Unexpected Company

Posted on 02 Aug 2015 @ 12:26am by Jynn

2,157 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Episode 09 - Empires
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 5 - Intelligance Office
Timeline: MD02 - 1200 Hours

ON:

This is turning out to be quite the tour, Jynn thought to himself as he made his way through the many rooms and halls of Galileo. He had already interacted with quite a few people by this point and despite a few awkward moments he had enjoyed every one of them. Even the ship was proving to be quite a character, though the sustained damage had made it difficult to examine every portion of the ship. I think I'm going to love it here even more than I could have hoped, he thought.

As he walked through some random corridors, killing off the rest of his lunch time, he came to a sudden stop and turned and faced one of the doors in the corridor. "Intelligence Office," he read aloud. As a pilot he had never really needed to step foot in the intel office aboard any of the ships he had flown, but that had never stopped him before, and it certainly wasn't going to stop him now.

With the familiar and uninviting hiss of the doors Jynn stepped into the office to take a look around and gather some intel of his own.

"Lieutenant," T'Vanna greeted, taking one look at the pips on his collar, then at the colour of his uniform. "Are you lost sir?" she asked, while rising from behind her desk. One look at her revealed her Vulcanoid genetics but the warm look on her face might have one think otherwise.

A Vulcan! They had always been rather hard for Jynn to understand. Their cold calculations for everything in life. Still, they always had wisdom in their words and despite Jynn at times being the antithesis of logic he still enjoyed their company as much as any other species, though that last Vulcan seemed... His eyes started to wander a bit before darting back to T'Vanna to answer her hanging question.

"Never," he replied to her with a smile. "Jynn. And who might you be?"

"T'Vanna Murray," she replied, returning the smile as she offered him her hand. "Are you sure you aren't lost? Because people don't generally come here unless they need to be here."

Jynn gladly accepted her offer, reaching out and holding into her hand with a gentle grasp that didn't seem to want to release. "I'm new here. I think it's quite logical that I get to know every part of this ship just as well as every being aboard it."

"Logical?" T'Vanna arched an eyebrow at him. "Why is that logical? Not even I know every part of this ship, nor every single person on it. I have a few friends but I hardly know the whole crew. Why would you want to know everyone?"

"Well, it stands to reason that as explorers I think we should start the exploring more closely and work our way out. I can hardly claim to be well traveled if I do not know the very people that reside within the same ship as myself. And besides, I love people!"

"I see.." Her gaze traveled down to their still linked hands and she slowly started to pull hers back. "I don't really mingle with people," she admitted, "until we return to starbase I spend my time here, or reading in my quarters. I am very much looking forward to seeing my daughter again."

Jynn released her hand and returned his by his side. It always felt like the beginning of a goodbye when he lost physical contact with someone he was meeting, but he was not blind to the fact that most people would feel uncomfortable with prolonged contact with a stranger. "That sounds rather lonely. Perhaps a little more mingling will help the time go by quicker for you?"

"Mingle how, I'm not a people person lieutenant. And I have a lot of work to do, especially now that I've been promoted to departmenthead, and I haven't the faintest idea on how to run this department. I have to find my own way of doing it. I was suddenly left in command of a ship, and I have no command experience. I don't have time to go out sir, and I very much like the quiet of my office. I'm only a touch telepath....but for me...a crowd is disaster waiting to happen."

"That sounds most unfortunate," he replied to both her solitary existence as well as the large burden that had apparently been placed on her. "May I ask how you were assigned duties you are unqualified for? Perhaps if the error is addressed then you will be much happier."

"I'm not unqualified," T'Vanna all but shot back, forrowing her brows into an almost solid 'V'. "I'm just inexperienced, I graduated only a few months ago, I have a baby to take care of, on my own I might add because I have no mate...and I'm expected to find a balance between duty and family. How would you feel?"

"Overwhelmed," Jynn answered in a way that made the feeling sound not all that bad. "Have you asked for any assistance? I mean for both your duties or for your family situation," he questioned in a more suggestive than concerned tone. An instant later and Jynn had an idea concocted by a thought process more powered by curiosity than of a process that fully took into account the repercussions of said ideas. "You know what? I would love to meet your baby!"

T'Vanna blinked in surprise. "You...you want to watch my daughter? You don't even know me lieutenant, and I don't know you. What makes you think I'll let you watch Emmaline?" She sighed. "Don't get me wrong...but do you have children? do you even know how to care for one?"

"A little, though I was only five when I helped care for my sisters so I suppose I'm a bit out of practice," Jynn replied with a chuckle. "I can always learn, though. I've even been told I have more in common with children than adults sometimes, though I have yet to tell if that is a compliment or not," he finished with a smile.

"I wouldn't know, I don't have any siblings. Why don't you come by sometime after our children have been returned to us. That should be in a few days."

"Absolutely," Jynn replied excitedly as he found something to lean against in the office. "I hope my intrusion is not unwelcome," he said with a look of concern upon realizing she was probably in the middle of something. "Are you busy?"

"Not really right this moment no." She gestured to a seat. "I assume you have a reason you ask? I was just about to take a break anyway, do you want anything? To drink I mean."

"Surprise me," Jynn answered with the same response he always had when someone offered him anything. "And I just wanted to be sure I wasn't a bother. I tend to get carried away sometimes."

"Ah.." The Vulcan woman got up and walked over to the replicator, ordering up two steaming mugs of raktajino. "Surprise it is," she said, handing the mug over to the Deltan. "So...I can tell you're in flight but what exactly are you?"

"Thank you," Jynn said contently. "It has been some time since I've had this." He took a quick swig of the beverage before continuing. "Deltan. Chief Flight Control Officer," he spoke as he started to think of answers to her question. After a moment of pause he concluded with "pleasured to meet you," having run out of answers to say.

T'Vanna chuckled. "Yes I can see the Deltan part," she offered, "it's somewhat obvious. And the pleasure is mine." She tucked her hair behind her ear and grinned. "Half Vulcan," she replied, clearly amused.

He had begun to wonder, but those last words almost came as a relief to Jynn. It wasn't that he disliked Vulcans, but their lack of emotion was almost unsettling at times. Her laughter brought a smile to his face. "You mentioned reading. What sort of books keep you occupied in your free time?"

"Oh mostly old science fiction and fantasy, though I do like a good mystery novel too. What about you? What keeps you sane among all the others?"

"Oh, you know," he started softly before adding a bit of excitement to his voice. "Action. Adventure. Excitement. Maybe we could live one of your novels out on the holodeck sometime!"

"Perhaps," T'Vanna replied cautiously, "are you asking me on a date?
You're not a telepath who can manipulate me, are you?"

Jynn was a bit taken aback by the seriousness of her tone when she asked him. He was used to flirtatious references to his species abilities of attraction, but he had never been asked in such a concerned manner. He was usually not a man of tact, but he tried to answer as best he could. "Honestly? No, I cannot manipulate you, but as you may know a Deltan's pheromones can cause increased arousal and attraction if not kept in check. I hope that does not concern you much, though, because I would love a date. You can pick the book," he added excitedly, trying to ease the sudden tension.

Almost instantly, the young Vulcan woman seemed to withdraw a little, paling ever so slightly at the suggestion of pheromones and attraction. She fell silent as she just stared at him, or maybe stared through him. "I don't know..." she said after an extremely long silence. "What are the risks of this happening? The odds?"

Jynn let out a bit of a sigh before answering her question. "I am not the best at controlling myself," he admitted with a bit of sadness in his voice. He hated driving people away and he felt as though he was doing just that. "But aside from a bit of uncontrolled arousal, I assure you there is no danger in it. I could never make you do what you would not want to. I wouldn't even if I could." He almost felt strange having to defend himself, but he wanted to set her at ease.

She relaxed, but only a little, a touch of relief on her face. "As long as that won't happen, then I'll consent to a date," she answered him. Seeing the sadness on his face, she sighed and leaned forward a little. "My daughter is the result of a date, and something I did not consent to," she explained, feeling she owed him that much. "And yet he manipulated me into it, making me believe it was my choice, when it wasn't. I never saw him again after that evening, and even if he did find out, I want him nowhere near my daughter. However, I have no desire of something like that occurring again."

"I understand," Jynn replied with a nod. "If it makes you feel any better I'd consider it more of an adventure than a date, anyway. That is, unless you're into romance novels," he spoke with an uplifting smile, attempting to dissipate the negative emotions that had started to form.

"Not really no." She offered an uncertain yet apologetic smile. "Crime and fantasy. Sherlock Holmes and any intergalactic variant to it. An adventure, I kind of like that term....maybe...a co-conspiracy of a sort? They're not designed for a workout to be fair...unless you want to call it a mental work out?"

"My workouts are usually more physical in nature, but this sounds exciting! Crime. Fantasy. Who knows, maybe I did it," he finished with a knowing wink.

"I'm sure the program can arrange for that to happen," T'Vanna now smirked at him. "Or anyone in the program, or even on the ship!"

"A culprit outside of the simulation? I'm not sure I can handle that kind of twist. Sounds like only something a true lover of detective stories would come up with. I'd even bet you have a program of your own cooked up!"

"Not yet, I'm not able to write programs but I know there's one of my officers who probably can, together with maybe an engineer? Unless you know someone who might be able to pull this off?"

"Unfortunately, no. I'm new here, remember?" He stuck his tongue out at her as if to tease. "But don't worry, I'll get to know everyone. For now we can stick to one of the classic mysteries, perhaps. Your pick."

"In that case we go for a sherlock holmes type of mystery," T'Vanna answered, poking out her own tongue right back at him. Anyone observing through the windows might find the scene odd, or amusing. "Tomorrow evening, after dinner?"

"It's a date," he said with a wink.

OFF:

Lt j.g. T'Vanna Murray
CIO
USS Galileo

Lieutenant JG Jynn
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Gallileo

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