Taking a chance

Posted on 13 Feb 2010 @ 3:27pm by

1,901 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: M3: Shore Leave
Location: Sb 47
Timeline: Current

Ben left his quarters, heading for the promenade for a late breakfast/early lunch, brunch. He headed for a different lift than he usually used, simply because it was different and would deposit him on the main promenade deck in an unfamiliar area, though relatively close to areas he would recognize, so we shouldnt get too lost.

Several decks down, the view of the back wall changed. "Computerr sstop the lift" The Shaft, like every other turbolift shaft on the base, passed through the cavernous internal dock, so one side ov every shaft and lift was made transparent to allow passenger a view. While the view was spectacular, the first few dozen times, that was not why Ben had stopped the lift. This time there was something new, a Majectic class starship.

He stared at the ship, her sleek lines and oblong saucer, for several moments before sending the lift back on its original course. He could just barely make out the name of the ship from this angle, 'Freedom'. He had several hours before he had to report to the infirmary for shift duty at 1300 hours. Not enough time to do what he wanted, but maybe enough time to set things up so he could later.

Exiting the lift on the main promenade deck, ben quickly found a computer access panel. "Computerr, what iss the name, rrank and location of the nearresst USS Freedom crrew memberr?" He asked, saying the ships name slowly so his accent didnt slurr the name and confuse the computer.

"Lieutenant Commander Donovan Killian is on the promonade, walking towards the central turbo lift at section 4A," came the monotone response.

Once again Don was on his way to the engineering supplies department. There was going to be another delay in that damn coupling for the environmental system. He knew nothing much of it before, but he was fast going to become the environmental system expert on the D'ama. He smiled wryly and shook his head as he made his way towards the now familiar central lift.

Punching in his query into the panel, a map popped up on the display showing him that location. It was just around the corner. Turning and took of at a jog toward the central lifts in section 4A, nimbly dodging and weaving his way through the mid-morning crowds, hoping he could get there in time. As he neared the lifts, The short Caitian jumped up on the railing to get a look of the heads of the crowd. Seeing a Starfleet officer standing before the doors of a lift, that might be who he was looking for, Ben took several running steps along the rail. Hopping down off the rail in a clear spot among crowd, who were all giving him the oddest looks, Ben dashed through the crowd.

Slipping through the lift doors as the officer stepped in and turned to face the door, which were starting to close, the Caitian pulled up just short of running into the man. "Excusse me ssirr, Cadet N'rrabin M'tarron, orr jusst Ben. Would you happen to be Lieutenant commanderr Killian of the Frreedom?"

Don was so deep in thought that he had a slight fright and swung around to face the person attached to the voice. ~Caitian~ he though as he recognoized the distinct accent. 'Yes.. sorry... Cadet... Ben ..." he said as he regained his composure. "How can I help you," he said with a small colose lipped smile added at the end.

The short furry bundle before him, seemed quite excited when the commander answered 'yes'. While Caitians dont have the facial range of emotions that humans do, not so many facial muscles, they more than made up for it in body language, for those who knew how to read such things. And this one seemed so excited that his soft grey fur seemed to quiver with anticipation.

Dressed in a black flight suit like uniform with teal shoulders and several pockets scattered about, ears wiggling about, he all but danced from foot/paw to foot/paw. Trying to calm himself a bit, knowing the answer could as likely be 'no', Ben tried to speak slowly to reduce the effects of his accent. Though with out much luck in that. "Yess, Ssirr. Excusse my excitement, but with yourr sship in dock it purrvides me with an unexpected oppurrtunity. I wass initially looking forr any crrew memberr of the Frreedom, that jusst happened to be you Ssirr. one of the thrree officerrss i would have needed to talk to anyway."

Taking a deep breath, still trying to get himself under control a bit more. "what i wass wonderring Ssirr, iss if it might be okay if i take a walk about on yourr sship?"

Don's eyes sparkled with goodhearted amusement as they stayed on those of the excited Cadet. He did need some distraction, and this would be good. He had been snowed under with work, which D'anal had delegated to him. "Of course, that would be my pleasure," he said with a broad smile. He was so tempted to touch the soft fur, but never would though. "Although I am headed to deck 89, engineering supplies.. again.." he grumbled the last word. "If you care to join me, we can talk on the way. You did say you were going to have to talk to me anyway." he said with a question in his voice.

"Of course, Ssirr." Ben replied, a new wave of excitement ran through him. " I have a few hourrss beforre i rreporrt forr duty in the infirrmarry. That sshould give uss plenty of time to worrk out the detailss of the excerrcisse." Then it hit him, they were now heading for engineering supplies, and now that he thought about it the Freedom did look a little worse for wear. "wait, yourr getting parrtss to fix the Frreedom? The trranssporrterrss arre worrking okay arrent they?"

"Yes they are, it os the one system that actually works perfectly now. I am more checking up on the progress of the parts. Some can not be replicated and needed to be ordered," he explained. "But why do you ask?" he asked. "And what exercise?" he asked curiously. They now exited the turbo lift that had arrived in the mean time and taken them to the destination deck.

Ben seemed to deflate as much of his excitement ran out of him as he realized that the commander was miss understanding what he was asking. Which ment that the answer was once again, possibly a 'no'.

Letting the commander exit the lift first, Ben fell in a half step behind donovan on his right. "I ssee we arre missunderrsstanding each otherr. My fault rreally Ssirr. I sshould have been more sspecific in my quesstion. Let me explain, I am a cadet, on cadet crruisse, assigned to the medical deparrtment. But i am in ssearrch and rresscue, SAR. You and the Frreedom, being herre at the Sstarrbasse, purrssent me with an oppurrtunity to exerrcisse ssome of my sskillss. What i am assking iss if i might sspace walk on the exterriorr of the Frreedom?"

His ears and tail twitched slightly as spoke, but he seemed oblivious to their movements as he continued to speak. " Itss ssimple enough to prractice in the holodeckss, doing ssuch thingss. But therre iss nothing like doing it forr rreal. Which iss why i wass worried about the trranssporrterrss worrking. A ssafety meassurre in casse i sshould sscrrew up while familiarizing mysself with the exterriorr of a Majesstic class sship. While the view wont be ass sspectacularr, with the Frreedom in dock, forr prractical purrpossess it will be the ssame ass being in deep sspace." Looked hopefully at the commander waiting to see what he had to say now that Ben had explained his intentions better.

Don stopped at the request and couldn't help a grin forming, but he suppressed it. He could remember how anxious he had been as a cadet to space walk and how he did everything in his power to get out there. "Well I don't think it will be possible, they are busy with repairs," he said and paused. But when he saw the anxious face fall to the floor in disappointment, he continued his sentence. "Unless I go with you..." he smiled.

Ben head snapped back up, as his face lit up with joy. "Of course Sir, a privledge of rank i'm sure. As Xo of the Freedom you should be able to walk her any time you want. There has to be some perks at your rank...and age" He gave the Commander a wicked grin as he said the last purely in jest, maybe. "Besides, a second more experienced person on the walk would put Doctor Parker at ease abut the whole thing."

The Caitian's face saddened just a bit, though he was still quite excited about the exercise. His right ear twitched again in irritation, as he continued speaking in subdued seriousness. "I wissh we could go now, howeverr i'll need to clearr the time in my trraining sschedule with Lieutenant Parrkerr. Sshe is Both the Cadet ssuperrvissorr and my deparrtment head. And at the moment i am rresstrricted frrom any zerro-G activity, except in emergenciess, until we can figurre out the cause forr my earrache and get it underr contrrol. That should only take anotherr day orr two with luck. It might alsso allow forr some of the rrepairrss to be finisshed and out of ourr way. With that in mind, when do you think we might be able to sset a time and date forr ourr little sstrroll, ssirr?"

"Mmm well that is a bugger," Don said, pursing his lips. "An ear can be a nasty thing when it aches in ZG. I guess yours are even more sensitive," he said and continued with a small sympatheric shrug. "Well Cadet, let's hope it gets sorted before repairs are done, cause our CO is itching to go. Lets see the day after tomorrow, say at 0900?" he suggested.

Ben nodded in agreement with the time. "That sshould be good Ssirr. It sshould give uss plenty if time to ssorrt thingss out beforre..." He was interrupted by a loud growling from his belly. Giving the commander a sheepish grin, "leave it to the belly to keep one on trrack. In my excitement i forrgot the rreasson why i wass headed forr the prromenade to begin with. Thank you forr yourr time ssirr, and agrreeing to the exerrcisse. But with yourr leave, i sshould sstill have enough time to grrab a bite to eat and make it to my duty sstation on time. No need to angerr the belly furrtherr." He chuckled/purred as he smiled at Don, waiting for the commanders leave before heading back to the lift and down to the promenade for a bit of lunch.

Don smiled, finding the cadet very sweet and amicable. he still wanted to stroke the rich fur, but he refrained himself from doing so. He had found himself in trouble with similar circumstances before, and he wasn't going go go that route. "I will not keep a person from food, you are dismissed, Cadet," Don said warmly, looking quite forward to the spacewalk exercise.


OFF

Lt Cmdr Don Killian
XO
USS Freedom

and

Cadet senior grade
N'rrabin M'tarron
search and rescue
SB 47

 

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