Hard Work Makes for Hungry Stomachs

Posted on Sat Jan 14th, 2012 @ 7:22pm by Captain Benjamin Byrne & Ensign Lhamepha Kitonuh [Byrne]

Mission: Deep Space 19
Location: Deep Space 19 - Command Centre
Timeline: MD03 1436hrs

Benjamin stood, his sleeves pushed up and his arms elbow-deep in the circuitry of one of the consoles in the station's command centre - or what they had taken to thinking of it after its discovery - attempted to help get it wired up to a portable Federation power circuit that they had brought over from the Endeavour. The two technologies were only just marginally compatible, and it was taking a lot of work to try and link them up. The console finally started to stutter, before struggling to power itself up, hiccuping a couple of times along the way, straining the nerves of those who had spent the best part of the last two hours working on it.

Reaching up and wiping his brow, Benjamin climbed back to his feet to study the results of their work. Unfortunately, though the computer screen seemed to be operational, it was unintelligible; the universal translator could even begin to attempt to translate it for him into Federation Standard. He sighed as he rubbed his chin, considering his options. A number of the things displayed on the screen were flashing, and seemed to be designed to catch the reader's attention. Warning messages maybe? He recalled being informed that many of the station's systems would still be offline until his officers were able to find and locate the power generator they believed to be housed deeper inside the complex structure, but there was no way of telling to be certain.

"Ensign!" he called out, and waited patiently as the amphibious Selkie came running over to him. "I want you to see if you can organise some equipment from the ship to set up over here. I want the Universal Translator to be linked in to this console, and working to try and come up with some sort of translation protocol."

Ensign Kitonuh nodded. "Aye, sir," before turning and heading off to see to that task.

Benjamin watched her go, before turning slowly on the spot to survey the activity of the room around him. The centre was a hub of movement, with engineers and operations officers all working to try and get as many of the systems operational in the room as possible, whilst science officers were flitting around the consoles they had been able to set up, trying to work out what it was that the elusive alien text was telling them. In all of the work since Starfleet had given him the assignment to work their full attention on the station two days ago, Benjamin had forgotten to stop and think about what exactly it was that they were doing here. This station was thousands of years old, built by a civilisation which may very well be long extinct. And here they were, working to get it working again. Benjamin silently wished that he could push that task aside, and instead get around to studying the thing.

Feeling his stomach growl for what must have been the fifth time today, he paused to consider when he had last eaten. Have I eaten today? he was forced to wonder. Shaking his head, he grabbed his uniform jacket from the deck plating next to him, and tapped his combadge. "Byrne to Endeavour. One to beam back."

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Captain Benjamin J. Byrne
Commanding Officer
USS Endeavour / Deep Space 19