Good day Miss, do you have a moment? Part 2

Posted on Sun Jul 23rd, 2017 @ 2:19am by Reessem Nubohn KIA (*) & Dixoho Saa (*)

Mission: Mission 4 - Combustion
Location: Deck 3 - Mess Deck
Timeline: MD -07 18:00
2839 words - 5.7 OF Standard Post Measure

Braden walked into the messhall in khaki pants and a tan shirt. He looked around for Reessem and sort of made note of the room and people there. He liked how clean and well lit the room was. he waited by the door as he searched for his dinner guest? He smiled wonder how he should think of Reessem? He sort of saw her as a kid sister right now. She was nice, he wished he had a sister to compare her to.

The young woman walked in still wrapped up in her baggy cardigan and carrying a heavy looking box that she needed for the night to take to her quarters later on. She nodded in his direction as she came through the opposite end to him. She dumped her box on a table and strode over. "That scared of the ship that you didn't grab cuisine?" She wondered with a smile.

"Oh no, I was simply waiting for you since we were having dinner together it seemed rude to start without you." Braden pointed to the line "please lady's first. I shall follow and learn from you. Id there any dishes you feel they do exceedingly well? My culinary future is in your hands." Braden walked more or less beside her, "the box looked heavy would you care for somehelp taking it where ever you want it after we eat? I would be happy to help."

Reessem raised an eyebrow at his offer to help her with the box and she shook her head. "I am quite capable Merci." She said French slipping out. "Trays and plates are here." The woman moved in front to where the hot plate was with the food and quietly spooned some of the pasta concoction onto her plate adding a salad to make it at least healthy. She grabbed up a muffin and an apple as she went.

Braden nodded "I never meant to insinuate you were not capable. After all I watched you carry the box across the room already." He spoke with a friendly tone as he followed her lead into the line. He filled a bowel with a stir-fry of some kind, shrimp from some ocean? Braden took a loaf of brown bread and some grape-like fruit. He added a piece of a fruit pie as well. "Food looks good. Smells good as well. Do we pay or does it go against a ship account?" He sort of figured meals were paid for since this was not a fleet ship.

"We don't pay. It is included." The woman assured as she moved through the fast filling mess to where she had put her box down to. "Trust me food is good." The food in her opinion was the best thing about the boring tasks her job entailed.

"I do trust you Reessem, right until you give me a reason not to. It is my way. I look into someone's eyes and decide. I believe you are a trustworthy person. Simple as that. I do not expect you to betray my trust without a considerable compulsion or need to." Braden sat down across from her "which means I think of you as my first friend here and if you need my help you need but ask." There was a sort of soft intensity that conveyed a feeling he had just promised he would die to keep her safe. Then, just like that he began eating as if they had discussed nothing of importance.

She stared at him for a long moment translating what he had said in her head before she nodded. "Merci... Bon appetit." She said turning to her own mean without comment on what he had said at all. He seemed like a good enough man, maybe not cut out for the ship but time would tell.

As they ate he thought of a few questions "Your Captain, Gregnol, he mentioned part of my job was maintaining a botanical garden to grow fresh food. Do you have an extensive garden aboard? Is there anyone currently working there? Would that person be working for me or would we simply be equals?"

The teenager had just taken a gulp of her water and looked at him. "Hydroponics is what it is called here." She murmured quickly softly. " There is an Operator already who works there. She is called Humili." Reessem was luck as she was likely the only person on board who knew everyone.

"Humili. I will need to meet her tomorrow then. I hope she is good with plants. I might need some pointers growing greens." Braden ate some more and then asked "have you spent much time on the base? I would like to obtain a small couch for my room and rearrange the living area a bit. Would I need clearance with operations here to do that?"

"Do you think it will go through the corridors?" She wondered looking at him with a mildly amused look. "You could just look in the storage bay for something." Everyone else had looked there and found something useful.

"Should fit, if I buy new it will be crated to fit through a standard door. Should not take long to put together. Say are you free this evening or anytime tomorrow for a while? We could go shopping and you could help me pick out a few decorations perhaps? You might even find something to add to your own quarters? Sometimes a painting or chair even can make a place more homey."

"My quarters is a room about the size of my office and it is for two." She murmured with a small chuckle sitting back in the chair a little too look at him. "But i could stretch my legs for sure." It had been a while since she was off the ship.

Braden well understood, marine billet on a destroyer class was four marine fire team members in a shoe-box. He had been there and done that. His quarters now were bigger then his had been even as a fighter pilot and he had to share that room as well. "When we are done eating then I would enjoy the company." He smiled "when you have small quarters you know you can still make them better. He got his PADD out and drew a bunk bed and then he added a beaded curtain, and a shoe bag like hanger at one end. Added a hanging monitor that was on an extension arm to place almost anywhere in the bunk and a couple wedge pillows depicting someone being able to sit in the bed without sliding around. He handed it to Reessem "you might be amazed what you can do even in a small space?"

"Monitors..." She chuckled a little as she looked at him realising he was being very serious. "Most quarters are lucky that we have showers." She admitted. When everyone had been suffering the virus the teenager had been going through the available space on the ship to organise things. While certain people had been wondering why she had been the only human who hadn't caught it, she had used the isolation to prepare for when Rueben woke up.

"Why not even a ship as old as this has plenty of power for a few amenities? None of this I showed you takes up any extra space nor does it add significant weight. It just helps make a hovel a home." He shrugged reaching for the return of his PADD. "Anyway just trying to show you there are ways to personalize your space even if small. I was never to big on decorating back then myself but I did notice what some others did." Braden finished eating "still want to join me and take your legs for a walk?"

"Not with all the messing around it has had," The woman admitted feeling bad about breaking his notion that the ship had that ability Rosie had been modified just to many time to allow anything more to go through her ageing systems. "Sure but I need to take that box to my quarters." She admitted softly looking at both empty trays. She moved from her side of the table and picked them both up.

Braden lifted an eyebrow "now if you take my tray then I owe you a favor. I would be beholding to carry that box to your quarters for you." He smiled "so do you let me dispose of my tray or allow me to carry the box for you."

"You don't need to." She assured softly once she returned to the table. "I don't expect favours." She didn't expect anyone to do anything for her because she was on her own and young.

"Neither do I Reessem. I take care of myself and do my own tasks. Should I walk with you till you deal with the box or should I wait by the gangway to the base?" Braden felt annoyed, but she was young and independent, not a bad way to be. He was much the same so could hardly fault her for being so. Still it rankled him she had taken his tray without asking and had refused to let him return a favor. His tone was slightly less friendly, more neutral. He was trying though to get over his annoyance.

"Walking will be fine. You can see where us lesser beings live." She told him softly as she lead the way to the Turbolift taking it only one deck down to the dull and dingy corridor that she lived on. "You can never get lost on this ship everything is in a loop." She said pressing the door release clumsily.

Braden nodded and was impressed by her knowledge of ships. The face almost every fleet ship fit the same loop around description was not important to him as the fact she had noticed the pattern. His smile returned as he waited at her door. "Excellent observation." As he looked around inside he noted that her quarters were indeed smaller then his and she was expected to share with another. He was glad he had asked for the Chief's job here or he would be leaving. He had more room then this in his shuttle when he worked the space junkyard. "I see what you meant about small. I would never have suspected they expected anyone to live in an area so small let alone two someone's. So what do you do when not sleeping or working?" His eyes grew large as he realized he had spoken the question out loud. He made eye contact "I apologize Reessem that was impertinent and none of my business. I was thinking out loud, about recreation being impossible in here."

She dumped the box on the desk and smiled a little as the light eventually came on automatically. "I don't think anyone will be put in here." She admitted with a smile. "I could move to one of the single rooms but I like this as it was my first hone in space since I left Earth." She took off her cardigan and put it on the back of the chair and grabbed up her old jacket.

Braden laughed then "I think unless you want them here they won't be least ways." He made eye contact feeling the mirth. Considering Reessem assigned quarters it was a pretty safe bet she was not going to bunkmate with just anyone coming aboard. "Ready when you are Reessem, have you spent much time on the base? He was really beginning to like her, she was smart, and savvy beyond her years. "Seeing what is here so far I expect I will be busy till leave Port. So tonight might be my only chance to get anything I want for my quarters."

"I haven't gotten off this time." She admitted grabbing her satchel, chucking it over herself. She looked barely old enough to be without parental supervision let along running around by herself on a base.

Braden walked to the same place he had boarded the ship unerringly and then stopped "do we need to sign out?" He shrugged "I was never crew o a civilian ship before and it just occurred to me. How does the protocol work here?"

"Someone is on the gangway." Reessem commented on pointing to the pretty Trill redhead that was sat legs on a desk flicking causually through a heavy looking book.

"Is she crew?" Braden looked at Reessem "Want to invite her along as well?" He did not know her and it was not like he had been given a manifest of the crew members. He started forward toward the Redhead slowly watching for reessem's reaction from the corner of his eye. He did not want to misspeak here and jeopardize his first possible friendship among the crew.

"Saa!" Reessem greeted as they joined the woman looking bored. She sat up straighter and looked at the pair interested. "Dixoho this is Braden McCloud, he is the new..."

"Science Chief..." The Trill finished for her. "The Captain was telling me earlier. Pleasure to meet you." She murmured holding out her hand in the earth gesture.

Braden accepted her hand politely firm in greeting "the pleasure is mine as well. Always a joy to meet a lovely lady." Braden blushed slightly at how forward he was behaving. Even he had not suspected how much he craved human company after three years. In fact it surprised him that he did desire to be around people and how bold he had become in greeting others. It was a brief recognition of an inner change that passed swiftly through his mind. "She called you Saa. We were going shopping on the base would you care to join us? Getting to meet my fellow crew is something I would greatly enjoy."

"Rees likes to refer to me by my last name as it is easier for her." The Trill teased a little bit as the human blushed. "I am called Dixoho Saa." She said grinning as she pulled her hand back putting in back on the desk. "Can i am gangway duty." She said indicating the phaser at her belt for it she had trouble not that she had ever shot someone in her life.

"Security? Well I will offer you no trouble Dixoho. Do we need to sign out to leave the ship?" Braden had already looked over the desk and seen no real sign out sheet. He noted the Phaser was a civilian model and an older model at that. He wondered if it was just her or if the weapons aboard were all a bit outdated. He had seen as a marine, ships on the fringe tended to have heavily armed crews to repel boarders but the weapons themselves were older and many were damaged. Dixoho's phaser appeared well cared for at least.

"Oh yeah sorry." She passed over the heavy book she had been reading through. "Sign name, time, date position." She told him holding out an old fashioned pen. "I am not security I am Navigator... we are a little understaffed for Security at the moment so we are all pitching in.."

braden signed himself out mentioning "I guess I should check the duty roster tomorrow then. Since I am crew now I might be assigned some duty I was not expecting?" braden stepped out of the way so reessem could sign out "Dixoho is there anything I can bring back for you? A sandwich, bottle, flowers?" He smiled at the last offer.

Dixoho laughed and shook her head at him. She didn't need anything brought back by some man who was taking her friend off into the Base. Reessem signed herself out with a smile. "Just be careful on the base kid okay," Dixoho said firmly.

Braden walked the base talking to Reessem time to time and often asking her opinion. Hr did find a loveseat that would fit in his quarters and he bought brackets and hinges to make his table fold-able to the wall. The he bought a power cell big screen video player. He would mount it on the wall and at least he could watch movies. It would have no connection to the ship and the power cell was good for a few thousand hours. Since Reessem had told him the ship was incapable of hooking up about anything he decided to be independent. He explained it to Reessem and told her she could come over and watch a movie any time. He rented a grav cart to haul everything back to the ship. he bought a box of Andorian ice chocolates for Dixoho and sort of dropped the box on the desk as he walked past. "Can you sign us back in Dixoho?"

OFF::

Reessem Nubohn
Administrator
SS Mary Rose
(NPC Gregnol)

Dixiaho Saa
Chief Navigator
SS Mary Rose
(PNPC Gregnol)

Braden MacCloud
Chief Science
SS Mary Rose