Lt. Robin Hopper: When All Is Said And Done
Robin Hopper
((Shuttlebay 4, The Cellar, Amity Outpost))
With the work on the ship’s internal PA system having gone so smoothly, Robin was beginning to get frustrated with the Replicators. Considering they were running the same generation of operating software, the same kinds of patches should have been able to get it functional – yet it was still refusing to cooperate. Either she had missed something that was staring her in the face, or the problem was happening within the device itself.
Either way, she was ready for Nathan’s assistance.
Hopper: Okay… I think I’m ready for you to hit something.
Nathan stepped around the bulkhead, holding a mallet in his hand.
Richards: Alright. Who gets it?
Robin smiled and stood up, walking over to Richards. She put a hand gently on his, lowering the mallet as she chuckled and then sticking her PADD in his other hand to look at.
Hopper: ::A little frustrated:: My PADD. I can’t figure it out. I’ve identified all of the SPOFs and written code to override them – but for some reason it’s still giving me an error when I try to run the updated OS. It must be some sort of hardware issue – but that’s your department.
Having noted the various errors on her screen, Nathan passed back the PADD and moved to the replicator, opening the access panel and peering inside. She watched with curiosity as he reached inside. She’d never had a good mind for this sort of work. In fact, her ineptitude with farming machinery had been one of the reasons her parents had encouraged her pursuit of more academic subjects – not that she was ready to admit that to the Engineer.
Of course, what she had not been expecting, was for him to remove a handful of crumbling dried cake. Her jaw dropped.
Richards: There is cupcake stuck in the buffer and sending unit. ::reaching further in:: And…It looks like…The main connection has been worked loose. That whole cupcake fiasco really did a number on this thing.
He cleared more of the dried sponge before making some additional adjustments.
Richards: Give that a shot.
With a tap of a few buttons, Hopper ran a surface-level diagnostic on her PADD.
Hopper: One moment…
The lights inside the replicator blinked as it slowly whirred to life. Nathan reinstalled the access panel and stepped back. It only took a moment for it to boot completely, and was ready to accept commands.
Hopper: Well, whatever you did did something. ::Shrugging:: No guarantees we’re not going to get pink, cupcake-flavoured ales, though.
Richards: ::Rubbing hands together:: Alright, let’s give this a shot. Two Romulan Ales.
The replicator emitted a negative chirp.
Richards: Does this thing still have the lockdowns on Romulan Ale?
Robin smiled mischievously, looking back and forth for a moment, before making some adjustments on her PADD. With a triumphant *tap* she looked back up to Nathan.
Hopper: Nope!
Richards: ::Running his hand through his hair:: Two Romulan Ales…
The replicator did nothing for a moment, before it chirped happily and the interior lit up. Two glasses filled with florescent blue liquid appeared on the tray. Nathan grabbed them and returned to Robin, handing her one, which she accepted, giving it a dubious sniff.
Hopper: Well, it smells like Romulan Ale. I think. ::Smiling:: Another milestone for your baby.
Richards: ::Raising his glass:: We do make a pretty good team, don’t we?
As Nathan took a sip, Robin followed suit. The stuff was stronger than she remembered and she found herself tempted to spit it back into the glass.
Hopper: Oh! Wow I forgot how awful Romulan Ale was. ::Sticking her tongue out:: I haven’t had this stuff since high school.
She set down the glass on a nearby ledge and blinked a few times – as if that would help.
Hopper: ::Laughing awkwardly at her own foolishness:: We’re going to need the biobed next.
Richards: I was thinking it was about time to call it a night.
Robin checked the time – more hours had passed than she expected. Nathan was quite right – she still had to meet Ikaia at the train station and get to the Vataixs’ house for dinner… and she hadn’t even properly unpacked yet.
Hopper: Yeeahhh… Probably a good idea. ::Looking back up at Richards:: It’s been a long day. But a fun one, all the same!
Richards: ::Smiling:: Thank you for all of your help today. It means a lot.
Hopper: Totally! Who doesn’t love a little interdepartmental cooperation? I’ll get a proper playlist ready for ‘day two’.
Nathan finished off his glass before moving back to the replicator and recycling it. He turned back towards Robin.
Richards: So, tomorrow then?
Hopper: ::Smiling:: It’s a date! ::Taking another sip:: Oh! God…
She stuck her glass, ale unfinished, back in the replicator for recycling as well.
Richards: Umm…Yeah. Sounds good. ::warm smile::
Hopper: Great!
Despite the fact that she was already warming to the tall handsome Ensign, Robin gave him a professional, yet friendly, handshake. Who knew what the next few days would bring? But the fact remained that this was still her first day on Amity, and the two of them had only just met. Somehow she sensed that she’d be seeing plenty more of him in the days ahead.
As they left the shuttle, Robin heading for the turbolift as Richards gathered his tools and supplies, she turned around to offer him one last parting word.
Hopper: Nice meeting you… ::with a wry smile:: …Lover Boy.
END
