Welcoming Party

Posted on Sun Mar 31st, 2024 @ 9:56pm by Lieutenant Commander Harrison Knox
Edited on on Mon Apr 8th, 2024 @ 7:13pm

1,107 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Opening Moves
Location: Transporter Room
Timeline: MD020 - 2400

The doors of the Thunderbird's transporter room parted ways, in walked the starship's First Officer unexpected and unaccompanied. The night shift transporter operator, a woman with brunette hair tucked neatly into a tight bun looked startled at first. "Commaner, I was told not to wake you, Sir." She was stern, composed, and Harrison felt shared kinship with her. He had encroached on her territory unannounced.

"I'm sorry," he said the woman. He could not place her name confidently thus he omitted it less he embarrass himself. "I know that I'm off duty, forgive me for not checking in with you, Petty Officer."

She smiled at Knox. "Mortimer, Sir" the woman replied supplying her name.

Mortimer. Store that away he thought to himself. "I caught wind the Chief Science Officer was arriving early ahead of schedule. I wanted to make sure someone was here to greet her and help her settle" he explained.

"Very well, Commander. The lieutenant is standing by for transporter whenever you are ready."

Lieutenant Commander Harrison Knox took a deep breath. "Petty Officer Mortimer, energize" he said confidently. He observed the transporter platform illuminating and the shimmering silhouette of a woman start to take form. As her features came into view he found himself looking at a Bajoran woman.

"The prophets have carried you here safely," he said with a pleasant tone and slight bow of his had. "Lieutenant Commander Harrison Knox, cheré."

Lorut Vila felt her ions being ripped apart and reset on the bridge of the Thunderbird. She appeared in a transporter room in her red denim jumpsuit, aboard as the new Chief Science Officer. She simply nodded at the man. "The Prophets are bullshit, Commander, with respect," she said. "Thank you," she said. "Nice to meet you."

Knox laughed a bit at the woman's response. "Well then," he said with a smile. "I don't think I'll be needing to ask if you need a separate place of worship" he fired back. "It sounds like you have some strong opinions on your peoples' deities, or whatever you want to refer to them as."

"Nice to meet you as well," he was already interested in hearing more about her. "So, what turned you off the prophets? I was fully prepared to hold my tongue when talking faith with you."

Vila shrugged. "The short story is simple-the Occupation," she said. "I can't reconcile why they would let an eight-year-old child be subjected to the things I was," she said. She stepped forward. "Are we supposed to be meeting the Captain or something?" She asked.

Knox listened to the reasoning which of course to him made sense. "The Captain is asleep or at least should be. I was too. You arrived a little ahead of schedule, but I didn't want your arrival to go without a proper reception as one of the Captain's senior staff" he explained.

Vila nodded once. She understood-some Captains preferred their XO to serve the same shift, while some switched off, asking their First Officer to do the Beta shifts so there was a command-level officer on each shift. It always came down to personal preference. "Great," she said. She hadn't been expecting a welcoming committee and hadn't prepped herself to "behave". "So I assume you're not expecting me to do work from the Transporter Room," she said, indicating that he should lead the way to the Bridge or wherever they were going to do the initial meet and greet BS.

"No," Knox replied. "I'm sure you can find your way around a transporter console in a pinch, but I'd prefer to leave that to the professionals. No use in accidentially splicing a person with a transporter accident," he said gesturing towards the door.

He had been handed a PaDD by the transporter operator. "I can show you to your quarters. It would give you some time to settle in."

She nodded. "And to change," she said. "I wasn't expecting a welcome wagon," she said. The jumpsuit was familiar to her, and a treasured item, and she wore it more than her uniforms and even civilian clothes. Plus, she liked how it hugged her figure-yes, she was nearly forty-five years old but she was still slim and fit, and still put a lot of time into looking a certain way.

"I had a very good teacher," stated Knox. "And very thorough Commanding Officer. Nobody came aboard without at least some semblence of a welcoming party. With you being our Chief Science Officer, who better to ensure you get settled in. As First Officer, personnel is one of my responsibilities."

Knox walked with her to the lift. "Your quarters are located on deck two" he stated and then instructed the computer to proceed to deck two. "Decks four and five house our Science labs."

Vila nodded once. "Next time, you should warn us," she said, dryly. "But I understand. "Alright, deck two," she said. Seemed reasonable to be that close to her labs, after all. "Anyway. It IS appreciated," she said. She did appreciate it when the XO took time to meet their crew. It said that he or she were engaged and that was always good.

"I thought you Science folk loved surprises," Knox teased and walked Vila off the turbolift and down a corridor. He had not served with very many Bajorans before, mostly because they weren't a Federation world and the occupation sure did not help that matter. "Your quarters, lieutenant" he added gesturing to a door on their right. "So, what made you pursue science? As I understand Bajorans tend to be very....uh....spiritual."

"Some do," she said. "My ex-husband was fond of them. For me, it's...triggering," she said. "I have always been interested in science. My mother's family had a Springwine operation before the war, and I was always messing around with the chemicals and getting in trouble," she said.

Knox nodded and opened the doors to the woman's quarters. "Lieutenant" he said gesturing in towards the quarters. "I'll leave you to get settled in. I will notify the Captain that you've arrived."


She nodded. "Thank you, Commander. It was...a good meeting," she said. It wasn't "nice" or whatever cutesy courtesy they were looking for, but it was good. She simply entered her quarters and watched as the door shut. Her stuff had been beamed over for her, and anything else she'd need would arrive later or she'd replicate.

Knox had just met the Chief Science Officer. He was uncertain how he felt about her, but she seemed interesting. It would be interesting to see how they all adjusted and worked together.

 

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