if you don't check in, will they know you exist?

Posted on 24 Apr 2019 @ 3:16am by Lieutenant Lex D'Gracefull & Commander Gerald Wainwright III

Mission: Prologue
Location: USS Mark Miller, Executive Officers Admin/Legal/Personal Office
Timeline: prior to departure

ON:
The alarm went off on his PaDD, and Lex'EL looked down at it. 0845, the Executive officer should be at work by now. Dex stopped the computer diagnostic he was working on had the computer save his progress to his working file and downloaded a copy to his oversize PaDD. Searching for the personnel office, he struck out, feeling a little worried, he then searched for Legal office and it referred to the Executive Officers Admin Office, which was also referred to as the Legal and Personal Annex. Lex'EL shook his head, he knew he was assigned to a small ship, but all three functions out of one office? that was bound to stretch people thin. That also meant that everyone would have to be cross-trained... Lex'EL spun the map around looking at it... Only one deck up, he could get there quick. As he started walking towards the lift, the words cross-trained kept echoing through his mind...He shuttered as visions of the Tight Confining Bridge consoles strangling him sprang to his head... Lex'EL stopped, leaned against the bulkhead and tried to get his breathing under control. After opening his eyes to see a crewman looking at him with concern, Lex'EL shook his head to clear the images and set off at a fast pace.
As he started to go up in the lift, he wondered if he should be formal or relaxed... Some XO's were a stickler for discipline and others were more relaxed. accessing his Padd again he searched for the name of the XO. "OH boy, the XO was a III" Lex'EL muttered. That meant he would require formal greetings and a by the book attitude. Lex'EL took a deep breath and over-enunciated saying his name several times to not sound so forced... "Lex house of D'Gracefull, the line of EL" he said.  That sounded awful, He tried again " Lex, the line of EL, house of D'Gracefull." That sounded better, but was still a mouth full.

Lex'EL D'Gracefull looked at his PaDD again to verify he was at the correct office. It seemed so small to be performing all these duties. He looked up at the false ceiling, knowing that six inches above it ran cables, comm lines, and conduits that were the lifeline and lifeblood of the ship. Lex'EL knocked on the office door/hatch and waited.

Gerry looked away from his PaDD and rubbed his eyes. He felt like he had been doing paperwork all day. He needed a drink, but before he got up to go to the replicator, his ford chime sounded.

"Enter if you dare!" Gerry couldn't help but smile, whoever was on the other side of his hatch was a welcome distraction.

Lex'EL came to attention, Saluted and  said “Ensign Lex, the line of EL, the house of D'Gracefull, reporting for duty, Sir.”  Handing the Executive Officer his PaDD with his orders, and waited for the Executive Officer to speak.

Gerry took the PaDD and glanced over it, then sized up the newest addition to the crew, who had obviously come onboard just as the ship was leaving spacedock. He was a big boy, no doubt about it. Gerry figured he would have to be a good ten feet away to see all of him at once.

"At ease, Ensign. Have a seat."

Lex'EL looked around at the small office furniture and was afraid to set in it, lest he exceed its structural limitations. Eyeing the chair he replied "Thank you Sir, but I would not want to start my term on this ship by breaking things.


"We have a pretty small ship, and from what I've seen we have no shortage of big officers and crew. Would you like a drink?"

Lex'EL said "No thank you, Sir, the doctor says I need to avoid stimulants, and depressants, and airlocks"

Gerry chuckled and smiled at the junior officer.

"Always best to follow doctor's orders, they have more pull on ships than even the skipper at times. So, tell me what you think of our fair vessel so far?"

Lex'EL said "When I walked into main engineering this morning, I kept looking around for the rest of the main engineering, after being on the USS Thunderchild (NCC-63549-A), it was a Pendragon class heavy cruiser. Then after that, I went back to  Solarian Navy Close Escort Cruisers, everything here is so small. I swear we could hide in the back of an Akira class in their hanger bay and be a surprise if we ever had to engage the Romulans. I was afraid to see what the quarters are like, I didn't wake my roommates up this morning when I got there, I just snuck in, dropped my stuff off on the empty rack, and snuck out again. Although I won't miss TEN-Forward, I swear it was walking into a cloud of perfumes everywhere, and every time, I went in there, it was like the females were conducting chemical warfare.

I was surprised when I had short-fused orders, I had to catch 3 different transfers to make it here prior to departure. One ship was held for me, that in itself was surprising. But it is good to be on an explorer once again. I do so like seeing what's out there, there is nothing like looking out the windows at a nebula.

"You're in for a treat them, the shakedown cruise is going to take us within proximity to a real astronomical marvel."

Lex'EL asked "A supernova? I can't wait to see one of those up close. Growing up in the Crab nebula, was interesting, a lot of different colors. It never got old. The downside was the high radiation levels kept me planetside most of the time. Getting out and exploring is my cup of tea. Just don't send me down on away missions and feed me to large angry armored spider/rhino critters... that away mission didn't work out so well, Or giant armored wasps, or miniature scorpions, I swear I was shaking them out of my hair for days." Lex'EL shuddered to remember those away missions.

" Speaking of away missions.", Lex'EL said, "How do you and the Captain pick who gets sacrificed errr introduced to the natives?"

"It's always a balancing act of who has the best skill set for the situation, but we always need muscle or human shields," Gerry responded, laughing heartily at his own joke. "In all seriousness, we have no shortage of big people on the crew, but discretion is the better part of valor."

"Lex'EL laughed and said, " Sir, it is rather hard for me to be discrete, I am just about as subtle as a volcano!"

"I'm sure we'll find a use for you yet, it's not always about being in the ground. Welcome aboard either way, glad to have you here."

Ens Lex'EL smiled for the first time, "Thank you, sire, ill get out of your hair now." Lex'EL backed up and turned towards the door. Ducking out as it opened. " That was not so bad after all", he mumbled under his breath as he exited.

OFF:

Commander Gerald Wainwright III
Executive Officer
&
Ensign Lex’EL D'Gracefull
Engineering Officer