First Connections

Posted on 10 Apr 2016 @ 2:54pm by Ensign Jerico Stark & Senior Chief Petty Officer Keval zh'Erinov
Edited on on 19 May 2016 @ 12:14am

1,826 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Episode 11 - Divinum Mundi
Location: USS Galileo - Ops Office
Timeline: MD-02 0730

Keval cracked his neck as he stepped into the Operations Office. Shore Leave had been, well an interesting time, but he was glad that the ship was under way again, but he felt just a tinge of apprehension as well. It seemed that no matter how routine a mission was, there were always complications.

He really wasn't on duty yet, but he was sure he could find some project, something he could tinker on.

Reaching up, Jerico hooked a finger along the rim of his uniform collar, tugging it slightly. For some reason, the collar felt a little tight. He didn't quite sure know why. Well, let's see. First time on a deep space assignment. First posting as an officer. First day on the job...sure. Nothing to be nervous about, right?

"Right," he murmured to himself, scrolling through a padd of data and cross-referencing it with a computer screen. On the screen flew several columns of data, keeping track of the mechanical filtration processes currently taking automated care of the ship's wastewater and sewage treatments.

Jerico glanced up as he felt another presence enter the area, smiling and nodding in greeting to an Andorian. The blue-skinned man also wore the gold of Engineering and Operations. Jerico's first instinct was to wonder if he'd screwed something up, but he also assumed an alarm would have gone off. Or something.

"Hello," he said, nodding in greeting.

"Hello yourself," Keval responded, with an easy smile, his left antennae curling forward, "you must be new."

"Certainly so," Jerico replied, returning the Andorian's friendly manner. It also let him know that, no, he had not indeed screwed anything up yet. Standing up from the computer terminal he was leaning over, Jerico reached out his hand for a shake. The handshake was an intensely human gesture, but he didn't think of that until it was too late. Fortunately, species that had worked closely with humanity for centuries like Andorians tended to often take such things in stride. "Jerico Stark, Ops. Just got posted here, actually."

Keval was indeed used to the Terran gesture and reached out automatically to take the hand, "Well welcome aboard. She is a good ship, even if we do have some strange encounters. Do you have in particular specialty?"

Well, that's one first contact gaffe avoided, Jerico thought as the Andorian took his hand and returned the gesture. "I've had a lot of time before we embarked to go over the ship specs," he said, a special light touching on his brown eyes. Talking about mechanics and technical data tended to do that to him. "Small, but mighty. And kinda got its own charm, hm?"

Jerico glanced back down at the readout display. The Andorian still hadn't given his name, but he assumed that it was the man's prerogative. "I majored in general ops, with a specialization in environmental systems. Minored in planetary sciences." A slight blush creeped onto his cheeks, coloring them a subtly ruddy flush as Jerico realized that he might be babbling. "Er...um. Have you been here long?"

Keval smile, "Sorry, I'm forgetting my manners. "I'm Keval zh'Erinov and I've been here about two years. Communications and Security systems are my fields of specialty. And I think I minored in art."

Art? That certainly piqued Jerico's interest. He grinned widely, his teeth flashing white against the smooth tan of his skin. "I kinda wish I'd taken the time to pick up a fine arts certification, too. Might as well, from all the time I spent in the studios."

Jerico glanced to the Andorian's collar, noting his rank as SCPO. He might have outranked Keval by the barest of technicalities, but Jerico had never been fool enough to dismiss enlisted crew members just because they didn't wear officer's pips. Oftentimes their specializations and real-life experience were worth a hundred golden rank circles.

"Not much call for artistry in the job today," he grinned, motioning to a monitor. "Just making sure everyone's bio waste is properly separated into grey matter and water, and then superheated to one-fifty C. Thrilling, right?"

Keval's smile changed into a smirk, "Well come by my place and I'll show you my etchings sometimes. A lot more interesting than grey matter."

"What?" Jerico said with mock surprise. "More interesting than biomatter repurposing? Surely, you jest..." His smile was a genuine one, for the young Ops officer hadn't really expected to be making many friends in his first days on the job and aboard the ship. Then again, it was a small vessel, all things considered. He hoped to have more friends than not. It wouldn't be easy to avoid people.

Fortunately, Jerico had never really had problems making friends. It was something that was kind of a boon, especially in new situations. Being raised half Risian tended to make one a bit less anxious about new things, owing to that society's incredible openness. "I'd like that, thank you," he replied. "What media do you use for etching, if you don't mind me asking?"

Keval's smirk disappeared replaced by his original smile. "Well I was joking, or half joking anyway about the etchings. it's an old Terran come on line. But seriously I do paint, and those I'd love to show you sometime. And I'm kind of an old fashioned guy. I use oil. just like the Old Masters, not that I would consider myself anywhere near their class. What about you, you have any hobbies?"

Blinking once, then twice, Jerico tried not to feel like an owl. Yet another slow blush touched on his cheeks. Stark really wished that he wouldn't do that. As if he didn't look boyish enough already...

"Ah. Um," he grinned, brushing fingers through his short, dark brown hair. Being oblivious to things generally wasn't Stark's modus operandi, but sometimes he could focus too much on the details and miss the proverbial forest. Not that the compliment wasn't flattering, though.

He was a little glad that the conversation actually veered back toward artistry. "I love oil, but I'm not very good at it. For the most part, I tend to stick to working with clay." Jerico shrugged, smiling slightly. "Haven't had a lot of time to pursue many hobbies since coming aboard, but I swam all through secondary school, and at the Academy."

"Really, are you serious? I love swimming too. You should stop by and see my stuff for real."

Jerico nodded. "I'd like that," he said, glad to be getting along with someone right off the bat. He didn't know all that much about Andorians, but they were a species that had always fascinated him. So integral to the founding of the Federation, and yet perhaps the most aloof of those founding members. Even counting Vulcans. "I was on the swim team during my Academy years, made the team every year," he chuckled. "I can't imagine they found the space to put a pool on a ship this size...damn shame, really."

"Well I have to settle for the holodeck. Not quite the same, and I like the water a little cooler than most pinkskins do. But if you even want to swim let me know, I can adjust the temperature."

Charts and graphs continued to stay just where they needed to, and for that, Jerico was thankful. To be honest, his new Andorian friend was much more interesting than matter management, even if there happened to be a backup crisis in synthesis recycling. Or something like that.

"I imagine holodeck time is a luxury on this little wonder of a ship," he said, placing the padd down on the edge of a console. Cocking a playful eyebrow, Stark turned to Keval. "A brisk swim can get the blood pumping...not all of us...pinkskins...turn to ice cubes, y'know." Brave talk. He'd probably turn Andorian blue in a few minutes in cold water...

"Well if you're sure, we could go after the shift tonight, or some other time if that's better for you."

"Excellent," Stark replied, the smile genuinely lighting up his brown eyes. "If you can manage to wrangle us up some time, I certainly wouldn't say 'no' to it." He glanced down at the LCARS display, making note of what the onboard chronometer had to say. "Unfortunately, that mythical 'off shift' time is a while away, yet. We could even meet up in the mess some time, if that'd be okay." Jerico gestured expansively toward the work console. "Might be a place more conducive to conversation. And less, y'know...biomatter reclamation. Try not to think about that when you're eating, now..."

"Well, I wasn't thinking about it, until you said that," Keval grinned, "I think i can get us some time in the holodeck, and I wouldn't mind spending time with you in the mess."

Reaching down, Jerico keyed through another data padd, bringing up a small chart. "Here," he said, tapping a few colorful spaces and transferring the data. "That's my duty schedule. I'm sure we can string something together. We're Ops, after all. Logistics is our thing." Stark quietly laughed, running his fingers through his brown hair. "And I even promise not to bring up biomatter."

"Well if you can promise that, I guess I can promise to ask you do pose naked for me." Keval deadpanned, both antennae curled forward slightly.

"A deal's a deal," Stark glibly retorted. "But don't you threaten me with a good time!" Apparently, the Andorian had no trouble with Terran idioms and humor. Jerico wondered what kind of past the man had. He assumed that it was a subject for another day, something to come up later.

Stark swiveled his chair back around, leaning against the back of it. "They're giving me funny looks, back there," he chuckled. "Hopefully someone doesn't come out with one of those Ferengi whips, cracking it and telling me to get back to work." Reaching out his hand, he smiled happily at Keval. "It was nice meeting you. Hopefully we can catch up soon."

"It was nice meeting you too," Keval replied and I will let you know when I get something arranged. And I was kidding about the whole posing nude thing, unless of course you really wanted to." Then he turned around and stated to leave.

Jerico returned to his work with a rather happy extra bounce. It was great to have met a possible new friend already, and the Andorian seemed like a fun person to be around. He had always been fascinated by Andorians, too, though there hadn't been many opportunities to get to know one. That looked like it could change, here in the small world of a Nova-class starship.


A joint post by


ENS Jerico Stark
Operations Officer
USS Galileo

&

CPO Keval zh'Erinov
PNPC Jared Nicholas
USSGalileo

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