Reunion

Posted on 08 Oct 2013 @ 10:31am by Ensign Natalie Chevalier & Commander Norvi Stace

1,056 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Episode 04 - Exodus
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 6, Cargo Bay
Timeline: MD02 - 0800 Hours

[ON]

Once Nat had completed her morning check-in following the strange breakfast she'd shared with S'Ranna, the purring Caitian pilot., she read through the overnight logs. The medical staff had begun filling in the roster of who had been saved from the Venture. Most names she didn't recognise, and those she had hoped to see weren't there, but one name did stand out: Norvi Stace. She had been a scientist on the Venture and during Nat's brief time aboard the two had met, though only briefly. It was a slim thread, but all she had to cling on to at this point. She cross-checked the location - Cargo Bay - and made her excuses.

A short while later the petite ecologist emerged from the turbolift to find the Cargo Bay busy with staff and patients, not to mention intelligence and tactical officers conducting debriefings. She found Norvi towards the back, laying on a bed unattended. Nat did not envy her the surroundings: there were cries of pain, and the distinct smell of fear. All the same she tried to smile encouragingly as she glanced over the Trill and then gently tapped her on the shoulder.

"Lieutenant Stace? Is that you?"

Norvi turned her head on the pillow and then bolted up right as the familiar face came into focus. "Chevalier, right?" she questioned, already aware of the answer as she now stood up to embrace the woman. Stace stiffened up suddenly and then, moving to within arms' length, squished her face up in an awkward, embarrassed expression. "Sorry," she then cut-in, releasing the woman's shoulders and plopping back down on the bed. "I haven't seen a friendly face in hours and I'm just glad that more of our crew survived." She shook her head and then allowed to to fall in her cupped hands, her hair now cascading about her face. "Please, sit down."

Nat was a little taken aback, but she could see the pain and anguish on Norvi's face, so she just smiled and nodded. "That's right, I'm Natalie Chevalier."

She sat down at the edge of the bed, folding one leg underneath her.

"The truth be told," Stace answered, looking now in sheer happiness and relief at the ensign, "I'm all right. But, with being a joined species, the medics here want to keep me under observation for a bit longer. I'm not chained here but they're having a little trouble finding quarters for me so I'm setting up camp at the back of the cargo bay." She snorted and added, "I've slept in worse places in my time."

Stace now turned back to the woman and smiled. "How did you make it out? Did you...see anyone else?"

"I wasn't on board," Nat admitted, a little guiltily. "I transferred off the Venture a couple of days ago. As for the others - well, I came down here to see you because yours was the only name I recognised on the rescue roster." She wished she had better news to share, but she could only be honest.

Stace's face turned solemn and then, looking up, softened into a relieved smile. "Then that is good news," she said nodding. "At least you didn't have to go through the Borg attack the first time around." She broke off her glance and then stared into the middle-distance, recounting what she had experienced. Changing tact, she seemed to snap her attention back into the room. "Have you decided where you'll transfer to next? It looks like I'm stuck here myself. I mean, I don't have the Venture to return to and the captain's offered me a place here."

"Well, if it means anything, I'll be staying here too. The previous Science Officer, her name was Lieutenant Panne but she's gone now, she offered me a place here, looking after the Arboretum. So, I think I'm going to keep working here. I don't want to leave this crew now that I've just settled in," Nat smiled encouragingly at Norvi. "They're really a nice bunch of people, and if you get to know the people in the Science Department you'll find a lot of friendly faces."

"I'm hoping to," Stace replied genuinely. "It'll be nice to make friends and I do miss the intimacy of a smaller ship. The Nova class was my first posting out of the Academy." She smiled and then looked up to Natalie again. "Looks like I've just made my first friend."

Nat grinned encouragingly. "Bad luck for you, I guess, having the crazy treehugger for your first friend on board." She looked around at the people sitting around injured and scared, and considered asking Stace what had happened. But part of her was apprehensive about actually finding out. "You should come by the Arboretum some time. It's a good place to unwind."

Norvi smiled and fondly remembered her old love of nature and all things that grew in the earth. "Thanks, Natalie," she said quietly. "I might just do that. I used to be a bit of a treehugger myself a long, long time ago." She smiled to herself and then made eye contact with the lieutenant. "I promise to pay you a visit when this is all over..."

"Let's hope that's sooner rather than later," said Nat. She knew little of what happened on the Venture, but the fear and tension on the Bridge had sunk deep into her and she recognised that something profoundly troublesome was afoot. "In the meantime, I'd better let you go: I'm sure you have more important people to speak to. But don't be a stranger, and if you ever want to get together to talk or anything, just let me know."

Stace smiled genuinely and nodded. "I will, Natalie. And thank you. It's been good to see a friendly face."

"You don't know how true that is," Nat agreed. She patted Norvi on the wrist, then stood up and hurried out of the cargo bay, not wanting to linger amidst the haunting reminders of what had happened on the Venture, and what she had just missed out on being a very active participant in.

OFF:

Junior Grade Lieutenant Norvi Stace
Chief Research Officer
USS Galileo

Ensign Natalie Chevalier
Ecologist
USS Galileo

RSS Feed