Posted by Captain Conrad Mackenzie (Commanding Officer) in Side sim - Dinner…or Deja Vu (attn CO)

Posted by Ensign Juliet Anders (Security Officer / RTF) in Side sim - Dinner…or Deja Vu (attn CO)

Posted by Captain Conrad Mackenzie (Commanding Officer) in Side sim - Dinner…or Deja Vu (attn CO)
Posted by… suppressed (1) by the Post Ghost! 👻

Juliet growled as she paced her quarters. The CO was gone, the XO disappeared right in front of her and the visiting Captain, and now that visitor was their current CO. “It’s not fair… This ship can’t get a break!”

The fiery RTF office slammed her fist into the door jamb to the sleeping area as she passed it. Shaking off the pain, and sighing at her stupidity, she shook her head. “Well I can’t help him run the ship, but I can make sure he doesn’t do it on an empty stomach.”

It didn’t occur to Juliet that she wasn’t in uniform as she heard for the Captain’s location. The quick query to the computer had informed her. And, of course, he was in his office. Since it was halfway through the second shift, she guessed he was either still neck deep in paperwork, or eyeballs deep in comms to Starfleet about what had occurred. The former she was pretty sure she could interrupt.

But if it were conferences…

She paused just long enough for the turbo lift to reach her then she stepped in with a determined nod. Either way, she knew he hasn’t eaten. Or at least, she was guessing he hadn’t. She knew she hadn’t. Why not ask?

A few moments later she said outside his office door, hair ins loose ponytail at the back of her neck. Her hand smoothing the invisible wrinkles from her deep green tunic top that hung down loose to her thighs over black leggings and calf high deep brown boots. Raising her hand, she tapped the come to announce herself, hoping one just time, that she wasn’t interrupting a call with an Admiral.

Juliet
RTF

Conrad was neck deep in paperwork, resupply and repair forms, personnel requests, crew dossiers and records, as well as the more classified information regarding the ship’s mission and currently contained anomalies. He paused his reading when the door announced a visitor. He first reached out to turn off the console before calling out. “Enter.”

CO Mackenzie

Juliet stepped in far enough for the door toswish shut behind her, and smiled. Crossing her arms, she shook her head and laughed. “Just as I thought… No food in sight. When’s the last time you ate? Between meeting with the XO, who promptly disappeared… Then leaving the bridge after the announcement to, I’m guessing, contact Starfleet, I’m guessing the answer is “breakfast”. If I’m wrong, let me know.”

The desk was a disarray, to be sure. But whether from the last CO before she disappeared or Conrad trying to find his feet in space, where there was no ‘up’ to begin with, she was taking a gamble she was right.

Juliet
RTF

Conrad wiped a hand across his face and sighed. “That’s probably… accurate. There’s so much to catch up on now that this has been dropped in my lap. No offense to the crew as I know they likewise didn’t have a choice, but this was overwhelmingly sudden.”

He leaned back in his chair as he placed his hands on the back of his head and grinned sardonically. “In equally surprising news, the Fleet Commander has assigned me command. That was also a sudden development and while I protested initially I had no reason to turn it down. So it looks like you’re stuck with me for awhile.”

CO Mackenzie

Juliet couldn’t hide her surprise, though it only briefly passed over her face. “Well, then. I guess congratulations are in order. I’m that case, maybe dessert after dinner?” She laughed and nodded to the desk. “You stuck there? I can order something up here or we can take a break from the chaos if you want.”

She wasn’t sure where her mind was, now. This man who was gonna merely be her charge, was now her CO. It changed things a bit. But she wasn’t sure if it was for better or worse. On the one hand, he’d be around longer. That was good because she truly had become intrigued on the shuttle and wanted to know more about him.

On the other hand, he wasn’t someone she would be spending a lot of one on one time with, anymore. And being an Ensign, still… again… left quite a huge gap in ranks.

Pushing it all to the back of her mind, she smiled brighter once more and waited for his answer.

Juliet
RTF/Security

“I… could take a much needed break I guess.” Conrad started slowly as his mind started shifting tracks. He probably needed to take a break and get his mind off of all the piled up work. He definitely needed to get some food into him too. So with a sigh of regret and relief, he set aside the PaDD he’d been staring holes into and got up from the desk, ostensibly his desk now but he wasn’t ready to claim it.

“So what do you have in mind?” He asked when he drew near to Juliet.

CO Mackenzie

“Well…two choices, actually. First is the Officer’s Mess. Though about now, between shifts, hit or miss how many folks are about. Other option is…ummmm…” she grinned then bit her lip a moment before continuing, a smile still on her lips. “The other option is a bit away from crowds. But both guarantee amazing replicated food, suited for, well… Suitable for eating.” She laughed again and crossed her arms waiting for him to choose. He definitely needed a break. And chances were, from how he looked, several nights she’d probably be just setting a treat at his side and hoping he’d remember it was there.

Juliet
“Jewels”
RTF

“Somewhere quieter sounds nice. I know I haven’t really seen people for a few hours but somewhere not crowded sounds delightful.” Conrad said with a tired grin. “I’d even go for merely edible food at this point. Amazing will be a real pleasure.”

CO Mackenzie

“Perfect! Follow me,” she laughed and nodded for the door. They spoke little as she lead him away from his office then to another deck via the lift.

A few minutes later they stood outside one of the holodecks. Glancing back, she smiled again. “I was hoping you’d choose quiet.” She tapped a code on the door and it opened to a bare Holo suite. Heavy lines on the walls and floor showed the bare screens the program would soon be projected from. “Ok, so we’re gonna get our food, settle down, then I’ll start the program. How’s that?” She made sure the program wouldn’t allow others to join them and headed for the replicator slot.

Juliet
RTF

Conrad nodded and followed Juliet towards the replicator. “How did you know the holodeck would be empty?” He asked with a small grin.

CO Mackenzie

She laughed. “Because I had it reserved. If you chose the mess hall, I would have cancelled it from there.”

Once they each had a tray of food and were settled on the floor, she called for the computer to execute her program. A moment later, they were sitting on the exterior of the Leviathan and staring at an incredible astronomical site. It looked like a million buckets of colored paint had been splashed around them and littered with glittery stars (*).

She gave him a few minutes to take it in. “It’s called NGC 6357. I remember it from the Academy because it reminded me of a cross between the crystals we were growing in science class, and the winter sunsets with the Aurora Borealis’ we saw when I was a child. If you don’t like it, I can change it to something else. But I thought the sheer silence it seems to illicit was perfect for what has probably been one of the most hectic times in all our lives right now. Though, I admit,” she laughed once more and ducked her head to poke a fork at her food to avoid facing him, “I don’t have the desire to invite the rest of the crew to join us.” She took a bite of her spaghetti and glanced back at him to see his reaction. If he hated it, she was already drawing in a breath to have the computer end the program.

Juliet
RTF

(*)Located within the Milky Way, about 5,500 light years from Earth, frosty-looking NGC 6357 is actually a “cluster of clusters” containing at least three clusters of young stars as well as the rest of the older, dimmer population of local stars. X-ray exposures from Chandra and ROSAT reveal hundreds of point sources, which are the young stars in NGC 6357, as well as diffuse X-ray emission from hot gas, supernovae, and even cavities like bubbles that have been blown by the radiation and material blowing away from the surfaces of massive stars. This composite image contains X-ray data from Chandra and ROSAT in purple, infrared data from Spitzer in orange, and visible-spectrum data from the UKIT’s SuperCosmos Sky Survey in blue. (( https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/241617-eye-candy-space-beautiful-panoramas-photos-universe-around-us ))

Conrad looked at the view around them with a grin that slowly grew on his face. His food forgotten for a minute despite his stomach being insistent that it needed stuffing, he whispered in the lull after Juliet described what they were seeing. “It’s beautiful.” He took in the sight for at least a full minute before his hunger finally forced him to look away. He stuffed a heaping forkful of spaghetti into his mouth with a slightly subdued happy groan. He was on his forth fork of noodles before he looked at Jules with embarrassment. “Thank you for pulling me away from work and plying me with food. I couldn’t imagine a better setting or company to spend a quiet moment with. It has definitely been a whirlwind adventure since we got aboard, what, not even a week ago? The rest of the crew can wait.” He smiled at her in appreciation before he tucked back into the food.

CO Mackenzie

Juliet smiles as he commented on the program. She had a feeling he’d like it. Hard to be a Captain, at least by her thinking, and not love the scenery and beauty it had to offer.

They are for several minutes in silence till he spoke again. Smiling once more, she nodded. “Not even a full week, sadly.” Another day or two, it would be. But even the short time seemed so much longer even to her. “I’m glad you’re staying. Even if it’s just till we get to a port to get a new Captain at.”

A second later she laughed. “Besides, as the Leviathan Captain I’m not as worried about where you want to roam or explore. I don’t have to tell you which places are off limits.” She winked as another forkful of spaghetti came to her lips. “And I don’t have to manufacture reasons for you accidentally wandering into restricted places with me in tow.”

Part of her was sad, as well. She wouldn’t get as much time with him without being his care taker or body guard. Pushing it aside she nodded towards the sights around then. “Are there places out in space you’ve seen thru a window or from far away because of safety, that you want to see closer?” She ate her spaghetti and watched him with curiosity.

Juliet
RTF