RP Log: Closing Time
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| 2023-12-22 23:30 | |
Ki'Vek is at a terminal against one wall, a series of shuttle and runabout designs flicking by on the screen.
LePage walks in, thumbing at a PADD before setting it down onto a work surface. "Final design candidates?"
Ki'Vek glances over for a moment. "Perhaps not final," she says. "But a narrowed list. I keep coming back to the idea of replacing her with the same design. We have it on file."
"Not a bad idea, by any means" LePage concurs. "It was a sturdy design. Has the Captain or anyone else expressed a desire for change?"
Ki'Vek shakes her leathery head. "Nothing more than the written orders we both received," she states. "Still, it would be prudent, I think, to raise that question ourselves. To the Captain and others, I mean."
"Yes, I think so" LePage nods, leaning up against one of the working counters. "So they didn't even wait until you were at post to pin you?"
Ki'Vek reaches up and touches her pips. "They rarely wait," she says. " "Once they've made a decision" A slight pause. "I'm... anticipating some difficulty in leaving for my new post. My new crew she has been cannibalized from various other facilities. I'm not likely to be familiar with any of them when first I arrive."
LePage chuckles. "Well then that just means you all have one thing in common! You don't know anybody there, so get to making friends" The short Terran smiles. "Hell, that's just a recipe for a solid crew. We did the same thing back at Utopia, crew units got formed with all new folks, you didn't have people pairing off into a new crew together. Helped us all come to terms and not just pair off away from the rest of the group"
Ki'Vek straightens. "Utopia," she says. "You used to work at Utopia. I had forgotten." She seems a bit more animated suddenly. "Admiral Kadn he sent along a private communique to accompany more new assignment orders. That it is where I learned about the new crew being assembled from bits of other facilities' personnel. Many, a great many, they have been moved from Utopia. Perhaps you will be be familiar with some of them."
LePage sighs and shakes his head. "No, unfortunately not. Anybody I knew by name wasn't off post when Utopia was destroyed. There might be people who were there same time as me that might've been off post, but nobody I know"
Ki'Vek remains silent for a few moments, as is proper when referring to the dead. After a while she says, "Forgive me, my friend. I should have known that already and not given you cause to recall it just now."
Gordon just shrugs. "It happened. That's life... As much as I like to whine and complain about NuTopia, the stuff I see coming out of there isn't as bad as it was when it was built. The crews are getting a little more experience. More than once I've actually wondered if I could steer my career towards commanding a section at Utopia.. or maybe the whole thing"
The tip of Ki'Vek's tail twitches. "That it would require line officer training, which if I recall correctly, I recommended once to you that you avoid if you wanted to remain an engineer."
The Engineer sighs and nods. "An internal dillema of the highest order these days. Take the training and open the door, but once you do, they'll pull you through. Hmm." LePage looks back at the designs. "Any of these catch your eye personally?"
Ki'Vek nods in agreement, then turns to the screen as well. "The modular design allows for much versitility of course. Her original design, I mean. But nearly as versitile is the old Delta Flyer design, here." She scrolls back a few pages. "This it is of course an older version, but it could be easily updated to reflect more modern components."
"Delta flyer?" LePage raises an eyebrow. "Pshh, every engineering cadet had a poster of that thing in their dorm" He leans in and peers at the design. "You aren't wrong, it hasn't aged badly at all"
Ki'Vek opens up a tree on the Delta Flyer on the screen to show another version of the same ship. "This design it has already been updated once," she says. "The runabout USS Mekong, with which you may be familiar, was such a design. But that design she is now several years old as well."
"The Mekong was a pretty reliable gal" Gordon agrees. "That might be worth mentioning as an option to the captain if he wants that"
Ki'Vek orders the computer to use the blueprints for the Mekong to create a holographic replica in the nearest hololab. "We can use that to make the modifications we want," she says. "Then use that modified model to create the new blueprints." She pauses and appends her statement. "Or rather, you can. It seems I won't be aboard long enough to work on this with you directly."
LePage nods and dismisses the plans, aiming to get to them later. "It's a shame. We've been on the same boat for a long time, haven't we?"
"For many years," the snake agrees with a nod. "But I look forward to working with you again one day. If your career it includes getting back into the Engineering Corps proper, then I have no doubt we will at some point be coworkers on some level once again. Also, my new assignment it is one of two new ship yards being added to expand on the abilities of the corps currently confined to Utopia Planitia. We will be responsible for not only existing building contracts, but a lot of research and development. I would be very interested in being kept apprised of the challenges you end up facing out here and the solutions you employ to overcome them. I intend to learn as much as possible from your experiences."
"Most assuredly" LePage nods. "You know, I'm not sure I would've stayed in as long as I did without you. Figured I'd do a stint, get a certification and move on to a different job. Didn't count on all the adventures. Didn't count on having a boss that visited me when I hurt myself" LePage looks right to Ki'Vek. "It makes a difference. You're the kind of officer they're always raving about in the recruiting posters and leadership seminars. Really. And I hope that maybe, even if you don't get back to being an Engineer yourself, I can be your Chief Engineer one day. But I'm banking on us working together proper again too"
A ripple of pleasure at LePage's words visibly runs through the snakes body. "Working with you it has been one of the great joys I've found in my career as well. You're an excellent officer, and you've been a good friend. I trust that fortune she will favor us by enabling us to maintain our friendship over the upcoming time and distance. And I trust also that you will not hesitate to contact me if ever there's anything with which I can assist you. I know I will very likely be reaching out to you as well."
"Without a doubt" LePage nods. "So... No goodbyes. Just til we see eachother again" Gordon says. "That being said, I think I saw your shipout date was coming up soon, you'll need the rest. You've been working on this long enough. You've worked on me for even longer. I can handle this one Chief. Go get some rest before you get outta here"
"No goodbyes," agrees the snake. She extends her hand in the Terran fashion. "Phoenix she is, as she has been for some time now, in your remarkably capable hands. I look forward to our next meeting."
LePage shakes the Selay's hand before dipping his head in much the same fashion as Ki'Vek's normal gesture. "I'll make sure Phoenix is the best ship in the fleet. You're welcome to challenge me on that" LePage grins.
Ki'Vek shrugs her narrow shoulders. "Admiral Kadn he has already informed me that my first task it will be to strip down and cannibalize parts from a rather large collection of older vessels. It may be some time before I get to put my hands on some of the newer ships that Utopia she has been putting out. When I do, I'll pass along what I can of the specs for you to study."
"Hell, forget those things, just tell me what kind of franken-ship you're planning on making outta them parts so I can suggest awful names for it" LePage guffaws. "That's all I need"
I don't know what kind of facility is Antares," Ki'Vek says. "But I certainly hope she has been equipped with plenty of sizable cargo bays. From what I can see of my orders, I'm already beginning to suspect that we may first need to build an orbital storage facility. There's already an entire fleet standing by waiting to be stripped down."
"Send any half decent parts you don't need my way if you can" LePage nods. "Now, go, rest. You have all the time in the world to tell me about Antares when you get there. You're gonna do great and have a great crew under you"
Ki'Vek tips her head forward. "Quite so," she says. "Be well." And with that, she uncoils her tail and slithers out of the lab.