Posted by Ensign Rand Farquharson (Yeoman) in Yeoman - Always Up Early

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Roman Alden (Science Chief, First Officer) in Yeoman - Always Up Early

Posted by Ensign Rand Farquharson (Yeoman) in Yeoman - Always Up Early
Posted by… suppressed (3) by the Post Ghost! 👻

After being questioned about her speed for running during that first class with Ford, Rand decided to start running on her own. She loved running and so she spent several days figuring out the quietest deck and the hour at which no one was about. So in the mornings she slipped out, running shoes, long track pants and athletic shirt, hair pulled back in a braid and set off on a run. Even before Randy woke up to make breakfast for the CO/XO. She’d finish her run in enough time to shower, change, and compile the reports. It was quiet and her feet made very little sound in her soft soled running shoes. It was a relief to not have to talk to anyone, to socialize or make odd hand gestures of politeness while she ran. It was like meditating and she could let her mind relax or mull over her work for the day. It didn’t matter, the ship was quiet, the corridor empty and she ran.
Yeoman Rand

Roman was not always a morning person, but today, he had things to do. And, annoyingly, the morning was a great time to get things done. Right up there with the middle of the night. So, having gotten out of bed early enough to take the time to make sure he didn’t look like he just got out of bed, he was now, finally, headed to the labs to get to work.

Rounding a corner, he was surprised to see someone else heading down the hall in the opposite direction, and they appeared to be running. Crew exersizing wasn’t uncommon. As they grew closer, Roman was able to make out who exactly it was. “Ah, Rand! Getting an early morning as well, are you?” said Roman once they were nearer to each other.

~ Lt Cmdr Alden, CSO/XO

As Rand rounded the corner she spotted Lt Cmdr Alden coming down the corridor. It was strange because no one was usually around at this hour. Crew was working of course just not around the corridors. She automatically slowed, some sixth sense, telling her he was going to speak or at least expect her to properly acknowledge her. So when he finally did speak she was slowing from a job and she paused, running in place a few steps to allow her heart rate to slow to a slower pace. “Yes Sir, Cmdr. Every morning.” She smiled slightly feeling awkward in her running clothes, hair coming loose, and perspiring compared the the Cmdr crisp put together, ready for the day, look. Seeing him near the labs and commenting on getting an early morning. “Would you prefer your reports and breakfast brought to the labs today, Sir?”
Yeoman Rand

“Every morning, eh? Lovely, always good to be motivated,” Roman said, apparently in a good mood. He seemed cheerier than usual. “Reports yes, breakfast no. No food in the labs,” Roman said. “I’ve got a long list of things to do today but I can’t be caught breaking my own rule now can I?”

~ Lt Cmdr Alden, XO/CSO

Rand nodded, “I find running allows me to put my day in order.” She smiled slightly. Lt Cmdr Alden liked rules. She’d heard he was a stickler for such things and apparently it was true. She liked that. “No, Sir, I don’t suppose you can.” She was quite serious and seemed quite pleased with his adherence to the rules. “Would you like your breakfast elsewhere? Or have you already eaten?” That seemed a likely possibility to her given how prepared for the day he seemed.
Yeoman Rand

“Don’t worry about breakfast today,” Roman said with a shrug. He had not yet eaten, he’d grown too used to her or Randy bringing it to him, but he wasn’t particularly bothered by that - he could eat later. One skipped meal wasn’t going to kill anyone. “Why don’t you give me a hand today? I’ll be working on some biology experiments, could use the extra set of hands.” In his good mood, he felt Rand’s company would be welcome as well, rather than his usual style of working alone all day.

~ Lt Cmdr Alden, XO/CSO

Now what Randy had said to Rand several nights ago ‘Remember that you’re about as good at seeing other people’s intentions as I am at wearing trousers,’ was very true. Rand only saw this as a request for assistance, and as a yeoman it was her job to assist in any way needed. The request for ‘assistance’ on ‘biology experiments’ didn’t even register with Rand as possibly more than what it seemed to be. A professional request. Was it professional, was it more than that? Rand had no clue nor any indication that she should think otherwise. “I can certainly do that, Sir.” She glanced at her clothes and did a quick reorder of her and Randy’s duty list for the day. “I’ll need half an hour.” And with that Rand was gone back down the corridor toward a turbolift and then her quarters. A quick compilation of the morning reports set to two PaDDs, a shower, and fresh uniform later, Rand was pulling on her boots. She left a note with the PaDD for Randy. ‘Ran into Lt Alden during my run and he needed me to assist him in the lab. No breakfast for him. I have his reports. You’ll take over with Carmichael for the morning. Here’s the list. Love, Rand’

Exactly 30 minutes later, Rand entered the science labs, reports in hand and stopped to pull a lab coat off a hook by the door and approached Alden. “Cmdr.”
Yeoman Rand

By the time Rand had returned, Roman had a small, alien animal in a terrarium on one of the lab tables. It was similar to a lizard, with a small body and curled tail. It stood on a little log in the terrarium, which was modeled after a swamp-y environment, on four stumpy legs. Its eyes were on stalks which stood about two inches tall. When Rand entered, it sucked its eyestalks back into its head, and its eyes were then on either side of its head. “Now, look at this little guy,” said Roman. “I’m studying his diet.”

~ Lt Cmdr Alden, XO/CSO

Rand walked over her attention totally caught. Yes Rand like critters of all kinds, including lizards, snakes, bugs, and worms. “Oh,” she said quietly when its eyes popped back in. “I didn’t mean to startle it,” she said calmly, she hoped. She felt bad for the little thing. She knew what it was like for seemingly normal activities or events to be startling and adrenaline inducing. He was rather cute, but she refrained from telling the scientist that. Her reports for him forgotten for the moment (and how unlike Rand). “It looks a little like a cross of a snail and a chameleon from Earth.” She leaned closer, on the opposite side of the glass, just to be safe, to get a closer look. “So what does it eat?”
Yeoman Rand

Roman popped the lid off the top of the terrarium, letting the lizard see his finger before he gave it head scratches. “I’m calling it a Verbosa Lizard. This one is male,” he said, his voice unusually soft and affectionate. Just about no one had seen him be that nice to anything.

The lizard popped its eye sockets back out, and pointed one at Roman and the other at Rand. They were supported by thin, but muscular stalks which were soft but the same colour as the lizard’s greenish yellow skin.

Roman popped the top back on, allowing the lizard its environment. “His name is Mushu, like from the old earth children’s story. I’d let you pet him too, but I admittedly don’t know enough about him. He doesn’t seem very aggressive, but he does eat meat. He’s omnivorous,” he explained to Rand.

~ Lt Cmdr Alden, XO/CSO

Rand grinned, “The dragon familiar from Mulan, originally voiced by an actor named Eddie Murphey.” The facts rolling out before she could stop herself. Rand loved the story of Mulan, it was one of the first parts she played, not Mulan of course, but one of the female extras. Rand nodded, “I wouldn’t want to startle him again. What can I help with?” She watched Mushu and his eye stalks as it watched her. She resisted the urge to ask Alden if the lizard could breath fire too, or perhaps he secreted something that burned? Hmmm probably not since Alden touched him without a protective glove.
Yeoman Rand

“In the cabinet over there, I’ve got various bags of bugs. Can you grab one?” He said as he watched the lizard. “Poor guy. He’s probably hungry. He was given to me by a biologist aboard my last assignment.” Roman had also enjoyed the story of Mulan as a child, because the woman, Mulan was brave, to take her father’s place, and to risk detection in her lie. The eye watching Rand blinked and and the lizard flicked its tongue, almost like a snake. Then, it crawled along the log and put a three toed lizard paw on the glass.

~ Lt Cmdr Alden, XO/CSO