New Job, New Furniture

Posted on Sun Aug 11th, 2019 @ 9:31am by Lieutenant JG Gallia Norris

Mission: Mission 2: Heaven On Earth
Location: OPS department
1127 words - 2.3 OF Standard Post Measure

Getting ready for a new department head meant having to adjust to a new way of doing things. Justin had enjoyed working under Anje Brett, she had trusted in his abilities despite his inexperience and he had done his best not to disappoint. Now he hoped Gallia Norris, whom he had met in passing but heard only good things about, would continue the tradition. “Best make sure that coffee stain disappears before the new boss comes in”, he told a crewman responsible for causing said stain.

Gallia came stumbling into her new office, her arms full of technical journals; she was still an engineer at heart, “Ach! Bloody Hell! Why I didnae let Kara help me, ah’ll never know. Musta been oot mah mind.” She finally reached what she thought was her desk and set her gear down, “Hopin’ ah’m in the rot place.”

“We’re doing our best to keep it fresh, ma’am”, Justin said, taking the opportunity for the pun that was presented by Gallia’s accent, and one that would probably never be provided again in this way.

“Oh, ye par, par fella.” Gallia laughed, “I see ye dinnae speak the King’s Scottish.”

“Would this be the right time to point out I’m from Marcos XII?” Justin smirked. “No, I understand you fine. You needn’t worry about miscommunicating orders.”

“Bloody hell, glad someone does.” Gallia said, looking over her new assistant and thinking, holy crap, I have an assistant! “An’ ah’m glad ta see ye up an’ aboot again, Justin. Been a whall since the last time, think we were both in hospital then.”

“I can walk again, so that’s a definite improvement”, he smiled. Justin was happy beyond words that he’d been allowed to stay during his convalescence. That way, despite the ordeal of having to make it back to health and working full shifts at the same time, he had not only avoided a dent in his career early on, he’d somehow even been recommended for a promotion, though he wasn’t sure how. “The doctor says I’ll be back to normal in about a month or two.”

“Well, ye got the best doctor in Starfleet.” Gallia swore as she placed a picture on her desk of her and Estelle at the Christmas Party in their costumes, “Not as pretty as her best friend though.”

“She makes for the most voluptuous Andorian I’ve seen”, Justin remarked. “That can’t be a bad thing.”

“Aye, mah bestie’s one a a kind.” Gallia replied, setting down another picture, this one of Tayalas in Kara’s arms and another of just Tayalas with her Christmas Bear that now shared space with her Birthday Duck and the many other beloved members of her stuffed menagerie, “I hope I didnae bring too many pictures…” She was suddenly worried, self conscious, wondering if this might make it look like she didn’t care about her work.

“It’s your desk, who would tell you otherwise?” Justin asked. It certainly beat his decoration, which was none. But then, as a man, he had a different approach. And there was his tray, which he was still using to indulge his inherent laziness.

Gallia’s eyes fell to the tray, causing her to smile warmly, “Anje told me about yar little friend there. He’s adorable.”

“Commander Grronkil helped me build it”, Justin said. “It’s been a real help for a one-legged man. Now, I just think it’s cute.”

“T’is.” She nodded, a warm feeling coming over as she remembered Grronkil; she still missed him, “Anje spakes real high of ye, Justin, why shay putcha in far yer promotion. Wanted me ta have the best assistant Ah could get.”

“I will try to prove myself worthy of that confidence”, Justin said. He’d always been a hard worker and a perfectionist, was this paying off for him again?

“Ah got no doubt, Justin.” Gallia replied; she knew Anje Brett did not do praise solely for praise’s sake, Justin earned this.

“Could you tell me what’s going to change under the new management?” Justin asked. He wanted to know as soon as possible what it was he had to adjust to, and help everyone else in the department to do the same.

“Well,” Gallia began, pointing to her desk and the chair behind it, “That chair will hafda be lowered. Aside from that, basically nothin’ll change. Lt. Cdr. Brett left me a good setup an’, as an engineer, Ah know if it isnae broke, ye dinnae fix it ‘til t’is.”

Justin laughed. “Yes, you’ll need a taller desk.” Maybe that was going to be one thing that would get easier, he could start putting things where he wouldn’t need to double over in order to get at them again.

“Rot?” Gallia snickered, “Ah mean, Anje’s as cute as a button, but Ah wish they’d sent the rest a her.”

“Doctor Hertz might be able to grow her a longer pair”, Justin grinned.

Gallia burst out laughing to the point tears were starting to come to her eyes, “Aye, but I dinnae think shay’ll like how Estelle starts da install on them new parts.”

“I have no complaints”, Justin said, flexing his new leg. “Works better every day.”

“Aye, but cannae ye just imahgine how shart shay’ll be when Estelle takes the originals off?” Gallia asked, continuing to laugh like a crazed hyena.

“She could get around on my hover-tray”, Justin smirked.

“Probably could.” Gallia nodded, “See if we can get her on the schedule.”

“You suggest that”, Justin said. “I’d like to keep my new leg for a while.”

“Ah understand.” Gallia agreed with a grin, thankful that Anje hadn’t decided to merely take Case with her when she left Ops.

Justin figured that for the time being, Gallia would be much better at running away, and that being able to run away might be required skill for this endeavour. He figured it was time to turn serious, so he handed Gallia a PADD. “These are the current status reports from all decks and sections, as well as all scheduled activities that require our supervision.” Much would no doubt be added in the coming days, as the stay on Earth was used for repairs and for installing new systems where something new had been developed, but it was all they had to go on for now.

“Aye.” Gallia nodded as she looked over the PADD, groaning, “What a bloody mess. Damn Romulans…”

“Just don’t say that around Jaeih”, Justin cautioned. “She takes that personal, I think.”

“Right.” Gallia nodded, she could see why.