After the Briefing

Posted on Tue Dec 28th, 2021 @ 10:16pm by Lieutenant JG Hank Solomon & Senior Chief Petty Officer Alessia Oxford

Mission: Dark Star Trilogy - M1: Star Fall
Location: USS Eminence, Science Office
Timeline: DST M1 Day 1 0830Hrs – after the briefing

"I'm not sure what happened in there" Alessia said while walking along Hank the deck 2 corridor of the USS Eminence towards the science offices.

Hank briefly shook his head "I honestly don't know" answered "I can concur with commander Andrews that the more the merrier but..." stopping facing her "we are Starfleet, we are given orders and ...for the most part...we follow them" he continues walking.

SCPO Oxford couldn't do anything but nod and follow the Chief Science Officer in silence.

The two officers reached the entrance of the science offices and the doors, automatically recognizing the two officers and their SECLAR authorizations, slid open to grant them access.

Hank immediately laid his data PaDD over his desk and sank into his comfortable chair sighting.

"Want some tea?" asks to the dark-haired officer while pouring himself a cup.

"You kidding me?" letting go of the formalisms "you know I only drink..."

"...hot black coffee" he completed her sentence rolling his eyes before laughing. “There should be some over there" he said indicating a nearby pot.

Smiling she closed in and poured some into her favorite mug before taking a sip, breathing deeply letting the hot coffee aroma to fill her lungs and heat her body. Once her ritual was over she joined Solomon at his desk sitting in front of him.

"Now what?" she asked

"Now we wait" , smirking and sipping from his cup of tea. "We a.." he didn't even had the time to complete his sentence that his attention got caught by his PaDD lighting up for a notification.
Laying the cup over his desk and reaching his tablet he started reading through the text.

"The Falling Star already sent us their sensors' specs" he said handing over his datapad to her.

Alessia didn't even bother letting her mug go and while drinking her coffee she went through the information and the specifications.

"Sounds good" in between one sip and the other "We can get the data bridge online and interface our sensors' with theirs. Can I get ensign Pavliukov to it?" she suggested

"Sure, oversee him. How long do you think will it take?" the lieutenant asked.

"Well, a couple of hours I would say" she estimated "four to keep some margin in case some issue arises or to run an in-depth diagnostic once the link has been established" she finished her coffee and rolled her lips satisfied.

Hank raised an eyebrow in disgust "I don't understand how you like that" pointing at her now empty mug.

"it keeps me awake and keeps this working" pointing at her head and, figuratively, her brain.

"Do you want a sleepy, less than average officer as your right arm?" she said in a defiant but joking tone.

"Hell no" he promptly answered

"Then keep coffee pouring" she claimed.

Both scientists broke in a loud laugh interrupted only by Solomon at one point when, shaking his head in disbelief, tried to take the discussion back to the colony ship.

"Ok, ok, deal done" smiling "...four hours are fine with me. We should still have plenty of margin before we take off" he specifies. "Do you think everything will run smoothly?"

She shrugged "We are in space, that system… the Helion Sector," shaking her head "we don't know exactly what's out there" and almost shivered at the thought "I wouldn't give anything for granted"

Solomon nodded in silence. "You are right, there doesn't seem to be easily identified problems so far but once the dice is rolling, we'll have to roll along" finishing his cup of tea.

A few brief moments of silence passed, and the two officers simply sat there, thinking and watching one another.

SCPO Oxford then stood up, laid her mug on her usual resting spot and closed her distance to the door.

"If there's nothing else, lieutenant, I'll be off taking care of the data link..."

"I'll be here for a few hours. Have some bureaucratic stuff to deal with...dismissed"

Alessia was almost clearing the door when she stopped, slightly tilted her head on the right and scanned the male human.

"You're not like that, Hank" letting go of the formalisms "dismissed?!?!" shaking her head in disbelief and laughing.

Caught off guard he got rid of the cup he once held in his hands and shrugged "You know, habits" winking at her.

"Look" she spoke standing still close to the doors "I was going to invite you to dinner tonight but since we are leaving later this afternoon, are you available for lunch?".

Solomon was caught off guard and all he could answer was “Oh...well...Yeah"

"I know a place here in Spacedock, nothing fancy but the food is great, and it is a nice place. The manager is a good friend of mine" she concluded leaning against the grey bulkhead.

"Well... ok" speechless

"Perfect" she said smiling trying to contain her happyness "twelve hundred hours then, at the airlock. Don't be late or I'll have to come pick you up at your quarters" she winked at him and waved him goodbye.

Hank sat there scratching his head for another few moments trying to make up what just happened after the Science Office doors slid closed once again.

"Ow, what a character she has" he could only say smiling before logging in into his office's computer ordering:

"Computer, start personal log, authentication code Solomon X-ray zero-niner. ..."

-----------------------------
OFF

Lt JG Hank Solomon
Chief Science Officer
USS Eminence

SCPO Alessia Oxford
Science Technician
USS Eminence