Episode 94. The Costly Mechanic
Context
- Coordinated Universal Time
- Friday, October 18, 2024 - 16:17
- Location
-
- Tellar Prime
- Zorek Spaceport
- Docks
- Timeline
- Schak'Irra Timeline
- Previously
-
After weeks of travel, USS Enterprise has finally escaped its drift. Thanks to T'Met, Tarsi, and Lingua, the ship was towed to Tellar Prime, a Tellarite planet in the Alpha Quadrant located by Lingua. To avoid confrontation, Tal'Kyr stayed back, leaving the Earth shuttles to handle the final leg of the journey. After a laborious diplomatic exchange, Agnes Rodriguez managed to negotiate docking rights at Zorek Spaceport in exchange for a few crates of Martian beer. While the Tellarites remain wary and the ship's systems still need major repairs, the crew finally hopes to find what they need on this planet to breathe life back into Enterprise.
Characters
| Name | Affiliation / Branch | Title / Rank | Species | Timeline of Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agnes V. Rodriguez | NATO / Special Fleet | Captain | Human | Schak'Irra Timeline |
| Angie Chen | NATO / Special Fleet | Commander | Human | Schak'Irra Timeline |
| Vexoriana-Lyss'ra Tarsi | Starfleet / Temporal Division | Commander | Andorian | Prime Timeline |
| T'Met | Starfleet / Temporal Division | Captain | Vulcan | Prime Timeline |
| Tellar Prime Agent | Tellar | N/A | Tellarite | Schak'Irra Timeline |
| Robert Gomard | NATO / Army | Colonel | Human | Schak'Irra Timeline |
| Lingua | Starfleet / Temporal Division | N/A | Artificial Intelligence | Prime Timeline |
| Gornok | Zorek Contractors' Assembly | Chief | Tellarite | Schak'Irra Timeline |
Manifest
| USS Enterprise | |
|---|---|
| Affiliation | NATO |
| Location | Docked at Zorek Spaceport |
| Captain | Agnes V. Rodriguez |
| First Officer | Angie Chen |
| Artificial Intelligence | Lingua (Unofficial) |
| Pilot | Eric Corda |
| Communications | Emilie Flores |
| Operations | Charlene Savea |
| Tactical | Vexoriana-Lyss'ra Tarsi (Unofficial) |
| Science | T'Met (Unofficial) |
| Advanced Weapons | Eros Vitos |
| Security | Robert Gomard (Unofficial) |
| Sickbay | Victor S. Calpel |
| Counselor/Consultant | Manu |
| Custodian | Manu |
| Passengers |
Robert Gomard's squad 4 Vulcan survivors from Schak'Irra Emmanuel Macron |
| Detainees | Vladimir Joseph Putin and his bodyguards |
| Ground Team |
Agnes V. Rodriguez Angie Chen Robert Gomard Tarsi T'Met |
TL;DR
Enterprise is now docked at Zorek Spaceport. Agnes, Angie, T'Met, Tarsi, and Gomard go planetside to meet the local authorities and seek technical help. After delivering the promised Martian beer, they receive a contact: Gornok, a Tellarite mechanic known for his expertise... and his impossible temperament. In his crowded workshop, the welcome quickly turns confrontational: Gornok first chases out T'Met and Tarsi, fearing an interspecies dispute, before being won over by the Vulcan's unexpected boldness. The exchange degenerates into an absurd negotiation until Agnes accepts an exorbitant deal to save her ship.
Story
Enterprise is now docked at a berth in Zorek Spaceport, the access ramps are deployed, and as planned, Tellarite officials are waiting for us outside. Our ground team will consist of Angie, T'Met, Tarsi, Colonel Gomard, and myself.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Is everyone ready? Angie, you take care of the beer cargo for our hosts.
Cmdr. Angie Chen (Number One)
Yeah, yeah, I will push the cart. It is a shame to part with this cat piss.
Capt. T'Met
Cat piss?
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
It is an Earth expression meaning it is not very good. Imagine the taste of cat piss...
Capt. T'Met
Fascinating.
Cmdr. Vexoriana-Lyss'ra Tarsi
Wait, Agnes. We are missing something.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
What is it, Tarsi?
Cmdr. Vexoriana-Lyss'ra Tarsi
Each of you take one of these and put it in your pocket.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
What is it?
Cmdr. Vexoriana-Lyss'ra Tarsi
A Starfleet combadge. With this, you will all be able to stay in contact with Lingua, who will be able to locate us at any time.
Col. Robert Gomard (Army)
Uh, how does this thing work?
Cmdr. Vexoriana-Lyss'ra Tarsi
You apply simple pressure with your fingers and speak so Lingua can hear you. She will answer immediately.
Col. Robert Gomard (Army)
Like this? Knock knock, Lingua, yoo-hoo, are you there?
Lingua
[beep] I am here, Colonel Gomard. Please shout less loudly. My hearing is sensitive.
Cmdr. Angie Chen (Number One)
Lingua never misses a beat. Ha ha ha.
Lingua
[beep] I can hear you, Commander Chen. Your hilarity leads me to believe I must have said something amusing.
Capt. T'Met
We should go. Our hosts are waiting for us at the foot of the ramp.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Let's go!
Tellarite Agent
Hello and welcome to Zorek Spaceport. Do you have the merchandise?
Capt. T'Met
Greetings. As agreed, the Earthlings offer you the urine of their carnivorous mammals. It is packed on this cart. I am convinced you will find it to your taste.
Tellarite Agent
Urine! Are you mocking me?
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Whoa, no, no, no! T'Met was trying to make a joke. It is not what you think. This is real, authentic Martian beer, a very fine vintage, highly prized by the people of my planet.
Tellarite Agent
Vulcans have no humor, but yours is dreadful, and I appreciate it at its true value.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Uh, I do not know how I should take that remark.
Tellarite Agent
Here is your residence permit for Zorek. It is valid for your entire crew.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Thank you. Do you know anyone who can help us repair our ship?
Tellarite Agent
You have plenty of choices. I recommend Gornok. He has a garage a few steps from here. You will not find anyone grumpier, and he knows foreign ships.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Gornok? Well, okay, thank you for your welcome.
And so, we begin walking along the dock with a relaxed gait, pretending not to attract too much attention. We pass several shops and various facilities, and we see mostly Tellarites going about their business, but also other species, such as Denobulans, Rigellians, and many others. As we cross paths with these different species, Tarsi and T'Met take the time to explain their origins and cultural characteristics to us. Finally, we arrive at the small workshop the Tellarite agent described. Inside, we approach a short, round fellow who does not look very friendly.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Hello. Are you Gornok, the owner of this workshop?
Grumpy Tellarite
Grr... Grr... Hey, you two females over there! Get out of my establishment immediately before I call security! Grr...
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Okay, okay, we are leaving. I am sorry to have bothered you.
Grumpy Tellarite
Grr... Not you! You can stay! But the blue girl and the one with the pointed ears, get the hell out of here!
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Hold on a minute! T'Met and Tarsi are with me. What do you have against them?
Grumpy Tellarite
Grr... A Vulcan and an Andorian together is an explosive cocktail! I do not want trouble in my workshop because of the dumb quarrels between those two species!
Cmdr. Vexoriana-Lyss'ra Tarsi
T'Met and I are very old friends. I assure you we will not cause you any trouble.
Grumpy Tellarite
Grr... I don't give a damn!
Capt. T'Met
Stop making cat piss! Are you Gornok, the ship repairman?
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
T'Met! What has gotten into you? You are going to make him angry!!!
Gornok
Ha ha! A Vulcan talking like that, now that is something new. Very well, you win. I am Gornok. What can I do for you?
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Uh... I am the owner of the ship docked nearby. I am looking for someone who can repair it.
Gornok
That one at the end of the dock? By little Gornok's name, that is quite a piece you have there. I have never seen such a little jewel in such bad shape. You want me to redo the bodywork and the whole shebang?
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Among other things. We also need to replace the entire propulsion system.
Gornok
Grr... No problem, sweetheart. Gornok can do everything. Show me the beast's plans.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Angie, give Gornok your pad, please.
Cmdr. Angie Chen (Number One)
Here, this is the confined area where the main chamber is located, and here, all the bypasses that...
Gornok
Grr... Fantastic, this glowing tablet of yours. Do you have many of those?
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
It is called a pad. We use it to store our data and transmit messages.
Gornok
Grr... 50 and 200.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
What?
Gornok
That is my price. I want 50 of those glowing tablets and 200 bars of latinum.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Fine for the pads. Hmm, latinum. That rings a vague bell. What is it, exactly?
Capt. T'Met
Latinum is not legal tender in this sector. We cannot accept this price.
Gornok
I understand. Take it or leave it.
Capt. T'Met
NO!!!
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
I accept your offer, Gornok.
Cmdr. Vexoriana-Lyss'ra Tarsi
Agnes, you are insane! We do not have that kind of money!
Gornok
Grr... Make up your mind! I do not have all day.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
I will have the pads delivered to you today, and you will get the latinum when the work is finished.
Gornok
Deal's in the bag. My guys will pamper your bolts. Do not forget the dough. If you try to pull a fast one, I will seize your ship. Grr...
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Agreed, Gornok.