Touring the Ship

Posted on Sun Oct 26th, 2025 @ 7:55pm by Commander Zhora zh'Roothi & Lieutenant (J.G.) Dylan Blake & Lieutenant Commander Sora Bernadotte

1,253 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Short Treks
Location: Main Engineering, Deck 16
Timeline: 2439-06-16, 14:00

"And through here is main engineering," Lieutenant JG Blake explained as he led Commander Bernadotte on a whistle stop tour of the ship while the main bridge was being redesigned. It was odd for him to be giving the tour, however due the Commander's unexpected arrival and the works to the bridge most off the officers had been previously assigned tasks.

"Obviously I don't need to give you a full run down of the stations here. I was hoping Commander Randell would be here to greet you but I suppose she's on the bridge." Blake half shrugged before returning his gaze to the woman. "Hope I've not turned you about too much. Took me several days to find my bearings after my transfer."

Sora smiled. "It's certainly tricky to find your way around on a ship this large. I did my cadet cruise on an Aventine-class. Served on a Sagan-class, too. I'm used to getting lost in the first few weeks," she added, chuckling. "Good thing the most important places are clearly labelled. So, Lieutenant, what can you tell me about the Chief Engineer?"

"Ash is properly the smartest person I've met," Blake smiled. "She'll make you feel like a first year cadet pretty much everyday with the wealth of her knowledge. She's also one of the only members for the crew who's served with the Commodore before."

The Ops officer tilted her head slightly. "Interesting. I will admit, I am not much of an engineer myself. I know the basics, obviously, but my specialties have always been in other areas. How long have you yourself been part of this crew?"

"A couple of months." Blake replied. "I joined for the launch from Starbase 419 into Quadrant along with most of the crew."

Sora nodded. "It is a little odd, joining the crew as a late addition," she admitted. "Still, so far, it seems like a good ship to be on. Certainly one where it's easy to get lost. Any particular places I should know about that we haven't covered yet?"

"I'm sure you'll find your feet soon enough," the young man smiled kindly. "There's plenty to check out onboard. For down time I'd recommend the Forecastle, with its split level aspect you can always find either bustle or stillness deepening what suits your mood. Plus it serves real alcohol."

"Real alcohol, you say?" Sora grinned. "I hate the taste of synthohol. It's pointless, anyway. Why drink booze and not have any of the effects?" She chuckled. "So, Engineering. Any people in particular I should know down here? Apart from the chief, of course."

"I guess that depends on your expectations," he chuckled.

"Personally I'd watch out for this one," the voice of Commander zh'Roothi sounded from behind. "Especially when is come to undocumented fauna."

"That wasn't my fault," Blake whispered softly before the XO was in ear shot.

Sora laughed. "Now that sounds like a story worth hearing. Commander, good to see you again. The Lieutenant was just giving me a little bit of a tour of the ship."

"I hope he behaved himself," the Commander smirked.

"I always do ma'am," Blake replied evenly.

"Hmm," the Andorian murmured not believing him. "I'll take over from here, you're dismissed mister Blake."

The young man nodded: "Of course. See you around Commander Bernadotte."

"Lieutenant," Sora replied with a nod as the young man left. She turned to Commander zh'Roothi. "I must say, so far, I'm impressed by this ship. Certainly looks well-equipped for whatever situation might come up."

"We can only hope," the XO sighed. "There's so much in the Quadrant yet to be discovered and then there's tentative relationships between Federation and the Dominion to keep balanced."

Sora nodded. "The joys of diplomacy. The Dominion and the Federation have been at peace for quite some time now, though, right?"

"Indeed," zh'Roothi acknowledged. "Understandably we're all rather keen to keep it that way as we explore the Quadrant respectably, and not buckle under the weight of responsibility of upholding that truce." The Commander bit back a sigh: "Sending the Federation Flagship into what was once enemy territory is a bold statement, and one that the Commodore and Brass have to set the correct tone. The addition of Kuzos to the crew developed during these last few months as a result of building new bonds between the two affiliations."

"It certainly is a challenging situation," the Ops officer replied. "There is a lot at stake on our trip here, for certain. The Federation can't afford another war, so we must be very, very careful."

"Despite that, it's also an honour to be part of this," the First Officer confessed. "Sensitive missions must be second nature to you after serving with Temporal Investigations."

Sora laughed. If only you knew just how sensitive, she thought to herself, before replying. "Sensitive is one way to put it. Trying to stop the universe from unravelling kinda applies as well. Always depends on the point of view, I suppose."

"Compared to that this must feel like a walk in the park," zh'Roothi smirked. "I trust you'll find enough stimulation for yourself."

"It will definitely take some getting used to not having to wrap your head around timelines," Sora replied with a chuckle. "At least I can lay off the headache meds. Trust me, time travel can screw with your brain in more ways than you could ever imagine. Add in crossovers with different timelines, and it's a whole other mess. I'm sure you've heard of the so-called Mirror Universe, for example."

The Andorian nodded at the question and wondered briefly how she'd cope with the situations Sora had described.
"Yes," she responded. "Though I don't have any personal experience with the Mirror Universe or Terran Empire, not any desire to change that."

Sora smiled, trying her best not to burst out giggling. Of course, while the Commander remained entirely unaware, she was gaining personal experience with an officer of the Terran Imperial Starfleet in this very moment. "They are very, very different to the Federation, that's for sure. Even if their technology, even their people, are incredibly similar. Hell, even their uniforms. Still, it's not too difficult to identify when you're in contact with a Terran. There are other parallel timelines where it's much more difficult to find out if there's been a crossover. That's a lot of what Temporal does nowadays."

"Something I'd gladly leave them to conduct," the XO replied flatly. "I think we have enough to worry about here for now," she bit back a sigh. "Did you have any questions for me at this point? Anything mister Blake flagged?"

Sora chuckled. "Very, very understandable. No questions, the Lieutenant was very thorough in his tour of the vessel. I'm sure I'll find my way around soon enough."

"Huh," zh'Roothi was surprised by the explanation of Blake's behaviour. Perhaps he understood the importance of creating a good first impression with his new Superior officer and been reserved. "I don't doubt it. Will be second nature before you know."

"It was a pleasure to visit engineering," Sora replied with a smile. "And I am grateful to the CO for giving me a day to get used to the ship, away from duties. Please do pass my thanks on to the Lieutenant for the tour."

"I will, though it will probably go to his head a little," zh'Roothi chuckled lightly. "If there's nothing else I'll leave you to continue finding your feet and meet the rest of the crew."

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