Reporting In (Part 1)

Posted on Wed Jan 6th, 2021 @ 12:25am by Lieutenant Allegra Dahl & Captain Gary Taylor

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: Office of the Executive Officer
1352 words - 2.7 OF Standard Post Measure

Her uniform was neat because first impressions mattered and the frowns of officers with greater rank (she would not say superior) had left nearly indelible impressions on her mind. Neat caused fewer problems though it sometimes meant changing into a fresh uniform before reporting to the bridge, especially after one spent all night going over reports. Her straight black hair (she swore had a mind of its own because it would not accept a curl or a wave of any kind) hung loose to mid-back, tucked behind her ears. She found the door she had been looking for and pressed the chime.

Gary was in his office reviewing the latest ship readiness reports. The ship was above 97 percent across the board. He knew Phoenix would be pleased just as he was. The Beatles were softly playing in the background when his chime sounded. Placing the PaDD to one side he called out "Enter!" and then stood behind his desk to greet whomever entered.

Allegra entered and approached the desk, her gaze taking in the room's contents in a glance, and said, "Lieutenant Dahl, reporting as ordered, Sir." Formulaic but then, that was Starfleet in a nutshell, wasn't it? She offered a PADD containing her orders, unnecessary by her standards since computers were more than capable of automating the process, but then, there were those procedures and traditions. You reported as ordered and you offered up said orders. No doubt to prove you weren't larking about wasting important people's time.

Gary accepted the offered PaDD, "Please Lieutenant have a seat. Would you like something from the replicator?" He asked politely as his eyes did a quick survey of the officer in front of him. Intelligent, sharp eyes, a quiet confidence exuded from the Lieutenant. She was no one's fool and wouldn't hesitate to take someone to task if they made that mistake.

"Coffee ... plain coffee ... would be delightful, Sir," Allegra said as she sat down, automatically tucking one leg beneath her as she did so. She took advantage of the moment, while she waited for him to query the replicator, to give her surroundings a more thorough look. You learned things about people by the things they collected and displayed in their workplaces and while that changed from culture to culture, it still had a story to tell.

One plain coffee coming up." Gary answered as he waited for the replicator to fulfill the request. An instant later, coffee in hand he returned to Allegra and handed her the coffee. "There you go Lieutenant." He said pleasantly as he slid behind the desk and sat down. "Let me first say, welcome to the Elysium. We are glad to have you." He stated as he perused her file. he placed the side to one side and looked at her. "The PaDD tells me the official story about yourself. Tell me about Allegra Dahl."

She accepted the coffee and blew gently across the surface, using the time to think about what she could tell him. "Well, let's see, my father is an archeologist and I've spent time on digs and on university campuses." She took a sip and then offered up a half-smile. "Archeological digs are not the fun time you'd think they would be."

"So your file says and I wouldn't think archeological digs were fun times. I would imagine there is plenty of hard work involved in piecing together a civilization's history."

"You have to understand," she said, a mischievous grin flashed across her features, "I was a child and not involved in the work. To me, the work was dull. Getting down on your knees so you can brush off layers of dirt, to reveal some shard or coin. Getting ninety kinds of excited because the lip of this jug is vastly different than what they'd expected. Hard work and sort of requires a calling, you know? But for me, between home study with the members of the team and working with the computer, I got creative. And once I did, I discovered there was all manner of fun things to do. Lizards, snakes, and spiders popping up in the most unlikely places, sneaking off to explore caves and the like."

"Oh, I do understand believe me, I do. What an adult finds interesting or exciting can be tremendously boring and dull to a child. Children need to be stimulated by the wonder of the unknown. They need to be challenged by the mystery of the unknown and realize not to be afraid of the unknown but to confront, accept and explore it for the secrets it has." Gary paused for a moment to look at Allegra before continuing. "Adults too need to be challenged. After all, it's why we're out here, to seek out and discover, to explore the unknown and make it known."

"There were challenges," Allegra said thoughtfully, balancing her mug on one leg, "but what interested me, more than the dig site, was what had happened to the people who lived there. I was drawn in by their struggle, by the invaders who killed them, and the politics behind it all. My father pieces together the story from the small details, painstakingly uncovered, and in that, maybe we're the same. Though I'm not hunting for pottery shards generally."

"There are always challenges. It is how we react to them that defines us. I think you and your father are very much alike in that you both go about uncovering mysteries from different perspectives both with their own merits." Gary replied, then smiling added. "I'm not into pottery either whole or broken."

"So, what else would you like to know," Allegra asked and as she waited, took another long sip of coffee.

"What do you expect to gain from your assignment to the Elysium?" Gary asked wondering if the new Lieutenant wanted to use the prestige assignment as a stepping stone for her career.

"Gain," Allegra repeated. "I'm not sure how to answer that exactly." She held the mug in place, though one finger moved restlessly up and down the side, as she thought. "Let's see. First, wasn't my idea. I was happy at the listening post. Second, it'll be my first time on a ship ... and that's a new experience. Could be good. Third, I can be useful. I like being useful. And I hope to learn new things. Put more pieces into the vast puzzle that is comprised only in part of the Federation." She cocked her head slightly to one side. "That helping answer the question, Sir? 'Cause I can go on if you need me to ..."

Gary shook his head and smiled, "That won't be necessary Lieutenant. I have the answer I was seeking. I believe I can safely say, you will be useful and you will definitely learn new things." He stood up, "My door is always open, have a problem or just want to vent or chat. I'm here to help you." He stuck out his right hand. "Now, officially let me welcome you to the Elysium family."

"Thank you, Sir," Allegra said as she rose to her feet and accepted the handshake. Contact brought with it emotions but she'd been in Starfleet long enough to have learned how to guard against such things. Practice and long hours spent with Avarin, a Vulcan friend, had taught her how to maintain her shields. It didn't always work, especially when the emotions were strong, those could still blast through, but for the most part, it did. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll continue with the on-boarding process."

"By all means Lieutenant, don't let me stop you from your tasks, as well as settling in." Gary replied pleasantly even as he thought the new lieutenant would be an excellent addition to the Elysium and it's crew.

"Thank you, Sir," Allegra said with a warm smile that lit up the depths of her complicated eyes for a moment. And with that, she was gone. More to do before she could consider herself a member of the crew though this meeting had been an excellent start. No question.