A man's world no more

Posted on Fri Apr 3rd, 2020 @ 9:56pm by Lieutenant Junior Grade Amanda Turell & Fleet Admiral Donatella Figueroa

Mission: S01E05 ConQstador
Location: Main engineering

"Can someone grab me a pair of J-27A relays." Amanda called out from part way inside a jefferies tube access hatch. Though she still wasn't up to date with the new ship she had to get cracking with inspections and preparations for the ships departure.

"Coming up Lieutenant." A voice replied and soon a crewman approached.

Amanda looked out of the hatchway and smiled at the young crewman, "Thank you.... Jenkins?"

"Walker Sir, but you're welcome." Walker said as he handed her the relays.

"Sorry Walker, still trying to figure out who is who around here. Not used to this many people in engineering." Amanda told him, a ship with over 200 people all completely unknown to her she was bound to get some of them mixed up.

Walker smiled slightly. "That's alright, we've all been there, it takes more than a few days to meet everyone."

"That it does," Amanda replied. "Carry on."

"Aye Sir." Walker turned and headed off.

Amanda crawled back into the jefferies tube being careful to not rip her tights on the plating.

Fig had only become subtly acquainted with the new USS Musashi-A, the successor of her previous Command in which she had spent years commanding, giving her: blood, sweat, and tears. She had taken it into many battles against the Klingons, explored uncharted space, apparently both started a war and helped end said war. It was also where she gave birth to her son, right there in the chapel. She was not even sure this Musashi had a chapel. Not that she was spiritual or religious in any sense, but she was curious how different this Sentinel class was from her Ares class. This starship was clearly designed for defense and exploration as opposed to the Ares class which was a downright warship.

With a quick tug of her uniform, Fig stood in the turbolift, taking it down to to deck six of the starship Musashi. There, she could take a corridor straight on through into the upper level of Engineering. The catwalk would offer her a good vantage point of the engineering personnel below and Fig could walk into K'Niras' office which she assumed he was in. She had left Lieutenant th'Zarath in command of the Bridge momentarily.

Accessing the corridor, Fig proceeded onward into the upper interconnecting catwalk that crisscrossed main engineering below. Her uniform was simple. It was her usual green command wrap which she had been wearing since going on maternity leave, dark black trousers, and heavy boots with a slight heel. She was looking forward to giving up the wrap, but she was still working on taking off that leftover baby fat that unplanned motherhood had left her as a reminder of when she could not physically command her starship.

Click-clack, click-clack, click-clack went her boots, the heel tapping a bit against the metallic alloy of the catwalk as Fig crossed through from one side to the other. When she reached the Chief Engineer's office, it was evident that K'Niras was not in. Damn she thought to herself. He must have stepped out for a bit. Maybe a brief bite to eat before we get underway she reasoned.

The Captain leaned over the banister railing of the catwalk, observing several engineers down below. They were busy at work and though her click-clacking had undoubtedly been heard above, it didn't seem like they took notice to the Captain. That was not until she proceeded down the staircase leading down from the Chief Engineer's office to deck seven's main Engineering. It was almost as if she scared the living daylights out of a pale skinned engineer's mate with freckles. "Captain on deck!" he shouted and came to attention while others started to join him and engineers came popping out of Jefferies tube access points like woodchucks emerging from holes in the ground.

"Did I tell you to stop working?" teased the Captain. She smiled broadly and shooed them away from her. "At ease...and go. I need this starship up and running within the next couple of hours. We can deal with formalities later" explained Fig. "Though I do need one of you for a few minutes" added the Captain.

Amanda had been crawling back out of the jefferies tube as she heard the cry of 'captain on deck' and then she saw the other engineers standing at attention for a few moments before the Captain dismissed them. When she heard her say she needed an engineer for a few minutes she decided to go up herself as she was the only officer around that she could see.

"Captain," She said as she approached. "Lt Turell, can I help?"

Always nice to see a woman crawling through jerfferies tubes thought Fig as she greeted the woman with a collected and calm yet approving gaze. "Lieutenant, I was hoping to catch Commander Sh'howul" said Fig, still getting used to the Caitian's recent promotion. "I do not want to interrupt him though. I suspect he's off having a quick bite to eat. I need a status report on Engineering, think you're up to it, Lieutenant?"

"I believe so Captain," Amanda replied confidently even though she was panicking inside, she'd barely been there a day and barely had a clue what was going on.

"Good" replied Fig. She could tell that the woman was nervous. Of course she is. You put her on the spot and she wants to prove herself thought Fig. The Captain stepped forward and placed a gentle hand on the woman's shoulder. "I started off as Yeoman, Lieutenant. I had to take over the navigator's seat in the middle of a dogfight with a hostile vessel. I know what it's like being put on the spot, but you're an engineer. You can do this just fine." said Fig letting go of the woman's shoulder and giving her some space.

Amanda visibly grimaced when Fig put her hand on her weak shoulder but tried not to mention it or flinch. "We're still checking a few systems but so far they're all functioning within parameters but we're working through a couple of niggles in the environmental systems on deck eleven." she started.

"niggles" repeated Fig who found the word amusing and smiled. "I like that. I might add that to my vocabulary. Well, Lieutenant, what can you tell me about your 'niggles' and will they affect the ship any if we disembark to Rigel VII without fixing them?" asked Fig.

She shook her head "Nothing that will affect the ships functions, it could affect the crews moral some though. the temperature controls seem to be fuctioning randomly in several sections, including the mess hall. Suddenly going from a normal temperature to extremely hot or extremely cold."

"Damn," she said in response. "We just took on some seafood containers in one of the cargo bays. Can you try to make sure this problem does not affect them? I would hate for it to spoil" explained Fig. "We have a diplomatic mission slated down the road in a few months, and the species has a primary pescatarian diet. From what I remember seeing, some of the cargo aboard is quite precious and took months to acquire."

Amanda nodded slightly. "It seems to be limited to deck eleven but we'll check the others to be sure. Don't want to be half way to Rigel and have the environmental systems break down."

Fig nodded "Accurate" she replied. "I get moody if it is too hot or too cold, but not as much as I did when I was pregnant; however, we have some Andorians aboard and they might like it to start icing over on the Bridge albeit I wouldn't put it past my helmsmen to be intoxicated enough to try and lick the frozen railing." she mused.

"That would be an interesting sight." Amanda chuckled slightly. "Other than that, everything seems to be a-okay, we'll be ready to go when you give the word."

"Great" she replied. "Now tell me, how are things running down here with the rest of the engineers? Not to be sexist, but I look around this and many engine rooms and a Captain rarely sees any women in Engineering."

"There are a few here and there, though unless there is one I've not seen yet I appear to be the only one on your ship." Amanda said, she hadn't met all the engineers yet but the Captains statement was accurate, female engineers were few are far between.

"It was crewed before I took Command" replied Captain Figueroa with a small sigh. "I hope it isn't too difficult down here being the only woman. My previous command had had more women in Engineering than this."

Amanda hummed slightly. "I'll have to see how it goes on this ship but it does have it's advantages and a few problems."

Fig nodded. She understood all too well what it was like. "I was in your boots more than once, Lieutenant. In some ways, I still am" commented the Captain as she looked around. "Twenty-third century as it may be, they still treat it like a man's world on the final frontier. There are not too many women engineers aboard starships. I don't dare think the ratio of female academy graduates to men, and the Captain's chair is much like engineering. I've been subtly told on more than one occasion that a woman shouldn't be near a Captain's chair let alone sitting in it, unless she's bringing him food or beverage."

"Men will be men," Amanda simply replied. "There is something I want to ask you though Captain."

"Of course, Lieutenant" replied Captain Figueroa. "What is on your mind?" she asked, curious as to what the engineer had to ask.

"The female officer uniform is not the best for engineering duties, back on the Exeter I caught many of the male crew craning their necks to try and look up my skirt whenever I bent over." Amanda started to explain, she'd noticed that Fig was wearing pants instead of the skirt but as she was Captain she likely got to choose whatever she wanted.

Fig snorted but shook off what was teetering on a fit of laughter. "Lieutenant," she said addressing the engineer "I know what you mean and that will not fly on my starship. They are trying out these more vibrant colored uniforms with the skirt and leggings, but do not feel obligated to wear that uniform. It was clearly designed by some silver fox male Admiral with too much damn time on his hands and nothing better to do than assert his patriarchal might over the designers. Wear the pants with it instead or find a variant that you are comfortable with. I'm not going to have one of my engineers being made to feel uncomfortable."

"Thank you Captain." Amanda smiled glad she was familiar with the situation.

Fig leaned in closer to Amanda, whispering into the lieutenant's ear "I have those damn uniforms, but I will wear them if I'm dealing with an old crochedy male in Admiralty" whispered Fig. "A woman has to know when to use her assets to her advantage, but then I'm out of that uniform quicker than this ship can go to warp."

Amanda couldn't help but laugh a little, then sighed contently. "I think I'm going to like it here Captain."

"I certainly hope so, lieutenant" replied the Captain who adjusted her uniform and gave it a swift tug. "Now, it looks like you have a busy shift ahead of you and bunch of men looming around here to serve them some humble pie and show that you more than belong on this starship and to wear any uniform of your damn choosing."

Amanda smiled again, the Captain seemed like she was 'a good sport' as her father would say but she wondered how she'd be when the phasers started flying. "Is there anything else I can help you with Captain?"

"Not at the moment, Lieutenant" replied the Captain. "I just came for a quick look around and a general rundown on how things were coming" she added.

"Then, with your permission Captain." With the deadline fast approaching Amanda wanted to get back to work.

Fig smiled. "As you were, Lieutenant. Carry on" she replied promptly.

"Aye Captain." Amanda turned away and headed back towards the jefferies tube she'd left.