Kiyara Chatterbox

Posted on Fri May 5th, 2023 @ 9:33am by Captain Bethsabée Leroux & Ensign Michael Sloan & Petty Officer, 3rd Class Kiyara de Vos

Mission: Sojurn
Location: Main Engineering
1147 words - 2.3 OF Standard Post Measure

"So, how do you keep the matrix coupler from overheating then? We need a massive heat sink to even be able to handle basic impulse." Kiyara looked over the shoulder of one of the Raelians as they worked on the engineering console on the warp core. Their line of inquiry had nothing to do with their current task. But her mind wandered. And when it came to engineering questions they actually sometimes felt an uncontrollable urge to ask. And to keep asking. The alien had been quite tight lipped, however, and it wasn't really giving her any insights in their own designs. The tangent had come from when they warned the alien that they shouldn't touch the heat sink because, even when idle, it could get quite heated.

The Raelian in question offered a gentle smile and shook his head at his fellow engineer. "It is similar to how you do it but... I cannot go into it." The engineer had been asking questions for a while but he was not allowed to discuss it with them at all. It was banned despite his offer to help them as he had heard their story and saw the data on how far they were from home.

"Oh, really? I mean. I suppose you could use different materials." Kiyara looked at the alien to see if they were touching on something, but then again they wouldn't know what to look for in their reaction to know if they were getting close. "Even if you bring this thing all the way back up to installation spec we'll still take about a hundred years to get back to where we're from." They then frowned a bit, "I overheard some of the bridge crew speak of the speed of your vessels. How long do you think it would it take for you to get back there?"

"It wouldn't take much to cut our trip in half, a third," Michael added to Kiyara's line of question. "Our warp scale is exponential, so the difference between warp four and warp 5 is significant. More than that and we would probably be alive by the time we reach home," he said, trying to win some kind of favor or kindness from the alien.

"It is a shame that all discussion like that is for after the festival." The Raelian called Loka said kindly as he returned to looking at what he had been fixing. He wished he could help more but the discussion was banned by the festival.

"After the festival...," Michael echoed. Trying to get some information about the festival out of the alien, Michael began, "Back on Earth, our homeworld, most of our cultures have a festival based around the Winter Solstice. Many see it as a new beginning or a time to be thankful. Could you tell me anything about your festival?"

Kiyara smiled a bit at the memory of Christmas back home. "Do you also exchange gifts?" They wondered out loud before they could stop themselves.

“We call it the celebration of the great freezing. It happens every… ten turns of our planet around the solar system. The seas freeze on top for a quarter of year and we celebrate how our ancestors used the freezing to travel around the world and …” Loka stopped as his communicator went off. The Realian offered one of the grins that was becoming more and more polite as people spent time with them. They were a humble species that offered kindness where they could. “Excuse me a moment.” He apologised opening it and started speaking in strange clicks as he walked away.

Watching as the alien engineer moved away from the group, Michael could not help but think about how the alien was able to override the universal translator. It was certainly a trick that he would need to figure out through all of this. However, they had business to see through. Michael stepped to a console that would block the Realian's view of the workspace and pretended to run some diagnostics. He gave Kiyara a slight wink as his eyes ran over a couple of the tools that would be the least suspicious to go missing for a bit of time.

Kiyara felt their heart beat in their chest. They looked over at the alien who was conducting some sort of personal call. When confident there was some time they pulled out the engineering scanner and stepped up to the tray, running a quick scan of electronics over the tools. They weren't sure if any useful information would come of it, but it was better to have it and not use it than wanting to use it and not have it. A quick glance over their shoulder to confirm they were still in the clear.

With a nod, Michael said, "I would like to run a few tests. I don't think we've had this kind of power running through the system since drydock." While being a true statement that he intended to follow through with, it would also serve as cover for an analysis of the scanner results that Kiyara just obtained. Sort of cocking his head to think, he added, "We want to make sure the fabrication units are up and running. We may need to create parts that the Realians may not have in stock."

With a simple nod Kiyara handed over the scanner to the Chief Engineer. They'd make sure that he could conduct his tests without the alien being any the wiser. At least that was the rudimentary plan in their head.

The Raelian eventually came back with an apologetic smile. Loka clicked a device on his boiler suit and was speaking standard again. "Many apologies. My life partners are full-term with the next generation and they will be born any day now." The engineer explained picking up his nearest tool.

"Oh, congratulations! Hope all is well." Kiyara immediately jumped on the opportunity to speak about anything other than engineering, in the hopes of distracting the Raelian from quickly discovering the misplaced tool. "Must be an exciting time. Your first?"

“Seventh,” Loka admitted with a fond look on his face as he picked up a spanner and returned to what he had been doing. “Children born in the great freeze are lucky children according to our traditions. They are born when nothing used to thrive in that time.” He commented on it as he worked.

"Have you decided on a name yet?" Kiyara continued to ask him personal questions in the hopes of distracting him a bit from the job and tools and whatever Sloan was doing off to the side.

"I and My life partners have a few names but none that we have settled on yet." He explained. “How is your energy output and input doing?” Loka wondered looking at Sloan knowing he would have the best answers.

TRUNCATED