Within the hull ...

[T'aral 0]

Deep within the Qob a Vulcan engineer scanned, tweaked, and prodded various systems to try to identify the single or multiple causes which kept the old Klingon vessel on the ground. Joe was counting on her, and more importantly she needed to keep her current employment.

 

So much had happened: so much that she hadn't told anyone. The Federation, her escape, her effort to hide herself ... so much could be for nothing if she didn't come through. She used to be content: a subordinate engineer and technician who kept minor systems running smoothly. Then the ship's engineer had to get drunk and get himself barbequed, and she found herself put in the hot seat.

 

How much did the captain know about her? Nothing - in truth, he didn't even know her real name. If she didn't maintain her mental disciplines, it would be entirely possible that she would've forgotten it. Yet it was important that she didn't forget, for if she ever did it would be possible that she might let her guard down. On that day she would soon find herself back in the hands of the Federation, or worse.

 

The plasma conduits were cold: a re-charge was needed. The dilithium crystals were also destabilizing - they were de-crystalizing. If she didn't find a way to energize them soon, they would need to be replaced. In some ways more possible than than re-crystalizing, but definitely more expensive. Given the general disrepair of the ship there were far too many things that needed attention, and money, for them to be shelling out those kinds of credits.

 

Absently, T'Aral looked back at a storage alcove. There was one or two pieces of technology within this vessel that were worth a considerable sum; both of which had seen hours of careful Vulcan attention over the last year or so. However, T'Aral wasn't sure the captain knew about her personal projects. If he didn't and she revealed them, how would he react? Either one could get the Qob impounded, but that was neither here nor there. The fact was that her Vulcan logic forbade her from sharing anything she knew until she could predict the outcome of the conversation. At the moment it didn't matter anyway; the ship had far too little power.

 

She went back to work, coaxing reactions out of dormant circuits and error-checking every system. If there was away to re-energize the ship's internal systems, the captain would either come up with it himself of have her devise it. When that time came, everything needed to be in perfect working order.