Walking Round
Posted on Thu Jun 27th, 2019 @ 5:22am by Commander Curtis Thibideaux & Senior Chief Petty Officer Harriet Hastings
Edited on on Thu Jun 27th, 2019 @ 5:26am
853 words; about a 4 minute read
Mission:
New Beginnings
Location: Docking Bay 94
Timeline: -5 NB
Curtis wandered around the Valiant, still marveling. The fact that his newest posting could actually be walked around while in space-dock, had him a bit giddy. He’d served aboard small ships before, but those had been overgrown runabouts and system cutters.
Not full blown Starships.
He’d spent a few hours doing what he was doing now, walking around the Val and even on top of the ship, getting a good look at her. He’d decided a couple of hours ago though, that she didn’t look happy. She wanted to be in space.
That’s what the Val had been built for and sitting there tenuously squatting on her landing legs gave the ship something of an ungainly appearance. Kind of like a flamingo.
Currently, there were engineering and other crews moving about the ship finishing initial preparations before turning the ship over to the crew.
“Stop drooling, Commander. We’ll get a taste soon enough,” a familiar voice sounded behind him. Curtis turned and saw a stocky, solidly built tall woman walking up to him dressed in a gold uniform.
Smiling, Curtis held out a hand and said “Good to see you Hasty. Come to look ago our new ship too?”
“Aye sir,” Senior Chief Herriot Hastings, said as she shook his hand, then stood beside him and they looked at the Valiant. “Looks like they’ve done some modifications from the original specs,” she observed.
“I’d hope so, Senior Chief” Curtis remarked as they watched a crew shifting stabilizer coils in the aft, port side thruster. “The Defiant class is nearly 30 years old, there should be lots of updates and refurbishments. Valiant’s had two major refits and a slew of upgrades since her hull was laid down in 2380. Now she’s been sitting for a year and a half and they’re doing more upgrades, after which we get to shake her out.”
“Sounds about normal for Star Fleet, Commander,” Herriot said, chuckling. “But, it’s the price we pay.”
“Right,” Curtis agreed, not taking his eyes off the Valiant. “The price we pay. Speaking of that, what are you doing here, Hasty. Surely you’ve got your choice of better billets.”
Herriot shrugged. “I’d rather work with people I know, sir. And there’s a handful of them aboard this ship.”
Curtis grunted at that. “Well, it’ll be interesting. There’s also a handful of newbies aboard too, but it’s a small crew.”
“How’s the Captain? Hasty asked hesitantly.
Curtis considered his words, then Hasty and answered. “A scientist. Good officer. Experienced.”
Hasty didn’t reply right away, then said. “Right. The word I heard was…tentative,” her voice was just that and her voice muted.
“Enough of that, Senior Chief. We may not be signed aboard yet, but let’s kill the gossip right now. That sort of thing gets a life of it’s own,” Curtis said, a trace of steel in his voice.
“Aye sir,” Herriot said.
Then, his own voice muted, Curtis said “I heard the same thing. Command didn’t seem to interest him. Apparently, like greatness; some beings just are and some have it thrust upon them. We’ll find out, but as command staff this talk has to end here. We leave it in the docking bay.”
“Aye aye, sir,” Herriot responded, then said, “Command staff? Wait, what?”
Curtis grinned then, “Ahh, finally the famous Hasty Hastings caught out. You didn’t look to see who the senior non-com was going to be?”
He heard her curse under her breath as he said, “Let me be the first to welcome you aboard, COB.” Curtis was nearly laughing at her face. “Hasty, for fate’s sake. Why would they bring a senior chief aboard as a structural / environmental specialist when you should be leading a division at any other command. You should have seen this coming, if you didn’t. But, you’re ripe for it and I’m xaxdamned glad to see you. And you’ll look good in red.”
“I’ve Been wearing red, thank you very little, Commander. I only switched back to gold because I’m in transit,” she retorted, but her face spread into a smile as they both looked back at the ship.”
“When do we get her,” Herriot asked.’
“Soon is all I know,” Curtis replied. “Half the crew is more or less on station, though the junior crew has already been seconded to work and duty crews around the station.”
Nodding at him, Herriot said. “That’s what Petty Officer Jov was telling me. He’s apparently been seconded to help test harmonics of the the USS Brisbane’s tertiary Haskel field generator.”
“Isn’t Jov tone deaf?” Curtis said, grinning.
“Yes, he is. Though it won’t stop him from getting that generator right, but I thought it was amusing,” Herriot smiled at him.
Curtis shook his head, “A propulsion specialist detailed to work on Haskel field generators. You have to love the Bureaucracy.”
Chief Hastings nodded agreement as they walked toward the Valiant’s engines.
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