Your ride is here

Posted on Thu Jun 16th, 2022 @ 6:26am by Captain Samuel Woolheater & Lieutenant JG Miraj Derani

Mission: Season 5: Episode 4: Reef
Location: USS Elysium 98Main Shuttle Bay
Timeline: MD01 - 0700
Tags: Miraj, miscommunication, Oopps
2471 words - 4.9 OF Standard Post Measure

[ON:]

"DING!" the computer beeped as an incoming transmission arrived to Elysium shuttle operations team. It was a message from Starfleet Marine Corps. The Margrve base on Titan. The message read in part,

"...requests that a craft from your vessel be dispatched to rendezvous with all haste to NCC-60416 USS Front Royal at or near coordinates Wolf-359. Pickup First Lieutenant WOOLHEATER, SAMUEL RYDER ; SFMC SERVICE #W1IE-2796-1750-PACEM. Deliver to NCC-89000 USS Elysium. PCS transfer to your command. Authorization: GENERAL COMMANDANT HOSTEE, MARK WALTER. Please refer to REG# 06211/099 for further followup...."

And the message went on. The person handling the COMM traffic looked at the roster and Ensign Derani was up.

=A= Ensign Derani to main shuttlebay flight office please. =A=

Miraj had just finished showering when the call came in, and still damp she headed over to the Shuttlebay. "Morning, Coco!" She beamed at her graveyard shift's chief of the deck. "What's the excitement? Or are you just trying to get off shift early?" she teased.

"Sorry ma'am," CPO Coco Hath passed her a padd with the request. "But I need your clearance to schedule this."

Miraj read the request. "Wolf 359? Why can't they get his arse to Spacedock? We've been here a week. Or send one of their own shuttles?"

Hath gave her a sympathetic shrug. "Jarheads ma'am. No finer Dogs of War in a combat situation; can't find their arse with both hands and a map the rest of the time."

Miraj giggled. "Don't let the colonel hear you say that." Then she sighed. With current departure plans and patrol path, they're completely in the wrong direction. "We'll have to send Zion or Valhalla. Nothing else will be able to catch us up. Send Carol." The angry pilot always welcomed time away from her department head.

Hath nodded, and Miraj looked at the padd again. "Computer, send a message to Lieutenant Woolheater on the USS Front Royal, saying that Zion will pick him up in," she mentally calculated how long it would take, especially with Carol at helm probably doing max warp all the way there. "In thirty nine hours and forty seven minutes."

The computer beeped its acknowledgement.


DECK THIRTY-TWO - MARINE COUNTY

"BONG!" the computer beeped on Samuel Woolheater's terminal. It was buried at the moment under PaDD's and a few marine manuals and sniper resources. He found it and after a moment read the message. He said to himself aloud, "...what the hell...???"

"Computer? When did this message come in?"

=A= The communique was received by the communication system at 07:05 hours =A=

"Today? This doesn't make any damn sense! Computer? Who sent the message?"

=A= The sender is Ensign Miraj Derani =A=

"Damn fleeters!" Sam said irritated. "Computer who is the recipient?"

=A= First Lieutenant Samuel Woolheater =A=

"And where is First Lieutenant Samuel Woolheater?"

(whirrs) =A= That information is not available =A=

"Like hell it isn't!" he said and got to his feet. Sam went over to an LCARS terminal in the next office and logged in. He did a personnel search and discovered that something about his transfer and posting was still all screwed up. He fumed. Tapping the COMM badge he said, =A= Ensign Derani? This is Lieutenant Woolheater. I'm already on the ship. Something's not right. Can I come and see you and get this sorted out? You don't need to send a ride. I'm already here. =A=

Half way across the shuttle bay, Miraj stopped, and tapped her badge. "Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't know that, I'm down in the shuttle bay. Of course stop by."
She closed the call. Well that was awkward and embarassing.

TEN MINUTES LATER

Sam walked into the shuttlebay and asked to see Ensign Miraj Derani. There were some areas on a Starship that were off limits to anyone but a member of that team. Sam wasn't sure if the shuttlebay was one of those areas and so he asked a crew member first before just barging onto the bay.

After being assured that the Shuttlebay was open to everyone, he was pointed at the traffic control office, where he could see two women talking animatedly. One was a human CPO, with salt and pepper hair; the other was not entirely human, her hair in pink bunches and a single shiny pip on her collar. She looked barely old enough to start the academy, let alone have graduated.

Neither appeared to have noticed his arrival, and they were happily talking about which shuttles needed to be pulled for servicing, and which could be left longer.

He approached and said, "Pardon me, Ensign? Chief? I'm looking for Ensign Derani? I'm Lieutenant Woolheater. I think there's been a mixup? Just here to sort it out?"

The pink haired ensign waved at him. "That's me. I'm Miraj."

A very young, very delightful, well-endowed, Ensign smiled back and waved. Sam's eyes took her all in. It was mentally like hitting a speedbump in the road. He looked up from her...top...and back to her eyes. Looking at the salt & pepper CPO and then back to the Ensign. His eyebrows lifted (nuh!) "Ensign Derani? Ensign Derani." He momentarily forgot why he was here. "Yeah, uh, kind of a mix up. So...I arrived two days ago..." he said.

"So, your old berth seems to think you're still on the Front Royal. And you need a lift." And she would have remembered if this was a duplicate request. "How did you get here before they sent the request? Something spooky and quantum?"

He paused and looked at the CPO and then back at Ensign Derani. "Not spooky, not quantum, definitely not fun. Its a long story but the short version is somebody made an error and its been following me ever since I boarded the wrong ship. But, I got, er, alternate transportation, from the wrong ship to here. And I saw your message. I only didn't want to waste your time by flying out there when there's nobody going to be there. I am really sorry about the error." She has such a warm smile and her pink hair seemed to suit her just perfectly. He could tell that she was a kind soul by the eyes. He couldn't place her species and he was trying to guess her age. He settled on sixteen, probably a child prodigy? Maybe even a full fledged pilot by now? "So, no need to fire up the shuttle. I'll contact SFMC and rattle some cages. Yeah...sorry about the whole mix up...thing."

Miraj waved a hand to indicate it wasn't a problem. "these things happen. But if we didn't come and get you..." A thought occurred to her. "Coco, have we got any jollyboats we shouldn't?"

the NCO looked Woolheater over with the same sort of appraising glance that he was used to getting off Marine NCO: weighing, measuring, and trying to decide if the junior officer was going to be found wanting immediately, or at a more convenient later time. "No ma'am," she said after a moment. "Complement's all here."

Miraj beamed at him again. "In that case, there's absolutely no harm done, all well." she gave another shrug of her hands. "Soooo. Since you're here, do you need to log your piloting credentials, or are you up to date? It would save me hunting you down later. Not that I probably could, because I don't know anything about hunting, and all I'd have to do is ask Avalon anyway because she's always watching, and I don't like going down to Marine country. Everyone down there's so scary-" Miraj, stop talking she told herself. and then she realised what she said, and ploughed straight on. "Not that I think you're scary, I mean I've just met you. Its just that everyone's so protective of the colonel and I don't want to make for any-"

"Ma'am." Hath said, with the absolutely straight face of the career NCO faced with junior officer idiocy, "Take a breath."

Miraj's jaw closed with a click, and her face went the same colour as her hair.

He grinned back at her; delightfully so with a handsome smile. "You have a lot going on there Ensign; I'm glad you ran out of air before I lost count. Lemme see if I can keep up with you?" He took a moment and looked up and to the right and then started, "No, I don't have any piloting credentials to speak of. Marine Corps didn't think that a sniper should know how to fly. Hunting? That I do know...a few things. And I hope that the ship's AI Avalon has better things to do that watch us all the time because that sounds awfully lot like a very bored AI." He stopped for air only once, "Deck Thirty-Two is marine country and I agree that while the place itself isn't all that scary; I do understand that there can be scary creatures that inhabit it. And you don't know me well enough yet to determine if I'm one of those scary trolls or if I'm one of the good guys and all that scary or not? You're right that we have just met and I'm wondering how someone so young can have so many thoughts all bottled up and come out in such a steady stream like a plasma torch? Maybe that's the reason that other marines are so protective of the Colonel? Because it's not that you are scared of them; rather they are scared of you? Lastly, don't think for a moment that I am teasing you or mocking you." He paused a beat, took a breath and said, "I don't think I've ever met someone who defines the phrase a 'bundle of energy' quite the way you do." He smiled again, "Better start breathing again soon ensign or you'll turn a shade darker red. Tell me? How'd I do? Did I get everything? And how old are you Ensign Derani? Just curious."

Mirajs first thought was he has such a lovely smile.. And her second thought was He can't fly?. At which point her entire cognitive process ground to a halt in disbelief and everything else he said went in one ear and out the other. He couldn't fly? But he looked around her brother's age. And a marine who couldn't fly? "I can teach you!" she blurted out. oh, but his smile was sooo nice. "To fly. If you want. I teach all the time. Flying, I mean."

She was like if a bottle of champagne came to life. Effervescent with joy. One couldn't help but smile. "Maybe one day you can teach me, yes. Probably couldn't hurt. But, I'm just a sniper and I hadn't given more thought to learning how to fly. I'll run it by the Colonel and see what she thinks?"

"I'm sure she'll say yes. Why would she say no? Everyone should know how to fly." Her fingers caught the end of her bunches and she twisted one pink end around a finger. "And with me, you can learn in real shuttlecraft, no flight simulators, just you, a shuttle, and the waiting void..." She couldn't think of anywhere better to be ever, let alone to learn piloting.

Sam's eyebrows lifted at the thought. And he grinned broadly, "If I weren't so busty..." *damn!* "...busy..." *he corrected* "...then I'd certainly like to take you for a test drive..." (ahem!) "...flight. A test flight. Not you...you...your ship...the ship...the shuttle." He tried it again, "A private session with you....would be quite a ride indeed." *That didn't sound right either* "Because...you're such a professional in the seat. The pilot's seat of course. I bet you really know just how to use the stick. To fly." My god he was bombing. He winced, visibly and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "You know...I'm just going to stop talking. Maybe. Like. Forever. It's been nice meeting you Ensign Derani." He mentally reminded himself of why he came up here anyway and he tried very hard not to allow that sensual curling of the hair to distract him.

"Ma'am, you need to be on the bridge," Hath said, forstalling any more idiocy from either of them "Shift change soon."

"WHat? Oh. Yes, of course, thank you, Coco." Miraj nodded, pulled her fingers away from their nervous twisting. but she didn't seem embarrassed of upset over Sam stumbling words. If anything, they'd sailed straight past her even as she'd listened with a blush still tinting her face. "I have to-" she made a gesture towards the turbolifts. "Don't want to be late." she explained.

"Yeah?" he said, "I gotta...yeah do...marine...stuff" ~marine stuff~ he thought and shook his head. He took a few steps forward almost running into her and apologized, "Oh! Sorry. Turbolift...other way." But she was taking the turbolift too. Sam said, "I'll...go...by the outer gangway. Got to get my steps in today." He said as he was going to take the long way around and use the stairs to avoid the turbolift. He took a few steps forward, apologetically, and then a few steps more and stopped. Returning to stand in front of her again he asked, "OK. Just to be clear. You weren't asking me out on a date right? I mean the whole shuttle thing wasn't...like...a code...or something right... for you and me to...hook up and...y'know..." here he made a couple of pumping actions with both of his arms "... have some quick and dirty...?"

"What? Code? Why would I use a code? I just meant, because simulators are boring and don't feel right." It took a moment for Miraj's brain to parse the gestures into a meaning, and then her ears burned hot as the sun with sheer embarrassment. What was it with marines? Were they just perpetually horny? She backed into the open turbolift, "So. Got to go. Bridge! Bye." She shut the door on him, and sank back against the wall, wishing she could just be absorbed into the bulkhead. "Sink me." she whispered. What even was her life?

"WAIT?! I thought you were..." he said but the doors closed on him. "Great, so awesome Sam. So. Awesome" he said to himself. He did take the stairs and then the long way back to marine county. Cursing himself all the way back.

[OFF:]

Ensign Miraj Derani
(signed off by Woolheater)

&

1st Lieutenant Samuel Woolheater
“Saepius Exertus, Semper Fidelis, Frater Infinitas”
Division VI, MARDET 62nd Company "Spartans", 1st Platoon CO
=/\= USS ELYSIUM - NCC-89000 =/\=