How did we get here?

Posted on Mon Mar 2nd, 2020 @ 8:20pm by Lieutenant Shomer'eggan 'Show' & Fleet Captain Torilla Yamaguchi & Command Master Chief Petty Officer Khatarr & Lieutenant Commander Ivan Chung & Lieutenant Commander Felicity Harp & Ensign Andre D'Havilend & Ensign Haley Wong
Edited on on Mon Mar 2nd, 2020 @ 8:24pm

Mission: Mission 46: Picking up the pieces
Location: Various Locations - USS Pinto
Timeline: 1000Hrs - November 1st 2391

Ensigns Wong and D'Havilend both waited in the USS Madrid's transporter room. They had both been passengers waiting to get to their new assignment.

"I can't believe I'm going to the same assignment as you." Wong told D'Havilend. "I earned near perfect grades and you barely passed the academy. How did I end up on a destroyer?"

"I dunno." D'Havilend replied. "Maybe you shouldn't have exposed Dr. Berwell, the head of the science department, as a scientific hack?"

"Are you implying that because I wrote a paper showing the flaws in Dr. Berwell's sloppy methodology and flimsy conclusions that he in turn would arrange for me to receive a poor assignment?"

"You made him the laughing stock of the whole science department." D'Havilend told Wong.

"All I did was use tangible evidence." Wong explained. "The evidence did not support his assumptions. He should have been more careful with what he published. I still find it hard to believe he could be that petty."

"Well, the tangible evidence is that your stuck on a destroyer assigned to picket duty on the frontier instead on an explorer doing scientific research. That is evidence that Dr. Berwell is petty and does not support your assumptions about him not being petty." D'Havilend told Wong.

Wong gave D'Havilend a sour look. "Too bad you couldn't have been that smart at the academy. How did you pass anyways?"

"I just studied extra hard the last semester." D'Havilend told Wong. In truth, D'Havilend paid off a friend to hack the academy's computer network and change his grades. He dared not tell anyone.

"How did you end up in Operations? I thought most muscle heads ended up in Security?" Wong asked.

"I was caught with what they labeled a 'Controlled Substance'. I couldn't pass the background check for law enforcement duties." D'Havilend explained. "So they stuck me in Operations."

"Okay you two." The petty officer at the transporter controls alerted them. "Ready to beam you over to the Pinto." The two young officers got onto the pad and went over.

Senior Petty Officer Khatarr was standing before the transporter padd over on the USS Pinto, while he wanted for the last few members of the crew to report aboard. He wore his uniform within regulations and while there was a lot of piss and wind going about regarding the uniform code for the species with fur, he ignored it as he greatly preferred his uniform.

The two personnel appeared before him, a man and a woman, both human no less appeared before him. "Greetings. I am Khatarr." he announced himself, but he left out the rank.

"Hi Chief," D'Havilend used Khatarr's rank out of a sign of respect. "I'm Ensign D'Havilend."

"Hello Chief, I am Ensign Wong." The young woman told the Caitian. "I would like to talk to the captain if I may?"

"The Captain is eager to meet with you both." Khatarr responded. "If you will come with me."

"Thank you." Wong politely responded as she and D'Havilend followed Khatarr.

The three made it to the Captain's ready room and were called in. "Greetings and welcome aboard the USS Pinto. I'm Lieutenant Commander Harp, your Captain." She told them.

"Thanks Captain, looking forward to working here." D'Havilend stated and Harp acknowledged.

"Hello Captain." Wong stated politely. "Not to be rude but I don't belong here."

"Really?" Harp asked. "Is there something wrong with your orders?"

"Maybe." Wong replied. "You see, I am a science officer. I don't belong here. I should be in a lab on a space station or on an exploration vessel."

"We have need of science officers in the line fleet too." Harp told Wong. "Your knowledge would make you particularly good at reading sensors. We often work isolated and cannot always rely on larger ships to do our sensor scans for us."

"I'll be working in a very limited capacity." Wong told Harp. "What could I learn from being assigned here?"

"Possibly humility?" Harp told Wong.

Khatarr regarded him. "How to run away very quickly." he rumbled as he deployed his rather sizeable claws. "See these?... Yeah.."

Harp laughed. "Don't scare her on her first day, Chief!" She told Khatarr. "Why don't you show them to their quarters? I'll have Lieutenant Chung meet up with them and show them around."

"I'm Sorry." Khatarr rumbled. "Shall we kiddies?" he inquired, he wasn't sorry in the least.

D'Havilend gave Khatarr a mischievous smile. Wong looked more concerned as the two followed the COB.

Khatarr led his charges to their new new billets. "Down this way guys... I have you both in separate rooms." Khatarr explained as they reached their destination. "Try not to honk off your new roommates..." the COB added. "There is a female Caitian who lives here... you might get along with her... then again... she might want your body." he said to Wong before he turned to D'Havilend. "Your roomie is Ensign Jerry O'Connell... you will find him.... a little..... off."

Meanwhile in the ladies quarters, a female Caitian was standing in the middle of the room, she blinked her eyes slowly as she brushed her whiskers. She was wearing jean shorts and a tank top with a bag on her bunk as the door opened and a human female walked in. "Mmmm..." the Caitian purred ever so softly, her fur was dark grey and she had baby blue eyes, also she stood in at 5'11 in height with a long thick tail behind her. "I am Ensign Shomer'eggan but you can call me 'Show'." the Caitian shrugged. "Or Elf. I'll answer to that too."

Wong looked the Caitian a moment. "I'm Ensign Wong. I will not be a nuisance to you. I just ask in return you do not interfere with my projects."

"Projects?" Show inquired. "So long as you don't take up all of the space in here like my last roomie did.. when I protested, he wanted to mate with me... Do all humans think with their hormones?

"The males tend to, yes." Wong told her.

"Lovely." Show responded as she let out a sigh. "What of the females?" as she peered at Wong who was a few inches shorter then the Caitian female.

"We are like any other mammals." Wong explained. "Our libido cycles high and low. On the high side a human female would do things for sex she might otherwise not do."

"Caitians do much of the same." Show responded. "Except ours is a bit more extreme." she added. "We evolved from predators... you're species evolved from prey I believe.."

"Scavengers actually." Wong corrected Show. "But humans should be able to control their sexual impulses."

"Ahh." Show responded. "But tell me about these projects... so if I step out of the shower and step on something sharp. I'll know what to yell at you for." the female Caitian responded. "If its anything that blows up, discharges electricity or makes funny and odd smelling and looking liquids, I don't want to deal with them."

"My work is mostly theoretical." Wong told her. "I don't use petri dishes or power units. I run computer models. They may need to actively run on my PaDD or view screen. They should not be in any ones way."

"Very well." Show responded. "can I inquire as to the subject... since we are roomies... I might as well learn about your work... so I know what not to break."

"It is power generation." Wong stated. "I have a few ideas on how to increase the efficiency of our engines. I want to present it for my doctorate."

Show slowly blinked her eyes. "Really?" she inquired. "Go on..."

"It is rather complicated." Wong told Show. "It involves keeping the infusion chamber only a few degrees above zero Kelvin."

Show raised an eyebrow. "Thats absolute zero.... I didn't think you could run a warp engine like that."

"Not at zero Kelvin." Wong smiled. "A few degrees above that. I'm not sure how many actually. That's why I need to run my computer models and maybe a real thing when I can get into a lab."

"I see... well I won't keep you." Show responded.