PNPC PO3 Maria Aquilina - Rumble In The Office (Blackwell)

[Richard Cade]

((Security Office, Deck 10, USS Blackwell - 1 hour later))
 
Aquilina: Decryption completed sir.

::Streams and streams of data filled the display. As she skimmed over it, most of it seemed inconsequential to her. It would keep them busy for days if not weeks if they analysed every detail. She passed the PADD across to Pandorn.::
 
Pandorn: What do you think? Is Negrid on the level?
 
Aquilina: Well so far he has pulled through on his word. There is a lot of data here, how useful it is to us and whether it contains anything of note remains to be seen. How do you suggest we proceed? In my opinion we have two options, analyse it via computer or manually. It depends thorough you want us to be and how quickly you and the admiral would like answers that can be relied upon.

::They could upload the data to the computer and leave it to analyse in the background; however that ran the risk of infecting the system if the data contained an embedded virus. There was also the potential for the computer to miss something important. Their best chance of finding anything was to analyse it manually. As one of her instructors had drilled into them, generally nothing beats the mark one eyeball.

Pandorn: I'm up for manually sifting through the data until we are sure there are no bugs that need squashing and to see if it is useful in some way. We should use our PADDs to store the data for now. We can afford to lose a PADD or two if a virus breaks out.

::She looked over at her superior. It was hard to tell whether he was more or less stressed now they had the data. It was times like this she was grateful she didn't have to make the big decisions, just do as she was told.::

Aquilina: I’d agree with that Lieutenant. Let’s get to work.

::She copied the data across to isolated storage on her PADD. They did not yet know if there were any surprises waiting for them and she would be in a lot of trouble if anything happened to her PADD.::

Pandorn: Sure thing.

::At that moment there was a grumble originating from his stomach. Lucia looked to Pandorn who judging by the sheepish grin on his face was slightly embarrassed by the sound. She had come to learn that some humans found certain bodily functions embarrassing.::

Pandorn: I could use some dinner from the mess hall. Care to join me?
 
::She had not eaten since several hours before they had attended the party, and was starting to feel the drain. Perhaps she should have sampled some of the food from the trays the waiters had been carrying around. Now she had started to think about food, she could feel the rumblings of hunger in her stomach. She tried to push the thought of food to the back of her mind. It would have to wait.::

Aquilina: We do have a lot of work to get through sir.
 
Pandorn: Just thought we would need a break. If you rather not...
 
::It was no good, the hunger was rising. Perhaps she would be able to work more efficiently after food. Plus, she would feel rude either denying the lieutenant food or leaving him to eat alone.::

Aquilina: I suppose a short break wouldn’t hurt.

::Placing her PADD on the table, she rose from the seat and waited a moment for Pandorn. She followed as he lead the way out of the security office, having to lengthen her pace to keep up with him. She judged him to be about half a foot taller than her. Joining the academy, it had been an experience being around so many taller people, as back on Coverius she had been considered tall.::

::They reached the turbolift and stood in silence as they waited for the cart. Not being one for awkward silences, as the turbolift doors opened, she decided to find out more about her colleague.::

Aquilina: So Lieutenant, tell me a little about yourself? Where do you hail from?

::Based on his appearance, she presumed human. However much to her initial confusion, there were many species who outwardly appeared human, but were far from it.::

Pandorn: Response

Aquilina: Me? I doubt you’ve heard of it, but i’m from Coverius. It’s uhh ::she waved her arm in the air:: many light years in that direction. Probably.

Pandorn: Response

((Crew Mess Hall, Deck 11, USS Blackwell))

::The conversation was cut short as the turbolift came to a halt. As they stepped out, Lucia bumped into one of the crew had been waiting to enter.::

Aquilina: ::Her face wrinkling up.:: Oh, i’m sorry.

::The crew member waved it off and entered the turbolift, leaving Pandorn and Lucia alone. Well, alone as two people can be in a corridor with several crew members dotted around. They continued down the corridor, passing said crew members. As they neared the entrance to the mess hall, two of her colleagues were in the middle of an embrace. Lucia looked at the floor as they passed them, having always felt awkward at such public displays.::

::Entering the messhall, she reignited the conversation.::

Aquilina: If I may Lieutenant, there is a talk on the ship that you’re a musician. Is this true?

::There were quite a few musicians aboard, or at least that is what she had been led to believe. Lucia herself played a violin like instrument. She had learnt to play it from her father, with her current instrument being a gift from her father prior to joining the academy. Although she had rarely played it since then, each time she did, her mind drifted back to when her and her father would practice together in the warmth of his study. The thought brought a smile to her face.::

Pandorn: Response

---

PNPC: Petty Officer Third Class Lucia Maria Aquilina
Intelligence Analyst, USS Blackwell
Simmed by:
Lieutenant Jarred Thoran
Chief of Security
Andaris Task Force, USS Blackwell NCC-58999
A239405JT0