Shanties in a jefferies tube
Posted on Fri Jun 26th, 2026 @ 1:15am by Petty Officer 1st Class Shailyn Lothian & Griffin Blackwell & Lieutenant Commander Johnathan "Jack" MacGyver
1,539 words; about a 8 minute read
Mission:
A Day In The Life
Location: Orcrist
Timeline: MD 04 Late Afternoon
It was work she was doing, Shailyn in her own world, She was working on checking the odn nodules just checking and going over them. She didn't mind the work, after all the ship was new but, just because the ship was new, didn't mean that it was perfect, far from perfect.
She sang out a shanty one she really liked.
Louis was the king of France
Before the revolut-i-on
Away, haul away, we'll haul away Joe
But then he got his head chopped off
Which spoiled his constitut-i-on
Away, haul away, we'll haul away Joe
(To me) way, haul away
We'll heave and hang together
Away, haul away, we'll haul away Joe
Her voice which wasn't that bad echoed through the tube and also through the grate, she not paying attention, she truly didn't care. Shailyn was happy.
Crawling through the tubes, Jack Was on his way back to engineering after replacing a faulty phaser coupling when he heard a feint voice floating in the air. He couldn’t make out the words. But the tune was familiar. Continueing to crawl, he followed the voice to its source.
Stopping outside the Node, Jack had a fun idea, crawling back down the jefferies tube, he waited for her to stop singing before he started to sing himself.
In sleep she sang to me,
In dream she came,
That Voice which calls to me,
And speaks my name,
And do I dream again, for now I find,
The Phantom of the Orcrist is there,
Inside my mind…..
Shailyn heard someone singing back, the tune a familiar one. with some of the words having been changed.
The voice, she loved, who could it be?
Shailyn decided to sing back just a little bit.
Sing once again, with me,
a strange duet,
The power over me
grows stonger yet.
And though I turn from you,
to glance behind.
The Phantom of the Orcrist
Is there inside our mind.
Shailyn moving towards the voice she heard,stopping when she noticed someone there.
Her cheeks darkened, feeling a warmth rise.
"Oh uh hello-uh." Shailyn fumbled for words then stopped, as words seemed to runawy from her.
Jack gave her a wide smile, “G’Day. Tubes have excellent acoustics don’t they?”
This made Shailyn blush an even darker red, especially it coming from a rather attractive engineer.
"Well-er yes" Shailyn spluttered. "You have quite the bonny voice and your looks are as bonny as well." recovering quickly deciding to flirt just a wee bit. She hadn't noticed his pips just yet. Being captivated by his brilliant blue eyes. "Where are you from?"
“Well, I come from the land down under, where women glow, and men chunder” Jack replied, giving a shrug. “What about you? Where are you from?”
"I'm from Concord, North Carolina. The home ground for Blackbeard and his pirating days." her accent now showing, a soft southern drawl.
"I've been to his island Ocracoke" another look at him, "So, handsome, want to have a drink and do some talking, to get to know one another?" Shailyn deciding to be brave as she loved his accent.
Jack gave her a smile, “sure, why not. I’d never say no to a schooner or two”
"Then off to the Prancing Pony for a little tipple." Shailyn responded with a smile.
==Prancing Pony==
Griffin Blackwell was tending the bar when Jack and Shailyn arrived wiping the top of the bar, with a towel.
"Greeting, what can I do ya for?" his voice gravelly and low pitched.
“I’ll take a beer, mid strength thanks” Jack answered,
"And fer you?" He looked at Shailyn
"Spiced rum." Shailyn responded. "Can't pass that up."
"Righto, I'll bring it out" Griffith responded.
He walked away to pour the drinks. the beer from the tap and the rum, from a bottle. Bringing them over he placed the drinks in front of the two of them.
"Enjoy" he rumbled, Griffith giving a bit of a smile. And waited to see if there would be a reaction from them.
Taking a sip, Jacks eyes widen at the flavour and familiar burn, “hmm……this is the proper stuff?”
"Yes it is. we do have that sissy stuff for those who don't want to imbibe the real thing. But the captain he said that the real stuff was necessary as there were those who prefer the real thing. "
Shailyn raised her glass towards Jack, "Here's mud in your eye. " She said with a teasing gleam in her eyes.
“Cheers” Jack replied, taking a longer sip, giving a satisfied groan as he felt the cold brew flow down his throat. “Ahh that’s the stuff”
Shailyn had a bit of a smile, "It is good stuff. So handsome. What do you like to do for fun beside singing in the Jefferies tubes? Do you dance, what do you like to do? Would you like to go out to dinner sometime?"
Half way through another sip, Jack coughed as he heard her questions, “excuse me?” He asked, wanting to make sure he’d heard her properly.
Griffin shot a glance towards Shailyn, she was barking up the wrong tree with this one. He knew that Jack was the chief of engineering. And that the man had a woman whe was madly craszy about him. He had heard all about Jack from Miss Pearl Bijoux. He didn't interfere, he instead waited to see how Jack got himself out of this situation.
"Well I was actually asking if you'd have dinner with me sometime. You know. as it a date? I'm really interested in you." Shailyn responded, with a bit of a smile. "I think we make beautful music together."
Blinking a few times, Jack put his beer down before he began, “ok, pump the brake there a little. First off, we just met so maybe talk to a fella before you go jumping in head first. Second, and I’m sorry about this, but I’m already spoken for. I’m engaged to a beautiful ex-Marine by the beautiful name of Pearl and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. While I’m flattered, don’t get me wrong, and I’m more than happy to be friends with you. Dating isn’t an option”
Her own drink paused half way to her lips. A brilliant red, rose from her neck to her forehead, as Shailyn stared at him for several seconds. Her glass finished its movements where she took a deep drink. Wiping her mouth on her sleeve Shailyn commented. "Blast. Of course the good ones are taken. A little too strong... And you're with Pearl? Uh Jack haven't you heard, one a marine, always a marine?"
Griffin wiped down the bar near Shailyn then crooked a finger towards her. She leaned in, and he whispered something, and her eyes grew rather round.
"No way, he's the, the.. Chief?" the last part Shailyn squeaked out.
Jack shrugged, “guilty as charged, I’m a grease monkey through and through, the rank just gives me the authority to get things done my way”
Shailyn just buried her face in her arms which were propped up on the bar. "I can't believe I made a pass at the chief..." she groaned, her voice muffled.
Griffin could only shake his head, having an amuse twinkle in his eyes. He reached out and placed a hand on her head then moved away as she just gave a wave of leave me alone.
Jack chuckled, “oh don’t worry about it. I tend to run a pretty easy going engineering. We often have music playing. And we’re mostly on a first name basis.”
"I like that, and reminded me of what Teach used to do on the station we worked." Shailyn raising her head, to look at Jack.
"Offer some advice for a girl to be more smooth in trying to get to know someone?" Shailyn having a smile.
“Just start with the basics, interests, hobbies, that sort of thing. And maybe develope a friendship before jumping straight to ‘date me’. Such a forward approach can be off putting”
"Maybe you can recommend someone to teach me to. well... coach me? I'm afraid I may need quite a bit of help." Shailyn responded sheepishly.
Jack smiled, “nah, you’ll be right. Give it a fair go and see what happens. Sometimes you’ve just got to rip the band-aid off and if it doesn’t work, take it on the chin and roll with it”
"Case in point, this particular situation." Shailyn gesturing beween the two of them.
She took a deep breath then gave a smile. "Thanks for being, gentle. If you had done anything more that would have, well maybe crushed me for a time? You've got good instincts there." Shaylyn's cheeks going a bit red once more but she wasn't ducking her head this time.
“You’re welcome, here. Too friends and near misses” Jack said, holding up his glass to her in a toast. This would be a funny story to tell Pearl tonight.
POTC1 Shailyn Lothien
Engineer
USS Orcrist
Lt. Commander Jack MacGyver
Chief of engineering
USS Orcrist
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