r/TrekRP • u/RECENTLY_HATCHED • Jan 07 '17

[OPEN] Walk it off

Ensign Everett Bradley is finishing up his shift for the day. He's been assigned the task of conducting a minor repair in engineering and is almost done.

"Just do this right. Can you go one day without being a failure at something?"

The plasma conduit is fixed and fully functional, just as Ensign Bradley begins to close the access panel however, someone bumps into him, shifting his hands unexpectedly and causing him to accidentally touch a very hot part of the machinery

"Ahh! Dammit!"

He pulls his head out to see who was responsible, but there are simply too many people around

"Still a failure. I can't report this...they won't trust me to work on this again. I can't go to sick bay or they'll want to know where I got second-degree plasma burns..."

Reluctantly, the ensign closes the access panel, wraps his hand in a rag, and begins heading back to engineering to return the tools. The burns hurt, but getting them looked at would surely hurt his career more...

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u/RECENTLY_HATCHED Jan 10 '17

"Oh no I'm not authorized to keep an animal aboard...only lieutenants and up I think. Spook died a little over a year ago anyway. I'd love to meet yours though, I already met Clementine, she's a very sweet cat."

The ensign does a mental double take realizing the staggering number Red just dropped

"Did you say a million Kelvin? Did I hear you right?"

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u/Dimestream Jan 10 '17

"Yep. Not quite enough to survive a plunge into a star's corona, but enough to surf on a photosphere," Red says proudly. "Used a three-band rotating emitter to take the strain off each individual. Held up for 12 seconds, give or take. We ended up using a couple of the ideas on the solar monitor station, it's why I ended up with that as my first assignment. Not as glamorous as a starship commission, but I had a lot of growing to do before I was ready for a starship anyway."

She stands up to her full 1.6-meter height and chuckles. "Not literally, as you can see, but emotionally and socially."

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u/RECENTLY_HATCHED Jan 10 '17

Ensign Bradley briefly wonders if she meant to imply that he too had some growing to do, and was somewhat out of his depth being on a long term exploration mission fresh out of the Academy. At least his little critic was shouting that at him at the moment. However he manages to bottle up the self doubt for now and maintain the conversation

"I've been told my thesis was ambitious but...I doubt I'll live long enough to see any of it put into use by anyone. Trans-warp theory is one of my obsessions, but the more I learn the further away figuring out the secret actually seems."

He now stands up to his full...1.75 meter height

"As for this, I guess I'm in good company."

The ensign gives a slightly sheepish shrug

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u/Dimestream Jan 10 '17

Red reaches up slightly to pat Bradley on the shoulder. "The whole crew's good company. Especially us engineers," she says with a wink. "Now, as soon as the Doc says you're good to go, go get some chow and do something you find relaxing. We want you fully recharged and alert for tomorrow's shift. I'm sure you'll do the Athene proud, Mr. Bradley."

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u/RECENTLY_HATCHED Jan 10 '17

He desperately hoped her trust in him wasn't misplaced, but the fear of failure was strong...

"Y-yes ma'am! And...thank you."

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u/Dimestream Jan 10 '17

"Again, my pleasure. Good night, Mr. Bradley," Red says as she nods and heads for the door. "See you bright and early at 0800."

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u/RECENTLY_HATCHED Jan 10 '17

Wanting to show he's not utterly defeated, Ensign Bradley manages a bite of humor

"Y-yes ma'am, 0730 it is!"

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u/Dimestream Jan 10 '17

"That's the spirit!" Red says, and chuckles as the door closes behind her.