Ensign Flynn stared stiffly out the window, his arms tucked behind his back formally as he watched the U.S.S Trident slowly shrink as the shuttle pod pulled away from the ship. Although his face remained perfectly neutral as his home for the past 3 years since he graduated the Academy fade in the distance, he wasn’t sad. It had been about time he got away from the stifling atmosphere of the ship full of goody-two-shoes and boot-lickers. It was a relief to just breath for a change without having to keep face. Especially in front of that pesky Counsellor Hicks. Right from the minute Flynn had boarded the Trident, Lt. Hicks had regarded him with suspicion, it was almost as if Hicks wanted Flynn to be guilty. Flynn snorted, with a ship full of stuck ups it wasn’t much of a surprise that Hicks was so desperate to find someone a little more… colourful than the rest of the crew-
“Something wrong sir?”
Flynn’s train of thought paused as he realised his snort had disturbed his cabin mate and pilot. He turned, and flashed the Lieutenant a meloncholy smile. Appreciating that the man had called him sir despite Flynn being younger and a lower rank, “Nothing really, just reminising. The Trident was my first ship.” The Lieutenant nodded and swung back round to his consol.

Once the Lieutenants back was turned, Fraiser smiled, relieved he hadn’t tried to spark further conversation. He went and sat down on the spare seat, kicked his feet up and closed his eyes. In under an hour his shuttle would land at Starbase 257 and he would have completed his first step towards his new posting. So no nothing was wrong. Nothing at all.

********* 6 days 18 hours and 12 minutes later

Just nearly a week later and Flynn stepped onto another shuttlecraft that would shuttle him from the station out to where the U.S.S Saracen was docked. His week of recreation was over, and it was time to maintain his role again. Fraiser the charming, Fraiser the friend. It was exhausting and not for the first time he wondered how Elaine could possibly pull it off. How she could convince patients that she really cared about their latest stubbed toe or sliced finger, he didn’t know. But the minx was a born deceiver, deceiving even him so could he really be surprised?

In the background his pilot - a young Bajoran female - ran through the usual docking proccedures, in a couple of minutes the shuttle shook as it geared up and prepared for depature. Fraiser settled down in his chair and opened up his PADD his hand and began going through the personal files he had access to from the Saracen. It ought to give him a good idea of what sort of people he would be dealing with, and gain a general feel of the ship. It was always good to know what sort of territory that he might be going into.

The short flight passed quickly and soon enough the shuttle was docking inside the U.S.S Saracen. As the shuttlecraft came to a stop, Flynn shut off his PADD and leaned forward with eager anticipation that he didn’t bother to conceal. He couldn’t deny that it was exciting to see his future streached out in front of him, moulded in the shape of the ship.

“Beautiful isn’t she?” The Bajoran commented.
Flynn nodded, “She sure is,” he glanced over at the NE and sensing an oppertunity he asked, “Do you work on her?”
The Bajoran shook her head, “I’m afraid I just work on the Starbase,”
Flynn shook his head in a sad kind of a way, “Shame, you would have made a beautiful tour guide,” the Bajoran blushed and Flynn leaned casually back in his seat, satisfied with her response. The Bajoran turned back to her piloting, but Flynn didn’t miss the red that remained on her cheeks. He was distracted from saying anything more by the Shuttlecraft powering down and the doors opening up.

He stood up and made his way down the ramp to take his first step aboard the Saracen. Here was his future laid out around him and at his feet. The corners of his mouth twitched, though the rest of his face remained impassive, as he gazed around the docking bay. Let the fun begin.

Ensign Flynn
Security