17 November 2401
USS Chawla

((Aryanna sat up quickly from her bed, something was off))

“Computer. Lights dim.”

She blinked the sleep out of her eyes as the lights slowly came up to a dimmed yellowish warm light.

“What time is it?” she said absently into the room.

“It is currently 0415.”

“What the…” she had to look around the extremely bare and empty room to remind herself where she was. Kicking off the light blanket she had found in the room and turned herself so that she sat on the edge of the bed, her mind racing as she tried to piece together what was bothering her.

As she walked around the room, trying to think of what was off.

[[“Rigras, do you feel that?”
“Yes, now that you mention it. It wasn’t like a few hours ago.”
“No, it was not.]]

“Computer, run a diagnostic on the warp core.”
“The warp cores are currently operating within allocated parameters for station operations.”

“Right, I forgot there are two in the Sagan class. Still doesn’t explain…”

Aryanna tapped her combadge. “Meadow, are you on the Chawla?”
A very groggy voice comes through the badge. “Yes.”
“Please come to my quarters.”
“On my way”

A few seconds later Aryanna hears the door chime.
“Enter”
A sleepy Meadow quickly enters the room.”
“What’s up?”
“ You have been on ships a bit more than I have recently, does something feel strange to you?”
“Strange, how?”
“Give it a second.”
“Ohhhh..”As Meadow looked at the floor. “That’s different, it wasn’t like that earlier.”
“No, it was not.”

Meadow tapped her combadge.
“Computer, when was the last time someone performed maintenance on the warp core?”
“Maintenance is currently ongoing on the warp core.”
“What?? How many individuals are currently onboard the Chawla”
“I am currently showing three life signs onboard. Two in the captain’s quarters and one in main engineering.”

Aryanna quickly looked at Meadow as the former quickly ran to her quarters and returned with a phaser in hand. Aryanna nodded, went to her bed, and, thought for a second as she looked at the headrest and pushed a hidden button as a panel slid open behind where her pillow was, she reached in and pulled out a phaser.
“Took me a second to remember where the button was. Alright then let’s go.”
“Computer, Alert bravo security, Chawla – Alpha – 1- Ninja”

The two women started to quickly make their way to the turbolift.

[[“Ummmm, are you forgetting something?”
“Not that I’m aware of.”
“I mean I’m not going to complain, Meadow does have very nice legs, if you two want to go gallivanting around in your current state of dress.”
“No time for that, there are more important matters at hand than what we are or are not wearing.”]]

“Main engineering”

“Come on, come on.” A lanky human stands bent over one of the engineering terminals, one hand gripping the edge of the console while the other is running through his disheveled brown hair. “By my calculations, we should be operating at no less than ninety-five percent efficiency.” he nervously looked around the dimly lit engineering bay and then back down at the console.

“Simulation completed. System efficiency as per testing parameters is at ninety percent.”

“What? That makes no sense, I’ve run these numbers several times.” He looked down as the LCARS started to show the results of the simulation.

“Oh come on, there is no way that would make sense. Why would any engineering officer make those decisions? “ As he quickly moved his PADD from behind his back across to his front. “Let’s see…” as a hand quickly started to type and move through the information presented on the PADD. “Yaa.. Sovereign class, Inquiry class, Reliant class. That should give me a broad spectrum of ship engineering practices.” he turned and leaned against the console. “Hmm, ah ha. Yes, I see. Ok, that makes sense. Hmm, ahhhh. Nope, no that won’t do at all. What are they nuts? They do that. “he shook his head “ idiots, all of them. That makes no sense why would you bypass conduit alpha 120 to Charlie 358.”

He turned back to the console, flinging the PADD behind his back. “Computer, pull up all parameters for simulation Aidanson – Sierra – one – one”

He watched as the LCARS started to show lists and flowcharts of how the various parameters worked together. “Ahhhh, here you are.” As he stabbed the console on a particular list. “Of course, he would do that. How can he even call himself an engineer? Him and his damn book.”

He stumbled down the set of stairs to the lower level of the main engineering and went to another set of consoles.

“Ok, Let’s change the settings on the cores.” He pulls his PADD from his back and looks at the results from the previous simulation, his right hand starts to type on the console in front of him as he is reading the PADD.

“If I were you I wouldn’t do that. Matter of fact I would heavily suggest you put down that PADD. Now who the hell are you? “And what the hell are you doing on my ship?” he heard from behind him.

“Umm, ah, hmmmm, uh.” he nervously pushed up his glasses as the PADD dropped and was caught by the sling wrapped around his shoulder.

“Aryanna, he has something running. Not sure what but it looks like it is tied into most of the engineering systems.” he heard from above.

Slowly looking up at the voice he saw a human woman, quickly looking back down he realized that she was in her night clothes.

“Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap. Ummm, no one was supposed to be here for at least forty-eight more hours. I’m so dead.”

A chuckle escaped from Aryanna’s lips. “You would be if she hadn’t talked me into asking questions first and shooting second. So If I were you I would start talking.” she watched as his head dropped and a loud breath escaped from him.

“Lieu lieu lieu Lieutenant Aidanson. I’m part of the team that worked on the Chawla.”

“Uh-huh, don’t explain what you are doing on my ship though.” Aryanna tapped her combadge, “Bravo Security, Chawla.”

“We are outside the main engineering ma’am.”
“We have the person in custody, he says he is Lieutenant Aidanson.”
“Oh damn it, not again.”
“We will call bravo engineering ma’am, and have them send a team.”
“Very well”

“Sounds like this ain’t the first time Lieutenant. So again, what are you doing on my ship?”

“Can I turn around? It is kind of rude to talk to somebody like this.”

“Slowly, but first, end whatever you are doing?”

The slender human male started to turn around as he did a beep emanated from the console.” No need, it has finished.” he looked at the Trill woman in front of him, quickly dropping his eyes as he realized that she too was in her night clothes.

Aryanna raised an eyebrow as she looked the human male over. “Answer the question.”

“Well you see, I’ve always hypothesized that the sagan class could be more efficient if warp core configuration was altered and some changes were made to its underlying systems.”

He noticed the second female walk towards them from the stairs.

“Let me guess, you figured you would test it on the Chawla as she was just retrofitted and had her systems updated,” Aryanna asked from in front of him, phaser pointed down slightly.

“Yes, that’s right. No one was supposed to be assigned to her for at least another forty-eight hours. So I thought…” as he quickly wiped the sweat beading up on his forehead.

“Let me guess, you thought you would come on board, do your thing, and wipe the logs before anyone would be onboard to notice.” Aryanna looked at the PADD that Meadow held so that she could read what was on it.

“I see, this is not the first time you tried this.”

The lieutenant nervously shook his head.

Aryanna turned as she heard footsteps coming from behind her.

“Take him to the security room, Charlie one, hold him there.”
“Yes, Ma’am”
Aryanna watched as a small engineering team started to make their way into the main engineering, raising an eyebrow as she saw the Benzite commander. “Figure out what he did, commander. Report back to me and only me.”

“Yes, Captain. Where will you be?”

“Well, First I’m going to go put something a bit more proper for the situation on, and then I’m going to talk with the lieutenant.” She turned toward Meadow, nodded, and made her way out of the main engineering suite followed shortly by the human female.