Facing The Thunder
Posted on Wed May 20th, 2026 @ 3:28pm by Commodore Tyler Malbrooke & Lieutenant Junior Grade Galen Trellis & Lieutenant Vura & Lieutenant Commander Rowena McGowen & Lieutenant Colonel Cornelius Tremble & Ensign Hoa Nhi Nguyen & Ensign Connor Turner & Staff Warrant Officer Rommie
2,472 words; about a 12 minute read
Mission:
Episode 17 - Going Home
Location: Bridge - Deck 1 - USS Pioneer
Timeline: MD005 0900 hrs
Rowena standing in the turbo lift that would take her to the bridge. Next to her stood an over eager security officer. Ensign Nguyen wasn't jumping like a spring through the lift yet, but Rowena could feel that energy vibrating from her. The half Vulcan did seem to have that energy under control.
Rowena was heading up to the bridge after avoiding it for a long time. And also being out of the running for so long after the whole ordeal with Malificus. And although mentally she was still recovering, she was still the second officer. And that meant she had a duty to preform. She needed to get back in the saddle, as the commodore said it.
Nhi was standing next to the commander. It's been a while since she actually saw the commander. And the Gamma shifts were done in rotation by other senior officers, so this was the first with the second officer actually taking command of the bridge. She was really excited, but she also knew the second officer had been through a lot, and she wasn't in on the details, so she kept herself calm. She didn't want to get the commander angry or something.
The lift opened to the bridge and Rowena and Nhi walked on to the bridge and walked on to the deck. Nhi took her position at the tactical station, while Rowena stepped towards the colonel to relieve him from bridge command.
Rowena stood in front of the Colonel. Despite knowing no one on the crew really held her accountable for what had happened, Rowena did still feel somewhat responsible for what happened. She scratched her throat. "I am here to take on my shift, sir." She said.
Neil looked up at Rowena as she stopped in front of him, and reset the command chair from his personal preferences. Awkwardly, he levered himself up as Rommie stepped turned from the Marine Ops console and offered him his crutches. He took them with a nod of thanks and got them situated under his armpits before he looked Rowena in the eyes and said, "Very well Commander. I stand relieved."
Then he cracked a slight grin and said, "She's all yours. All systems are running as they should be and there isn't anything overly taxing in the queue." He looked her over then and noted some tenseness in her jaw and said, "I'm going to go take a load off, but Rommie will have the Op's station online for a while. She's a good hand if you have need of her. The Commodore has cleared her to pull bridge shifts as long as one of the three of us is pulling duty. Do you have anything for me, Rowena?"
Before Rowena could answer, the turbolift doors open and Vura strutted onto the bridge. Given Rowena's fragile state, it was her duty to be here, even if it was not her normal shift. She was going to be tired tomorrow, but such was the life of the counselor.
There was alos the issue of the the Colonel. What was she going to do about him? He likely needed her assistance, as well. "Hello everyone," she decided to say in cheery, sing song voice.
Rowena looked up when she heard the cheery voice of Vura. She gave a nod to Neil. "It was good to see you again, sir. Please take some rest. I can handle the rest from here."
She then turned to Vura. "Hello, counselor, glad you could join me on the bridge." She sat down in the command chair as she watched Neil and Rommy leave the bridge.
"I am always glad to be of assistance," Vura told Rowena. "I'll just stay out of your way unless something comes up that requires my more direct attention." The counselor did not want to embarrass Rowena regarding her personal struggles but did want Rowena to know she was here for support.
Rowena nodded to Vura. She looked on the small control panel on the command chair.
Neil took in the bridge a last time, met Vura's eyes and said, "Hello Counselor." Then made his way toward the lift, limping slightly as he the leg drag was still a problem. He did make eye contact with Rommie as she passed and she flickered a nod in understanding.
Vura looked at the Colonel like he had two heads. Maybe getting injured was good for his personality. Her face softened as she watched him limp. They should probably talk. After all, he had been through a traumatic experience and regardless of his opinion of her, she had a duty to assist.
The doors to the turbolift opened just as Neil headed for it. From it emerged Connor Turner. "Did someone call for a systems...." His mouth stopped functioning as he saw Vura looking in his direction and his eyes quickly found his feet. He gulped hard. "System's engineer?" he finally concluded.
Neil paused just short of the turbo-lift doors, giving the Ensign room as the young officer's eyes darted around. When those eyes stopped at the officer's feet, his lips twitched in amusement though he wasn't quite sure what was causing the evasion. "Mind yourself, Ensign," he counseled quietly. "Eyes up and to your station. Start with the Engineering repeater station and Commander McGowen will direct from there."
"Eyes up?" Connor asked with a visible gulp. His eyes focused on Vura and he promptly decided that another direction would be the best. "Station is what you said." He immediately headed to his station and bent his head over the console, hoping that nobody would notice him.
Vura, for her part giggled, knowing how the engineer was feeling and delighted that he still was so bashful.
Neil only stiffened as he heard the giggle behind him.
Giggling. On the bridge?
Well. It wasn't his bridge right now so...
He stumped into the lift, juggling the crutches and leaned against the lift wall as the doors shwiffed close. After a couple of beats, he sub-vocalized. "Rommie. Keep an eye on the Ensign. He might be a bit flustered. I'll be in occupational therapy.
"I shall, Colonel," Rommie's voice sounded in his ear.
Rommie glanced toward the engineering station and her uniform skant piping twisted into marine green and operations gold as she stepped over to the Engineering console and said, "Hello, Ensign. I am Warrant Officer Rommie. Should you have questions, do not hesitate to ask." She smiled at him and glanced at his console configuration.
Connor looked at the AI fascinated. This was something that Connor could relate to. "Nice to meet you, Warrant Officer Rommie. I look forward to working with you. Though, was I asked to work with you? I was informed a computer specialist was required on the bridge. So, here I am."
"No Ensign. I am manning the Marine Ops console, sorting through After-Action reports and other minutia for the Colonel and he likes to keep the station up when he's not on the bridge himself. But, it's only taking a small part of my attention, so I am happy to be of assistance."
"Was the word 'happy,' meant literally? As in, you can feel emotions?" Connor wondered, fascinated with Rommie. "Or was that just used in the vernacular?" Connor tilted his head slightly and curiously.
Vura marvelled at Connor. She had never seen him like this. He was talking to the machine like most people would talk to humans. This was an extremely interesting study. Somehow, though, he managed to talk to Zahra. Vura mentally filed that point away and decided she would have to inquire into Connor's behavior a bit more.
"I understand the word and it's connotation for most members of the crew," Rommie told him quietly, her social programming kicking in as she explained. "My programming and experience help me formulate adequate responses that will help me fit in. And while I don't necessarily feel happy as you might experience, I do get small achievement notifications my programmer added when I appear to be successful in social circumstances. So. While I don't feel emotions, achievements let me know if I'm relatively successful."
A notice kicked in and Rommie affected a smile, "And I think I might have just given an overly-long explanation. Sorry about that."
"You did not!" Connor assured Rommie, completely entranced by the AI. "I should like to discuss your programming more with you. Everything that you have said only pleases me more." The British ensign smiled at the AI. "I will happily work towards giving you more achievement notifications. Can you tell me who your programmer is or was?"
"To a limit, I can discuss my programming. But only in general terms, Ensign," Rommie replied. "My primary function is as the Colonel's batman aide-de camp or even Yeoman. The Rommie AI was developed and is proprietarily owned by Jon Quest, former FMC Corporal who served with the Colonel and retired medically. Jon also wrote the Colonel's gym program and adds personalities to it, mostly to amuse himself. Two years ago, Jon approached the FMC and Admiralty with the concept. The Colonel's position provided an opportunity and I was provided as a test."
"The finer points of my programming, I can't share with you. You don't have the security clearance, sir. My apologies again."
"I perfectly understand," Connor answered simply. "I shall just have to contact this Jon Quest. He's bloody brilliant!"
"I'll see you have access to his information. Now then, sir. I think it best to attend to duties, if you'll forgive me." A bit of programming kicked in as she turned and her hand touched his console briefly, activating the replicator to leave the young engineering officer a cookie. Chocolate chip. Recipe #184619164682." Then she was walking back to the Marine Ops station.
Connor looked at the proffered biscuit that he took in his hand and wondered more about Rommie's programming. Why did she do that? Were female AI just as mysterious as normal women? He shook his head in the negative at the thought. That could not be because he could talk to the AI. Deciding that the problem could not be solved for the moment, he took a bite of the chocolate chip biscuit and munched on it thoughtfully.
Lieutenant jg Anzhelina Walker was at flight control, her concentration on the task at hand. As the ship travelled at warp, she made minor adjustments to the controls, to keep them on course. The conn officer's mixed heritage helped her process the many complex equations required. Vulcan, human, and El-Auran made for an interesting mix.
Rowena noticed the woman sitting at the helm. She must have arrived before her. She went through her mind as to who the officer was. "Ah, right, Lieutenant Walker." She called out loud as she got the attention of the lieutenant. "We haven't met yet. This is actually my first time on bridge duty since a long time."
"A pleasure to meet you, ma'am." Anzhelina said. "Welcome back to the Bridge." Then sitting up straighter, she said. "I await your orders, ma'am.
Rowena scratched her neck a moment before she said. "Well, I think we're still heading the same way, I have had no orders for a course change and I see no reason to change it either. So steady as she goes!"
"Aye, ma'am, steady as she goes." Anzhelina replied.
Rowena leaned back a bit uneasy in her chair and then turned to look over her shoulder. She witnessed the final exchanged between Rommie and Conner. She didn't say a way but smiled. It was a simple interaction, the AI giving a cookie to the human engineer, and yet it was just wat she needed to witness right now. She turned to her assigned pilot again. "So...miss Walker...how long have you been in star fleet?" Rowena tried to get some small talk going with the lieutenant. She knew her shift may be a bit boring, which was fine, but if she was the second officer, she would have to get to know the crew at some point. She couldn't keep hiding in the SCIF.
"Almost 8 years, ma'am." Anzhelina said. "But, I've been a pilot since my late teens. I can assure you, I know what I'm doing, ma'am."
"Oh," Rowena replied, "That's not...I was just trying to make small talk. Nothing on your piloting skills, Lieutenant. Nothing will happen I suppose on this shift, so I thought we could chat a little. Get to know each other."
"I'm sorry, ma'am, I mistook your question." Anzhelina said. "I've had senior officers doubt my skills before, due to looking younger than my true age."
"In the interests of sharing, I was born in Rolan City on Barisa Prime, my parents and father's parents owned an asteroid mining company. My parents were often of world and I'd stay with my grandmother, she taught me fencing and how to fly, among other things." Anzhelina said with a smile.
Rowena smiled. "Well...that's quite a service record you got there, Lieutenant. I am impressed." She was just trying to a little air on the bridge and not have things too serious. "I am good at solving puzzles and hacking computers."
Tyler watched the events unfurl from the safety of his Ready Room. Simulations such as this could cause havoc with simulators, let alone actual ship Bridges. He had total confidence that somewhere within Rowena she had it in her to command, to get a starship to run the way it needed. However, the question was whether or not she could bring it out to the forefront sooner rather than later.
A Joint Post By
Commodore Tyler Malbrooke
Commanding Officer, USS Pioneer
Lieutenant Colonel Cornelius Tremble
Executive Officer, USS Pioneer
Battalion Commander, The Cure
Lieutenant Junior Grade Galen Trelis
Chief Flight Control Officer, USS Pioneer
Lieutenant Vura
Chief Counselor, USS Pioneer
Lieutenant Commander Rowena McGowen
Chief Intelligence Officer, USS Pioneer
Ensign Connor Turner
Computer Systems Specialist, USS Pioneer
Ensign Hoa Nhi Nguyen
Security Officer, USS Pioneer
Staff Warrant Officer Rommie
Artificial Intelligence, The Cure
USS Pioneer
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