Who the hell are you?

Posted on Tue Jan 31st, 2023 @ 5:16pm by Senior Chief Petty Officer Mason Malone & Lieutenant Sturgis O'Connell
Edited on on Tue Jan 31st, 2023 @ 7:39pm

Mission: Character Development
Location: Engineering
Timeline: MD-03
744 words - 1.5 OF Standard Post Measure

"Finn?" Fully expecting to find his friend waist deep into some engineering issue, Mason all but bounced into engineering. "Finn, you in here? Did you enjoy your leave?" The way some engineers looked at him, Mason felt like somehow, he had managed to miss something very important. "Yo Finn!" he called out, raising his voice a fraction.

"Uhm," Kimeron tidily stepped towards Mason. "The CEO is in his office if you need something," he said, pointing across the room and purposely skirting around the fact that the CEO was no longer in fact Finn. He scurried away just after, leaving Mason no room to ask for clarification.

"Right..." Mason watched the man scoot off in a little too much of a hurry. He shook his head and sighed as he bee-lined for the office. "Hey Fi-" He paused abruptly as he saw someone in the office he'd never seen before. Frowning he stepped in side, not for a single moment stopping to pause and think. "Who the hell are you, and what are you doing in Finn's office," he demanded.

Sturgis was slightly taken aback by the brash and unwarranted questioning but took it in stride and answered back without missing a beat. "I'm Lieutenant Sturgis O'Connell and this is my office," his voice was kind but unmoving, leaving no room to question who was in charge here. "I don't typically appreciate strangers barging into my office unannounced, but I'm new here so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you had a reason. How can I help you?"

"Your office?" Mason shook his head. "No no, this is Lieutenant Commander Keating's office. Where is she....and I'm not a stranger, I talk to her in here all the time. You're the stranger here." The penny still didn't drop though he cast expectant eyes towards the man. "So where's Finn?"

"Lieutenant Commander Keating is no longer assigned to the Athena. I've taken over as the Chief Engineering Officer," Sturgis kept his voice calm, but his gaze was stern. "I'm afraid I can't help with her physical location. The report only indicates that she left the ship once it arrived on Earth. I suggest you send her a message should you wish to get in contact with her."

"What!" Mason shook his head in disbelief. "No no you have to be mistaken, Finn's the chief. She'd never give this place up, never. Did Teyo put you up to this? Trying to prank me? Is she in on it?" He fought the urge to look around. "Is George?"

"I don't have time for games, Senior Chief!" Sturgis stood from his desk and looked at Mason with an icy gaze, tired of playing along with whatever nonsense this was. "If you don't have a real engineering need then please see yourself out of my office. You can look up Lieutenant Commander Keating's records along with her last date on the Athena and research the latest crew roster, but do it somewhere else." He pointed towards the doors with a face that said he was not willing to listen to anything further.

Mason froze at the change of tone, his expression torn somewhere between horror and a need to respond to the use of his rank. "I came to see Finn," he stuttered uncomfortably, "we...hang out after our shifts. Or before, depending on the day. I-I don't get it. Why are you here, and why's Finn gone. And if she's gone, why hasn't she said something?"

Sturgis sighed and his demeanor shifted slightly. "Look, I'm sorry for whatever happened to your friend, but she isn't here. Perhaps she left you a message? I wish I could help further, but I really can't."

For a moment, the young security officer remained silent, still visibly upset about hearing the news. "So she's gone permanently?" He finally ventured, still not entirely sure he wasn't being pranked. It did sound a little like a Finn thing to do.

"I'm sorry," Sturgis said, trying to be understanding but growing increasingly impatient at the man's inability to grasp the concept that his friend was no longer around. "I really do have a lot of work to catch up on though, is there anything else I can help you with?" He asked, hoping to urge the man out of his office.

"No sir," Mason answered, "thank you..." Slowly, he backed up towards the exit. "I'm sorry for disturbing you..."