Lieutenant Olivia “Livvy” Sandoval was sitting cross legged on the floor of junction Twenty-eight Alpha on deck nineteen of her newest assignment.  Her fourth in less than a year.

Her twin sister, Aimee, had taken a job with their cousin doing something for Starfleet Intelligence.   This last year had been a roller coaster,  and she was hoping to settle in on the Columbia for the long-haul this time, but she was starting to feel like she was a bad oman or something.   Maybe mom was right.  She belonged at a shipyard.  It was the last place she had truly excelled.

She picked up a circuit board board and scanned it with her tricorder and then with one of her many tools scattered around her she pressed a button and a blue beam was directed at the board.  Another scan with the tricorder and she was satisfied and pushed it into the slot where it belonged in the bulkhead next to her.

Picking up a coffee mug she flipped open the top and took a long dring from the now hot, but not burning black coffee.  Revitalized she snapped the top closed and picked up anotjer board and repeated the process three more times.

“Computer start personal log.”

The computer obediently beeped in response.

“Engineer’s personal log supplemental.   I have nearly completed the upgrades to my assigned duties today.  The Columbia is a very fine ship.  Not the Europa, but from a crew perspective it is a nice upgrade.  From an engineer’s perspective… okay well it’s nice too. There’s actual work to do rather than planned maintenance. I’m expecting a call from my sister tonight …”

Scooting over a half a meter she popped the panel off of the wall next to the section she was working and scanned the bio-neural gel pack inside.   The Galaxy-class had been designed long before gel packs were introduced on Voyager, but it had been relatively successful design and the Columbia had received upgrades to several systems along the way.  Including this system. 

“Aimee and I have always been really close,” Livvy continued her log, “and serving together both on the Hippocrates and Europa was fun.   But, we knew it would be short lived. We’re both career-oriented. She and her medicine,  and I with wanting to be a starship captian.  I was told that would never happen after Ajilon VIII, but I don’t care.  I’ll do what it takes to make it a reality. Even if I have to kiss up to every captain and Admiral in Starfleet.”

She scanned the pack with her tricorder. It was degraded by 18%.  Still superior to standard isolinear circuitry,  but she was not one to be okay with “good enough”. Extracting the old pack she replaced it with a brand new one. She also opened up a box of brand-new isolinear chips which she replaced one by one upgrading the system from the older slower chips.

The ship lurched and spun, throwing Livvy shoulder first into the bulkhead sending tools, parts and panels flying everywhere.  The lights flickered for only a second,  and then the red alert klaxon blared.

Livvy collected herself off the deck and quickly brought the system she was working on back online. It wasn’t fully upgraded,  but there was clearly an emergency,  and that would have to wait.  She stuffed tools into her tool kit heedless of their proper locations and rushed off to engineering.