<USS Avalon> Meetings
- From: Debra Mosqueda <mightymidgie@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: avalon@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2005 11:33:45 -0800 (PST)
Josh noted the time as he grabbed yet another work order and dodged Mac before
he could give him yet another lecture on "being more social". He wasn't going.
He couldn't. That was final. 4:49. Eleven minutes. Picking up his tool belt, he
headed for the door and headed for Yeoman Renaldi's office, hoping she wouldn't
be there.
It was not turning out to be a very good day. When Amelia had reported to work
that morning she'd found out that Commander Skyler was in sick bay and that
she'd be working for someone else. Amelia was a one officer yeoman and that
officer was Skyler. The problem was however that the posting wasn't personal
yeoman to Commander Skyler, it was personal yeoman to the executive officer,
which at the moment was some yutz named Manson. "Who wants to work for a man
named Manson anyway.." She huffed as she sat at her desk.
Reaching the office, he tapped softly, hoping nobody would answer.
"Enter." Amelia called out as she looked up from her padd.
He resisted the urge to bolt. Taking a deep breath, he stepped just inside the
door. "I....uh...I'm ...I'm sorry...I can ...come back later..." He turned to
leave quickly, taking a mental inventory of the other work orders trying to
determine which would be the second most time consuming.
"Ensign Garrity," Amelia said as she stood. "I'm glad to see your one to
respond quickly. Please come in." Amelia waved at the small single chair in
front of her desk. "Commander Skyler wanted me to find out about the mishaps
with the turbo lifts and since your the acting cheif you get to help me fill
her in."
Josh shot her a bewildered glance. He didn't come here to talk about that. He
just came to work. "Um...Mac...maybe...could...you could...I...I'm just here to
...to fix...that..."
He gestured awkwardly toward the environmental unit behind her.
Amelia lifted one perfectly plucked blonde brow. She should have figured his
quick reply to her request was to quick, she'd just sent it ten minutes ago.
"Well since your here there's no reason for you to have to return when you get
my request." Amelia retook her seat behind her desk. "I'm sure Mister McEntire
is a fine engineer, Sir, but as I said your the acting chief so who better to
explain what in the name of Berlin is going on with the lifts."
He moved to the ECU and began working quickly, carefully ordering the screws
and bolts as he removed them, lining up the chips carefully on the floor beside
him as he pulled and thoroughly but quickly inspected each one. He thought
about his answer carefully as he did this before finally settling on "They're
jamming." Simple. To the point. Honest...essentially. Did he really have to
explain further?
He was ordered and neat with measured precision, to Amelia these were qualities
to be admired. She liked efficiency and felt when it came to work such
perfection made life easier. His answer however was unacceptable. "Yes Sir, we
are aware that they are jamming. The question is however, why are they
jamming."
He sighed. He didn't think she'd let it end there, but he'd hoped. He continued
working as quickly as he could, intending to finish the job and go find
something else to do. He had no idea how to explain the items they kept finding
there.
Amelia watched the young man, trying hard not to roll her eyes. "I relazie that
you out rank me and I have no ley way to demand an answer but you can either
give me the details I need or you can talk to Commander Manson."
Josh finished, gathered his tools, and stood up, eyes on his boottops, at a
loss, as usual. Finally he answered in tones even a Vulcan would have to strain
to hear, "I'm not sure...exactly..."
Crossing her arms, Amelia sat back in her chair. She hadn't missed the deer in
the head lights look this young man was giving her, it actually made her wonder
how he made it through the academy. "You've managed to get them going again
each time, so you much know what was broken in order to fix it, correct?"
Josh nodded, eyes still on his shoes. Couldn't he just go now?
"So tell me what was broken and why it keep happening." Amelia said, her very
light German accent dusting her speech. She cleared her throat quickly to push
the accent back down and then went on. "I know I'm only a yeoman, a go-for with
rank, and that I'm blonde but I promise I'll understand you techno-bable. So
spill it already... Sir... "
He looked at her oddly. What did her rank...or hair color, for that matter,
have to do with her right to ask questions? He was lost, and now confused.
"Someone's...putting...things...in the gears...is Blonde bad?" he had to ask.
His own slight accent only just barely noticable in his nearly inaudible tones.
Amelia actually laughed. "No, it's no bad just an old human stereotype." Amelia
relaxed a little. This one wasn't like most officers, he didn't look down on
the merely enlisted, she didn't think he looked down his nose anyone. "So what
kinds of things are getting put there?"
Josh couldn't help it. He blushed brightly. "Just...things...." he answered
almost desperately.
He blushed and Amelia's eye brow went up again. What kind of things could be
stuffed into turbo lift gears that would make a grown man blush? "I don't think
either Commander Skyler nor Commander Manson, or the Captain for that matter
are going to happy with 'just things' Lieutenant."
Josh nodded. He didn't really think she'd accept that,even though he'd hoped.
He cleared his throat, blushing brighter. "They're
...um...women's....things...?"
If it weren't for self control Amelia's jaw would have hit her lap once his
words and actions dawned on her. "You mean someone is jamming the lifts by
placing articles of women's clothing of a certain type into the gears?" As she
said she knew it sounded silly and Amelia nearly laughed.
Josh just nodded, looking longingly at the exit. Could he go now, please?
Amelia cleared her throat of the giggle nested there. "Do you know by who?"
Josh shook his head, eyes on his boottops once again.
"Well I can take this to the Commander but I think you should get help finding
out who. I'm pretty sure leaving your underware in working lift gears is
somehow against a rule or a reg or something." This was to good and Amelia knew
no one would believe her if she tried to explain it. "Perhaps someone in
forensics?"
Josh shot her a bewildered glance. Did he have to? "Um...I ...uh...I have
to...I mean..I've got...I need to...I ....uh..." he sputtered. Finally he took
the only out he could think of. "I've got to go back to work."
Amelia had never seen someone so painfully shy. "Your the acting chief and the
one who'd been working the problem. You need to handle this, Lieutenant. If you
let it slide you'll look bad and it's be bad later when it's time to move up
and on in your career. You take care of it and you impress the high and
mighties on the bridge."
Josh couldn't care less about moving up. As for 'looking good to the high and
mighties', that mattered even less. He was happy enough where he was. He nodded
to show he'd heard her, then moved toward the exit.
"Fine, I'll report it to them and you can expect to be conntacted by their
cheif. Some brit named Redgrave." Amelia said as she picked up a blank padd and
started her report.
Josh's shook his head, knowing the minute he heard the name that the meeting
was inevitable. At least it would give him an excuse even Mac couldn't argue
with for not accepting the 'invitation' on the PADD. "I'll do it." He tapped
his com badge and tried to remember to speak up loud enough for it to pick up
his voice as he said, "Garrity to Redgrave..."
Amelia smiled warmly at him. "Good."
Melanie looked up from the book she was read aloud to keep Skyler entertained
in her stoned state. She grumbled light under her breath as she reached for her
comm badge. "Redgrave here go ahead."
"I..uh..I need...to...well....do you have a minute?" God, he hated this.
Pinching the bridge of her nose Melanie bite back a groan. "I do if you'll come
to sick bay, Mister Garrity."
Josh groaned. Sickbay? Did he have to? Rolling his eyes, he finally responded,
"I'll be right there."
He nodded to Amelia and told her quietly. "Let me know if it goes down again,"
he nodded toward the ECU. "Some chipsets look weak."
"I will." Amelia replied with a smile. "Oh and if I were you I'd try to look
less like a seven year old being called to the principal's office if I were
you."
Josh shot her another lost look. He had to ask. "Principal's office?" What did
that mean?
Amelia laughed lightly. "Look it up your a smart boy."
Josh shook his head and exitted quickly, heading for Sickbay.
Melanie closed the book she'd been reading. It was a collection of Betaziod
fairy tales and had been among the things Georgia had given her. She placed it
on the table next to Skyler's bed and then told her sister she'd be right over
there at the nurses station that way she could see Skyler but no one else
could.
Josh entered and looked around, staying as close to the exit as he could. He
wasn't about to end up stuck here for any reason.
"So what can I do for you Mister Garrity?" Melanie asked as she leaned against
the wall.
Josh stayed where he was near the exit and, in his typical quiet tones began
explaining. "I...um...that lift...that keeps...the one that ...sticks. I need
to...well...we need...I should..." How do you explain this? He looked back
toward the exit. Why had he thought he could do this?
Melanie sighed. She really didn't have the pacence to deal with this. "You need
me and my people to figure out... fill in the blanks here Lieutenant."
Josh understood her impatience. He could almost feel it rolling off of her in
waves. Involuntarily, he took another step backwards. "Things are
being...jammed...in the gears...Daily....by someone. That's all." He turned to
leave, regretting having bothered her at all. He knew better.
"You mean other then phaser pistols?" Melanie said as she softened the tone of
her voice. It wasn't fair to lash out at others.
He nodded but didn't turn back toward her. "It's...not serious. I can handle
it." He told her even more quietly than usual, heading for the door.
"Isn't corrupting the normal movement of the turbo lift a possable danger?" She
asked as she walked closer to him since he appeared to be fleeing. "Long and
short of it is that you need me to figure out who your lady of the turbo lift
lace is. Right?"
He shrugged. Technically, he didn't. He could find out who she was just by
going to the lounge. He looked at her for a fleeting moment, then lowered his
gaze again.
"That's....it was...I was going to ....to ask....." he began. Finally, he just
shrugged again. "I can do it...I guess."
Melanie stopped short before coming to close to him. "If you need to add 'I
guess' it normally means you can't. Take a list of the effected turbo lists and
everything you've pull out to my labs. Give it to Pauly he'll know what to do
from there."
Josh nodded to show he understood. "Yes, ma'am." He responded quietly, to
indicate he'd do as he was told, then he moved as quickly as his long legs
would carry him without actually running toward the exit.
Melanie sighed as she slapped at her comm badge. "Redgrave to Laurents. Pauly
we got a new case. We need an ID on someone, Garrity will bring you the
details.. Redgrave out."
Josh entered the lab reluctantly and looked around for Redgrave's assistant.
Hopefully, he'd be able to just drop off the list and go back to work quickly.
He'd had more than enough 'socializing' for one day.
Paul looked up from gray glob of smelly jelly that he'd pulled out of a pond
while on shoreleave. "Hello, her ladyship says you got something for me." He
offered Josh a lop side smile.
Josh nodded, proferring a PADD, then, after a moments thought, offering the
other, with the invitation, as well.
Looking over the two padds caused Paul to smile. "You want me to find out who
your secret admire is. Man I swear some guys get all the luck. Ok so where's
the goods?"
"Engineering..." He answered quietly. He wasn't sure why, but for some reason
the guys on his shift had taken to displaying the things he and Mac and found
on the inside of the decontamination room.
"Well bring them here and we'll see what we can find on them." Paul told him.
"I'll check with Mel to see what she wants us to do and we'll be in touch."
"I..uh...I'm not...exactly...sure...it's all there..." He knew a few of the
articles had been pilferred by other engineers, though he wasn't really sure
why anyone would need
a leather whip or other such weapons aboard a starship.
Paul nodded. He knew how things tended to find new homes in cases like this.
"Then make a list of what was found and bring me what you got left."
Josh nodded, then indicated the list he'd already given him. It contained
everything that had been retrieved from the lift so far. "Will just beaming it
damage anything?"he asked quietly. He could do that once he got back.
Paul looked over the list the again. "Wow this looks like a shopping list for
the Pleasure Chest." He shook his head and laughed. "Kinda reminds me of this
group of girls from the academy.. Everyone called them the kittens" He then
looked up at Josh to answer his question. "Beaming can damage anything that
might be helpful. Just send some lacky down with them."
Josh looked baffled. Lacky? He didn't think they had any of those. He hadn't
seen any on the supply lists, anyway. "I'll bring them right down."
"Ya know," Paul said as he reread the second padd. He looked over at the wall
clock and smiled. "We could end this whole thing by going down to the lounge."
Josh blushed slightly, nodding and looking away. Yeah, that had occurred to
him.
Paul pocketed the padds and grabbed his unifom jacket. "Come on play boy lets
go see who'd waiting."
Eyes widening, Josh took a step back. "Um...I don't...I
mean..I've...never...it's," He took a deep breath, trying to decide the best
way to explain. "I don't...go...to the lounge. Ever."
"Really?" Paul looked surprised. "Well your really not missing much. Anyway you
don't have to stay we only got to find out who reacts when you walk in."
NO, Josh's mind screamed. He couldn't even begin to explain how desperately he
didn't want to do this. He couldn't. "We have to?" He asked, hoping against
hope the answer would be no.
"Either that or I can walk in and ask really loudly "Who left lady's panties
and a bull whip in turbo lift four for skinny shy engineering boy.""
Josh's eyes widened further. He wouldn't do that. Would he?
Paul smiled wide and crossed his arms over his chest. "In a heart beat." He
said in response to the look on the boy's face.
Shooting him a bewildered gaze, Josh sighed. Nodding toward the exit, he
indicated he'd follow.
Walking down the hall with the boy, Paul could tell he really didn't want to do
this. He tried to make it sound less scary then the kid was thinking but Paul
didn't think he was helping. "It'll be quick. As soon as one of the girls
reacts when you walk in we'll know it's her."
Josh just nodded silently. Okay, he told himself. You can do this. Walk in. She
reacts. Get out. Easy. You've done harder things. He just kept telling himself
that. Somehow, though, he didn't believe it.
The lounge had yet to fill with it's normal evening rush. It had been planned
that way. He was as shy and timid as a new born kitten and she didn't want to
scare him. What she wanted was to get to know him. She watched the door without
seeming to be watching the door. He was late. He was never late. Even in the
academy he would be in a certain place at a certain time. You could set your
watched by him and she had back then. When the lounge doors opened she held her
breath. When he walked in she smiled brightly and her eyes lit up. She started
to stand but when she saw that someone was with him she paused and slowly sat
back down.
Paul seemed to be looking off to the left when the brunette on the right start
to rise. He'd seen her before, he was sure, but where? He ran through the ships
roster again in his head. After a moment, it came to him. Annabelle Chase.
Engineer. She worked Alpha shift, starting work just as he was finishing. He'd
seen her before, he thought, and looked down, willing himself to remember. The
academy. Suez's class, and several others later. She'd always sat toward the
front of the room. He was surprised how well he remembered her. Paul hadn't
seemed to notice she'd moved. He wondered now if he really wanted him to.
"Well those group of co-eds in the corner are checking you out, boy." Paul said
as he turned to look at Josh. "Nothing noteable though. What about you? Any
females get that cartoon wolf look when we walked in?"
Annabelle didn't know why he hadn't come alone but after the way she'd gone
about getting his attention she wasn't about to stick her neck out now. She
looked down at her drink but watched the two men by the door willing the
shorter one away as hard as she could.
Josh looked at him with the expression he almost always ended up wearing around
people anymore...total bafflement. Cartoon Wolf? What did that mean? Deciding
it didn't matter, he looked around again.He seemed to be getting stared at,
smiled at, even waved at, quite a bit, though he wasn't sure why. So many women
here! He opened his mouth to tell Paul about Annabelle...but couldn't. Instead,
he shook his head. "No," He lied quietly at last, "Nobody."
Paul shrugged. "Guess she got tired of waiting. Women hate to wait you know. Oh
well guess I'll go back to plan A.. Picking up what I can from your little
collection. We can go now, you ready kid?"
Josh nodded, and followed Paul back out, fighting the urge to look back toward
Annabelle. Fighting, but losing. He remembered sitting in the back of the room,
trying to focus on the lessons, distracted by the way she moved and the sound
of her voice. Sighing, he proceded toward the turbolift silently.
Annabelle watched as Josh left. He'd come but not alone and then left without a
word. She was confused and a little hurt. She waited a moment longer and then
got up and headed for the door on the other side of the lounge.
"So like I said send me that stuff and we'll see what we can find." Paul said
as they rode the turbo lift. "And if it happens again call us and we'll come
with you to dust the scene." When the lift stopped Paul got out and then turned
back to Josh with a smile. "A bull whip huh... Ya know I think I'll see what
ship the kittens are on... Later kid."
"Later," Josh responded quietly. The moment he was gone, Josh took the PADD
from his hip and tapped out a short, quick message.
Someplace quieter, please. Stay out of the lifts.
Then hurried to engineering. It didn't take long before all the things were
gathered together and taken to Paul. Just long enough for the decontamination
units they were in to cycle. Twice.
Annabelle was surprised when her computer light lit up. The message made her
smile. She quickly typed out a reply.
Holodeck two Thursday between shifts.
Within seconds she had her response.
I'll be there.
---------------------------------
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