Comings and Goings

Posted on Sat Oct 22nd, 2011 @ 10:53am by Lieutenant JG Ethan Kessel

Mission: Old Relics
Location: USS Antarctic Engineering
Timeline: MD01 1200hrs

Ethan Kessel patted the side of the Generator which began to hum normally, after the brief work he had started earlier was completed. He threw his tools back into their case, and put them on the shelf nearby where they were kept.

He remembered hour, two hours earlier, the First officer onboard the USS Antarctic had asked him to take a look at the ship replicator systems before he was transferred to the USS Endeavour.

"The systems been playing up for the past couple of days, so can you please get a Man on it I am sick of my coffee tasting like sewer water in the morning!"

So with casual indifference that seems to come hand in hand with Command and responsibilities, the First Officer had immediately sort out the man best qualified to take a look at it. Lieutenant Commander Richard Blessed had told him to sort it out, the morning he was supposed to be packing his belongings and preparing to transfer to the Antarctic.
Despite this, Kessel was please at having finished the work on time none the less, and just to check ordered a Tea from the device. He Looked up and saw a young engineer looking at him from above one of the platforms that surrounded he engineering deck.

"Just checking the Systems Jake." He said quickly, but to his surprise the young man nodded and came down the stairs towards him.

"Ethan Kessel? Temporary Energy/matter Specialist, for the USS Antarctic, and soon-to-be Energy/Matter Specialist for the USS Endeavour?"

"Yes sir." Said Kessel, who was surprised by this behavior. Jake Ranite knew him, he had been the one who showed him around the ship the first day, and they had been roommates for the Duration of the trip.

Jake laughed and showed him the insignia on his uniform.
"Your talking to Lieutenant Junior Grade Jake Ranite, Assistant Chief Engineering Officer!"

Ethan laugthed

"Well done - you've slaved away in engineering for long enough, but why the pretending not to know my name just know.

Jake leaned against the wall and sighed

"You know how it is, once one becomes an officer on this ship, it is an unwritten law that one must treat all subordinates as subhuman... well... sub-sentient.

Ethan laughed for the second time.

"Your such a cynic - there have been loads of great Commanding officers, and 99.9% are Decent people anyway. You just like the fact your technicly my superior officer.
Jake sighed.
"Am I that obvious?"

"Clear as Glass"

"Bah, just you wait - ill perfect my "Officer talk" in a couple of months anyway, just you wait, next time you see me, ill be as good as any Officer. Which reminds me. Good work with the Replicator Ethan, but shouldn't you be preparing for the trip to the Endeavour? We beam you over in a couple of Hours...

Kessel made a face "Tell me about it, there is no reasoning with some of these officers" and then was suddenly aware of how childish that sounded. He knew that some of the Officers practically considered him a Kid, and was anxious to show off that we was not.
"Well if that's the price for a First Degree in Atomic Physics at Starfleet Academy, then I'd be the first to pay it.

"A First you say? You never mentioned that! In what Particular field?"
"Energy and Matter manipulation... I was nicknamed the "Alchemist" back at the academy. Don't know who thought that up... Supposedly because apparently there was nothing I could not do with matter or energy. No Idea who coined that. Still I wasn't going to argue - makes a good conversation piece at the very least..."

LTJG Ranite raised an Eyebrow

"Well I guess that's true. I suppose that it will help for your CO to have a Specialist he can count on. Now that you've finished your work you should really start to prepare for the Transfer, and if Lieutenant Commander Richard Blessed asks you to do anything else, then tell him that Lieutenant Junior Grade Jake Ranite said you could prepare for the transfer.

"Yes Sir. " Ethan said, giving a mock salute with a big flourish to his friend, who he wished he could have known for longer than the short days they'd been on the ship together. Then griped his hand in a stiff handshake.

"That ship is a warship, Ethan make no mistake about it. It's a Sovereign, not a Galaxy Class. It was built to destroy not explore. You make sure you don't get hurt out there ok?"

As Ethan walked away, the Lieutenant smiled to himself.

"You may wish you never mentioned that degree Ensign Kessel... You've set the Bar quite high, and everybody knows how much your new CO expects from his subordinates..."