An Offer, a Uniform and a Department
Posted on Sun Aug 13th, 2023 @ 12:08am by Fleet Captain Maxwell Culver & Lieutenant S'Tera
653 words; about a 3 minute read
Mission:
A Drastic Change
Location: Triton Seabase: Mess Hall
Timeline: MD30: 0930 hours
Captain Max Culver’s mind was still spinning with the news of a reassignment. While he hadn’t known Lorut Vila very long, he could tell she was going to call him on his bullshit and keep him on his toes. For those reasons alone, he’d asked her to join him on a brand new Constitution III class starship, the USS Intrepid. The sixth of her name and in need of a better run that the Duderstadt class version which was destroyed by the Changelings when the Borg didn’t succeed in destroying Earth.
Choose your crew carefully. Choose only those you trust most. Warnings from Admiral Albion that Maxwell had already decided when he had learned of their intended area of exploration.
Now, he was simply waiting for those he wanted to make an offer to arrive. This particular crew person of the seabase would likely be most surprised, he suspected.
S'tera came in. "Hi Max. You wanted to see me? What's up?"
Max pulled out a small, black velvet box. “I did,” he agreed. “In that box are two gold pips. Obviously, in Starfleet, they indicate the rank of Lieutenant.”
Max stood and looked out at the vast ocean they would be leaving behind, S’Tera’s reason for being there. But, he could offer her both options. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t need you on my new mission. Admiral Albion agrees, so that’s why you have a choice to make.
“I suppose you assume it will be easy, you want to study the ocean. You want to complete your PhD. I can offer you both. Two shifts on duty as Chief Science Officer and two days here via subspace uplink to a test robot.
“We learned enough from Xavier to recreate the body without the brain…at least, until yours is plugged in.”
Max looked hopefully at her. “The best of both worlds. A Starfleet commission and duty time to study your chosen profession. Besides, who know what we might find out there.”
"Wow! Umm, ok. I gotta think about it! Joining Starfleet was never in my career plans. It sounds like a good deal. I dunno. I like being a civilian but this is quite an opportunity!"
“I’ve got one more advantage, S’Tera, that others in your program won’t have. Exploring new worlds and new oceans, never seen by Caitian eyes before, nor any eyes in the Federation or Romulan Empire.” Max stirred the pot after adding that last ingredient.
“We ship off in forty eight hours. I would appreciate it if you keep this under secret, not everyone will be getting the invitation, if you understand me.”
"Okay so let me ask you this, is Rena coming too?"
“I’m not sure, to be honest. She’s on counseling duty until 1130 hours, then she has a subspace meeting at 1230 hours, I give her an hour for lunch and schmooze her adorable receptionist to let me in at 1330 hours, at which time, I expect her to have a similar reaction to yours. I expect you can talk about this quietly in her quarters or yours,” Max offered nothing more than a sweet smile, pushing down the feelings of regret at botching his relationship with Dani.
"Okay, so let me talk it over with her. If she says ‘yes’ then I'll say yes as well. It does sound like an exciting opportunity. Never pictured myself as joining Starfleet, but this might work," S'Tera said.
“I’m giving people as much time as they need to talk with their families, friends and significant others before the USS Intrepid arrives in a few days
“I’m hoping she’ll say yes, but there’s been so much going on that I haven’t been able to find time to talk to her personally much less counseling sessions.”
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