Accomodations
Posted on Thu Aug 8th, 2024 @ 12:40pm by Captain Samuel Woolheater
Mission:
Season 6: Episode 5: A church beyond heaven
Location: Deck 32 - MXO office
Timeline: Today
917 words - 1.8 OF Standard Post Measure
[ON:]
USS ELYSIUM – DECK THIRTY-TWO – MARINE XO’s OFFICE
Malpya.
So costly the sacrifice.
The plaque was dark cherrywood and a golden bronze metal mounting on the front. There the ribbon was affixed. It was a yellow ribbon with two adornments and one rather unexpected dark smudge in the middle. The inscription underneath simply read “Malpya. Stardate 70191.5.”
It was the first bit of décor that he brought. He placed it on the wall shelf behind him. It would be a reminder. That freedom isn’t free. Concepts like Fairness, Justice and Equity are more than words. They are perspectives. And while a phaser rifle is certainly effective; words will always retain their power.
Captain Samuel Woolheater stood in the XO’s office. It was quiet in here and noisy out there in the hall and on the deck. The office didn’t seem real. It still felt like Captain Tonelly would come walking in at any moment and get right back to work.
Sam had only one box. He unpacked it and there were very few items on the desk or the shelves. He preferred it that way. Less is more. Turning to the main desk, there was a box on it and a bow. It was from Adelaide. On the box she wrote, ‘For the XO’. He opened the box, and it was a coffee mug. Marine logo and everything. He grinned and chuckled.
He sat down at the desk and logged into the computer with his new access codes.
=A= Authorization accepted. This computer terminal provides full access to the LCARS computer net. It can be accessed both by voice and keypad commands =A= the monotone voice of the system said as the screen was filled with work and data. Sam started reading the various reports and messages. In the middle, he stopped at one message. It was a duty transfer request. Three Marines are requesting a transfer to MSG, (Marine Security Guard) duty. That was the diplomatic protection detail. This would potentially put the third platoon seriously understaffed.
He tried not to think of it as a rebuttal to his taking the XO spot. Even so, David was irreplaceable. And every Marine here knew what was needed and how to get the job done. Now, things would be different. There was a new XO and Sam had to figure it out. He looked up and across the hall. He was surprised to see Adelle standing there. How long had she been watching him?
“How do you like your new office Captain?” she asked.
“It’s fine. Thank you for the coffee mug. I’ll be using it right quick. Very kind of you” he said.
She smiled back, “Well, I take lunch at 1230 and I’m usually back before 1330. Do you like walk-ins?”
Sam nodded, “I think that’s a good idea. Open door policy and such” he said.
She nodded. “Does it feel a little bit weird?”
Sam grinned and laughed, “I’d be lying if I said it didn’t.”
“You’ll be fine. Just give it time. Captain Tonelly meant all those things he said about you. He wasn’t just saying them as platitudes or to be ‘nice’” she said.
“Oh? How’d you know what he said?”
“He wrote them down. I had to enter a reason for your new role and he cited his log. So I had to read it.”
He nodded, “Very generous I think.”
“Do you remember when we were first hit by the cosmic filament?” she asked.
“Yes, how could I forget?”
“What you maybe don’t know is that, we needed someone to be ‘in charge’ at that time. The Colonel wasn’t here, she was in sickbay and Captain Tonelly was at home. People couldn’t communicate. We couldn’t see, we didn’t have a lot of information. But, when you stepped up to lead. It’s what we needed.”
Sam nodded and returned her gaze.
“I don’t think you knew how…good that made people feel. How safe it made people feel that there was help here and there was a plan and there was someone taking responsibility and making decisions.”
“I was just…doing what any other Marine would have done” he answered.
“Maybe so. But you did it. At the right time when it most needed. And that’s what the Colonel considered when David needed to step down. She has a lot on her plate right now. For months now. She’s responsible for all of us here. She said yes to you as XO because she can count of you. To help, to keep this place in order to back her up. I just wanted you to know that if you’re feeling like you don’t belong here in your new role. Nobody was being ‘nice’ about the decision. She’s not like that. You’re ready. You earned it.”
A moment passed and Sam just watched her, “Well, then thank you for telling me how it is. I won’t let you down. We’ve got some…interesting times ahead of us.”
She nods once and then said, “That’s better. I can see you’re going to need help decorating?”
“No, I’m not. This is a working office; not a giftshop.”
[OFF:]
Captain Samuel Woolheater
“Saepius Exertus, Semper Fidelis, Frater Infinitas”
Division VI, MARDET 62nd Company "Spartans", 1st Platoon CO
=/\= USS ELYSIUM - NCC-89000 =/\=
