She recalled what she had look over just a few moments ago "Everything is looking clear, nominal, and ready. I re synced everything twice this morning as part of prep and made sure the systems were purged after shutdown, so we're set to load these up and begin the startup process. I'll let you cover that, it's a first for me so I think watching to learn at this point would be best." Mei-Lin was mostly confident in the prep work she had done, but she wasn't going to risk messing up the start up procedures with brand new crystals.

Morgan seemed more impressed with Mei-Lin the more time he worked with her. She planned ahead and appeared to anticipate any eventuality. “Good thinking. Alright, let’s button this up.” Avery snapped the cover on the articulation frame, tapped a control and watched it slide back into its operating position.

He checked the consoles surrounding the warp core and made sure all systems were ready. “Injectors and dilithium matrix ready to be engaged. Matter-antimatter containment one hundred percent. Get ready to activate the core. I’ll prime the injectors to start the reaction,” Morgan said.

“Engineering to bridge. Ready to bring warp core online, Captain. I want to make sure the reaction chamber is stable, then we go to warp. Start at sub-light, then to warp one. Increase incrementally after that. Give me about 30 more minutes.”

Up on the bridge Zedd heard the request and looked over seeing Lindsy at the helm, who gave a nod back in acknowledgement. "Understood Avery, let me know when we're ready and we'll take her to warp. Good job t oyou and your team. Zedd out."

Mei-Lin had moved over to the primary control console for the core and power monitoring systems. "Ready when you are Chief."

“Here goes nothin’. EPS power taps activated, plasma conduits online. the primary injectors coming online. Looking good, Mei-Lin. Field coils charging…..plasma regulators in sync. I can’t wait to see what this girl can do,” Morgan said with a feel of excitement in his voice.

“Activate the core, Mei-Lin. Let’s do this,” Avery ordered. He smiled as the warp core came to life, the bluish glow pulsing back and forth, up and down.

After she entered the sequence to start the controlled process for mixing matter and antimatter, the chamber began to glow and finally reached peak intermix. "Holding stable, looking good. Power distribution is nominal. I think we're ready Chief." It felt good to have a warp core that was going to support what the ship truly needed, and not being ripped off by the Ferengi anymore..

“Well done, partner. We. Are. Ready.” Morgan double checked the intermix reaction on his console and confirmed what Mei-Lin had reported. “Reaction is stable, plasma flow parameters normal. We’re running hot, Mei-Lin! And I mean that in a good way.”

“Morgan to bridge. Warp drive online. Everything looks good. Warp at your discretion, Captain. Just remember to take it slow to start. Have to see how the new crystals hold up to the stress.”

Mei-Lin stood at the monitoring console and watched the numbers the way she always watched numbers, looking for the thing that was not quite right. The warp core pulsed its steady blue rhythm behind the housing and the power distribution grid was clean across every display and the injector timing was holding at the corrected setting and the reaction chamber was doing exactly what it was supposed to do when it had been given what it actually needed.

She ran the full diagnostic one more time anyway because that was how she worked.

Everything was fine.

Then the ship moved.

The particular quality of acceleration that was different from impulse, a change in the hum she felt in her feet through the deck plating before the console confirmed it, the Dutchman transitioning to warp one. The reaction chamber responded exactly as it should, the intermix adjusting smoothly, the plasma flow holding within nominal parameters, the field coils managing the transition without the hesitation the old crystals had produced every single time.

Clean. Smooth. Exactly what it was supposed to be.

She looked at the efficiency reading. Ninety seven point two percent. One tenth above projected.

She looked at Avery across the core housing and did not say anything for a moment because the number said everything that needed saying.

"Engineering to bridge," she said, keeping her voice even in the way she kept her voice even when she was quietly very pleased about something. "Core is performing above projected efficiency at warp one. All systems nominal. She is ready for whatever you need from her Captain."