Yesterday, 06:21 AM
(This post was last modified: Yesterday, 06:41 AM by Ethan Diaz.)
Ethan felt very self-conscious walking through the main passageway on Deck Eleven in civilian attire. For four years, he'd worn nothing but a small collection of uniforms, and gotten quite used to not needing to decide what he was going to wear on any given day. By the time Graduation Day rolled around, he'd nearly forgotten what ordinary clothes felt like. As a result, the few non-regulation items Ethan brought with him were mostly formal, including the sharp gray suit he'd picked up from a tailor specializing in 22nd-century styles. It was an older look, but it suited the young officer well.
It had been nearly three weeks getting to the Aquila. After Graduation, he enjoyed a brief ten days' leave with his family before catching a shuttle up to Starbase Alpha and beginning the long journey over to the adjacent quadrant. Aside from finding out what they could about their soon-to-be shipmates, new officers in transit to their first assignment didn't have much to do, so it was almost like being on vacation. The skipper, Captain Brooks, naturally had the kind of reputation that would fit right in with Academy curriculum. At 40, he was still in his prime and at the top of the lineup with all the other outbound commanders. His ship was arguably even more impressive. The Ross-class was a promising new platform designed to be the successor of the legendary Galaxy-class starship. To an ordinary officer, the Aquila was as good a posting as you could ask for. To Ethan, it seemed too good to be true. Ships like the Aquila were manned by Grade-A crews and given the greatest mission Starfleet had to offer: pushing past the edges of the map.
He quickened his pace and double-checked the blinking routing lights along the bulkhead that were pointing him to his destination. Ethan was already late, but that couldn't be helped. Quarterdeck Receiving had come with a few administrative tasks that had taken up most of his day. Tomorrow, he was due for an initial physical in Sickbay and a shakedown with his trainers in Tactical. In the meantime, the Old Man had thrown a little function together for the crew, and a helpful petty officer had conveyed an invitation to Ethan and the rest of the new arrivals. It seemed his first impression would have to be made here rather than on the bridge. Although, that's probably a good thing, he thought to himself.
A few minutes later, Ethan arrived outside a large hatch marked "Holodeck 2". Stepping inside, he found himself pleasantly surprised by the environment. Having grown up in the Lambda Colonies, he never had any experiences with hologram technology. His first experience in a holosuite had been on Earth, in training sims at the Academy. The look and feel of those artificial environments still stunned him, and he made a mental note to try the place out on his own as soon as he had some spare time.
There was a sizable crowd, but Ethan didn't feel ready to get lost in it just yet. Instead, he made his way over to the bar, where a white-jacketed waiter was ready to take his order.
"How can we help you, sir?" The man asked with a smile.
Ethan paused. "Torfan Greenwater on ice. Mild, please."
"Of course. Just a minute, sir."
It had been nearly three weeks getting to the Aquila. After Graduation, he enjoyed a brief ten days' leave with his family before catching a shuttle up to Starbase Alpha and beginning the long journey over to the adjacent quadrant. Aside from finding out what they could about their soon-to-be shipmates, new officers in transit to their first assignment didn't have much to do, so it was almost like being on vacation. The skipper, Captain Brooks, naturally had the kind of reputation that would fit right in with Academy curriculum. At 40, he was still in his prime and at the top of the lineup with all the other outbound commanders. His ship was arguably even more impressive. The Ross-class was a promising new platform designed to be the successor of the legendary Galaxy-class starship. To an ordinary officer, the Aquila was as good a posting as you could ask for. To Ethan, it seemed too good to be true. Ships like the Aquila were manned by Grade-A crews and given the greatest mission Starfleet had to offer: pushing past the edges of the map.
He quickened his pace and double-checked the blinking routing lights along the bulkhead that were pointing him to his destination. Ethan was already late, but that couldn't be helped. Quarterdeck Receiving had come with a few administrative tasks that had taken up most of his day. Tomorrow, he was due for an initial physical in Sickbay and a shakedown with his trainers in Tactical. In the meantime, the Old Man had thrown a little function together for the crew, and a helpful petty officer had conveyed an invitation to Ethan and the rest of the new arrivals. It seemed his first impression would have to be made here rather than on the bridge. Although, that's probably a good thing, he thought to himself.
A few minutes later, Ethan arrived outside a large hatch marked "Holodeck 2". Stepping inside, he found himself pleasantly surprised by the environment. Having grown up in the Lambda Colonies, he never had any experiences with hologram technology. His first experience in a holosuite had been on Earth, in training sims at the Academy. The look and feel of those artificial environments still stunned him, and he made a mental note to try the place out on his own as soon as he had some spare time.
There was a sizable crowd, but Ethan didn't feel ready to get lost in it just yet. Instead, he made his way over to the bar, where a white-jacketed waiter was ready to take his order.
"How can we help you, sir?" The man asked with a smile.
Ethan paused. "Torfan Greenwater on ice. Mild, please."
"Of course. Just a minute, sir."