Dark Coffee and Light Duty

Posted on Sun Nov 11th, 2018 @ 7:01am by

Mission: Season 2: Episode 3: Determination is not always a good thing
Location: OPS Centre
Timeline: prior to launch
1062 words - 2.1 OF Standard Post Measure

Justin had all the reports ready for the new department head, whom he expected would arrive soon. He was comfortable enough, with his little hovertray in the process of shuttling a mug of coffee over from the replicator to his workstation, so he didn’t have to get up and get it himself.

Anje walked into her office for the first time, still exhausted from the voyage to the ship. She was surprised to find someone was already there when she entered, “Umm, hello.” She began, noticing the single pip on the other man’s collar, “Ensign, good morning.”

“Good morning, ma’am”, he said, looking up but remaining seated. “I’ve put together an exhaustive list of our current state of operations, for your review.” He held out a PADD to her from behind his console. “I couldn’t sleep when I woke up at 0400 so I figured I’d get a head start.” When the tray arrived, he took the mug of coffee from it and placed it on the console next to him.

“Well, that’s very good.” Anje nodded, she liked a self starter, “What’s our current state of readiness? If we needed to put teams on the ground, can we?”

“We have enough personnel, but we’re still going through some of the damage taken by our latest misadventure”, Justin replied. “The engineers have been working overtime and all critical systems are operational. We’ve been taking on supplies from Deep Space Nine to replace used-up stocks.” He took a sip of coffee.

“That’s great.” Anje smiled, everything was definitely in order, “So, is this an everyday thing for you or what?”

“Getting up in the middle of the night?” Justin asked, not sure what she was referring to. “Lately, yes. I take naps in the afternoon.”

“Umm, didn’t catch your name, Ensign.” Anje noted.

“Oh, sorry. Justin Case, ma’am”, he said. “On light duty for the moment. PADD-work, organising, working on training programmes.”

“Oh, okay!” Anje said, it clicked now, “You’re the man who got injured during the retaking of Elysium. Is there anything I can do to help you in your job while you recover?”

“I’m good, but thank you”, Justin smiled. “I’m just glad I can stay here. I might appear a bit lazy with my flying tray here, but I promise it’ll get better as soon as I’ll have my new leg.”

“Well, your doctors are both excellent.” Anje reassured him, “Even if the surgeon is a little out there. As for the tray… Can I order one of those somewhere?”

“I had the chief engineer, Lieutenant Commander Grronkil, help me make it”, Justin said. “I suppose you can replicate one from the same file.”

“I’ll have to talk to him.” Anje stated, “That thing is dynamite.”

“I’m just using it so I don’t have to try to balance my food with my crutches”, Justin explained. “I figured I might give it a funny design, though. It’s from a book I read as a teenager, had these little slime aliens looking like that as cover art.”

“I’ve read Hitchhiker’s Guide, too.” Anje smiled, “One of my favorites.”

“Then you’ll be pleased to note we’ve got the pan-galactic gargle blaster on the replicator menu”, Justin said. “Recently added by Dr. Hertz.”

“Why am I not surprised?” Anje giggled, her first Elysium friend would always be the wackiest.

“I don’t know?” Justin shrugged. “She seems special, though. Scuttlebutt has it she’s painted the furniture in her quarters.”

“I don’t know about all that.” Anje shrugged, “But if the number of bags she was carrying when we met is any indicator she spends the gross domestic product of small colonies at IFFY. Kind of a clothes horse, I guess.” Anje didn’t own a lot of civilian clothes, basically when she wasn’t in uniform she was in sweats and a t-shirt; she was attractive, but not really fashionable...

“I went there earlier, they didn’t have any trousers that fit me”, Justin joked. “Not enough pirate customers, the guy said.”

“I’ve never been in.” Anje sighed, “I mean, I don’t really do a lot of clothes shopping. I don’t really, you know, go out or anything all that much. I mean, I went my entire last assignment without leaving the Ambassador’s side.”

“Easy for you, ma’am”, Justin said. “Guy like me, I have to make an effort.”

“Well, the effort seems to be paying off.” Anje smiled, the Ensign was undeniably handsome, “And, it’s not that I don’t make an effort, I just, I don’t know, I guess I’m kind of wash and wear. My sister, Ludmilla, she’s a fashion plate. My brothers? They’re like models or something, pilots both. Me? I blend in.”

Justin didn’t know how to respond to that. He knew nothing about her family history, and she was his boss. What should he say? A derisive remark about how pilots tended to have matching hot-shot personalities and were generally annoying people, with few exceptions? He didn’t want to insult her brothers or himself. “We all have our ways of standing out or we wouldn’t be on this ship”, he settled for saying.

“I suppose.” Anje laughed, deciding to turn the conversation back to work, “So, what are we looking at for the day?”

“The crew is busy squirreling away the supplies we’ve received. We’ll be departing soon. Can’t say I’ve been told anything beyond that, ma’am”, Justin said, back to business. “We did take on an unusual amount of medical supplies, though. I’m guessing there might be some kind of emergency we’re preparing for.”

“Yeah, that’s what I’ve heard.” Anje nodded, “As long as we’re ready, that’s all that matters.”

“Ready as can be, with what we’ve been given”, Justin said. That he was confident of.

“Okay.” Anje smiled, taking a seat behind her desk, “Oh, and if it’s not too much to ask, could you fly me a cup of hot cocoa on your slime monster?”

Justin grinned. “Coming right up.” He hadn’t expected his little helper to be such a hit.