=Main Engineering= =U.S.S. Chimera= Rick looked around the main hum of engineering, which wasn’t as busy with activity as usual. He had people scattered around the ship and many more were in sick bay either injured ... or dead. There was still no word from Quayle. Even though Rick managed to get communication working to an extent, he still couldn’t find the Lieutenant Commander. While Rick was never one to doubt his own abilities as an engineer, he did doubt them as a leader. Running beta shift was one thing. At least he had another more experienced engineer to report to. Now, at least for the time being, he was in charge of the whole department in the middle of a dangerous situation. His hands flashed across a computer console as he was trying to get a better understanding of all the minor problems throughout the ship. More and more seemed to be popping up. ‘Well, there goes those perfect readings we had,” Rick thought. +tap+ “Szease to engineering.” +tap+ “Yeah, what can I do for you ensign.” +tap+ “Sir, there seems to be some fluxuations with the shields. I don’t know if they’ll go off line it if they will shoot up to a hundred percent.” +tap+ “What are they at now?” Rick asked. +tap+ “89 percent,” she said. “No, make that 46 percent ... now its at 77 percent.” +tap+ “If they go below 10 percent, then I want to know ASAP,” Rick said. “Rodgers out.” Rick was tempted to go to the main shield generators when he saw Crewman Weathersby enter. “What’s wrong, Jo?” Rick asked. “You’re suppose to be with Gomez and the rest of beta shift.” “Gomez?” she said with a puzzled look. “I was just with you in the computer core. Where’s Lieutenant McTaggert? We were suppose to meet him here.” “He’s dead,” Rick said. “Don’t you remember?” “Dead ... no,” she said, looking at Rick as if he grew a second head. “When did that happen?” Rick observed her for a moment and thought, ‘Computer core ...?’ “Jo, what’s the last thing you remember,” Rick said. “We were in the computer core when you discovered a problem with the basic info mods on the command level,” she said. “Why?” Keeping an eye on her, he tapped his comm badge. +tap+ “Rodgers to Weathersby,” Rick said. “I’m right here, sir,” she said. “Not you,” Rick said. +tap+ “Rodgers to Weathersby.” +tap+ “Weathersby here,” Rick heard, and it wasn’t coming from the woman in front of him. +tap+ “Never mind. Rodgers out.” Rick stared at the woman, half expecting her to just disappear as his other self did earlier. This Weathersby from the past, though, remained standing in front of Rick. After about a minute ... “Normally, I’d have you report to sickbay, but I need as many engineers as I can get,” Rick said. “So for now, you’re with me. Lets get to work.” She just nodded as they headed off to another section of engineering. Lieutenant (j.g.) Rick Rodgers Assistant Engineering Officer U.S.S. Chimera