Lab Time

Posted on 08 Dec 2025 @ 10:52am by Ensign Khalest T. & Lieutenant JG Cajag Lagnas
Edited on on 08 Dec 2025 @ 7:24pm

1,229 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Shakedown
Location: Science Lab 3
Timeline: Current

::ON::

Caj had a whole new science lab to play with. In fact he had several. One of the great aspects of the modular nature of the Nebula class starships was that the science labs were interchangeable for mission specific work. Part of lab three was a biology lab. This was not Caj’s usual field so he had got in some medical personnel to help him test the lab equipment. Including Ensign Khalest. Caj was working on the spectrum wave cell analysis projector. Which gave a holographic display and break down of a cell down to the subatomic level. It didn’t seem to be working and Caj tutted to himself

Khalest T. arrived at the Science Lab, at Caj's invitation. With a PaDD in hand, she continued on her list of glitches, malfunctions and slight inconveniences aboard the newly built ship. Seeing Caj hovering over one of the machines, she approached him. "Is everything working properly in this lab, Caj? I can not say it is in Sickbay."

“I think we certainly have some glitches in the works” said Caj as he pointed a finger at the equipment in a gun shape and made click bang noise as he metaphorically shot the thing. “All this high, top of the line tech and it’s all glitchy. Take this spectrum wave analysis projector. It won’t scan past the atom scale.”

"I'll make note of that." She recorded the complaint on the PaDD. "Not only are there many glitches in Sickbay, but we are missing medications and equipment."

“Wow….the XO will not be happy with that. A fully stocked sick bay is a basic mission requirement.” Caj shrugged a little “I don’t think anyone cares if a few scientists are missing equipment.”

"They should. Someone paid for that equipment. If it's missing, the it's not serving it's purpose. And the XO has a lot to hear about, and this is just the first day back onboard."

Caj made slow whistling sound of disbelief and shoved his hands in his pockets “I’m assuming that we are assuming bureaucratic nonsense rather than theft of anything that is missing….?” Caj looked thoughtful “Have you checked the cargo bays? May of just been miss labelled in a crate somewhere?”

She looked up from the PaDD with her usual stoic expression. "No, I dont believe it was stolen. As you said, it may have been misplaced, and we may need to check the cargo bays. But if the medications are down there, I hope they're being properly stored, as some of them require refrigeration."

“Well then” said Caj slapping his hands together with a big grin. “Let’s go rescue some medication.” Caj switched off the Lab equipment “we can come back to this later.”

"Agreed." She turned the PaDD off for the moment, morioning in front of them. "Lead the way, Lieutenant." That was to say, she didn't know where the cargo hold was located yet. Her priority had been to find Sickbay. Did she maybe have a one track mind?

“Right!” He said clapping his hands together again. As he stepped out of the lab into the corridor. Caj looked both ways then turned on the spot and went bounded down the corridor. However before Khalest had exited the lab Caj had already turned around and was now going left. “Yes this way.”

As she exited the room, she saw Caj switching directions and was slightly confused. "Are you sure?" She walked beside him, supposing they would find out together.

“Half sure…” said Caj with a grin. “The nebular class starship has 5 cargo bays and that’s before the Cygies refurb. The nearest one should be this way…..?”

She understood the confusion now. "I suppose I'll follow your lead." She was becoming annoyed, but her usual stoic expression didn't change.

Caj bounded along the corridor of the starship enthusiastically, happy to be helping. They found their way to Cargo bay 2 first. THe large set of doors slid ponderously open into the large hanger bay. Crew moved around dozens of crates like, bees around a hive. Cag scratch his chin, then clicked his fingers "Idea!" He smiled "Cant check each crate independently, but we can use the sips internal sensors to scan the room for the particular equipment your looking for?"

She had followed him, hands behind her back as they traveled down the corridor. Walking into the large hanger, and seeing how busy it was, she looked back to Caj. "Perhaps, but that is if the sensors are operational and accurate. We have been experiencing many malfunctions since launch."

Caj smiled "Thats your Klingon optimism shining through their Khalest. No lets not be defeatist, I am sure two fine blue collard starfleet officers such as our selves can overcome this little hurdle. We can do a test first......" said Caj heading to a LCARS display built into the wall. "give me a missing piece, from you manifest, and i will scan for that and see what we get?"

Enthusiasm, or the refusal to be defeated by something so trivial, and mkat likely easily solved. Khalest thought for a moment, as there were many missing pieces of equipment and bottles of medicine. "Let's start with something simple. We are missing two medical scanners."

Caj nodded an affirmative and his fingers began to dance delicately on the touch screen LCARS display. His fingers rapidly typing as he searched for the aforementioned items. After the computer made to ineffectual buzzing noises, Caj tutted to himself. "They are not coming up....." he clicked his fingers and rather than scan for the items as a whole he scanned for the collection of parts in case the computer did not recognise what it was scanning for. This time the computer chirped in agreement. "Right according to this they are up that ladder on the second shelf" said Caj pointing.

"Alright. Then hold this." She gave him her PaDD, and climbed up the ladder he had pointed out, going up to the second shelves. She started reading the labels on the storage crates.

Cqaj stood Holding the Pad watching the medical officer go up the ladder. "Try the crate on the far right. The one next to that barrel. Careful, we are coming dangerously close to the makings of a super hero origins story!"

"What is a Superhero?" She asked as she reached for the crate furthest to the right. "Is this the correct one?"

“Yeah that one…..” said Caj in disbelief. “A superhero is normally a benevolent character who typically possess superpowers or abilities beyond those of a species norms. The character is normally costumed in some way to hide their identity and fits the role of the typical heroic archetype. They use their powers to help their world become a better place. In Terran culture normally, said superpowers comes from some sort of accident……are you seriously saying that you spent your years at the academy on earth and never watch one of their super hero movies? At some point my friend we going to watch a superhero movie” said Caj as the Vulcan pulled out the medical device with success.


She opened the crate, looking into it. "No, I was never interested in Earth media. If I needed a break, I listened to broadcasts from my home planet, or just read books."

 

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