Lieutenant Nalie
Unassigned Officers
Chief Engineer
Wired on this new project!
Posts: 326
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Post by Lieutenant Nalie on Nov 12, 2016 15:50:51 GMT -5
-= The screen fades to an image of the green-skinned engineer in what appears to be her quarters aboard the starbase. She wears a standard-issue tank top, and various pieces of her armor can be seen on the table in the background. Nalie herself looks tired, and the time stamp confirms that Beta shift has just ended. She looks at the screen, then looks down as she begins speaking. =-
In our last session together, Counselor Jameson suggested I should start keeping a log. I never kept one before I came here, I guess out of habit. In the Empire, you don't want a written log, especially if you plan to do something they won't like. If they find out you have even the hint of thoughts they don't like, then you spend time in the agony booth, or worse. Here, things are much softer, nicer. It's easy to forget what they did to me all those years ago, at least until one of those faces comes back to haunt me again. One face in particular stands out: Tiberus Asada.
-= She takes a long pause, so long that it looks as if the video has paused. The only indication that the video is still playing is the slight movement as she breathes. =-
People in the mirror universe tend to take certain traits to an extreme, compared to this universe, or at least that's what they say. Asada is definitely part of the rule rather than the exception. Official records show more than enough atrocities to his name, but for me it's far more personal. Most of the scars on my body, and many more that can't be seen, are directly because of him. Some were because I didn't do what he wanted fast enough, others, because... because he just liked seeing people suffer.
-= She takes another long pause, this time clearly struggling to keep anger in check =-
I think, given what I already said, you can imagine how hard it was when he came into my lab... MY lab. He tells me he's going to be the Protector's captain, and that he wants me to be his chief engineer. It was all I could do to not put a plasma torch through his eye. It's... he's not the man who did those things to me. He just looks like him. Too much like him, and I can't stand being anywhere near him, let alone touched by him. How am I supposed to work with him? I don't know if I can do this.
-= Nalie reaches forward, and the video cuts out. =-
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Lieutenant Nalie
Unassigned Officers
Chief Engineer
Wired on this new project!
Posts: 326
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Post by Lieutenant Nalie on Nov 27, 2016 18:49:04 GMT -5
-= The screen fades to an image of Nalie, again in her Starbase quarters. This time, she still wears the bodysuit of her armor. There's a smile on her face, despite obvious grime from working with machinery for a good portion of the day. She looks at the camera with uncharacteristic happiness as she begins. =-
"We brought the core online for the first time today and took the ship out for a weapons test. Instead of following the normal procedure of using station personnel to man the stations, we invited the incoming crew to participate. Using the incoming crew had the benefit of letting them get used to their new ship, while simultaneously allowing us to test the ship as it will be used, and not simply how the specifications suggest. Had we used station personnel, we would have fired each weapon system in sequence and at varying power levels, allowing us to test each weapon individually without putting any strain on the system. Instead, the Protector's tactical officer fired almost every weapon in the ship's arsenal simultaneously, excepting the torpedoes of course. The resulting power surge came close to hitting the recommended limits of the system, and actually overloaded a couple relays."
"We have, of course, replaced those relays and run checks on the entire ship's EPS and ODN networks, and all without missing a beat on the rest of the scheduled installs. I don't want to risk a reversal of our good fortune, but I fully expect us to be finished and have the ship in deep space by the end of the year. I'll admit, I'm starting to get excited about the prospect of going out into space on missions. I've been on the starbase for almost four years now, and I think it's time to change that. The only thing that worries me is the commanding officer."
-= Her mood darkens, but only slightly. She takes a breath before continuing. =-
"I know, I know, it's not the same person. I talked to a Cardassian named Tolar Demor who told me he had dealt with the same issues himself. I doubt he dealt with the same situation, but he at least has an idea of what happened. I've heard rumors about this universe's version too, but he's clearly not the same man. I have to try to deal with it, especially if I'm going to be on a ship that small. It won't be easy, but... I'll make it work somehow. I always do."
-= She looks off to one side for a few moments. =-
There is one other thing I need to look into. Apparently we're getting a few Romulans aboard. In the last brief encounter I had with the Tyra-- with Asada, he said something about a cloaking device. I suppose it makes my side project moot now, but I'll admit I'm concerned by the prospect of people outside the normal chain of command. I'll have to remember to keep an eye on them at least."
-= Nalie reaches forward, and the video cuts out. =-
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Lieutenant Nalie
Unassigned Officers
Chief Engineer
Wired on this new project!
Posts: 326
|
Post by Lieutenant Nalie on Dec 17, 2016 15:03:44 GMT -5
-= The screen fades to an image of Nalie's quarters, still aboard the Starbase. The view is from her shoulders up, and her long hair hangs free over her bare shoulders. She is smiling, and she looks much younger and happier than in previous logs. She begins eagerly, clearly excited about the day's events. =-
"So after a week of essentially sitting around doing nothing, this admiral I've never even heard of before shows up. Apparently he's the head of Starfleet Tactical, but you know I don't keep track those guys. Anyway, he comes aboard for a surprise inspection. That's not exactly unusual for a ship, except this one hasn't even finished its trials let, much less been certified to reenter service. I mean it's not like we've been out in space for a year and had time to break things. Anyway, he pretty much only went to Engineering and the Bridge before leaving, and in both places he said he was impressed. The Admiral in charge of Starfleet Tactical was impressed with my work!"
-= She pauses, trying to calm herself before she continues. =-
"I still don't know when we're going to launch. Meranda and Compton haven't said anything about it since the accident, and rumor has it that we won't get our official launch until after the new year. I guess it's better that way, but I can't help but be excited at the prospect of essentially owning this ship. It'll be my first time away from the Starbase since the Velocity's destruction, so I'm excited. A little scared, but excited.
-= Off to one side, a quiet alarm beeps, and Nalie reaches forward to end the recording. =-
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Lieutenant Nalie
Unassigned Officers
Chief Engineer
Wired on this new project!
Posts: 326
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Post by Lieutenant Nalie on Jan 22, 2017 14:25:29 GMT -5
The screen cuts to a shot of Nalie, still in uniform. Her face is smudged with dirt and grease, as if she'd been working somewhere very dirty. She holds up a PADD, on which a list of reports concerning the Protector can be seen.
"Second live-fire test went a lot better than the first. No real issues this time, other than the tactical officer's apparent need to overload the weapons. Someone told me once that the tactical division is the natural enemy of engineering. At the time, I thought he was joking, but in this case I think it might be true. Maybe I've been stuck on a starbase too long, buried in schematics and construction instead of out there in the field, but I feel like diverting power from every system into weapons is overkill. Oh sure, it might become necessary in that rare once-in-a-lifetime event, but who does that kind of thing on a simple test? We've already had to replace the primary power cells on all four phaser cannons because of this, and we haven't even been cleared for launch yet."
She shakes her head, reaching off camera to retrieve a mug and take a sip.
"If she keeps this kind of thing up, I'm going to have to talk to the Captain about it. We shouldn't be wearing out components this fast, especially not because one officer has some obsession with power. Of course, that doesn't even cover this weird idea that every problem is in the ship. We built the ship to spec, and even the Admiral couldn't find anything wrong on her many, many personal visits. I personally have been over every centimeter of the ship, including the weapon systems. If there were a problem, one of us would have found it long before this last test. But of course it's always the engineer's fault." She chuckles. "I guess this is what I asked for though, so I'll have to deal with it."
She reaches forward toward the screen, which goes blank as the recording ends.
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Lieutenant Nalie
Unassigned Officers
Chief Engineer
Wired on this new project!
Posts: 326
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Post by Lieutenant Nalie on Feb 20, 2017 10:58:01 GMT -5
The room is relatively dark, with Nalie's face lit only by the console on which she makes this recording. Her eyes are puffy and a darker shade of green than normal, and her hair is down and somewhat wild across her bare shoulders.
The nightmares are back, but they're different. I don't see Asada anymore. I see the Klingon, and his right arm is broken. It's barely even attached past the elbow, just kind of hangs there limply. He doesn't do anything except chase me, and on one occasion he caught me. All he did was growl and repeat the same word over and over again: nga'chuq ((sex)). Every time I try to sleep, I wake up with that image in my head.
I'm trying to keep it all inside, but I think Kobay suspects something is wrong. She keeps giving me weird looks when she thinks I'm not looking, and the other day I saw her talking to the other engineers. They've all kept their distance since then, even Dalby. I don't think they're trying to be mean. They still come to me with questions, and Kelvor even ate lunch with me the other day. Which was odd, but...
Nalie sighs and dips her head, letting her hair fall over her face for a moment. She reaches up and brushes it aside as she looks back to the camera.
I feel like I'm repeating the same mistakes over and over again. I let myself get pulled into these situations, and then I spend all this time feeling guilty for whatever reason. I just... I wish the nightmares would stop. I can't get him out of my head.
The video freezes as Nalie opens her mouth to say more, then cuts out altogether.
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Lieutenant Nalie
Unassigned Officers
Chief Engineer
Wired on this new project!
Posts: 326
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Post by Lieutenant Nalie on Jul 8, 2017 12:51:23 GMT -5
The room is dark, lit only by the screen's light as it reveals Nalie's face. She still wears her uniform, having apparently returned to her quarters to record this before doing anything else.
"Discipline is becoming a problem in Engineering. I've noticed several incidents of crewmen showing up late or not working while on duty. On several occasions, one of my officers has questioned my orders and argued with me openly in front of the staff. If these disturbances continue, I may need to seek out disciplinary measures. The small size of the team, coupled with the relatively cramped conditions, are probably the root cause. So far, I have not found a viable solution short of asserting my authority directly. However, direct assertion can only be a temporary solution. I may need to seek advice from the ship's counselor, but I am reluctant to seek her out. I've been neglecting regularly-scheduled visits entirely, and I expect she will not be happy about that.
"Time will tell, I suppose. I'm not sure how much more I can allow before it becomes a severe problem, but I don't want to risk losing control during a crisis. I just need to do what's necessary, even if that means reprimands or more direct punishment. I --"
Nalie cuts herself off as the door opens, turning her face into a silhouette. Another woman's voice can be heard briefly before the audio and video cut out.
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Lieutenant Nalie
Unassigned Officers
Chief Engineer
Wired on this new project!
Posts: 326
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Post by Lieutenant Nalie on May 17, 2018 16:38:31 GMT -5
The screen shows what appears to be the ceiling of one of the Protector's Jeffries Tube junctions. After a couple seconds, the view swings down to show Nalie's face, much closer than usual. The screen shakes slightly, as if the camera is handheld rather than stationary.
"A lot has happened in the last few months, and I haven't really had the time or opportunity to record my own thoughts. I decided to take the time, slip away from everyone, and take a couple hours for myself. No comm signals, no giving orders, just me in this crawlspace by myself."
She takes a breath before continuing.
"About a month ago, a Captain working with the Starfleet Corps of Engineers offered me a position working on a new starbase. At the time, I dismissed the notion out of hand. I'm a starship engineer, and I specialize in propulsion and cloaking technology. Why would it make sense for me to work on a space station? Even so, the offer did imply there would be a promotion involved, and the quarters here have been feeling more cramped lately... I just don't think I could give up ships.
"Speaking of ships, the Protector is halfway through her second year and performing above spec in every area. My only real complaint is the apparent lack of a succession candidate if something were to happen to me. Don't get me wrong, Kobay is a good engineer. I'm just not sure she'd be able to lead the department on her own. The rest of the staff isn't much better, most of the officers don't even have a second pip yet. There might be some hope for them in the future, but they're not ready for any sort of leadership yet.
"For now, I'm staying put. At least until someone qualified steps up to replace me. After that, I don't know. I'm sure Meranda would put me back on a dock crew, which would be fine, but I have some ideas of my own. Maybe one day I'll get a chance to work on them."
The video feed freezes, then cuts out altogether.
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