USS Erigone – Bridge – 0800

=^=Please insert operating system=^=

Ambrose stood on the bridge of his new command, the USS Erigone.  The promotion to commander had been a welcome one, and the chance to have his own ship had been even more so, but the reality of what he was facing was frustrating, to say the least.  The ship had been sitting at Starbase Bravo for the last year or more without any attention.  “Now I’m in charge of the attention.”  He moved to the front console and tapped the console.

=^=Please insert operating system=^=

Harris growled, “You’ve got to be kidding me.”  A few more taps of the console and the same message.  Whoever had mothballed the Erigone had done a proper job – taking her down to the foundations.  Muttering, “Well, at least I get to make her my own.”  He went to work.

USS Erigone – Bridge – 1000

=^=System restored.  Activating command.  Please state your name, rank, and position aboard the USS Erigone.”

Harris wiped his hands with the cloth, sweat, and dirt covering his uniform.  “Ambrose Steven Harris, Commander, Commander of USS Erigone.”

There was a beep, and a chirp, =^=Authority verified.  Welcome aboard the USS Erigone, Commander Harris.  All systems, commands, and operations available.”

The former Chief smiled for the first time that morning, “Thank god.”  He sat in the front console chair and started the work.  The warp core would need checked, and the engines activated after that.  Various power systems checks would then be needed from deck to deck and then eventually he’d have to check the hull to ensure it was spaceworthy.  Who knew what had happened in storage for a year.  He would then need to check the shields systems, deflector systems, dampner systems, weapons, sensors, communications, and everything else from stem to stern.  He hadn’t been assigned a crew yet.  Harris was used to this.  As a kid, he’d work on his family’s transport business to repair or rework ships that needed it.  Hours, days, and weeks would disappear in the midst of a workload that never ended.

He snagged a PADD from his belt and started to make the checklist.  It was his ship, and he would make it fly just the right way.

USS Erigone – Bridge – 1200

“You see what I’m talking about?  The engineering computer isn’t communicating with the bridge computer.  Something’s gone wrong in the central computing core.”  Ambrose Harris stood before the Master Systems Display pointing at the failure points.  Beside him stood Master Chief Christopher Grace, a frown on his face.

“That’s downright weird, ‘Brose.  You ever figure out who mothballed this girl?”  Christopher was in his 50’s and tired, but not retired.  He’d worked on enough ships, yards, and stations to know when someone had messed up.  His old friend had given him the tour and walked him through what he was trying to figure out.  At the top of the list was the current situation.

Harris growled, “Yep.  He was reassigned and then demoted and then resigned his commission.  All within six months.  Guy was an idiot.”  He handed over the PADD with the details.  

The master chief chuckled and then let out a slow whistle, “Glad to know he wasn’t on my crews.  Lordy, woulda keelhauled the moron.”  He handed the PADD back, “Well, let’s go dig into the central computing core.”

USS Erigone – Computer Core – 1215

Grace slid through the tubes as he scanned the computer core ahead, “You’re right.  The malfunction is at the core.  Almost like its limiting output.”

Ambrose was ahead of him, pushing forward to the hatch, “I tried to reach the guy but he’s gone dark.  Like weird dark.  Not just off the grid, but…like erased himself somehow.”  He tapped in the codes for the hatch and was rewarded with a beep and a whoosh as it slid open, revealing the core.  He scooted out of the hatch and climbed down the ladder, followed by Christopher Grace.  “Let’s get to work.”  Harris went left and Christopher went right as they scanned each section of the exterior of the core.  The former chief engineer frowned as he went from section to section.  There were odd power fluctuations across conduits and receptors and even the transmitters.  He continued until he met up with the master chief, “You reading the same thing.”  

A nod, “I haven’t seen this…well, I don’t want to say never, but this is master level sabotage work, ‘Brose.  If you had tried to blunt force trauma the power start or even the power fix, this thing woulda shorted out, sent confusing signals to the ship’s systems, and the Erigone woulda been, well…gone.”  He shook his head, “Somebody was playing a game with this ship.  Hell if I know what.”

Ambrose pulled a PADD from his belt and handed it to Christopher, “I did some research on the name of this ship.  It might be a clue.”

Grace clicked open the file and read, “In Greek mythology, Erigone was the daughter of Icarius of Athens. Icarius was cordial towards Dionysus, who gave his shepherds wine. They became intoxicated and killed Icarius, thinking he had poisoned them. His daughter, Erigone, and her dog, Maera, found his body. Erigone hanged herself over her father’s grave.”  He looked up, “That is one helluva backstory for a ship’s name.”

Harris shrugged, “I think our saboteur probably read that and decided the ship needed to go out in style.”  He accepted the PADD back and sighed, “How much work are we going to need to do to get this core back up and running?”

The master chief grimaced visibly, “I think we’re looking at a complete replacement, ‘Brose.  The time we spend trying to unwire whatever madness he put in there is probably going to take us longer than just getting a new core in.  I’m sure I can rate this ship needing a refit or two along the way.  I would suggest you do a full search of this ship for any kind of further issues.  If this guy played around with the computer core, I’m wouldn’t put it past him that there’s more surprises.  You want some of my guys to help?”

The former chief engineer groaned, “Make commander, get my first ship, and it’s a mess from the start.  I know when I’m beat and need help.  Send whoever you can spare, Chris.  You know where to find me.”  He gestured to the ship around him.  Grace shook his hand and headed out of the core, leaving Harris to frown.  Why had the saboteur done what he had done?  As he climbed the ladder and pushed through the tube, he contemplated his next steps.

Starbase Bravo-1400

“You have got to be kidding me.”  Jordan Reid sat in the office of a Starfleet assignment officer and had just been told her next assignment was to a Raven class ship that hadn’t even been rated for launch.  “I was hoping for a ship bigger than a toy, sir.”

The man shrugged, “Needs must.  You will have the title ‘Chief Medical Officer’ if that helps.”  He tapped away on his PADD, his eyes meeting hers for a brief moment.  “The galaxy doesn’t give us everything we want, Lieutenant.”

Reid gripped the arms of the chair, “No kidding.  Who’s the captain?”

The man handed her a PADD which she accepted, resigned to her fate.  “A Commander Ambrose Harris.  Former chief engineer now granted a command to help support the various fleets, stations, and colonies.  You’ll be his medical support in case of a hot zone.  Your combat support ratings are impressive.”

She frowned and sat forward, “If it’s all so impressive, why a Raven class?”

The man shook his head, “Be content with your rank and station, Doctor.  You’ve got a long career ahead of you and plenty of people to heal.  You are dismissed.”

Jordan was tempted to stand up and berate the man, but it was no use.  He wasn’t the one who had given her the assignment.  She was reserving her rage for her.  She’d have to accept this posting and figure out a way to get back to where she was supposed to be.  For now, she made her way to the shuttle bay to meet her new commanding officer.

USS Erigone – Bridge – 1430

Ambrose tapped quickly at the console at the front of the room as he worked to complete the upgrade to the ship’s systems.  His friend had managed to secure a computer core earlier and get it installed in record time.  Now the process of connecting and calibrating the systems and computers was his task.  There was still the inspection of the ship to be done and the inch by inch verification that nothing else was rigged to explode.  One step at a time, he reminded himself.  The doors to the bridge swooshed open and he turned to find a young woman in a medical uniform stepping through.

“Welcome aboard the USS Erigone…at least what I’ve got working.  Commander Ambrose Harris.”  He wiped his hands from the grease and dirt, extending it.

Jordan found him not terrible to look at, which she counted as a bonus to the whole situation.  The ship was as small and cramped as she had expected.  “Lieutenant Jordan Reid or Doctor – whichever works for you.  I’ve been assigned as your Chief Medical Officer.”  She accepted his hand and returned the firm grip.  She stepped away and looked at the bridge, as it was, “What’s our status?”

Harris chuckled, “Welcome to the crew, Doctor Reid.  She’s still not great.”  He handed her a PADD with the current status reports, which she accepted and began to read as he spoke, “Someone didn’t want this ship to launch easy, so we’re doing it the hard way.”  He explained what they had done so far, and the road ahead.  She shook her head as she listened and read.

“This ship is a hot mess, commander.”  She handed the PADD back, “What do you need me to do?”

The former CEO sighed, “Well if you can give sickbay a serious inspection inch to inch, that would be a help.  We’re not sure how much work this guy did.”

Reid accepted the challenge, “I’ll take a look.  You know where to find me if you need me.”

Before she walked away, Harris asked, “You’re not happy with this assignment, are you Doctor?”

She stared at him for a moment, “What I like or what I want doesn’t make a difference now, sir.  I’ve got an assignment.  I need to do the work.”

Harris nodded his head, “Thank you for your honesty, lieutenant.  Dismissed.”

She left out the doors, leaving the commander to wonder what lay ahead for them.  And who else they would be joined by?

USS Erigone – Bridge – 1700

=^=There are nine hundred instances of modifications, adjustments, or other changes to the USS Erigone from its original design markers=^=  The computer had been hard at work scanning the ship from one end to the other, and Harris had been working before that fine-tuning the sensors to avoid having to do a physical search.  The master display marked red dots where the issues were being found, and they were spread across the ship on the inside and exterior.  Ambrose had done this kind of work before but he’d hoped the closer he’d come to command it would be less of a thing.  Apparently not.

“Damn.  Computer, put those instances in a report and send to Master Chief Christopher Grace with further repair needs and system issues needing addressing.”  The beep confirmed it was on its way.  Harris lay back in the front chair as the door to the bridge whooshed open.

“You look like hell, Commander.”  

He slowly spun around and found his newly assigned CMO standing at the rear of the bridge.  He cracked a weary smile, “I feel like it, Lieutenant.”  He gestured to the master display, “That’s the long and short of how much this ship has been messed with – an even 900.”  He pushed himself out of the chair, “How’s sickbay look?”

She shrugged, “It’s small.  I found about twenty things that need fixing in there,” she looked at the monitor and counted the red dots over sickbay, “…and I found ‘em all.  So there’s that.”

Harris gave her a nod of thanks and then thought for a moment, “You hungry?”

She gave him a look, “You asking me on a date, Commander?”

Her CO chuckled, “No, Lieutenant Reid.  I figured some food would be a good way to share some conversation.  Didn’t know if you were going to stay on the ship overnight or head back to Bravo.”

Reid contemplated his offer.  She had a room on Bravo for the night, but she was hungry.  “I’m guessing you’ve got something cooking in the mess.”

He smiled, “To the mess we go!”

USS Erigone – Mess – 1700

“You made this?”  Reid had tasted the spaghetti and meatballs, finding herself impressed.

Her CO shrugged, “I grew up in a family of cooks and chefs.  Always taught me to make from scratch if I can.  Replicator food isn’t bad, but there’s something about homemade that just…sticks with you, you know?”  She took another bite and gave him a grateful nod.  They ate for a few more minutes in silence until he sat back and asked, “Who’d you piss off to get this assignment, Doctor?”

Reid nearly choked on the garlic bread she was eating.  She took a drink and stared him down, “What makes you think I pissed someone off to end up here?”

Harris raised his eyebrows, “I think we both know this wasn’t your first choice, Ms. Reid.  Hell, it wasn’t mine, but here we are.”  He took another stab of noodles and followed it with a pull from his beer, “So who sent you to purgatory?”

Jordan nearly stood up and walked out on her commanding officer.  She wasn’t sure she wanted to punch him or kick him…or both.  His lack of subtlety both impressed her and infuriated her.  She took a moment to consider her words.  “Vice Admiral Gwenelda Patton.”

It was the CO’s turn to nearly choke on his food and take a drink to clear his throat, “You upset The Patton?  Damn.  That’s…that’s something.”  He took another bite and leaned forward, “How’d you manage to end up on her list?”

Reid grumbled as she took her last bite, “I told her she was wrong.  To her face.  In front of our senior practicum class.”  She tossed the fork down on the empty plate and swore under her breath, “I knew she was a tough one, but I didn’t expect her to hold a grudge.”  Glancing up she caught his curious stare. She threw up her hands, “OK, it wasn’t just that.  We didn’t really get along.  She almost threw me out of the academy.”

Ambrose shook his head, “She’s notorious for being a gatekeeper.  What kept you in?”

She let a sly smile cross her lips, “One of the other medical instructors stood up for me.  Vouched for me and my future.”  She drained the cup of soda, “I’ve got a lot to prove here on this ship, Commander.  Small as she is, she’s where I have to show I know what I’m doing.”

Ambrose nodded quietly, “Your honesty is appreciated, Lieutenant.  We’re both in a place I don’t think we really want to be.  In the interest of honesty, I was happy as Chief Engineer…this wasn’t my idea.  Someone somewhere thought I would be a good fit for this ship and its mission as a quick response repair unit.”  He stood and grabbed another beer from the fridge, returning to sit across from Reid, “But I’m measuring the importance of doing the best I can here so that maybe…just maybe…someone upstairs will notice what I’m doing and find me worth vouching for.”

Reid leaned forward, “What’s your dream command, sir?”

A shrug from Harris, “Something different.  I mean, I’ve studied the big ships.  Galaxy-class, Sovereign…all the big girls.”  He sipped from his bottle, “Either Excelsior-class or an Olympic.  The Enterprise-B design has always fascinated me…and the Olympic…she’s just a marvel.”  Another sip, “You?”

She chuckled lightly, “I’m pretty far from command.”  She considered, “I’d take a Chief job on an Olympic class.”  She shrugged, “Truth is, anything bigger than this girl is preferred.”

Harris lifted his bottle and saluted her with a toast, “From your lips to God’s ears, Lieutenant.”  He stood, “I’m going to retire for the night.  Don’t worry about this mess…computer cleans this room every night.  Report back here tomorrow at 0800 hours.  We’ll see if anyone else has been assigned…and start talking about our first assignment.” She moved to stand and he waved her off, “It’s just us, Doctor Reid.  No need.  Have a good night.”

She watched him leave and sat back in her chair.  She had managed to not get fired or reprimanded on day one.  She would take the win.

USS Erigone – Bridge – 0800

“….it’ll take us a few days to complete, ‘Brose.  She’ll be ready.”  Masterchief Christopher Grace handed Harris the PADD with the updated schedule.  “You need me, holler.”

Ambrose gave a nod and returned his attention to the command center of the Raven Class ship.  No further transfers had come through Starfleet Command overnight and he had resisted the urge to ask the assignment office.  He wasn’t sure what protocol was in this situation and he had resolved to the job to study up on his command processes and regulations.  He’d learned plenty in his career but command was still an area he needed to work on, especially if he was going to be taking the Erigone out in space.

“Commander?”

He turned and smiled as Lieutenant Reid stepped onto the bridge.  “Welcome back, Doctor.  You’ll notice we’ve got some help in getting the Erigone in shape.”

“It is a relief to see some progress, I’ll admit.”  She put her hands behind her back, “I was thinking this morning, we should probably get your duty medical inspection out of the way. Seeing as there’s not a lot to do right at the moment….,” she gestured around the empty and quiet bridge, “…this might be a good time.”

Harris thought of the countless excuses he could think of but relented.  “You’re the Doc, Doc.  Lead the way.”  Reid gave him a look but they walked to the small sick bay just off the bridge.

USS Erigone – Sickbay – 0800

“Sit on the bed, Commander.”  Jordan pulled out a medical tricorder and started the basic vitals check, “You don’t like doctors very much, do you?”

Harris glanced at her, “Why do you say that?”

She chuckled, “I have access to your medical file and history, sir.  You’ve been rarely seen by medical staff aside from your yearly physical and the incident on the Garrison.  It suggests a pattern.”  She moved to his head with the portable scanner from the tricorder, “There’s no shame in it, Commander.”

Ambrose rolled his eyes, “You’re reading a little too much into it.”  He gestured to his right leg, “Just because I have a mechanical leg doesn’t mean I’m doctor shy.”

Reid finished the scan, “If you say so, sir.  Your initial vitals look good.  Mild elevated blood pressure, but we’ll keep an eye on that.  Next, I need to draw blood.”

He winced as she went about her work, “You ever have someone fight you in sickbay?”

She looked up at him as she drew the fourth tube, “You gonna fight me today, sir?”

Her CO chuckled, “God, no.  I just heard horror stories from my fellow chiefs and assistant chiefs over the years about officers who would refuse to be seen or checked.  Engineers never had the problem with the ship refusing to be examined.”

She swept the dermal regenerator over his skin, “I’ve only had to deck two officers in my life, sir.”  She slipped the tubes into the processing machine as she began her physical examination.

Harris shifted on the bed as she did her work, “What was the worst?”

She checked his ears and eyes next, “There was a Captain of an escort ship that had been sent to our hospital unit in Seattle.  He was on mandatory rest care with us, but refused to remain in his room and tried to escape three times.”  She inspected his hands, arms, and legs next as she made notes.  “I finally caught him in a hallway and clotheslined him.  Took a running start, but I managed to put on the ground.”

Ambrose gave her a look, “You didn’t get cited?”

She shrugged, “He stayed in his room after that.  I may have threatened to do it again and send the footage to his escort group.”  She tapped in the last pieces of her report, “You’re all clear, Commander.  Full report is in your inbox.”

Her CO slipped off the bed, “You’ve got a wild side, Doctor Reid.”

A sly smile as she returned to her desk, “Only when I get properly agitated, sir.”

Harris thanked her and headed back to the bridge.  Things were looking up on this command of his.

USS Erigone – Bridge – 0800

“She’s ready, ‘Brose.  Took us longer than I expected, but everything is back where it belongs and as it should be.”  Masterchief Christopher Grace handed over the PADD with the details, “You’re cleared for launch.  I see you got assigned a helm officer.”

Commander Harris accepted the PADD and grumbled, “Yes.  We have.  He’s in his quarters getting on a proper uniform.”  The CO signed the PADD and slipped it on his belt, “Ensign Prentice thought showing up in a workout uniform was an acceptable start to the day.”  A shrug, “Takes all kinds to run a starship, Chris.”

Grace chuckled, “Don’t I know it.  Good luck out there, ‘Brose.”  They shook hands and the Master Chief headed off the bridge as the admonished ensign returned, now properly uniformed.

“Uh…I’m…my apologies for the mistake, Commander Harris.  It won’t happen again.”  He got a nod from his CO and took his position in the helm chair at the front console on the right of the bridge.  He logged into the console and checked their status, “Helm is reporting ready, sir as well as Security and Tactical.”

Ambrose gave a nod and moved to the center of the bridge.  They’d done him a solid and reworked the bridge into a Nebula/Prometheus design which allowed for a center chair and a more centered arrangement.  “Ensign Prentice, plot us a course here,” he handed him a PADD, “There’s a wreck a few hours from here that needs cataloging.  Maximum warp.”

Prentice gave a nod and tapped the commands into the console.

Harris sat forward in his chair.  It was the first real command of his career as a commanding officer.  Even as small as the Raven Class was…she was still a ship and she was his ship.  “Let’s get out there, Mr. Prentice.”  The USS Erigone leapt into the darkness with a flash of light.