Lt. Robin Hopper: A Special Request
Robin Hopper
((Amity Outpost – Habitat Ring, Archer Station))
Robin stood, sipping a chai latté, as the train rolled – or, rather, hovered – into the station. As the young Caitian officer stepped off, she offered him a friendly smile and a wave. She was glad, and relieved, to see that he seemed to be feeling better. Hopefully their shore leave would provide him with the recuperation time he needed after being ‘zapped’ with that immuno-stimulating ray.
Hopper: Hiya! It’s good to see you. Thanks for coming on short notice. I appreciate the help.
S’Raga: Of course! I'm happy to! Besides, this sounds way more fun than just assigning you a random room from a PADD.
She chuckled, recalling her first living quarters aboard the USS Wall Street. A tightly-packed deep space science vessel, there had been little room for amenities. There had been two officers per room, like on Amity, but with considerably less space. You had stacked private bunks for sleep, a teensy-tiny bathroom, and a common area with just enough room for two chairs and a replicator.
Hopper: From what I hear, even the junior officer quarters here are pretty ‘cushy’ compared to some of the other postings in the fleet. They could have everyone but the Command team bunking in the halls, like the old California classes! ::Grinning:: You can bet I’m going to make use of my choice here.
S'Raga: So, shall we get started?
Hopper: You betcha!
S'Raga pulled out his PADD and brought up a list of current vacancies in the habitat ring. Robin moved around beside him, looking over his shoulder.
S'Raga: ::Consulting his PADD:: Alright, so what kind of apartment are you looking for?
That was an interesting question. Robin had never really had the opportunity to have a place that felt truly, fully, completely like her ‘own’ before. At home on Theta VII, she’d had her room; In Berkeley, she’d lived in a dorm; At the Academy, she’d shared a cadet suite; and on the Wall Street she’d bunked with another junior Science Officer… The opportunity to have her own private living space was a new and exciting adventure, as far as she was concerned. But it also meant she wasn’t entirely sure what she wanted.
She slunk away from S’Raga, looking away from the listings, and sipped her chai. When she stopped, she crossed her arms.
Hopper: To be honest? I… don’t really know. That’s sort of the reason I asked you here, honestly. I have some vague ideas – you know, open concept, fireplace if possible… I need to be able to grow plants in it. ::Shrugging:: I don’t think these are that useful… I feel like I just need to look at a bunch of options, you know?
She noted that, despite her vagueness, he still input some selections into the PADD. Grateful for the assistance, she added:
Hopper: I think I’ll know the right place when I see it.
S'Raga: ::Nodding:: And did you have a particular district in mind?
Hopper: Ooh, yes! That I can tell you. After visiting Rivi and Tidrid’s home, I would love for it to be in the Beijing district. It’s just so bright and alive there. ::Smiling:: Hence why we’re starting here at Archer.
S’Raga: Response
Hopper: I say – what are we waiting for? Lead the way, S’Raga.
With the selections narrowed down somewhat, and a list of available quarters ready to explore, Robin felt ready to conquer the day. It was silly, but when plunging into the ‘unknown’ like this, she had always visualized herself as an intrepid explorer from one of Arthur Conan Doyle’s novels – setting off into some bizarre forgotten world. Of course, in this case, it was just the Beijing district and a few vacant apartments. But it still thrilled her!
As they came to the first available apartment, Robin did her best to assess its features. It had an entrance at the ground level, and seemed to be arranged more vertically – from the outside, she guessed it had three levels with relatively small ‘footprints’. The door opened for them, thanks to S’Raga’s Ops permissions, and they peered inside.
Hopper: So, what can you tell me about the place?
S’Raga: Response
Robin looked about, trying to imagine living there. She nodded as she listened, but the truth was it didn’t seem quite right to her.
Hopper: The ceilings are a little low, don’t you think? I mean, I understand there’s multiple levels, but I’d happily have a bungalow if I could see from one end of the place to the other.
S’Raga: Response
Hopper: I, uhh, also have a special request to make that may be relevant to our selection process, now that I think about it. I was hoping that I might be able to convince someone in Ops to help me install some holo-emitters in the suite… oO Perhaps a certain Caitian Ensign who owes me his life? Oo …I know it’s not ‘standard’, but I’m willing to sacrifice other features for it.
S’Raga: Response
TBC
