Priorities

Posted on Wed Feb 24th, 2010 @ 6:58am by Commodore Samantha York

1,385 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: What Lies Beneath?
Location: TBD
Timeline: Current

Austin was finishing the last little bit in the kitchen of the lounge. A grenade had gone off in the lounge and the kitchen had had some damage. Luckily, most of the repairs now were simply cosmetic: installing wall lamps and art prints on the walls, carpeting on the floor, and furniture. With the bar itself rebuilt and the kitchen repaired and new equipment installed, most of what they could do for now was done. Their time had run out, but the relays had been replaced as had the consoles, the scorch marks had been cleaned, and the shields and weapons repaired. Everything was ready to go except the lounge. Unfortunately, Austin would not be able to finish it.

He saw a woman in teal walk in, but with commander's pips. Then he remembered that the chief science officer was now the acting CO. As the others cleaned up, Austin took one of the padds he had prepared and walked over to the woman.

"Excuse me, Commander York?" He desperately hoped it was her and not a doctor or just a science officer.

Sam still had a lot to do to get everything ready for the next mission, but she wanted to check on the lounge and see how repairs were going there. When the engineer from the Starbase approached her she paused. "Yes?"

Austin paused a moment, wondering if she was a bit busy, but she had answered. "The repairs are complete except for in in the lounge," he said. His south Texas drawl was getting thicker now that he was around Tex again. It was getting harder to understand him since his accent had been thick already. "The weapons are repaired, ya'll got a fresh stock of photon and quantum torpedoes in your bay. The shields've been repaired and the consoles replaced. Everything else was relatively minor or cosmetic like scorch marks or in the case of the lounge, nonessential."

"Nonessential my eye!" That shout came from Ted, still working with some Orion engineers to get the lounge back up to snuff. He was glaring over at Austin, not wanting to leave dock until his lounge was PERFECT.

Austin looked back down at Sam and said, "Good luck with him. Here's the full report." He gave her one of the two padds he had with him. "Any other questions?"

"Thanks," Sam said as she took the PADD. "I don't think there's anything else for the time being. I appreciate your quick work."

"That ain't no problem, ma'am. It's just our job. With your permission, I need to get back to the base. There's a Tiverian freighter with my name on it."

"As you wish, Lieutenant," she replied. "Thank you again." She nodded to Austin as he turned and left the lounge.

Ted looked very disgruntled as he watched the big engineer leave. He didn't see why they had to leave with his lounge still in pieces. But he had put a list together with various fruits laid out on in the kitchen for her to see. He wasn't happy. There was not a shortage of choice of fresh foods: there was everything from Bajoran fruits to Trill berries to Earth nuts and bread. And there was even the chocolate cake and brownies.

He looked up as he saw Sam come over. "When do you think you will be able to get my lounge back together?"

"When we return to the Typhon. You can do some work while we're at Tiberius IV, but we have to leave soon to find out what happened to the two missing ships. I'm afraid that takes priority over your lounge," Sam replied.

Ted was not happy with that answer at all. "I'm sorry I'm a little testy, but this is my livelihood and all the supplies are here, and I was told that when everything else was fixed my lounge would be next. Now I'm finding out that isn't so, despite having all the supplies onboard. Everything is ready for the carpet and the final touches on the bar and the lamps on the walls, and now you are telling me that Adeyemon isn't capable of doing a few cosmetic touches."

Samantha's tone grew stern. "I said nothing about Adeyemon, Mr. Turner. I said we have two missing ships and their crew. It is imperative that we leave as soon as possible to find out what happened and rescue them if possible. All hands are working to get us out of here. If that means you have to go without carpet, you go without carpet. If you have a problem with that, I'll be happy to close the lounge and give you all the time you need to fix it -- without any help from my crew." She knew his world revolved around the lounge, but in this case, he needed to look at the bigger picture and help with the mission along with the rest of the ship.

Ted was in half a mind to tell her he would gladly tell Starfleet Civilian Corps that she didn't need a lounge, that she felt that everything else was more important and the messhall would suffice. Lounges were for luxury, and Starfleet vessels weren't luxury liners, so apparently Starfleet didn't need them. Why then, would Starfleet have a Civilian Corps that revolved around cooking and tending bar? Instead he tried a different approach. "Do you know why starships have lounges?" He usually got on well with Sam but right now he didn't care about friendships. His livelihood was at stake. Without a lounge and/or customers, he had no credits which meant he would soon have no job.

"Yes, I do, Mr. Turner. Do you realize that I am Betazoid and that no matter how hard I try; I can't keep out every thought by every person I come across? Especially when they're very angry?" Sam replied. She was trying very hard to keep calm, but Ted was apparently of the opinion that if he had to wait until they investigated the disappearances his job would be in jeopardy. Or that his lounge was more important than the lives of the men and women on the two ships. "If you interfere with an official rescue mission, I will be forced to take action and I really don't want to do that. Your job is not in jeopardy. You forget that it is not based on your being open every day but on my wanting you to be here. However, the lives of those people, if they are still alive, may be in jeopardy. That comes before your reconstruction."

Ted held his tongue. If she didn't want a lounge there, why was it still here? It wasn't that Ted wasn't worried about the people on those ships, but he detested being able to do nothing and therefore unable to keep his mind off it and what might happen to this ship and his sons. So he tried still a different approach. He tried to keep his voice calm, but he still could very well give them some of the worst-tasting fruit that needed to be eaten soon; not spoiled, but not tasty either. "Alright then. When do you suppose Adeyemon will be able to get to the carpet and other things? I know for a fact that everything else is repaired because that big hick over there told me." He pointed over after Greenwood who was walking out the door. Austin stopped, but kept going with the other base engineers.

"When she is done with the mission-specific job she is working on. It may not be until we return to the starbase." Sam didn't want to keep arguing with the lounge manager, but he was apparently too stubborn to listen right now. "I need to get back to my office. You will be kept informed on our departure."

Ted watched her leave. She may have a job to do to keep her sane so she doesn't worry, but she also didn't have two young sons to look after. He remembered what she said about not able to keep people's thoughts out and found that at that moment it might be a good thing.

OFF:

Commander Samantha York
Chief Science Officer
Acting CO
USS Orion

Ted Turner
Lounge Manager
USS Orion

 

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