Security & Serendipity

Posted on Sun Sep 1st, 2019 @ 6:25am by Captain Rueben Gregnol & Executive Officer Jake Ford

Mission: Mission 10 - Temperance
Location: SS Mary Rose: Observation Lounge
Timeline: MD02 10:00
1360 words - 2.7 OF Standard Post Measure

Jake stood alongside Gregnol as the sight of the unpowered, drifting Yeager-class ship spun past the large observation window. The detailing on the hull became visible for a few moments. USS Temperance. It meant restraint and discipline.

"Twelve times." He said. "The number of false alarms we've been called to in the last week," he added, by way of explanation. "Not including the fun and games with the cargo bay that I personally experienced." He sighed, handing Gregnol a PADD. "Glitches have been increasing in number for a while now. It's only a matter of time before someone gets seriously hurt."

He eyed the ship floating past. More modern, probably by half a century, given the state of the Rosie. Then again, not half as aesthetically pleasing. The Rosie was a classic. Like an Aston Martin. Trading it up for a Cadillac Seville? Sure, it'd get you around, but it wasn't pretty.

Gregnol said nothing for a long time as he just stared at the potential new ship. It hadn't been decided at all from the quick discussion with the other senior officer whether they were going to acquire the ship floating lifelessly in front of them or not. It had been left open and would be discussed in four days time once each department had, had time to inspect the ship. "Twelve times isn't bad in a week," Gregnol said slyly as he took the PADD.

"Maybe," Jake sighed. "But try being seconds away from becoming a pancake on the deck of your cargo bay. There's a lot that can go wrong. All it needs is that one really bad thing and suddenly you're holding a funeral." He eyed the Temperance again. There were a lot of possibilities. A lot to gain and to lose. He didn't envy the other man making that final call.

Gregnol stayed silent for a long time as he stared at the ship himself. He had held enough funerals or memorial services over the last few years to build his own cemetery somewhere. "Do you really think I do not know this Jake?" Gregnol asked softly.

"Sorry," Jake mumbled. "It's been a difficult week." He sighed. "I'm taking a team over in the morning to help secure the sensitive areas. Rumour is they've got a couple of photon torpedoes tucked away in storage over there. Don't want one of those going off under our noses."

"Wouldn't be surprised. She was lost in the middle of the war, she will have a lot of toys hopefully." Gregnol would be surprised if she didn't have more than that. It would be interesting to see what was on the ship and the state of her. Scans revealed she was intact so that was positive but inside they didn't know why she was abandoned.

"Sounds like you're expecting more?" Jake asked. Gregnol seemed a little distant. Maybe the thought of letting go of the Rosie was a heavy weight.

"I served on a vessel like it just after the war and they were pretty well stocked. I can't imagine in the midst of war she wouldn't be less fully stocked." The man mused as he touched the glass watching the other ship drift a little closer making whoever was on the Bridge now back off just a little. It was impressive the distance they were maintaining.

"Strange that the sensor readings suggest she's way short of a full complement," Jake noted. "Maybe she was involved in a major battle and used a lot of those munitions. Perhaps they were just naturally short on supply." He shrugged. "We can run a full inventory when we get over there. No reason to assume our readings are wrong."

"Not at all." Gregnol agreed sounding more and more distant. He was at an impasse and until they got over there it wouldn't be over and he wouldn't be able to decide what to do.

"You feeling all right?" Jake asked softly. He could sense the distraction in the man's voice, the indecision in his expression.

Gregnol looked at the man and nodded. "Lots have happened in the last three years. A lot of crazy stuff... Virus, political sabotage, Alternative Universe." It was a hot mess some of the time but to the Russian, it wasn't all that different from Starfleet, you just didn't have all the equipment you needed and had to think on the go. "You feeling okay?"

"All good, boss," Jake nodded. "I can't say I've been through everything you all have, but I can understand it. Space is weird sometimes. Folks like me? Just roll with the times and see where it takes you." He grinned over at Gregnol. "Pays not to worry about everything."

"If only I was so lucky." The Captain commented on darkly. He sometimes wondered where he would be if he didn't worry so much but he knew that was not him at all. He wore his heart on his sleeve and the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Jake eyed him momentarily. Although they'd not really spent much time together since his arrival, the Captain was hard to pin down exactly. Though not really Starfleet, the man was clearly trained to think a certain way and had a lot of experience. He and Jake were probably fairly similar in that respect. The key difference was that Gregnol had been running a starship for several years while Jake had been running the door to a bar. "Not sure I believe in luck," he noted. "Of all the marketplaces in the galaxy, you happen to run into me - a former classmate - right when you needed a new armoury chief. If that's down to luck, there's a few casinos I'd love to take you to..."

"The universe works in mysterious ways," Reuben commented on with a shrug. He didn't believe in things like that. He believed in what he could see in front of him. "Maybe we shouldn't discuss the market place and you flirting with my wife." The man said good-naturedly with a wink just to make sure that Jake knew he was joking.

Jake laughed out loud. "I can't help my general magnetic charisma," he replied. "Women just seem really keen to jump into bed with me." He figured Gregnol would have heard about that particular incident and see it in the same light.

"I'm pretty sure J would say the same about you," Reuben assured with a roll of his shoulders. Any other man might have been worried or jealous or a combination but the Captain knew the woman and after the battles to marry her he knew nothing like that would ever happen. Betazoid's might be into free love and loving many but Jeassaho wasn't.

"At least the rumours have been kinder to her than to me," Jake noted. "I'm sure there's supposed to be a cooling-off period when I'm an 'accepted part of the crew', right?"

"Depends on if you are flirting with the Captain Wife or not." Gregnol found himself teasing trying to stop the worry that the man had felt earlier for him. It wasn't needed or warranted. It would work out the way it was meant to one way or another, the human was a big believer in that.

"I'm confused, does flirting with your wife mean I'm more likely to be accepted or less?" Jake wondered with a smirk.

Gregnol just rolled his eyes at the man and shook his head. The plan was impossible. "Depends on who is more liked I guess." The man was under no illusions that his wife was more liked than him but that would always be the case where they went civilian or Starfleet.

"In that case," Jake sighed. "I guess I'm totally screwed."

Gregnol just shrugged at the man and grinned moving back towards the window watching the floating ship. People knew where to find him so it wasn't like he was hiding and the observation lounge gave him a few moments alone.

OFF::

Jake Ford
Chief Armoury Officer
SS Mary Rose

Reuben Gregnol
Captain
SS Mary Rose

 

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