Like it or Not

Posted on Sun Aug 14th, 2022 @ 9:12pm by Commander Rupert Tyree & Lieutenant Jayden Meran

493 words; about a 2 minute read

Mission: Prelude to War
Location: Captain's Quarters, USS Valiant
Timeline: Three Days before leaving Port.

Rhu finished mounting the vertical record player to the bulkhead and was glancing at a record jacket when the door's sensor chimed and it flashed transparent as he looked up.

Valiant's new Second Officer had arrived. "Come In," Rhu called and the door opened as he pulled the record free and slipped it into the player, closing the door and touching the start button. "Thanks for stopping by, Mr. Meran. You're settling into your so called quarters I take it," he commented with a smile tracing his lips as he watched the LP start to turn.

Jayden looked to the commander as he was fiddling with the old record player. He smiled. "I got to say, sir, this ship must attract Betazoids. But then again it was our home world that decided to adopt this ship. Well I guess we call Earth our home too."

All my life by Tim Bowman began playing and he adjusted the volume before turning to face Jayden.

Jayden nodded to captain. "Sir, it is I who should be thanking you for having me." He smiled.

Moving to settle into the non-regulation office chair he'd brought aboard, Rhu slumped appreciatively and remarked, "Well. You're new to the ship and second officer, Jayden. I figure it's not a bad thing to get to know each other socially. Valiant is a small ship. I've read your jacket and all. What's not in the records about you?"

Jayden shrugged as he walked over to the man that was now his captain. "What is there to say? I am pretty much an open book. A good listener, a good analyst. Some even say I have a really high IQ, I don't know about that. I have an aunt and a cousin that most likely trump me. Also I am not really one for tooting my own horn. I just do what I want to do most. And I could be a chief Medical Officer, I could be high noted surgeon at head quarters, like my aunt. But instead here I am, a counselor. That's how my mom started. With the people, talking to them, understanding them. But don't think I have been asked. Oh many times. And sure if it's needed, I will preform that important surgery." He smiled warmly.

"Being able to multi-task is one of the reasons I'm glad you're aboard," Rhu told the counselor. "Valiant, as an Escort, by definition will put stress on the crew. And we may need your surgical ability if it comes to altering facial appearances of the crew if we get too far down the Intelligence rabbit hole. Which also means we'll be expanding your ship knowledge as well. For instance, with us not having an Operations Chief, I'll be asking you to sit that chair for the short term."

Over the next hour, he and Jayden discussed ship's operations and the crew records, getting to know what Fleet thought of their new billet.

 

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