Meeting the Captain

Posted on Mon Apr 4th, 2011 @ 2:17pm by Captain Nathan Cowell MD

Mission: Renegades
Timeline: Hours after "Pit Stop"

Ensign Shenk changed into a fresh uniform and made sure that he was up to regulation as he prepared to meet the Captain of the Arizona. He hadn't heard many good things about the Captain, but he hadn't heard anything bad, either. A Captain of a Starfleet vessel had to be on his or her crew constantly in order to keep a vessel running smoothly. He checked himself in a mirror again, then had the computer locate the Captain and prepared for his meeting.

The computer chirped and warbled for a few seconds before finally replying, "Captain Cowell is in transit, currently in corridor 7, section 9 bravo on deck 2. Extrapolated destination would be the Main Mess Hall."

Ensign Shenk smoothed his hair, grabbed his PaDD and headed out to the Main Mess Hall, silently thanking whatever gods were listening that the ship had real food. If he were starving, he would eat synthesized food, but that was the only way. Going into the Mess Hall, he looked around for the Captain. He debated for a minute if he should disturb him while eating, then took a small sidetrack to get a drink of fruit juice from the counter.

Captain Nathan Cowell had decided, much as he normally did when the mood struck him, that he would dine in the ship's Mess rather than his office. He often pointed out that there was something off about that replicated nonsense they called food in the 24th century. Granted, he knew professionally that it was due to the lack of quantum resolution inherent in replicating solid matter, but that was the intelligent way of saying that it just tasted funny. Nathan wasn't known for flaunting his intelligence.

On the menu for the mess hall, Nathan had selected a bit of pulled pork, most likely prepared in the southern style, with some garlic toast and french fries on the side just for the starch factor. He had been forced, however, to replicate a Coke since they didn't bottle it on Earth anymore. The Captain picked a nice vacant booth with a scarcity of personnel and began to enjoy his meal, ignorant of the hopeful lunch companion laying in wait for his moment to appear.

Ensign Shenk cleared his thoughts and making sure there was nothing on his chin or uniform, he approached the Captain. "Er..." He cleared his throat, feeling like a Ensign should when approaching a Captain of a Starfleet vessel. "I'm Ensign Marc Shenk, Sir. I just came aboard at Deep Space 10."

"And that means what to me, son? You expecting cookies?" Nathan asked in an annoyed tone before noticing that he was holding a tray, "Either park it or piss off. Man can't enjoy a meal with people standing over him like that."

The Ensign took a seat and set his glass of juice on the table before him. "I apologize, Captain Cowell. I'm the new Security Investigations Officer. Is this a bad time, Sir?"

"Son, there's no such thing as good and bad time. It's all relative. Or at least that's what Einstein told me. Good guy, a little weird though... loved that watch of his. Did you need something or are you just making face?" the Captain rambled as if the two of them were suddenly friends.

Marc took a sip of his juice to wet his suddenly dry mouth. "Well, Captain, I really just wanted to introduce myself." He swallowed nervously and prepared himself to be dismissed. He didn't want to throw out everything like he did with Major DeVries and Lieutenant Lischka. Making a fool of himself in front of his Chief was bad enough but doing it in front of the Captain was never a good thing. Swallowing again, he brought his PaDD up in front of him. "I was thinking, Captain... and I'm sure that you've probably heard all of this and then some... but... Who stands to benefit the most between a possible war between the Cardassians and the Romulans, if that is the case? Is it just for supplies, and if it is, then where is the nearest base? If I'm asking too much, just tell me to shut up and I'll leave you alone, Sir."

"Hell, son, if I knew that we wouldn't need to patrol the damn place. I'd just go crack skulls and get back to taking naps in my Ready Room. If it were any one group, you wouldn't know it. Every kind of ship has been spotted in the area because it's neutral ground. Anyone can be there. Hell, the Breen could fly through the Corridor if they wanted to without being 'out of place'... It's one of those little mysteries we just have to nail down when we get there," Nathan shrugged as he forked some pork in his mouth.

Marc nodded and finished his juice, mentally chewing over what the Captain had said. It was all true, and he began to feel like he was a rank amateur for even approaching the Captain without having something more substantial than questions that no one had the answer to. "Thank you for your time, Captain. I apologize for bothering you."

"Isn't much of a bother, kid. Not like you're the first person to try and help make life easier for people. Problem with these sorts of things is... there's nothing easy about them. But hey, don't stop trying just because you fell short this one time..." Nathan said before he sucked back a little Coke.

"Yes, Captain. Thank you, again, Sir." He gathered up his glass and PaDD and headed to drop it at the counter, encouraged by the Captain's words to not stop trying. He would prove himself and he would find out what was happening one way or another. That was his job. Exiting the Mess Hall, he headed back to Security.