Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Vanessa Slade (CNS) in XO office Vanessa meets the second half of the M-Team

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Magnús Pétursson (First Officer) in XO office Vanessa meets the second half of the M-Team

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Vanessa Slade (CNS) in XO office Vanessa meets the second half of the M-Team
Posted by… suppressed (11) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Vanessa Slade had spent the past two weeks on the Genesis and was still feeling as lost as when she stepped foot on the ship. She had convinced herself the ship was just a floating small town but forgot two important things about small towns: Everyone knew your business and everyone wanted you out of their business. It wasn’t that the crew was not nice. She had made plenty of friends so far on the ship. She had met Tony the bartender however it did not do much to instill trust if she spent most of her off-duty hours swilling back Sam Adams. There was Shelley Davidson the comms crewman who waffled between threatening to not put through another comm call from Vanessa’s family to spending hours flirting with Vanessa’s two brothers Dylan and Dane. Of course, there was Kesh, who Vanessa adored and was the first real friend she had made on the ship. The problem however was Vanessa had no idea what to do with her downtime. With her family, there was always something going on. With all the community programs going on it filled the rest of her hours. She would figure out the balance later but what was first and foremost was getting to know the command team better.

Her main role on the ship was crew health. She could do that in her sleep. Her secondary duty was helping out the command team in diplomatic settings where picking up the nuances of an individual’s behavior could provide the CO and XO more input on how they addressed situations. It was in this area of her job Vanessa needed some work. To be of any help she needed to first know how to read the nuances of the XO and CO’s behaviors. This was why she was standing outside the door to the XO. Asking him to come to her official felt too official. Asking the man to meet her for a beer in the lounge sounded way too personal. Since she hadn’t naturally run into the man in a public situation, coming to his office felt like the most casual way to get to know him. Reaching up, Vanessa palmed the door chime to announce she was at his office.

No sooner had her hand left the pad on the door, her phone trilled out the slightly older remake of the song Help by the Betazoid Band the Blister Beetles. “Oh my god, you have to be kidding me. Now,” Vanessa rolled her eyes pulling out her personal communicator. The name on the device was not a shock. It was why she categorized her ringtones. Too many people went by common names, so the lyrics Help me get my feet back on the ground, Won’t you please, please help me told Vanessa it was Angie Parker. Looking at the door, Vanessa quickly answered the call. It was not like she had any other choice. The woman only called when it was an actual emergency.

“Hey Angie,” Vanessa said already holding up a finger as if the woman on the other line could see the gesture indicating Vanessa needed to say something.

“Oh my god Vanessa you need to help me,” Angie spoke in a hurried, whisper. “I have no idea what to do.” Instead of the call staying only verbal, the screen instantly changed to visual mode.

The urgency of the woman’s tone and the fact she looked to be hiding in a corner of the room instantly took Vanessa’s attention off the impending door opening and squarely onto the woman on the other end of the call. “Angie, what’s going on?”

“So I am doing the home inspection for the Bobby Fisher foster case and these people are crazy. How did they even get past the interview,” Angie panned the camera around the room.

The site made Vanessa raise an eyebrow and her mouth drop open. “Angie....was that a…chicken,” her voice rose a few octaves clearly expressing Vanessa’s own shock.

Vanessa Slade Counselor

“Yes Angie, was that a Chicken?” The very amused voice of Magnus Karlson said suddenly” He was standing in the now open door to his office, leaning casually against the doorway arms crossed, a wry smile on his face. He wore his duty uniform unzipped revealing the grey and red undershirt, his blond hair, grey at the temples was combed in an immaculate fashion.

XO

Vanessa’s mouth opened to begin to explain yet the image on the screen would take a lot longer than that to understand how Point A got to Point B. In the math equation of life they were at Point C and now had to balance the equation. Again Vanessa raised a finger to indicate she needed a moment but Angie intervened. Seeing the uniform and pips on his neck, Angie blindly assumed the man next to Vanessa was her boss and someone higher up in psychological services. Panning the camera around the room, Angie began to talk. “Yes, yes it is sir and it is not the only one. I have been told that is Goldie the chicken lives in the basement but only comes up in the mornings for a stroll with the other ten chickens and a rooster who lives in the yard. Do we have a ruling about poultry as pets in foster home situations or,” Angie let her voice trail off?

Vanessa’s hand dropped and moved to her side reflexively grabbing the loose material of the XO’s unzipped uniform as if trying to find something to give her balance. Like a train wreck one could not tear their eyes from, the visual on the screen showed far more things just as concerning than a chicken. Along the top of the room, replacing the crown moulding were hooks holding an assortment of masks, hats, wigs, and other facial accouterments. Below them were shelves laden with objects ranging from clown horns to gas masks and all other costume things in between. The furniture lined against the walls held what appeared to be an array of coats, shirts, and trousers spanning the history of Earth. Civil war coats, Greek togas, British colonial uniforms, African masks, Nordic furs, and Japanese kimonos were just a smattering of the things one could catch a glimpse of as the camera panned the room following Goldie the chicken as she walked across the floor. If one had a few weeks of spare time, they would find all the major eras of Earth’s history enclosed in the room.

“Oh my god they looked so normal,” she said to the camera and then looked back up at the XO. “They looked so normal. We had coffee and danish three times for several hours talking about what they wanted to get out of foster care and what they could offer. He was a librarian and she a school teacher not renegade thespians living in a home that doubles as a costume department for OMAP’s Hollywood division.” While this was not a problem for Lieutenant Commander Magnús Pétursson, it was a problem for Lt. j.g Vanessa Slade. She looked up at the dashing officer now peering over her shoulder at the circus of the home visit for one Bobby Fisher and could see the bemused expression on his face.

Glancing down at her fist still clenching his uniform in terror, Vanessa let it go and symbolically smoothed out the fabric as she struggled not to smile. “This is not funny,” she looked at Pétursson. The posture and state of his uniform along with his expression showed the man was dealing with this situation in a relaxed, slightly humorous perplexed calm. “It’s not,” she let out a small chuckle unable to not find some humor in the situation herself. It was not that the room was dangerous to the child. It was just a hoarder actor’s paradise. “If we put Bobby in there not only will he get a new set of parents but weekly therapy to deal with his future clown phobia from living in that room.”

Vanessa Slade

Magnus didn’t move as the flabbergasted young counselor and her friend babbled. He did raise an eyebrow at her grabbing his uniform but didn’t comment “This” He said indicating Vanessa and the communicator “Is the textbook definition of funny” He pointed at the screen “I mean the chicken” His tone was thoroughly amused “I do hope that you didn’t knock on my door to get child-rearing advice lieutenant.” His smile widened a fraction.

XO

Okay so the man has a sense of humor. That is a pro, Vanessa thought seeing what she thought might be a smile but for most might be considered a smirk. Still it was a far cry from a frown.

“No, I came to introduce myself and leave making you think I was a bang-up replacement to your last counselor but that pretty much went to hell in a handbasket,” she let out a half chuckle. Turning back to the comm she spoke in a calm voice.

“Okay, Angie this is what we are going to do.” Vanessa moved into what the VA called in her zone as the shock of the chicken wore off and Vanessa came up with a plan. “Take Bobby to the Irish Battleship. He can stay the night there. There are so many people there no one will notice so it is not a problem. It’s not like there is a shortage of potatoes or beds. Next, I want you to call Ida and George Evans. Tell them we need to take another kid in. When they start to protest they can’t, tell them we are sending Your Own Asphalt over to fix the plumbing on the third floor so they can use the bedroom on the third floor. They have said that is why they can’t take in another kiddo but once we fix it they will agree. If they give you any problems show them the picture of Goldie and the bedroom. George and Ida are good people. They will not let us down. I will call Dennis, Dallas, and Dylan and get them over there first thing in the morning. Tell Bobby he just needs to make it one more night and then no more moving.” Vanessa paced slightly as she talked seeming to zone out as she talked with the only thing in the world she focused on was the comm call. “Whatever you do, however, do not tell Stanton. He is just going to cause more problems in a simple situation. Once we have Bobby in with the Evan’s then we will file the paperwork and it is a done deal. I promised that kid he would not go back to the group home and Bobby needs one person to keep their promise. Now I got to go. I’ll comm you later Angie. Bye.”

Hanging up the phone, Vanessa looked back at the XO and scratched her forehead with her finger. “This did not go the way I planned,” she looked at the man casually standing in his door as if he were listening to some sales pitch back home. “Life has a way of doing that though so you just roll with the punches. So do you still have time today for a cuppa coffee or should I reschedule?” She had no idea how tight the XO’s schedule was and the little dog and pony show in the hall might have taken up the time he had allotted in his schedule to see her.

Vanessa Slade

Magnus pushed himself from the doorway and turned around and entered his office “I’ve got time” He said as he went behind his desk and sat down in his chair, crossing his legs. The office was fairly spartan, with no decorations of any kind. There was a desk with two chairs for guests. A small corner sofa with a coffee table and an armchair. On his desk was a white porcelain coffee pot and two small cups in saucers waiting for them. Magnus raised the pot and poured himself “Coffee?” He asked.

XO

“Always. The only thing people drink more than beer back home is coffee. America runs on Dunkin’,” she said taking a seat looking around. The room had a definite vibe to it. To Vanessa, it said either come in but don’t get too comfortable or I just moved it. While it contained the basics, there was not a scrap of personal effects such as pictures, books, or knickknacks. Nothing in the basic dossier on the commanding officers she had reviewed indicated either man was new to the Genesis command. That meant Magnus was more of the get to the point kinda guy. Still, the XO was not dressed like he was ready for a formal inspection and found some fleeting humor in her arrival predicament which indicated he did have a laid-back side. Many men floated towards the function over form decore but the white porcelain coffee set was throwing her. It had to be a gift or something meaningful. It was the only personal thing in the room.

“Do you brew it yourself,” she asked taking the cup. The man had to but for the life of her, Vanessa could not find the machine from which the coffee came. It was not uncommon for people to replicate ornate coffee sets but the XO did not seem like the type of guy to replicate coffee and pour it into a pretty pot for no reason.

Vaness Slade

Magnus took cup and saucer up and smiled, inhaling the scent “Yes, I do.” He pointed at a cabinet on one side of the room “I keep my coffee supplies there, this is a New Parisian blend I grew fond of during my time teaching at the Academy. I find that brewing your own coffee much like making your own food improves the experience” He pointed a thumb at his replicator “For my meals I like to replicate each individual ingredient and cook it when I have the time” He took a small sip then suddenly put the cup down “I almost forgot” He practically jumped up from his seat and ran through a side door “I got a shipment last week” He called from the adjacent room “Specifically for today”

“And he cooks,” she said in a mysterious tone. “The question is how good.” Her smirk and tongue-in-cheek comment showed her amusement with the XO’s more down to Earthside. As the second in command of the ship, Magnus had to exhibit some degree of decorum. It was not like the man could get drunk and end up at the local hooskal on shore leave…or could he. The crew was new to her and so were their personalities. The fact the man had a real-life coffee pot squirrel away in his office made Magnus someone she was interested in getting to know far better because he was right. There was just something about the smell of coffee being made that amplified its taste and enjoyment.

Taking a sip, Vanessa let out a small ahhh sound. “The best part of getting commed up is Folgers in your cup,” she sang and raised the cup in salute to the XO. The lyrics to the old coffee commercial would have been more poignant if Vanessa could have rhymed XO in there somewhere or if Magnus had actually commed her to his office. She had asked for the meeting but it was a fun jingle and a way to express how good the coffee was.

He returned a moment later with a platter, clearly from the same set as the coffee pot and cups. On the platter, there were a dozen or so cream buns, some with chocolate or caramel glazing others without. Each was cut in half and filled with whipped cream. Magnus smiled widely as he walked across the room and put the platter on the table then produced two porcelain plates and put one in front of Vanessa “Bolluday” He said as he sat back down “Although technically speaking it was yesterday I didn’t have time then” He picked one with chocolate glazing and put it on his plate then as if he just realized something he quickly opened a drawer and removed two napkins from it, tossing one over to Vanessa’s side “Old Earth tradition from my home, shrove Monday I believe it’s called. The Swedes call this a Semla but for us, it’s a simple Bolla” He raised it carefully “I only had strawberry jam with me but only filled half, didn’t know your preference if any”

XO

“Dude,” she caught the napkin with her hand and then looked over all the options as if she were a food critic, “I have zero preference for foods. I love everything but I think I am going to absolutely adore this one.” Selecting one of the caramel glazed ones with some red jam peeking out the side, she set it on her plate. The presentation of the buns was gorgeous with each one looking like it came out of a bakery. Taking a bite, she let out another happy, contented groan.

“Oh my god this,” she pointed at the bun, “would never last in my house back home.” Vanessa licked her finger and took another bite.

“So tell me about this Bolluday? Is it something you do for all the new people or am I just lucky?”

Vanessa Slade counselor

Magnus chuckled as he carefully at the bun on his plate “It’s the Monday before Ash Wednesday, an old Pagan-Christianity tradition common in the northern hemisphere of Earth. Think the Scandinavian or Nordic countries.”

“Aww crap this is just a fancy way to hide the fact we are going into Lent,” she sighed and pulled out her phone and began to type out a message as she chewed her bite. Setting the phone down she picked up her coffee and looked at the XO.

He shrugged “Or I could be lying and all this is an elaborate ruse to get into your good graces” His smirk turned into more of a grin at the thought “In any case, you wanted this meeting, I’m assuming that it goes beyond pastries and coffee”

XO

“Isn’t that what I am supposed to be doing? Getting in the XO’s good graces,” she let out a full laugh. “I mean you are undeniably the second most important person on the ship however if rumor and traditions hold true you are in practicality the most important person on the ship.”

Setting down her coffee with a clink she leaned back comfortably in the chair as if she had known the man forever. “I asked for this meeting because I was hoping to get to know you better and find out what makes you tick.” Most people panicked when a counselor said these words to them. Years of experience told Vanessa it was best to explain why she wanted to do this with a visual.

Reaching back towards her half-eaten bun she picked up the napkin and smoothed it as showing the coffee and jelly stain on it to demonstrate her point. “Not like Vat does zis zpot luke like,” she gave him her best Freud impression and then balled the napkin back up, “but what are you tells in a crisis. My counselor skills are banging but my job also calls for reading people when we are under attack, in diplomatic missions, having to play good cop bad cop as we spring someone from the local hooskal during a shore leave,” she let her voice trail off. “All command teams are a highly synchronized team. I was hoping that by getting to know each other’s little give away’s before any of the aforementioned events would only strengthen our response as a team.”

Magnus raised an eyebrow at her odd accent but didn’t say anything, just slowly continued to eat his cream bun and drink his coffee.

“For example,” she picked up her coffee cup and held it just in front of her mouth as she talked, “I never go into any meeting of importance without something to drink. It allows me some camoflague for those WTF moments when you are caught off guard. If I had had my travel mug I would not have just gripped your shirt and held on like it was my only life line hanging off a cliff during the chicken crisis of 2397.” Vanessa let out a chuckle knowing she would regret the uniform death grip greeting later instead of a handshake.

Gathering her composure she continued. “With the cup here you have a much harder time as a stranger knowing what is going on in my head because you are only really able to see my eyes and let me tell you there is always something percolating in my head somewhere. Anyway like we said in high school. I showed you mine now you show me yours.” The coffee cup trick was one of Vanessa’s most closely guarded secrets. At least until someone got to know her well enough and then it was like the beacon of a lighthouse during a storm letting anyone see it know which way to go.

Vanessa Slade CNS

Magnus very pointedly took a slow sip from his coffee before answering “Show my Executive Officer skills?” He asked with a bemused expression. For her entire… not rant but something similar his smile remained although a little less arrogant and more generally pleasant “It’s a little difficult without the Captain around to first officer” His tone was light “But I’ve spent over a decade as a first officer stationed all over. The main thing one has to do is balance and adapt to the Captain, take Captain Marius for example. Former Marine, career Security Officer, been on the Genesis for a long time, knows the crew and ship better than I could learn in a few short years”

He put the cup down and interlocked his finger, placing his hands on the desk “Beyond my military service I served with the Diplomatic corps for several years and have also taught at the Academy, different skillset and experience. Captain Marius knows the ship better but I was assigned here to support a recently promoted Captain. I have to balance out giving advice and counsel with executing his orders. The Captain is an intelligent man who knows where his skills lie, he asks for suggestions then picks what he sees as the best course. I simply adapt to how he acts, I have to be his biggest supporter and his antithesis.”

XO

Vanessa’s smile spread slowly across her face. It was hard not to instantly like the XO. The man so easily slid between a regular guy and the second most powerful man on the ship. Magnus was able to serve you up a delicate pastry with one hand and launch a photon torpedo up your nacelle with the other and the only indication of his mood was the slight curl of his mouth in his smile. In the short time, she had met Magnus she had discovered the tension in his cheeks showed if the smile was arrogant and sarcastic or relaxed and bemused. The changes were so subtle it would be a long time before Vanessa could read it unequivocally but today was a start.

The other thing Vanessa thought she noticed was his hands. Magnus appeared to her to clasp them in some fashion when he was Lieutenant Commander Magnús Pétursson as he did now explaining in more formal terms about how he viewed his duties as the executive officer. Yet when he was peering over Vanessa’s shoulder at Goldie the chicken’s home, with his arms crossed but in a loose fashion over his chest the XO was definitely just Magnus. Whether either of these observations were correct remained to be seen but that was the excitement in meeting new people. Learning the small nuances that made them, them.

“Can we circle back to getting some more coffee,” she asked. “I have been told my family is like those if you give a mouse a cookie books only it is if you give a Slade a beverage.” Since this was an informal meeting and Magnus broke out the cream buns and coffee pre-emptively, she didn’t think it would be a problem. It was also an easy way for Vanessa to learn if the XO’s office was BYOB or an open bar so to speak.

“So of course, all your actions and subsequently mine in an alert situation are based off of the big M but what is the one thing I need to know about Magnus in a crisis? What is going to tell me that we should run for our life or man the life boats so to speak before it becomes general knowledge over the comms?” Vanessa casually polished off her coffee as if her question was how to find the mess hall instead of how am I going to know I got about ten seconds before I get to meet my maker.

Vanessa Slade

Bump