Lt. Robin Hopper: Moving Day
Robin Hopper
((Amity Outpost – Habitat Ring, Beijing District))
S’Raga: This particular apartment is quite unique. ::Gesturing to his PADD:: It says here the recessed floor was part of a species-specific accommodation when the station was first built, but eventually it was drained and converted to the conversation pit.
Standing in the carpeted ‘conversation pit’ beside the bronze-ensconced fireplace had been enough to get Robin’s inner bubbles rising. The thought that it had once housed some sort of aquatic creature, maybe even a Copernicus-Era member of Cetacean Ops just tickled her fancy even more.
Hopper: Okay, okay, but we should at least look at the other listings on your PADD. You know, maybe this place is perfect, but that doesn’t mean another place couldn’t be even more perfect.
Despite herself, she couldn’t resist spinning in place a few times, enjoying the soft floor under her bare feet. The thought of someone other than her taking this apartment was hard to consider.
S’Raga: There aren't many options left, but we can definitely take a look!
Hopper: Okay, let me see… ::Walking up the stairs and looking at the listing on S’Raga’s PADD:: I don’t think the layout of this one will serve quite as well… And this one doesn’t have enough light for the plants. I’d have to install UV and that’s going to take away from the ambiance… And, oh, that looks nice, but here I’m practically neighbors with Rivi.
She looked up at the Caitian earnestly.
Hopper: I… don’t think I’m going to give any of these other places a fair chance. I think I’m in love.
S’Raga: Are you sure? ::Holding up the PADD:: Because as soon as I click this button, it's yours!
Robin did her best to look like she was still thinking seriously about a decision that had been made three minutes earlier.
Hopper: Hmmm… Yes. I’m sure, S’Raga. When you know, you know… you know?
S'Raga: Alright, then! ::Clicking said button:: Congratulations, Lieutenant Robin Hopper. You've been assigned permanent residence aboard Amiy Outpost. Your security credentials have been programmed into the front door. Welcome to the neighbourhood!
If she’d been able to grin any wider, she would have. The thought of having a home – a permanent home that she could call her own – aboard the Delta Quadrant Outpost filled her heart with a palpable excitement. She wouldn’t have admitted it, but she felt a bit like Burroughs’ Jane Porter at the peak of her adventuring spirit, living in a far-off and unfamiliar land.
Hopper: Oh, S’Raga… This feels like it’s been a long-time coming. Thank you for being part of this really special moment with me. I mean, I know it’s just an apartment, but… I don’t know, for me it feels like a lot more than that.
She did her best to maintain her composure. There was still work to be done – and lots of it – before she could just start moving her things in… not to mention some ‘shopping’ on the Mezzanine. She slipped her bare feet back into her shoes and walked up the stairs and back into the living room. It felt bright and airy and wonderful.
Hopper: Well, that’s the fun part done. ::Hands on hips:: I suppose I’ll have to start thinking about the practicalities now.
S'Raga: ::Looking at the corners of the ceiling:: I suppose you'll want to look into getting those holo-emitters installed sooner rather than later, while the place is still empty. ::Looking back at Robin:: I know I said I'd help you out, but I can't do anything until we have clearance from Engineering. Once that's done, though, we're good to get started!
Robin nodded. S’Raga was quite right. She had already booked an appointment with Lieutenant JG Scotty Reade – the Outpost’s Acting Chief of Operations – for later that afternoon. She had only hoped to meet the man and get a tour of the station’s Engineering section… but it would be as good a time as any to make her ‘special request’.
Hopper: You bet I’ll get on that. ::Wink:: Don’t wander too far.
S'Raga: Oh, and come check this out!
Hopper: What else could there be? ::Pause:: Unless you’re going to tell me there’s some sort of hidden dance floor built into the place… ::Chuckling::
She followed S’Raga to the front door and out onto the metal landing attached to the front of the building. At first, she thought he had just brought her to look over the neighborhood and she walked to the railing, looking out over the various colorful-roofed buildings that made up the ‘Beijing’ district… oO Oh look! That’s Rivi’s place! Oo
However, a light tap on her shoulder drew her attention back to the entrance. The Caitian Ensign gestured to the front door chime and the name underneath it. “LT. R. HOPPER”.
S'Raga: You know, in case it didn't feel "official" yet.
Hopper: ::Smirking:: You don’t think anyone will be mad if I hack that panel to read something a little less formal, do you?
She glanced at the HCO, unsure whether or not he would take her comment seriously. She was serious, of course.
S’Raga: Response
Hopper: I’ll figure that out later.
She held out a hand, grasping S’Raga’s comfortably and giving it a friendly shake.
Hopper: Pleasure doing business with you!
((Several Hours Later – Main Engineering))
Reade: Hahah, yes we definitely have an army down here. Me and Nathan try our best to keep the systems running, but sometimes things can happen. What made you come down here?
As she shook her head, still in awe at the scale of the Outpost’s Computer Core, she paused to answer Reade’s question. She leaned against the wall behind her and crossed her arms casually. She still wore her long-sleeved raspberry-red dress, which felt less at-home in Engineering than wandering the Habitat Ring, but felt far more comfortable than wearing a uniform around on her day off.
Hopper: You know, I should probably ask you this before I completely forget my reason for coming in the first place… I’ve arranged new quarters with Ensign S’Raga and I have a special request I wanted to run by you.
Reade: Ok, I see. What is this your request you seek?
Hopper: I’d like to borrow S’Raga and Ensign Richards to help me install a few holo-emitters in my quarters. I know it’s unorthodox, but it’s not against regs. I understand it’ll draw a little extra power… but it’s been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. Maybe that’s silly.
Reade: Hmm, what do you need holo-emitters for?
The gold-pressed-latinum-question.
Hopper: Well, I won’t lie you to – I do plan to use them for official business, physics modeling and so on, but I also see them serving a social purpose. One of the benefits of living and working here on Amity is the privilege of relative stability – we’re like a little city in the stars. Part of making that sustainable in the long-run is going to be community and relationship-building. ::Smiling:: I’ve already heard several people refer to their colleagues as being “like family”.
She stood up straight and rested her hands on her hips again.
Hopper: Well, I like having my family around. So I plan to host meetings and private functions at my home – as often as I can. The ability to integrate holographic projections into those plans will help me with that goal…
Finally, she laughed and broke her businesslike attitude, placing a hand gently on Scotty’s shoulder.
Hopper: ::Smirking:: And also, doesn’t it just sound like a blast?!
Reade: I see. That makes a lot of sense, that should be no problem, but I need to calculate the extra power that is needed. Follow me to my office.
Robin nodded, pleased with the development, and followed him to his office. She watched, intrigued, as he brought up a holographic representation of the station’s power grid and demonstrated how powerflow was currently being regulated station-wide. oO There you go… endless uses. Oo
Reade: We should have no problem with adding your emitters, but if I ever need power, your emitters will go off first.
Hopper: I would expect as much. I’m sure the holodecks are also one of the first systems to shut off during an emergency. That certainly doesn’t bother me.
Reade: Ok, sounds good to me. ::tapping badge: =/\= Ensign Nathan and S’Raga please come down to Amity’s main engineering section, I require your help. Scotty out. =/\=
Robin turned about, looking around Reade’s office, considering what sort of decorations her own office in the SRC needed. It was still painfully bare, save a few potted plants – which really needed to be moved into larger pots now that they had more space to grow.
S’Raga: =/\= Yessir. On my way. =/\=
Richards: =/\= Response =/\=
After hearing from the junior officers, she turned back to Scotty.
Hopper: Okay! Since we have a few minutes to kill, what else is there to see?
Reade: Response? (Optional)
((OOC – Happy to backsim here more if you feel like it, or we can just move on with the next scene))
((Several Minutes Later – Main Engineering))
Hopper and Reade stood, side-by-side, awaiting the incoming Ensigns near the entrance to Main Engineering. As the red-shirted HCO and gold-shirted Engineer entered, Robin smiled warmly in greeting to them both.
S'Raga: ::Nodding to Scotty:: Sir. How can I help?
Reade: Response
Richards: Response
Hopper: ::To S’Raga and Nathan:: ‘Afternoon, fellas. Thanks for coming to help out on such short notice. Things happen fast here on Amity, it seems.
As she said that, she couldn’t help but briefly make eye contact with Nathan. They had gone from new acquaintances, to a first date, to just-friends in the blink of an eye it felt like… and while she was satisfied that it had all been ‘for the best’, it was also inevitable that it would take some time to get used to the new status quo.
Reade/S’Raga/Richards: Response
Hopper: The long-and-short of it is that S’Raga helped me choose an apartment this morning and I need some help ‘moving in’... ::Chuckling:: Don’t worry, I’m not going to ask you to move any crates around. I need some of your special skills to make a few – ::glance to Reade:: Approved – modifications… But I’m still happy to supply beer and pizza in exchange for the help.
Reade/S’Raga/Richards: Response
TBC
