Under Better Circumstances

Posted on Wed Sep 3rd, 2025 @ 11:46am by Captain Alexander Johnson & Commander Sayori Summers

571 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: Licking our wounds
Location: Chief Engineer's Office
Timeline: Current

Alexander paused a moment, before ringing the chime, this definitely was not the way he wanted to tell her she got the position, an officers death is definitely not the way anyone wants to, but the position was open, and it was because of her quick thinking that got back.

The chief engineer had been working hard. In part because it had been necessary; the damage done by the Iconians had been extensive. But Sayori Summers couldn't deny that diving face first into her work meant that she didn't need to think about all the loss. The First Officer. Quite a few department heads, her peers. More crew than she knew.

Right now the engineering department needed oversight more than another hand, so she sat in her office keeping track of repair logs and assigning crews as needed. The chime interrupted her flow; she squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head a few seconds to try and centre herself. "Come in," she called out.

Alexander walked in, looking around, pads stacked, just as his as. "How many from your department?"

"Twenty-seven," Sayori told him. "And another twelve injured, some badly enough that they'll never serve on a ship again." She took a deep breath. "I've been working non-stop, because if I slow down I start to think about it."

"I want you talking to the chief counsellor." Alexander replied as he sat down. "I am making everyone do so, and will be bringing in more counsellors once we hit the starbase."

"Absolutely, sir," she said. "I have a weekly with her anyway." She smiled a bit sadly.

"Until we get a new chief engineer... thats your priority, it is going to be a bit in dock getting repaired, starfleet wants it back in space in a month..."

"It'll get done, sir," Sayori said. "We can get a lot of prep work done while we're on the way, so the big stuff can be handled right away when we get to drydock. Hang on a sec..." she said, cocking her head to the right like a confused puppy. "What do you mean 'until we get a new chief engineer'? Where am I going?"

"Nowhere, but you will be needing this." Alexander replied as he placed a small box on the table. "I need someone that knows this ship inside and out to be my new first officer, that is you. Commander Douglas always spoke highly of you."

"I..." Sayori tentatively reached out for the box and opened it. Her eyes welled with tears when they were laid upon its contents, a single solid rank pip to replace her empty one. A promotion and the position of First Officer. "I've been shadowing him. Trying to learn more about command. I...I wanted this to happen eventually. Not like this, of course."

She took a deep breath in and wiped her eyes clear. Off went the hollow pip and on went the solid one. "I won't let you down sir."

"Nothing you do would. You will make mistakes, big ones, but thats normal. It is expected as well."

"And hopefully we walk away from those," she mused morbidly. Uhoh. Better not let that thought sink in. "I should get back to this, sir. By the time we get to drydock the engineers there will have free access to everything they need."

"Don't overwork yourself Commander. I still need a first officer."

 

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