<div class="floatleft">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/thumb/9/93/Sebastian_Bryce.jpg/395px-Sebastian_Bryce.jpg)</div><strong>Engine-Master Anderson</strong><br/><br/>Bryce took one look at the girl (http://alia.w.interiowo.pl/ginnyportret.jpg), and more or less instantly knew why she was late for her shift. It was all in the way that she carried herself, the faint hint of embarrassment mixed in with a bit of fear as she explained that she'd been held up by the Surgeon before he'd even asked her to account for herself. Gilly was one of the promising of the apprentices working under him, studying the Engine-Master's art under one of it's masters in perhaps the finest classroom ever created,-- the beating heart of the<em>Fearless</em>,-- a work of sorcerous engineering which Bryce himself could only scarcely be said to understand.<br/><br/>"Well, never mind that. Fall in with the others. Your just in time; we're changing out one of the spent electro-cores today and I want you on assist... assuming your not too light headed."<br/><br/>She blushed a bit, shaking her head, "No, Sir. I should be fine."<br/><br/>"Good," he said. "Next time don't hold off visits to the Ship's Doctor until the last minute."<br/><br/>She looked like she was going to protest, to say something, probably protest that the Ship's Doctor was a vampire. Which, in this singular case, wasn't a metaphor or a euphemism but a literal fact. A literal fact that had precious little sway with Bryce and which certainly didn't detract from her skills. The girl wisely though better of it, instead simply nodding and getting into position while Bryce paced about and said a few words to prepare those who had never done this sort of work before for what they were in for. He trusted the older, wiser hands to know what to do, though, this after all being rather routine.<br/><br/>"Begin!"<br/><br/>~<br/><br/>As Bryce rocketed up one of the<em>Fearless</em>' central lifts toward the Upper Deck, he couldn't help but glance down unhappily at his stopwatch. The second hand stopped at 47 seconds, the time that it'd taken to complete the drill, a time that would probably be unacceptable on any ship other than the Fearless. Not that the Captain was lax or the standards off, of course, but simply because everything was so much more bloody complicated on this ship and Bryce only barely understood<strong>why</strong>.<br/><br/>As he headed off the lift, moving down one of the hallways and nearing the open deck,-- and, in particular, the area where he expected to run into the Captain,-- he knew that he'd<em>learn</em>why... in time..<br/><br/>He'd also get that damnable time down, and hopefully not flirt quite so closely with a Cascade as they had this time.<br/><br/>At least only one of the Apprentices had fainted.<br/><br/>Hopefully the Captain wouldn't berate him about the flickering of the lights; it wasn't like anyone else could do better.<br/><br/>"I thought I'd find you here,--" he said, only to find himself distracted by the black-clad Ship's Doctor as he stepped onto what the Sultana at least insisted was called the 'Captain's Deck'. He simply inclined his head to the less-expected guest and moved to find himself a seat. "--Captain. Always a pleasure to see you, as well, Doctor. What are you ladies up to at this early hour?"