[USS Pendragon, Deck 18, Main Engineering, 1250 hours]
"That's it McCabe, try it again."
The crewman standing nearby nervously ran his fingers through his thick red hair. Rodney McCabe was looking distractedly around the Engineering deck when his attention was suddenly drawn by the sound of a voice below and to the right of him, a voice that was attached to a head sticking out of a Jeffries tube access hatch.
"Are you with me McCabe?" said Bishop. There was a note of annoyance in his tone.
"S-sir? I'm sorry, what did you say?" the crewman stammered.
Bishop sighed. "I asked you to run the EPS transfer simulation again." Climbing out of the Jeffries tube, the Pendragon's Assistant Chief Engineer stood with arms folded, looking over his nervous companion. "Crewman, what's wrong? You look like you're about to bolt."
Bishop's words seemed to make the young crewman worse for a moment, but then he calmed noticeably. "I'm sorry sir, I guess I'm just worried. We go on our first mission, and the Commander gets abducted three days in?"
Bish nodded thoughtfully. He had expected this kind of reaction. On his way from Ten Forward, Bishop had heard the news that the Commander had taken a shuttle to the planet's surface, only to have it diverted, and it's crew taken hostage. To McCabe he said, "I'm sure Lieutenant Commander Hodgson and the senior staff are doing everything they can. Right now, we have a job to do and I need you focused. The best way we can help them is to do our jobs." As he spoke he moved toward the Jefferies tube hatch, intending to finish the work they had started. McCabe's words brought him up short.
"Help? Sir with all due respect, I'm just a technician, I don't see how I can help. Besides, what if they can't get the Commander back?"
Bishop's eyes narrowed and his expression hardened. "Belay that kind of talk Crewman! No one on this ship is just an anything. Your job is as important as any other on this ship. As for getting the Commander back, I would remind you that you are on this ship because the senior staff believes in you. I think it behooves you to show the same courtesy to them." He paused a moment and took a deep breath. "Do you know why I chose you as my assistant?"
McCabe was taken aback by the odd question. "Uh.. No sir I don't."
"When I looked for an assistant, I studied the personnel records. You have a habit of speaking before you think, and more than once you've been reprimanded for arguing with senior officers."
The crewman's already pale complexion lightened a shade, but to his credit he never took his eyes off Bishop's. "I believed I was right sir," When he spoke it was with little inflection, and he was clearly unsure where the conversation was going. "I believed I was right sir."
"And were you?"
A pause. "Not always sir, no."
Bishop nodded once. "And that is why I chose you McCabe." Seeing the look of utter bafflement on the crewman's face, Bish sighed and started counting off on his fingers. "You trust your instincts. Your tendency to... shall we say, speak your mind shows that you aren't a yes-man and are capable of forming your own opinions. And finally, a moment ago I asked you if you were always right when you had argued with your senior officers. Despite the fact that I had no way of knowing the truth, you chose to be honest. I admire that." Bishop reached out and put his hand on McCabe's shoulder. "The senior staff trust you to do your job. Trust them to do theirs."
McCabe nodded, managing to look both confused and pleased at the same time. "Yes sir, I'll do that. Thank you sir."
Bishop smiled and moved to the Jeffereis tube hatch. "Don't mention it. Now, are we going to this EPS node aligned? The last thing I need is someone from Stellar Cartography yelling at me because they're losing precious nano-seconds of processing time."
"Yes sir," said McCabe with a smile as he began inputting data into the diagnostic device he carried.
OFF: Well there you go, I've now got an assistant AND I managed to put in a Cosby Show/touchy-feely moment... enjoy!
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Chief Warrant Officer 3rd Class Samuel J. "Bish" Bishop
Assistant Chief Engineer
USS Pendragon NCC-21836
[email protected]
AIM: myrddinclench
"I enjoy getting into hot water. It keeps me clean."
- G.K. Chesterson