A quiet corner

Posted on Wednesday June 22nd, 2022 @ 10:55am by Lieutenant Finchley Kerr & Lieutenant Steven Edgeware

Mission: Days of Our Lives
Location: Mess
Timeline: Current.

[ON]

-Mess-

Once again the spectre of things being rushed , so the Oberon could launch in time, came to pinch Steven’s arm. The bio bed problem was not something that should still be occurring. Especially after quite a few months since they launch.

Steven needed to get away from sickbay for a while. So he headed for the Mess. It seemed like he was always ending up there. Was it anger at all the faults or something else?

Was he suffering from PTSD after the loss of DS3? Maybe that was why he was always ending up in the mess hall. Looking out the window at space. With a rapidly cooling mug of coffee at his elbow?

Finchley came into the Mess hall, needing to clear his head from having been in Engineering. He ordered himself a cup of tea and looked around for a place to sit. Noticing Stephen sat by one of the windows, he walked over, and gesturing to the empty seat opposite him asked "May I?"

Steven gave the XO a nod.

“ Yes. But I warn you, I may not be good company Commander.” Steven warned.

"Thank you" Finchley said as he sat down "I'm off duty now, so just Finchley. You seem a little bit annoyed, may I ask what's happened?"

Steven to a sip before speaking.

“ Well. Finchley you did ask. It’s the bio beds. They need extensive calibrating once installed. But did the engineers who put this ship together do that? No they left that to the last minute. Meaning that it was rushed. Now every time a different raced crewmen uses a bio bed. It’s scanning system gets scrambled. We almost gave a crewmen a colonoscopy. When they did not need one. Plus when I contacted engineering.I am told our CEO has gone AWOL. So we have to wait until the only other qualified bio bed calibration expert. Has finished running a second stage diagnostic on the Replicator system. Because someone complained their fish and chips were to salty..” Steven replied

"That's an easy fix" Finchley replied, and tapped his COMM badge "Commander Kerr to Main Engineering duty Officer."

The reply was almost immediate "Lieutenant Croy here Commander, how can I help you Sir?"

"Lieutenant Croy, next duty roster, have an engineering team report to Lieutenant Edgeware in Sickbay" Finchley said "All the biobeds need calibrating. This is a top priority, is that understood?"

"Yes Commander, understood, the team will be there promptly for the next duty roster beginning" Croy replied "Is there anything else I can help you with Sir?"

"Just make sure the engineering team don't leave till Lieutenant Edgeware is completely satisfied every biobed is working to his satisfaction, Kerr out" Finchley concluded the conversation, closing the link.

Turning back to Steven he said "I hope this meets with your approval Steven?"

“ Thank you Finchley. You know sometimes I think they rushed us out to hush things up.” Steven said.

"You're welcome" Finchley replied. He looked at Steven, a slight concern in his voice as he added "You do know that if you want to talk about what happened, I'm always available to listen. I obviously wasn't around when the situation with DS3 happened, and you were all transferred to the USS Oberon, I can only speculate as to how things must have seemed then and how you feel now. I still have all my contacts at Starfleet Intelligence, truth be told, I'm still on retainer...but keep that to yourself, I believe I can trust you with that information, so if you wish me to dig into the launch of the Oberon, try to find out if it was a rush job or not?"

Steven was reminded of a story he had heard. About one of his childhood friends uncle. Back home in Ballybrack, Ireland on Earth. The man had disappeared and his family behaved like he had just vanished into thin air. But when his friend was older he started to dig into what had happened to him. It turned out his uncle had murdered a women. Who had spurned his advances and her family had dealt out their own justice.

He shook his head.

“ No Finchley I think this is a case of let sleeping dogs alone.” He replied

"As you wish Steven" Finchley replied "but if other things are going wrong then I will want to know myself, we simply can't have the ship going out on a mission with things not working one hundred percent."

He took a sip of his tea and said "Apart from the biobeds not working properly, is everything else alright, and I'm not necessarily meaning with the equipment?"

Steven took a sip.

“ Do you ever think about your own mortality?” Steven asked.

Finchley looked at Steven, and with a straight forward reply said "No, not really. When I was recruited to Starfleet Intelligence, my drill Instructor told me that the way he best coped with that kind of situation is to think that your card's already marked, and that at some point, you'll cop it. That way, you're able to function as you should, and not have any fear of dying. I'm not meaning that I don't care about my life, like anyone else, of course I do, but having that release of care helps you focus on the job at hand. One job at a time, if you get through it, great, if you cop it, at least you'll have tried your best. I don't know if that answers your question or not? Why do you ask?"

Steven was about to speak when his comm. badge chirped.

=/\= Doctor Edgware please report to sickbay please.=/\=

“ Must be Ensign Burriwd her twins are due today. I must go Finchley another time sir. Another time.” He said standing up.

Finchley stood up as well, saying "Yes, of course Doctor, just let me know."

He watched as Steven left, hoping he was alright. He liked him, and hoped that he knew he was able to come to Finchley at any time, with any matter.

[OFF]


Lieutenant Finchley Kerr
Executive Officer
USS Oberon

&

Lieutenant Dr Steven Edgware
Chief Medical Officer
USS Oberon