AT/D03-10 - Crew Quarters

[Tyra Crawford]

== On Deck 03, Department Heads have relatively spacious quarters. The main area contains a work desk, table with four chairs, lounge area with seating including upholstered chairs and couches. The bedroom usually has a ‘Full XL’ sized mattress, with dressers and closets. They also have a spacious bath with separate shower, grooming area, and refreshment facilities.

Deck 04 houses quarters for Commissioned ‘Junior’ Officers. Designed for double occupancy, there is a shared lounge area, and shared bathroom. Each officer has their own room with small desk, chair, dresser, and a ‘Twin XL’ mattress.

Finally, Enlisted Quarters are found on Deck 10. These are premium ‘dormitory-style’ areas designed for quadruple occupancy. Two private rooms each contain two ‘Twin’ sized mattresses, with a locker or dresser for each person. There are shared refreshment and shower areas, as well as a shared lounge.
==

[Aeryn Miller]

== Chief Science Officer's Quarters - Deck 03 ==

After finishing dinner and clearing away her empty plate, cutlery and glass, Aeryn now had to figure out what to do with the rest of her evening. As tempting as it was to continue drinking, the redhead was satisfied with the one glass she had already consumed, wanting a clear head and not end up doing something foolish. Then again, she rarely got wasted these days, keeping her drinking to a limit even when she was out with friends in the lounge or ten forward. Shoreleave might be a different kettle of fish, as the saying goes, especially where Gray and Mitchell were concerned, but that was for future Aeryn to deal with.

What she needed was a distraction, to focus her mind elsewhere while also remembering to sort out what she was taking to the Lake District, rather than leave it to the last minute. That's when she decided to get the packing out of the way first, then maybe a holofilm to immerse herself in something that didn't require a lot of thinking.

Plan made, Aeryn went into the bedroom, followed by Whiskers, who clearly wanted to investigate what was going on and to see what mischief he could get up to. Nothing really changed as Aeryn began going through her closets, choosing outfits she didn't wear often on the ship, preferring to set them aside for when leave came. She also didn't want to go overboard, because there was always the option to buy more, and the redhead did like to shop whenever she got the chance.

Choices made, and after shooing Whiskers out of the way when he decided to lie in the small suitcase, Aeryn then packed what she had chosen, glad to get it out of the way.

[Aeryn Miller]

== Chief Science Officer's Quarters - Deck 03 ==

== Three Days Before The BBQ ==

Signing off her duty PADD after finalising any last minute requests that required her attention prior to leaving the ship, Aeryn was almost ready to depart for the Lake District via a brief stop in Carlisle. The reason for the redhead's slight detour was to catch up with her former chief Steve Wilkins from the Alexandria who just so happened to be on leave at the same time. It had been a while since Aeryn had last seen him, and with it not being far from her final destination, she figured it was worth catching up for a few of hours or so, before heading to Grassmere.

If she was being honest, Aeryn was quite looking forward to seeing Steve, who had stood by the fresh out of the Academy Middie, from the first shift until she eventually left and got reassigned to Artemis. They had clicked instantly over a shared hobby of hiking, with Steve not afraid to knock her down a peg or to when necessary, and Aeryn had learned a lot from the 6ft 2 older and wiser officer who hailed from Cumbria. With Whiskers having already been sent ahead to The Crooked Kettle along with her case and bag, Aeryn could easily imagine her cat being utterly spoiled by her friends and no doubt they would continue to do so when she eventually got there.

Of course there was the prospect that he wouldn't want to come back to the ship with her, but that was something Aeryn would deal with later as she grabbed her denim jacket, and checked over her appearance one last time. Satisfied with her outfit of a light blue tank top and long denim skirt, Aeryn then exited her quarters ready to start her leave, and hopefully have some fun before she was ultimately recalled back to reality.

Grinning slightly at how she wouldn't change a thing about her life, except maybe finding love again in the future, Aeryn headed towards the turbolift, eager to get her leave started properly.

== ETL ==

[Aeryn Miller]

== Recall Timeline ==

== CSO’s Quarters - Deck 03 ==

Her time on Earth had come to an end, and while Aeryn was understandably a little sad to be leaving her friends, the redhead was energised, refreshed and ready for whatever was coming next. As expected Whiskers had loved Grasmere as much as his owner had, and when it came to the night before she returned to Artemis, Aeryn didn't have the heart to make him come home with her. How could she when he looked so content having all that space to roam and explore, to be fussed over by everyone who visited the Old Cauldron?

In the end and as difficult as it was, Aeryn knew he would be well looked after, even without the reassurance from Gray and Mitchell. There would of course be regular messages, letters and photos so Aeryn felt comfortable making that sacrifice and going home alone. 

This would be a new chapter for Aeryn personally which would no doubt leech into the professional side of her life. Whatever that looked like, the scientist wasn't going to go looking for it but rather let it come to her. No expectations, no excuses and Aeryn was perfectly okay with it. For now the plan was to unpack and then maybe a trip to the lounge was in order.


== TBC ==

[Aeryn Miller]

== Recall Timeline ==

== CSO’s Quarters - Deck 03 ==

Considering that she had somehow managed to bring more back than she'd originally taken with her, Aeryn thought that the unpacking process was going fairly well. Not only did Grasmere have a good selection of shops, but so did Carlisle where Aeryn had gone on a bit of a shopping spree with Rayna, the day after the friends reunited at the Old Cauldron. Okay it involved food and drinks, but the redhead loved every second of it, before joining RavenWolf for a song that very same evening.

Leave had come with some surprises but overall it felt like she was a Cadet all over again being around her friends from that time. She knew she had moved on and grew up, however Aeryn wouldn't have missed this reunion or the chance to relive those good days.

Clothing old and new went in the closet and dresser, souvenirs and photos were placed so they could be seen clearly and laundry was non-existent with the exception of what she was wearing thanks to the excellent domestic services at the pub, which would save some time. Once Aeryn was finished, she decided against the lounge as she changed into her uniform, thinking she would grab something to eat in the lab break lounge instead.

Satisfied that her uniform still fit without having to replicate a new one thanks to indulgences on leave, Aeryn checked over her appearance before heading out of the door.

>> Science Complex >>

[Hallowette Maxas-Darl]

==Recall Timeline==

== Junior Officer's Quarters, Deck 4 ==

The walk from the flightdeck to her quarters was less than 100 paces, so it had taken Hally more time to cross the hangar than it did to find her quarters in the hall way. The Vesta had been designed so that personnel often near the area they worked, and that had suited Hally just fine. While some found the random noises and vibrations that could be felt through the bulkheads on occasion to be an irritation, it always seemed to settle her. There was something calming about knowing that life outside her quarters was still ongoing, and that the ship was just as alive when she slept as when she was awake.

She stepped into her quarters - the same quarters she had since she came aboard the ship as a newly commissioned officer, and she surveyed the common room. Her roommate had been reassigned to a Nova class ship across the sector, so she had yet to be acquainted with whomever her room suite mate was. As of now, it didn't appear the being had arrived, so she had little notice as to who or what species they might be.

She entered the space on the left side of the common room where her personal space was located. She dropped her seabag on the floor next to the bed, and she looked around. The room was precisely as she had left it. Bed made, trinkets on her desk, and the picture of her Dad looking proudly at her from her bedside stand. She sat on the bed and traced a finger over the picture. It had been almost a year since she had seen him - at her graduation from the academy. Darl Brennan (as a Bajoran he still used the familial name first format) had never been far from her thoughts, though she hadn't realized how lonely it would be to go so long without seeing him in person. One of her instructors had told her that life on a starship could prove challenging, and it had - but the lack of seeing her family was hardest of all.

She kissed two fingers and placed them on the image, and then stood to begin putting away her things. She had only received orders to return, so she was uncertain as to if she would be back on the Flightdeck, flying shuttles, on a maintenance rotation, or miraculously back on the Bridge. She had tried not to get her hopes up, and while her performance appraisal for the mission had been largely positive, it meant little in the light of her extremely junior rank. If even a single more senior pilot was assigned to Artemis, then she would be back to smallcraft ops - which she told herself was fine. 

It was fine.
Right?
The big pilot chair would return someday.
Right?
It's fine.
I love piloting shuttles.
This thing is too big anyway.
It's fine.
Right?
Prophets I loved flying this ship.
I'd even do a communications rotation.
No, you're a flight operations officer, you need to do what you are assigned to do.
It's fine.
Right?
I wonder what Mara is doing. 
I bet Aeryn would want to watch that old earth movie again, the one with the k-9 I loved. What was it called again?
Anyway, it's fine. I'll do whatever is needed.
It's fine. 
It's fine, right?
Right?

The train of thought sputtered out as she finished putting her clothing away, placing the Artemis ballcap on the top of her desk as a final touch. She ran a hand through her freshly cut hair and took a look at herself. Noseridges, spots and a face that looked strangely older than she remembered.

She nodded once. "You're fine. Time to get back to work." And with that she left the quarters in search of any familiar faces.

[Omdor Jaein]

==Chief Engineer's Quarters==

Jaein sighed as he stepped into his quarters aboard ship. He hadn't mentioned it at the time, but his quick visit to engineering had been to help distract him from a problem - he couldn't decide how to lay out his stuff.

The crate sat open on the floor in front of him, though it was mostly empty. Some of it had been fairly simple to figure out, of course: the shrine had gone on the wall in his bedroom along with the candles for it, the picture of his family during a visit to the ice fields of equatorial Andoria hung in the living space. His mug collection had gone to the nook next to the replicator, of course. But that still left far more than he'd really considered when they were packing things up on Vulcan. All of his books needed to be arranged, and there were a number of other mementos that needed to be set out. 

But do I like the way the room is laid out? he asked himself, and considered the couch, chair, and desk before dropping into the chair in exasperation. This was why he normally brought Mary Ellen with him for these things. She'd always been much better at these things than he was, and he just wasn't sure what he should do.

His eyes fell on the short stack at the end of the couch, and he quirked a smile. All of Benjamin's belongings had been packed and carted off by security after his incarceration, but he'd had two things left behind. One was a model of Artemis herself, at something like 1:200th scale. She was beautifully constructed, and the silver finish he'd chosen made the saucer and nacelles shine wonderfully. The note said that he'd finished it just before they got back to port and he was arrested, so he never got to enjoy it but hoped that Jaein would. He planned to set it up at the end of his desk, but just hadn't gotten there yet.

The other, though, was odder. A hand-crocheted blanket, the note had said that it was made by the Artemis' first Chief Engineer, a Vulcan he'd never gotten to meet. Jaein had made a point to meet the chief engineers of every ship he launched, but Artemis had launched from Earth, not from Vulcan. Still, it had seemed odd for her to have made it - not so much because of the difference between being an engineer and crafting like this, because everyone needed a hobby, but simply because of her heritage. Vulcans didn't need blankets very often on their desert world, after all. I wonder if they started doing that when they started going to space, he thought. It wasn't a question he'd often thought of, so he conceded that it might be possible he was all wrong.

It was very warm, though. He'd actually used it a couple of nights during the earlier mission, and it had been quite cozy.

He sighed, and got back up. No, he decided, the furniture was fine. He was the problem. So, instead, he decided to start sorting books. It wasn't going to be an exciting night, but at least it could be productive.

[Mara Calleja]

== During the journey to Nalim ==

Order had been restored to the Security Chief’s quarters. Everything had been tidied up. Clothes put away, discarded meals disposed of, instruments hung carefully on wall-mounted racks.

With the exception of one guitar. The crimson-bodied axe rested on Mara’s thigh as she sat on the couch. Fingers blurred up and down the fretboard as the Amazonian officer played, eyes closed, lost in the music. The guitar wailed and screamed in her grasp, her socked foot tapping out a rhythm on the floor as she shredded away. It was a consummate display of musicianship. But it was a skill that Calleja’s crewmates knew nothing about. A couple of people had seen the guitars on the wall but no-one had ever seen her play them, and thanks to the wonders of the directional sonic fields nobody had heard it either, even though she practiced daily.

The door chime went completely unnoticed in the sonic assault. Visitors were not a regular thing for Mara so she’d never seen the need to bother with a back-up alert in case someone came knocking whilst she was playing. It was pure luck for the caller that her shred ended when it did, the last notes hanging in the air as the Bandaran opened her eyes and smiled to herself.

Calleja heard the second chime and sighed. She climbed to her feet as she switched the guitar off and hung it up, stretching with an easy feline grace and padding over to the door. She was wearing a baggy black hoodie and grey sweatpants, hair loose over her shoulders.

“Yeah?” she said into the comm.

[Chief Calleja? It’s Counsellor Kuik. Do you have a few minutes for me?]

Luckily the counsellor couldn’t hear the deep sigh that escaped from Mara’s lips before she opened the door and took a step back.

“Welcome to my ‘umble abode,” she said. “Drink?”

“No, thank you. I had one before I came over.” The counsellor, in full uniform, was nearly a full foot shorter than the Security Chief, but she wasn’t phased. She’d dealt with Calleja enough to know that she had no reason to worry.

“Cool. I will though.” Mara helped herself to a protein shake from the replicator, and then sat down on the couch. Kuik sat down on a nearby chair.

“So. I’m guessin’ this ain’t a social call,” the Bandaran said with a faint smile.

“No, it’s not.” The counsellor settled down. “Normally I’d spend a little time on small talk but I know how you detest it, so I’ll cut straight to the point. I think you might have an undiagnosed phobia. And I’d like to confirm that, so we can address it and start to deal with it.”

“A phobia?” Calleja frowned.

“It’s an irrational fear,” Kuik replied.

“I know what a phobia is,” Mara said. “I might be a jacked up Security Officer, but I’m no’ stupid.”

“Sorry, I never meant to imply you were.” The counsellor raised her hands to placate Calleja, but it wasn’t necessary. The Bandaran motioned for her to continue as she took a slug from her shake.

“So we think you might have gymnophobia,” Kuik continued. “It’s a strange name, given that it has nothing to do with the actual gym. But it’s a phobia of nudity. I don’t think you’re remotely bothered by other people being naked. But I do think you have a deep-rooted issue with exposing yourself in any way.”

Mara’s frown hadn’t left her face. There was a clear shift in her body language as she leant back.

“On wha’ basis?” she asked.

“On quite a few, actually.” Kuik took a deep breath. “First, there was your explosive reaction at the gathering. Nobody really saw anything, but the fact that they might have done caused you to erupt and make some particularly graphic threats. Secondly, you are always seen in baggy and long clothing. I don’t know anyone who’s seen anything more of you than your lower legs. And now, even in your own quarters, you’re still exactly the same. Fully covered. And we know in your case, it’s not for religious reasons, because you don’t follow one. So there’s definitely something there. And the moment I mentioned it, you closed up immediately. So I think I’ve pressed a button there.”

There was an awkward silence before the counsellor broke it.

“Tell me I’m wrong?” she ventured.

Calleja was silent as she tried to marshall her thoughts.

“No, I don’ think you’re wrong,” she said eventually. “It does make me uncomfortable talkin’ ‘bout it. I think I’ve stripped down in front of someone like… once? An’ that was takin’ my shirt off in front of Aeryn, one o’ my best mates, who was tryin’ to get me to stop dressin’ all in black. Other than tha’... Nah, you’re right. I don’t even roll my sleeves up.”

“Why do you think that is? Are you in some way ashamed of your body?” Kuik asked.

“Hell no,” Mara replied instantly. “I work damn hard an’ I am not ashamed. I know I ain’t yer traditional looker, an’ muscular women are an acquired taste tha’ nobody wants to acquire. But it ain’t tha’.”

“So what is it then?” The counsellor pressed the point. “There’s something there. Something that’s stopping you from showing the body that I believe you’re proud of.”

“‘Cause it ain’t anyone else’s to look at.” Calleja shifted uncomfortably on the couch, before she sighed and leaned forward.

“Like so many other cases o’ me not bein’ wired right, I’m pretty sure this is a Bandar thing,” the Security Chief admitted. “You got a society where you gotta fight from really, really young, it tends to slant male dominated. Girls, we take a while to get strong. I know I did. So the guys saw us as trophies, not equals. You ‘ad to be real vicious to get even a passin’ bit o’ respect. An’ everyone was so judgmental. Show even a little bit o’ skin, an’ tha’ was you beggin’ for it. I wasn’t doin’ tha’. I was nobody’s property. So I showed them nothin’. I gave them nothin’. Shut them down. An’ if they pushed me, I pushed back with a blade in my ‘and. I’ve never really gotten over it.”

Broad shoulders rose and fell as Mara shrugged.

“Nobody ever showed any interest in me anyway so it ain’t like I’ve ‘ad a reason to change. An’ yeah, it’s probably learned behaviour a’ this point. I watched the other women at the lake. The ones out there in swimsuits an’ cutoffs an’ tank tops. An’ yeah, there’s a little part o’ me that would actually love to join ‘em. My body is rockin’. But the rest o’ me is all screwed up in horror at the idea.”

Kuik nodded.

“I think I’ve heard enough to confirm the diagnosis,” the counsellor replied. “And I understand some of the reasoning behind it. I will make a note on your file so that precautions can be taken if you’re in Sickbay if that’s OK?”

“Sure.” Mara nodded. “Not gonna lie to ya, that’s caused an issue or two before. I get tha’ clothin’ gets in the way o’ treatment. But I ain’t comfortable at all with gettin’ mine ripped off me in an open room.”

“Understood.” Kuik carefully slid a PADD from her hip pocket and scribbled down a stream of notes as Calleja threw back the rest of her shake.

“So in terms of treatment then,” Kuik said. “I think we’ve got the perfect opportunity to start coming up. Commander Miller is organising the halloween party. What were you thinking in terms of a costume?”

The Security Chief’s attendance was a given. She still wasn’t a massively social creature but one of her best friends was organising the party, so she’d be there to support Aeryn.

“Why do I jus’ know this is a trap,” Mara replied with a faint smile. “But sure, I’ll walk into it. I was gonna lean into my rep. Turn up as the Grim Reaper. Cowl, scythe, some facepaint.”

“So in fact even more covered than usual with the hood up,” Kuik summarised with an encouraging smile of her own. “How about we workshop some ideas?”

Mara’s eyebrows raised.

“Within reason,” she said guardedly.

“How about this one?” The counsellor said, pulling up an image on her PADD. “I hear you get referred to as an Amazon on a regular basis. So why not lean into it?”

The data slate was passed across, and Mara snorted.

“You try an’ make me wear tha’, it’ll be yer cause o’ death,” she said, giving the PADD straight back. “I’ve never worn fuckin’ sandals in my life. An’ that’s way way too little fo’ me. Tank top an’ a miniskirt? Fuck off.”

“You’re fully covered shoulder to knee though…”

“Only jus’. Pass.”

The counsellor paused before going straight to plan D.

“OK. How about this then?” she said, showing Mara a different costume.

The Security Chief leaned forward and had a closer look.

“Alright. I think that can work. Add some sleeves…”

“No. No sleeves. That’s the step forward we’re taking. Show off a little.” Kuik reached out to touch Mara’s leg to encourage her, then thought better of it. “I was actually thinking maybe some bicep cuffs. Draw a bit of attention to those arms.”

“Can I?” Calleja reached out for the PADD, and Kuik handed it over. The Bandaran studied it for a moment, and then shrugged again. “Sure. I can make this work. An’ I know jus’ the person to help me with a few tweaks.”

“I’d already warned Dr Sydesh that she might be called on,” the counsellor said with a broad smile.

“Tha’ woman owes me,” Mara replied with a grin.

“Oh she does. And I think she knows it as well.” Kuik stood and accepted the data slate as Mara handed it back. “Well, I think we’ve made some progress here. I’ve taken up enough of your time. Thank you for being so open, Commander. And I look forward to seeing some pictures from the party.”

“Only if I don’ see the camera first,” Calleja replied, rising as well. “Take care, counsellor. I’m sure I’ll see you again soon.”