Silver Merit Award Dabi (Spanner) No More

[Nijil tr'Korjata 0]

Silver Merit Award

 

Dabi (Spanner) No More

Nijil tr’Korjata

 

Note: This event takes place before the log entitled: "Mind full of mindful"

 

“She had a great time.”

“You kept her there too long.”

“She enjoyed the Ale.”

“More like you were loosening her up with it.”

“She needed relaxation.”

“You were thinking of another relaxation.”

“I’m sure they got out safe.”

“You should have heard something by now."

 

 

Nijil still felt the effects of the Romulan ale from the night before. Most of the pain centered in his head. His Id argued back and forth with his ego like a muon wave build up. Luckily, for this engineer there is no risk of a warp core breach. The lower pylon shaft, the very lower pylon shaft provided a place to collect ones thoughts. It also housed some of the network relays and sensor processors. The most striking feature is the long way down.

 

Network Node B-D132-117. Pylon B, Deck 132, Number 117. The order called for a complete swap out. Easier than a diagnosis. Part of the job before replacement is to determine the failure and log it. That is where the micro interphasic coil spanner came in, or so Nijil hoped. The device started to give him trouble back before the attempted takeover. Engineering replaces these all of the time. Should have been a brand new spanner, but Nijil found comfort in knowing flaws. However this time…

 

“Why won’t you initialize?” He shouted aloud. No one would hear of course. Not the tool. Not anyone. One did not walk into this shaft via a wrong turn off the midway. A harsh sound echoed.

 

Clank!

 

Clank!

 

Physical violence had no impact on the tool’s function. It lay unresponsive in the engineer’s hand. He tightened his grip. Tighter. A reserve of pent up negative emotions came to a head.

“Veir na hae au dhraeu?” (Why do you not work?) “Veir!” He exclaimed into the void. Against the railing, he pounded the broken tool. Tears of pain and loss let loose from his eyes. “Why was I not able to save you? No one had to die! I tried to find you all!”

 

Unable to hold his anger he punished the tool until its upper arm gave way. The force of the impact threw the broken part toward Nijil’s cheek. The ripped edge cut a gash a few centimeters long. The enraged engineer cried out from the sudden sharp pain. “Fvadt! Fvadt!” With a stark resolve, he used his remaining strength to throw the spanner down in the abyss. It clanked against the sides of the shaft as it tumbled down several decks. After a few seconds, a weak thud echoed back at him. The tool now destroyed and out of reach.

 

The pain remained for Nijil tr’Korjata. It manifested itself in the physical and emotional. He felt the green blood begin to drip down his cheek. A trip to sickbay…no. Too many questions. Explanations for his outburst and the destroyed spanner are expected. He needed to calm himself down. The humans in this Federation prescribe time to heal. Nijil is Rihan! They do not bow down to weakness.

 

This Rihan however was unlike others of his kind. Not as xenophobic, devious or cunning as the rest. His ego deflated compared to his contemporaries. Things had been this way for a long time, perhaps even before the disaster on his home world. The probable loss of his mother, father and sister weighed heavily. While many Rihan turned their rage toward the Breen, Nijil just twisted his inward.

 

The only bright spot over these last months were finding a new place to call home. Aegis provided a place to work and, more important to Nijil, a venue away from enraged Rihans. As Nijil’s breathing returned to normal he thought of perhaps a brighter spot in his situation. A Trill whose quick friendship surprised even a moderate Rihan like himself. She could help. She would understand, maybe not now, but over time.

 

The engineer grabbed up his kit, sans spanner and headed for the long ladder climb back to the rest of the station. The wound needed healed without involving station medical or his superiors. Nijil wiped the tears from his eyes and started to climb.