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Presim - Brigette's CO check in

Posted April 14, 2020, 4:09 a.m. by Lieutenant Commander David Malkin (XO / Navigation Officer) (Sage Pennington)

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Brigette Marshall (Chief Engineer (CE)) in Presim - Brigette’s CO check in

Posted by Captain Chris Taggart (Captain) in Presim - Brigette’s CO check in

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Brigette Marshall (Chief Engineer (CE)) in Presim - Brigette’s CO check in
Posted by… suppressed (5) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Medical had cleared her, so that only left the Captain before Brigette strolled into Engineering and learned the nuances of a new ship and a new crew. She had debated seeking out the Captain this late, just after shift change into 3rd shift, which is why she was at his office. If he had retired for the night, no one would answer, and she wouldn’t have wakened anyone. No harm, no foul.

She tugged down her tunic to be sure it was sitting right and raised a hand to activate the chime.

Lt JG Brigette Marshall
Chief Medical Officer

The captain was indeed in his office going over mission data with the XO. When he heard the chime. Without looking at the door he yelled “come!”

The office is dark in color with a bunch of cubes under glass displays with autographs on them and pictures that are signed by a very pale white man with pins stuck all over his head. On the desk was a Cube that was wrapped in a brown butcher’s paper with a red wax seal holding it together. It was of course in a glass case. In the corner of the room was a big tube that was clear and 20 inches in diameter and 5 feet high containing what appears to be a human arm and leg or what’s left of them. They looked like they were torn off.

Captain Chris Taggart CO

The intricate boxes caught her attention first. Some even appeared to have patterns that made the young Engineer things of puzzles and hidden boxes. But the designs and patterns were far too advanced to let her mind wrap swiftly around how she would puzzle them out. Instead, she admired the designs as she stepped in. “Brigette Marshall reporting for duty, Sir.” She smiled and nodded clearing the door so it would shut behind her.

“Oh! Well welcome Mrs Marshall. I didn’t expect you until tomorrow. I am Christopher Taggart. Doctor Taggart, Captain, or Chris in private is fine. This here is your supervisor and the XO Commander Malkin.”

“Amazing collection,” she said and then nodded to the body parts. “Would love the story behind that sometime… perhaps over a stiff drink, though,” she laughed slightly. It didn’t offend her or turn her stomach. Quite the opposite, it intrigued her to no end and she was certainly curious how he came but such unique curiosities.

Brigette snapped her attention back to the Captain when she realized she was straying.

Brigette
CE

“Thank you very much. I’m a huge fan of an old Earth horror franchise called Hellraiser. These are cubes from the movies and are signed by the cast. The one on the desk is actually signed by the guy that created the cubes.” He let that sink in before continuing. “I am a huge film buff. And I can tell you about those”.... pointing to the body parts.....”Those are mine.” He raised his pant leg and his sleeve to show her cybernetic arm and leg. He was wearing a patch over his right eye as well. “Those floated up on the beach on Risa about two weeks after I was attacked. Looks like the big bastard didn’t like the taste of me after all!” He smiled. “There’s more to the story but like you said, a stiff drink would help. Please come in and have a seat.”

Captain Chris Taggart CO

Brigette smiled and nodded to the XO, “Sir… a pleasure.” Even as she listened to the explanation, her shook her head in awe and wonder. “I am not familiar with the old horror franchises. But if this is any indication,” she motioned to the carefully preserved mementos, “then I am certainly open to learning. A good scare does the mind good sometimes.”

“Well I am always holding movie nights, so you can come to one, I hope.”

Her nod to the body parts was also in awe. “Well I hope the creature had a horrible demise and ended up on someone’s plate or wall, Sir.” With the XO in the room, she couldn’t bring herself to use his first name so soon. “Please, Brigette or Bridie. Easier on the tongue.”

“No. It did not. In fact we are going to Risa for a furlough and I will be deep sea hunting. “

Sitting down, she nodded to the padds on the table. “Forgive me, I honestly hadn’t expected you here. And if I am intruding I can certainly come back tomorrow after morning shift change.”

Brigette
CE

“It’s fine Mrs Bridie. I am actually on the night shift. We take turns do as we all can learn from the different hours and to have breaks. So I’m here all night.”

Captain Chris Taggart CO

“Just Bridie, please. And it’s Ms… Mrs Bridie was my great grandmother,” she laughed. “My namesake. And I’d love to see the movies.” When he mentioned Risa and deep sea fishing, she shivered slightly but quickly hid it.

“Then it’s settled. You can come and watch Hellraiser with me next time your off.”

“I put myself on second and third shift as well. To remind my folks they aren’t as free as they think,” She laughed slightly and started to relax. It was hard to get a read on the XO who seemed the strong, silent type.

Brigette
CE

He laughed a bit as well. “True. So tell me Ms Bridie. What kind of Engineering do you specialize in? Stre you familiar with this class of ship?”

Captain Chris Taggart CO

Bridie smiled. “Well, I certainly admire the sustainability of warp 9 of the ‘49 Cochran Core. And I admit my hobby includes finding ways to increase warp core use at higher warps for longer periods. With us delving deeper and deeper into the unknown, I want us to be ready if we come up alongside someone we don’t want to be alongside of.” She nodded behind her as if encompassing the ship.

But I will admit, my reason for asking for this ship, in particular was the ENINTADI AI system. I’ve never had the pleasure of actually working with one. I’m curious to see how the algorithms affect and rotate the shield variances. I know they are pre=programmed, but I want to figure out a way to change them on the fly, so to speak, so we can vary even that. The trouble with programming is, no matter how long the sequence, it invariably starts over. Human factors, added to that, make is truly unpredictable. Don’t you think?” She wasn’t aware her enthusiasm for the ship and its efficiency was spilling out of her like a waterfall of excitement. She suddenly bit her lip realizing she was heading for a fit of rambling. “Sorry…” she said and fell silent, her hands suddenly clasped tight in her lap.

Bridie
CE

“That’s fine. I know the general gist of it. You will have to talk to science and your fellow engineers to get the answers you seek. Anything else I can help you with?”

Captain Chris Taggart CO

Brigette thought for a moment. “Well, I’d like to know what you expect of me. And if you have any quirks or concerns I need to be aware of. Be it engine, structure or mechanic wise. That includes in or out of the ship.” She was sure most folks were asked what they were going to do for him. But she doubted very much anyone had the nerve to ask what they could do for him.

Brigette
CE

“Good. The only things I ask for is that you do what your supposed to do and to the best of your ability. I’m very laid back. I do expect protocols and chain of command to be used though. I still have to maintain order on this vessel. Outside the ship and not on away missions, you cam call me Chris or if we are alone you can as well. Just as long as work is not involved. What can I do for you young lady?”

Captain Chris Taggart CO

While every leader wanted respect and performance, but to hear he was laid back enough for first name when not on business was a surprise, indeed. Lots of folks gave their first name as an option, but they expected you to be professional enough not to use it. Something told Brigette he was different, having mentioned it twice. It would take some getting used to for her.

What surprised her next was his query to her, personally. She never expected a leader to do anything for their crew but lead them. Sure, that mantle was bigger… protect, guide, teach, etc… But he was asking about more than that. “I admit I hadn’t given it any thought, Sir. But my immediate thought is to tell me when I am falling short or not doing right. I’d rather not wait till my evals to find out I’ve been under performing in your eyes for a long time. And you will be confident enough to come to me if you think of something you wish the ship could do, but can’t. It’s how advancements are made. We may not make it work on this ship, but what you need, as a Captain, will help future Captains on future ships.” She wasn’t sure how crazy that sounded. It just spilled out. She hadn’t planned on saying more than lemme know if you need anything.

Brigette
CE

Chris laughed a bit. “My dear Bridie. This is a battleship. We are frequently engaged and or sent out to patrol and or defend. We have no tile to wait every quarter to correct. We need it corrected at that time. So rest assured you will know if you’re failing and how to correct that. But I don’t see that as a problem since I picked you as the CE.”

Captain Chris Taggart CO

She laughed hearing him use her name and assure her of his ability to correct her when needed. But when he said he chose her, she tilted her head slightly. For all her strength and confidence till now, she suddenly had the look of a curious bird. “Picked me? I don’t…” she blushed suddenly and glanced nervously at the XO and back. “Of course you chose. I’m sure there were plenty who asked for this position.” With the amazing AI and the fact it was a deep space vessel and not a local one just making runs to Mars and back, she just realized it hadn’t just been an ‘ask-receive- kind of thing.

The XO not speaking made her feel like she was being evaluated. And though the Captain had used her first name, she couldn’t bring herself to reciprocate. She looked back at the Captain and smiled. “Sorry, Sir… I shouldn’t have been so surprised. I’m sure you get station requests all the time.” She swallowed and shifted in her seat trying to maintain her composure. Her eyes drifting to the cubes as if suddenly unsure about looking at him.

Good job, Brids… way to show you know what you’re doing, she chided herself.

Bridie
CE

Chris got up from his chair a CD walked around the desk and sat on it right in front of her and peered down at her. His one shockingly blue eye looking down at her. His raven black hair well groomed. “Don’t act shy. There are many who ask to come here. But because of our mission, we have to turn them down most of the time. But you. The commander and I poured through 217 candidates for your job. Well. You are the one here now. So be more confident in yourself. ”

He saw her looking at the puzzle box cubes again. He leaned over and picked on up that was not in a case and handed it to her since he remembered her saying she loves puzzles. “Here. Calm yourself and solve this.”

Captain Chris Taggart CO

He was close enough to touch, wish left her mouth dry and her heart racing. And not for professional reasons.

Looking back up at his bidding, she smiled and nodded. She had won out over 217 applicants? Had she been asked, she couldn’t have thought of more than 100 would have asked. It surprised her how much she was off the mark. “Thank you, Sir. I will…”

She would have thought that would make him move, but instead, he reached to hand her one of the decorative cubes. “I… Ummm…” She wasn’t sure about holding something so precious, but it was in her hands before she could protest. Her eyes cast down at it and held it gently in her hands. She scooted forward on her chair, leaving her left arm close enough to almost brush his left leg if she shifted again. The worries of being chosen from out of a lot of 217 was simply forgotten as she held the cube in her hand.

“What metal is this?” She said, half under her breath. It was so smooth and soft and finely cut, she couldn’t imagine it being as old as she was told. As she rubbed her finger lightly over the top, trying to let touch tell her what it was, the box came apart in her hand and started to morph on its own. A startled cry of surprise came from her lips. To her credit, she didn’t drop the box, but she opened both palms to cradle it while it ran its course. Her eyes were wide as she looked up at the CO.

“It’s not metal. It’s wood with a gilding of gold wrapped around it and finely etched.”

“Chris…” her voice of surprise fell as a scared, curious whisper. She wasn’t even aware she had used his first name. “What is it?” She looked up to him in surprise, awe and wonder. Oddly, despite the concern in her voice, there was wonderment in her gaze. The XO had suddenly been temporarily forgotten.

Bridie
CE

She used his name. Wow he thought. He was being torn from wanting a woman and being a captain. He had duties to perform. Once the box opened and she looked up at him he couldn’t hold back anymore.

In his best Pinhead impression, which is pretty spot on. He yelling in the voice of Hellraiser. “The box! You opened it. We came!” Then he made a move towards her neck as he hopped off the desk and tried to bite her neck.

Captain Chris Taggart CO

The box clattered to the floor and she leaned back in the chair, her eyes nearly popping from her head as hands rose to rest against his chest to try and hold him back. To her credit, she didn’t scream, she honestly tried to push at him. A small whimper escaping her lips as her instinct was to slide lower out of his reach rather than backwards and risk him landing on her. “CHRIS…” The word coming out like a plea trying to wake someone sleepwalking.

Bridie
CE

He stopped and laughed. “Sorry Bridie. I couldn’t help it. That was a great chance to scare. He got on his knees and rested his hands on her legs. She felt warm he thought. “It’s ok. Once you see the movie you’ll understand. Again I apologize.” But he started laughing again.

Captain Chris Taggart CO

She was deeply breathing in and out to try and catch her balance again. His hands on her legs, oddly enough, balanced her and brought her back to the present. Despite the surprise still shining in her eyes, she managed to smile and a laugh that still sounded a bit strangled. “You do realize this means that I have the chance to get even. I hope you know that.” She managed to look at him and smile. “I am sorry the box fell. I didn’t mean to drop it. But if I hadn’t I was afraid I’d hit you with it. Kinda of dumb I know....” Her initial instinct had been to lash out with the weapon in her hand. But at that time, no matter what else was happening, he was her Captain and she didn’t honestly want to hurt him.

She would have reached for the box to pick it up, but it was beneath them both, or rolled under her chair or the desk. Either way, she would have had to push him out of the way again. And right now, she was grateful for her hands gripping the chair still because she was pretty sure they were shaking. She looked at him, not even noticing what the XO had done thru this whole episode.

Bridie
CE

David had been watching this exchange, not knowing what would happen next. He adjusted his uniform. “Sir, Lieutenant, unless you’ll be needing me, I have business to attend to relating to our new Chief’s transfer.” He tried to maintain an officer like appearance, though the whole experience had caught him off guard.

-Lt Cmdr David Malkin, XO

Bridie’s eyes went wide suddenly and she looked to the XO over the Captain’s shoulder. For a moment, she had forgotten he was there. “I.. Sir…” she was instantly struck dumb on what to say. She was sitting a chair with her Captain’s hands on her knees and she had completely ignored her immediate supervisor’s presence. She glanced back at the CO with almost a helpless look. She hadn’t been on the ship a whole 24 hours and already she was pretty sure the business the XO would be attending about her was a write up or reprimand.

Bridie
CE
((patching to fix))

“If you have something to say Lieutenant, I suggest you say it.” David’s posture and tone were often mistaken for an oncoming storm, something he occasionally used to his advantage.

-Lt Cmdr David Malkin, XO

His tone helped replace the steel that had slipped during her fright. “I was going to say I apologize for my behavior, Sir.” Her stare at him was professional and not at all warm like it had been to the Captain a bit ago. Chances are they were going to have their own standoff soon. She just hoped it didn’t cost her her position on the ship.

Bridie
CE

Chris was still laughing. “No. Sir. That is it. Finish the transfer and go to bed. I got the helmet. Thank you for your help today Commander.” He said genuinely.

Looking back at Bridie he didn’t realize his hands were now on her thighs gently rubbing them to calm her down. “How are you?”

Captain Chris Taggart CO

David nodded and left, somewhat relieved for the chance to exit.

-Lt Cmdr David Malkin, XO


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