Your Escort For the Day

Posted on Sun 1st Oct, 2017 @ 4:08am by Lieutenant Commander Alora Baro
Edited on on Sun 1st Oct, 2017 @ 6:07am

1,281 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Unity Week
Location: Up and Down the Turbolift
Timeline: MD 1, 1200 Hours

Quinn made a note on her PADD and moved to the next console. "Have you noticed anything sluggish about your controls?" she asked the crewman working the console.

"Not lately," he responded. "Before the ChEng left, he did a level 3 diagnostic and found a couple of glitches in this center, but those have been fixed, and everything's been normal since then. Say, I heard we have a new department head. You seen him?"

"Nope, not yet. And it's a woman." Quinn moved on to the next set of controls. It was tedious work, but part of the Operations protocols to check monthly with those who spent the most time with the tech in the command centers. This time, it had fallen to her.

A call from Lt. Commander Graves interrupted the diagnostic. The new Chief of Ops was there and requesting someone to guide her through Vanguard's systems and give a basic briefing.

Quinn had gone immediately to the Commander's Ready Room, presuming the acting base commander would be there with her new Chief of Operations. Within a short time, they were on the way to the Operations Center.

"Is there anything you'd like to see on your way to Ops? The Promenade, maybe? If you haven't eaten, I can suggest a number of places more palatable than the mess hall, though it usually has at least two edible menu items," the engineer said, as she tried to size up her new boss. Would the woman be all business, or friendly?

Baro looked over at the shorter woman who seemed to give off an air of competence. "I am a leaf on the wind," she smiled kindly, her way of saying she was open to either at the moment. "If things are calm for Operations, I wouldn't mind getting a handle on the atmosphere here. Spending the last years on a small deep space ship, I don't think I've seen anything quite like your Promenade or this Station. I've been reviewing data from here and the entire Ops department should be commended for keeping up on such a monster." She said a firm believer in being honest whenever possible.

"Things are pretty quiet right now. Most of the station functions automatically. We run level 5 diagnostics every shift and hit any hot spots before they become serious. Your department is quite large, you know, over a thousand engineers of one type or another, so things don't normally get too hectic. Why not head to the Promenade and take the central shaft turbolift? It's clear for viewing everything, and that will give you an idea of what's available. Which is pretty much what you'd find in any small city on Earth." Jin-Kyung directed their steps toward the lift that would take them down to the top Promenade deck.

"As a department head, I know you have nice quarters issued, but you might take a look at the apartments and homes on the Tivoli Gardens deck. There's everything from country villas to the most up-to-date modern home, condo, or apartment. I've heard a rumor, actually, that our Chief Medical Officer lives in a house reminiscent of 500 years ago in a place called New York." Quinn didn't relate all of the rumors about that house. If the Lieutenant were ever invited there, she'd see for herself.

The turbolift whisked them down to deck 586 where they walked a short distance and boarded the Promenade lift. It was unique on Vanguard because the sides of the lift were clear from about waist height up, offering a view of the passing decks.

"I'll only mention one place, specifically, on Deck 600, Orchids & Jazz. Best food on Vanguard, calm, soothing atmosphere. It's a great place to meet friends for lunch or meet someone for business. I don't know anyone who doesn't like it and go when they get a chance."

Alora tried not to gawk like a newbie tourist as they walked and traveled. It was one thing to read about these features in schematics but quite another to realize items like having a proper house of your very own was a real option. She'd lived in Starfleet housing so long she sort of forgot there were other ways to live. "Yes I read about Tivoli Gardens, amazing place. My father is a farmer and my mother a botanist, I have to admit the desire for a real yard of sorts has been quite tempting." She smiled, something one got the impression she did often and easily. She'd meant to follow up on it later after she'd gotten a good visual handle on everything, follow up she would.

Well, her father was a farmer. And, with his wife, now owned their own agricultural business. Their talents and abilities were in demand throughout Bajor and her colonies. In the last letter from her parents, they were considering a joint shipping venture with another company. Bajor's economy was thriving, it appeared, and Alora couldn't be happier at what was coming from the ashes of her people's recent struggles.

"Then you'll be happy with any of the housing areas, except maybe the apartments. They have gardens, but not individual ones. Now the condos do have a small enclosed area in front where you can plan a garden of some sort. You can find everything from that to Earth-like Italian villas with vineyards. Choose your poison," Quinn said.

"I haven't really investigated myself, out of my league, but I've heard you can buy or lease. There's a realtor down there, and we can query the computer for the name of the company and what deck it is. Oh, look, we're passing the theater district. You can see live plays or old movies or holographic productions, depending on where you go. I think you can even watch Klingon Opera, if you're a fan." Her face indicated that Jin-Kyung was definitely not a fan.

Alora laughed, "I understand. I appreciate the arts of many worlds but Klingon Opera is..." She paused searching for the right term, "an acquired taste." They went on a bit in silence as Baro admired the technical marvel that was the station, this city in the stars. "How long have you served here?" she asked curiously.

Jin-Kyung figured for a moment and then said, somewhat surprised, "More than a year now, actually. The time has flown by." She stopped the turbolift on the last Promenade Deck. "We can go down further to Tivoli Gardens, if you have time, or we can go back up to Main Ops on Deck 13. If you're hungry, we can hit the Wardroom ... well, you can anyway. You have the rank. Or there are any number of places to eat in the Promenade. Just tell me your preference, and we'll go."

"Time has a habit of doing that, sign of a good post..." Alora smiled then considered the rest of her petty officer's statement, "This has been very useful, but I expect I better get to work, if for no other reason than you have better things to do, I am sure, than babysit a new officer." Her tone was light, "I will check out that Orchid place later though, I appreciate your help today," she said as they walked, making a mental note to keep an eye on this one. If there were two things Baro appreciated, it was respect and competence.

Quinn smiled and told the turbolift, "Deck 13, normal acceleration." It still took three minutes to traverse the more than 650 decks right back where they had started. "Hurry up and wait, part of every military since the beginning of time."

Baro nodded in companionable agreement at the enternal truth as they traveled.

 

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