Welcome aboard?
Posted on Mon May 23rd, 2022 @ 5:14am by Captain Samuel Woolheater
Edited on on Mon May 23rd, 2022 @ 5:14am
Mission:
MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: USS Front Royal
Timeline: THREE DAYS AGO
Tags: Front Royal
1063 words - 2.1 OF Standard Post Measure
[ON:]
OBSIDIAN COMMAND OF THE NINTH FLEET – SFMC HQ COMPANY - 6TH MARINE DIVISION ===
First Lieutenant Samuel Woolheater and the rest of the group that transported just finished materializing on the transporter pads.
“Welcome to the Front Royal” said the transporter operator to the group of eight including Woolheater. “Starfleet personnel to the right. Civilians to the left. Please step off the pad people. We have a more personnel to transport. Thank you.”
The group divided roughly into half. Sam asked the transporter operator, “Excuse me? Where is the MarDet CO?” The female transporter operator didn’t even look up, “Marines, deck twenty-two. Take the turbolift at the end of the corridor aft.” Sam said, “Thank you.” And the group was ushered into the corridor of the starship.
The USS Front Royal was an Excelsior-class ship. She may be old, but these Excelsior-class ships were workhorses. She was constructed some forty-years ago, so she was older than Sam. But with the refit, you’d never really know it.
It was busy here! After getting out of the corridor that led from the transporters and the turbolifts, there was more “elbow room”. But still, Sam thought to himself, ~ Damn! ~ As Sam walked the corridor, heading aft, he passed by an “I” junction. And on both sections of the middle portion of the “I” were the ship and crew award wall. He stopped and recognized on battle flag and ribbon. It was the Borg Expeditionary Defense. Front Royal must have been somewhere engaged in defending the Federation from the Borg. And there was the flag and ribbon for the Dominion War. Sam was impressed. The list of crews was long, and the awards were many.
Woolheater waited for one of the turbolifts and then entered with a few others, “Deck twenty-two” he announced to the lift. And in just a few short stops, he arrived on deck twenty-two.
DECK TWENTY-TWO
Sam went aft and found the marine detachment area. It was small, probably only thirty-five marines stationed on Front Royal at any one time. The corridors here were somehow narrower. As if the MarDet was an afterthought. He passed by several sleeping berths. Sam went for the CO’s office and found it empty. “Hey?” a voice said behind him. Sam turned and saw another marine. She asked, “You lost or something Lieutenant…?” She let her voice end with an upward inflection and left the question hanging. She was combat infantry. She was a 1st LT too. Steely-eyed, nothing gets missed.
“Woolheater. Transfer from Titan. You all were kind enough to let me hitch a ride to my next posting” Sam answered.
“I thought we were done picking up strays! Is this a god-damned taxi service?” she teased. At least Sam thought she was teasing. There was no smile on her face so…maybe??? “If you’re looking for the CO then your ass is gonna hafta wait. CO is on the bridge with the skipper. Rest of the detachment is securing the ship for departure. Why don’t you check in for now with the computer, so the CO knows you reported on time? Then, if you aren’t too busy, you can make yourself useful? Just a thought. Or are you one of those sit on your ass lieutenants?” She crossed her arms and gave him a closer look.
“No, I work for a living” he said without thinking. That was his problem. Sam could give “sass” mouth right back and it was usually full, unedited, uncensored, Woolheater when he did so. For a moment Sam just stood there processing. In the split-second he had before he thought of a reply he wondered if the real reason nobody was down here was to get away from her? He thought to himself, ~ Fuckin’ ay…no problems with stowaways on this bucket. ~ Instead, he said, “Hells no Lieutenant…? I didn’t catch your name?” He tried the vocal inflection trick too by ending with a question. It didn’t work. “No. You didn’t. I haven’t given it to you. For all I know you’re just a damn civvy playing ‘army guy’ by replicating a uniform and getting a store-bought haircut.”
At that Sam guffawed. But only once. “Yeah…well. OK. I’ll just get checked in then.” She put her hands on her hips. “MMmm-hmmm” she said all pissy.
Woolheater turned towards the nearest LCARS terminal, he cracked his neck, and his eyebrows went up in the “wow and holy shit” expression, ~ Nkay. This ought to be fun. ~ he thought. Addressing himself to the computer, he touched the screen, and it came to life and whirred. “Computer, recognize Woolheater, Samuel R. Service Number 1447-Psi-8384.” The computer whirred as it accessed the database,
=A= Recognized. Woolheater, Samuel R. First Lieutenant =A=
“Please verify that at this stardate I reported in as ordered” Sam said as he removed his fingers from the panel. =A= Confirmed. Check-in is completed. The marine detachment commanding officer will be notified. =A=
Picking up his duffle and backpack, Woolheater approached, “Where can I bunk?” he asked.
“Top bunk, on your right. Number seventeen” the Lieutenant said. Sam found the bunk and dropped his shit off. Duffle on the footlocker, backpack on the top bunk.
The ship's bosun's whistle came on. A short, then long tone and then a short one to end it. An announcement came over the COMM, "=/\= Attention to orders! Prepare for departure! All hands. Prepare to break orbit. =/\="
She eyed him like one would eye a piece of bubble-gum on the bottom of a boot, “You know how to handle a hand phaser?”
Sam almost rolled his eyes. Instead, he went to the small arms locker and pointed to the diagram of a hand phaser that was posted and said, “That’s the front end. That’s the back end. That’s the gimmick you pull.”
She wasn’t smiling or grinning. She just snorted and said, “Follow me hot shot. You’re already way ahead of the Fleeters!”
[OFF:]
1st Lieutenant Samuel Woolheater
“Saepius Exertus, Semper Fidelis, Frater Infinitas”
Division VI, MARDET 62nd Company "Spartans", 2nd Platoon CO
=/\= USS ELYSIUM - NCC-89000 =/\=
