"Captain" ???

Posted on Thu 3rd Jan, 2013 @ 7:04pm by Captain Eee-eee-rie--eeee-eek Nightingale D.Sc

586 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: http://sb109.sim-station.net/index.php/sim/missions/id/3
Location: Marine Captain Nightingale's quarters

The problem, of course, with heading straight to Ops, she realized, as the lift was about 2/3rds of the way, was that she still had her heavy duffel bags, full of clothes, and she was fairly certain the Base Commander did not want her algae-ridden laundry on his Ops deck.

"Hold lift." She instructed. She inquired where her quarters were, which were displayed on the internal map her PADD had, once she confirmed her ID with a hand-print. "Deck 2. West." She clarified for the lift.

The room, clearly, wasn't retrofitted yet. There was no bath tub, and the bed resembled a terran bed, and not an oversized aquarium. Likewise, the chairs did not look like they could handle the moisture of her sitting on them, while wearing her environmental field generator.

There was, however, mail.

A little bundle, apparently from her previous Commanding Officer.

She picked up the bundle, and looked it over. It was clearly addressed to "First Lieutenant Nightingale". She winced. Only her previous Commanding Officer, and green cadets used her rank. Everyone called her either "The Nightingale", or "Doctor Nightingale."

She unraveled it, and smiled. It was a new set of Marine jumpers. This pair felt... different. It flexed nicer, and seemed to be made of a material that was almost designed to be under water, unlike her traditional marine greens, that had to be re-replicated twice a month.

They were officers jumpers.

She was not an officer.

And then she noticed that there was a plexiplast note, and a little box still in the package.

"Dear Nightingale

It would seem that my authorization for this, and you leaving the ship, missed each other by about 7 and a half minutes. Had to call ahead, and arrange to have this waiting for you.

It's my pleasure to inform you that you'll be reporting in to your new position as Marine-Ranked Captain. You better read this before you report in for duty, you obnoxious, overbearing, amazingly-winded song-fish, or the Base Commander will ruin the surprise, and I will be very, very cross.

You know the word that goes here, but don't want to hear it,
Captain William Lev,
Commanding Officer
USS Aescalpus"

She opened the ornate box, and found a note, and her new rank pip.

"Next time I give you a box like this, Nightingale, it'll be a bigger surprise."

Nightingale shook her head. "Promises, Promises. Some boys never change. Although it's not like he's chasing a younger woman this time. Maybe he's learning." She sang softly to herself, as she quickly changed, and then sat down at the computer console in her quarters, wincing as the leather was immediately soaked.

"Touchscreen use." She instructed, and the water surrounding her hands, and arms peeled back.

"To the attention of Captain William Lev, Commanding Officer, USS Aescalpus,

Received, and understood. Be careful, young lad, I might hold you to that.

Nightingale out."

She chuckled, as she pressed the send button. Few people got away with calling the Captain of the Aescalpus, at 52, a 'young lad'. "Aquatic field to 100%." She noted, before getting up. "Computer, make a note for Operations that my quarters renovations are incomplete." She added, before heading for the door.

She stepped back in to the same lift, as before. "Okay, this time I really mean Ops." She said, as she turned to watch the doors close.

"Please clarify destination." The computer noted.

"Operations." She snapped at it, sharply.

------------------------

Doctor Nightingale
Chief Science Officer

 

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