Posted by Commander Roman Alden (First Officer & Chief Science Officer) in side - sim: The Essence of a Yeoman

Posted by Ensign Rand Farquharson (Yeoman First Class) in side - sim: The Essence of a Yeoman
A year and a half on board the Sentinel and 2 years total out of the Academy. Very soon coming up on 6 years. She really should start thinking about what to get Randy for their birthday. She didn’t like to celebrate anymore. She had at first, she’d been determined to not let…the past…ruin it for her. She and Randy had always had fun and spent time together, just them. But after she turned 18 it was such a trial of patience, frustration, and sadness. All anyone else could think of was her being sick, even Randy. So she stopped celebrating. It was just easier for everyone else that way. After she graduated it was easier because she wasn’t on Earth anymore and there were no sad attempts by her family to do something ‘nice and safe’ for her. But she was going to do something amazing for Randy. Whether he thought she should or not, but it took time to get things out to Sentinel so she’d have to start soon.

With that thought in mind she turned on the computer console to do a little research. 20 minutes later a notification startled her. She’d gone down a rabbit hole of trade items on nearby planets, and had got sucked into laughing at Randy’s reaction to getting something from a place called Risa.

The notification was a message from Cpt Jenson of K7. She expected it to be for Cpt Rogers. A lot of orders came through K7, and she had just transferred it to her PaDD to take to Rogers when she realized it was for her.
Hello Rand,

As sad as it to say we haven’t touched those dossiers you compiled for me when you were here. I can’t find the data disk, and I’m a bit desperate to find it, rather than having to create them from scratch.

Rand found that strange because Jenson wasn’t scatterbrained and didn’t misplace things. The disk was clearly labelled and he’d locked it in his middle right desk drawer.

The yeoman corp has kind of become a mess since you left. All efficient young officers, but falling into disorganization. Not one really stands up as well as you to keep the department running. I can’t believe you’re still an ensign. I would have promoted you myself to Lt jg while you were here, except there was that one year stipulation.

Rand remembered him saying that, she thought it was pure flattery because he kept asking her to take a transfer to K7 and stay on. It had been tempting. Jenson had been really great to work for. He was predictable, fair, and willing to teach. But the star base had been far too busy, to many people coming in and out, not just Star Fleet. She’d been too worried someone would recognize her and had turned down the opportunity.

My offer still stands. You and I both know you’re the best yeoman in the corp. Promotion, your own department, bigger quarters, department head level access. A regular, standard Alpha shift schedule. I know the hours you kept while you were here, and being the only yeoman on board, I’m sure you continue with those crazy hours. The letter went on with other things Jenson thought might appeal to her.

They didn’t really. Rand wasn’t interested in a rank promotion, not for the privileges, but being so recognized said she worked hard and had made herself useful to captain and crew. Turning from the computer console she picked up her PaDD, pulling up her own personnel file. One completed performance review in 2 years, and from Carmichael. There was nothing really bad in it. Except his opinion that she was too good at her job, unable to relax and inflexible when it came to matters of protocol. Well that didn’t really count against her, that was her job. But it was totally different from the reviews she’d gotten at the Academy - able to adapt to changing circumstances, creative, understanding the letter of the regulations as well as the spirit behind them. And Rogers hadn’t done one. It would be…ill advised for any officer to remind their CO they needed a performance review.

Rand mulled it over for awhile. Yeoman were expected to know enough about a lot, and there was always more to learn. So Rand would just have to put the effort into learning more and making herself more useful. Then the alarm beeped, reminding her it was time to get going. She reached down and scooped Pipkin up. “Back in the cage with you, little girl.” She secured the door, grabbed her PaDD, key rods, communicator and out the door she went - forgetting to turn the computer off.

Rand

It was a few hours later that Roman went back up to their quarters over his lunch, looking for one of his disks of science notes. He headed to the desk and, to his surprise, the computer was already on and opened to a letter for Rand. He wasn’t going to read it, it wasn’t his business, but the signature at the bottom caught his attention. What was Captain Jenson writing to Rand for? He scanned the letter swiftly, disliking that he’d done it.

But the words confirmed his worst fear: Jenson wanted her to accept a promotion to transfer to K7. Then she’d leave, and he might not see her for months, or even years, at a time. But she’d be safer at a base like K7 rather than a starship, and ultimately it was her choice. Besides, what if she stayed or he asked her to stay and something awful happened? He’d never forgive himself. He still hadn’t for the last time that happened… and now that would be on his mind all day. He couldn’t decide which he wanted more, her to take the promotion, along with the recognition she deserved for her work, and transfer to the safer starbase, or stay with him, on the sentinel. That would drive him crazy all day, too. What if she chose the starbase, and while they were separated, she met someone else? Handling his… past issues wasn’t easy, he knew. It wasn’t impossible she’d fall for someone else, was it? The thoughts were endless and he wasn’t going to make them stop by sitting here in front of it obsessing about it.

He clicked the computer off, snatched the disk he’d come for, and went back down to the lab, trying to forget the letter’s contents. He had work to do, after all, and he’d ended up spending more time out of the lab than he intended already. He sat down at his desk, put in the disk he’d went all the way up to his quarters to get, and then tried to focus all his attention on his work instead of worrying about what Rand might or might not do… And what might or might not happen as a result of those choices.

~ Roman

Rand missed her regular lunch time with Nibbles. It was just one of those days. And she didn’t go by later because the lab was busy. They were prepping Mr. Wyvern to be moved. Rand would never say so, but she was going to miss that evil snake. She was glad he was going to a sanctuary and off the ship. He was dangerous, well wild animals were and it would be a disaster if he got loose. She didn’t want to get in the way and add to the tension. Roman probably was relieved to have her safely elsewhere at the moment.

Returning to their quarters she sat down at the computer, filed several reports, filled several data disks with information for various requests she’d gotten, and then responded to Jenson.

Cpt. Jenson,

En Farquharson

Rand had no intention of leaving Sentinel. It was a purely personal decision rather than considering her career. The offer did leave her with quite a bit to consider. And with those considerations in mind she turned back to the computer and the database.

Rand