My First Day (Post after Heave Ho!)
Posted on Thu Jul 16th, 2026 @ 7:20pm by Ensign Elira Vyn & Lieutenant JG Zaire Byrne-Solwick
1,416 words; about a 7 minute read
Mission:
Episode 2: Mine of Taurus
Location: USS Scharnhorst, Main Engineering
Location: USS Scharnhorst, Main Engineering
Elira was just entering main engineering this morning she had a late start because her new commanding officer was in a bridge meeting. You wonder what it would like to be on the bridge, she was a little ranking engineering officer. She knows she can handle the responsibility, but with Starfleet trust her enough? She was monitoring the flow regulators, a mundane tassa anybody could handle but it was the assignment that she was given. She had yet to me the chief engineer. This is her first official day of duty.
That part surprised her, she thought she would have immediately checked in but as soon as their ship arrived at Starbase 870 her shore leave was extended. Now that everybody is on board she was giving a late start in the morning. She assumed this is probably because Lieutenant Solwick, would probably want to meet her first.
Zaire considered senior staff meetings a necessary evil. The captain started it and then staff would try to over impress him. Zaire just staged facts, let his words and actions prove his worth he wasn't interested in competition. His main concern was his department and engines staying at one hundred percent.
He walked into engineering and stopped by his office for a moment and then went in search of his newest crew member Ensign Vyn. Zaire knew where to find her, he had assigned her to monitor the flow regulators. Even though it wasn't the most interesting job or even satisfying he expected his staff to take every assignment seriously.
Zaire stopped a few feet from her and waited for her to become aware she wasn't alone. He liked observing his staff, to see how they performed when they thought they were alone.
Elira was surprised to see him. She expected the meeting to go on longer. "Hello Sir, how was your meeting?" She asked, work on the flow regulator, managing the levels.
"Typical staff meeting." Zaire said with a grin. "Perhaps I will request to send you next time in my place." He hoped she could tell he was kidding. "How are the regulators?"
"Well I'm good at taking notes, but something tells me the captain probably wouldn't want to see a new Ensign sitting in the conference room." Elira simply pointed out to him, and then she went on to say. "Within acceptable tolerances." He said that she waited for him to continue with your current orders or give her new ones. She was hoping for new orders cuz this is pretty mundane and boring. But then again they officially haven't actually met and she hasn't really reported for duty her first day of duty she was put to work without even having an interview.
"Let's head to my office." Zaire said with a smile. "Get the formalities out of the way." They started walking. "Did you have a chance to settle in?"
"I managed to put my stuff away, sir. Ever since then I've been trying to get acclimated to engineering." Elira said to him, hoping that he didn't think she was a workaholic.
"Jumping right into the fray." Zaire said with a nod as he sat down behind his desk. "Tell me, what led you to a career in engineering?"
"From young age I just knew I wanted to be an engineer. The idea of working on an engine, as it takes you across the Stars. I've always been fascinated by the concept." Elira said, as she gave him a very brief answer. But not a lot of depth to it, and she knew that.
Zaire felt like it was a textbook answer but he decided to let it go. "I run a tight department. I am fair and I believe approachable but I expect one hundred percent out of those who work for me." He paused. "There is nothing I would ask you to do that I haven't done myself."
Elira thought it was strange he did not follow up with more engineering questions, based on her response. She smiled though, trying to show she was approachable. She wondered was this some sort of test, a way to show how tough he was, but fair? She was not sure, but she smiled as she responded. "I understand sir, you can count on me."
"That is good to know." Zaire replied wirh a nod. "What do you consider your specialty?"
"I'm still trying to figure that, sir." Elira said, as she was caught off guard by his question. She was a low ranking ensign. She did not really have time in her mind to create a specialty. Her symbiont had hosts before her, that all had specialties, but she was still new to be blended with a symbiont .
"It will come with time." Zaire assured her. "You will be assigned many jobs here." He took a deep breath. "At first they may seem trivial but the more you do the more responsibility you will gain."
Elira knew what that meant, she was basically being a little slave girl. She didn't mind, she knew she had to prove her worth. She simply smiled as she looked at him. "I understand sir, and I look forward to the opportunities that that will provide."
"I am afraid your first assignment will not seem exciting." Zaire said quietly. "I would like you to I inspect the reactors, checking their performance and the parts that were used when it was installed. If any seem below our standards I will want to know and approve their replacement."
"Understood sir, it will pass the time." Elira said what the warm smile, the mundane task would make her think about how excited she would be again to see Alecx. She had a good time with him last night. She wasn't trying to be distracted by the date she had last night, but it was clear her new boss didn't really trust her yet. Giving her Monday an assignments to be able to prove herself. She understood from one point that this is very standard routine, but another she knew she was capable of much more. But instead of looking at the downfall of it, she could take this time and recall her date last night with Alecx. Well I was not suppose to be a date, but it ended up, turning into a date.
Zaire couldn't quote tell if she was accepting of the assignment or bothered by it. All that mattered waa how she addressed it. He knew she passed through the academy but she waa inexperienced and he needed her to prove her worth. It wasn't that long ago he had had to do similar assignments but it had been worth it. "Is there anything I need to know or any questions you have?"
"No questions about my duties, just need to know what shift you want me to work?" Elira said to him with a warm smile on her face, a smile that she was forcing there. She knew it wasn't his birthday he put her on mundane assignments. She knew she had to prove her worth.
"You will start on Gamma shift." Zaire informed her. "Eventually, you may move to a different one, depending on how things go."
"Yes sir." Elira sad, trying to hold in her tone of disdain for his choice. However he was her commanding officer and it was his decision and she needs to respect it and prove her worth. She hated that fact, but she knew it was true.
Zaire detected a hint that she wasn't pleased with his choice but it was a part of learning the ropes. Everyone went through it. "If you have nothing else, you are dismissed." He was a pretty laid back guy most of the time but he believed in learning your way from the bottom. It was the way of things.
"Yes sir." Elira said, and she stood up snap to the position of attention did it immediate direct about face and went back into the engineering Bay to finish her duties for the day before moving on to gamma shift tonight.
Zaire watched her leave and sat their for a minute, reliving those first days blues he had had where it felt like he was never going to get anywhere and yet, look at him now. Here he was the chief engineer, he had achieved the first of his goals. He turned to his paperwork and got to work.
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