Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Kitiuas “Kit” Thenis (Chief Science Officer) in Cooridors - Taking it One Step at a Time (open)

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Adam Magnusson (Chief Intelligence Officer) in Cooridors - Taking it One Step at a Time (open)

Posted by Lieutenant Amparo Álvaro-Byrd (Chief Medical Officer) in Cooridors - Taking it One Step at a Time (open)
’…to witness that even when mind and strength had gone, gratitude and a mutual tenderness still lived on in the heart of man.’

Amparo squinted against the harsh light emanating from their PaDD, lamenting how it polluted the novel’s retrofuturism with a stark reminder of their modernity. They missed their book. Its brittle brown pages and inkblot words brought them immeasurable joy, but it was beyond readable and hanging by the literal strings fraying at its spine. No matter how much it pained them, The Time Machine was not fit for travel. Stifling a sigh, Amparo clicked off the device and tossed it onto their duffel bag. They laid there for a moment, their head dangerously close to slipping from its narrow perch on the cushion, and shifted to peer out the nearby window. It was an unusual view. Then again, most were when you lay perpendicular to the rest of the world.

Without warning, Lieutenant T’Rehu—the pilot who Amparo might have forgotten if she wasn’t the only reason they weren’t floating aimlessly about interstellar space—broke the silence once filled by shuttle engines.

“Doctor,” she said in her usual dispassion, “we are approaching the starbase. ETA 15 minutes.”

“Thank you,” Amparo smiled and hooked their fingers around the metal lining, easing themself into an upright position. Sooner than they could reach for their bag, the queasy sensation that inspired their unusual posture crept back into their belly. They screwed their eyes shut until the world felt a little more stable, then gathered their things in preparation for their arrival at the starbase. Travel in a small, compact craft where “breathing room” has as much meaning as speed meant trouble for the doctor, but they trusted it would pass within moments of stepping onto the starbase. If not, sickbay was never a far trip.

Those fifteen minutes crept by without incident, ending in little more than a few words exchanged between Amparo and T’Rehu. They waved farewell to the Vulcan woman, earning what they interpreted as a ‘goodbye’ scowl, and swiftly disembarked to the station. It would be several hours before their assignment arrived, allowing them a moment to rest and explore the promenade before reporting to Captain Henao.

Amparo eased into the flow of patrons weaving through the deceivingly infinite shops on the promenade, careful to disrupt only when an impressive display caught their attention. They veered off, slipping into a dimly lit cove with metal shelves populated by hand-crafted figurines and stones painted with the landscapes of other worlds, some unfamiliar to them. Ultimately, a stone engraved and painted with the beauty of the Andorian tundra captured their attention. They soon approached the counter and sparked a conversation with its artist, Sahlaan, an Andorian chan whose intensely pale stare and hearty laugh made the fantastical story he later shared even more entertaining. If not for the alarm set by Wy’east Amparo to remind soon-to-be Leviathan Amparo that they had a date with the transporter, they might’ve listened to the man talk for hours. They swiftly purchased the stone with a promise to come by again and left in pursuit of the transporter room.

Amparo stepped onto the pad an hour later, soon feeling the familiar tug of the transporter beam scattering their atoms before the starbase blipped from view, instantly replaced by the Leviathan’s transporter room.

Before they had a chance to regain their composure, the transporter technician greeted them with an outstretched hand containing a PaDD that Amparo suspected had important information about quarter assignments, mandatory meetings, and all of the onboarding procedures to which a career in Starfleet had tempered them. Snagging their duffel bag to toss over their shoulder with a slight thunk!, Amparo approached the technician and accepted the PaDD only to tuck it under their arm until it became useful.

They inquired about directions, earning them a somewhat perplexing description of the ship’s layout, before bidding them farewell and slipping into the corridors. Though they weren’t entirely sure where they were going, Amparo trusted they would soon figure it out… with some useful ship-exploring on the way.

— Dr. Álvaro-Byrd

OOC: Feel free to pop in! :)

Standing in the middle of the corridor was an officer in a yellow uniform, Lieutenant Commander pips on his collar. He was human, with a short red beard and dark hair, whisps of grey at his temples, he was short in stature even though he was taller than Amparo by nearly fifteen centimeters “Good Afternoon Doctor Álvaro-Byrd” He took a sidestep to stand next to them, he spoke with a slight Scandinavian accent, in a voice deeper than anyone would expect “Welcome to the Leviathan” His hands were clasped behind his back as he examined the Doctor with a discerning eye “I am Lieutenant Commander Adam Magnusson, Intelligence.” He introduced himself “I thought you might need a guide” He spoke in a neutral tone which combined with his wooden expression gave an impression of hardness.

CIO

Amparo rounded the corner with their gaze buried in the PaDD, unruly curls narrowing their peripheral to a couple of centimeters in either direction, and nearly leapt from their skin when a voice intruded on their thoughts. Masking the surprise that threatened to contort their features, Amparo glanced up to find a towering, yellow-clad figure. He identified himself as the Leviathan’s intelligence officer, Lt Commander Magnusson, and a prospective guide. With a soft chuckle, Amparo tucked the PaDD under their arm and gestured for him to lead the way. “I admit, my internal compass needs a tune-up…” they smiled, “so I appreciate anyone who can help navigate this place. It’s nice to meet you, Commander Magnus–.”

Kit was walking down the corridor head stuck in her PaDD reading a new species report that Starfleet Science had just discovered. She was not paying attention to her surroundings and collided into Lieutenant Amparo Álvaro-Byrd and Lieutenant Commander Adam Magnusson. Damn it to the Thousand Gods Kit thought as she blurted out an apology “Sorry Sirs. I was engrossed in this report and not paying attention to my surroundings, yet again.” Her face flushing a creamy green.

Lieutenant j.g. Kitiuas Thenis, CSO

Amparo stumbled, the PaDD slipping from their grip, and reached out to stabilise whoever collided with them.

“No worries! We’ve all been guilty of a PaDD-induced collision before.” They released their grip and snatched the PaDD from its awkward perch against the wall, wavering to assess the woman. “Are you all right, Lieutenant? You packed an impressive amount of force into that crash.”

— Dr Álvaro-Byrd