By Dabin Reece
80202.1600
Time: After Time for a Change
--=Bridge, USS Serendipity=--
80202.1600
Time: After Time for a Change
--=Bridge, USS Serendipity=--
"Am I too late for the party?"
Dabin Reece entered the ready room, carrying a small container filled with Special Ops bugs. Salvek, Dalca, and O'Sullivan were already there, with their own containers on the Captain's desk. Dabin set his down next to the other two.
"Total, Commander?" Salvek asked.
"Well I found 15 and a few Easter eggs." Reece said proudly.
"Ten." said Dalca. O'Sullivan had eleven bugs in his container.
"Sixteen." Said Salvek.
"Like hell! Let me see." Reece pulled off the lid of Salvek's "One, two..." Reece shuffled around the bugs mumbling as he counted. "Sixteen. Captain he cheated! He took the ones Jariel found, he doesn't get to count those!"
Liis held up her hand to silence the Trill. It was a maneuver she had used many times and would likely use many more. "In the interest of getting on with our lives, I'm afraid I'm going to have to agree with Mr. Reece and declare him the winner, of his imaginary contest."
"Haha!" Reece laughed at Salvek.
"You best be careful there lad. Even a Vulcan has his limits." O'Sullivan warned.
"Mister Dalca. Would you please see to it that these, things, are put someplace safe? I have a feeling they may be evidence someday." Liis said.
"With pleasure, Captain." Dalca stacked the containers and left the ready room.
"Would you like to know what you've won Dabin?" Zanh asked.
"Yeah, bring it!"
"You've won the right to go down to the Alchemy bay to ask Lair Kellyn when the ship will be ready."
Dabin's smile turned into a frown. "Captain, I humbly withdraw my accusation the Commander Salvek cheated. He is the rightful winner, fair and square."
"Sorry, all judgments are final. Dismissed, Commander."
"Thump thump." Dabin mumbled as he headed for the exit.
"What was that, lad?" O'Sullivan asked.
"Oh sorry, that was just the sound of Dabin being thrown under the bus." Reece said.
"One more thing, Commander." Liis asked before he could go. Dabin stopped and turned towards her.
"Given the instability of Beta-626, how confident are you that even with our shields and the best pilot in the fleet, that we won't be faced with a situation where the Alchemy, or Sera, is caught in a trap it cannot escape?"
Reece was silent for a moment, his eyes looking up at the ceiling, as if calculating numbers in his head. He looked back down at the Captain but wasn't exactly sure how he wanted to phrase what needed to be said.
"Your stunned silence is very reassuring, Commander." Zanh said.
Reece left without saying a word. A short turbolift ride later he was in the Alchemy bay. Yellow shirted engineers were scurrying about in every direction. Reece just tried not to slam into anyone as he looked for Lair Kellyn.
He already knew what she was going to say: "It will be done when it is done Mr. Reece. If you would like it done faster, the hydrospanner is right over there. I suggest you get to work."
Dabin saw Rada Dengar heading his way and figured this may be his opportunity to avoid a confrontation with the fiery Chief Engineer.
"Ensign!" Reece called out to Dengar. Rada stopped and walked up to him.
"Yes sir, what can I do for you."
"The Captain would like to know if the Alchemy is almost ready. We'll be arriving shortly."
Reece waited patiently as Dengar went over each possible answer he could give Dabin, and each possible thing that could happen as a result of how he answered the question. After a few moments Dengar came up with the best answer he had available.
"You should ask Commander Lair."
Dabin's shoulders slumped. "Thanks, on your way Mr. Dengar." Dabin slapped him on the shoulder and Rada went back off to whatever he had been doing.
Reece wandered up the ramp into the Alchemy, figuring Kellyn would be in engineering. As he entered engineering, he saw Kellyn and Avery Breaux lifting a panel into place and locking it shut.
"Perfect!" Kellyn was actually smiling, Reece took this as a good sign. He approached her.
"Commander Lair."
"Commander Lair? He must want something from me Avery. Otherwise he would never address me as Commander Lair."
Breaux grinned, and turned towards Dabin, waiting to see what he was going to ask.
"The Captain sent me here to ask you if the Alchemy was almost ready. We'll be arriving soon."
Kellyn's smile disappeared.
"It will be done when it is done, Mr. Reece. If you would like it done faster, the flux coupler is right over there. I suggest you get to work."
"Oh, I thought you would want me to use the hydrospanner."
Kellyn ignored the comment. "You can tell the Captain the Alchemy will be ready in one hour."
"Great!" Dabin wasn't going to belabor the point anymore. He turned on his heel and left engineering. Kellyn turned to Avery. "Ready just in time for it to be torn apart again."
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Lt. Commander Dabin Reece
Chief Science Officer
USS Serendipity NCC-2012
Lt. Commander Dabin Reece
Chief Science Officer
USS Serendipity NCC-2012