[Transporter Room 1 - Deck One - USS Detector]
The confinement beam released Tedros Chisulo, and he inhaled his first
breath of recycled air. Recycled air held a metallic taste for him,
but not one that was unwelcome. After years in service as a
non-commissioned marine, and eventually a naval officer, Chisulo had
gotten used to the taste and aroma of starship air. It was part of the
"home" environment for him.
The Captain stepped off the transporter platform and nodded to the
transporter chief in gratitude as he turned toward the yellow-collared
Commander that was there to greet him.
As Rick awaited Chisulo's arrival, he started to feel a little
saddened about handing over the ship to someone else. It was a silly
thing, he realized, but he had become somewhat obsessed with the ship.
Maybe it was that, while working on the Detector, he started to feel
useful again. The little ship gave him renewed confidence that he now
realized that he had previously lost. He had felt that the Detector
had become his, but he knew better. And now the ship would serve the
purpose he and his team had quickly prepared her for.
That gave him a since of pride.
As soon as Chisulo materalized onto the transporter pad, he took a
couple of steps forward.
"Captain Chisulo, I Commander Rick Rodgers. Welcome aboard the
Detector. It pleasure to meet you."
"The pleasure is mine, Commander Rodgers." Chisulo replied. "Your
reputation as an engineer proceeds you. It looks as if you've wasted
no time in getting the Detector in order. I appreciate the promptness
of your team's execution."
"It not take as long to complete work as expected," Rick said. "And we
able to move up needed tests."
"Would you care to give me a tour?" The tactical advisor asked. If he
were going to have to command this ship to lead a task group into
battle, then he would need to get a better feel for the vessel than
just running over the schematics.
"Of course. If you will follow me."
Rick led Chisulo out of the transporter room. The african Captain
followed the engineer down the narrow corridors of hte defiant-like
ship. Like most ships of her type, the accomodations were more spartan
than the larger cruisers - a nice way of saying utilitarian, or drab.
With the full crew compliment aboard, Chisulo would be the only
officer with his own private quarters. Everyone else aboard would more
than likely be forced to have a room mate.
"She as quick and manuvable as any Defiant-class ship," Rick said as
they walked through one of the corridors. "With improvements on
defensive systems, including better shields and new ablative armor,
she can take a beating. Even so, she not able to dish out much of one.
Probably not good idea to duke it out with anything bigger than
fighter."
"We will have other ships to give 'the beating'." Chisulo replied as
he glanced at a master systems display as the continued down the
hallway. "What anti-detection capabilities does she have?"
"We able to install cloaking device that we ... ah ... acquired," Rick
said. "Starbase unable to detect us on return from tests. So, it work
well enough."
Chisulo nodded in acknowledgement as he continued to follow the
commander down the corridor.
"It her sensors that make her stand out," Rick said as they arrived at
one of the sensor control rooms. "She loaded with them when we found
her. Most were pretty advanced, even by today standards. We able to
improve on outdated ones. She can match and even excel any ship in
fleet. Also, unlike other Defiants, she has own science labs to better
utilitize sensor data. That should help make her excellent command
ship."
"No doubt it will, Commander." Chisulo replied. "Your work thus far
has been impeccable, Commander Rodgers. I will forward positive notes
on to Commander Ohmsford and Commodore Guzman. I have only one
question."
"Captain?"
"I need your recommendation for a chief engineer on this upcoming
mission. This is a unique ship that requires an individual familiar
with her systems. I need someone you can trust to keep her in one
piece until our return." Chisulo said. They had stopped in the middle
of an empty hallway, halfway between Deck two's infirmary and Main
Engineering access.
"Well, that a bit tricky. No one on team has had much time to get
familiar with her."
He thought for a long moment, considering his options. Rick
automatically ruled himself out since he was not permitted to serve as
a chief engineer. Of course, he probably knew more about the ship than
anyone else, maybe with the exception with those who were on the
original team decades ago.
"Lieutenant Karn was team leader and had to have better broad
knowledge of ship than anyone else," Rick finally said. "Though he
assign to shipyard detail, he probably best choice."
"I'll see what strings I can pull then." Chisulo replied as he made
remarks on his padd. He looked up after a moment. "Well, Commander.
Show me the bridge."
"Right this way, Captain," Rick said, feeling kind of envious of Karn.
Commander Rick Rodgers
Assistant Engineering Officer
Starbase UNITY
and
Captain Tedros Chisulo
Tactical Advisor
SSF First Taskforce
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