07-16-2024, 10:52 PM
>>DS9/Promenade... again>>
==Am I going in circles?==
==Some time after the party==
Jaein walked into engineering again, and was more pleasantly surprised this time than he was previous. The buzz of conversation - both work related and not - was still present, as engineers never really got much time off. However, he noted that most of the crew working seemed more alert than before. Maybe they've finally gotten past the news, he considered, even if he still didn't exactly know what had happened.
He did note, however, that the chief's office was straightened up and clean. It was also devoid of any personal effects - no pictures, no furnishings beyond the basic desk and chairs. Evidently no new chief, or even interim chief, had been named.
"Commander?" a young woman said as she walked up. Her hair was stark white, and she wore a PO1's insignia. "I wanted to apologize for last time you were here. We... we've not been in the best of conditions lately."
He gave her his best smile, and nodded. "Don't worry, crewman," he said. "I've learned a little - a very little, unfortunately - and I can't say I would've reacted much better." He sighed and looked around the room almost theatrically. "I still was hoping for a tour, and was told it could still be done?"
She smiled and nodded. "Yes, sir," she said. "I actually volunteered for it, to try and make it up to you. Petty Officer Kat Whitby," she said, offering a sketch of a salute which Jaein countered by offering his hand for a shake. She accepted and continued, "I've been on Artemis since the beginning, so given what you were talking about trying to see, it seemed like I'd be your best bet."
He smiled again, broadly. "Sounds like a plan," he told her. "Where would you recommend starting?"
"Well," she said, gesturing him back towards the door, "we've done some major work on the deflector control systems, which I was heavily involved in, so I figured we'd start there and then work through some other areas."
They walked on as he nodded. He'd never met an engineer that didn't like to talk about their own area of expertise most, and wasn't about to dissuade her from doing the same. It was safe ground, and it was a good area to start anyway. "Sounds like a plan," he told her. They walked the short distance to the turbolift, making some small talk while waiting, before the doors opened.
"Oh," she said before they could step on, and Jaein looked up in time to see a captain standing in the lift.
"Good to see you again," Jaein said as he noted Captain Givens, giving her a smile. They had both been passengers on the USS Cairo on their way to DS9, though they hadn't had much time to socialize. She'd seemed preoccupied the one time they had seen each other in the ship's lounge, and he'd left her to her work. However, he did see a flare of recognition as she gave a polite nod. "We'll take the next one, you seem in a hurry." The doors closed, but he saw her making a note in her padd as they closed.
Whitby shuddered beside him as they waited for the next lift. "No idea what she's doing here," the crewman said, "but everyone's been on their toes around her. Rumor has it she's from some kind of review committee at Command, and with everything else going on..." She didn't finish the thought, but he could fill it in just fine.
"I don't blame you," he said. Reviews were never fun, especially when everything else was going to the Fire Caves in a cart. Fortunately, the lift came quickly. "Shall we?"
==TBC Elsewhere==
==Givens used with permission==
==Am I going in circles?==
==Some time after the party==
Jaein walked into engineering again, and was more pleasantly surprised this time than he was previous. The buzz of conversation - both work related and not - was still present, as engineers never really got much time off. However, he noted that most of the crew working seemed more alert than before. Maybe they've finally gotten past the news, he considered, even if he still didn't exactly know what had happened.
He did note, however, that the chief's office was straightened up and clean. It was also devoid of any personal effects - no pictures, no furnishings beyond the basic desk and chairs. Evidently no new chief, or even interim chief, had been named.
"Commander?" a young woman said as she walked up. Her hair was stark white, and she wore a PO1's insignia. "I wanted to apologize for last time you were here. We... we've not been in the best of conditions lately."
He gave her his best smile, and nodded. "Don't worry, crewman," he said. "I've learned a little - a very little, unfortunately - and I can't say I would've reacted much better." He sighed and looked around the room almost theatrically. "I still was hoping for a tour, and was told it could still be done?"
She smiled and nodded. "Yes, sir," she said. "I actually volunteered for it, to try and make it up to you. Petty Officer Kat Whitby," she said, offering a sketch of a salute which Jaein countered by offering his hand for a shake. She accepted and continued, "I've been on Artemis since the beginning, so given what you were talking about trying to see, it seemed like I'd be your best bet."
He smiled again, broadly. "Sounds like a plan," he told her. "Where would you recommend starting?"
"Well," she said, gesturing him back towards the door, "we've done some major work on the deflector control systems, which I was heavily involved in, so I figured we'd start there and then work through some other areas."
They walked on as he nodded. He'd never met an engineer that didn't like to talk about their own area of expertise most, and wasn't about to dissuade her from doing the same. It was safe ground, and it was a good area to start anyway. "Sounds like a plan," he told her. They walked the short distance to the turbolift, making some small talk while waiting, before the doors opened.
"Oh," she said before they could step on, and Jaein looked up in time to see a captain standing in the lift.
"Good to see you again," Jaein said as he noted Captain Givens, giving her a smile. They had both been passengers on the USS Cairo on their way to DS9, though they hadn't had much time to socialize. She'd seemed preoccupied the one time they had seen each other in the ship's lounge, and he'd left her to her work. However, he did see a flare of recognition as she gave a polite nod. "We'll take the next one, you seem in a hurry." The doors closed, but he saw her making a note in her padd as they closed.
Whitby shuddered beside him as they waited for the next lift. "No idea what she's doing here," the crewman said, "but everyone's been on their toes around her. Rumor has it she's from some kind of review committee at Command, and with everything else going on..." She didn't finish the thought, but he could fill it in just fine.
"I don't blame you," he said. Reviews were never fun, especially when everything else was going to the Fire Caves in a cart. Fortunately, the lift came quickly. "Shall we?"
==TBC Elsewhere==
==Givens used with permission==