Coffee break

Posted on 02 Jul 2023 @ 1:53pm by Lieutenant JG Zhivise Silatuyok & Crewman Apprentice Unknown 'Weirdo'

1,449 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Deus ex Machina
Location: Bridge x Mess

Control setup was everything for pilots whether it was a fighter, auxiliary pilot, or for a starship. For Clovis, it was a weird inverse, with some oddities, mainly how far he could spread his fingers. Pulling a PaDD out as he copied the console layout, wanting to make sure it was the same for the simulators. Clovis was always a fan of simulators, allowing him to try out new maneuvers that would be too dangerous to try with a vessel.

Clovis's PaDD beeped letting him know that the most recent diagnostics were downloaded to it, studying them would continue to help him learn the ins and outs of the ship.

"....ah apologies ensign, the helm is all yours," Clovis said as he stood, taking his PaDD with him, making sure the console was set back to default, allowing the ensign to pull up their own setup. Well, it was time for food, well most likely just coffee, and with that, he set off for the mess.

[Mess]

After getting his coffee Clovis looked around, looking for an empty table, but no luck. "Excuse me, may I?" He asked nodding to the empty chair.

The man with the wild mop of curls glanced up from the three PADDs lying side by side just above his plate. He appeared, odd as it seemed, to be working on all three of them simultaneously, rapidly tapping on each of them in turn. Sea-colored eyes took him in, then the man grinned up at him. "New face! Don't think I've met you before, have I? No, you don't look familiar. Of course, you may!" He gestured at the chair in front of him with the stylus and in the same motion gave two more rapid taps on the PADDs.

Clovis took a seat as he noticed the hand movement, especially how deft and quick they were. "Pilot?" He asked taking a sip of his coffee, "...sorry I only ask, because of how you are moving your hands," he quickly added.

"Not anything yet," the man said with another quick grin. His eyes kept roving from Clovis to the PADDs and back. His hands kept moving at the same time, occasionally he took a quick bite between taps. "And no idea if I used to be or not. I was found in some kind of escape pod by this crew and have no memory of anything before that." Apart from the occasional flash, like a shadow of a shadow of a memory. He gestured at the PADDs and gave a few more quick taps. "But I'm applying for Starfleet so I'm taking some Academy courses."

Taking a sip of his coffee, so he could get his brain moving at least half of the speed of theirs, "Sorry to hear that, I hope that your memories do come back and that they are not bad ones," Clovis said setting his coffee down. "May I ask what courses?"

"Sure!" The man grinned up at him again, though the stylus never stopped moving. He pointed at the left PADD. "Starfleet protocols, y'know, the rules and regulations. So. Many. Protocols. Like how to address the third cousin of an Admiral when they do a tour of the flagship on a Tuesday before noon, Federation Standard Time. I mean, we just called him Dash. Which reminds me, haven't even asked your name yet. So, what's your name? Oh, wait, this first." The stylus moved to the PADD in the middle. "Basic Security course, and this one-" the stylus moved to the right after two quick taps, "is just a bit of astronavigation, for fun." The man looked up again. "So, you a pilot, then?"

Clovis had good reaction time, I mean you had to be an excellent pilot, but the speed at which he was doing things it was, it had to be non-Human, right, "Impressive, I mean truly impressive, you are going to make a great cadet, and officer someday," Clovis said taking a few more sips of his coffee.

"And yes, I am one of the ship's new helm officers, actually just arrived myself a few days ago," he added, "oh and, I am lieutenant Clovis Bray,' with a quick add.

The sea-colored eyes flashed up again, then switched back to the PADDs, taking the information displayed on them in with rapid glances. "Lovely to meet you! Must be a magnificent feeling, to pilot starships. And well, obviously I don't remember my name, though they had to give me one because if nobody has one it'll get really confusing if people go "Hey you!" and fifteen people look around. So feel free to make one up for me if you're so inclined, I can add it to the collection." The man's thoughts seemed to be as lightning-fast as the stylus.

The man seems very nice or seemed very nice, but it was exhausting speaking and listening, he was just moving at a speed that was still in his mind not humanly possible, "oh, um, this is interesting, how come you haven't settled in on one?"

The man shook his head so that the loose curls bounced and danced around. "Are you the same person as everyone you meet? Your parents, if you have any, must regard you differently than a childhood playmate, a classmate from the Academy, or your colleagues here. They all see different facets of the whole that are you. It'd be only fair if a name could reflect that, wouldn't it? Sadly, protocols and regulations demand one official one to be registered – though they didn't specify the length," the man added, eyes twinkling.

Clovis had to take a second to process all of that, "I guess so, but a name is just a name, yes?" Clovis asked as he watched him, "it is your personality, and memories, er apologies, but it those things that differentiate you from others, yes?"

"Ah, so for you your name is an integral part of your self-identity?" the man said. "I guess it's an inward versus an outward viewpoint. Subjective, as all things are. And maybe mine is colored because I have no memories or a past at all." He continued to work on the three PADDs while he spoke.

"I mean yes, but I guess what I was trying to say, you can call me whatever you want it still doesn't change who I am," Clovis said hoping that made sense, he was never really good at these types of conversations, hell he typically tried to avoid these types of conversations.

"But would it confuse you if you have a different name for your parents, childhood friend, and colleagues?" the man asked. "Or would that be a natural consequence of the different viewpoints of others?"

"I mean yes," Clovis said now confused by both what was said by him, and this potential new crewmember, "I mean my name should stay the same for whoever I am speaking with, but I could have different nicknames depending on who is speaking to me and those nicknames will be dependent of the personality that person sees in me when it is given, does that make sense?"

"Ah yes, see," the man grinned delightedly and pointed at him with the stylus. "So the name is a part of your core identity. But just like you present different facets of yourself to whomever you interact with, you can use different facets of your name, and nicknames, to be used by different persons. Whereas I don't really know who I am, which means I don't define myself by anything yet, not even by a name, so that's why I haven't bothered to settle on one yet. Maybe I'll never will. Personally, I find the idea of answering to different names based on whoever addresses me appealing, but I do appear to be rather unique in this approach."

Clovis finished his coffee and actually was glad, "well it has been fascinating meeting you, and honestly I have unfortunately no name for you nick or otherwise, but I am sure something will come to," he said with a smile.

The man smiled back. "Let me know when you find one! And until then, 'Hey you' works for me as well. Incidentally, shouldn't you eat something as well?" The question was casually tossed out between taps on the PADDs.

Clovis shook his head. "Nah, not this time just a coffee break still have a few hours before I'll take lunch," he added.

The man gave a casual wave before focusing on the PADDs again. "Good luck with the work! I'm sure I'll see you around."

Clovis gave a polite nod as he headed out of the mess.

 

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