Posted by Lieutenant Namid Argimeau (Chief Science Officer) in Pre-Sim: Step Up To The Plate, Won’t You? (Tag Argimeau)

Posted by Captain Alexander Cochrane (Commanding Officer) in Pre-Sim: Step Up To The Plate, Won’t You? (Tag Argimeau)

Posted by Lieutenant Namid Argimeau (Chief Science Officer) in Pre-Sim: Step Up To The Plate, Won’t You? (Tag Argimeau)
Posted by… suppressed (3) by the Post Ghost! 👻
OOC: I am SO SORRY! This was written and posted (I thought) but it never loaded for some reason! My apologies, Trinity!

OOC: All good! Besides, it sounds like the past few weeks were rough, to say the least. Glad to hear you’re doing better!
IC:

“Wait…” Namid halted and cast an inquisitive glance at NEnsign Esrasa, “may I see?” They awaited his eager beckon before shuffling over to the sound of his excited sputtering. Though a tad lost, Namid empathised with his thrill and amusedly hum. “All right,” they chuckled, “let’s see it!” They obeyed his wild gesturing at the microscope and leaned forward, adjusting the focus until—

=/\= Lieutenant JG Argimeau to the Ready Room, please. =/\= The voice from the comms was that of the Captain, and the tone indicated that delay was not an option. In his office, Cochrane looked out the window for a moment. The change was sudden… as was the habit of Command when dealing with their wayward Science vessel… but Alex was getting really tired of the switches happening with no warning. He smiled slightly an chuckled to himself, though. This change was solid, and he looked forward to the look on his Scientific Intelligence Officer’s face when they received the news.

Cochrane, CO

Namid startled, tossing an aggrieved and curious glance at their commbadge. What did Cochrane need? They furrowed their eyebrows in a pensive frown, theories emerging from the depths of their thoughts. Shh! Namid scolded inwardly. No time! It wasn’t as though the Captain’s request read: ‘please, take your sweet time coming to my ready room.’ No. They should probably get going now.

“Duty calls,” they pivoted and shot the ebullient botanist an apologetic shrug, “pick this up later?” Esrasa’s empathetic wave coaxed them from the plant sciences labs to the corridors. Fortunately, Deck 4 was a hop, skip and turbolift ride from the bridge. So, it was mere minutes before the bumbling SIO approached Cochrane’s ready room and palmed the chime.

— Namid Argimeau, Scientific Intel

The door slid open.

Namid stood at ease behind the door, a crooked smile touching their otherwise attentive cast. Though instinct tempted an enthralled ‘what’s going on’, Argimeau resigned to a respectful and arguably rigid bow that felt as fluid as it appeared. They shook away their failed politeness in a brisk enter, “Captain.”

The office was organized, but had the feel of both authority… and peace. Two bookcases on one wall stood with shelves lined with actual books behind their glass doors. Pictures had been mounted around the room showing both places and people, many of them featuring the same person. Various odds and ends graced places here and there. Displayed prominently, however, alone on a shelf high up on the wall directly behind the desk that sat opposite the door, was the lone figure of a gold Ox. Lighting had been directed so that it drew the eye of anyone who came through the door almost immediately. Directly below that hung a coat, obviously on display and not being worn. It was a ridiculous combination of black and the kind of red only seen where intimate services were bought and sold. A truly obnoxious fur collar crowned the neckline… it was truly the kind of coat that would… could… only be worn by people going by aliases like ‘SWillie Dynamite’, ‘Velvet Jones’, ‘Iceberg Slim’, or ‘Mr. Smooth.’

“Do come in. Have a seat, please.” Cochrane said and indicated one of the two chairs in front of the desk. “I hope I am not pulling you away from anything pressing am I, Lieutenant J-G?” he asked with a slight grin.

Cochrane, CO

Approaching, Namid passively examined the treasures adorning his ready room. An air of distant familiarity surrounded those ancient books and suspended photos that rekindled questions of ‘who’ and ‘why’. Other relics felt new, though Namid suspected their memory lingered in some forgotten corner of their mind. They hadn’t exactly spent much time beyond the confines of Manhattan’s laboratories. Truly a shame. Glancing away, Namid caught the golden Ox and its companion… they weren’t sure whether it qualified as a coat or a tragic mishmash of textures and dyes. They appreciated it either way.

“Nothing that can’t wait,” Namid assured with a dismissive wave. Though Esrasa’s findings captivated them, the idea of whatever task or discovery lingered behind Cochrane’s grin intrigued them more so. “I don’t mean to be impatient, sir, but what’s this about?”

— Namid Argimeau, Scientific Intel

Cochrane smiled and said “It’s about some changes in the Command Staff of the ship, and about me asking you how you would feel about being named as the Chief Science Officer of the largest and most advanced science vessel in the history of Star Fleet?” He paused for a moment to let his question sink in and then said “You are more than qualified, and your tenure on board so far has been solid. Lieutenant Naim was recalled to the Alpha Quadrant, and I put your name up as her replacement. Command agreed, and if you do as well we will make it official. But that is wholly up to you.”

Cochrane, CO

“Excuse me?” Namid stiffened with eyebrows wrinkled in a daze. Their stomach churned at the notion of ‘command’. Yes, they’d coordinated small research and away teams, but they were just that: small! Their experience directing large groups extended only to theatre and one-off summits. But this was Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 or The Mousetrap; this was real life with real people and real consequences. Great gods! What if they—Argimeau halted and mentally chided themself. Their imagination was an invaluable tool, but it had a fondness for planting unusual and unsolicited anxieties in their brain. Annoying, really. Namid, realising their jaw still hung agape, took in an inaudible breath and quickly regained their composure.

“I apologise… that is not what I thought you’d say,” Namid chuckled, “but I’m glad you did. I’ll admit that the whole ‘department head’ thing daunts me. But with the support of a team like Manhattan’s, I think I’m up for the challenege.”

— Namid Argimeau

Bump :)