The Start of Something Memorable

Posted on 10 Oct 2015 @ 8:08pm by Lieutenant Oren Idris Ph.D. & Chief Warrant Officer 2 S'rivas

3,122 words; about a 16 minute read

Mission: Episode 09 - Empires
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 6 - Operations Office
Timeline: MD03 - 1600hrs

ON:

Before getting his provisional rank, Oren never really cared for what most people on the ship working outside his department did. Now, with his new rank, it seemed that would chance. While he knew, deep down, that more would be expected of his now, he'd been more than happy to trudge along as before until he got a message from someone in the position of Boatswain. One search later and Oren found out what that position even meant.

It appeared that his days of lounging around were over.

Of all the things that S'rivas thought about, lounging was never one of them. When he wasn't working, he was working out, or studying, meditating, honing his knowledge and abilities. There was never any time for lounging. Such as today; S'rivas had set up a rigorous training schedule.

Having waited until the end of his shift in order to set up a preliminary meeting with Chief Warrant Officer S'rivas, Oren made sure he looked reasonably presentable before making his way to the Vulcan's office. After all, the man would no doubt find something to complain about, despite his efforts. Vulcans always complained about something.

As soon as the doors to the Operations Office opened, the Vulcan looked up from the monitor on his desk at his vict- visitor. His desk was completely clean and spartan, as would be expected. There was not a speck of dust to be found, no messy stack of PADDs, not even a forgotten stylus that had sneaked behind the monitor. What might surprise the El Aurian was the bowl of hard candies that sat on one corner, glittering in rainbow-coloured foils.

The Vulcan's left eyebrow arched as he stood, "Lieutenant Idris. The activities I have planned for you today will be..." S'rivas trailed off, obviously searching for the right word. At last he settled with "...more efficient in a uniform. Your current attire could..." Once again, silence. "...snag on something."

A little taken aback by the lack of pleasantries, Oren still managed to recover quickly and gave the Vulcan a confused look, "Activities?" he questioned, "I thought this was just a quick meeting to set up a schedule or something. I have another briefing with Science in an hour." As he spoke, he gestured behind himself, as if to indicate he had other things he had to do.

"That is most unfortunate, Lieutenant," the Boatswain replied and clasped his hands behind his back. "There is much more than one hour's worth of training that you must complete. I had estimated no less than three-point-five-two weeks, with twelve hours a week, to get you acclimated to ship operations." All delivered as flatly as if he was discussing the replicator's recipe for Plomeek soup, and not that he was expecting to take over so much of Oren's free time.

"Today we were going to spend four hours in the Jeffries tubes, but I see that I will have to amend my schedule. That is alright, Lieutenant, we can make up those hours later."

"Jeffries tubes?" Oren was confused. What did Jeffries Tubes have to do with him being Chief Research Officer. "Are you sure?" The stern, too serious look the Vulcan was sporting told Oren he was but the more mischievous part of him always took a little joy asking Vulcans stupid questions.

"What part of my job will need me crawling though those things? Have you been in there? It's like a grave."

S'rivas' other eyebrow raised now. "A comparison based on such a morbid thought is counterproductive." S'rivas was already wasting time he had scheduled and though his face remained the same, his eyes began to narrow with further disapproval. Oren Idris might be his superior, but in the Vulcan's mind there was much he needed to learn. S'rivas was quite willing and ready to drill ship operations and procedures into the scientist until regulations came leaking out of his unfortunate small and rounded ears.

"It is hardly a grave, Lieutenant. There is more than enough room to move around in. The reason why we would go to the Jeffries tubes is so that you may learn how to handle very minor repairs of your own equipment. This would include recalibrating scanners, altering isolinear alignments to allow for a broader range of capabilities for various instruments, and modulating the power that the laboratories receive from the grid once obtaining the go ahead from the Operations Chief amongst other things. Generally this is training that a cadet receives while learning their specific duties but given your field promotion I would assume that you have not done this before."

Oren watched him, blinking slowly. While he appeared alert, the mention of isolinear alignments and power modulation, he felt his eyes cross and brain shut down. After that, much to his own embarrassment considering his years, he heard very little. Instead, his mind seemed to switch back to things he knew.

"You know, there are these ice catacombs on the Al-Layen homeworld that go on for miles. Seriously, as far as graves go, it's pretty roomy. You can get lost in there, believe me." By the look he was giving S'rivas, it was clear he had done that exact same thing.

Without missing a beat, S'rivas responded, "An inaccurate analogy. Using old style miles measurements, the Galileo has approximately 3.75 miles worth of Jeffries tubes. However I assure you the temperature, while cool, is the same in them as it is in the rest of the ship. We shall not get lost either as there are clear marking which section we are in. Are you ready to proceed, sir?"

"I thought you said we didn't have enough time. "Oren said, slightly confused. Who started things knowing he wouldn't be able to finish right away?

"My original plan will no longer suffice," S'rivas explained, relentlessly, heartlessly. He almost seemed to project a sense of dark, malicious amusement. "However, I have adapted it so that you may learn some of what is needed. There is an engineering kit on the wall next to Jeffries tube entrance 91-Gamma, there in the corner. I suggest we proceed, sir, so that we might ensure your education proceeds as quickly as possible."

Then, unable to resist, he added, "Later we can review emergency lockdown procedures, sudden losses of pressure, computer lockdown techniques, basic hand phaser operation, decorum when involved with a visiting dignitary, typical repair operations of equipment..." S'rivas only paused to take a breath and went on, describing Oren's fate, "Zero-gee training, air filtration mask operation, the optimal way to make a request from ship stores, organisational hierarchy, basic warp theory, basic use of bridge stations, reconfiguring LCARS...and more." Oh yes, definitely pleasure.

Oren couldn't help the noise of childlike petulance that escaped his throat during S'rivas' listing of the curriculum of doom. Even with his long education in ship operations mostly forgotten, Oren could smell bullshit lectures a mile away and with the Vulcan right next to him, his plans stank to high heaven. Oren gave him an unimpressed look, but said little. Any complaints would probably serve as soul-food for the man anyway. Instead, Oren walked over to fetch the engineering kit, looking down at the jeffries tube entrance. As he waited for S'rivas to lead him inside (he was the one who was supposed to be the teacher after all), Oren finally frowned, realising he would have to crawl in first. Sighing, he opened the hatched and, maneuvering the kit in what seemed like the most comfortable position for crawling around, crouched and slipped inside.

The Vulcan moved gracefully in behind Oren, having no difficulty fitting his large frame into the tube. "Proceed a further three meters in, sir," he advised. As they moved along, S'rivas was presented with a rather odd sight. The El Aurian's bare knees must feel very uncomfortable on the metal plates they crawled over, and the rather small orange shorts had a way of riding up high along the smooth, white thighs with each effort forward Oren made. "Fascinating," S'rivas remarked, mostly to himself.

All too soon, for purely aesthetic reasons, they reached the spot that S'rivas had specified, "If you remove the panel to your right, Lieutenant, you will find the bioneural gel packs that handle much of the data processing for the Operations Office and link its systems to the main computer. In your engineering kit is a tricorder. We will be running a level two diagnostic on the integrity and health of the gel pack. It should prove to be a most stimulating activity." S'rivas finally turned his eyes to the panel in question.

If there was a suggestive nature to S'rivas' words, Oren missed it as he tried to maneuver into a comfortable position by the indicated panel. Eventually, thankful for him small size, Oren simply settled for sitting back on his calves while he wondered what could be so satisfying about diagnosing gel packs. Still, he was happy that he was at least familiar with his first assignment and Oren knew when to count his blessings. His sleeves, fashionably baggy as they were, got in the way and he carefully pushed them up to his elbows before neatly rolling up the short underneath it on keep them from slipping.

Finally, he glanced over at S'rivas who was close by, before taking out the tricorder and doing as he was told. As the tricorder worked it's magic, Oren decided to fill the silence, a nervous habit.

"So, what is so fascinating about this? "

For a brief moment, the Vulcan considered being honest. It was their way after all, though the idea that they couldn't lie was a falsehood. One they cultivated to be sure, it became quite useful at times. Yes, honesty. "I was noting the fascinating way your outfit sets you apart in the Jeffries tube. I have never seen anyone in clothes such as yours within one, and your shorts were exposing quite a lot more of your interesting legs." Vulcan flirtation at its finest.

"The task is quite simple, really," S'rivas continued without missing a beat, as if nothing he'd said was out of the ordinary. "The level two diagnostic however takes time. It is a relatively detailed scan. Once the tricorder has given the basic information, we will use it as a guide as we apply more specialised instruments for further testing."

Blinking, Oren had the decency to blush ever so slightly while looking at the tricorder to hide it. It was the only thing he could do, given the strange turn of events. Indeed, the very last thing he expected from his first meeting with the very Vulcan Bosun was to be jammed into a Jeffries tube, being subtly hit on by that same very Vulcan Bosun while they both awkwardly waited for Oren's tricorder to finish diagnosing a gel pack.

Oren cleared his throat to break the silence as it stretched on while the diagnostic continued, feeling equal parts amused and uncomfortable by the situation.

The silence was of no concern to S'rivas, and during that time he examined the work and the El Aurian with equal attention. Finally, he broke the quiet, "Do not think that my observation of your satisfactory aesthetic qualities will mean I shall be any less thorough in your education, Lieutenant. I shall conduct that with the same thoroughness as I would anyone else."

As the tricorder beeped, running down it's scans, S'rivas moved in closer so he could look over the other's shoulder at the results. Their bodies were almost touching, and the high body temperature that the Vulcan ran at would likely be quite noticeable at this short distance. "You have run a satisfactory scan. We may now begin to use the probes. I recommend you start with the hyperspanner - the smallest one."

Oren's eyes widened, staring at the tricorder readings as he felt the strange sensation of S'rivas being so close. Still, he reasoned, they were in a Jeffries tube, with little space to maneuver around each other and the Vulcan was... Burly, for lack of a better word. Some physical contact couldn't be avoided. That it, it could, but the proximity felt more awkward than any physical contact and Oren's feelings were slowly moving towards the more uncomfortable side of the spectrum.

Realising he was stuck in his head for a moment too long, Oren shook it off and focused on finding the smallest hyperspanner and, if he gently nudged against S'rivas to break the tension, it was totally an accident.

An accident, or a signal for a desire to engage in carnal activities? That was the thought that ran through S'rivas' mind at the touch. He was unsure of El Aurian mating practises however, and wished to study the database before making any assumptions. That was if he decided to pursue things beyond the level of...eye candy. That reminded him.

S'rivas pulled out two Rigellian neocustard hard candies from his pocket, wrapped in golden, sparkly foil. "Would you like one?" The Vulcan was already unwrapping the one he'd chosen for himself with practised fingers. "The hyperspanner can be used to both check and repair the circuitry connections to the biological components. We need to be assured that where they plug in is still secure, tight but able to transmit data without difficulty."

Although the innuendo of S'rivas words went over Oren's head, the unexpected offer of candy didn't. Still, it seemed rude to refuse so Oren took the sparky candy, making sure their hands didn't touch. "I'll save this for later," he said politely, putting the piece of candy into what he realised was an absurdly small pocket on his shorts. "Or not," he muttered, seeing how futile the endeavour was, unwrapping the candy quickly and popping it into his mouth.

"So, now we're checking the connections? " Oren could do that, he decided, looking down at the hyperspanner and trying to figure out how the damn thing switched from one mode to the other. The odd anxiety he felt being stuck in a small space with S'rivas after their exchange didn't help.

"That is correct. The second setting on the hyperspanner will accomplish the task; the first is for repairing specific connections that have degraded over time." Now came the long, mundane motions of the diagnostic that they were running on just one small component. It should give a greater understanding of just how much maintenance a vessel required constantly to ensure that every part worked, and there were so many parts. Throughout it all, S'rivas' presence never wavered, though they both shifted positions on occasion to perform one task or another, and there were a number of times of further physical contact out of necessity. The Vulcan led them through checking connections, the health of the gel pack's fluid, the stability of the neural nets and the overall rate of growth, and finally they were finished. As he had planned, S'rivas noted that by the clock in his head it would leave Oren with a little less than ten minutes to get to his next appointment.

"That was a commendable beginning to your training, Lieutenant," S'rivas remarked, almost kindly, but then there was a shift from that direction. "However, this is only one of the most basic tasks you may be called upon to perform. The rest of your procedural training will be a good deal more exhaustive." He turned his head away from the panel, starred Oren in the eyes, their faces only inches apart. His eyes were unrevealing as ever, but once again he seemed to be putting out some sort of emotion around himself: the return of that malicious amusement from earlier. "I recommend getting much rest before our next session. You are going to need it, sir."

Oren only kept the eye contact up for another few seconds before nodding. " Right, " he said, still nodding awkwardly. Looking up again, he found S'rivas still right there, closer to his face than the small space made necessary. Still, much to Oren's relief, it didn't look like the entire thing was going anywhere beyond the strange awkward stage. "So..." He trailed off, wanting to advance the conversation. "After you?" he suggested.

The Vulcan turned abruptly and started to make his way down the short distance they had to travel, wheels in his mind turning. This awkwardness that Oren felt should provide a suitable distraction to make his training more difficult. It was often hard to simulate completing these tasks under pressure, and S'rivas decided he would use this to make future sessions more challenging. He was always on the lookout for better - some would say crueler - methods of hammering procedures into the crew's head.

"Mmm, that was most delicious," came his voice as he neared the end of their crawl. Candy or something else?

Either way, it sounded weird and Oren was glad the Vulcan couldn't see the look on his face as he watched him, trying to figure him out. "Right," he just said slowly, following the man out of the Jeffries tube and back into his office. Stumbling out of the narrow tunner, Oren reached down and rubbed his knees, sore from the hard metal. Shorts were definitely not a good choice, on several different levels. "Is that all, Chief Warrant officer?" he asked, hoping for an affirmative answer.

"I believe that you have learned a sufficient amount for the limited time you allowed me, sir, " S'rivas said, his hands tucked on his back, and he managed to make that sound a shade grumpy. He certainly didn't look any the worse for wear from their short jaunt into the bowels of the ship. "I would like to take the opportunity to point out that you did not seem at all concerned by being 'in the grave' of the ship. When properly stimulated by a task, I believe you have the focus to accomplish your duties without succumbing to distracting influences. Possibly."

Oren opened his mouth to point out the little excursion was hardly free of distracting influences, but decided against it. It would be giving the Vulcan way too much credit. "I'll bear that in mind, Chief Warrant," Oren said instead, giving them man a friendly nod and smile. "Until next time then," he said, nodding towards the other man respectfully before turning around and leaving the office, hoping to take some time to meditate on how many surprising things could happen in less than an hour.

OFF:

Lieutenant JG Oren Idris
Chief Research Officer
USS Galileo

Chief Warrant Officer 2 S'rivas
Boatswain
USS Galileo
[PNPC Xanth]

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