Karras Arrives

Posted on 05 Dec 2021 @ 12:48pm by Lieutenant JG Karras

909 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Episode 18 - Cold Station 31
Location: Regula 1 - Level 16, Docking Module/Karras's Temporary Quarters
Timeline: MD 02, 1220 hrs

[ON]

Materializing on the transporter pad, Karras pulled his traveling cloak tighter as he felt the cooler air of the docking bay suddenly press in all around him. He took a moment to get his bearings, his eyes adjusting to the steady and subdued Federation light that differed greatly from the civilian cargo ship that had carried him all the way to this station. As the room came into better focus he noticed the cheerful Operations crewman waving to him from the nearby kiosk, and he made his way over to her.

"Hey there!" she greeted with an inviting smile. "Welcome to Regula-1! I'm Crewman Hanscum, and I'll be gettin' ya all checked in to our little shelter in the stars. And you are?"

"Karras," he answered, handing over the PaDD containing his orders that had been hidden beneath his cloak. Hanscum accepted the PaDD but seemed entranced by the garment.

"Well, would ya look at that?" she asked no one in particular. "You know, I've been around a system or two, and I don't think I've ever seen cloth like that. Where'd ya find, if ya don't mind my askin'?"

"My father made it for me, when I left home," Karras explained, receptive to her curiosity. He lifted up a portion of the jet black fabric for her to examine. "I'm Ba'ku. This was woven in our village, and dyed the color of the unknown in honor of my journey into the Offland."

"Ba'ku?" Hanscum exclaimed. "I can't say that I've ever met a Ba'ku before, dontcha know." She reluctantly turned her attention from estimating the cloak's thread count to the orders in her hand. What she saw seemed to surprise her, as she glanced from the PaDD to Karras's bare neck and back more than once - presumably visualizing the blue collar and rank pips she expected to find there.

"Yes, um, I don't like to travel in uniform when I'm off duty," he offered as explanation to her unasked question.

The crewman seemed to just stare for a moment before his words sunk in. "O-fer cute!" she exclaimed, swiftly emerging from her stupor. "Sorry about that, Counselor. Of course there's no rules statin' ya can't ever go around in civies!"

Karras smiled and offered a small chuckle in response. He found himself completely charmed by the woman before him.

Hanscum got back to work, comparing the orders on the PaDD to the readout now uploaded to her screen. "Well, it seems you've been assigned to, um, oh! The USS Galileo-A. Congratulations!" She quickly looked up to beam at him, but managed to stay on task. "They arrived here just yesterday, dontcha know. I ain't really seen too many of 'em, but the ones I have come across seem like a buncha nice folks. Anyways... they are all tucked in for shore leave and resupply, so you've got temporary quarters over here. Level 16, Berth 16-314." She returned the PaDD to the him. "I've uploaded the directions to those quarters for ya, and we'll have your belongings sent there. Of course, once you check in to your ship and get your cabin assignment, we can have your things sent over."

"Thank you, Crewman Hanscum," Karras replied, turning to leave but then stoppimng to add, "I appreciate the warm welcome."

"O-fer..." Hanscum, began, blushing. "Anytime. Now, don't be a stranger!"

With that, she turned her attention to the next arrival, and Karras started towards Berth 16-314.

---

Stepping out of the sonic shower, Karras let out an audible sigh of satisfaction. Although at his core he still agreed with his people's avoidance of advanced technologies, the truth was technology was unavoidable in the Offland. And not all technologies were created equally; he'd never really felt like he'd gotten clean while onboard the cargo ship. There was something to be said for the standards of the Starfleet Corps of Engineers.

He quickly dressed, attaching the brand new rank pips he'd received his final week onboard the Bellerophone. The promotion had come as a surprise, as had the revelation that Dr. Salok had submitted his name to Starfleet Medical to be be reassigned to a new ship as "Chief" Counselor. Things had moved very quickly after that, even for the Offland. His transferred had been approved and he'd found himself on his way here.

Karras checked his appearance in the mirror, feeling his stomach rumble but intent on meeting his new Captain before he did anything else. "Computer, where can I find Captain Lihra Saalm?"

There was a pause before the computer chirped to convey its answer. "Captain Saalm is not aboard Regula-1."

Huh, Karras thought. Maybe she's still aboard her ship? But all further lines of inquiry came with the same result. The Captain was nowhere to be found.

"Computer, is Commander, um, Scarlet Blake aboard Regula-1?" he asked, moving down the chain of command. "Or on any of the docked vessels?" he added quickly.

Another pause, then the chirped response. "Affirmative. Commander Blake is currently in her designated office on Level 16 in the Administrative Module."

Karras moved to the interface on the wall and brought of the deck plan, locating the office and identifying the path that would take him there. With a parting glance in the mirror, he left his quarters and headed in Blake's direction.


[OFF]

--

LTJG Karras
Chief Counselor
USS Galileo-A

 

RSS Feed

Comments (1)