How Many Wolves Make a Pack?

Posted on Wednesday March 11th, 2020 @ 17:41 hours by Maja Angelova & Mercy

Mission: Safe Passage
Timeline: MD02 - 0015
1138 words - 2.3 OF Standard Post Measure

The hallways of the Fawkes were silent. Not even the normally everpresent hum of the aging Groumal class's warp drive was heard. The lighting was a dim emergency lighting, all the ship could muster on umbilical power from the station. One would be forgiven to think the ship dead. That was, until a surprisingly warm and resonant voice suddenly echoed through the space, first a yelp followed by a booming string of rather vulgar expletives, in many languages - Federation Standard there was, but also Klingon, Ferengi, Vulcan, Romulan and even a language Maja didn't recognize.

Such an invective string brought the Fawkes's new employee up short, wondering what was going on up ahead... She knew quite a few curses. In fact, pretty much the only words she knew in most other languages were cusses. The prominently-scarred woman stood in the corridor, looking around and then zeroing in on the direction the sound was coming from... Not one to fear much of anything, she headed that way, wondering what she was going to find...

Out of a side room stalked the largest crewmember of the Fawkes, the chief engineer, barely able to fit through the doorway, having to duck as she did. She cradled her left hand with her right, halting only to glance at Maja and quickly state "Got my finger caught. Hurts like a motherfucker" before stepping into a nearby space - apparently a bathroom - where she ran her paw under a cold tap.

For a moment, Maja was just left standing and pondering. She had seen quite a few big fuckers in her time, but this one was something new all together. She couldn't rightly figure out what sort of person this was, aside from the obvious canine look. "Yeah, you might want to not do that," the human woman hollered after the other woman. You know, because useless commentary is just what everyone wants to hear after being hurt.

"Yeah. Thanks. I'll keep that in mind." came the reply from the bathroom amidst the sound of running water and some more mild cursing. "You new here?" the thick voice asked a moment later. "Haven't seen you around before. At least, I think I haven't. Would ptobably remember if I had."

"I know that I'd remember you," the new master-at-arms said. She moved a little closer to the door so she didn't have to holler. "But yeah. New here. Cap'n just hired me to be the master-at-arms, and the name is Maja Angelova. You?"

"Name's Mercy. Engineer. I'm a Sirran. Not many of us this side of Federation space," came the reply, answering the unasked question. She emerged from the bathroom again, finishing putting a simple bandage around the ring and middle fingers on her left hand. "... You look strong. Think you can give me a hand putting a life support conduit back in place?" She asked, motioning over to the room she'd come out of.

Maja shrugged. "Sure," she replied easily. She struggled to see how someone the size of this...Mercy could possibly need her help, but this was her new ship and the ship's engineer was someone to keep happy. She dumped her duffel against the corridor wall before walking the rest of the way up the lupine woman. "Just tell me what to do. This isn't my usual area."

Mercy led her into the other room, where a sizable piece of conduit, a three chambered pipe, lay on the floor. It was covered in a thin layer of rust and dust, though a fresh weld covered a part of it. Next to the conduit stood a welding machine, a portable MIG inverter unit. The fresh smell of recent welding was evident in the relatively small space, a storage room of sorts. "It's not so much the weight, but the size. I tried to hold it in place with one hand, screwing it back in with the other. Didn't work out." Mercy mused, hefting the conduit and pushing it into place against the ceiling. "Think you can hold it there for about half a minute?"

The human woman took a moment to get a sense of things around her. It was pretty habitual, thus also pretty quick--the sights, sounds, smells. She heard the instruction and nodded. "I can sure try," she said. If the thing wasn't more than twice her body weight, then she was in the clear. (She'd learned long ago that appearances were deceiving, of course, so she wouldn't believe it until she did it.) She moved forward and put her hands in place, making sure they were spaced to hold things in a balanced way.

Like Mercy had said, it wasn't the weight but the size and shape making it unwieldy. As Maja held the conduit in place Mercy made quick work of the brackets holding it in place, explaining as she did. "This ship is old and behind in maintenance. I'm just taking advantage of the layover to do some of the jobs that need doing but have been put off for entirely too long." she mused. "So what brings you here?"

"Been hired," Maja said simply. "The captain brought me on board to be the new master-at-arms. So I guess I'll be trying to keep the crew in one piece while you try to keep the ship in one piece."

"Been hired, huh. Heh." Mercy chuckled, moving around Maja with lumbering steps to lock down the other end of the conduit. "That's fine. I'm sure we all have - how do you Humans say - skeletons in our closet? Migrator knows I do."

"Closet, hell. I have drinks with mine," Maja replied with a mirthless laugh. "Who has the energy to stuff all the shit away."

Mercy let out a short, bellowing "Hah", before continuing in a softer voice, "a Klingon friend of mine in prison always told me I didn't have issues, I had a whole subscription." she smirked, finishing up one bolt. "Alright, you can let go now. Thanks for the help." she grinned, flashing dagger sized fangs, tail giving a soft wag. "And welcome aboard."

Maja grinned, which was an expression that had been called wolfish in the past, but she felt like it was out of its league in present company. "Thanks. Anything else you need help with?" She folded her arms over her chest and looked around. "Aside from seemingly everything? Doesn't look like an easy gig for you, this."

"Yeah, well. She's a project, that's for sure. But compared to what I'm used to this is all quite basic stuff." Mercy offered. "I should be good for now. Thanks again."

"No problem," Maja said easily. She tossed off an imitation-salute and sauntered out. "Just holler bloody murder if you need me."

[OFF]

Mercy
Engineer

&

Maja Angelova
Master-at-Arms

S.S. Fawkes