Posted by Lieutenant Commander Roman Alden (First Officer & Chief Science Officer) in Side sim: The Bridge Shift

Posted by Ensign Rand Farquharson (Yeoman First Class) in Side sim: The Bridge Shift

Posted by Ensign E’usah (Navigator) in Side sim: The Bridge Shift
Posted by… suppressed (4) by the Post Ghost! 👻

Usually, Roman spent his time down in the Biology lab. That was where he preferred to be. But, he had bridge rotations, as everybody else did, and that day wuld be his day on the bridge’s science station. It was to be a boring, nothing going on sort of day - just headed to their next destination. And so, Roman made sure beforehand that Rand knew to bring his morning paperwork to the Bridge, so she didn’t waste her time going all the way to the lab first, and then trying the bridge.

It seemed it was going to be exactly what it was supposed to be: boring. The sensors showed nothing remotely interesting around them, not anything within range. Sometimes he spent time watching an uninteresting, nonthreatening blip as they passed by it. Asteroid fields, planets with non space-faring species on them. Anything besides just watching the blank screen.

~ Lt Cmdr Alden, XO/CSO

Bridge shifts. Rand sighed, wearily. She always felt in the way on the bridge. She didn’t have a station, so there was no where for her to sit out of the way. She ended up hovering near the center chair or by the chair of who ever she was assisting. And Alden was on the bridge this morning which meant he was going to be irritable.

Rand appeared on the bridge, Alden’s dreaded reports in hand and black tea with cream and honey. Today she still had both. Instead of the center seat Alden was at the science station. She walked over and without a word placed the tea in his hand. “Good morning Cmdr Alden.”

Yeoman Rand

E’usah sat quietly at the Nav console occasionally entering a minor course correction to the helm. This was her first duty cycle on the bridge and she found it fascinating. She checked the nav readouts and found that after the minor course correction was implemented that they were on course and speed, tapping an icon on the nav panel with a barely extended claw, she entered that information into the ships log.

E’usah - NAV
OOC: If this wasn’t an open post E’usah will quietly exit.

OOC: You’re free to join, it’s all good! And I fixed the split.

IC:
Alden had a science officer on standby to cover the science station if he needed to take the center seat. But, in times when space was boring, he preferred to inhabit the science station.

He heard two someones enter the bridge, and when he looked up, Rand was already placing a black tea in his hand, prepared perfectly. At least now he had something pleasant to drink, he thought as he took a sip. He muttered something resembling a ‘good morning’ to both of them. And then, to Rand, continued, “Those are the reports for the day?” He asked, just wanting to get those things over with. On one hand, it was something to do. On the other, he detested paperwork.

~ Lt Cmdr Alden, XO/CSO

Rand nodded, “Yes, Sir. The last report of the stack may need extra attention.” Rand didn’t engage in gossip, but it was her quiet way of warning Alden that it required his XO attention and not his CSO attention. There had been another incident with NE Chalmers. The top reports were of course the various science lab reports. Rand thought the one from General Planetary science lab seemed interesting to her. The data from the probe they had sent out was finally sending back some information and the planet seemed to be very similar to Earth. After helping in the lab for the last few months, Rand was more than curious about what animals might be there and how they compared to animals on Earth or even Aldaria III.

Roman had grown used to Rand’s little warnings, and he understood what she meant. Going through the stack, he paused on the one from General Planetary, reading through it. “Earth-like, but appears to be within what would be similar to our prehistoric age. I’ll have to look at this later.” He commented to himself. He paused on another of the reports, reading it over. And then he scowled. Who wrote this? A monkey with a pen? He thought, but he didn’t say such rude things allowed, so instead he said briskly, “This needs to be redone entirely.” He put that report on the top of the stack, read through the rest, and then gave them back to Rand. “If you would, this one needs to go back to Mechanical Sciences.”

“Of course Cmdr.” She took the reports and made her way around the bridge getting end of shift updates from each station for the CO’s morning report.

The stand by officer watched the two of them intently, the rumors that NE Scott had been telling everyone was the scuttlebutt of the science labs. But the officer just didn’t see it. The two barely spoke. In fact it looked more like they couldn’t stand each other. He couldn’t really believe that Rand didn’t like someone, she was just too polite and sweet. But to like Alden?

One of the overnight officer who wasn’t due to be relieved yet piped up, “Hey Rand, where’s our drinks? I thought you brought for everyone on bridge duty....” he snickered. Rand was used to it from him. He thought he was endearing, in fact he was just tiresome. The morning crew knew Rand would be back with theirs later. She always came back with it, after her morning reports were done. Randy had all told them quite clearly if they wanted preference to get theirs first like Alden and Rogers, they should become a CO or XO. “You’re off duty in 5 minutes and your coffee is waiting in the galley, like always. Oh and the cook has been informed from medical that you are only allowed decaf from now on.”

Yeoman Rand

Alden turned abruptly back to the science station, sipping his tea. He heard the NE give Rand ah are time, but she seemed to handle it herself, so he said nothing. If the NE continued on, he’d intervene. Otherwise Rand could handle herself. On duty, especially on the bridge, his focus was entirely on his work, regardless of how he felt of any particular officer, and that was exactly what he expected of his crew. Whether one hated or liked, or liked, someone else, they ought to be doing their jobs, that’s what he thought. His next question was directed to E’usah. “We’re on track for the estimated arrival time?”

~ Lt Cmdr Alden, XO/CSO

Rand finished collecting the station updates and left the bridge. Returning to Mechanical Sciences she missed the over night shift and had to track the officer down in the Galley. He wasn’t happy and argued with Rand for several minutes. After several minutes the officer sighed, and went to fix his report.

E’usah heard the question and checked the nav display on her console. Turning slightly in her seat to face the science console, “Yes sir, at present course and speed we should arrive well within the time frame designated. If you’d like I can put a small display of our current position and time to destination in a corner of the main viewscreen, or on the display on the science console.”

E’usah -NAV

“It’s fine the way it is, thank you, Ensign,” Roman replied, though he did appreciate her offer to do so.

Rand returned to the bridge with a tray carrying drinks for everyone. She passed them out, some how always knowing what everyone’s favorite drink was. She walked over to E’usah, and handed her a sealed thermos. “Here ya go Ensign.” Finally she made her way back around to Alden, “The report’s being fixed, Cmdr.” Then she stepped back off the bridge to go recollect the report, and finish a few other small errands before returning 20 minutes later with the report for Alden to check again.

Yeoman Rand

Apparently, Alden was in rather a picky mood, because he said, “No, it’s still not right. But it’s considerably better than it was.” His tea nearly gone he said, “Would you mind? Black, this time.”

Rand took the report back and stepped off the bridge, but not before one of the bridge crew gave her a sympathetic look. She didn’t understand what it was for. She hadn’t done the report wrong, it was the science officer. This time she disappeared for almost 45 minutes.

=c= Lt Cmdr Alden, we’ve detected a proto star off to the port side. It would only be a couple hours delay. It’ll be quite nice to see and we could use the scans. I’ll send the coordinates.=c= One of the science officers from the Stellar Cartography lab reported through the comm system. The last part likely added to convince Alden to let them see it. And, well, they weren’t headed anywhere important at the time. “Ensign, if we can afford the delay, alter course to the proto star, I’ll give you the coordinates. If we can’t, continue on your present course.” By what E’usah had already said, he figured it wouldn’t be a problem, but he had to be sure.

~ Lt Cmdr Alden, XO/CSO

E’usah entered the coordinates into the Nav computer and did a few quick calculations, then checked the calculations again, ” Sir we can deviate to the proto star for no longer than six hours, then by increasing our speed slightly we should still make our destination on time.” E’usah sat back in her chair and waited for the Cdr’s orders, ready to send the course corrections to the helm, if that was the decision.

E’usah - NAV

Rand returned report in hand. It had better be right this time. Rand had to call the captain and explain she would be late arriving with the reports because someone in science wasn’t doing their job. Now department reports didn’t go to Rogers, they went to Alden. So Rand had the captain’s reports finished, but chasing down a wayward ensign that was more concerned with showing off for the new female enlisted engineer in the gym was making her mad, and worse it was making her late. No one would really notice, Rand was calm and composed when she arrived on the bridge, but if she had to get it fixed again…she might let Randy slip a woman’s uniform into the guy’s gym locker. She handed the report and black tea to Alden. Then, while he reviewed it she made a sweep to see if anyone else was going to need a refill of drinks. Stopping at E’usah, “Need a refill?” E’usah had been nice to her, and she didn’t blame her for what had happened on her arrival, and Rand, though shy was always polite, or tried to be. Glancing at read out she asked softly, “Oh, are we going somewhere else?”

Yeoman Rand

Roman checked over the report. And finally signed off on it. “Ah, I knew he could do better.” He said as he handed it off to Rand. “My notes are down in my science office, on my desk. I didn’t think I’d need them. I just need them by the time we arrive at this star,” he said to Rand, asking her to get them, but letting her know it didn’t have to be right this instant. He turned backed to E’usah and nodded. “It won’t take six hours to have a look, get a few good scans, and go. Make the adjustments.” They were out there to explore after all, and if they could see this and be on time, nothing was lost.

~ Lt Cmdr Alden, XO/CSO

Rand nodded and took the report and disappeared. For how quiet it was that day, Rand felt like she was running circles. She came back much later having had met with Rogers and prepared special reports for her and gotten her lunch. Rand had missed lunch but had a large thermos if coffee for herself. She should have gone with the citrus water but she was just too tired and needed a pick-me-up. She brought fresh drinks for everyone. Giving Alden his reports first she then collected the mid day update while also passing out the drinks. Some days she felt like a waitress.

Yeoman Rand