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Officer On Deck

Posted on Sun Sep 9th, 2018 @ 12:43pm by Commander Rita Paris & Ensign Raymond McBain

Mission: Holographic Horrors
Location: USS HEra, Deck 4, Main Shuttlecraft Deck
Timeline: 2395, Stardate 72673.5

Ensign McBain had landed without incident and handed over the flight record to an unsmiling Petty Officer. From the outside the Orion did appear to have been in a war! McBain was a bit surprised himself to see how much the hull had been pock-marked. he was about to explain or at least apologize to the person who would have to make the repairs when he felt someone approaching. The combination of the aura he felt and the Petty Officer's reaction made him turn around. He saw a Lt Commander he recognized as the XO from the information in his transfer orders. He responded, his own reaction due to having just left the Academy recently. He stood to attention "Ensign McBain requesting permission to come aboard, Ma'am."

It would, in truth, be hard not to recognize the woman. Tall, leggy and almost comically curvaceous, she looked like a pinup model from the days of Kirk's 5-year mission- literally. The uniform was most definitely not the black and grey of the modern uniform of the day.

Instead she was clad in a long-sleeved gold minidress that he didn't remember the history books claiming rode quite that high on the female officers. The old-school emblem on her chest appeared to have am upraised comm badge attached to it, while on the low black border of the V neck she wore three and a half pips, identifying her rank in the modern day in case anyone could not decipher the wavy gold braid accompanied by a broken one on her sleeve. Those black knee boots with the chunky high heel fairly rang out on the flight deck as she strode toward him, emerging from the flight control office.

"Permission granted, Mister McBain. I'm Lieutenant Commander Rita Paris, good to have you aboard," the cheerful commander extended her hand for a handshake. "Looks like you weren't exactly flying the friendly skies out there?"

McBain was appreciating the uniform as she spoke. He was discreetly beginning to recognize the various details of the out of date items as she reached for his hand. He accepted her hand firmly but politely. "Thank you Commander, I am very glad to be aboard." His smile was slightly meeker as he nodded.

"I'm afraid I got your new shuttle banged up a bit." His demeanor sharpened though as he realized he had relaxed slightly as he shook her hand. He made eye contact. "It will of course all be in my report, Commander. I tangled with a Pirate Hideki near DeepSpace-9." His confident smile, almost cocky recovered. "I can assure you, they did not regret their decision for very long."

His hand back at his side, he maintained eye contact asking. "Any instructions for me Commander? I am eager to get started in my new duties here." He glanced at the somewhat battered Orion shuttle, pointed to it. "Even if it is to help repair your new shuttle!"

That comment earned him a rueful chuckle. "No, I suspect that despite the complaints, the boys here on the flight deck will be happy for the practice," the commander offered as she circles the small starship, fingers tracing burn trails and microimpacts with an expert eye. "Quite the skirmish I see... glad you made it here in one piece, Mister McBain."

Straightening, the commander parked the PaDD in her hands on her hip at a sort of 'port arms' position for yeoman, then gestured broadly through the pressure hatch leading into the starship. "What do you say we get your onboarding started by getting you to your quarters for a shower, a hot meal and a little rest before you start your command checkin, eh?"

McBain nodded "Sounds great Commander. Although I can shower quick and skip the meal, if it is not too late to begin the check in process. I seldom put things off if it is not necessary to do so." He moved through the hatch as he spoke. He stood on the other side waiting for her, so as to walk beside her. "I am honestly not very tired Commander ,and I missed many a meal as a MACO. I really am good to go," He assured her earnestly. He was anxious to see everything, he wanted to get into the job. He had been in school a long time and he felt like he had just been set free. He was ready to accomplish again. He wanted to make a difference. The flight had been a catalyst to awaken his spirit of adventure.

That got him a musical laugh as the anachronistic astronaut fell in step with him as they strode along. "As you like, Ensign. No one will force you, and in your own time." Without further ado, the friendly first officer flipped the PaDD over to him. "Here's your welcome aboard package, including your quarters assignment, maps of the Hera, limited computer access and some appointments to keep. You need to check into the command in order to have full access, so that means a meeting with the first officer, a meeting with the captain, a physical and a session with the ship's counselor. Once everyone signs off, you'll be checked into the command, and be granted full access for active duty."

"Then we'll talk," the easygoing executive expressed. "It looks like we have a mission upcoming that should be rather perfect for your skillset, as I understand it."

McBain politely accepted the PaDD and showed he could read while he kept in step with her. He nodded when she spoke of a mission, "So since I am here with you? I mean to say, since you are on the top of my list, do I talk to you first?" An impish grin crossed his face, "If you have the time I could meet with you, like now?" McBain had always felt officers had a sort of a looser protocol than the enlisted, so he was testing the waters as much as he was looking for a check on his list.

"That, Mister McBain," the gold-clad commander grinned, "is absolutely one of my little tests." Sighing and shaking her head, the leggy lieutenant raised her hands up, palms skyward as she spoke. "Apparently requesting permission to come aboard isn't very well covered at the Academy any more, as the new grads don't seem to know how. But leave it to a maverick to know precisely what to do, and how to do it. Complete with an apology and offer to fix the damage on the scrape he got into on the way here. Recognizing the fact that you are actually having that first meeting is the next little test. More than one I've sent off to the captain, then they've come back to me even though I already checked them off."

Though she looked like bomber nose art in motion and spoke in a cheery soprano, the old school officer spoke like an 'old salt' of Starfleet, who had been around forever and seen it all. Which was rather odd given hear appearance and demeanor. But it appeared she chose not only to commiserate her perspective with him as one who might understand, but a sense of humor was practically guaranteed. As they arrived at the turbolift, she tabbed the button then slid her hands behind her back to cock her head slightly to the side to look up at the broad-shouldered brick.

"Any questions I can answer before you've passed your security checkin, Mr. McBain?"

McBain squared up as an instinctive response to her. His Academy instructors had berated his MACO trained deference to officers, assuring him it would be his death in the field. His first thoughts were to deny any questions were to be asked but he had a second thought as he watched her. He tilted his head, "I have no questions Ma'am. Unless you think I should have some? I would appreciate any help you might be willing to offer in this regard."

As the turbolift arrived, the first officer preceded him in, then turned to insure he had followed before calling out "Deck two please. No, McBain, relax. Not a pop quiz, I'm just feeling out who we're bringing aboard so I can explain offer my observations to Captain Telvan." As the arrived on Deck 2, she stepped off, and once she had insured he was behind her, continued speaking, at a lower tone of voice.

"You're a professional, you've got a sense of duty and determination aplenty. You've got a sense of humor and you appear to be pretty well glued together. We've all got tragedy in our past, but like any professional, you're dealing with it. How'm I doing so far?" The pace as she walked now was a languorous one, as Deck 2 wasn't all that big in truth, and she wasn't in a hurry.

"That is about right on Commander, I agree everyone has a story. All lives have their share of issues. I like to think I have a sense of humor, although I am first to admit it is a bit off the norm. I expect you already read my file so you know the sort of missions I completed as a MACO. I like to think I behave in a professional manner. I will admit I have a strong feeling about leaving anyone behind. It just is not done in the life I lived before the Academy. Other than that I think I am as, or more reliable than anyone else you might get aboard in this position." McBain spoke with a serious expression, after all he knew when to joke and when not to. He did like to think he was a professional. In fact he took great pride in the fact he was just that.

"I'm also a firm believer in no one being left behind, Mr. McBain. We're very likely to have our lives and the lives of our shipmates in our hands, and I think we understand one another in that regard." Pausing by the door beside which the LED console registered the name ENS McBAIN, R, the suddenly serious first officer turned to face the former MACO.

"Talented amateurs and professionals can get along if they know when one is the expert, and the other is not. In the field, Mr. McBain, I will likely rely heavily upon your expertise. Pride, ego and insecurity have no place out there. That means knowing when to lead and when to listen... and I hope you'll find that I know the difference." With that, the first officer offered her hand once more, an earnest expression on her face.

He shook her hand once more with the same polite firmness. "I am not an amateur in the field, Commander, and I really don't see you as an amateur. So one professional to another, I think we will do just fine." He had never had a big ego which was not to say he did not have pride. He was very proud of his skills as a sniper, as a pilot, in many other combat skills in general. As to taking orders and listening he had never considered himself an expert. He always listened and if outranked he had followed orders. He did like working alone or in small teams though.

"Excellent. Thank you Ensign," Paris smiled, a genuine smile, then wagged a finger as she recalled a point or two. "I've assigned you quarters here for two reasons. The bridge is the next deck up- if there's trouble on the bridge and I can manage it, you may rest assured the emergency hatch between the decks will not be locked, because you'll need access. In the quarters port to yours is Asa Dael, who is very likely going to be the medic on those away missions, and they are an amateur in the field. Perhaps you two could get to know one another and you can prepare Myx Dael for what's likely to come."

He was pleased that he would be on the bridge in times of trouble. It just seemed important to be in the thick of life here. Than she had mentioned helping the medic prepare, this Asa Dael was not mission ready apparently. There was something not quite right though. McBain had a confused expression and he tilted his head slightly. "Excuse me, Commander? You spoke of an Asa and Myx Dael, to help them prepare for missions in the field. But than you said we two? Is there something I am missing here?"

"Myx is the honorific of their people, like Mister or Miss in our cases. They're agendered, so their pronouns are them and their, and thus, Myx Dael. It's kinda catchy, and as you may have noticed, rather than refer by rank, I tend to be a bit old-school and refer to people by their names, Mr. McBain." The easygoing executive shrugged. "At any rate, at least give a knock and see if you two can find some common ground. Perhaps you both might learn a thing or two in the process. Shipmates, right?" The curvaceous commander offered a wide smile as she put her hands on her hips, and damned if she didn't look like some vintage Starfleet recruitment poster.

McBain felt rather stupid but he understood his mistake well enough. "I will check with Myx Dael as soon as I finish checking in. I can not promise I am all that cultured in honorifics so I hope 'they'? Are open minded about unintended mistakes." He shrugged "maybe I can get away with just calling them Asa?" He realized he had been thinking out loud and his eyes revealed his unease at the slip up. "Rest assured Commander I will make every attempt at decorum and I will do everything I can to make sure Asa Dael is mission ready."

"That's the part that matters most to me, Mr. McBain. The rest I'm sure you will work out- Dael's apparently quite the wonder, so high hopes all around. "So, unless you have any questions, the Captain's likely a deck above in her ready room cursing at the reports she's having to deal with as I greet our onboarding officers. No appointment necessary, just tab the chime and have a word is how she operates. Skeleton crew while on shoreleave in drydock, but we launch in 72 hours. Ready to boldly go, Mr. McBain?"

"The only way to travel, Commander." McBain smiled as he responded. "By your leave Commander, I will check out my quarters and move my gear in. I will wait till morning to see the Captain. Somehow meeting her under the conditions you just described does not sound like such a good idea." McBain was thinking boldly does not mean suicidal after all!

That got a good-hearted laugh out of the first officer. "One moment is as good as the other, Ensign. But in your own time, by all means." With that, the minidress-clad antique nodded then stepped off, likely to keep another appointment greeting another onboarding officer. Watching her depart, the swiveling motion of those hips hadn't been quite as evident when they'd been walking together in step.

McBain was glad for his hard-trained discipline, because the urge to whistle at those hips was not an easy fight to win. He refrained, but it took all his will power. That and the memory of a Corporal he had known who had lost that same fight. He had regretted that miscue for the entire tour on the *Horus*. McBain wisely went to his quarters in silence to check on his room. He would need an anti-grav sled to bring his kit from the Orion, so after a quick look about he returned to the flight deck.

In the morning, he would go see the Captain. His reserve of energy was waning, now that the adrenalin rush was diminishing, and a shower would probably be just right before a little time in the rack. He could finish his command checkin tomorrow- for tonight, just a little quality peace and quiet for a change.

 

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