I Come To You
Posted on Sun Jan 14th, 2024 @ 6:59pm by Commander Jade Troconis & Ensign Evie Forde
2,185 words; about a 11 minute read
Mission:
Raising the Mast
Location: XO's Office, USS Victory
Timeline: Just after time shift
Evie had recently came aboard and had been looking for the department head for her to report to. At the moment there didn't seem to be anyone directly in charge as they were not on board yet. So, she was always told that if you could find your boss to ask for help.
Asking for help isn't a sign of weakness but humility and understanding of yourself.
She had made her way to the XO's office and pressed the chime next to the door.
This was her first assignment, her first ship, her first XO meeting. It would hopefully go well, she hoped the woman was nice.
Jade was working on a letter to her family when she heard the chime of the door to her office. "Come in!" she called out laying down the padd she had been utilizing. When the young woman stepped inside, Jade stood up from behind her desk and walked around to greet the arrival. "Hello Ensign, what can I do for you?"
Evie moved into the room and stood firm as the larger woman approached her. "Ensign Evie Forde, reporting in Commander. Lt. Commander Foster isn't on board yet and I was told to come to you instead." she replied, her posture perfect.
Jade took in the posture of Evie, and made a decision. "Ensign Forde, come have a seat. May I offer you some tea? Or a piece of fruit?" she indicating a shelf which had in a bowl, some oranges and apples. There was also a smaller bowl which had lemons and limes inside.
Evie looked at the bowl of lemons and limes, a small look of confusion appeared as she wondered why anyone would have such in their office. She tried to wipe it off her face quickly however and replied to the XO. "If you're havin a tea ma'am, I don't want to put you out." she smiled at the dark haired woman.
Jade took another look at Evie, "At ease Ensign. I am not going to give you a black mark on if you are or are not at attention. Please have a seat and if you have any questions as to what you see here, ask." she moved to get some hot from the replicator. She hadn't gotten her tea pot up and running as of yet. "What sort of tea would you like?"
"Well you know they drill this inta you at the Academy you know?" Evie replied as she moved to sit. She didn't know why she'd decided to say that to the XO, like she wouldn't know what the Academy did. "What ever tea you're drinking ma'am. I'm not fussy." she answered.
"Which is a sign of respect of which I appreciate, however I am not one that will keep you at attention. Some may do so however, I do not. Now what sort of tea. Earl Grey, Lady Grey, Oolong, Peppermint, Ginger, Green Tea. " Jade calling out the teas that she had on hand. "I also have peach and also lemon grass." She paused to make certain the tea water was up and running.
"That's a lot of tea ma'am." Evie replied. "I'll go with your favourite. I'm not much of a tea drinker but I'll try anything once." she added as she watched the XO mull over all the types of tea she had at her disposal.
Hearing what Evie had said, Jade put down the bowl of assorted tea. "Ensign Ford, what sort of drink do you prefer?" the XO's voice soft and gentle. "I am not going to insist that you drink tea if I am drinking tea. Please enlighten me with your preferred drink."
"Just water would be fine, please. Ma'am." Evie couldn't help but feel a little bit scolded by the XO, even if her tone was the opposite. Evie was good at picking up ques and felt the Commander just wanted to pick a drink and move on. She could be somewhat indecisive at times... picking her thesis topic was a NIGHTMARE! "Sorry..."
Jade was perplexed by Evie's reaction to what she (Jade) had said, and Evie's apologetic nature. This caused Jade to go over her own words, then her eyes widened as it filtered through. "I am sorry as well, Evie." This was Jade's first time at being an executive officer and there were going to be mistakes made, even from an upper rank officer.
"It's okay, Commander. It's probably my fault... sometimes I find it hard to choose when offered things. I can be annoying that way." Evie acknowledged her own failing on this. "Should have seen me try to decide what I wanted to do for my final thesis... took me weeks!"
"Oh! Those are just aggravating aren't those? I couldn't figure out what I wanted to write and then near the almost point of no return I was able to figure out something. I would love to read what you had written. My little report, I couldn't decide whether to write it on something historical or something scientific. Then I just combined them both." Jade giving a laugh and also bringing Evie a glass of water, and she getting one of her own.
"Oh I wouldn't want to bore you ma'am." Evie scoffed at the idea of her own work being read. She had never really thought it would go out past her professor but who knows. "I'm sure you've got enough on your plate meeting all the annoying new ensigns that come to bother you."
"I don't think you are annoying at all, Evie. I just came out a bit of a mess that is all. I am not perfect, I am only human. I was just trying to put you at ease, and failed." she said with a wry grimace. "Now that the awkwardness is out of the way, hopefully. I will say welcome to the USS Victory. This is my first time on this ship as well."
"How are ya finding it ma'am? I'm still getting lost looking for the toilet!" Evie joked to the larger woman.
"Well I managed to find my way to the science labs, and get things set up for my plants to continue to root from cuttings. My gear got lost, it finding its way into the counselor's office instead of my quarters but I got them back thankfully. It was a bit embarrassing to say the least." Jade giving a bit of a chuckle.
"Oh I wondered who those belonged to." Evie said with a slight uplift in tone. "You into your botany ma'am?" she asked.
"Oh very much so. I find working with plants rather relaxing. Just a little bit of green plant goes a long way." Jade answered. "I've got a Dwarf Lisbon lemon tree in my quarters that is growing in a pot. Complete with the sun lamp needed to keep it happy." Jade responded with a smile.
"Aww that sounds sweet." Evie replied thinking of a small lemon tree. "Good for slicing for drinks, lemons." she commented. "Not that I drink a lot." she tried to justify her statement.
Jade nodded, "Lemons are good for hot toddies. I like to use them for such or even some tea, or lemonade that sort of thing." giving a light laugh "Any hobbies you like to do?"
"Bit of a bookworm, a real book." Evie felt she had to be specific as most these days read off of PADDs. She preferred the tactile touch of a page. "Love history, and stories people tell. I am writing my own book on the tales people tell me on my trips. I can also play the piano, the violin, harp and flute... and sing." she looked up at the XO who simply blinked at her. "Very musical family ma'am. Must be the Irish genes." she joked.
Jade was taken aback just slightly, then she smiled. "Sounds to me you most definitely come from a musical family. Me, my musical talent are. well, meh." giving a laugh. "I had some piano lessons, played a baroque flute but, I never took off with the musical aspects. I am more of a craftswoman. I make and design jewelry. I work with plants. I do love to read and I have a selection of real books. "
"I might need to raid your bookcase ma'am." Evie grinned at her. Not many people these days had actual bookcases, not on starships anyway... too much to pick up if they got into a fight with a nasty pirate ship or something. "And yes, we are very much like the Von Trapp family, if you know who they are. My sisters can sing as well, parents are not bad and all of us play instruments of some kind."
"That sounds rather lively and I'll let you come take a look at my collection of books as well." Jade giving a warm smile. "In exchange, you can maybe let me listen to some of your music. Would be so lovely."
"I'll definitely need to warm up first." Evie replied. "But if you really want something then I'm sure I can play a tune or two. Depends what kind of music you like."
"Play something that you would like to play, Evie. " Jade answered. "Music is something that can soothe a person's spirits or even raise them up. Evoke an emotion that is rather cathartic."
"Oh you don't have to tell me that." Evie grinned. "My village would have quite a lot of festivals and we'd all sing and dance the night away. We Irish do love a good sing song."
"Those are good times most definitely." Jade giving a bright smile. "I loved it when growing up, there would be the whole city celebration when we went to visit where my grandparents were at. Venezuela. Oh such music, singing, dancing, bright colored outfits that were worn, the flowers. I can't forget the food! Such festivities." her eyes sparkling as Jade thought about the celebrations.
"Sounds like you need to get a holodeck program made. Could make some latinum off that." Evie joked as she noticed how much the XO got lost in her own memory. "Remembering the past is good, and celebrating cultures even better. Being an anthropologist I do value the differences and nuances of other people."
"I will certainly make sure you get to see my family holoprogram. You may find it fun. All the gaiety and high energy." Jade's eyes sparkling as she thought about it. "And I'll introduce my family to you. I get an updated program just to make certain I don't miss the growth of the family there."
"Oh I can't even count how many people are in my family." Evie giggled. Irish families over the centuries still have grown like rabbits. "I'm sure there has been more added since the last family update from my nanny."
Jade blinked, "Well now, for a large family such as yours, sounds like help was needed." Giving a gentle smile. "Seems like you've got a good sized clan there." she finished off her glass of water and set the glass down.
"A question that I have, and that is, have you heard of that strange visitor that appeared on the ship? It twas very strange." Jade giving a look at Evie, to see what her reaction would be or for that matter her take upon said statement.
Evie thought for a moment and scrunched up her nose as she did so. "I did. The science department has been quite abuzz with it. I'm interested where he came from, his history etc... but I'm a bit of a geek like that."
"I am hoping that we will find out and hopefully get this taken care of. I do not like the fact of somehow in some way some of us are responsible for the extinction of a race. There is one other fact though. if his race is extinct, how is it he still exists?" Jade rose from her seat and walked over to the replicator to recycle her glass.
"Wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey... stuff I reckon ma'am." Evie spoke as those were the first words that came into her mind. "Only way we'll find out is to talk to them but I don't think they're up for much of that." she said disappointed. "But that's above me. Us lowly one pippers do scuttle work." she joked.
A slight smile from Jade, "Oh I still remember being a one pipper. As for the alien, I wish I knew how to get in touch with him/her/them. I have no idea what gender it was. Needless to say, looks like our work is cut out for all of us. As you said it is a timey wimey situation, for now though it is near dinner time and we can make a plan to go visit either your homeland or mine on the holodeck, sound good to you?"
"Aye ma'am. Sounds ideal." Evie said with a grin.
Commander Jade Troconis
XO
USS Victory
Ensign Evie Forde
Alien Archaeologist/Anthropologist
USS Victory
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