Posted by Captain Dante Knight (Commanding Officer) in Are You Ready For This? - Calling Ynuchausti

Posted by Ensign Jhalae Ynuchausti (Acting Chief Engineer) in Are You Ready For This? - Calling Ynuchausti

Posted by Ensign Jhalae Ynuchausti (Acting Chief Engineer) in Are You Ready For This? - Calling Ynuchausti
Posted by… suppressed (10) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Draining the last dregs of coffee out of the mug that was sitting on his desk beside a pile of PaDD’s and an extensive list of birthday plans for his son Dante leaned forward and stood from his chair, stretching his back and yawning wide. That birthday that wasn’t for months yet but had to be planned right considering that in the aftermath of the argument between he and Natasha over her ambiguous point around the disparity in how much input he had in planning birthdays versus how much party food he ate at them, he had sworn that this year he was going to plan the whole thing, and it was going to be awesome. He wasn’t going to lose that bet, especially considering that Nat was carrying Knight Number Two and didn’t need that extra stress.

Sighing those thoughts away for the moment he reached down and hit the next item on his agenda, and the note that popped up reminded him that the role of Chief Engineer was waiting for his attention. He had already gone through who was available and who he might recruit for the ship, but he had made up his mind about the opportunity. He was about to activate the computer comm system but looked over to the corner were Bruce, the 8ft long Asian monitor lizard was watching him with his small, yellow eyes unblinking.

“Tell you what,” Dante spoke to the lizard as if it could understand him, which, both Dante and Nat were convinced that it could, “how about we go stretch our legs and scare some Ensigns? Would you like that bud?”

Almost immediately Bruce moved out of the pet bed that was a permanent fixture of that corner and walked in the classic monitor lizard style to where Dante stood, then looked up at him and flicked out his long, forked tongue. “Yeah I thought you might like that idea, but after last time you gotta wear this,” Dante held up the chest harness and lead, then knelt and slid the device over Bruce’s head and front legs to a constant unhappy hiss from the big boy, tightening the straps and then standing and wrapping the lead around his fist three times. Bruce was a powerful creature, and Dante knew from experience that if he wanted to run he couldn’t simply hold onto the lead.

“You did it to yourself you know. Just because people run away from you doesn’t mean they are playing catch me if you can.” He turned for the door and tapped the badge on his chest as Bruce began to take him for their walk, heading straight to the door and thus the Bridge, and then towards the turbo lift. It was a path Bruce knew well.

=/\= Ensign Ynuchausti, this is Captain Knight. What is your current location? I am on my way to you, I would like a moment of your time. =/\=

Captain Knight

When the Captain’s voice came across her comm badge, Jhalae jumped. A million thoughts of what she could have possibly done for the Captain to contact her went through her head. She was where she was supposed to be and had made an effort to stay out of trouble after the Romulan Ale incident. Activating her comm badge, she responded to him, “Um…Ensign Ynuchausti here, sir. Am I in trouble? I am on Deck 10, repairing the Holodeck keypad as I was instructed to do.”

Ynuchausti, Engineer

=/\= I’ll be there shortly, Ensign. And don’t worry, I’m sure the new Chief Engineer will have no issue about where you are supposed to be. =/\=

Clicking off the comm, Dante stepped into the turbolift with Bruce beside him and seconds later, stepped out a few decks down. Heading in the direction of the Holodeck along the corridor wall, crewmembers who were newer or not familiar with the giant lizard that was Bruce, tended to stick to the outer walls as the passed the pair. Dante leaned back as he walked, the hand with the lead wrapped around it extended in front of him as he kept the big lizard from making a run for it, the gentle thump of his belly and tail impacting the floor from time to time as he had to slow down echoing along the corridor.

Jhalae heard them coming and quickly tried to tuck some wires back into the panel.

Following the curve of the corridor, he soon came into view of the Holodeck and keypad, along with Ynuchausti and came to a stop a few feet away from her.

“Good morning Ensign,” Dante greeted her. “I’m sorry to take a few moments of your time but this is important.” He looked at the Holodeck door. “Is it working? How about we go sit in a park and have a chat while Bruce here runs some of the energy out of him?” In response, Bruce looked up at Jhalae and flicked out his tongue, then strained against the lead towards the Holodeck door like he knew what might be on the other side.

Captain Knight

As the Captain inquired about the holodeck panel a couple of sparks flew from it. Jhalae’s eye shifted toward it then they nervously moved back to the Captain. “Umm…almost,” she said. “I think it’s functional enough to where we can go into the holodeck.” I hope she followed up in her mind. Dressed in engineering coveralls, she placed a tool she’d been holding in her hand in a tool bin that had been on the floor nearby. Jhalae then looked at Bruce, “It looks like your Bruce agrees. He is rather large.” she added. “He stays in your quarters?” she asked.

Ynuchausti, Engineer

“Luckily the quarters are big enough to include him,” Dante smirked. “The problem is when he decides he’s lonely and wants to snuggle up on the bed as well. That gets awkward cause it’s already a 30/70 ratio of bed-space not in my favour.” Turning to the holo-controls he tapped in a series of commands.

As Dante smirked about the size of the quarters accommodating their companion, it seemed clear that he was aware of the challenges that came with sharing a bed with the creature. With a touch of humor, he explained the lopsided distribution of bed space, which didn’t seem to favor him. However, he appeared to have a solution in mind, as he proceeded to enter commands into the holo-controls.

“Okay, I’ve put in my override to assign it some extra juice in case we run into trouble but, lets keep it to a simple program.” Turning to the door, it opened to reveal a serene park of the like that would be seen on Earth. A pleasant grass park dotted with small green rises topped with tree’s, plentiful small bushes and hedges surrounding flower beds and gravel pathways, numerous park benches and picnic spots and in the centre of it all a large, blue pond dotted with lily-pads and ducks, even a few large geese.

Kneeling down for a moment, Dante unclipped the leash from the harness around Bruce’s body, and the big lizard darted forward in a side to side waddle straight towards the pond, the humanoids forgotten for the moment. “You first,” Dante nodded towards the door. “Choose your spot.”

Dante Knight, CO

As he released Bruce, Jhalae’s focus shifted to the door, and she observed the picturesque park reminiscent of the landscapes she’d seen on Earth. Her head snapped.back in the Captain’s direction, “Huh?” Jahlae asked, “Me? Choose a spot?”

Ynuchausti, Engineer

“Sure, why not?” Dante smiled and stepped onto the holodeck. “You have seats under that bunch of trees there, sheltered from the breeze and surrounded by flowers, and probably bugs. There’s seats down by the pond where Bruce is trying to catch and eat holographic ducks. He’s going to be grumpy when he realizes they aren’t made of meat but I’ll deal with that later.” Dante’s grin would reveal he wasn’t particularly worried by that issue for later.

“There’s a few other spots. Pick your spot, where would you like to sit down and chat about work on a nice day like today?” Noticing a rock was lying on the path ahead of him, Dante reached out a foot and flicked in gently back into the gravel that lay on one side of the path.

Dante Knight, CO

Jhalae chuckled at the image of Bruce chasing holographic ducks, imagining his confusion when he realized they weren’t real. She appreciated Dante’s easygoing nature and his ability to find humor in the situation.

“Alright then,” Jhalae replied, stepping onto the holodeck, forgetting momentarily about the sparking holodeck panel, and taking a moment to survey the available spots. She considered the options Dante mentioned, picturing herself sitting under the shady trees or by the serene pond. However, something caught her eye—a small, secluded spot nestled between a cluster of colorful flowers and a quiet corner of the park.

“I think I’ll choose that cozy spot over there,” she said, pointing towards the hidden nook. “It seems peaceful, and I like the privacy it offers. Plus, the flowers add a nice touch.”

“Oh nice choice,” Dante looked over to the spot indicated. “I’ve been known to sit down with something to read in that spot now and then. It’s rather pleasant.” Dante motioned with his hand for Jhalae to head over there first, then looked to make sure Bruce was enjoying himself. A bump of his reptilian head sticking out just above the water as he swam towards a cluster of ducks that were moving away from Bruce only slightly slower than he was moving made him smile. Dante had programmed these ducks himself to keep just out of reach at the last moment and keep the big lizard occupied. An Asian Monitor Lizard had huge stamina, but holograms were tireless. He had bacon back in his Office to console the creature with later though.

With a smile, Jhalae made her way towards the chosen spot, appreciating the lifelike sensations and scents that the holodeck provided. As she settled onto one of the inviting seats, she motioned for Dante to join her.

Ynuchausti, Engineer

Dante accepted the offer and sat down with the thud of someone who had been too busy on a long day, but instead of just relaxing he reached to the side and opened the lid on a drinks cooler that suddenly appeared to one side when they had both become seated.

Pulling out two bottles, he handed one to Ynuchausti and twisted the lid off of his one. They were simple cola flavoured soda’s, and considering the Holodeck could replicate actual food, quite real instead of holographic. “Relax a moment, you’ve earned it.” Dante said and leaned back against the seat, raising the drink to his lips and taking a long swallow of the cold liquid.

“You haven’t been here long, Ensign, and the station you came from was pretty quiet. How are you settling onto the Saracen? Is she what you expected?” He looked over at the engineer and was clearly interested in the answer rather than making casual conversation.

Dante Knight, CO

bump

Jhalae took the offered soda, her fingers curling around the cold bottle as she leaned back, mirroring Dante’s relaxed posture. She took a refreshing sip, savoring the taste before responding.

“You know, the Saracen has been quite the change for me,” Jhalae began, her gaze drifting towards the tranquil landscape. “Back on the station, things were slower, more predictable. But here, it’s like being on the edge of the universe. There’s an energy, a constant hum of activity that keeps me on my toes. It’s exhilarating, in a way.”

“I hear you,” Dante replied, his speech lightly accented with Earth Italian. “Out here we are totally dependent on ourselves for the most part. Everyone is busy, has a job to do and is part of a busy little hive, excuse the expression. Everyone is here for the same reason though. To explore and do their bit towards that.”

She shifted her attention back to Dante, a small smile forming on her lips. “As for the ship itself, well, she’s impressive. More advanced than anything I’ve ever worked on. But it’s the crew that truly sets the Saracen apart. People like you and Bruce make it feel like I can comfortably establish my place here. And I’m still adjusting to some of the… let’s say, unexpected quirks,” she added with a playful glint in her eye, gesturing subtly to the still sparking holodeck panel.

Ynuchausti, Engineer

“Well, if you have it, flaunt it,” Dante laughed. “My grandmother always said that. Come to think of it so does Natasha’s mother.” He raised his brow and a shoulder at the same time in a kind of shrug and took another drink of his soda. “And the Saracen really does have it,” he smirked and looked at Jhalae. “She’s a beautiful ship, sleek and graceful but tougher than a Klingon in a fist fight. Thank you for the compliment, by the way. I know Bruce appreciates it very much.” Pointing at the pond, the distant sound of the large lizard hissing as he lunged for and missed the ducks, and the splashing of water could be heard.

“The Saracen can’t do what she does though without a good crew, and a better senior staff. I’m pleased you feel like you can establish yourself here and feel comfortable, because I think you can do better than your status quo as a Junior Officer. Ensign, our Chief Engineer has been transferred, effective immediately and I need someone to step into that role. Considering your experience on the station and work ethic, I feel like you are my best Officer to move into the now vacant Senior Officers quarters. How about it? You’re overdue for a position worthy of your skill.” Sitting back, Dante looked at the woman expectantly with a smile, then casually took another drink of his soda.

Knight, CO

Jhalae was taking a drink of her soda as Captain Knight finished his words, and the contents in her mouth sprewed out of her mouth, then onto the ground in front of her. She blinked in surprise at Dante’s unexpected offer, put her soda down on the table, her fingers tapping gently on the glass bottle as she considered his words.
“Chief Engineer?” she repeated, her voice filled with a mix of disbelief and excitement. “I… I’m honored, Captain. I didn’t expect such a promotion, especially after the ....Romulan Ale issue.” Her face presented a big grin as she said, “But I’m ready for the challenge. Thank you for your faith in me.”
Her smile widened, and she extended her hand towards him for a firm handshake. “I accept the position, Captain Knight. I won’t let you down.”
The sounds of the insects in the background of the simulation seemed to intensify, as if they, too, were celebrating the news.

Ynuchausti, Engineer