Disembark

Posted on Thu Oct 10th, 2019 @ 11:32pm by Galatea & Commander Ash Randall
Edited on on Thu Jan 2nd, 2020 @ 5:15pm

1,799 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Atlantis
Location: Transporter Room, Starfleet One
Timeline: 2429-12-03, 07:15

Having just arranged quarters for their latest arrivals, Galatea returned to the Transporter Room after having received a notification of an additional transfer aboard Starfleet One. The Admiral had kept a lot of things from her lately and this was one of the most surprising: Commander Ash was returning to the ship.

That wasn't a bad thing. Ash had been aboard the ship in the past and had served before as a Chief Engineer. The Commander had been among the best engineers whom had worked on this ship and, with the horrific loss of Commander H'wii, she couldn't think of anyone better to be responsible for her engines. This was an amazing opportunity and, for the first time in a long time, she was happy to find out Ash was coming aboard.

"Wolverine is ready to transport."

Galatea nodded approving the transporter to bring the Engineer aboard.

On queue, transport initiated and the tell-tale shimmer of the transport stream manifested in rainbow-sparkle hues and then coalesced into the smallish, felinoid, form of Commander Ash Randall. The Tuansee stood, still as a statue and tense, eyes closed, for a second or two after transport was complete and then visibly relaxed as she opened her eyes and looked around the transporter room.

"Commander Galatea. It's good to see you again." Ash said, with a smile. "Permission to come aboard, sir." She added as she shouldered a duffel bag, that was nearly as big as she was, and picked up the, black, doctor bag that served as her engineering kit.

People change, with time, and the commander was no different. She was, noticeably, taller and leaner and not nearly as child-like in appearance as the last time Galatea had seen her and had made some significant changes in her preferences where the cut and fit of her uniform was concerned. Out was the, too big, baggy to the edge of being outside regulation that hid how child-like she was, uniform of the past and in was the immaculate, tailored to fit perfectly, uniform that did nothing to hide a very, trim figure. Ash blew a stray lock of white hair out of her eyes while she regarded Galatea, her fur was no longer a dull, flat white with muddy, purplish rosettes and was now a bright, artic, white and the rosettes were a sharp, inky black that was very striking. When last aboard, the commander had just entered the Tuansee equivalent of puberty and, in the intervening time, appeared to have grown into the physical equivalent of a teen.

"Permission to come aboard is granted, Commander," the AI answered as the hologram extended a hand to assist the Commander with her bags. "I see you are identifying as Commander Randall again. I always liked that name," Galatea informed as she walked with the Commander toward the exit.

Commander Randall offered over her doctor bag and, seeing Galatea wasn't having it, shrugged the duffel off her shoulder and turned over the heavy bag. "It made sense to, officially, adopt my sir name given all that has happened over the last, several, years. Starfleet was never crazy about my only going by one name to begin with, no matter how apt it was at the time." Ash responded, with a little smile. "Things change...I've changed." She added with a look up at the ships AI.

"Can you tell me why I'm here?" She asked, lightly. Ash had given the subject some thought and come to only, one, logical conclusion. "I have a guess." She added, with a wan, little smile that faded almost immediately. She'd heard that H'wii was no longer with them and guessed, she was there, because H'wii wasn't there to manage the most dangerous and destructive weapon in the galaxy.

"Your guess is as good as mine," the hologram said as they stepped into the turbolift. "Officer's Quarters. The Admiral is not as communicative with me as he once was. In actuality I rarely am given any information of value by him these days and have to gather information on my own accord related to the vessel's operation." She shifted the bag between hands, but it was symbolic rather than a genuine action as the weight had no bearing on her. "I would assume it has something to do with the Coaxial Drive after its failure a few months ago."

Commander Randall nodded, slowly, while Galatea spoke and noted that she switched the heavy bag, from one hand to the other, and smiled inwardly, that smile never reaching her face. Riding turbo-lifts, walking from place to place, switching the bag from hand to hand like it was heavy...to Ash, these were the characteristics of an AI that were as, or more, important than the overarching, technical and system, integration that the AI represented. Galatea, much like Peg, was indistinguishable, in behavior, from any other member of the crew. If one did not know she was an AI, one would not know by just observing Galatea unless something interfered with her holo-emitters and tactile tractor/repulsor and forcefield systems. Ash wasn't the only one that had grown and changed in the last, few, years.

"That was my guess as well." The Engineer confirmed. "I'm looking forward to seeing how it's been improved since the last time I was on board." She added, and looked back up at Galatea. "The design was stable and fully operational then but not really up to the pummeling this vessel took on, that, particular day from the particular person who orchestrated it." Ash added as the turbo lift reached it's destination and the doors opened. Ash let Galatea exit first so she could lead the way.

"Are you concerned that the Admiral is not looping you in as much these days?" Ash asked, Galatea, as they exited the lift.

"The Admiral keeps his own counsel since he married," the AI informed. "At one point recently he ordered every crewmember whom had a personal relationship with him reassigned, including myself. My replacement, Gaia, was also not to his liking though," she explained as they reached the quarters assigned to Commander Ash. "That's why I'm back aboard."

Ash opened the door to her quarters so they could enter and she set her engineering kit on the bed. "That's a curious thing to do." The engineer admitted. "Obviously, not without reason, of course, but still a very curious thing." She continued, while she relieved Galatea of the heavy duffel bag. "The question, if one were to ask it, is what the reason might be, followed by, whether you want to know the answer to said question." Ash mused, in a pragmatic tone and looked to Galatea. "Again, are you concerned?" She asked, posing her original question more directly this time.

Galatea paused, considering the query carefully. "The Admiral has his motives. I don't presume to know what he's thinking or why he does what he does," she answered, but it was a bit frightening to her that he still kept her at arms length with everything they'd been through. "I will say one thing though, something I can definitively answer, I am very happy to have you back aboard. You are one of the best engineers that I have ever worked with and I know that the Coaxial Drive is in safe hands with you."

"Thank you, Commander." Ash replied, and offered to shake hands with her holographic crew mate. "I am happy to be back and I look forward to working with you again." She added, earnestly, while she shook hands and then smiled. There were several things that Ash wanted to say that she just thought best not said, at the moment. She was, in deed, happy to be aboard and was looking forward to working with Galatea once more but there was a certain amount of unsettledness, an off vibration, lurking in the background that was unique to being on THIS ship. "I'll get settled in and then pay a visit to Main Engineering unless there is something else that I need to do first." She advised, figuring that, since she had reported into Commander Galatea, officially, reporting in to Admiral Teagarden could wait an hour or so. The fact the first place the engineer went was main engineering and not to report in, would probably come as no surprise to him. Ash was depending upon Galatea to tell her if she should see the Admiral first or not.

The hologram paused a moment before continuing, as if processing additional data. "I sent the Admiral a notice that you were aboard and wanted to report in to him. He indicated that he will meet with you tomorrow, that now he has to prepare for the remainder of our mission. Feel free to review the upgrades to the ship," she paused another moment as the ship returned to FTL. "The Admiral wants you to wait to visit Engineering with him tomorrow as you settle in today."

Ash scratched her right ear, in puzzlement, for a few seconds and then shrugged. "Well, that's clear enough." She announced, in an amiable enough tone and tilted her head like she was listening to something and nodded to herself. "Gives me plenty of time to unpack my vast array of, personal, possessions." She joked, and patted her duffel bag to emphasize the absurdity of the statement. "I'd better get started or I might not finish by tomorrow. But, let me know if there is anything I can do for you Commander. I'll be happy to help out." She added, with a little chuckle. Ash was a little surprised that she would need to wait until tomorrow to take a tour of Main Engineering but figured Admiral Teagarden had his reasons for wanting to be with her when she went there for the first time. It didn't matter, really, when she reported to him or when she toured main engineering as there was plenty else to occupy her time once she was unpacked.

The AI nodded, "I'm sure that we're all happy to have you aboard, Ash, I know that I am. You'll be back to work soon enough, and I for one can't wait." She paused, processing the initialization of the Drive, "I am afraid I have to get back to the Bridge. We're returning to Coaxial Speed and I have to monitor the Drive until the Admiral authorizes you to start. I'll see you soon."

"Take each day as it comes and revel in the rising sun. Onward, always, unto night to wait, once more, for mornings light to reveal, again, that day has come and onward, always, we chase the sun." Ash recited as Galatea was leaving and finger waved over her shoulder to the holographic crew member.

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