And a Bit of Lunch

Posted on 29 Sep 2023 @ 1:26am by Lieutenant JG Zhivise Silatuyok & Petty Officer 2nd Class Alizabeth Omari

2,134 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Deus ex Machina
Location: Mess Hall
Tags: Lunch, meet and greet

Alizabeth sat in the mess hall looking down at the table; on the left was a plate with a mostly eaten sandwich, and on the right was her datapad. The dark-skinned woman moved both her hands, which had golden and jewel-toned tattoos on their backs; her cheeks were also adorned with gold, looking like sunlight freckles on her cheekbones. The left hand moved the remnants of her lunch around the plate, and her right scrolled through the text on the screen. Running her fingers to bring back up something she had just read, she sighed and tilted her head up, pushing the pad toward the center of the table. Golden eyes began to take in the other people in the room, her expression going from studious concentration to an openly friendly one, smiling if anyone met her gaze, just trying to match names to faces from the research she had done on the ship's personnel.

Clovis was still a little raw after his session with the counselor, so he just needed coffee. For whatever reason, coffee helped calm him and keep his mind focused.

It was weird; every time he came, the mess was busy, which could be shift change, but either way, he needed to find a table, "excuse me, mind if I sit?"

"Of course," she replied; with a slight flick of her hand, she gestured to the seat closest to him, then pushed her datapad to the other side. She looked over him with a small tip of her head. "Bray?" His last name came to her from the studies she had been doing about the ship, mainly those people likely to be on the bridge. "I am the new Yeoman, Alizabeth Omari."

"Yes, Clovis Bray, one of the new helm officers," he said as he took a seat, "pleasure to meet you, petty officer," Clovis said, sipping his coffee.

Alizabeth kept her warm smile in place, "And you, Lieutenant. It is also nice to meet those new to the ship." Her eyes looked from him to the room around, "Feels like those welcome to the new year of school moments when I was younger, first years coming in and all the others already in groups, leaving newcomers wandering around."

Clovis chuckled a little bit at that comment, "yeah, a little bit," he said, sipping on his coffee again, "...but the biggest person I have to impress is her," he said, looking around at the ship.

"I will know her as well, just not as intimately as you will, and luckily, I do not need to know everyone on the ship that well." There was a slight teasing twinkle in her eyes as she said that; bright, good humor making itself known.

Clovis returned the small smile with one of his own, which felt weird as it felt like ages since he gave a sincere one, "my guess is just the department and deputy department heads?" Clovis asked.

A slight nod gave the golden freckles a chance to pick up the room's artificial light, and the sparkle on her cheeks partnered with those in her eyes. "I hope not as well as you will know the ship, but they will be those I work closely with, so familiarizing myself with them will be one of my first tasks."

Clovis took a few more sips of his coffee, "so, how long have you been onboard?"

"Just a few days. I came aboard at the same time the counselor did." Aliza grinned, "Met her the night before at a little bar. I had no idea we were posted here until we ran into each other at the shuttle over."

"Ah, I have also met the counselor; she seems very nice and, in the long run, great for the crew," Clovis said, finishing his coffee.

Alizabeth smiled, "I have enjoyed talking with her, though only socially. The merchant ship I was on before did not have a counselor, so when I sought a new posting, I had to discuss things with someone at Starfleet. It should be interesting having s9 done to talk to whenever I wish." She looked at his empty cup, "Of course, I just like talking with people in general."

Clovis nodded, his fingers twiddling on the empty mug, making it dance a little between his hands, his mind slightly wandering. This slightly mimicked his first tour, "So why yeoman and not a counselor?" Clovis finally asked.

"Never felt that as a calling," she shrugged. "I like listening to people, but I prefer to be in the holodeck zip lining through the forest or in the gym than focusing on another's feelings. Also, I offer my 'best,'" the last word she made air quotes around, "advice over strong alcohol."

"I get that," Clovis said, staring at the empty cup, knowing exactly how she felt about the calling for him. It was flying. "...callings can be strong, and denying them can be hard," he added.

Omari beamed a smile at him, "Not sure Yeoman is a calling, but Starfleet was; I knew from a young age I would be here. A posting like this feels just right, right now."

Clovis's hands stopped fidgeting with the coffee cup, *I also get that, for me, it was speed and knowing that Starfleet was where the rate was," Clovis said with a smile, "...and I apologize if I made your position feel small for calling it a 'calling,'" Clovis added.

"Oh, don't, please; my position doesn't need to be a calling; it is not my passion. I like it well enough, but being out here and being useful is enough for me right now. Who knows, maybe I will find my calling or at least something I am passionate about." Aliza grinned, "Until then, I will work on being the best Yeoman I can and sneaking away to the gym and holodeck when I have time."

Clovis nodded, "well, if you ever need a gym partner, I tend to visit it at odd hours, and if you need someone to talk to about a 'calling,' I am also here," he said.

Alizabeth smiled at the offers, "And if you run, you are welcome to join me in the holodeck; I like running through unique landscapes just to change things up. Callings aside, if you want someone to talk to or hang out and not talk, I am here too, though I am not the best at the not-talking part." Tapping her datapad and looking at his empty cup. "It has been nice to meet you, Lieutenant, but I do not want to keep you."

"...you are not keeping me; I have been off duty, um, more coffee," he offered.

"Well then, I would happily sit with you over more coffee." The tall woman said and stretched her legs out slightly. "Where is the furthest you have flown to?"

Clovis stood and walked over to the replicator to get two cups of coffee, "not that far; unfortunately, my first assignment was a patrol cruiser, and the furthest we traveled was the Nimbus system. Nothing exciting," he said, sliding the fresh cup of coffee to her.

Taking the cup and completely relaxing with him now, tucking a foot under her other thigh," My first assignment was on a merchant ship; they thought my past would help. And it did, but I did not join Starfleet to do what I already was for my family."

Raising an eyebrow, Clovis took a couple of sips of his coffee," "did you work on your family's freighter?" I was the youngest of what felt like twelve children. It is only six, but most of my brothers have prominent personalities, making their presence weigh slightly more than others. My mother said her trips to other colonies and places would greatly influence a child like me to be guided by. Like me, she meant one happy to fight her siblings even if I was the smallest and higher than regular adrenaline addiction. If it was tall, I climbed it; if there was a fountain, I was in it; if I could sneak along and spy on someone, I would find it and come back covered in dirt. She and I traveled two-thirds of our time. My time on the USS Hippago put me first and foremost, helping to oversee trade talks." Sh" sighed with more than a hint of drama," I "hope we never need an expert in trying to save currency on something we need."Like you had one hell of a childhood or a lack of one," Cl," is said, feeling slightly anxious as this was very familiar.

Aliza did not touch him; she just placed a hand on the table near his own. "Da" would chuckle and let Mom have her away as he loved her and all of us. I can remember listening to him for hours as he would play music. When I feel homesick, I put a program in the holodeck and watch him play on stage with the same love he gave us all"." S"e" paused that emotion with a slight pause," H"v" ng five older siblings? That I do not recommend"""”

Clovis chuckled" "Luck, an only child, now I have a huge extended family spread across this wonderful universe," he said, taking a few more sips of his coffee.

Adding cream to her coffee, she stirred, and it became just a few shades lighter than the color of her skin." "It was never quiet at home, and my first two brothers were old enough to start families a couple of years before I joined the academy. Eight of us became fifteen as they had homes near ours; a ship full of people is not nearly as noisy as my family"."

Clovis was used to that silence, so even his posting was a lot to get used to." "Only had that on our reunions; the academy was a transition for m',' he said, chuckling as he finished his second cup of coffee."
“Only my dad and my youngest are quieter than I am; just imagine the "Aliza laughed." “My mother has amazing organizational skills for her shop and taught them to me; that is why this job is a good start for me."

"So, your family freighter, do they still operate it?" Clovis always found the idea of piloting a freighter intriguing as it was a slow-moving target, so you had to get creative when driving.

“We do, my mother says. Now that others can watch the shop, she and her can even go out more often. Which hopefully means she will supply me with older books she finds.” Looking around them, he back to him with a mischievous grin, “Who would think of me,” she placed her hand on her chest, “as the black sheep of the family?”

Clovis watched her, finding her slightly odd, "black sheep? Because you joined Starfleet?"

Aliza shrugged slightly, her easy smile remaining, “I am the only one who left the family behind. My mother still does not approve.”

"Well, I think and hope your mother will understand that you need to be your person," Clovis said.

“One day,” she said, “until then, I will do my best to make sure the captain has the support he needs to focus on everything he needs.”

Clovis nodded, "that is a sign of a good yeoman," he added with a smile.

Aliza winked at him, “Well, those of you on the bridge will hopefully see the results, or, since there are several new faces, including the Captain, my work will just be seamless.”

Clovis smiled at the idea of seamless, though nothing ever seemed seamless in Starfleet, "seamless will be nice," he added.

“Wouldn’t it, though?” Aliza said, “I know there will be adjusting for everyone, so that is an optimal, yet utterly unpractical, scenario, but why not hope for optimal while preparing for the chance that everything goes sideways?” She tapped her PADD on the table as she said, “The latter is why I have been readying since I received my orders.”

Clovis nodded, as he was still doing that as well, every. A new post forced you to do that, as things were always a little different, "well, I'll let you get back to it; I probably should grab some shuteye when I can, and it was a pleasure meeting you," he added.

She nodded her head and sighed, just a bit dramatically, “What was the saying, no rest for the wicked? It was very nice meeting you and I look forward to our working together on the bridge. Sleep well.” It seemed very rare that warmth and good humor in her eyes didn’t show and even in her farewell they remained.

 

RSS Feed