LtCmdr Jovenan – Should I replicate myself a red uniform?
Jovenan
((Science Centre, Deck 9, USS Artemis))
Jovenan paced back and forth. The junior hydrologist sitting by the computer console wasn’t hiding his anxiety any better; the way he kept stroking his hair made Jovenan worry he might damage them in the process. Figures and short reports run across the screen at a speed at which neither of them could read before vanishing. It was almost a miracle they hadn’t already encountered an error that forced the programme to halt. The final moments were the most critical ones: if the complex code had failed soon after the launch, they wouldn’t have wasted hours in waiting it to complete and instead used the time fixing it.
The lines on the screen stopped moving. Jovenan realised how fast her heart was racing as she stopped walking and stopped behind the hydrologist’s chair to look. There had been very few times during her service that she had been this nervous outside of missions or other dangerous moments. After a few tense seconds, the terminal was covered with a model of a planet, with various, multicoloured arrows crisscrossing along its surface. Jovenan closed her eyes and released a long exhale.
Jovenan: Good work.
The other scientist was shaking his fist in the air, as subdued as he could in his triumphal elation. Jovenan considered clapping if they hadn’t been in the middle of the office space with several other scientists around them working with their other projects in silence. The test run of the programme was a promising step in the project that could help them predict ocean currents of newly forming Class P world millions of years in advance.
Jovenan: You’ve got my permission to move to full-scale simulations. Talk with PO Milath about…
Munro: =/\= Munro to Commander Jovenan =/\=
Jovenan: … the reservation of computer time. Excuse me.
Stepping aside, Jovenan tapped her combadge to respond to their new Acting Captain.
Jovenan: =/\= Jovenan here. How may I help you, sir? =/\=
Munro: =/\= Would you be able to come to my office? =/\=
Jovenan turned to look at the hydrologist, who had seemingly ignored the Chief Scientist leaving his side and was just admiring the first results of their work. They’d need to go through a bit more before the project could move forwards, but for now, shorter instructions of the next steps would suffice until she’d return. The turbolift ride to the Bridge wouldn’t take even a minute.
Jovenan: =/\= I’m available to you in under ten minutes. =/\=
Munro: =/\= I'll see you then - oh and it's the First Officers office. I haven't, uhm, relocated to the Ready Room yet. =/\=
The commlink ended. Jovenan tilted her head a little; it was a good clarification, she would have looked for Commander Munro from the Captain’s ready room first. Admittedly, she might have done the same decision about the offices at first, if she had been in the Commander’s position. It had taken a while to get used to having her own office, after all. Without wasting more time, she turned on her spot and walked back to the workstation to give her quick instructions. She didn’t want to give a poor early impression to her new superior by being late from their first meeting.
((First Officer’s office, Deck 2, USS Artemis))
((A short time later))
Jovenan straightened her skant uniform. She had thought she had finally got past of having to gather her courage before ringing the door chime. The habit had gone away or at least diminished as she had learned to know her superiors, but now that she was expecting to meet a completely new person, she found herself insecure again. She grinned; there was something funny about feeling like a junior officer again when meeting a person with whom she was her equal in ranks. Not a long moment later, she pressed the button.
Munro: Enter.
The doors parted, revealing the office. It had been a while Jovenan had been to the First Officer’s office, so she couldn’t tell at first glance how much of it had changed under the consecutive XOs. One thing had changed for certain: instead of Talos or Genkos, her gaze was met by the blonde human woman she had seen at the awards ceremony. Jovenan stepped in and nodded as a greeting.
Jovenan: Reporting as ordered, Commander.
Munro: Take a seat, Commander.
Jovenan walked to the sole seat in front of the Commander’s desk and sat down. As she did so, Commander Munro stood up and went to the replicator.
Munro: I'm having hot chocolate with cream :: exaggerated bliss :: Heavenly. You want anything?
Jovenan: I’ll have what you have, please. ::smile:: You made it sound so delicious just now.
The Commander replicated the two drinks and returned to the seat, offering Jovenan her drink. Both of them sipped their hot chocolates – Jovenan had to remember to order hers with cream from now on – before the Commander moved to the official business.
Munro: I'll get straight to the point, Commander. I've read your file. You've served the Artemis since her relaunch, and you've been an exceptional officer.
Jovenan: I’m happy to hear that’s the impression my records give to you.
A voice within her told her to dispute the compliment and point out her various mistakes, but she managed to keep it inside. The same voice insisted that there was going to be a “but” to follow that, which was fair, as she didn’t know the purpose of the discussion, but she just retained her polite smile.
Munro: I need to select an XO and I think it should be you? You are familiar with the crew, and the ship. I need that, I'm still getting my bearings and I'm a stranger to most of them. What do you think about being my first officer until Fleet Captain MacKenzie returns?
Oh. She hadn’t even considered the fact that Acting Captain Munro would need an Acting First Officer. It made sense, replacing Captain MacKenzie was a major challenge even for someone who already knew the crew, she just hadn’t expected it would be… her. She sipped her hot chocolate to give her a moment to think what to say and to hide her surprise, although her eyebrows and eyes likely revealed what she was thinking.
She supposed that going by the records alone, she was a logical choice for an Acting XO. There were very few people on the Artemis who were department chiefs, had the rank of a lieutenant commander, and who had served on the ship for as long as she had – there was also Vitor, who Jovenan would have considered more experienced than her, but with him only receiving his promotion recently, she could see why Commander Munro had chosen her. Besides, would she dare to say no? She would have wanted to offer her help to the Commander anyway. She lowered her cup, holding it just above her lap, and offered the Commander a smile.
Jovenan: I’m flattered. I’d be honoured to assist you in that role until the Captain returns.
Immediately after she said that, she began to wonder if she had made a mistake. Oh well, too late to take it back. If they were lucky, Captain MacKenzie would return before they were forced into yet another battle or other complicated mission.
Munro: Response
Jovenan: As you’ve read my file, you know that I have little experience in command, so I hope you’ll accept that I might have some questions on the way. ::pause:: But I’m quite familiar with the ship and the crew. Most of them, at least; we’ve had an influx of new transfers recently, but many of them have already demonstrated their abilities in the previous mission.
Indeed, she had many questions already. For many of
them, she’d best figure out an answer by reading a manual – she’d
get her hands on one as soon as she’d get out. As for her questions
about Commander Munro’s leading style, she supposed it was probably
not the best to lead with asking how much she was allowed to question
the new Acting Captain before crossing the line. That would come later.
Munro: Response
Taking a quick sip of her drink again, she raised her eyebrows.
Jovenan: Have we received orders for our next mission yet?
Munro: Response
----
Lieutenant Commander Jovenan
Chief Science Officer
USS Artemis-A
E239911J11