All Aboard!

Posted on 03 Jul 2013 @ 6:16pm by Chief Warrant Officer 3 Lamar Darius & Ensign Natalie Chevalier & Ensign Ariadne Fleming

3,685 words; about a 18 minute read

Mission: Episode 03 - Frontier
Location: USS Venture - Main Shuttlebay
Timeline: MD11 - 1200 hours

[ON]

Standing in front of the Type-9 shuttlecraft he had just landed aboard USS Venture, Warrant Officer Lamar Darius stretched his neck from side to side to ease some of the stress which had built up over the past few days. As Galileo's primary support craft pilot, he had recently been pulling twelve-hour shifts in order to to keep all of the Nova Class' support craft maintenanced and operational. Captain Saalm was apparently a woman dedicated to her mission, and nothing was going to stop her from launching upwards of five shuttlecraft expeditions per day from her ship's shuttlebay.

While Lamar appreciated such dedication, it was nice to have a break from the monotony of his duties - and such a break had been recently given to him in the form of a courier mission. His job was to rendezvous with Venture and ferry a new crew member back to Galileo. According to the data on his PADD, his passenger was a young ensign named Natalie Chevalier, an ecologist.

And so, he patiently waited for her to arrive, still stretching his neck and not knowing what she looked like aside from her standard blue-collar uniform with a single gold pip on her collar.

Nat was, as ever, several minutes late; she had lost track of time while walking through the spacious arboretum of the Venture, tending to some of the plants she'd been looking after while serving aboard, and in her own little way, saying goodbye to them. So by the time she burst from the turbolift doors, her freckled face flushed, brown hair tangled and wild, uniform slightly askew, she was out of breath. Seeing that the pilot was already there waiting for her made her feel a pang of guilt.

She was carrying two bags, one slung over each shoulder, with a slim carry case containing some of her personal scientific equipment in one hand, and a small potted plant in the other; she'd left a thin trail of soil behind her as she walked. Bobbing her head at Lamar, she shot him an embarrassed smile. Tall and dark skinned, with a harsh military look to his features, he could not have made a more striking contrast to her.

"I'm sorry that I'm late: I was in the arboretum and I suppose I just lost track of time," she explained hastily, her once thick New French accent now thin and less distinct. "I hope that I haven't kept you waiting for too long.

Lamar spotted his passenger as she approached and chuckled to himself at her somewhat-disorderly nature. "Hello, ma'am. I'm Lamar Darius, Galileo's support craft pilot." he replied with a friendly smile, then quickly moved forward to help carry some of her belongings for her. "Don't worry, I only arrived a few minutes ago." he added while taking note of the woman's petite and lithe frame.

"Oh, there's need to - no, you don't have to - really, please let me - oh, very well."

She tried to shrug off his efforts at helping her, but of course it was of no avail and soon she was letting him take the heavier bags, keeping a firm hold herself of her carry case and the little potted plant, albeit spilling yet more soil over the clean shuttle interior as she climbed inside. She was flustered, as she was always around experienced NCOs: never one for rank and ceremony, she found the process of their calling her 'ma'am' and acting as though she were their natural superior, when they were typically far more experienced and capable, deeply embarrassing.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Darius. I'm Ensign Natalie Chevalier," she confirmed, although she knew that he already knew who she was. Perhaps she was simply hoping he might call her 'Natalie' instead of 'ma'am'.

Inside the shuttle, she looked around, then headed towards a seat, hesitating to ask: "Are we waiting on anyone else?"

The warrant officer noticed the rambunctious potted plant which seemed to be spilling its soil all over the shuttle's carpet, then casually dismissed it with a lighthearted shrug and climbed into the shuttle after the ensign. A little dirt never hurt anyone, in his experience.

"No, just you...at least, according to my manifest." he finally answered as he moved forward into the cockpit, stowed her bags in the overhead compartment, then took a seat at the helm. "We've had a decent number of new transfers recently so if anyone misses their ride, it's not a big deal to come back and pick them up." he added while his fingers played across the LCARS console in front of him and initiated the shuttle's pre-flight sequence.

Seated, Nat held her pot plant in her lap, both hands squeezed tight about it, and watched as the shuttle door slowly hissed closed, the familiar popping of her ears as it sealed off. Behind them, the bay doors would be yawning open on the black of space, but Nat's eyes were firmly fixed on Lamar, watching as his fingers played over the console. She tried to imagine whether shuttle pilots took the same pride in their work as she did in her scientific research, or whether what looked like complexity bordering on magic to her was mere hum-drum routine to them.

"I'm glad I'm not going to be the only transfer, in that case," she said. "It's always a little difficult coming aboard, settling into a new ship, where there's an established crew. What are they like on the Galileo?"

Her face wrinkled into an inquisitive grin. "Anyone I should watch out for?"

While Lamar completed the pre-flight sequence and tapped various buttons on both the forward and overhead consoles, he stole a quick glance over at the dark-haired woman and returned her grin with a small one of his own. She had asked a rather loaded question, but he would do his best to bring her up to speed on the ship's personnel.

"Galileo's got a great crew." he began simply enough. "It's a small ship so everyone's pretty tight and we all know each other. Definitely more of a community atmosphere than what you'll find on a larger starship class." he briefly elaborated. "As for any 'interesting' personnel...well, you'd probably have to start with the captain. She an Orion female. Very beautiful but don't let her looks fool you; she's about as professional as it comes. Then there's the XO, Commander Holliday. I swear he's the prototypical definition of a military fleet commander if I've ever seen it. Doesn't talk a lot, respects the uniform above all else...kind of reminds me of my time back in the Marine Corps..."

An Orion who was beautiful? An XO who was officious? Wow, thought Nat as she fought the urge to roll her eyes, next he'll tell me the Vulcans are a little cold and the counsellor's a good listener! Nonetheless, she smiled and nodded: he was only answering her question, and it would do no good to prove herself the snotty new Ensign he no doubt took her for.

"Hmm. Interesting. I don't imagine I'll spend much time with the senior staff, though, even on a science ship. I'm more concerned with the people in my Department."

Lamar shrugged with a bit of apathy while also noticing that the officer next to him seemed to have missed one of the more important points he had mentioned about serving aboard Galileo. "Not necessarily. Like I said, it's a small ship with only seven habitable decks...you're going to be running into everyone at one point or another - senior officers and command staff included. By the end of your first two months, you'll probably know more about everyone than you ever cared to learn. There's not a lot of privacy unless you want to spend all your off-hours in your quarters." he explained with a wink.

Nat hadn't missed his point, but it was a bit difficult to take the idea seriously, having just come from a Galaxy-class: the Galileo could probably have fit in one of the Venture's cargo bays. Perhaps not literally, but still, the idea of everyone being in close communion was one she was going to have to see, experience, live, before she believed it. The scepticism in her response, "Uh huh," was proof enough of that.

"And what about off hours?" she asked. "Where might I find you after your shift's over?"

"Depends...mess hall, holodeck, sometimes the makeshift gym in our cargo bay... Why? You want to hang out?" he asked with a curious expression. Lamar was a friendly guy, albeit a bit older than most of the crew, but he enjoyed the chance to get to know new people.

Nat laughed. She hadn't quite meant it that way, but she wanted to find out how the crew socialised, having felt a little excluded by the Venture crew who had, knowing of her temporary status, never accepted her. She wasn't about to be stuck in her quarters at all hours. And who better to ask than a senior NCO: in her experience they were the best placed to comment on both officers and crew alike.

"I'm not much for holodecks, and I tend to prefer getting my meals to go, but I might check out that gym sometime," she said. "So maybe I'll see you around."

Not much for holodecks? Meals to go? Lamar wondered with a mental frown. The word 'anti-social' quickly popped into his head but he diligently kept his opinion to himself. After all, not all crew members enjoyed the company of the masses as he did...least of all his girlfriend, Lilou. "There's always the arboretum to check out if you get bored. Seems like that would be right up your alley, being an ecologist and all."

She nodded vigorously, and held up the plant. "I intend to, Mr. Darius. I want to get my hybrid established, if Lt. Panne lets me. I spent a lot of time in the Venture's arboretum. I think they thought I was a bit weird. Didn't they?" she asked - to the potted plant in her hands - as though it were a ridiculous notion. At least the plant didn't answer.

Ariadne ran down the corridor, fumbling with her overfilled bag and an armload thick books. Five more minutes, she thought regretfully, five minutes, and I would've finished my research. Not that she really minded too much. But she hated leaving an unfinished task--especially doing something she loved.

The next minute, she had entirely forgotten such a task existed. She was on her way to her new ship, her new assignment! She was glad to be given a real position on a small research ship, instead of the rather menial job she had on the Venture. For her, it was a new adventure.

Ah, the shuttlebay! she sighed with some relief. She was eager to put down her heavy things. Wait, the thought suddenly struck her, Why are the doors closed? . Panicked, she quickened her pace, gliding through the doors the moment they opened. She hurriedly alighted the shuttle, and as she did so banged on the doors. "I'm here!" she called. "please, wait for me!"

A strange thumping sound began to echo throughout the shuttle's small interior cabin and up to the navigation area. The warrant officer glanced over at the blue-collared ensign with a curious look, then gazed up and around the shuttle's cockpit to try and identify the source. The thick tritanium/duranium hull cut off all outside voices, but the repeated banging was impossible to miss. "Did you hear something?" he asked his fellow crew member with a furrowed brow.

Nodding, Nat set her pot down carefully in her seat and moved to the door, looking through the small view panel. "There's someone out there. Hold on." She found the button to activate the opening sequence on the panel and pressed it, smiling quizzically at Darius: she wasn't aware either of them had been expecting company.

As the seal broke and the door opened with a hiss, she scrabbled back and poked her head out. "Hello there. Are you joining us?"

"Yes!" she said breathlessly, as a few of her books fell- plunk -on the floor. "I mean, I was only a little late, so I should...," she bent down to pick them up, while the strap of her bag slid off her arm. She looked up at the ensign's face and, seeing the confusion, looked to the pilot. With pleading eyes, she looked back at the girl. "I was expected...wasn't I?"

Nat shrugged. "I wouldn't know, I'm afraid, I'm only ... here, let me help." She hopped out of the shuttle and bent down to help Ariadne pick up her books so that she could recover her grasp on her bag. Gathering up the books in her arms she took a token glance at the titles, and led the way back onto the shuttle.

"But we're headed to the Galileo, and we've plenty of room, so I don't see why you shouldn't join us! Come aboard: I'm Ensign Chevalier, but my friends call me Nat; this is our pilot, Mr. Darius."

Swiveling around in his chair, the large warrant officer gave the new arrival a mock salute and a subtle yet friendly smile. "Welcome aboard, ma'am." he said in greeting after quickly identifying the single gold pip on her collar. Unscheduled personnel transfers were uncommon, but not unheard of. Or maybe he had missed the memo?

"You came just in time, I was about to lift off in the next minute." he added, then proceeded to procure a PADD from the side compartment next to his console and enter in some data. "Can I have your name and transfer orders? Got to put it in the shuttle's log..." he requested from the newest arrival. The last thing he wanted to do was bring an unauthorized crew member aboard Galileo, and a quick check of her itinerary would easily solve that problem.

"Surely, sir." she promptly replied, fetching a tablet from her bag. "I am Ensign Ariadne Fleming, I was assigned to the U.S.S Galileo , and was told to report to the shuttlebay by...1200 hours.. However," she blushed slightly "I didn't see the orders until half an hour ago. I believe that was the trouble." She gave Darius a nervous glance. "Is my information correct?"

Lamar dutifully accepted the PADD and quickly browsed through the contents displayed on the small screen. It took only a few seconds before he nodded with approval and handed it back to her. "Looks good to me, ma'am, thanks. Just stow your belongings in the overhead compartments, take a seat, and then we can get this baby back to Galileo in time to catch lunch." he instructed. Funnily enough, the newest ensign looked like she was about half his age, and he smiled to himself as he thought back to his younger years when he was given his first deployment.

"Thank you, sir!" she burst out without thinking. "Thank you." Recollecting herself, she picked up her up, scooped up her books, and dutifully took her seat in the shuttle. "I will certainly perform my duty to the utmost of my ability." she added, with her odd, quiet dignity. To herself, though, she was relieved. She leaned back in her seat and sighed happily. The transfer was completed far more smoothly than she'd had reason to expect. Especially considering the last five minutes.

Nat shut the door again and locked it into place, and then settled back into her seat, sweeping some of the dirt off as she returned her plant to her lap. As the pre-flight checks continued and machinery started to work around them to deploy the shuttle, she leaned over to speak to the new passenger.

"So, you're joining sciences too, I take it?" They were both wearing the uniform of the Planetary Sciences Division. "I'm coming aboard as an Ecologist - you?"

"Oceanologist," Ariadne replied nervously. She wasn't used to having such a ready companion. She was mostly unnoticed on the Venture , to her delight. Ariadne smiled, though, finding her companionship quite agreeable. "I'm pleased to be working with you."

"Me too!" grinned Nat, who'd found the Venture crew similarly unfriendly to her.

"Oceanology, wow, that's pretty cool. I always wanted to live by the ocean, but our colony was a long way away. I bet if we'd been on the coast instead of by the woodland, I'd have been playing with seashells instead of climbing trees." She laughed at the memory of giddy childhood activities and how they'd affected her subsequent career choice.

Lamar idly listened to the two women chit chat out of one ear while also completing the last of the shuttle's systems checks. With the aft hatch sealed and all crew members now aboard, the former Marine acquired permission to depart from Venture's shuttlebay controller and looked forward as the massive main hangar bay door began to slowly open and expose the vast cosmos beyond.

The air shimmered beneath the shuttle as hot gas poured from the RCS thrusters down onto the tarmac, and the tiny silver craft slowly rose from the ground and hovered briefly above its parking spot before moving forward and through the shuttlebay's protective force field. A slight jolt rocked the craft as it transitioned from inside the Galaxy Class' saucer to out in open space, after which the ride became smooth and routine as ever.

"We've just cleared the launch bay." Lamar informed his passengers. "ETA to Galileo will be about seventeen minutes at impulse. She's currently on the outskirts of the system in orbit of Rojar VI, so we have to briefly pass through the outer asteroid field to get to her. Shouldn't be a problem but be sure to buckle up just in case."

Nat gave an excited squeak and clutched her plant tight, leaning down to talk to it: "You hear that? We're nearly there. Our new home ... "

"Yes," Ariadne breathed. She scanned the ship with trepidation. It was beautiful, small, fast, like a little silver fish. But could she ever call it home?

With the shuttle's navigation system now set on autopilot, Lamar leaned back in his chair and relaxed for several long minutes. The craft cleared the asteroid belt and approached the last planet in the solar system, presenting Galileo's hull in its full glory against the purple ice giant named Rojar VI. It was always exciting to see the Nova Class from the exterior, and Lamar slowly throttled the Type-9's engines down to give his passengers a long look at the streamlined features of their new assignment.

"Sexy, isn't she?" he asked over his shoulder to both ensigns with a sideways smile. "We'll be on final approach in just a few minutes, so take a long look if you want. She was refitted a few weeks ago back on Vega Colony so all of her systems are state-of-the-art."

Nat gave an unimpressed harumph. Ship design wasn't really her thing: it was what was inside that really counted to her. As much as she was looking forward to working on a specialist scientific vessel, she wasn't going to learn much from the outside. Nonetheless, she gave Ariadne an encouraging smile, and then settled back into her seat.

Well, that was exciting. at least now Ariadne wouldn't be stuck using obsolete , as she was at home, or unable to use it, as she was on the Venture. Oceanologist. An official position on an official federation starship. She shuddered. What a strange thought . But, a thought she had to get used to.

The shuttlecraft finally completed its flyby of Galileo and slowly curled around the ship around at one-quarter impulse until it was lined up on final approach directly below and behind the large glowing nacelles. The automatic landing system engaged and the mothership's tractor beam system took control of the Type-9, pulling it slowly and deliberately into the main shuttlebay until it touched down on the tarmac with a soft thud.

"Ladies and gentleman, welcome to Galileo." Lamar enthusiastically announced with a satisfied smile. A quick check of the nearby chronometer read just before 1300, which was enough time for him to complete the post-flight checks then grab a quick sandwich in the mess.

Nat was already up on her feet grabbing her bags as the shuttle finally touched down: the locking mechanism jolted the shuttle and sent half the soil from her plant spraying over the floor.

"Thank you for bringing us aboard, Mr. Darius," she said, hurriedly turning away from the mess to face the shuttle pilot. "Maybe I'll see you around the Galileo. Now if you'll excuse me, I want to get this into the arboretum right away, and see Lt. Panne so I can get cleared to start work!"

She beamed with enthusiasm as, clutching her things, she stepped out into the shuttlebay of her new home.

"Thank you, Mr. Darius," Ariadne said soflty as she left the shuttle. She hoisted her bag on her shoulder, and hugged her books to her chest. The U.S.S. Galileo. Her new home. She surveyed the shuttle bay with trepidation. Then, screwing up her courage, she went bravely forth into the ship.

[OFF]

--

Ensign Natalie Chevalier
Ecologist
Planetary Sciences Division
USS Galileo

WO Lamar Darius
Support Craft Pilot
USS Galileo
NPC'd by Lirha Saalm

Ensign Ariadne Fleming
Oceanologist
Planetary Sciences Division
USS Galileo

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