: Posted by Lieut (j.g.) James Merrick (Chief of Operations) in Senior Staff meet and greet
: : Posted by Commander Carmen Delphia (XO) in Senior Staff meet and greet
: : : Posted by Captain Thomas Guy Andreev (CO) in Senior Staff meet and greet
: : : (snip)
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: : : : : : Adam maintained his pace and occasionally glanced at the others to verify they were able to maintain the pace with the heavy extra packs. He was glad it was not a competitive run, that he deemed just unfair since he could literally do this all day everyday with out an issue.
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: : : : : : Lt. Adam Chryst - CSO
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: : : : : As they kept going, Delphia was tracking their distance in her mind and adding up the total. It wasn't until the third mile that Carmen really started to feel it. She kept her breath steady, providing as much oxygen as possible, but it wasn't going to last. Few except possibly Emelia would understand just how badly off she had been before the transplant. Her blood could barely carry oxygen and her kidneys were all but failed. Dialysis had kept things at bay until the new kidneys were ready and during that time Carmen understood her mortality in a way she hadn't before. She was under no illusion that she was invincible, but rather she had accepted that she could be killed in any numerous ways at any time. But the slow death caused by her own mistake and someone else's idea of payback? It humbled her… and terrified her.
: : : : :
: : : : : She still found it a little amazing that she was here, alive, and that her life was /mostly/ positive. Carmen Delphia would never be a cheery person, but she was happy in her own little way, despite all the insanity swirling around her in her personal and professional life.
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: : : : : So for all of those reasons, she decided she wasn't playing the game any longer. As she tension in her abdominal muscles continued to shift towards pain, and the pack on her back made her body feel more sluggish, Delphia knew she couldn't keep it up. Perhaps on another day, and without the pack, but not today. Without a word, she slowed her pace and let people pass her.
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: : : : : When she reached the back of the group, she slid off the pack and gently tossed it to the side of the corridor, slowing to a walk. She didn't stop moving, but she placed her hands on her hips and focused on her breathing and trying to give her body a break.
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: : : : : Commander Delphia, XO
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: : : : Adam watched the physical changes curiously, he was a scientist through and through, when she started to drop back he followed her back slowing his own pace. This run was in no way a test for him, and he had already told the XO that he was there to help her, he was not going to fail that promise now by allowing her to drop back due to injury and fall alone to what ever issues there were. He spoke no words, looked nothing but empathetic as he kept pace beside her. The goal was to finish, this was not a time trial after all.
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: : : : Adam Chryst
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: : : After about the fifth mile, the CO called a halt at an access port. He smiled slightly and pulled off his pack as he packed his breath on slightly to regain his composure. He looked to his assembled senior staff and said simply
: : : "Ward room... 0800 tomorow.. dismissed... "
: : :
: : : Andreev, CO
: :
: : Carmen and Adam were far behind and not even in sight. She was still without her pack and simply walking at a relaxed pace. She hadn't said anything to the CSO since he dropped back with her and that in of itself was probably a sign that she didn't object to his presence. the other thing about this little split in the group was that they weren't there to hear his instruction to meet tomorrow…
: :

Adam continued to walk beside her matching her pace, he let the silence remain, sometimes there was not a need for words. He watched her out of the corner of his eye, as well as watched the surrounding area.

: : Commander Delphia, XO
:
: James stopped along with the group, of course he was near the rear of the pack by this point, still ahead of Delphia and Chryst. He knew the two must have lagged behind, and assumed they weren't that far behind. Hearing the announcement, he stood there to let it sink in. How was he going to make a meeting at 0800 when he usually volunteered for Delta Watch. Perhaps his insomnia would kick in and make it easier to attend the meeting.
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: "Well that was a little out of nowhere..." James spoke a little out loud, and realizing neither Chryst nor Delphia were anywhere near the crowd when the announcement came. He figured they should be informed, so when the group broke to go their separate ways, he turned back, and started a casual jog back the way they came figuring he'd run into them eventually. Jogging down the corridor, he started undoing the slings on the pack, so he could stop lugging it over his shoulders.
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: "The run's over, the Commanding Officer wants us to report to the Ward room at 0800 hours," James spoke as soon as he saw the two, "I'm assuming he'll want to continue the run tomorrow." The last part was an attempt at sarcasm, why would someone split a run into two parts. Then again who would end a meet-and-greet with a run. He looked to the two of them, and asked, "Need any help?"
:
: Lieut (j.g.) James Merrick (COO)

"Then would it not be prudent for us to finish today and log the fact, what were the captain's exact words?" Adam queried quietly

LT Adam Chryst - CSO