Posted by Captain Zachariah Cobb (Commanding Officer) in Admiral Roebuck’s Office: Reporting for Fleet Assignment

Posted by Ensign Dr. Madison Grace Marsh (Senior Researcher (Exobiology)) in Admiral Roebuck’s Office: Reporting for Fleet Assignment
Madison re-materialized on the transporter pad at Starbase Headquarters arriving thirty minutes ahead of schedule to ensure that she was not late for her appointment with Admiral Roebuck. She was dressed accordingly in her newly replicated standard Starfleet Science Officer uniform with the blue coloration on her shoulders nearly matching her Earth sky blue eye color which was arguably one of her most prominent features. Madison made eye contact and had a friendly smile come across her diamond shaped face when she addressed the transporter room Chief. “Thank you for the transport Chief.” The Transporter Chief nodded once in acknowledgement and returned a smile. “You’re welcome ma’am. Welcome to Starbase Headquarters.”

After exiting the transporter room, Madison made her journey to Admiral Roebuck’s office passing various Starfleet personnel and civilians on her route until she arrived at her final destination. She entered the office and her eyes met the Admiral’s gaze. “Hello Admiral. I’m Dr. Marsh. I was recently promoted to Ensign and am reporting for my fleet assignment.” Her accent was clearly Australian and she had a relaxed demeanor about her. She did not display any signs of nervousness around Admiral Roebuck and instead appeared completely confident in herself while being in the presence of prestigious company.

• Dr. Madison Marsh (Ensign - Senior Researcher)

For several minutes there was only silence. At the large, genuine oak desk, the silver haired man continued to study his terminal as if he had never been interrupted. Indeed, Dr Marsh could be forgiven for wondering if he had even heard her at all. But on that threshold where awkwardness might pass into irritation, he finally sat back, brought hands to rest under his chin, and turned a handsomely-boyish face on the newcomer.

“Dr Marsh. Please sit.” His smile was dazzling, genuine friendliness with a hint of mischief. “I was just reading your thesis. ‘The Influence of Genetics on Disease Resistance in Humans’,” he quoted the title redundantly to the author, relishing each syllable as if it were music against his tongue. “Fascinating. And from what Joseph told me, your conduct in the laboratory was, at all times, equally impressive.”

The beaming smile remained for a moment longer then, like a candle being consumed by the dark, in the blink of an eye it dissipated, replaced by an expression of deep anxiety and genuine concern.

“Dr Marsh,” his voice lowered to barely a whisper, the man sitting forward as if to impart a valuable secret, “how much do you know of the Leviathan? Or her captain, Zachariah Cobb?”

• Admiral Roebuck

Madison had no issue in fulfilling the Admiral’s request by taking a seat. She crossed her legs at her ankles and made herself at home. Her feet had begun to get slightly sore from a combination of her intense cardio workout previously that morning, moving her belongings from her apartment in San Francisco to the transporter room, and walking around an unfamiliar Starbase. She could really use a foot massage, but she did not have a boyfriend that she could have fulfill that role currently. A fact that her mother would constantly hound her about whenever she would go visit her family in Australia. Perhaps the holodeck would suffice once she got settled on her first ship assignment. Naturally being a researcher, she studied various ships to determine which ones may be suitable for her and quite frankly the hope for a brighter future was exciting. The top three ships on her list were the Manhattan, Genesis, and the Ogawa, but she knew that at the end of the day Starfleet would put her where they saw fit. However, there was absolutely nothing wrong with having hope or wishful thinking when wondering what the future held for her here at the start of her career.

Madison literally mirrored the Admiral’s facial expressions with her perfectly symmetrical diamond shaped face. The bright lights in the office reflected off of her blonde hair that was tied in a cute bun style. The woman clearly had the appearance of a young professional all around. “I am pleased to hear that you enjoyed my thesis sir. If you ever have any questions or concerns about my past research projects please feel free to reach out to me.” She smiled at the handsome older man across the desk and then paused for a moment as she thought about how she would answer his question about the Leviathan and Captain Cobb. She ended up providing him with a clear and well-thought out answer to both of his questions without an ounce of hesitation in her voice.

“I recall hearing many different rumors in regards to the Leviathan. Rumors are like viruses that spread and multiply throughout every conversation that takes place until eventually everyone is infected with unconfirmed information and the actual truth on the matter evades them.” Madison casually shrugs her shoulders while throwing up her hands in the air appearing at a loss for information on the Leviathan. Her fingernails were short in length and dark purple in color providing a nice contrast with her lightly tanned smooth skin. She then calmly rested her hands on her lap. “As a scientist, I seek the facts from credible sources that are reliable and have validity. I get a sense that you will be unraveling the mystery of the Leviathan for me shortly.” She grinned at the Admiral. “I learned about Captain Cobb at the Starfleet Academy Command School several years ago. If my memory serves me correctly, he is a veteran of the Dominion war and has an impressive record overall. He clearly had to deal with the loss of most of his crew in the Second Battle of Chin’toka when they were defeated at the hands of a Breen warship. In my opinion, the man is a war hero along with his entire crew. I do not know him personally, but he clearly has shown direct evidence of having great character in returning to his role as a Starfleet Captain after that dreadful experience. I respect and admire him for that.” Madison furrows her brow as a look of curiosity spreads across her face. “Why do you ask sir?” At that moment, she already had a gut feeling that she was about to be assigned to the mysterious U.S.S. Leviathan.

• Dr. Madison Marsh (Ensign - Senior Researcher)