Commander Wil Ukinix - Drive
Wil Ukinix
((BBQ Area, Blue Gums Biome, Peace Park))
From somewhere behind him, as Wil tucked into his first sausage in bread, he heard Robin speak.
Hopper: So, we know why you’re both here in the Delta Quadrant, but what drove you to join Starfleet in the first place? Did you stay in the major you started in at the Academy?
He happily enjoyed the flavours coming from his simple yet traditional food, as he listened to the pair.
Bryn: Aye. I joined because… well, who wouldn’t? ::It just seemed so obvious:: People at the academy say I’m stereotypical. Another Antosian who likes to help people, all bubbly, and likes adventure. Nothing special about it really.
Shortrith: I wasn't sure what I wanted to do at the tail end of my bachelor's degree in Medicine at the University of Melbourne, and one of my professors suggested Starfleet, and… it stuck with me, here I am, still in medical!
Bryn: Oh! And my major was engineering. Of course.
Robin returned to the table with a sausage… on a plate… and a knife and fork… oO blasphemy. Oo
Hopper: Well then, what are your long-term goals? I mean down the road, not in just a year or two… Hoping to make Captain some day?
Ukinix: ::Smirk:: I know *I* am.
Wil smirked a little when Robin rolled her eyes. Whether that was because of the Captain crack, or because of the lack of bread around her sausage, he wasn’t sure.
Bryn: I ought to just focus on Lieutenant Junior Grade for now. What’s that phrase… how do you eat a gormander? One bite at a time?
Shortrith: I don't know the phrase, I'm afraid.
Wil smiled for a moment when Robin chuckled.
Ukinix: Do you think you two might have crossed paths at the academy without realising it? I’ve always wondered that with officers that graduated around the same time as me - years either side.
Bryn: It’s possible. Did you take much biology? Or engineering?
Shortrith: I did take some biology, but not engineering. I was a security minor.
Hopper: ::Brows raised:: Security? Sort of opposite to medical in a way, isn’t it?
Wil shrugged a little. Diversity was valuable in his book. Like him being engineering based, and working on becoming better at helm. One day he’d nail it.
Ukinix: ::To Bryn:: So, ensign. What’s your Engineering speciality?
Bryn: I didn’t mean not to say. My major was Engineering, of course, but I actually minored in biology. I really like science. So the engineering I fell in love with is kind of where it meets- life support systems. Came in pretty handy last week.
Ukinix: ::Playful smile, to Renaie:: Same question, Lieutenant.
Shortrith: ::chuckling:: I'm a doctor, not an engineer!
Ukinix: Kidding! What’s your medical expertise?
Shortrith: Medically, general surgery and diagnoses, dabbling in genetics. I also do counselling, but I don't have a specialty there.
Bryn: No way! That’s what my brother majored in. Maybe you knew him! Does Silas Bryn ring a bell?
Shortrith: Sort of? I think I've interacted with him at some point.
Wil smiled. The Cisco academy was huge, but there were always other cadets that another cadet would cross paths with, in one way or another.
Hopper: Well now you know what to put in your first letter back to the Alpha Quadrant, Ensign. You can ask your brother if he recalls Renaie here.
Ukinix: Great idea. ::takes bite out of sausage-in-bread::
Bryn: Small world.
Shortrith: Indeed.
It seemed everyone was going for drinks. Wil finished his mouthful of food, then took a swig out of his IPA can.
Hopper: If I recall correctly, I would have been just about a year behind you at the Academy, Wil… For all we know, we might have run into each other. ::Pondering:: Did you have a beard back then? ::Eying him:: Are you growing it out?
Wil chuckled, then lifted his drink in mock “cheers” to Robin.
Ukinix: No beard back then, definitely growing it out now. ::stroking chin:: Awesome, right?
Robin suddenly looked down at her sausage. Why, he couldn’t be sure, but she seemed perturbed by *something*.
Bryn: ::To Wil:: have you ever considered becoming a chef?
Shortrith: ::raising their lemonade can:: You'd be a good one.
Hopper: Not unless he plans to start wearing a beard net.
Ukinix: Oh now, c’mon team, cooking sausages is one thing, but I’m no gourmet chef. ::eyeing Robin:: Beard net or not.
Now he knew why she looked down at her plate. As if he’d let a stray beard hair fall in his precious barbequed food!
Bryn: When you retire from Starfleet, I mean. I’m not… I’m not saying you’re a better chef than a commander or anything. I just mean… this is so good.
Shortrith: Seconded. Just like Australia. Thank you, Sir.
He simply smiled, gave a nod of thanks, and lifted his sausage-in-bread in appreciation.
Hopper: Well, I won’t say it wasn’t nice that you put all this together for us… Even if I have my concerns.
Ukinix: Unfounded concerns, Robin, and you’re welcome.
Shortrith: Where'd you get the sausages, Commander? They taste specifically like the Aussie ones.
Hopper: ::Jokingly:: That’s because they’re made out of 100% pure Australian, right Wil?
When she turned to look at him with raised eyebrows while taking a sip of her *cola* (oO lightweight Oo), he just shook his head a little.
Bryn: : S…sorry, what? Is cannibalism an earth custom?
Ukinix: ::Deadpan:: Nah, just an Australian one. ::chuckling:: Joking. ::pointing:: Synthetic meat, vego for the vego of course, gotta look after my Number One, and these-- ::pointing at darker ones:: real salt-bush lamb sausages, stasis-shipped from the Barossa Valley on Earth, my Grandma looks after me sometimes. Best ones you get in the continent in my opinion.
Shortrith: Neat, I'll probably take a look over that way. And the bread?
Ukinix: Just replicated. ::shrug:: Nothing special.
Bryn: I like the bread. But I think it all comes together so nicely.
Wil smiled and nodded in appreciation. oO Another convert to the great tradition of the sausage sizzle! Oo
Shortrith: ::to Hopper and Bryn:: Have either of you been to Australia?
Robin answered very quickly.
Hopper: ::Amused:: Oh, no. ::Becoming more serious:: I mean, not that I wouldn’t visit. But when I was on Earth I was very focused. I didn’t really do much travelling outside of the San Francisco bay area while at the Academy – and before that, I was studying at University in California anyhow. Only places of note I visited were Bozeman – because, ya gotta – and Minnesota, where my grandparents live… So, pretty much just the continental United States.
That was a shame. His home planet was brilliant, he had taken a gap “year” of eighteen months between finishing school and starting at the academy, and in that time had travelled his own home system, which meant mostly spending time on Earth, transporting around the globe and spending time in each place.
Hopper: Oh, and there was one time I briefly visited Italy with my sister…
Wil loved Italy. She wondered which parts Robin and Kerilyn saw, and whether they had as much of a good time as he did. He especially loved Florence. He wondered if they went there too.
Bryn: I’ve never been to earth. ::she shared:: Where is Italy? Closer to Bozeman or Minnesota?
Ukinix: Well it’s only a transporter cycle away, but it is on another continent from Bozeman, across a big ocean.
Hopper: Wil, Renaie – you’re both from the same country… are you from the same, uh, general region? If I recall Earth’s geography right, isn’t a large part of Australia just desert, essentially?
Shortrith: Not really. The mainland is only approximately 18% covered by desert. The rest is composed of farmland, bushland, and residential/metropolitan areas. And to answer your first question, I'm not sure. I was raised in Melbourne, ::to Ukinix:: which state did you grow up in, sir?
Wil smiled. There was a friendly rivalry between people from Melbourne, and… well, people not from Melbourne.
Ukinix: The west. Grew up in Fremantle. Hot summers and beaches, footy in winter. Loved it. Still would, if I was home.
Hopper: And you said Antosia is mostly jungle – is it like that where you’re from? The whole planet?
Bryn: Antosia is actually a relatively small planet, by federation standards. But yes, it’s mostly jungle. We have no oceans, only rivers. And lots of trees. Like my tree. You know. But there’s fields, and stuff. We have celebrations there. Bigger gatherings.
Ukinix: Sounds awesome.
Shortrith: That's interesting! ::To Hopper:: Whereabouts are you from, Commander?
Hopper: Theta VII. It’s a funny little colony world, near the Romulan/Klingon border. It was terraformed, actually, to make it habitable so that mining operations could set up there way back in the early days – not long after the founding of the Federation. But I also spent a bit of time on Velestus– uhh, more commonly called Alpha Centauri IV. That’s where my other grandparents live.
Bryn: Fascinating! Is it easy to tell what was terraformed and what’s natural? I’ve always wondered that.
Wil decided to pile on to the questions.
Ukinix: Is it mostly farms everywhere?
Shortrith: Interesting - I'm assuming Velestus is the Centauran name for the planet?
Hopper: Response
Shortrith: It's interesting, hearing about the different names for the same planet.
Bryn: I always think it’s strange. I kind of wonder how our species got its name. Antosia is the name of our planet. We’re Antosian. I wonder if we picked it, or if someone else named us?
Ukinix: That is interesting. I’m not sure how we got “Terran”, although I’m not sure that’s official or not. “Earthlings” was from a culture of B-grade science fiction stories in the mid 20th century, I think. “Earthans” just doesn’t sound right. Whoever came up with the name “Earth” didn’t think this through I reckon.
Hopper: Response
Shortrith: ::to Bryn:: Is there another name for Antosia in your native language?
Bryn: There is. We call it… well, it doesn’t translate exactly, but it means ‘our place’ almost. Antosians are… well, you know. We’re pretty friendly. It’s our home.
Ukinix: I’d love to visit. ::To Robin:: I’d love to visit Velestus, it is only four light years away. ::To Renaie, slight smile:: Sorry, Renaie, I’ve been to Melbourne so many times I know the CBD streets back to front. And the pubs.
He popped the last bit of his food into his mouth, then dusted off imaginary dust from his hands. He was done, just full enough, and satisfied.
Hopper/Shortrith: Response
Bryn: What are your homeworlds called? Commander, Wil, sorry, what does Earth mean?
Ukinix: Oh! ::Stroking grown out beard:: I dunno, to be honest. ::to Renaie:: Do you know?
Hopper/Shortrith: Response
Bryn: Hm. Well, you should tell humanity to work on that. Does Australia mean anything?
Ukinix: Yeah, it means, “place that Wil needs to take Robin and Nathan to for a visit one day to check out the Quokkas on Rottnest island.”
Hopper/Shortrith: Response
Ukinix: It’s also derived from the word Australis, a word from an old language named “Latin” that means southern.
Bryn/Shortrith/Hopper: Response
Ukinix: So everyone’s done? Anyone still hungry?
Bryn/Shortrith/Hopper: Response
As they answered, Wil had already got up from his chair, and reached into the bag of supplies that he had brought with him. There was another little bag inside which he fetched out, and brought back over to the table.
Ukinix: Well, thanks for complimenting my cooking, flattery will get you everywhere, including-- ::raises fingers, then reaches into bag to pull out wooden boxes:: these.
He placed the boxes on the table.
Ukinix: I’ve got goodies to hand out over the next little while, and I’m starting with you lot. Can I have you all at attention, lining up ::pointing at spot on grass:: just over here? You too Hops.
Bryn/Shortrith/Hopper: Response
He crossed his arms, and raised his chin, with a stern look on his face, and studied the expressions of Robin, Renaie and Saelis closely.
Ukinix: ::Slightly louder:: You call that at attention? C’arn, eyes forward!
He placed his hands behind his back, trying to stop from smiling… before a stifled laugh kept down in his throat turned into a real one. His shoulders started to shake as he laugh-snickered at the trio
Ukinix: Making you stand at attention as a *barbeque*, that’s poor form. I’m absolutely kidding, at ease, I’ve got stuff for ya. Quick, grab a drink. And Robin I give you permission to put me in a headlock.
(OOC: That permission extends to OOC :P )
Bryn/Shortrith/Hopper: Response
He made his way back to the table, then grabbed the contents from the three wooden boxes, hiding them behind his back. With a smile, he approached Ensign Bryn first.
Ukinix: Saelis, I’m really proud of you, and Amity is in debt for your actions with Chief Barberra to distract that Vaadwaur vessel with, of all things, kindness and bureaucracy. For this, you’ve been awarded the Silver Star ribbon. ::offering hand:: Congratulations!
After offering his hand, he pinned the ribbon to the Ensign’s uniform.
Ukinix: There you go, you got a story for your next train ride.
Bryn: Response
Shortrith/Hopper: Response
He moved along to be standing in front of Renaie.
Ukinix: I bet you didn’t think you were going to get a tour of underspace when you got here, huh.
Shortrith: Response
Ukinix: Well you can tell your Captain that your actions did not go unnoticed. And thank you for helping out in the Medical Centre. For your actions, you’re awarded the Good Conduct Ribbon, along with the Explorer’s Ribbon for going into Underspace. ::offering hand:: congrats, Renaie.
Shortrith: Response
Bryn?/Hopper?: Response?
He pinned the ribbons onto their uniform, poking his tongue out slightly as he concentrated, then stepped back proudly to observe his handy work.
Ukinix: ::Under his breath:: Bloody marvellous work, Ukinix. ::to Renaie:: And make sure you wave those bad boys under Captain Niac’s nose when you next go for a promotion, tell him Wil Ukinix said you deserve it.
Shortrith: Response
Bryn/Hopper: Response
Lastly, with a smirk, he took a side step to be standing in front of his First Officer.
Ukinix: How long have we been mates for?
Hopper: Response
Ukinix: Well that deserves a ribbon in itself! And how long have you been First Officer for?
Hopper: Response
Ukinix: Well then, that’s why you’ve been awarded ::revealing Ribbon from behind his back:: the Diplomacy Ribbon, for rescuing that nice bloke the Prime Claimant, and the Explorer’s Ribbon for going into underspace.
He paused for a moment, then pulled another ribbon from behind his back in his other hand.
Ukinix: Oh, and this one. This is the… ::playfully squinting eyes, inspecting Ribbon:: the First Officer Ribbon? Oh bugger I got the wrong one.
Hopper: Response
After a chuckle, he moved forward to pin both ribbons on Robin’s golf outfit.
Ukinix: May these help you get a hole in one. ::Smile fades a little:: In all seriousness Commander Hopper, you’re an exemplary Starfleet officer, and I couldn’t think of a better First Officer to support me on my first command. You’re an even better person, and one I’m proud and lucky to have as my friend. I should say congratulations, but instead I’m going to say, ::holding out arms for a hug:: thanks, champion. For everything.
Hopper: Response
Bryn/Shortrith: Response
Ukinix: Right then, these Ribbons don’t come for free, you know. We’re all going to hit golf balls into the lake, and Robin’s going to teach us.
Hopper/Bryn/Shortrith: Response
With a smile, Wil grabbed another IPA can from the esky, then made his way over to where the golf tee was set up.
Ukinix: Let’s go, this golf ball’s not going to hit itself!
Hopper/Bryn/Shortrith: Response
Tags/End scene for Wil!
(OOC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgT9zGkiLig)
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Captain Wil Ukinix
Starfleet attache and Commanding Officer
Amity Outpost
V239511WU0