebastian cocked his head up at the huge two-level chamber, complete with a dual level walkway. Tricorders were at the ready of the senior officers as well as the lower ranking officers who bustled in and out of the Engineering Room. For a moment, Sebastian paused his racing mind and smiled. The realization of being an ensign among the senior officers in the Engineering Room filled his cheeks with warmth.
"Ensign?" The Vulcan Lieutenant Doctor, Lareil Shunahd, leaned into him and whispered.
"Yes, Lieutenant?" he said, almost in a trance.
"You're blushing."
"No, I'm not." Sebastian said, touching his flushed cheeks.
"You are blushing! What's going on, Bastian?" Chief Science Officer, Nathaniel Hunter said with a huge grin, "You feeling a little big for your britches there, my friend?" Nathaniel let out a laugh that ripped through the chambers of the Engineering Room. The other officers all stopped to see the entire helm crew standing in Engineering. Even the Chief Commander Engineer, Ren Emzad, paused to look down over a beam at Nathaniel with a scowl.
"There you go causing scenes, Nate." Captain Rexyn, the Weapons Officer of the USS Icarus remarked, stiffening up her spine. She was imposing and beautiful, more Aenarian than Talaxian, more tough than welcoming. Her eyebrow arched at the Science Officer and she pursed her lips in disapproval. "Maybe you need to take this as serious as Sebastian is." And with that, she took a step forward into the Engineering while Ren climbed down one of the ladders to meet his co-officers.
"Just for the record, I was not blushing. I have fears and being in an Engineering Room with a warp core filled with Borg nanotechnology. It's going to leave a faint Borg trail in space. Someone will be able to pick up a Borg trail. It actually makes us sitting ducks," Sebastian said as he folded his arms against his chest and with that he inched in towards the Vulcan Lieutenant, who remained silent. He looked at her for a moment but her gaze was fixed on the vast room, the officers in and out. Sebastian admired the mystery for a moment, wishing that he could control his human impulses the way that Vulcans could. There would be no need for emotions, for pain, for stress. Just facts. No heart.
"What's up, Beta-nerd?" Nathaniel said with a big smile as he stuck out his hand to Ren Emzad, the empathic Betazoid, in touch with the feelings of other species. Commander Emzad blinked four times, his frown not disappearing, "Come on, you know I was kidding, Ren. I helped you build this. We worked on this for months, together. Don't you think I have the right to see my baby? We gave birth to her together! Isn't she beautiful?"
"Yes, she is beautiful. And you seem to be in a very good mood there, Nate," Ren said, finally taking his hand, shaking it once, then setting his hand at his side. He nodded to the other helm officers, "Are you ready for Admiral Romul of Twelve's arrival? We should make our way to the helm very soon. All systems are a 'go' here in Engineering."
"As ready as I'll ever be, I guess." Sebastian grumbled, unhooking his arms and letting them drop to his side, "This is going to be the best mission ever." He rolled his eyes and turned his back to leave.
"I have a question, Commander Emzat, before we leave to the main helm." Captain Rexyn, "As an Aerian capable of sending out a 'psychic scout' out while I'm in a trance-like state, could I penetrate the forcefield to the warp core and wind up at that station on that second floor walk-way?"
"Was that a question or a Shakespearean aside?" Sebastian enquired out loud to which Nathaniel laughed obnoxiously while Rexyn just glared. Lareil smirked smugly while Ren smiled at the Ensign.
"Well, the way that the Borg nanotechnology works in conjunction with the deuterium is that helps to stop overcooling process by slowing down the heating process, so once the Borg technology got a hold of your 'twin self', it would be frozen inside. You'd probably die," Ren matter-of-factly stated to the Talaxian-Aenarian hybrid, "I wouldn't risk it if I were you."
"There is something to be said about this Borg Trail, though. We are leaving a Borg fingerprint from our energy emissions. Don't you think that's going to raise a red flag when we enter subspace? And are the Borg aware of this? I mean, they have to be. We've had Borg drones that have turned out to be spies and their programming sets back in on a timer of a couple of years and they're off to report to The Collective. That's happened at least a handful of times," Nathaniel commented with an almost petulant whine at the top of his voice. Sebastian picked up on this and gave a quizzical look. Nathaniel was handsome, he was smart, he was a lot of talk.
Geek. That was the only answer that Sebastian could come up with. Perhaps he was not the best fighter but his brain for science must be extraordinary was all that Bastian could figure from his voice. Ren's gaze tightened on Sebastian for a second and their eyes locked, Sebastian immediately looked away, unsure if the Betazoid was telling the truth about his telepathy. In a ship filled with psychic class species, one could not be too careful.
"As the Weapons Captain, do you see any reasoning behind this?" The Lieutenant Doctor asked of Rexyn, who was lost in her own thoughts about the warp core.
"Strategically speaking? I guess it makes sense. If another ship picks up on a Borg signal, they might not be so willing to engage in combat especially if this mission is for peace. Then again, knowing that the Akritirians keep their prisoners in that chute doesn't exactly make me feel like they're the most peaceful of peoples." Rexyn said, shifting in her Starfleet boots to walk closer to the chamber of the warp core, admiring the pale turquoise glow emanating from its case.
"Regardless, we can't interfere. How the Akritirians choose to handle their penal system is up to them. We are not allowed to dictate how they handle their prisoners. It is very common in many species' culture for physical punishment for their crimes. As inhumane as it sounds, even early humans were subjected to physical torture in order to extract information. That's why Starfleet makes sure to train all of its cadet on how to handle a hostage crisis on both sides of the fence," Sebastian said with some pride. At times, it felt good to be the expert on the topic at hand. It gave him a sense of belonging amongst the higher ranking officials of the Icarus.
"It's savagery. To make your prisoners fight in an isolated vessel, have them bathe in their own filth without giving them the chance at a pardon is barbaric," Rexyn said, eying a Klingon cadet with malice in her eyes before turning back to the group.
"Sounds like heaven to me," Nathaniel jested, "I'd be able to show those guys what I'm really made of then."
"You wouldn't last a minute. You failed hand-to-hand combat at the Academy." Rexyn said with a scoff.
"So what?"
"Twice!"
"So what? The minute that I put my hand on a phaser, everyone wants to be my best friend!"
"That's because they're afraid you're going to take an eye out."
"I feel as though we are all going to be late for Admiral Romul of Twelve's arrival to the helm if we do not hurry. He is set to arrive in another thirty minutes," the Lieutenant Doctor's voice cut through the squabble.
"Oh great, here we go to meet our doom," Nathaniel mumbled.
"Cheer up, soldier," Rexyn said, giving him a hard pat on the back before walking through the group and out of the engineering room doors.
"Can you report her, please? For abuse, Lieutenant?" Nathaniel said as his right hand reached over his shoulder to rub the spot she had hit.
"I saw nothing, Chief Hunter," Lareil said with a quirked brow and a shaking head as she followed the weapons officer out, followed by Nathaniel, who left with his head bowed.
"So, how sure are you that this is going to work?" Sebastian said to Ren, who were the last two standing by the doors.
"I don't really know. You humans say an interesting thing. 'Cross your fingers', right?" Ren asked, his gaze unmoving from Sebastian's own dark green eyes. A half smile on Commander Emzad's face made a drop of sweat form on Sebastian's brow. He quickly brushed it off and then ran his hands down his warm, bald head.
"You forgot the worst part of that phrase," Sebastian reminded him, "Cross your heart, hope to die, there's a needle getting stuck in someone's eye. It's awful. Doesn't come highly recommended." Sebastian laughed a little too loud, nervously.
"You seem…"
"What?"
"A lot calmer, I'm noticing." Commander Emzad remarked as he examined the ensign from head to toe then brushed his hands through his raven hued hair.
"Yeah, I mean, once we meet the Admiral, anything can happen."
"Can I give you a word of advice, Bastian? Can I call you Bastian, now?"
"Sure, why not? Chief Hunter already does," Sebastian said with a resigned shrug.
"Talk… less," Ren said with a small smirk before passing the Ensign and following the group out.
"Wait for me!" Sebastian cried out before turning on the heel of his boot and breaking out into a sprint right out of the Engineering Room to follow his fellow officers to the helm of the Icarus.