2 hours ago
== Holodeck 2—0818 Hours ==
Once Ethan was admitted for testing, he headed for his assigned room and was stopped cold by the sight of Captain Allen herself waiting for him. What on earth was the superintendent doing here? He'd heard plenty of theories about what kinds of curveballs the academy might throw at seniors to trip them up on Finals Day, but the Captain coming down to personally watch individual exam sessions wasn't one of them. Inwardly, Ethan felt some of his confidence ebbing away. Screwing up in front of the academy's ranking officer seemed like a pretty foolproof way of getting sent home without a commission.
Ethan did his best to keep his cool as he approached Holodeck Number Two, nodding in response to Captain Allen's greeting. "Good morning, ma'am," he replied automatically. He wasn't entirely sure what else he should say, so he elected to stay quiet and follow her inside. Then, the doors closed and locked behind them like a tomb being sealed shut. Allen's next words to him required much more careful thought.
My story? In a word: complicated. Something told Ethan that wasn't really an acceptable answer though, so he kept it to himself. Instead, he took a deep breath and gave her the honest version instead.
"T.O.s. . . they carry a lot of weight, ma'am," Ethan began, his mouth already beginning to feel dry. "They're in the middle of it no matter where they are. When big decisions get made in the Fleet, those guys see the results first. I guess that's what resonated with me the most when I was joining up. I'm in this for the long haul. I'm not a science whiz, and I'll be the first to admit I'd make a lousy engineer, but to be perfectly honest, I don't mind the idea of being up there with the watch standers. They're leaders, ma'am, and if I'm going to be one, I'd like very much to be where they are."
Too much? No, there was no such thing on Finals Day, Ethan thought. It was the truth. Too many people had pegged him for a jarhead, asked him why he didn't want to ride his career out in Security Forces. He was determined to push himself and make up for the lost time. Forget everyone else and their expectations for "average" cadets. The whole point of this place was to exceed expectations, and if Starfleet gave him a chance, that's exactly what Ethan was going to do.
== Tag Captain Allen ==
Once Ethan was admitted for testing, he headed for his assigned room and was stopped cold by the sight of Captain Allen herself waiting for him. What on earth was the superintendent doing here? He'd heard plenty of theories about what kinds of curveballs the academy might throw at seniors to trip them up on Finals Day, but the Captain coming down to personally watch individual exam sessions wasn't one of them. Inwardly, Ethan felt some of his confidence ebbing away. Screwing up in front of the academy's ranking officer seemed like a pretty foolproof way of getting sent home without a commission.
Ethan did his best to keep his cool as he approached Holodeck Number Two, nodding in response to Captain Allen's greeting. "Good morning, ma'am," he replied automatically. He wasn't entirely sure what else he should say, so he elected to stay quiet and follow her inside. Then, the doors closed and locked behind them like a tomb being sealed shut. Allen's next words to him required much more careful thought.
My story? In a word: complicated. Something told Ethan that wasn't really an acceptable answer though, so he kept it to himself. Instead, he took a deep breath and gave her the honest version instead.
"T.O.s. . . they carry a lot of weight, ma'am," Ethan began, his mouth already beginning to feel dry. "They're in the middle of it no matter where they are. When big decisions get made in the Fleet, those guys see the results first. I guess that's what resonated with me the most when I was joining up. I'm in this for the long haul. I'm not a science whiz, and I'll be the first to admit I'd make a lousy engineer, but to be perfectly honest, I don't mind the idea of being up there with the watch standers. They're leaders, ma'am, and if I'm going to be one, I'd like very much to be where they are."
Too much? No, there was no such thing on Finals Day, Ethan thought. It was the truth. Too many people had pegged him for a jarhead, asked him why he didn't want to ride his career out in Security Forces. He was determined to push himself and make up for the lost time. Forget everyone else and their expectations for "average" cadets. The whole point of this place was to exceed expectations, and if Starfleet gave him a chance, that's exactly what Ethan was going to do.
== Tag Captain Allen ==