The Shimada

Posted on Thu Dec 25th, 2014 @ 11:09am by Commodore Kathleen O'Shea & Lieutenant Commander Ritsu Tainaka

Mission: New Frontier
Location: USS McClusky
Timeline: Enroute to Taranok IV

Ritsu was sitting in Engineering flicking through several engineering files. She had heard that there was an Engineering scrap yard nearby and she wanted something that she could tow in as a side project. She was looking for an old runabout, or some sort of small vessel which she could personalize or get back working again.

Something caught her eye.
"Whats this?" She said to herself as she pulled up the inventory log.

Drexal Boneyard Vessel Information.
USS Shimada. Nova Class Vessel. Currently decommissioned for scrapping. Heavily damaged in last year of the Dominion War by Dominion vessels. Vessel is spaceworthy yet deemed unworthy of refit by Starfleet Command.

"Hmm" Ritsu said. She pulled up the scans of the ship. Indeed it was heavily damaged with several hull breaches visible in its hull. However most of the Engineering section looked intact.

[Three Hours Later]

Ritsu rang the bell to Kathleen's office. She held in her hand a PADD and a large blue roll of specifications paper.

Kathleen stretched and put the PADD she had been working on for the past hour onto the small table next to the couch she occupied. 'Good timing...I could use a break' Kathleen thought as she made her way to the door and thumbed it open. Anything to keep her mind off of...

"Commander Tainaka...please, come in." She made her way back to the couch she had previously occupied and sat with her legs curled under here. "Please have a seat...your choice."

Ritsu walked in and placed the roll of paper on the table.
"Commodore. I've found us a little gem. Something we could use" Ritsu said. "However, I need your authority to take on this project" she explained rather excitedly.

Kathleen picked up the paper and worked her way through it, pausing a few times to re-read or cross check certain data. "Well...this certainly needs a lot of work. What exactly are you thinking with this?"

"She's a Nova Class. USS Shimade" Ritsu replied. "However she was an experimental Engineering prototype. Although she took a beating in the war and the project was dropped, I believe we can bring it back to life for our response team".

Kathleen looked over the data a bit more. "Well it certainly does have it's merits. I like the fact that it can conduct atmospheric operational cycles. Increases it value ten-fold. Hangerdeck is a bit small, but that is workable as well." She was quiet for a minute, obviously deep in thought. She then picked up a PADD and worked on it a bit before turning it to Ritsu. "And here and here...perfect places to add extendable gangways to allow for direct access to a vehicle bay fore and cargo bay aft."

"Well, its on our way back. I can... pick it up. Theoretically we can restart her engines and she should be able to get back to Starbase 80 under her own steam" Ritsu explained. "With the help of the corps of engineers, we can have her up and running with modifications within six weeks"

Amazingly Ritsu's enthusiasm was actually breaking through Kathleen's mood. She had not forgotten what it was like to be a young engineer going at full warp all the time. "Well, it may take a bit longer than that. I need you and your team on Taranok. However, I believe that we can arrange for a team from base engineering to go and retrieve her for you. If not, we will arrange for you to make your way out there once this mess is cleaned up." She turned colder as the necessity of their voyage hit her once again.

"I see" Ritsu said in a tone of when a child had been told 'maybe later'.

"I've spent some time in the Boneyards. It is an...interesting place. There is stuff out there that you have never seen. Probably even some Kzinti and Tholian tech as well, but..." She looked around, then spoke in an almost conspiratorial tone. "...you didn't hear that from me."

Ritsu's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree on fire. "I need to get out there" she mumbled under her breath. She started to pace up and down the room. "Maybe I can adapt the Tholian Web technology with our forcefield technology, to create a webfield... useful when it comes to hull breaches and maybe even a subspace net... Tholians use Tetryon cores. I can manipulate the..." then she suddenly realized where she was and held her hands up her cheeks now slightly red. "Erm sorry about that... can't blame a girl for wondering right?"

Kathleen's smile was weak, but...at least there was one. "It's quite all right. I spent a good portion of my early career as an engineer in the yards. Telair and I used to come up with the craziest ideas. Even scarier is that many of those ideas are on active ship classes today."

Ritsu raised an eyebrow. "I see..." she said. "So I guess that's a yes?"

Kathleen smile became much brighter. "Of course it's a yes. Why let all of that good tech just lay around going to waste? You need to get with Lieutenant Pierce, our Corps of Engineers Director. She will be as enthused as you on these ideas. That, and she will need to know about the Shimada so she can assign a drydock for her and start up the tasking orders, materials lists, and assignments."

There seemed to be a sparkle appear in Ritu's Eyes.
"I'll get to it immediately!" she said with a smile. It was clear to see that she was already planning things over in her head.

An indicator light started to flash on the console beside Kathleen, indicating that they were approaching Taranok..and serving as a reminder of why they were going there as well. Her smile faded. "If you will excuse me...I need to get ready for our arrival. We will talk more later."

Ritsu excused herself, allowing Kathleen to start to mentally prepare for task ahead. She was going to need every bit of strength she could muster to get through the day. Beyond that...well, that was anyone's guess. Only time could heal the pain of a lost friend. If ever...
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Commodore Kathleen O'Shea
Commanding Officer
Starbase 80

Lieutenant Commander Ritsu Tainaka
Chief Engineering Officer
Starbase 80