All Hands on Deck (Part 3 of 9)

Posted on 03 Mar 2015 @ 7:21pm by Rear Admiral Lirha Saalm & Chief Petty Officer Pax Inyo & Lieutenant Benice Gyce Ph.D. & Lieutenant Aria Rice & Petty Officer 1st Class Rebecca Williams & Commander Scarlet Blake

2,791 words; about a 14 minute read

Mission: Episode 07 - Sojourn
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 2, Armory/Security Office & Brig
Timeline: MD 44 - 0918 hrs

Previously, on All Hands on Deck (Part 2)...

As Lirha began to paced down the line of personnel, she took notice of a few new faces she hadn't seen before. A tall, slim Andorian warrant officer; a new red-haired Bajoran junior lieutenant with a cane; and a Grazerite chief petty officer. It was quite the ensemble of diversity within the department, and Lirha took the opportunity to stop in front of the weapons locker and inspect Inyo's uniform. "What brings you from Grazer to Galileo, chief?" she curiously asked.

And Now, the Continuation...

[ON]

Pax smirked. She knew her human heritage didn't pronounce itself as clearly as her horns announced her Grazerite source, not to mention her name being a relation to one of the best known Grazerites and staunch pacifist, the former president Inyo. Still rather than deign to correct an admiral, Pax quipped back smartly, "No shooting galleries on Grazer, Ma'am."

A small grin played across the rear-admiral's gold lips along with a tiny glint in her green eyes. "No, I suppose there are not," she mused, then looked at the neatly-arranged stock of rifles and sidearms in the armory. "A Type-IIIc, please," she requested from horned woman, wanting to inspect one of the compression rifles for herself.

With a minimum amount of motion, Pax turned, and then, seeing as they were all stripped, maintained, cleaned and ready, selected from the requested type at random. As if in a ballet of marching soldiers, she turned about face again, and presented the rifle, held close at first, cross bodied at chest height and then extended it out held by the barrel and the butt. She was more interested in the weapon passing muster than she had been concerned about her own appearance and manner, and so her expression turned more sober.

Lirha grasped the offered rifle placing her hands just inside of the chief's to take the offered weapon. Bringing it close to her, she took a step back and held the rifle horizontally to look over its lines and polish. The hard composite casing looked pristine, and it felt heavier than she remembered. Although she had to admit, it had been many months since she had last held one of them. The rear-admiral turned the weapon upside down and checked the power cell casing, then gave it a hearty slap with the palm of her hand to make sure nothing was loose before turning down the vacant corridor and shouldering the weapon to check it's holo-sight alignment.

Satisfied with what appeared to be a well-maintained and functioning rifle, she then grasped the barrel and butt and offered it back to the Grazerite in the same manner it was received. "Very good, chief," she said in a light voice with a nod of approval. "What is your name?" she then inquired.

Pax received back the rifle still holding it Port arms fashion. "Chief Petty Officer Pax-Inyo, at your service."

"Carry on then, Miss Inyo," replied Lirha with a small smile of approval. "I trust you will bring us all up to speed on our firearms proficiency, yes?"

"Well it is a boat full of scientists, but I'll do my best. I'm nothing if not determined. Thank you, Admiral."

The Orion turned and looked at her next objective, the small combined brig and security office very near to the armory, and headed over for a brief tour.

Gyce did not have much to do. The desk in front of the brig cells was cleaned daily and the brig's force fields tested weekly. No thanks, in part, to her own OCD to keep on top of any likely faulty equipment.

For her, she simply slung her cane on the hook with her khaki messenger bag and had a seat at the office chair. Then she casually looked at the monitors in the science section of the ship to make sure her quarry was not taking any detours. This most defiantly was not the time for Gyce to have to up and leave just to chase Seleya and try and corner her in another lie of convince.

The door to Galileo's security office swished open and in stepped Lirha with her entourage in tow. She paused momentarily while her eyes scanned the room and eventually settled on the Bajoran whom she'd previously seen out in the corridor while on her way to the armory. "Hello, lieutenant," she greeted. "Do we have any unruly guests today?" she mused once again.

"No Ma'am, we do not." Gyce was very professional as she looked up and then stood slowly to attention. "We only had a few security matters pop up due to new personnel getting lost. I should have a full detailed report on those matters, to my department head within the next few days. The brig, however, is fully functional, but still has the fatal flaw all other cells have."

Lirha tilted her head curiously to the side while she pondered what sort of 'fatal flaw' the junior lieutenant was referring to. "Oh? And that would be...?"

"Power loss, Admiral." Gyce never once flinched as she explained, "Though highly improbable but not impossible for a scenario on this type of ship, it would not take much for a resourceful prisoner to exploit such an opportunity and attempt to flee."

Visualizing such an escape plan and slowly nodding at the thought, Lirha silently concurred. "Yes, I suppose that could pose a problem," she replied before pausing in thought for a quick moment. "But luckily we will have a resourceful guard such as yourself on duty in case of such a scenario?"

Gyce forced a smile at that. Yes, she acted as a guard when no other was around, but that description demeaned her main purpose and role. Instead of kicking dirt, Gyce easily brushed the comment aside as a lack of knowledge, and not an intentional slant.

"I do forsee myself helping the department in that area on occasion, Admiral." Gyce gave an agreeing nod, "But as your security investigations officer, I spend most my time looking into accident and injury reports, and security breaches throughout the ship, in order to determine the nature of said incidents. As well as performing random contraband inspections and making random checks on Sickbay's controlled drug usage."

"...Contraband inspections? And controlled drug usage?" Lirha tilted her head to the side just a tiny bit and glanced sideways to Holliday and Blake before looking back at the red-head. "And what type of 'contraband' are you looking for, exactly? And drugs?" she inquired with a bit of hesitancy. While it might be somewhat within protocol to search for illegal items, the last thing the rear-admiral wanted was for the woman to start busting into people's quarters or workplaces unannounced and conducting surprise searches.

Curious. Gyce noted the Admiral's brief reaction. And the questions. There was a reason Security usually only needed to notify Command Staff when a sweep was happening. Contraband or otherwise. So it did not conflict with any other activities going on in the ship.

This was a given fact that all command staff was aware of with most postings. And yet her CO was inquisitive on the matter? Gyce suspected there were allowances, which she was fine with on some levels. At the point people got dangerously stupid to themselves and others, was where Gyce personally drew that line.

"The contraband sweeps will mostly be geared to whatever it is Starfleet Security notifies the ship to be extra vigilant about," Gyce answered with an easy smile. "Any unregistered weapons may want to be checked with Security, as well as any opiate or stimulant-based prescription drugs. A full list of what Starfleet considers contraband can be easily sent out to the crew, Admiral. To that end, all protocols will be followed, during these searches."

"Are these searches authorized? And scheduled? Or will they be random?" Lirha proceeded to ask, wondering to what extent the crew was going to be placed under scrutiny. Registering prescription drugs dispensed by sickbay with the Security department seemed a bit excessive to her, but she also didn't want to judge the new officer's methods too quickly without hearing her out.

Aria listened as she stood, hands at her side. She wasn't the biggest fan in the world of inspections or controlling every aspect of people's medication habits, or whatnow. She shifted, keeping a straight face. She really, really, really needed a wee. Typical. Should have gone before the inspection but she had forgotten. Just...great.

"Forgive my abridged explanations Admiral," Gyce responded with a respectful bow. "This being an inspection tour, I simply am trying to keep things short so that time is not lost on your many planned stops throughout the ship. But if you have concerns you wish to discuss, I would be more than willing to meet with you at a time of your choosing, to give a far more lengthy and time-consuming explanation. If only to put some hearts at ease, Ma'am."

Listening to the passing of words, Rebecca was taking some short notes, an inclining telling her that this would be something Holiday may need to ensure had an eye kept on it. One department shadowing the other for possible infringements of drugs use....It seemed like a disaster waiting to happen.

Blake frowned at the reply given to the Admiral. She had asked direct questions to the Lieutenant, and yet Gyce had chosen to simply not reply to them. It didn't fill the First Officer full of confidence, and it simply wasn't the proper way for a Lieutenant to behave with a Command Officer of any sort, let alone an Admiral. You didn't get to pick and choose your own question and answer sessions with them for your own convenience. As the Lieutenant's First Officer, there was no way she could let that kind of reply to an Admiral slide without saying anything. She was also more than a little interested in the answer herself as the plans for searches and watching prescriptions concerned her greatly. "The Admiral just asked you questions *now*, Lieutenant," she said softly, watching Gyce with lifted eyebrows, her hands clasped lightly behind her back. "That means you should answer them now."

"With all due respect Commander, this is an inspection tour." Gyce blinked several times in confusion for she was not all that impressed with Blake either. "I am neither refusing nor evading the Admiral's questions. I'm informing her that by going into full detail this very moment, would probably delay the inspection by a full hour or so. Therefore, it is the Admiral's choice to delay her next stops, or schedule a meeting to go over her concerns. After all Sirs, it's the Admiral's time that is or is not being wasted."

Gyce was smart enough not to point out that the XO's outburst in of itself was also a delay. But she bit her tongue and kept a calm, respectful presence to all parties. And her attention, deliberately back to Admiral Saalm, whom the questions were directly fielded from.

Lirha listened to the exchange between Scarlet and the new security officer and bit the inside of her cheek to try and keep herself calm. It was only just past 0900 and already she needed a drink. And there were still six decks to go on the tour. Blake's reply had been appropriate considering the circumstances, but Lirha also didn't want to spend too long discussing the details of whatever planned searches were trying to be implemented aboard the ship. Instead, she took a more measured approach.

"Very well, lieutenant. I will expect a full report on your proposed searches and techniques within the hour," she said. "Please present it to Commander Blake for approval." After all, beyond Wyatt, it was Blake who had the final approval for such measures. And there would most certainly be no searches of hers and Siren's quarters. "Carry on, lieutenant...?" she added before nodding to the woman and inquiring her name.

"Benice Gyce, Ma'am. And aye, aye Admiral," Gyce spoke with a salute.

"Sickbay, Admiral?" Blake motioned towards the door with a small smile, watching the Orion with calm blue eyes as she set the tour into movement again.

"Yes, to sickbay," Lirha concurred, but not before stopping on her way out of the security office to say hello to Aria. "Not exactly like Vajripam, is it? Perhaps we can install some beach scenery to make our brig guests more comfortable?" she teased to the petite dark-haired woman.

"Perhaps, Admiral. But I think we should convert the entire office and corridors then to have some sunbeds out," she said playfully, but respectfully. There was a bit of a...balance here. She was Saalm's friend, but equally she knew her place on the great Starfleet list of important people. She was just above the tribble, under the person who watered the plants. Aria had kept close between the Brig and the office, as she hadn't been entirely sure where the hell she was meant to be, and hadn't been impressed by Lt. Gyce. In fact, she was starting to wonder if the woman was crazily stupid or stupidly crazy, to start talking like that to the Admiral and then the XO. Took a special kind to do that, she supposed. As long as the crazily stupid/stupidly crazy didn't rub off on her, she was all shiny and five by five and blue skies.

"Hmm...sunbeds..." thought Lirha out-loud. "I good idea, but I am afraid the crew would not get much work done." It probably wouldn't be the best scenario for the ship's personnel to lounge in public all day. They weren't exactly a Risan cruise ship, after all. "Well, I trust everything in Security is going well and you will keep an eye on our new personnel?"

A small, almost sly smile crept in the corner of Rice's mouth and she nodded, her eyes meeting Lirha's for a moment. "Yes, Admiral, I am. Security is doing well under our Chief's careful eye and I am keeping an eye on the new additions. Hopefully, they will eventually slot well into the crew. I am expecting the adjustment period to take a little bit, this is an unique ship, ma'am," she said, which was true enough. And she was keeping an eye on the new people, to make sure that they didn't break any rules. Or try to blow the ship up. That would be bad. Very bad. Like, seriously bad.

"Yes, she is. With a unique crew, as well." Of course, there were varying interpretations of the term 'unique', but for all intents and purposes, Lirha was paying the ship's dedicated workforce a compliment of sorts. "Very well, lieutenant. Carry on," she said before giving Rice a grin and turning on her heels to march towards sickbay with Holliday, Blake, Quinn, and the new yeoman in tow.

Aria breathed a sigh of relief when the inspection group left before turning to look at Wyatt. "Next time, can we gag like every single one of us? Might cause us less heat," she said before moving to the desk, sitting down and bringing up the reports. She might as well get some work done, even if she was wearing the finest uniform that Starfleet could issue.

To Be Continued...

[OFF]

--

RADM Lirha Saalm
Mission Advisor
USS Galileo

CAPT Jonathan Holliday
Commanding Officer
USS Galileo

Lieutenant JG Wakeham Paul Alasia
Diplomatic Officer
USS Galileo

Petty Officer 2nd Class Rebecca Williams
Commanding Officer's Yeoman
USS Galileo

Lieutenant JG Drusilla McCarthy
Assistant Chief Counsellor
USS Galileo

Ensign Jaana Voutilainen
Stellar Cartographer
USS Galileo

Lieutenant (J.G.) Tuula Voutilainen M.D.
Medical Officer
USS Galileo

Lieutenant Asahi Kita
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Galileo

Chief Petty Officer Lyras Ueda
Diplomatic Officer
USS Galileo
[PNPC - Kita]

Chief Petty Officer Pax-Inyo
Masyer-at-Arms
USS Galileo

CMDR Scarlet Blake
First Officer
USS Galileo

CN Ash Rowe
Support Craft Pilot
USS Galileo
[PNPC Blake]

Father Ethan Walker
Ship's Chaplain
USS Galileo

LCMDR Allyndra illm Warraquim
Chief Medical Officer
USS Galileo

Oren Idris, Ph.D.
Archaeologist/Anthropologist
USS Galileo

PO1 Pieter Van Zyl
Botanist
USS Galileo
[PNPC by Idris]

Lieutenant Commander Andreus Kohl
Chief Research Officer
USS Galileo

CMCPO Markum Quinn
Chief of the Boat
USS Gallileo

Lt. Jared Nicholas
Language Specialist
USS Galileo

Jonah Chaparral
Epidemiologist
PNPC Jared Nicholas
USS Galileo

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