Posted by Ensign Rand Farquharson (Yeoman First Class) in Side sim: Early Morning in the Lab

Posted by Commander Roman Alden (First Officer & Chief Science Officer) in Side sim: Early Morning in the Lab

Posted by Ensign Rand Farquharson (Yeoman First Class) in Side sim: Early Morning in the Lab
Posted by… suppressed (1) by the Post Ghost! 👻

Ensign Scott’s shift was nearing its end. It was 0600, she was only here another hour. She didn’t particularly like night shifts, but she had yet to impress anyone enough to get permanently switched to the day crew. Alden wasn’t in yet, which Scott found slightly odd, because he usually was in by now, but he didn’t technically need to be there until 0700. She was working, studying some slide under a microscope.

~ NE Scott

Rand entered the lab at 0617, having collected the various lab reports from Roman’s office, and the shuttle maintenance report. She had to write all of these reports by hand still. Her printer was still not fixed. But she knew short hand so it wasn’t so bad. Rand was a normally happy if shy person. Her smile was just a bit more today. She walked in, collected the various observation notes, then food, and then went to talk to Nibbles.

Rand

Scott looked up when someone else entered the lab. It was Rand, and she looked pretty happy today. “Hey, Rand!” She said, putting aside her notebook. “Have you seen Commander Alden yet? He’s usually here by now.” Rand did often work with him, though she was technically the Captain’s yeoman. Maybe she knew.

~ NE Scott

Rand looked up from the papers she was glancing over and putting in order. “Huh?” Oh it was Scott. She smiled, the girl had helped her a lot. “Oh hi Scott. What are you talking?” Oh Rand had heard her but she was not going to tell anyone that she’d spent the night in Roman’s room or all morning with him. She found a spare stool and pulled it over so Nibbles could see her while she worked.

Rand

“Have you seen Alden yet? You work with him so much, I just thought you’d know,” Scott repeated, thinking maybe Rand hadn’t heard her or something. It wasn’t really that important, it wasn’t like he was late. But Scott was still curious.

~ NE Scott

Rand blinked, “Scott you do know how early it is, right? Your assumption would mean I have to see him before I get here in the morning. That also assumes he would tell me anything if I did.” Rand started to sweat. Had Scott seen them? No they weren’t anywhere deck 9 this morning.

Rand was trying to act like she didn’t know and didn’t care. “He is the department head, maybe he’s in another lab or his office. He’s also XO so maybe he’s on the bridge or with the captain. I have no idea. I only manage the captain’s schedule.”

Rand

“Yeah… I guess you’re right.” It was well known Alden didn’t tell anyone anything, ever. “I saw you running together, too, you still do that?” She asked curiously, that mischievous grin on her face. She’d caught Aldrn carrying Rand and she’d seen them running on deck 6 and 10 a few other days as well.

~ NE Scott

Rand that Scott was going to drop it, and then…she almost dropped Nibbles’ food. “Huh? Run together?” Scott saw them running…well they had said the crew would find out eventually but Rand wasn’t sure what there was to find out.... “We don’t really run together. We were both running the same time once or twice that’s all.” Rand was getting far too good at half truths.

Rand

“At the same time? You were basically lock-step with him!” Scott said and then giggled. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of, apparently even he needs some company exercising!” She wasn’t going to imply they liked each other (yet), she didn’t want to totally freak Rand out.

~ NE Scott

Rand sighed, “You don’t run do you Scott? First of all it’s impossible to lock-step and run at the pace I set. Second it’s impossible to lock-step at the pace he runs.” Yes she’d admit that they ran and her pace was faster because everyone on the ship knew about her out pacing the entire crew in attendance at that hand to hand training Fordham did. “And as you’ve made comments on his personality oh so many times, it would be very very bad for me to out pace the XO.”

Rand

Well, no, Scott didn’t run. She did yoga, in the gym. That was about it as far as that went. “I mean, he’s not really competitive like that, though, just really, really nitpicky.” She said, thinking about it for a second. “Speaking of which, he should be here soon, I don’t want to get caught not working…” She said, picking up her notebook.

~ NE Scott

Rand couldn’t help but grin. “A yeoman does not stay a yeoman by showing up the command staff.” She scattered another handful of food into the cage while she worked. Nibbles didn’t run this time when she scattered the food. Rand hoped that meant she wasn’t scared any more. “But I think we can agree that anyone in command is competitive. I think it’s a personality requirement.” Although Rand was cautious of what she said, she was calm and not freaked out over Scott’s questions. Maybe because Scott was aware and being kind to her, or because she was in such a good mood from earlier and the fact she knew Roman would arrive soon. Even though she claimed not to know that. She went back to hand writing her reports while watching Nibbles.

Rand

“I dunno, he just doesn’t seem to care, really,” Scott said. “Normally I’d completely agree with you, even the department heads seem so competitive!” She was clearly enjoying the conversation. She was still holding her notes but she hadn’t written anything at all, too distracted by the conversation for work.

~ NE Scott

Rand shrugged, as if to say she had no idea. She was secretly enjoying having a secret. It wasn’t her place to tell Scott what to do, but she had done her a huge favor in helping her by collecting the reports. “Well he doesn’t have anyone to compete with here does he? This is his department. You all are competing with science departments on other ships. Your hard work and completed studies are reported to science command. They look at that and determine what resources and studies are sent where. That’s probably why he is nitpicky as you put it.” She was defending him again, but also stating facts Rand absently tapped on Scott’s notes as if to remind her. It was after 0640 and she needed to get done. So did Rand.

Rand

“Other science departments do fine with way nicer heads,” Scott replied. Rand tapped on her notes, and she was reminded a bit of her high school teacher, but she did need to get to work. It was at that moment that someone else entered the lab. “Last I checked, Ensign Scott, you do not have the time to debate how ‘nice’ I am,” said Roman as he took his usual seat. Scott, of course, looked like a child caught with her hand in a cookie jar.

~ NE Scott and Lt Cmdr Alden

Rand was staring at her reports, but she had heard the familiar foot steps. She focused on her work so no one would see the grin that tried to peek out. Both that Scott got caught and two because of who had just arrived. As he sat she slid off the stool and handed him the stack of XO reports she had hand written. She was still working in the science lab reports. Those took a bit longer and she didn’t have all the biology lab notes yet. Her own included. She left the lab and then returned a few minutes later, with his tea from the mess. Black tea with cream and honey.

Rand

Roman grumbled as usual over his paperwork stack. Nearly as soon as he sat down, Rand left and returned with his usual tea. “Now Ensign, how are your notes coming along? Rand is going to need them.” He said. Scott was scribbling furiously in the notes. “Almost done, ish.” She said, whispering the ish. It earned a scowl from Roman.

~ NE Scott and Lt Cmdr Alden