Lt Aine Sherlock - Official Business, Part 5

[Aine Sherlock]

((Shuttle Pad, Starfleet Academy, San Francisco, Earth))

Aine hadn't heard a word from Master Chief Graves, as she expected. Night was starting and it was time for her to head back to Risa, to her crewmates, and with any luck, a new ship. She approached the waiting shuttle that would take her to another Risian liner, PADD in hand. The door was open as she approached. She stopped and looked back towards the campus. There was nary a soul in sight save for the occasional wandering cadet. Graves was nowhere to be seen and time was up.

She stepped up into the shuttle and the pilot was seated in one of the benches along the side waiting for her.

Sherlock: Let's go crewman.

The man looked at her in silence and pointed towards the front of the small craft.

Graves: ::turning his seat to face Aine:: Just give me a damn minute. It's been a while since I've flown one of these.

A slight grin came to one side of Aine's lips.

Sherlock: Ooyah, Master Chief.

She sat on the bench opposite the pilot turned passenger. A few seconds later, the hum of the engine spread throughout the compartment.

Graves: See, it's all coming back to me now.

Sherlock: Door.

Graves tapped a command into the console and the door closed.

Sherlock: It's cold in space and, y'know, no air and all that.

Graves: Still a smartass.

As the shuttle lifted off and sped towards the waiting ship, she felt a certain sense of calm and hoped it would last. Her emotions had been a matchstick as of late. She was going to need all the help she could get, and his was a step in the right direction. The man whose sense of duty meant more to him than breathing.

End

Lieutenant Aine Sherlock

Chief of Security

USS Resolution

R239712AS0