Get Me Off This Floating Mushroom!

Posted on 20 Nov 2014 @ 5:02am by Lieutenant JG Toby Stroud Jr.
Edited on on 20 Nov 2014 @ 5:06am

529 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: Episode 07 - Sojourn
Location: Starbase 84 - Toby's Quarters
Timeline: MD3: 1800 hours

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Toby entered his room about the starbase, and let out an audible sigh. After spending the last two years serving as a Raptor pilot assigned to perimeter security, he didn't know why he expected any day to be different than the last. When he was first assigned to Starbase 84, he thought of his assignment as one that was ripe for adventure. He had grand notions of protecting the base against all sorts of threats, and of course he would be the Hero of The Day! How couldn't he, Toby was the best damn pilot in the fleet, and would be sure to remind anyone else of that fact.

However, life aboard the base began to grow tiresome to Toby: not for the activity, for the lack of it! He mostly spent his days escorting patrolling the same quadrant of space around the station, keeping a "vigilant eye" (as his superiors liked to say) for any threats that may present themselves. These "threats" were usually outdated ships that could not dock in autopilot, that needed an escort to even find their assigned docking platform. Life aboard the starbase was hardly the adventure Toby had hoped it would be.

"Cheeseburger, rare, dressed up" he said to the replicator, stretching his muscles as the meal appeared, just as ordered. Toby was never able to program the unit to create a burger like the ones he still thought about back home near Buffalo, but it was the best synthetically-created one he could manage. He took the meal, taking a bite as he sat down at his computer terminal, reviewing his messages.

At first, Toby saw the usual starbase memorandum, items about a recital of the base's Mozart Lovers Group and a lecture on ancient gardening practices and a variety of topics that he had absolutely no interest in. He deleted the messages repetitiously until seeing one that made him pause.

The message was from the Fleet's Office of Personnel Management. A slight grin same across Toby's face as he opened the message. For the last six months, he had been posting transfer requests to any and all ships that showed an opening. He was hoping to get into an assignment with a little more......well, a little more ANYTHING:

"LTJG Stroud,

Your recent request for a change of assignment to the USS Galileo has been approved. Effective 7/1/2390, you will serve as Assistant Chief Flight Control Officer under the command of Captain Jonathan Halliday. Persuant to this transfer, please meet with the following ship personnel for debriefing:"

A list of names appeared below the message. Toby cried out in an enthusiastic "WOOHOOOO!", jumping out of his chair and pumping a fist into the air. He quickly pulls up schematics of the ship, a Nova-class scout ship. "Now THIS is what I'm, talking about!" he said to no one in particular, as images of adventure played in his mind. Toby spent the rest of the night looking up the official record of the ship, a newer vessel but one he hoped would lead the excitement that his life had been lacking....

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Lieutenant JG Toby Stroud Jr
Assistant Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Galileo

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