Traffic Jam

Posted on Thu Sep 23rd, 2021 @ 6:07am by Lieutenant JG Jason Danvers [Taylor] & Lieutenant JG Miraj Derani

Mission: Season 5: Episode 2: Operation Save Humanity
Location: Various
Timeline: MD 6 1600 hrs
Tags: Timeline incorrect
2483 words - 5 OF Standard Post Measure

Jason fumed, this was unbelievable! The main cargo bay was suffering a serious traffic jam due to a rather large gunboat taking up most of the space. Shuttles and runabouts carrying both supplies and personnel were being redirected to other bays to take the deliveries. However in addition to the time delays in rerouting the shuttles as well as work bees it was creating a huge snafu as the gunboat was also a hazard in the bay with its sheer size. Tempers were also beginning to flare over both the delays and flying around the gunboat. So far no fights had broken out but it was just a matter of time. He had run an ID on the ship and it came back as named the Redemption and the owner was listed as Kaden Ross, the Elysium's new bar owner, who hadn't asked if he could store the ship where it was.

He went to find Miraj and inform her of the situation. Using the computer he was informed she was in her quarters. Arriving, he pressed the chime and waited.

Miraj was just off shift and contemplating whether she should eat now, or go down to the flight simulators for a little bit. She'd decided on the flight simulators when the doorbell rang. Opening the door was a crewman in red. She stared for a second, trying to remember his name. "Jason? What's up?"

"Sorry to bother you Miraj. I didn't take you away from anything did I?" Jason asked before getting back to the matter at hand. "Got a first-class frackin snarl-up in the cargo bay. Got a gunboat taking up most of the space in there. I've been rerouting supplies and personnel to other cargo bays. Figured you'd like to contact the ship's owner."

"A gunboat?" Miraj was surprised. this was the first she was hearing about it. "I haven't authorized anything. And Commander Vail didn't mention anything." She turned back into her quarter and gripped the nearest padd, a data slate size rather than a pocket version, and checked her messages. "Nothing from COmmander Lovejoy either, I don't see any authorization at all for it. Who let it dock?" She flicked through the previous day's paperwork. "Carol." she sighed. No point following up on that, she'd just get a lecture about how she was too young to know anything. "looks like it belongs to... a Kaden Ross. Computer, is Kaden Ross still on board?"

"Kaden Ross is in the main gymnasium," it reported dutifully.

"Thank you," Miraj said to the computer. She turned to Jason. "Do you want to come with me? Help me sort this out?"

"sure thing. I'd like to hear what he has to say about this." Jason answered.

It took only a few minutes to reach the gym, and Miraj hesitated in the doorway, looking around for whoever this Kaden Ross might be, scanning to sift faces she knew from those she didn't

Kaden was in the gym punching and kicking the punching bag in front of him he had been there for hours after all this time he still had problems sleeping. But he was also trained to be a light sleeper a killer never rests as one of the masters in the Death Dealers used to say but the bastard's species was known to be light sleepers anyway. Kaden despised not being able to sleep like a normal person all the years of beatings and harsh training growing up had really taken a toll on him.

He could still hear their voices in his head ' You are relentless, unreasonable, uncaring you were nothing when we took you from your parents and made you into something. You are now a prime physical specimen of your bodybuilder physique, your marksmanship skills, combat mastery. Everything we trained you for is now complete the beatings the lashings you endured forged you into a weapon of mass slaughter you are a Death Dealer.'


Realizing she wasn't sure who she was looking for, Miraj started to cross to the first few faces she couldn't place, asking for the person who had so inconsiderate dumped their ship in her flight deck without permission. After a few shakes of heads and 'sorry, no's she moved over to the slab of muscle abusing the heavy bag. "I'm looking for Kaden Ross?" She had to raise her voice over the slamming sounds

Kaden said nothing the voice in his head still talking making him angrier by the second.

Miraj took the lack of reaction as a no, and moved off, working her way around the remaining unknowns there were so many people on this ship. Getting back to the doors she could only conclude that the miscreant had left a few moments before she arrived. "Computer, where is Kaden Ross?"

"Kaden Ross is in the main gymnasium."

The young officer thanked the computer with a sigh, tightened her bunches, and squared her shoulders. No one new had entered while they'd been here. Which left the only person who hadn't actually bothered to acknowledge her. Or others were lying, but she doubted that. With a tug on her red-shouldered uniform top, she marched across the free weights area to the neanderthal attempting to murder the heavy bag. "Kaden Ross. Your ship has to be disembarked." She wanted to say 'Now!' but all she managed was, "Please?"

Jason walked slightly behind Miraj as she was the Chief Flight Control Officer. He was ready to back her up any way she needed.

Again Kaden said nothing he was so full of rage he paused to remove his sweat-soaked shirt showing off his muscles and a nasty scar on the left side of his ribs from a near-fatal wound.

When he turned to get a drink he noticed there was a line it seemed standing there. His face turning red he pulled his earpieces blasting loud music of Rob Zombie from his ears turning them off. The voices in his head going away as he returned to his normal demeanor.

"Sorry, I had no idea there was a line for this I'll get out of your way."

"Er, I'm not waiting for the, uh, thing." Miraj was developing a blush as pink as her hair and was steadfastly trying not to look at the muscles of his shoulders. "I'm looking for Kaden Ross," She told his naval, then realized that the naval was surrounded by the deeply carved valleys that outlined his abdominals and looked away again, to the heavy bag that was still swinging from its hook. "About his ship. Is that you?"

Kaden sat down on a bench nearby taking a drink of water wiping the sweat off his face. "I am Kaden Ross, yes." He proceeded to take another drink. "What about my ship? You guys didn't damage it did you?"

"What? No." Miraj was offended by the idea she'd have a fender bender on her own flight deck. "Your ship is taking up the whole damn bay and no one can get in or out. I need to know how long you're going to be on board so I can tell any arrivals how long they have to wait for."

"I don't plan on going anywhere you see I am the new owner of Arcadia. So unless you plan to buy my bar I may be here quite a long time." Kaden replied as he put his earpieces in his bag.

Then, sir, your ship needs to be moved from its present location as it is causing a traffic backlog into the bay." Jason answered politely.

Kaden raised an eyebrow. "Moved? She goes where I go so unless you got the money to buy my bar my ship stays."

"You are blocking all the access," Miraj repeated, slower and slightly louder. "It has to move. You cannot leave it in the shuttle bay. No one else can get in or out."

"Well I am sorry, but I paid my fee and I got the sign off by an Ensign Derani I can park it there take it up with her," Kaden replied.

"No you fucking didn't." Miraj put her hands over her mouth, not having meant to swear. "I mean, I'm Ensign Derani, and I didn't sign it off. Can I see the paperwork?"

Kaden tilted his head utterly confused. "Wait, YOU are Ensign Derani?" He racked his brain trying to recall the 'Derani' from the shuttlebay. Come to think of it she had blonde hair and was a bit taller and her tits were a bit bigger but Kaden wasn't going to mention that if asked.

"The one and only." Who would be passing themself of as her? It didn't make any sense to Miraj "Can I see your docking request? I want to get to the bottom of this?"

Jason shot Miraj a look, "Who would be passing themselves off as you?" He questioned. "That doesn't make any sense especially with Captain Carrington being in command. She'd never tolerate something like this."

Miraj's thoughts instantly went to Carol. she could see the argumentative petty officer deciding not to argue on the docking of such a large vessel and pushing the mess off onto her to sort out. "She might not tolerate it, hasn't stopped it happening." She turned back to the mountain of muscle in front of her who still hadn't covered the 0% body fat of his chest, and she could feel all the blood rushing to her face. "I don't know who set you up. But the fact is your ship is not going to be able to stay there indefinitely. As I said, its blocking everything, and I don't have authorisation to permit you to stay." It wasn't quite the truth, but she sure as hell wasn't signing off on it without the Captains permission.

Kaden pulled out his PADD bringing up the form he was given by 'Derani' he could keep his ship where it is. "Look, somebody took 10,000 Credits from me and signed this saying I can." He looked it over the form was real but the signature was obviously forged which pissed him off that he could tell a fake from a real one. But the excitement of seeing his new bar had got the best of him and some random yahoo pulled a simple con on him. Kaden handed the form to Derani to look over.

Miraj scanned the details on the padd. It was her name on the padd, but not her signature. She handed the padd to Jason with a sigh "Is there any way we can figure out who filled that in?" She turned back to Kaden. "When did you fill this in?" If they cross referenced by anyone on duty, or who had disembarked, that might give them a clue. "I'm going to have to call security. Lovejoy is going to tear me a new one for this."

"Was shortly before being greeted by Lovejoy and couple of others...guess explains this hoodlum that ripped me off was quick to leave." Kaden replied as he shook his head certainly embarrassed taking a seat he pulled out a clean towel. “So, about my ship what do you both suggest I do with her?”

Miraj said "hmm," the possibilities cycling. They could play tetris with docking bays, but it would take a while to figure out the best layout that still allowed access. "If you've got a standard hull access port with an airlock, we could couple you to to one of ours, you'd be piggybacked to the saucer section until we can organise a permanent solution. It would probably be easier to beam in and out, but if you needed emergency access you could still go physically through the coupler."

"That would work." Jason replied confidently. "It will free up the cargo bay and still allow Mr. Ross access to his ship. That's if Mr. Ross has no objections to this arrangement."

"Like riding on the back of an old Earth 747?" Kaden asked wondering if that is what they was hinting at.

"Precisely Mr. Ross." Jason answered. "It clears the cargo bay and still gives you access to your ship."

Kaden began to gather his things into his duffle case thinking the idea over a bit more. "I have no objections to it I am just sorry for causing a huge traffic jam." He paused waving his index finger between the three of them. "Uh, you ARE going to track down that little shit and see to it my money is returned right?"

"You'd have to talk to Commander Taylor in Security. That sort of investigation would be her purview." Miraj told him. She had no idea how to start that sort of thing.

"Will do." Kaden replied before pausing. "How soon do you need my ship moved?"

"As soon as you put some clothes on?" Miraj tried not to look at his abs. failed, and went red, "i mean. As soon as possible. Please."

Kaden raised an eyebrow. "Right, here..." He handed the remote to his ship to Danvers. "I trust you can pilot pretty well move her for me I need to shower anyways."

Jason took the remote, " Thanks Dad." He smirked "I promise not to scratch the paint."

"Better bring her back with a full tank of gas too." Kaden said waving his finger again.

Jason sighed, "I suppose you'd like me to get her washed for you as well."

Kaden freed his bare feet from his shoes before looking at Danvers made a slight annoyed growl before snatching the remote from him then handing it to Miraj. "Here you move it, your friend can sit and look pretty." Grabbing his towel Kaden started for the showers. "Consider yourself honored I am letting you fly my ship. I normally never let anyone but me fly her."

Pausing from outside the showers he turned to face them. "One bit of fair warning I find out you both are snooping around my ship I will shoot you both and vaporize your corpses." Danvers choice of words put Kaden in a bit of foul mood with that jab of washing his ship. He left them be to decide if he was serious or not about blasting them.

Truthfully he hoped Danvers get a good smack upside the head and grew tired of poor Miraj admiring his physique poor girl just kept staring as if she never saw a half naked man before.

Miraj turned the remote control over in her hands, calculating the shortest path to the hanger, the threat bouncing unheard over the offer to fly a new ship. She was itching to get behind the helm of yet another new ship. "Alright Jason, lets go shift the jam."

"Right with you Miraj." Jason answered, happy to get moving.