Uncomfortable Encounter

Posted on Mon Jan 19th, 2026 @ 7:17pm by Lieutenant JG Riaothren (Ren) ch'Shaorhs & Petty Officer 1st Class Kaelen Jax

1,290 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Prologue: To Boldly Go
Location: Envoromental Control Room
Timeline: TBD

Andorians didn't sweat. That could be either an advantage or a hindrance. In any case, it did increase his pheromones. He was working out, exerting himself, when he noticed a shift in the temperature in the room. It was subtle; had he not been Andorian or working out, he might not have noticed.

He was just going to ignore it. He wasn't on duty, but then the lights flickered.

His anteanne flicked left and right as he grabbed an academy tee shirt and pulled it over his head.

He instinctively moved to the environmental control room.

Kaelen was already there.

He was crouched near the primary thermal regulator, his uniform jacket discarded on a nearby stool, leaving him in a dark grey undershirt that showed the lean, functional muscle of a long-term technician. His solid black eyes didn't leave the optical data port he was probing with a micro-calibrator, but his antennae-less head tilted slightly as the Andorian entered.

He had felt the Assistant Chief’s approach long before the door slid open, a sharp, icy-blue spike of focused intent that cut through the ship's general emotional background like a blade.

"It’s the secondary heat exchanger, Lieutenant," Kaelen said, his voice calm and rhythmic despite the humidity in the small room rising rapidly. "The Fenrir has a quirk in her power distribution. When the gym's grav-plates hit peak exertion, the environmental scrubbers on this deck take a momentary hit to their thermal buffer. That flicker in the lights was a pre-programmed load-shed."

He stood up, wiping a bead of condensation from his forehead. His senses picked up the Lieutenant's pheromones, sharp and metallic, a clear indicator of his recent workout and his current suspicion. Kaelen offered a small, apologetic smile.

"I’m Petty Officer Jax. I just transferred in," he said, extending a hand that was slightly damp but steady. "I was actually in the middle of re-routing the buffer to prevent that very thing from happening. I didn't mean to interrupt your routine, but the ship’s 'lungs' were whistling a bit too loud for my liking."

Ren's eyes held those of the petty officer, both antennae curled slightly toward him as he took the offered hand and returned the shake.

He gestured to the console, where a series of complex flow-charts were being manipulated.

"I've almost got the shunt stabilized. If you give me two minutes, the temperature will drop back to the Andorian-preferred baseline. Though I suspect you noticed the shift the second it hit three degrees above standard."

Kaelen paused, his jet-black eyes meeting the Andorian’s. "I've noticed this class of ship tends to run 'hot' in the operations sector. I'm working on a permanent fix so you won't have to keep a shirt on in here next time."

"You're not wrong, Mr. Jax, I did notice. Though I rather doubt you want the entire ship to be the preferred temperature, I have in my quarters."

"I could give you a hand if you want. But no pressure, and I'm not saying I know more than you, or that I'm trying to take over your duties.

Kaelen let out a soft, melodic chuckle, the sound echoing slightly in the cramped environmental control room. He appreciated the lieutenant’s directness and the fact that he wasn't pulling rank just because he’d caught an enlisted tech elbows-deep in the ship's guts.

"If I set the whole ship to an Andorian baseline, Lieutenant, the rest of the crew would be wearing parkas to the mess hall, and I’d be a block of ice within the hour," Kaelen said, his black eyes twinkling with good-natured humor. "I think your quarters are probably the safest place for that particular climate."

He stepped aside slightly, making room at the narrow console. He didn't feel any threat from the offer; in fact, the Andorian’s presence felt refreshingly clear and sharp, like a cold wind through the humid 'static' Kaelen usually lived in.

"I’ll never turn down a hand, especially not from Operations. You guys see the power grid from the top down; I just see it from the pipes up," Kaelen said, handing over a secondary padd that showed the fluctuating thermal load. "If you can help me balance the shunt against the grav-plate draw, we can probably keep this sector from spiking next time someone decides to run a marathon on the treadmills."

He watched the Lieutenant's hands for a moment before looking back at the internal circuitry. "I'm still learning the Fenrir's personality. She’s got more 'fight' in her than my last ship. It’s good to know I’m not the only one who hears her when she starts complaining about the heat."

Ren took the offered padd and quickly scanned the schematics. His brow furrowed as hands moved across the screen, already making adjustments.

Kaelen paused, his empathic sense picking up the Lieutenant’s genuine curiosity. "By the way, I didn't catch the name, Sir. Aside from being the man I almost accidentally roasted in the gym."

"Sorry, I should have given you my name. I'm just a little preoccupied. I was working out because my son is well, let's just say he's a typical teenager. And he's Orion, which complicates things."

"I am Ren ch'Shaorhs." As long as it's just the two of us, you can call me Ren."

"As an aside, like most Andorians, I can handle a wide variety of temperatures."

There was a short pause before he continued. "There you go, that should be in alignment now."

Kaelen watched Ren’s hands move with the practiced precision of a veteran Ops officer. He could feel the shift in the room’s "pressure" not just the thermal output, but the mental tension Ren was carrying. The mention of a teenage Orion son brought a sharp, jagged ripple of paternal stress into the empathic field, the kind of "static" Kaelen was very familiar with.

"Ren. I appreciate that," Kaelen said, inclining his head as he took the PADD back. He checked the new alignment; it was clean, a clever bit of power-routing that he hadn't considered. "And thank you for the fix. That’s a much more elegant solution than the bypass I was planning."

He began securing the access panel, his movements rhythmic. "I’ve never raised an Orion teenager, but I spent my youth on Risa. I’ve seen the 'complications' firsthand. They tend to have a... let's say, very high emotional frequency. It can be a lot to balance, especially when you're trying to keep a ship running at the same time."

Kaelen stood up and grabbed his discarded uniform jacket, shaking it out. "If he ever finds the ship’s environment too stifling, send him my way. The hydroponics bay is the best place on the Fenrir to vent some steam without tripping a sensor. It's hard to be a 'typical teenager' when you're surrounded by Risan orchids and high-pressure misting systems."

He offered Ren a genuine, steady look. His black eyes seemed to absorb the ambient light of the room. "And don't worry about the roast, Ren. Next time the gym hits a thermal spike, I’ll make sure the computer sends the excess heat to the mess hall’s coffee heaters instead of your workout."

He slung his jacket over his shoulder. "I should probably head up to the Ready Room. The Captain is expecting me for an intro, and I'd rather not tell her I'm late because I was tinkering with the gym's thermostat. It’s been a pleasure meeting you, Ren. See you on the decks."

The Assistant Ops officer nodded his head. "Yeah, see you around."

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