How to not make a first impression

Posted on Thu Jul 22nd, 2021 @ 6:45am by Lieutenant Myne Redal & Commander Sthilg
Edited on on Thu Dec 23rd, 2021 @ 7:43pm

Mission: Season 5: Episode 2: Operation Save Humanity
Location: Sick Bay
Timeline: MD 05 - 0800 hours
2231 words - 4.5 OF Standard Post Measure

//ON//

So here's the deal, the USS Pegasus was a small ship. Like, really really really small. Sure it still was Starfleet, but it was support for the most part, actually it was an escort, but the point stands.. Now, when you take that into account and then move a usually airheaded when off duty Trill to something the size of the Elysium, you get a very confused and awkward figure, staring at a pad and turning it up side down and on its sides.

The duffle bag at her feet does hint to a rather small amount of personal possessions. The worn out pad which has a more or less accurate layout of the ship is her most prized one. That pad has been with her for almost a decade now, and despite it being slow at times, Myne has never had the heart to set it aside for a new one.

Though why she keeps turning it upside down and scratching her head at the display is anyone's guess. Clumsily and getting lost approximatively twelve times, Myne Redal finally makes it to the medical bay of the ship. The first of three very important meetings she has to attend to today.

Well, two actually with a potential third. A medical officer to give her the all clear, her department head to see that she's alive, kicking and can hold a stick in her hand to poke buttons with, and potentially the XO. Though the last part she hopes would never happen on account of not... having a good track record with XOs. Even if she only met one in her entire career and he didn't like her very much. Which was reason enough to avoid all future XOs out of safety.

"Well, you only get to panic once for every move you make!" She chirps to herself and enters the sick bay, pad in one hand, duffle bag in the other, looking rather awkward, nervous and staring wide eyed around her. This was a big sick bay. Look at all the fancy gear!!!

A slight humming that could only be coming from the throat of the ship's reptilain doctor filled sickbay as the ship's chief MD was busily checking the stock of all the cabinets. The tune was one his wife had told him and even though his Gorn vocal cords butchered it he never helped but smile at it's noise. Noting the new stranger he slowly walked over offering his hand. "Hello, there my dear. Can I help you?" He said with a friendly smile.

Myne freezes in place, a very fight or flight response. Well, she was neither fighting nor flying, she was standing still barely breathing, looking at the huge Gorn in shock. Her eyes fixed up at his face as he approaches her, the pale skin of her face growing paler with each step.

It takes a few uncomfortable seconds of silence, followed by a whimper for the Trill to reply. Doing so in a rather curious manner, especially at that terrifying smile of his. Bringing her pad to cover her face she speaks out in a squeaky tone. "Please don't eat me!! I don't taste good!! Trust me, I tried!! Pretty please, maybe try a Betazoid instead, they are delicious!!"

Sthilg paused feeling very confused. Looking over his shoulder to make sure there was no one else standing behind him before turning his attention back to the trill. "Why would I do that my dear and how do you know what betazoid tassstesss like?" He said feeling slightly hurt that his appearance could still bring about such a reaction.

Without bringing down the pad from in front of her face, her small protective shield, she trembles slightly. "It was in a study I read once..." The pad lowers just a tiny bit, just enough for her eyes to be visible and stare at him widely. "Are you sure you're not going to eat me? I also read... things about, erm, G-Gorn." Whatever she might be saying, Myne is actually genuine in her reactions. Maybe it would have helped if she hadn't read all those really bad Ferengi horror stories when she was little.

"My dear have you been reading that trasssh written by ferngi and the romance holovid writersss? I can asssure you it is all lies, propaganda or greatly exaggerated. I'll more than willing answer any question you might have about my people. And no we don't eat sssentient beingsss. We have protein sssynthesssisssersss." He said reassuringly.

The pad goes down a little bit more, revealing a increasing red blush on the pale cheeks of the now stupid feeling Trill. "Erm... nope, I would never ever ever read... alright, I admit, might have. Erm, perused, one or two, or thirty seven Ferengi cheap novels. Aaaaand erm, maybe several, five, holovid episodes on the topic..."

Myne trails off and the pad goes down, resting against her other upper arm as she looks down ashamed. "My apologies, that was a rude and uncalled for reaction. My name is Lieutenant junior grade Melyn Redal. And this is my first commission on a ship this size so I must have left my nerves get the better of me." Looking back up at him she smiles nervously. "In my defense... you do look freaking scary, sorry."

"Commander Sssthilg cheif MD of thisss ssship." the gorn said offering her his hand. "I'm ussse to that reaction my dear. Mossst ssspeciesss have a primal reaction to encountering large reptilesss."

With a very great deal of reluctance Myne reaches out to let him shake her hand. Kinda expecting him to either rip it off or crush it in his much much larger hand. Childhood fears are hard to overcome at times. "Yay... I pissed off the CMO on my very first day!! My bad... you maybe do not look so freaking scary at a second glance."

Giving her a gentle shake the gorn gave her a friendly smile. "You've done no sssuch thing, my dear. You are hear for a medical checkup i take it?"

Still smiling nervously, Myne nods. "Yeah, if that's still on the table. I would like to get cleared for duty, report to my chief then go find my cabin and cry into a pillow from the shame that is killing me on the inside. Oh right, yes a medical check up please!"

"Well if you follow me we'll get you ssseen to." The gorn said leading the way to his office. "Jussst take a ssseat and we'll..." The gorn began before notching he'd left a hologram of a beautiful Orion woman standing on his desk. Walking over and switched it off before looking back. "Sssorry about that thought i'd ssswitched that off." he said apologetically.

Myne follows obediently and sets her PADD on the duffle bag, and the bag on the floor. "Thank you for the seat." She replies without putting any kind of thought in what comes out of her mouth. Noticing the hologram of the Orion woman Myne grimaces not sure what one has to say in this kind of situation. Or if this kind of situation is supposed to be awkward or not.

"Erm... she looked... anatomically correct and fully functional maybe? Very nice specimen for a medical experiment? Your wife? Do you have children? Can Gorn and Orion even have offspring together? Gorn lay eggs... Orion are green like most lizards, maybe they lay eggs too, right? Kinda makes sense, though they aren't scaly in the least. Maybe it is like the Human tail, decrepit no longer useful organs, so they kinda gave up on it?" What started as a way to try and give a reply to the doctor, ended up with Myne tilting her head to the side, staring blankly ahead at nothing in particular and lost in a apparently endless spiral of more and more crazy talk on theories why the Orion are lizards.

The gorn chuckled slightly at the womans reaction. "Ssshe'sss my dear departed wife my dear. Nealy a hundred and fifty years and i ssstill misss her. " Do have a child through. Alicia the ssship'sss counciler is my adopted daughter."

"Unholy refuse! I am sorry Commander, I did not know. I meant no offense by any of the drivel I spewed!" Myne is rather quick to apologize before staring at him with a confused frowned and raising her hand to count on her fingers. "One hundred fifty? Waaait... Commander... just how old are you? Are Gorn like, immortal or something?"

"My dear pleassse ssstop apologizing when you have causssed no offenssse. " The gorn said ressringly. " Asss for my age i am Two hundred and eighteen in two monthsss. Due to are people preferred planetsss and lifestylesss mossst of us make a mere fifty yearsss. "

"Yes, sorry, of course, darn, sorry I didn't mean to. Erm..." Myne trails off shaking her head slightly. "We should do the medical thingy... maybe, probably, please Commander? Though before that..." She narrows her eyes at him. "You are over two hundred but the average lifespan is fifty years?"

"Yesss my dear, but asss i sssaid that'sss mossstly due to are planetsss and lifessstylies. We are capable of living for a very long time. Queen Franzaar for example made it to four hundred and ssseventy three before ssshe passsed into the hunting groundsss. We even have legendsss of sssome usss making it to one thousand. " the doctor replied as he tapped the bio bed.

"Okay, you learn something new everyday apparently. Thank you Commander that was informative and curious. I did not know any of those thingies. Makes you wonder why don't all Gorn change planet and lifestyle to live longer, right?" Myne continues talking as she notices the tap on the bio bed with some latency before shaking herself to attention and going to lay down on it.

"We are a proud people and slow to change. The Hegemony navy hasss sssome vesssselsss ssstill in ssservice from before the federation was formed. " The gorn said as he switched on the scanner." Now my dear tell me about yourself." He said as it began.

"Well makes sense... somehow. Those are some really old ships. You do know ships actually have an expiration date?" She asks trying to be helpful as she waits for the scanner to do its job. "Me? You know, I think. Take in oxygen, consume matter, process all of that into fuel, getting rid of the refuse, and then dealing with snarky buddy body for the next couple of decades or so. Nothing much. Anything in particular you wanna know doc?"

"Any problemsss with the sssymbiote sssince your joining? " The lizard inquired as he looked over the slug with the scanner. " If you don't mind me asking i've always wondered is there a clear line where you ssstart and the sssymbiote beginsss?"

"Nah, just... overall annoying to deal with myself at times, that is all. I talk to my symbiote because he is the only one that listens patiently." Myne replies forcing a nervous smile on her face. "Just joking doc. No, there is no line that I am aware, it's just me as I always was but... you know, a few lifetimes of memories and experiences added on top. Sometimes it is just a lot to take in, that is all. How's the scanner thingy doing? Did it detect that I am alive yet?"

"Everything looksss good from what i can tell. Bio sssymbiosssisss isn't one of my ssspecialtiesss, but everything looks greeen according to the computer. I sssee no reason to not clear you fit for duty." The doctor replied.

"Hey! That's a fun coincidence! Bio symbiosis isn't one of my specialities either!! High five!" Myne chuckles excitedly and offers a raised hand to high five. "So I can go now?! Still debating whether this is a long and elgaborate trick that ends up with me being a meal!" She says shrugging and smiling nervously while still laying down on the bio bed.

The gorn gave her a soft high five. With his strength he didn't want to risk hurting her hand. "You can go my dear and no i have a pack lunch." The gorn said pulling a soup flask from his desk draw as he placed in the saved data crystal.

Getting up from the bed she nods eagerly. "Thank you doc. You were really... something. I kinda liked meeting a Gorn, especially one so nice. Erm... sorry about the whole eating me up thing. My mouth just blabs on without letting my head have a say in it at times. I am going to be out of your hair commander in a jiffy!"

Myne goes to take her PADD and duffle bag and nods to the Commander, eager to leave and pretend really really really hard that she did not make a complete fool of herself. Yep... play pretend is the perfect solution in this case!

"Take care my dear. Feel free to drop-by any time." The gorn said as he waved goodbye to her.

With a silent head bow Myne is more than happy to leave the sick bay. First bad impression on the ship made? Check! Time for her second appointment... her department chief.

//OFF//

Commander Sthilg
Chief Medical Officer
USS Elysium

Lieutenant JG Myne Redal
Assistant Chief Operations Officer
USS Elysium