Lieutenant Commander Timothy Alentonis & Ensign Richard Matthews: The Awkward Tagline
Zeph
OOC2: For Matthews, this is a flashback to last shore leave.
((Deck 14, Richard Matthews’ Quarters, USS Khitomer))
Coming back as an ensign, Richard had been bracing himself for the worst. The worst being stuck with a roommate. Something he’d dodged the first time attending Starfleet Academy by virtue of being a mature student. Who was on the medical track and doing their residency the first go around. And something he had continued to avoid by pure luck, being posted on ships with the space to afford junior officers their own room.
The tradition continued into his second enlistment. Living off campus for his retraining and then on Starbase 118 during testing. Being assigned to the Khitomer, by way of the Arrow, a New Orleans Class ship. Similar enough to a Galaxy Class, which he’d never served aboard before, that he’d gotten the pick of his quarters. And if he’d been welling to be a little underhanded. He might have been able to swing senior officer digs. But that was neither here nor there, and Richard didn’t really want to rock the boat, as they say.
Still, all that was a roundabout way to say that Richard enjoyed rather nice accommodations in his current posting. That didn’t include having to listen to a roommate snoring. If he had to describe it. The room was comfy. A bed off to the side nestled against the wall between a closet and another storage unit. With shelving running above it for his books and nick knacks. An open space with enough room to pace around and set a chair to sit in. A desk and more shelves along the opposite wall to work at. All arranged in such a way that the door into his quarters was second off into a little walkway. Giving him some privacy, or at least the illusion of privacy, aboard the ship with a crew of four hundred.
R. Matthews: :: Stepping into the small space between the room and the door :: Computer, lights low please.
Computer: Acknowledged
Richard stepped around the corner. Toeing off his shoes, leaving them there in the middle of the floor to pick up and stow later. His uniform jacket followed, he did at least make sure to toss that onto a chair, while his pants he left on the floor by his bed after shucking them off.
R. Matthews: Computer :: He said, while climbing onto the bed :: any messages from Dr. Meiou?
Computer: Negative, no new messages addressed from Dr. Meiou. You do have five new messages addressed from your parents. Two from your professors. One message addressed from Starfleet Academy. Would you like to listen to your messages?
No, no he would not, he hated himself for it. But right now he just couldn’t bring himself to listen to his mom and dad. Who were still trying to convince him that he had gone back to work too soon. That he needed more time to adjust to things. They just forgot that while it had been years for them. For him? It didn’t feel as if any time had passed. There was no issue with getting back to work. If anything, going on another LOA would be what caused him trouble. His professors? He’d just tell them he was on some important mission and had to postpone course work. It was a privilege he had abused before and would abuse again. Doing new academy courses while in the field. They could wait.
The signaled out message had caught his attention. Arranging himself above the covers. Because Richard wasn’t planning on going to sleep this early in his evening. He settled in and requested the computer to play the message. A pleasant sounding voice intoned over the speaker explaining that he was eligible for enrollment in the Cadet Cultural Exchange Subspace Friend Program (CCESFP). Something he’d never heard of, but the computer confirmed was a real thing, a program for cadets to meet new cadets from different worlds and cultures. Very much in line with the federations ideals, and he guessed would also help some cadets with the culture shock that came with the job.
R. Matthews: Huh, I wonder how I got entered into this? I didn’t reenlist as a cadet. Oh well, I do need something to do, Ras and Ezra are busy. Computer sign me in, serial number MG - 554 - 614. :: He glanced down at himself :: Open audio channel only, I’m too lazy to put on pants.
Computer: Acknowledged, opening audio channel only, tagging channel ‘I’m too lazy to put on pants.’
R. Matthews: :: Bolting upright :: What? No!
(( Flashback -- Starfleet Academy, 240001 ))
Tim had just gotten off the shuttle and was preparing to start his first term at Starfleet Academy. Given that he’d attended OCS back in 2395, he’d never actually gotten around to taking any courses here but all of his credits from his previous terms had, to an extent, transferred over. Being a scientist was more than just picking one field, but in this case, he felt it necessary to broaden his horizons with other science courses. Especially in the realms of other species.
His single-minded focus on the Romulans was more of an obsession than a pass time, but he hadn’t done any such archaeology since the treasure fleet. It made sense, then, for him to pick a different focus this time. These days, most of his work was all academic anyway.
As part of his “new student” status, he’d received some reading material on the Cadet Cultural Exchange Subspace Friend Program and his eligibility for such. With a raised eyebrow, he decided that it would probably be fun to put this name in the pool for communicating with other like-minded serious scientific folk.
Once he’d settled into his quarters, he took a seat by the desk and signed into the console.
Alentonis: Computer, begin recording.
The computer chirped in acknowledgement, and Tim started to record the message.
Alentonis: =/\= Greetings. My name is Lieutenant Commander Timothy Alentoinis and I am a Human metallurgist from Earth with an interest in Romulan archaeology. I just recently enrolled, for the first time since attaining my commission, in the academy and discovered my eligibility for this pen pal program that is designed to teach others about various cultures in addition to finding other folks with similar interests. Whomever you are, I look forward to hearing from you soon.
End message. =/\=
The computer chirped again. He undid his uniform jacket and ran his hands along his face because it had been a long day. Every shuttle flight was different, but he still vastly preferred them to transporters. This one had just been crowded, since he was one of several officers and the only one with rank amongst a shuttle full of cadets.
Alentonis: Computer, send that to Cadet Cultural Exchange Subspace Friend Program submission pool.
Computer: Acknowledged. Message sent.
(( End Flashback ))
‘Greetings. My name is Lieutenant Commander Timothy Alentoinis, and I am’ played over the speaker. Richard, kneeling on his bed, flailed wildly in no particular direction, there were no cameras for the computer to actually see him making the frantic gestures to cease and desist here. No he hadn’t meant to open a channel, he could have rolled with it, but gosh dang it he didn’t need some stranger hearing the embarrassing tagline the computer had put out.
R. Matthews: Computer -
Computer: Subspace channel open.
Richard slumped down, one hand coming up to massage the bridge of his nose. Okay fine. He’d just stay quiet, slowly get up and tiptoe over to his computer terminal. Then quietly shut down the transmission before anyone could answer. It was fine if he didn’t say anything. Plus what were the chances that this Timothy guy was around to answer a private call now?
Computer: Initiating greeting, Richard Matthews has signed in.
Richard’s head popped up. Shoot! The computer had triggered his gamer tags. Since he forgot to announce himself, or might log on late when playing with friends. He’d set up a sign in notification. It announced his name, played a little soundbite of someone knocking on a door. Okay, he’d just tell the computer to cut the line then.
R. Matthews: Com-
A voice answered the call from the other end, though it sounded somewhat tired like he had just woken up. Thankfully, the channel was audio only. From the initial sign-in and opening words from the computer, he suspected it could’ve been one of his fraternity brothers. As for what they’d be doing on a Starfleet ship, he had no idea.
Alentonis: =/\= Hello, I’m Too Lazy To Put On Pants. If this is a crank call, please hang up and take me off your call list. =/\=
R. Matthews: =/\= Not a prank call, but please feel free to hang up and block me. =/\=
Alentonis: =/\= I’m almost afraid to ask why you were introduced as such, sir. =/\=
R. Matthews: :: Sighing :: I think I’ve offended the ship’s computer somehow, not sure, but yeah. Misdial as they say. I was reviewing a communication from a cadet cultural exchange program. And it accidentally tagged everything I said.
Alentonis: =/\= I do recall entering into that program at one point. So, mind if I ask what your actual name is, in that case? =/\=
R. Matthews: =/\= No, that’s fair, and I’d rather you call me that than lazy. Hi! I’m Richard Matthews. An ensign aboard the Khitomer stationed out in the Alpha Isles.
He paused, then shrugged, it wasn’t like a ship’s posting was secret. Unless it was on a secret mission. And they’d just gotten back from one of those. So his rambling off random facts was fine.
Alentonis: =/\= That makes complete and total sense. So tell me, Richard, was it? What department do you hail from? I’m in science, myself. Metallurgist aboard the USS Astraeus in the Par’tha Expanse. =/\=
R. Matthews: =/\= I don’t recall entering the program, but I’m actually just finished going through the academy again after some, ah, downtime. So I think they just put me into this. Oh! I’m in science too. Was life science, but since I’ve gotten back. Been more along the lines of computer science. =/\=
Carefully, Richard twisted, throwing his legs over the side of his bed. Quiet as he could so as to not alert Timothy that he was moving around. If he was going to be talking to people. He should really put on pants.
R. Matthews: So, Tim, can I call you Tim? Did I catch you at a good time? If you’re busy, no worries. I don’t want to bother you. I was just doing this for a laugh cause I came off shift. We just started shore leave.
Alentonis: =/\= Sure, you can call me Tim. It’s not a bad time at all. Please don’t be surprised if you hear meowing in the background. I have a new kitten who likes talking. =/\=
Point for the stranger. Richard loved cats. He loved animals of all sorts, really. Easing up off the bed, he toed at his pants, bending low to grab them, hopping on one foot to get one leg in. Which he told himself no one could hear over the line. Nope, they totally could not hear the sound of him hopping around, muttering an ouch when he stubbed his toe. Nope, not at all.
A sneak he was not. This was why he didn’t get specific covert missions.
R. Matthews: Ouch, :: He buttoned up his pants and sat back down :: You do? That’s something I think has changed since I was away. Noticed a few of my shipmates have pets; cats, dogs, one bat.
Curio: =/\= Meeow! =/\=
The meow sounded, to Richard, very distant. Since the channel was audio only, could’ve been anywhere in the room.
Alentonis: =/\= A…bat? Not the strangest pet combination I’ve heard of. One of our crew has a tribble as a service animal. =/\=
R. Matthews: Yeah, blue bat of all things. I want to see them! :: He laughed, checking to make sure he was presentable :: How old are they?
Alentonis: =/\= Curio? He’s a few weeks old. =/\=
Tim paused as he looked around for his little furry friend, and didn’t see him at first.
Curio: =/\= Meow! ==/\=
Alentonis: =/\= Well, it was nice meeting you Richard but I need to go find him. Sounds like he may be under the bed and hasn’t figured out which way is out. =/\=
Laughing, Richard leaned over to grab his PADD from the desk. Quietly, he went into his communications logs, saving the contact for one Tim Alentonis. If nothing else, he might have cute cat photos to look forward to. If he played his cards right.
R. Matthews: =/\= Same, it was nice meeting you too, Tim. Let me know you found Curio safe and sound. Richard out. =/\=
He closed out the connection on his end. Laughing at the odd encounter. But oddly bolstered by it. A basic need for most species was interaction with others. If one had a sense of community, then one could flourish. And Starfleet fostered that sense of community. One of its major goals was meeting new peoples and making contact with them after all. So maybe there was something for this little program after all?
Shrugging, Richard got up, moving around to tidy his room some, scooping up his uniform as he went. When everything was in reasonable order again, and he thought he looked presentable. He took a seat at his disk and logged into the CCESFP network. Making sure to change his tag line to avoid any more possible embarrassing exchanges. With a grin on his face, he answered the next random communication, ready to see just what other new friends he could possibly make.
END
________
Ensign Richard Matthews
Science Officer
USS Khitomer (NCC-62400)
A238908RM0
&
Lieutenant Commander Timothy Alentonis (PhD)