Jacen stepped off the turbolift, datapad in hand, and immediately slowed to a stop as he looked around the corridor.

He glanced down at the deck number displayed on his datapad, then back up at the corridor stretching out in both directions.

“Right floor,” he muttered to himself.

That was a good start.

Unfortunately, everything else looked almost exactly the same.

The Chernov wasn’t Jacen’s first starship. Far from it. Between his parents’ assignments and his brother’s service, he’d spent more time aboard starships than most people his age could probably count. He’d been aboard ships of different classes, different sizes, and even ships with completely different layouts and designs.

And somehow, no matter how familiar he became with starships, he always managed to get turned around.

Jacen sighed and started walking, checking his datapad every few moments to make sure he was still heading in the right direction. He passed several crew members, giving them polite nods as he went, though he resisted the temptation to stop and ask for directions.

He could find Sickbay himself.

Eventually.

After another turn, he finally spotted the familiar medical insignia beside a set of doors.

“There we go.”

He gave a small, relieved smile and stepped through the doors into Sickbay.

The familiar medical environment immediately surrounded him. Biobeds lined portions of the room, medical equipment hummed quietly, and several displays showed various medical readings. Jacen paused just inside the entrance, taking everything in for a moment.

He wasn’t sure exactly who he was supposed to report to, so rather than wander around and accidentally interrupt someone, he cleared his throat.

“Hello?” he called, raising his datapad slightly. “I’m here for my boarding exam.”

He looked around the room, waiting for someone to notice him.

“I was told to report to Sickbay when I arrived aboard,” he added, giving an uncertain smile. “Hopefully I’m in the right place this time.”

Jacen Mercer
Lieutenant Junior Grade
USS Chernov