The Welcoming by Junior Lieutenant James Monroe Monroe gathered his things as he tugged upon the two large bags he carried. He entered the transporter room, and while he was expecting to get transported instantly, he was instead redirected to shuttlebay 51. "Is there some reason you can?t transport me?" Monroe asked with a little annoyance in his voice. Is it that hard to just put fingers on the damn console and demolecularize my body? As an afterthought in his mind. He was still angry about his new transfer and his mission, even with the sound encouragement from Captain Holden. And the two words forming the title "Lieutenant A?ron." A?ron! Monroe just couldn?t believe it. Hopefully A?ron would have the same backups Monroe would have when he was assigned to it; that way if A?ron was lost, at least the mission was in jeopardy. A?ron, he thought. The ensign looked at him, "yes sir, the transporters have been inoperable since two hours ago. There was some sort of malfunction and our engineers are getting to it. But it won?t be done for a little while." Monroe sighed, "alright. Thank you, ensign." Upon entering the shuttlebay, he was found to being huddled into a shuttle headed directly for the Avalon. It was one of the few last calls for the hour before lunch. The shuttle took off as Monroe found himself amidst of people he didn?t know. He assumed they were either engineers from the starbase to help with some sort of maintenance, or they were indeed the small fraction of crew of the Avalon. The shuttle landed with a thud and Monroe smirked at that as he remembered doing the same thing when he was a rookie. Almost everyone did that, never having the full feel of what they flew. He looked around the Avalon?s shuttlebay. It was busy with people in and out and talking with devices in their hands or working upon some other intricate things. He didn?t know where to proceed. But he did know where he needed to be. First was his quarters to drop the backs. It was located on deck 4, and then shore leave until the crew got back. He didn?t have a clue what he was going to do with the free time. He never had free time at Intel, as if the day was planned and accounted for by every waking moment. Walking around the deck, he wondered almost three times before actually asking the computer. Necessity won over pride, but he couldn?t help but finding it annoying to actually not ask the computer first. He inwardly shrugged, he got into the turbolift and proceeded out. The turbolift stopped and a man entered. Till apparently, who looked directly forward and isolated himself quite well. Monroe couldn?t help but notice that the guy blocked out the world, it reminded him of his training. But this one seemed to have made it a life long behavior. The lift stopped, and not a moment too soon as the silence in the cramped room and the walls that seem to close in upon him was now suddenly opened. They stepped out and when Monroe looked around, it didn?t seem like the same deck plan. Having no urge to ask the computer again, he called after the Trill that was walking calmly 5 steps ahead of him. He noticed the man was a lieutenant, senior grade. "Lieutenant, sir..." The man turned around with eyes that were grey and ghostly as it?s color, "can I help you?" "Yes, uh, I need to find section 6. I?m new and well, this isn?t the same- deck plan I suppose you can call it." The Trill just nodded, "take a left here, and follow all the way through. Then make a right." The man just smiled then as he shook his head, "Im going there myself. I?ll work with you, if you don?t mind." Monroe nodded as he gripped the bags more firmly, but he put one down quickly to give a hand shake. "Thank you sir. I?m Lieutenant Monroe." Monroe noticed the man had hesitated ever so slightly but it wouldn?t have been noticed by the untrained eye. The guy was good, and he was sure that this Trill wasn?t an agent; he didn?t blend in and the isolated nature he held about him, although not completely isolated, was enough to tell him that. Almost all operatives had a demand for blending in. The lieutenant shook his hand with a firm grip, "I?m lieutenant Manson and Welcome aboard the Avalon." Monroe nodded as he let his freed hand now take the bags. "Thank you, sir." "Call me Anthony." The lieutenant just said simply as he began to take pace with Monroe. "Um, if it?s alright, I prefer Manson." The Trill just nodded, "alright." There was an awkward silence, but Monroe broke first, "so where are you stationed at?" "I?m the Operations officer. How about you?" "I?ve been put with Tactical Team under command of... Lieutenant Commander Karg, I think." Monroe wasn?t all too sure, nevertheless, he?d find out soon or later. Manson nodded on last time as they stopped at an intersection leading left and right only. "Well, I go this way. If you need anything, just call." "Thanks," as Monroe made a right and looked down the series of doors to his quarters. He entered the dark empty quarters and a few seconds later he dropped the bags and flung himself on the bed. The only question now loomed, what to do now with shore leave? --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Friends. Fun. Try the all-new Yahoo! Messenger