On the Route Again...

Posted on 22 Mar 2012 @ 8:00pm by Lieutenant Lilou Zaren

700 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Episode 01 - Project Sienna
Location: Crew Quarters, Deck 5
Timeline: MD01 - 0000 hrs

[ON]

As the chronometer gleefully announced the changing of the guard with a matter of soft chimes, Lilou unzipped the coveralls she'd been wearing to keep from grubbing up her uniform while half her body was in the underbelly of the Type 9 shuttle. She slipped first one arm out, then another, stretching both above her head, to each side, and behind her with a wide yawn as Troxx slipped past her and took his seat at the console in Main Engineering. "Night," she said, popping her head in after him.

He looked at her for a moment and then went back to viewing the MSD.

Good for him. Eye on the ball and all that. She had eight hours to sleep before taking her next sixteen hour shift. She knew that the rest was important, imperative even - considering the kind of work she was taking upon herself. She'd been avoiding console duty since they'd deployed; mostly because it didn't interest her, but partially - she could admit - because she still wasn't entirely comfortable with the layout. Not enough had changed or moved to make it impossible to read, but just enough had so it was extra work. She couldn't just look and see the information; she had to actually read. Not that she minded reading, she thought as she wandered out of Engineering, letting the top half of the coveralls fall back. She loved it. It just took time and time wasn't something she wanted to have to spend at a console.

She should though, she knew that. Tomorrow, she decided. Tomorrow, she'd spend at least one shift just watching the blips and bars and making sure she could respond to them in a flash instead of squinting and fumbling for her glasses when something flashed.

She paused in the empty corridor and folded in half, her spine giving off a series of pops and crackles as she rolled up to standing again. She bent again and hung there, gently rocking her head from side to side as more cracks resonated through her bones. She was so tired. And yet not. Not enough to sleep. Just enough to hang from her hip bones, her hands flat on the floor, the muscles in her neck growing looser by the second. She moved one foot and then the other, dragging her hands along the ground and deepening the stretch as she made her snap, crackle, popping way to the turbolift. She still needed to send a message to the Qin-Harbinger. "Eh," she grunted and reached one hand above her hanging head to nudge the deck number with her thumb. She'd say hi to them when she was at the starbase. It was only another day. But would she really have time to send them a message when they were dry-docked?

The turbolift doors opened and she slowly began to roll upright as she headed towards her quarters. No. Almost definitely, she'd have things to do while they were docked. Even if there were no assignments - which she very much doubted - it was a chance to do some exterior checks and run all the systems diagnostics that were too dangerous to run while they were at warp speeds. They'd been correcting design flaws for the last day and they had another day of it to go. Best to triple check those corrections before they took off for... wherever they were headed next. Some research station in the Beta Quadrant, she thought she remembered.

Swiping her fingers against the pad of her quarters door, she squeezed through the doors before they'd finished opening and stepped out of her coveralls before they'd closed. Tapping the console, she collapsed into her bed and rested her cheek on the pillow. "Message for Lt. Paxton-Peers at Qin-Harbinger Research Station, Alpha Quadrant. Message is as follows:" she yawned again, "Hey, Mama. Transfer went smoothly. We're on our way to Federation Starbase 234; nothing to report. Say hi to Papa when you get this. I hope you're both well. See you when I see you. Love from me." Vaguely, she tapped send and dropped immediately into deep sleep.

--

[OFF]

Master Warrant Officer Lilou Peers
Engineering Officer

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