Buoy Breakdown

Posted on Tue Feb 20th, 2024 @ 8:46pm by Ensign Quinn Alka-Sutton & Lieutenant Alexis Ryan

Mission: The Trojan Horse
Location: Lt. Ryan's Office
Timeline: Enroute to Earth pre-mission
1374 words - 2.7 OF Standard Post Measure

Quinn glanced down at the report in their hand again - of the ship's buoy complement, the trick they'd pulled in the nebula had destroyed several and left others severely damaged. As long as they didn't have any reason to launch any of the emergency buoys before they had a chance to restock, it seemed like the plan had mostly gone off without a hitch. So why then, they wondered, had Lieutenant Ryan asked to speak with them?

Typically speaking, Ryan wasn't the type to pull people into her office to speak to them. A lot of this stemmed from a dislike of the confined space to begin with, preferring to work out amongst the general hubbub so that she wasn't constantly clogging the comms channel for clarification. It was also because there had been too many incidents during her turbulent years where private meetings had amounted to official reprimands and, though she would have likely followed suit had the occasion warranted it, she certainly didn't want to establish ambiguity of intent. If she called her people into her office, she didn't want there to be a lot of guesswork surrounding why.

Reserving the process for the less positive aspects of her job involved some creativity regarding where to execute the rest of it, especially when it came to conversations that still warranted a degree of confidentiality, or at least privacy. The small briefing room wasn't the most likely of spaces, but it was better than nothing. Currently busy at a terminal whilst she waited, the Lieutenant didn't look up at first as she gave permission for entry.

The young ensign stepped in to the briefing room, glancing around as they entered. Quinn hadn't been in this part of the ship yet - but of course, they hadn't had much chance to get used to the ship before everything had gone sideways. They looked down to the PADD, then glanced up to the chief science officer, "Y-you wanted to see me, Lieutenant?"

It was the familiar voice that coaxed Alexis' gaze upwards from her work, coupled with the recollection of a requested chat just before the ensign went off duty. There was a method to the Chief's tendency to organise things as soon as they landed on her radar; leave it too long and she was likely to get distracted and forget. "You're right, I did. Come in." Astute eyes regarded the half-Bajoran for a moment before Ryan's features softened to a wry smile. "At ease, Ensign, I didn't invite you here to tear shreds off you. Quite the opposite."

The half-Bajoran breathed a sigh of relief, stepping further into the briefing room. "S-sorry, I'm just not used to... well, the whole starship thing yet. It's... it's a little different than life at the Academy..." They gave a half-hearted grin, "I uhh... I finished returning the emergency buoys back to their default config. A-almost half of them were destroyed and the ones that weren't are going to need repair..." They glanced down to the PADD then back up at the science chief.

"Well, you know what they say about omelettes and eggs." There was a brief pause and, a little late on the retrospective side, Ryan hesitated. "As far as sacrifices go," she tried again, veering away from assumption, "I would say they are well-within acceptable limits. My report will stipulate, nevertheless, that it was entirely my idea."

She smiled then, a relaxation that always diffused the unintentional intensity she was prone to radiate. "How are you feeling after your first mission, Ensign?"

The question actually stunned the young ensign for a moment, a look of confusion crossing their face; in all the chaos and turmoil, they had yet to take a minute to actually think about it. They gave a slight shake of their head, "I-I'm not really sure." Quinn paused again then, "I-it... it wasn't what I was expecting? I mean, you know there's pirates and... Well, the academy doesn't exactly prepare you for the reality of being shot at, you know? Uh, sir."

"And yet you handled yourself well under pressure, even when your superior officer was asking things of you that I'm sure they also didn't teach you in the Academy." Ryan offered a huff of quiet laughter, a surprisingly warm gesture. "You can relax, Quinn. Please. You applied yourself as well as any of us, you should be proud. In fact," the Lieutenant continued, her tone shifting in such a way as to suggest she was finally getting to the main point, "I was wondering if you'd like to consider being trained for Bridge duty."

"B-bridge duty?" Quinn stopped for a moment, their jaw dropping slightly and hanging for just a moment before they caught it and remembered where they were - and who they were talking to. "I-I... uhh... never really thought about it before, lieutenant. They... don't usually put biologists on the bridge, do they sir?"

Ryan's faint smile remained enigmatic. "We put officers on the Bridge, Ensign. Capable, focused, innovative officers. You aren't a civilian scientist, your specialisation is only part of your duties." Alex realised, as she spoke, just how much she sounded like all the instructors she'd ever felt the urge to disregard and took a moment to wonder when the switch had occurred, when she'd gone from idealistic new recruit to seasoned and wearily pragmatic veteran.

"I..." the half-Bajoran started before quickly closing their mouth and taking a moment to compose themself. "Y-you're right, sir. It's just... well, this was my first mission out of the Academy and it really wasn't what I expected." They paused for a moment, "But if you think I'm ready... I'm willing."

"It's just training for now," Ryan assured them. "Depending on how that goes, we can look at a shift a week shadowing one of the existing bridge officers." The intent, after all, was to grow the capacity of her staff at a relatively brisk pace, though obviously without skipping over necessary preparation. Science had a way to go before it was back to pulling its weight, however, and Alex was also not willing to let strong potential go to waste.

Quinn gave a quick nod, "I-I understand, sir. Honestly, I'm just sort of... surprised. But it's what I signed up for."

"Experience will come with time, if you put in the effort," the Lieutenant reassured. "The Science department aboard a front-line ship is often a dynamic space. We won't find ourselves with quite the same opportunities to stick to the labs as some of the dedicated science vessels permit. Starfleet sent you here, though, which I would say is a fairly hefty recommendation right off the bat."

Quinn paused for a long moment. It was true - they'd never thought they'd be assigned to a ship like the Athena. Maybe a Nova, one of the now-aging Intrepids, or - hope against hopes - one of the new classes that were rolling out to replace them. Or, at the very least, one of the space stations dedicated to research. The appointment to the Athena, a ship that drew the line just short of an actual warship, had come as something of a surprise. Here, it felt like the science department was something of an after thought - Quinn fairly sure that there wasn't someone else with their specialization aboard.

And that, the half-Bajoran realized, was the point. A new ensign couldn't just blend in to the background and coast on a ship like this. Everyone in this department had to be ready to pull their weight when the science needed done and ready to jump to help elsewhere when it was an afterthought. No one got assigned to a Prometheus unless they deserved to be there.

They gave a nod, "You're right, sir."

"I'll process the necessary paperwork and we can start once the Captain approves it. For the time being, enjoy the calm before the next storm." Ryan smiled wryly. "It never lasts very long."

Quinn gave a quick nod, suddenly feeling like they'd overprepared for the meeting, "Yes, sir." They turned, heading to the door. The ensign paused for a moment then glanced back over their shoulder, "And... thank you, sir."