And Suddenly - People!

Posted on 01 Jul 2013 @ 2:50am by Lieutenant JG Victoria Crawley & Ensign Natalie Chevalier

1,273 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Episode 03 - Frontier
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 2, Observation Lounge
Timeline: MD12 1615

[ON]

Victoria Crawley was sitting on one of the couches in the observation lounge, watching the stars and thinking over the past few days. Already she'd been on this ship for almost a week and she was shocked by how familiar everything was starting to look. She was meeting new people, and her work was going well. After a long day's work, though, sifting through profile after profile, she was tired and just wanted to sit and literally stare off into space for a little while. So she had gone down to the lounge, armed with a mug of green tea and her PADD, to work on a few Bajoran translations before the department meeting with Lt. Cho.

Natalie Chevalier had only been on the Galileo for a day, but already she had managed to meet more people in those 29 hours than she had in weeks on the Venture, from Commander Holliday to Cyrus Kiwosk. Even so, the bulk of her work had thus far been in the arboretum, and as much as she might insist on talking to the plants, they hardly ever talked back. A little human - or humanoid, at least - contact would be a welcome change.

She walked into the Observation Lounge in such hopes, bearing a cup of plomeek tea, a selection that owed more to the length of time she had spent with her Vulcan research partners on Regulus III than her 1/32nd Vulcan heritage. Her attire was typically dishevelled, despite Commander Holliday's injunction for her to clean up: she had indeed replicated a new uniform, only to get it dirty while replanting in the arboretum. Her rolled up sleeves revealed arms covered in small scratches from an obstinate Kaladian thorn flower.

Spying a fellow junior science officer, whose red hair marked her as Lt. Crawley, from xenopsych, seemingly lost in her own reflection in the window, Nat set down her tea on a distant table, and waited patiently - by her standards, which meant about three seconds - before bursting out, "Hello there, I'm Ensign Chevalier; I don't believe we've met?"

Victoria looked up, startled by the voice. She smiled at the ensign and stood up. "Ensign! Hi! It's so nice to finally meet you! I'm Victoria Crawley." she held out her hand to the other girl.

Nat took the proferred hand, smiling warmly, albeit with the hint of a wince as she felt her damp, soil-spattered palm meet Victoria's. "I've been working in the arboretum," she said by way of apologetic explanation.

"I hope I'm not interrupting you in the middle of something important?" she said, nodding at the PADD lying on the desk.

Victoria followed her gaze. "No, of course not. I was just going to work on some translations, but I got distracted by the stars outside." She smiled sheepishly and changed the subject. "You're the new ecologist, right?"

"Yes, I am. I just came aboard yesterday." Nat walked over to the window and looked out at the stars Victoria had been staring out at. Each one home to its own system, the potential for life teeming among the planets and moons in orbit. A galaxy full of challenges. Suddenly abashed by wasting so much of her time in a tiny arboretum tending to a bunch of mostly Terran plants, Nat rubbed her hands together ruefully.

"I'm not much sure there's place for an ecologist on a mission such as this, though," she admitted gloomily. "And you, you're the xenopsychologist? I haven't had the pleasure of working with a psychologist before: most of my plants resist psychoanalysis."

Victoria smiled. "I guess I am. There hasn't been much to do yet, though. I'm still just going through files and stuff. It's been really quiet so far." She shrugged and took a small sip of her tea, shifting so that she was facing the ensign. "So, how have you been getting on? I mean, what do you think of the ship and crew so far?"

At least someone else from sciences was mostly consumed with paperwork: it felt good to hear that from Victoria, confirmation that Nat herself was not being sidelined deliberately because of her moral objections to the mission, but simply lost in the reshuffle of new crew.

"The ship is fantastic. Really, it's such a change to me to be on a specialist vessel, just devoted to science. And the crew? Everyone I've met so far has been very helpful and polite. Mr. Kiwosk seems to have got over his objections to my being here now, and though I was obviously excited about working under Lt. Panne, I think Lt. Cho will be a good Department Head too. I haven't had much time to socialise yet, though: it's been all settling in and sorting out clearances with senior officers. I'm looking forward to having time to sit down and get to know a few of the other JOs."

Victoria nodded in agreement. "Me, too. This past week has been absolutely insane."

"Still, now that the survey mission is over, things should calm down. I've submitted my environmental impact report, so my technnical duties are pretty much done. Should be some time to relax and spend a little more social time before our next assignment."

Victoria nodded once more and looked out the window again, thinking back to the meeting from an hour ago. Lt. Cho seemed very competent, a good choice to fill Lt. Panne's position, though Victoria was sad to see the lieutenant go. She sipped her tea and turned back to Ensign Chevalier.

"Have you met many people yet? Maybe not in a social context but just while you've been wandering the halls or working or something? Is there anyone in particular you're wanting to meet?"

"I came aboard with Ensign Fleming, the new Oceanologist, but I didn't really get much of a chance to get to know her: I'd like to, I think. Our fields are similar, and she seemed to have the kind of creatively chaotic approach to life that I enjoy. And the other new scientist, Jacrux - I haven't met him yet, but already, I've heard stories. I'm sorry if I'm babbling, it's just ... all day with my plants, and suddenly - people!"

Victoria laughed. "You're in good company, I've been doing much the same thing lately. Only in my case, I interrogate people to within an inch of their life. Unintentionally, of course, but still probably incredibly annoying."

Nat grinned. "Pssh, it's just your job. I'm sure they understand. What's a science vessel for, if not to study science? Speaking of which - are you going to this meeting that Lt. Cho called?"

Victoria smacked her forehead. "Oh my God, I forgot all about it. Yeah, I guess I am." She shook her head and cursed herself. "That's rather embarrassing." She smiled at the ensign wryly and shook her head again, taking one, final swig of tea.

Nat laughed lightly. "Ok, well, maybe we can go together then: I don't think I made a great impression with Cho at the meeting in Cargo Bay 2, so it'll be good to have allies at the meeting."

Victoria laughed, too and stood up. "Yeah, I didn't make the most graceful entrance myself." She grabbed her mug and headed for the doors. "Well, maybe they'll be able to overlook it."

Nat shrugged as she followed her out. "I look it at this way: if I screw it up, at least this time I'll have reinforcements..."

[OFF]

Lieutenant JG Victoria Crawley
Psychologist
USS Galileo

Ensign Natalie Chevalier
Ecologist
Planetary Sciences Division
USS Galileo

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