Welcome to Ops

Posted on Sat Nov 9th, 2013 @ 9:45am by Commander Jordan Gunning & Lieutenant Augustus Deakin

Mission: Picking Up the Pieces
Location: Quartermaster, Main Operations [Deck 12]

[ON]

"No." Came the flat reply of the newly-minted Ensign of the Quartermaster's department.

"You do realise that if we don't have the Tactical Suites repaired by next week, we'll be vulnerable to any ships which happen to fancy flying into our Tee-Arr area?" Jordan sighed with exasperation. "If you don't release the components that you're holding in quarantine then the engineering team which has been assigned away from fixing that massive hole in the side of the station are going to be sitting on their hands for the next three and a half months.

"Strategic Operations have adequate facilities in Ops to cope with most issues arising." The Ensign's joyless response floated across the desk. He was lucky he was protected by a forcefield. "The components have been quarantined as per Starfleet Import Regulation RV-One-Seven. I can't release them."

"Ahh, yes. Starfleet Import Regulation RV-One-Seven." Jordan had prepared for that response. "All imported items not carrying a Federation assignment certificate will be quarantined by the Quartermaster until such time as their source is determined or they are cleared by regional Starfleet Operations."

"Exactly, Sir." The Ensign replied smugly as the glimmer of a smile began to cross his lips.

Gunning motioned towards Ops, which sprawled out from the side of the small Quartermaster's Desk on Deck Twelve of Starbase 332. "You see that lot over there? Thirteen of them, all crushed into a pod that isn't even meant to be for their department."

The Ensign shrugged meekly.

"Listen," Gunning leaned ever closer toward the force field, "times are tough and I know you've just been dragged to and fro from different departments and eventually unceremoniously deposited with the Quartermaster. I'm sorry about that but times are tough and everyone has to pull together. You see what I'm saying?"

Gus arrived in main operations via the corridor access, which meant he was met immediately by the sight of the red-uniformed officer looking frustrated at the young ensign in the Quartermaster's Office. If the quartermaster wasn't under his responsibility as Chief Operations Officer, Gus would have ignored the situation and kept going into Ops to find the commander's office.

Instead, he decided to introduce himself.

"Problem?" he asked, inserting himself alongside the pair and not seeing the red-shirt's rank.

"Well, Ensign?" Gunning asked the startled young man before echoing the new arrival's question. "Is there a problem?"

"Y-y-y-yes, Sir. Commander Gunning is trying to have me release a shipment that has been quarantined." The Ensign clearly had some idea of the identity of this new conversant and his deference implied to Gunning that he was one of the ranking officers in Operations. Now that he considered it, weren't they due a new Ops Chief?

"I wouldn't say it's as simple as that." Gunning stated matter of factly.

Gus stared down at the ensign - he knew exactly how to make good use of his height - allowing the silence to linger a moment before he slowly turned to address Commander Gunning. "What's the situation, Commander?"

"I've requisitioned components for repairs to the Tactical Suites and, to be quite honest with you, I've called in pretty much every favour I've ever earned in this quadrant to get them." Gunning couldn't read the Lieutenant's face and had a feeling that he wasn't being viewed favourably in this exchange. "The Ensign feels he is bound by Starfleet Import Regulation RV-One-Seven and refuses to release them from quarantine."

The new Ops Chief listened without giving anything away and when the Commander finished, he once again allowed a silence to linger. Then he turned his head to address the Ensign, again in that slow deliberate way. "Ensign, I'm authorising an override of the quarantine relating to those components required to bring this station back to full capacity."

The ensign looked for just a fraction of a second like he was about to continue arguing the point, but Gus immediately silenced him with a slight tilt of his head before continuing.

"Once you've released the equipment to Commander Gunning, you will go back and re-read the Starfleet Import Regulations and pay meticulous attention to Starfleet Import Regulation RV-Two-Oh-Nine, which implicitly states that an authorising officer can override various regulations, including RV-One-Seven, in times of emergency when goods covered under said regulations are considered to be of vital importance to the operations of Starfleet or other Federation agencies." The big lieutenant paused again, looking the ensign up and down with a contemptuous glare. "When you're done re-reading, report back to me on the double. Understood?"

The ensign couldn't quite believe what had just happened and he stared a moment with his jaw significantly closer to the deck than regulation would have liked before finally uttering, "Uh ... Y-yes, sir."

The Ensign passed through the semi-permeable forcefield and made his way down the corridor. "Much appreciated, Lieutenant...?"

Gus clasped his hands behind his back as he watched the ensign disappear, then turned back to the Commander. "Augustus Deakin, sir," he said. "As of this morning I'm the station's new Chief Operations Officer."

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Lieutenant." Jordan sad, more honestly than anything he had said in weeks. "This station has been crying out for someone to get its Operations in gear. I've not even been here a week and I'm already tearing my hair out with it. Jordan Gunning- by the way- Strategic Operations Officer."

"Pleased to meet you, Commander," Gus said, then subtly relaxed a little as he stood at ease. "I've been aboard for a few hours and already I can see we're lacking. I think it will take the bending of more rules than just quarantine regulations to get it back to full operation."

"Or perhaps you can continue to invent them," Jordan nudged the man's arm as they crossed Ops, "Regulation Ar-Vee Two-Oh-Nine indeed. Where'd you pull that out from?"

Gus chuckled and shook his head, "I honestly don't know sometimes. But I can't wait to see the look on Ensign whatshisname's face when he discovers it doesn't exist."

"Given the fright you gave him, I wouldn't be surprised if he believes it's there, even if he can't see it on the page." Gunning unfurled a hand and spread it like a butter knife across the expansive Operations Centre. "Welcome to Ops, by the way."

The big Operations Chief surveyed Ops and nodded approvingly. He'd never been in the Ops Centre of a starbase before, so this was a first for him. It was like an oversized starship bridge, with a lot more room to move around, which was good because there were a lot more people in there than one would find on the bridge of a starship. Apples and oranges really, he thought. He spotted the Operations section to his left; two seats at a long console that looked a bit like the forward station on a bridge. It even fronted onto a large viewscreen that currently displayed what looked like information about docking, arrivals, departures and maintenance.

He took in a deep breath as he suddenly felt a little overwhelmed - he was really here, it had actually happened and he wasn't about to wake up back in his warehouse. At that moment, standing in the middle of Ops, the immensity of his situation really struck him. "I think I need a drink," he said, half to himself.

"It's always the third stop on any tour." Gunning replied, patting him on the back. "After you go and report to the Captain."

Gus spotted the door to the captain's office and nodded, remembering his entire purpose for being here in the first place. "Yes," he said. "I'd better do that. Catch you later, Commander."

[OFF]

Commander Jordan Gunning
Chief Strategic Operations Officer

Lieutenant Augustus Deakin
Chief Operations Officer
Starbase 332.