Deck 5 Shenanigans

Posted on Tue Apr 30th, 2024 @ 4:27pm by Ensign Connor Turner & Ensign Millicent Ambrose
Edited on on Tue Apr 30th, 2024 @ 8:08pm

0 words; about a 1 minute read

Mission: Episode 15 - The Evil That Lies Beneath
Location: Deck 5 - USS Pioneer
Timeline: MD003 1000 hrs

After accepting the Gamma lead, Connor made a beeline over to Deck 5. Not knowing where exactly Millie was, he touched his commbadge and started to call out, but could not remember Millie's last name. There only had to be one Millie in engineering, right? So, he said, "Computer, what is the name of Ensign with the first name of Millie or Millicent in engineering?"

The computer answered, "Ensign Millicent Ambrose."

"Thank you, Computer," Connor obediently replied. He then touched his commbadge and said, =^= Ensign Ambrose, uh, Millie, uh, this is Connor. Where, um, can I find you? Are you still on Deck 5? =^=

Millie was inside the Jefferies tube, examining a panel cover that had fallen off. She tapped on her commbadge. =^= I am in the jefferies tube, Connor, taking a look at a false reading of one of the relay systems. Communi-=^= her com signal cut off then.

The abrupt end to the communication was a shock to Connor. That should not happen. He decided to try to reach her again. =^= What Jeffries Tube junction, Millie? Your communication cut off. =^= If he did not get a response, he was going to ask the computer next. It should know her location.

Connor hopped into a turbolift and said, "Deck 5, please." The turbolift started moving towards deck 5.

Millie on the other hand was glaring at the communications relay, wanting to just kick it to see if it would even work. Giving a sigh she started to head to where she can exit the Jefferies tube when her com blazed back to life.

=^=Hello h-hello Connor? I am at Junction 11. Can you hear me?=^= Millie anxiously hoped he got the message.

=^= I can hear you.=^= Connor noticed the tremor in Millie's voice. What was wrong? He had to get to her. Once the turbolift opened, he darted towards the first tube that would have the shortest route to Millie. =^=Are you alright? Do you need medical attention? =^=

=^= No I don't need medical attention just that the comms went out for a moment. Kinda spooked me, especially since it said things were working properly. =^= Millie stated.

A relieved voice returned, =^= Almost there. =^= Connor climbed up into the tubes and headed towards Junction 11. Millie could here the thunk, thunk of someone crawling towards her within the tubes. "Millie?" Connor called out as he closed in on the junction.

Millie gave out a deep relieved sigh, "I am right here." her voice echoing through the tube. "I am so glad to see you," she informed Connor, giving him a bit of a smile. "There are some strange things going on as what Elen had said." She straightened out her tool belt so that it could sit better around her waist.

Connor did not look towards Millie's waist. He just considered the problem at hand and was relieved to see that the malfunction was just that, and not Millie being injured. "Right, then. So, why don't you tell me from the beginning what happened? There has to be a logical explanation for all of it. Bogeymen and gremlins don't exist."

"Well you would be surprised at those who take a small comfort in putting to blame to something causing the glitches. For something that has an unexplainable reason." Millie replied. "Though there are at times something that seems to 'haunt' an area creating a mysterious electrical signal when there is no one around. Humans do give off their own electrical field, so to speak. And if you have seen any ghost hunter sort of shows, they are able to register the unseen with a device."

"I come from England," Connor answered. "We supposedly have all sorts of ghosts. York is supposedly the most haunted city on Earth. That's far from where I grew up, but none of that has ever made me believe in a ghost."

The British engineer seemed to have little issue talking to Millie at the moment. He did not consider whether it was work related, whether he was getting comfortable with her, or whether it was something else. "So, let's sort this out."

"I have seen a ghost," Millie said softly as she turned to examine the internal sensor that was nearby. "This thing has been registering that someone had come this way, while I have been here, and I have not seen anyone there, nor heard anything. And I am awake."

"Perhaps this area is locked with another dimension or that someone is out of phase with us. It has happened before."

"Okay so, how are we going to figure this out?" Millie asked.

There was a bang down a ways from both Connor and Millie, like a piece of metal dropping. Millie twitched, hearing that sound. "That better not be that hatch way I had just closed up earlier. This is getting quite ridiculous," she fumed slightly.

"Only one way to find out, let's crawl over there and see what happened," Connor reasoned. "And let's compare readings to what you had before and what is there now, if it undid your repair."

Millie gave him a nod, and then started crawling in the direction where she had done some repair work on the hatch. When they neared it, Millie grumbled. "What the heck?" The hatchway door was missing a fastener, and it was hanging askew.

"I had that aligned just like it should have been, what happened? "

"It appears that a fastener is missing. Did you forget it?" Connor asked logically. He also started looking around the area, trying to find any objects lying around in the tube with them.

The fastener was found several feet away from where it was supposed to be. Millie just gaped where it was found. "I seriously am hoping we do not have a gremlin on the ship. Why is it here, could it be due to the closeness of the Nebula?" Millie queried.

"Nebula?" Connor thought about everything and recalled that some of the mission had to do with a nebula. "Normally most nebula problems come from being within it." He thought for a moment. "We should take some readings. Then, we could check with science to see if there's something that could cause this," he offered.

"That sounds like a good idea. I am just not liking this one bit, not at all," Millie responded, going over to where the offending fastener lay. "Just what are you doing here?!" Then she gave a little bit of a gasp as if feeling icy fingers trailing down her spine.

Connor giggled at Millie scolding the fastener, understanding why she would do so. He then turned himself around in the Jeffries tube to head out. But once Millie gasped, he turned towards Millie. "What's wrong?" he asked concerned.

Her face was pale, and she shivered. "I just felt something cold running down my back, like icy fingers. Uh I'll fix the fastener once more then we can leave." Millie responded.

Connor took out a tricorder and started scanning the area, especially where Millie felt the cold shiver, hoping to get some explanation.

Millie picked up the fastener and went back to the hatchway, where she pulled out the laser welder to attach it once more. "I could have sworn I just did this earlier before you arrived, Connor. " this time making certain it was done just right.

There was a fluctuation of some sort of energy, and a definite cold patch if you will that was there. Millie turned to Connor, "Okay that is taken care of. " She then took a couple of images of that hatch just to make sure there was more evidence that she did her job. Then she kissed three fingers and placed them onto where the fastener had been fixed. "Okay there you go; all better now and don't break, again." She gently chided the fastener as well as the hatch. Looking towards Connor, "Okay I think we can leave this area now. I've got to get back to my other duties."

Someone other than Connor would likely have found Millie's behaviors of kissing the fastener or chiding it rather unusual. However, Connor was Connor and for him, talking to a computer was a normal, every day occurrence. Consequently, he did not comment on Millie's behavior or be concerned by it. What did concern him were the unusual readings. He verbally thought, "Hmmm," before acknowledging Millie. "Other duties, right...." He started crawling out of the Jeffries Tube, determined to understand the readings he took.

Once they were out, he remembered that he should probably interact more. "Oh, what other duties do you have today?"

"Just need to check the plasma conduits. This level has a lot of important facets to the ship. As in medical, holo suites, including the primary sensor arrays. Gotta make certain that if there is something wrong, like a piece of connector is in disrepair then it needs to be replaced and even make certain power is flowing properly." Millie had a serious expression in her eyes.

"Of course," Connor acknowledged. "And, well, I should probably, well, get out of your way." His nose buried itself in the PADD trying to find a rationale for what he was reading on it. "You, uh, well, know where to find me if you, um, need anything."

Millie gave a nod. "Yup, I can call you on the comms," she replied giving him a smile. "I'll see you later, and also hopefully that hatch stays repaired." With that Millie headed the opposite direction that Connor was going. She stopped and turned. "Thank you, Connor, I appreciate the fact you came to check on me." She wore a broad smile.

"Right! Well, um, it is my job, innit?" Connor asked shuffling uncomfortably. "Um, see you soon...." With that, Connor turned on his heels and left with his face stuck in the PADD, not knowing why he felt the need to depart quickly.

A Joint Post By

Ensign Millicent Ambrose
Engineer, USS Pioneer

Ensign Connor Turner
Computer Systems Specialist, USS Pioneer

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