Hands on the Heart

Zedd was halfway through his second raktajino in the Dutchman's compact mess hall, the bitter Klingon brew chasing away the ghosts of last night's bourbon with his new pilot. Cormus Fletcher had reeled off at 0200 with a sloppy salute. The ship hummed with potential but engineering still echoed empty, a nagging void that made the whole vessel feel off balance.

The comm panel pinged softly.

"Captain, incoming hail from the docking umbilical," the computer announced. "Visitor: M. Zhao. Clearance requested for engineering billet discussion."

Zedd arched an eyebrow at that. Direct access request, no shuttle, straight through the berth's sealed link. He keyed approval. "Let her in. Route her to engineering, I'll meet her there."

A few minutes later the umbilical hatch hissed open on Deck 5 and admitted a compact woman in faded coveralls. She had black hair pulled into a simple ponytail, brown eyes alert but kind, and a scarred toolkit slung over her shoulder like an old friend. She stepped into main engineering with the quiet assurance of someone who had boarded more ships than she could count.

Zedd waited by the warp core with his arms crossed. "Ms. Zhao. Captain Zedd Sykes. Impressive, most applicants take the shuttlebay. You must know your docking protocols."

She offered him a small warm smile. "Old habit from yard work, it saves time. Thank you for seeing me so quickly Captain. Mind if I take a look around?"

Zedd gestured broadly. "Be my guest."

Mei-Lin moved through the space methodically, her steps light but purposeful. "The warp core's stable but it's pulling uneven, the starboard injectors are compensating for a micro-fracture in the port assembly. That could lead to an efficiency loss at sustained warp seven, maybe a five percent drop over long hauls." She knelt and peered into a diagnostic panel below. "And the plasma conduits here, they're rated for another decade but the seals are showing early wear. Probably from inconsistent resupplies."

Zedd watched her work, not saying anything. She wasn't showboating, just stating facts, her voice soft but steady.

"Computer core's another story. Legacy model, pre-2370s I'd guess. It's functional but integrating modern upgrades could be tricky without a full overhaul. You'd gain ten to fifteen percent in processing speed if you swapped the primary matrix but that's not a cheap fix."

Zedd uncrossed his arms and leaned against the bulkhead. "You found more than I did. Posting's for engineering officer, long term with profit share. Small crew, independent runs, no red tape. You interested?"

Mei-Lin's eyes met his. "Very. I've spent years keeping worse ships flying. This one has potential and I'd like to be part of that."

"Terms," Zedd said. "Profit share, net, open ledgers. Two and a half percent to start. You prove you can keep us from shaking apart mid jump and we revisit."

Mei-Lin blinked at that and her smile faded into something more thoughtful. She wasn't offended, just calculating. "That's a bit low Captain. With respect engineering's the backbone of the ship. If I'm handling the core and upgrades and whatever patchwork we need out here, three point six feels more balanced. I've jury rigged Orion freighters through subspace storms and kept crews alive when everything else failed. I don't break ships, I make them better."

Zedd rubbed his beard. "Three's my ceiling. We're lean and everyone pulls weight."

She hesitated for a second and then nodded slowly. "Three point three then? It's not just about the number, it's about knowing the work is valued. I went through Starfleet Academy and mastered in engineering. I'd give this ship everything I've got."

Zedd looked at her for a moment longer, taking in the scars on her hands and the quiet intensity in her eyes. No pushiness, just honest advocacy. He extended his hand. "Three point three. Locked in. Welcome aboard Engineer Zhao."

Her smile came back warmer this time as she shook it. "Thank you Captain. I won't let you down."

He showed her to quarters on Deck 3, close to engineering as she quietly requested, and then left her to unpack. Faint sounds of tools drifted up from below not long after, a panel unsealing, a calibrator whirring, Mei-Lin murmuring softly to herself as she got to work.

Zedd paused on the bridge and listened to it for a moment before moving on.