An Unusual Little Meeting

Posted on 04 Jul 2013 @ 7:25am by Captain Jonathan Holliday & Ensign Ariadne Fleming & Captain Jonathan Holliday & Ensign Ariadne Fleming
Edited on on 04 Jul 2013 @ 1:06pm

925 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Episode 03 - Frontier
Location: U.S.S. Galileo - Deck 2, outside the XO's Office
Timeline: MD12- 1600 hours

[ON]


Ariadne paused outside the door of Commander Holliday's office, feeling a mysterious sort of apprehension. She knew she was being silly-but still, she had only done this once before. She was about to enter, then halted. Why such fear? she asked herself with irritation. Only a routine meeting.

Her apprehension was not totally without foundation. Even at the Academy, meeting with a superior was never something she enjoyed, or was particularly skilled at. It made her uncomfortable, and she hated appearing tongue-tied or taciturn before her commanding officers.

However, notwithstanding her own inclinations, she knew this was a duty which must be carried out. So, she stepped in front of his door, and raised her quiet voice: "Ensign Ariadne Fleming reporting, sir."

Traditionally John expected that one would use the chime built into every single door aboard a Federation starship to alert the person inside to their presence. In fact, if the XO hadn't have been silently in thought about how to cover the latest gaps in their crew cover, he never would have even heard the timid voice coming from the hallway outside his office.

With a confused look on his face, the XO put down the PADD in his hand, and reached across to the side of his desk and thumbed the control panel to remotely open the doors to his office.

"Usually one would press the doorbell Ensign Ariadne Fleming....would you care to step inside?"

"Thank you, sir." she replied quietly. Doorbell... She searched her mind, temporarily afflicted with the same mental fog she had when her brother Corin tried to expound to her the finer shades of Aristotelian metaphysics. Oh! Of course, you dolt. she chided herself, frustrated for making a mistake before she even stepped through the door. Four years in Starfleet, thus far, yet a starship was still a new world for her.

She quickly shrugged it off. Regaining some composure, she handed her PADD to the Commander. "My transfer orders, sir." Look up, she reminded herself for the thousandth time. Confidence! "I have been assigned to the Planetary Sciences Division, as Oceanologist."

Taking the PADD from the young Ensign, John reviewed it carefully before signing off the transfer with his thumbprint. Her training appeared well versed in her area of expertise, and Galileo was always looking for new scientific staff to bolster her existing capabilities.

"Transfer approved. Welcome aboard the Galileo. Your first posting by any chance Ensign?"

"It is' she said. After pondering a brief moment, she continued, "Indeed, the Galileo is but the third starship I've ever really been on. I..." She struggled to go on. My dear girl, do really wish your superior to think you a timid and mousy creature?

"I do love space," she blurted out. "I am so near the stars, I feel I can touch them, and it's so much like...like an endless ocean, and-" she cut herself off. Had she done it again? Sometimes she just so passionate about something, she forgot where she was, and with whom she was speaking. She easily gave the impression of being rather odd.

"Yes...quite."

John was not entirely sure how to reply to that last statement - he had never really heard space as being referred to as an ocean - it was far more aggressive, and far more uncertain than the waters of Earth that had served as the last great unexplored frontier to humans several centuries ago.

"The Galileo is a small ship - you'll have to get used to being rather close to your crewmates, it can take some getting used to. Don't let it unnerve you - that's the best advice I can give you."

Ariadne smiled. Most of her life was spent in "close quarters." Even now, she didn't mind it--it reminded her of home.

"Thank you, sir. I don't believe it will cause to much trouble for me."

"Good to know. In which case I suggest you stow any belongings you have brought aboard ship and take a wander. Galileo is small, but there's a lot packed into these decks."

John could tell the girl was nervous, and who could blame her? This was after all, her first posting after the Academy and she had already had to deal wth Holliday, who knew full well his attitude was sometimes a little intimidating to the younger members of the crew. Nevertheless, she had done well, if not a little anxiously.

"Thank you, sir," she answered, feeling relieved the meeting had gone as well as it did. Perhaps I didn't make myself look entirely foolish,
She turned to leave. Thinking it necessary to add something else, she said to the Commander, "I will serve this ship as well as I am able for as long as I am able."

"That's all I can ask of anyone. Dismissed Ensign."

John replied with a smirk, leaning on the door controls at his desk once again to open the way for her to exit his office.

She turned the corner, and blew out her breath, almost giddy with relief. Victory! A small victory, to be sure, but a victory nonetheless. She maintained her composure, she didn't let her nerves take over, and she even managed to sound intelligent. Now, the question remained--how well could she keep it that way?

[OFF]

ENS Ariadne Fleming
Oceanologist
Planetary Sciences Division
USS Galileo

CMDR Jonathan Holliday
Executive Officer
USS Galileo

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