Quartermaster Delivery

Posted on Fri Mar 31st, 2017 @ 2:14am by Lieutenant Commander Jean Reynard & Petty Officer 3rd Class Jordan Cassidy

Episode: Preparations
Location: Highlander
Timeline: MD-15

ON:

==USS Highlander==
==0700==

All her life Jordan, during the regular absense of her parents due to their time consuming careers, had her brothers to watch over her, and stand by her no matter what the situation was. Good or bad. Irish blood ran thick and true in the Cassidys. She could always count on them to come and pick her up if her hover vehicle broke down after late night classes.
So, it was no surprise that during her time at the Academy Jordan acquired some foes as well as friends. Some of her own provoking, others that underestimated her petiteness for weakness not realizing otherwise until they were lying on their backs staring up at the lighting.
Thankfully, that hadn't occured very often to the relief of both Jordan and the Administration. Having an elder brother in Starfleet helped smooth things over to a degree, but, Jordan made it a point to keep her focus on her studies and to graduate. Not be expelled.
Now a couple years after her first assignment, Jordan stood in the shuttlebay of the mighty Terran station of the Milky Way. Ready to embark on new adventures with her new assignment aboard the Intrepid-class Highlander. A class she always had a space in her heart for. Small, yet strong in its own way. Like herself. Jordan had a feeling they'd get along just fine.

After a short shuttle ride to the shipyard where the Highlander was getting her much needed and necessary refitting, a ride Jordan had wished would've lasted a wee bit long to get her nerves under control, the shuttle entered the opened awaiting bay and nestled in its assigned spot. One by one its passengers emerged, Jordan being one of them and she walked down the ramp slowly as she took in everything around her. A madhouse of engineers and techs and flight deck personnel.

"Petty Officer Cassidy?"

"Yes?" Jordan's mezmorizing moment was broken by the Tellarite security officer standing in front of her.

"You're to report to Lieutenant Commander Reynard." He said gruffly.

"Oh, umm of course. Thank you, Sir."

Jordan shifted her duffle on her shoulder and headed towards the lift in hopes of finding her Operations Chief. No doubt in her mind that he'd put her to work right away.

The lift deposited her at the far forward end of the engineering hull, in a section lit only by a string of temporary lights along the ceiling. The corridor ended with a large open section - not so much a door, although the frame for one was leaning nearby, as a gap in the wall - through which the top end of a computer core could be seen. Oddly enough, so could a pair of boots and someone's legs up to his knees. Jean was, in fact, more or less floating upside down and head-first inside an open equipment pit.

"Could whoever's there hand me the 4mm optical patch cable? Green one, on the left," he called out, hearing footsteps. He waved his hand up and just clear of the deck. "And watch the gravity, it's still disabled inside the compartment!"

To say the ship was in disarray was putting it lightly. It seemed to Jordan as she stepped off the lift not an inch of the interior wasn't being welded, cut or fitted with some structure. At the unexpected sight of floating limbs and mention of the lack of gravity, one of her hands quickly extended outward to grab hold of anything stationery. 'Umm, yes, I see it." She eyed a pile of components and cable. And, seeing the needed green cable, picked it up and handed it up to the waiting hand. "Here you go." She had no clue as to the rank of the individual.

"Would you know where I can find Lieutenant Commander Reynard?" She sidestepped to avoid being run over by a very focused engineer carrying tools before standing on her tippy toes to try and hopefully see more of the owner to the voice. "I'm Petty Officer Jordan Cassidy. I'm supposed to report to him."

"That'd be me," Jean said, connecting wire into the engine control circuit. He pushed himself up and then flipped around to be facing right-side up relative to the room. "Cassidy, Cassidy... the new quartermaster, right?"

Jordan felt herself stiffen at the sudden enlightenment of the crewman was actually her superior. "I...yes, I am...Sir." She watched with amusement as he gracefully maneuvered around.

"Sorry about the mess, we just ripped out the entire original deflector array, half a cargo bay, and a lavatory to fit this silly thing in," Jean said, gesturing to the new computer core. "Let's take this somewhere a little less dark and depressing."

Though she wanted to reply, the words that formed in her brain for some reason refused to travel any further and never made it to her mouth which snapped shut as no words came out. She could only nod and followed Jean obediantly.
Eventually, as they worked their way through the construction. Jordan ducking and dodging, the delayed words trickled downward. "I heard the ship was undergoing a refit, but, I didn't realize it was so...extensive." Her eyes darted around while highstepping over conduits and cables of all sizes snaking their way along the decking.

"It's all part of our mission to the Delta Quadrant," Jean explained. "There's an engine upgrade, which is why we need an extra computer core. The main deflector, too, phasers, main sensors, power grid and computer network to support all that - really, it'd probably be shorter to say what's not being touched at all."

Jordan hestitated in her step but only slightly as she heard him say 'Delta Quadrant'. Prior to being assigned to the Highlander, there'd been conversations about a ship heading there, though Jordan didn't know which one. Until now. "Wow. I mean, this all makes sense now, Commander." She was still trying to take in the fact the inside of the Highlander hardly resembled an Intrepid-class. Hardly resembled much of anything other than a maze of temporary corridors of and entryways. Some off limits without special EVA or hazmat equipment. It wasn't pretty.

"I'm ready to jump in whereever you need me, Commander." She stated maybe a little too eagerly. "I have quarters on the Starbase unless you want me to stay here...but, that might...not be possible." She said after realizing what the rest of the ship would probably look like.

"Not unless you want to eat combat rations," Jean said with a laugh. "Replicators are down while the central recycling buffers are upgraded to a more efficient model. Also, your predecessor was a basically a giant iguana and slept in a big box of sand, so your quarters probably aren't too comfortable until you can get that changed out."

Jordan winced visibly at the sudden imagery that came to mind. And making a solid mental note of an overhaul to her quarters. Must've been a Saurian. She surmised. But, Having lived on New Vega all of her life, there weren't many opportunities for meeting a variety of other species. She also noted that the Commander was nothing of what she expected. He seemed easy going in her eyes with a sense of humor. A plus. "What's the ETA of completion, Commander?" She brushed a sheet of hanging plastic type covering to the side of their path as they continued on. "I realize it won't be in the next few days." She said with a smile.

"About two months to trials, if we stay on schedule. Not as long as we should have, but that's the breaks."

"Where are we heading that's actually still safe and quiet?"

"Your office," Jean said, leading her into a room. It looked suspiciously like someone had stuck a pair of desks into an empty storage locker. "Temporary office, that is, because your actual office is located next to the main fab bay and it's been deconstructed as part of the replicator overhaul." He shrugged apologetically. "There's space station-side if you want it, but you'll probably find this is more convenient."

She stepped slowly inside as the lights came on just enough to see. "No, this will be fine, really Commander." She turned to face Jean. "No sense in being away from where I'm needed running back and forth, right?"

"Exactly my thought. Fortunately my own office - next deck up and forward a section - is already back in working order. Strange how that happened."

"I'll need a computer to work from with PADDs, but, the time we'll be here will give me the opportunity to look into contacts and getting to know the station Quartermaster." She drew a breath. "And, any one else that'll help me get supplies and other...things." Her eyes seemed to sparkle at that implication. "One thing my brothers taught me was to learn how to be independant and make friends in low..erm, different places." She lifted her fist to her lips and coughed.

"I'll give you a list of things we need and try not to ask to many questions," Jean told her, taking the age-old attitude of an officer in his position. "Your officemate is PO Stiles, he can get you set up with equipment and show you around the ship. I'd do it myself, but there are about fifty things that need my person attention at any given time."

"No, I understand, Commander. I appreciate your taking time to get me here safely." Jordan smiled with an empathic nod. "I like to get ahead of things if at all possible so there'll be less to tackle once we depart." She had wondered why the two desks, and now she knew. "I suppose while we're still under refit if anyone needs changes or certain things now would be a good time to let me know." She tipped her head to one side. "Is there anything you need, Commander?"

"No, but I'll send you a list of priorities," Jean said, shaking his head. "If you need anything, just call. I'll be on and off the ship but I shouldn't be leaving Mars without warning. If I don't answer, the department yeoman has my schedule."

Having barely traversed New Vega or even Earth, the thought of going to the Delta Quadrant was overwhelming to say the least for Jordan.  "The yeoman, yes. I'll...look her up. And, Stiles, too. Definitely need to get with him. It's a him right? Sorry, I haven't actually looked at the roster."

"Don't worry about that," Jean said, waving the concern away. He could barely keep track of the new arrivals himself. "There's been a lot of changes, and are probably going to be more."

"I suppose I'll get situated and make sure my things stay on the station then. Umm, you wouldn't happen to know where Petty Officer Stiles might be would you, Commander?"

"He should be doing software calibrations on the auxiliary deflector," Jean said. "That or the upper sensor platform. Deck four or six, foreward section. Anything else?"

She shook her head. "No, I'm good, Commander. Thank you."

"Well, welcome aboard. I look forward to working with you."

Jordan smiled. "Same here, Commander."

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