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CE's Office: Cadet Rook Reporting

Posted Sept. 22, 2020, 9:58 p.m. by Lieutenant Sapeth (Chief Engineer) (Steve Johnson)

Posted by Cadet Michael Rook (Engineer) in CE’s Office: Cadet Rook Reporting

Posted by Lieutenant Sapeth (Chief Engineer) in CE’s Office: Cadet Rook Reporting

Posted by Cadet Michael Rook (Engineer) in CE’s Office: Cadet Rook Reporting
Posted by… suppressed (8) by the Post Ghost! 👻
The walk through the ship hadn’t taken much time.

It was a small ship by Star-Fleet standards, yet it would be a big challenge and Mr Michael Rook knew that. He knew that everything he had done before had been leading up to this, every single class and simulation he had sat through had lead to the moment he would step foot aboard a spaceship as a serving officer. Every single note he had taken in those classrooms had been building to this specific day.

He stood there, looking at the door. Behind it, the head of his department, the Chief Engineer. At least, he hoped that the man was behind the door. Michael shuddered, wondering how awkward it would be if the Department Head had gone for his lunch or something at the same time he rocked up to report in, as was Star-Fleet Procedure. He almost debating turning around and coming back later in the day after that thought.

He couldn’t though, he knew that.

He knew that he had to just brave it, suck it up and actually talk to people. He preferred being on his own, being left to his own devices with his earphones in. He worked better when distracted by music. He had never been one for groups of people, when his friends would go out partying and drinking he would stay in and build a puzzle or something, just anything other than going out.

He couldn’t put it off any longer, he knew that. He did one final check of his uniform, made sure every little detail was perfect. He didn’t want to make any sort of bad impression, he knew how important first impressions were and he was one hundred percent sure he wanted to make a good one. He double checked his hair styling and then gulped.

And then he knocked.

Cadet Rook, Engineering

“Enter,” Sapeth said from where he sat behind his desk. He was working on completing some of the necessary paperwork of being a department head on a ship, even more so on an Academy ship. While it took time away from his other duties, it was a necessary task.

Looking up he noticed Cadet Rook entering his office. “May I help you Cadet?”

Lt Sapeth - CE

“Lieutenant, Sir!”

He was formal, rigid in how he stood and how he spoke. Arms crossed behind his back, legs together at full attention. He wasn’t in the mood to be shouted at on his first day aboard. He wanted to do every little thing right, at least once. If he did it right once, he would prove that he could do it and perhaps, just perhaps his superiors would be a little more lenient with him.

He let a soft smile slide over his face before talking.

“Cadet Rook, Engineer, Reporting for Duty, Sir!”

He was still at attention, having yet to be told to stand at ease. He kind of wondered if he would be standing like this through his entire meeting, which would leave him sore to do his physical and mental exams. No-one ever told you how tiring it was to stand at attention for long periods of time, maybe that should have been something on the academy syllabus.

Cadet Rook, Engineer

“Please Cadet, have a seat,” Sapeth said gesturing to the chair across from him. Despite his years of teaching, he never quite understood why human cadets would always be so rigid in their first meeting with their superior. While he could appreciate the respect paid to their superior officer, they almost seemed to be trying to make up for their lack of experience with exuberance.

“Your transfer orders Cadet? And please briefly tell me about yourself.”

Lt Sapeth - CE

“About myself, sir?”

He looked around. He hated talking about himself, he wasn’t interesting or fun. At least he wasn’t fun in his head anyway, he was sure others found him interesting. It played on his mind as he took the seat that the Chief offered to him. He licked his teeth softly and focused back on the commanding officer sat in front of him.

“I was born in London, studied for years to become an Engineer. It was always my dream to serve above a star ship like this and now I get to live out that dream. Guess I’m excited but also nervous. I’m just hoping I can make my mum proud, and Star Fleet you know?”

Cadet Rook, Engineer

Sapeth raised an eyebrow as he waited for Cadet Rook to start talking. He found the study of human reactions fascinating, so the fact that he was hesitating was interesting.

“I’m sure if you do your best Cadet, you will be just fine. But what inspired your dream to serve on a starship? And why in particular Starfleet? There are many different ways to serve on starships Cadet.”

Lt Sapeth - CE

He looked around, studying everything in the room, looking for an easy escape if he made an absolute fool of himself. He hated talking, he wished he could just put his earphones in and work, prove how good he was instead of having to talk.

“Thank you, Lieutenant. To answer your questions though, my mum very much pushed me as a kid to achieve. She told me of her dreams to explore space and how she had never got to live them out. She kind of inspired me in a way sir, she made me want to live out the dream she had never gotten to live out. As to why Starfleet, well I won’t lie sir I never expected to join. Everything just lined up right, my friend signed up and suggested it to me and as they say, the rest is history”

Cadet Rook, Engineer

Sapeth raised an eyebrow, he was wanting to question the Cadet more on several aspects of humanity, and his choices. But he choose otherwise.

“What drew you to engineering? Was this also part of your mothers dream?”

Lt Sapeth - CE

“What drew me to engineering sir?”

He looked around thoughtfully, blinking.

“Nothing to do with my mum that one, sir. I just feel at home when I’m around the internal components of a ship. From a young age I’ve been messing with things, you know? I’ve been playing and breaking things just to see how they worked, then as I got older I started learning to put them all back together”

Cadet Rook, Engineer

“Always an important skill to learn Cadet,” Sapeth replied. “What was one of the items you particularly enjoyed breaking? And were there any difficulties when it came time to putting it back together?”

Lt Sapeth - CE

He looked around again, still too awkward to make true eye contact with his commanding officer.

“At first it was small things sir, watches and the like. I loved breaking down these smaller things. Obviously putting them back together was hard but that’s how I learnt, through the hardships. As I got older, I started actually learning to repair bigger things and it just grew and grew”

Cadet Rook, Engineer

“Was there one particular item that you enjoyed breaking down and repairing? Replicators? Phasers? Shuttles?” Sapeth asked as he raised an eyebrow. From his experience, everyone tended to gravitate towards one sort of object or another.

Lt Sapeth - CE


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