A Stone's Worth in Gold

Posted on 04 Jul 2013 @ 1:17pm by Marine Captain Ray Fernandez (Ret.) & Chief Warrant Officer 2 Sergei Petrov

1,422 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Episode 03 - Frontier
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 2, Mess Hall
Timeline: MD 09 - 1245 hrs

ON:

Ray ran through the list of candidates he was testing. He had finished with Liyar, Stark and Oliver. The three of them had passed with varying degrees of success. It had been decided that Ray would get a feeling for the majority of the candidates and test them in his own quirky fashion, playing on their weaknesses to see how they would cope. It was part fun for the retired Marine Commanding Officer, but it was mainly to weed out the undesirables who would not be able to work in cohesion.

He ran the names through his mind and stopped at the only science NCO that applied. Petrov, Sergei . He thought. Must be a Russian, by the sounds of it. Probably in good shape, will have no problem with the physical. Strong sounding name as well, and by all counts a hard worker.

But He continued to go through his mental report. His file said that he takes things too seriously...a little sensitive. . A trait that was both familiar to Ray and easily correctable. "Let's see how he does..."

"If you don't mind me asking," came a voice from the other side of the table, "let's see how who does, sir?" asked Sergei Petrov. He was standing with two platters of lunch; two one-pound beef burgers topped with the works, dripping with grease of course, and a mountain of deep-fried french fries beside them. Two tall glasses of ice-cola and two tall glasses of water dripped beside the plates. He didn't wait for a reply, and moved onto explaining himself. Petrov, with an expectant look on his face, but not a smile, lowered one tray down in front of the massive marine captain, then helped himself to the chair across from him.

"I've heard you're a big man, sir, and that you like big meals. Meals that will rip your heart out. I haven't tried to kill myself in a few weeks, so I thought this might do the trick," he joked with an expression that would have made even the most deadpan comedian jealous. "Staff Warrant Officer Sergei Petrov," he greeted now, smiling for the first time, and he extended one of his toned arms for a good shake.

Interesting... "I think I might take you up on your offer mister Petrov. Nothing like a heart attack to get your day going." He grinned. "In fact, the 'you' I was referring to was yourself. " He took the tray and chuckled. "Where are you from Sergei? Can I call you Sergei? Much easier to say than Staff Warrant Officer." He chuckled. "By the way, my name is Ray."

"You may call me Sergei," he said. "I am from Moscow, and I live for rocks. You will find me less interesting than you think." He stabbed some fries with his fork, dipped them in a pile of ketchup and ate them. "What about you?"

"Just an old marine. Nothing overly special about myself Sergei. Did my time and never realized when I needed to get out. " He sighed and grabbed a single fry and popped it into his mouth. "Russia, interesting place to live. Must have had a decent cup of vodka in your day eh?" Ray joked.

"I don't drink," he confessed with a slight shrug. "But I make a mean beef Stroganov,' he chuckled. Petrov took a sip of his cola. "What do you want to see how I do?"

"that's my business mister Petrov..." Ray replied quietly. "Though I do say that your choice in lunch is exquisite." A russian that doesn't drink? Ray suppressed a chuckle and continued to study the jovial Sergei. " How long have you been in Starfleet?" He asked, taking another fry off his plate.

"Sixteen years," he said after swallowing a bite of his burger. He took a swig of cola, then licked his lips. "Twelve, if you don't include my time as a cadet."

"Spend any of it in theatre?"

Petrov took another big bite. "None." He thought the question was out of nowhere, but he didn't ask about it.

"16 years and no action? Even science should have seen something " Ray pressed.

Petrov looked up from his plate, frowning. He didn't know what the man was talking about, but he had to stay smooth. "What kind of action do you mean, sir?" he wondered. "I am a geologist, not the lead at the Bolshoi."

"That's good, I never really liked the Bolshoi." Ray retorted and took another fry. " Geologist eh? That's rocks right?"

"Yes, sir." Petrov eyed him carefully. Fernandez was a curious man, he thought, taking another sip of cola.

"See any good rocks lately?"

Petrov was beginning to wonder why he'd sat down at all. "Not really," he said truthfully. "Sir, with all due respect, what is it you wanted to know about me?"

"Why the hell I should allow someone who stares at rocks all day and hasn't been in a combat theatre into a team that will probably be in the thick of almost every heavy combat situation. " Ray replied bluntly, yet as casual as he would have been telling someone to tie their shoes. "Because when people are dying left and right and I have to rely on a a green horn that doesn't know one end of a rifle from the other..." He took the time to take a sip of his drink. "I'd probably rather be shot.

"So mister Petrov the non-alcoholic russian geologist." He clasped his hands together and linked his fingers, setting his elbows to either side of his tray and leaned forward in his chair.

"Convince me."

Petrov stared at him blankly. He had no idea what the man was on about. He being interviewed? The only person Petrov ever wanted to convince was Lieutenant Panne, which he found exceptionally more difficult than whatever Fernandez wanted. "Convince you of what?" he asked, leaning forward on his elbows, head low. "You think I want to be a marine?" He laughed. "And why should I convince, speaking of rocks, an old fossil of my worth, who doesn't even respect my work?" He shrugged, then tilted his head to wait for an answer. He chewed the rest of his burger.

so he does have a bit of spunk. Ray mused to himself, but outwardly he was glaring hard and frowning harder at the Geologist.

"Did you or did you not apply for the Tactical Response Team mister Petrov? Because if you haven't, that would mean my information is flawed. And this 'fossil' doesn't use flawed information." He continued to pick at fries and sip his drink for a couple seconds before continuing.

"So, I'll ask you again, and I don't enjoy repeating myself. Why should I let you into such a Team?" He demanded a second time.

"I was approached," he corrected, "by our former chief of security, before he was eaten alive by a giant beetle. I spoke to Cyrus Kiwosk about it after and was told to stay tuned for training." Petrov sipped his coke, thinking that all marines were the same. Pig-headed, arrogant, lacking in details. She smacked his lips as he set the glass down. "Look, if you don't want me on the team, which I didn't think you were heading anyway, then I won't be on it. I have another job to do, at which I'm pretty damned good. I'm not going to risk upsetting Lieutenant Panne so I can impress some gun-toters. I'm a scientist, not a military man. I think in the off-chance that this ship encounters a crisis situation needing more fists than pens, I could help out. The end." He stabbed his fork full of fries, dipped them in a wad of ketchup, and devoured them.

Ray grinned. "Good answer. You pass." Ray chuckled. "Approached or not, I'd love to have a little no nonsense on the team, I don't give a damn if your military or not, I just want someone who can do what he can, when he can.

"So mister Petrov, you have just passed your entry test for the Tactical Response Team. Congratulations." He was still grinning as he bit into the burger and sighed contently. "How did you know I like bacon and Cheddar cheese? You sure you're from Russia?"

[OFF - TRUNCATED]

--

Marine Captain Ray Fernandex
VIP
USS Galileo
NPC'd by Cyrus Kiwosk

SWO Sergei Petrov
Science Officer
USS Galileo
NPC'd by Maenad Panne

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