Ensign Tess Evinrude - Some Assembly Required

[Tess Evinrude]

((Tess Evinrude's Quarters, Deck 3, USS Ronin))

It took a couple of months, but Tess had finally unpacked what few belongings he possessed.

In the corner of his room opposite the door stood his Telecaster, on a replicated stand. The few clothes he had brought were unpacked, rolled neatly and placed in drawers or hanging in the wardrobe alongside uniforms and his old bomber jacket.

But there were new things, too.

A magnetic pinboard above his small desk had the instructions for a model kit affixed. Two kits, technically - the Ronin and the runabout Rhine, both gifts from Alyndra. He'd had the replicator, now malfunction-free, put a few images of the ships to paper, reference shots of the two vessels from a few different angles.

Down at the bottom of the pinboard were a few replicated photos of his friends, all together in a group. In one of the shots, they were holding musical instruments. He was grateful to have hit it off with the other ensigns.

oO One of them is now a lieutenant, junior grade, Oo he reminded himself with a smile.

He couldn't wait to show Ell Tee Jay Gee Syrex the completed model kits. It really was a thoughtful gift.

Tess' eyes hovered over the last photo for a long moment, this one featuring three other people who weren't Ronin crew. The operations ensign looked younger in the photo, just a touch, and the young woman leaning over his shoulder and smiling seemed quite comfortable being so close to him. To her left were two older individuals.

oO Her parents. They really liked me... Oo

A loud combadge chirp interrupted his thoughts, making Tess jump. With an embarrassed look he searched for the thing, finally locating it under the empty box for the Rhine.

Morgan: =/\= Lieutenant Morgan to Ensign Evinrude. =/\=

The operations ensign wondered what an engineering officer wanted with him at this hour. He took a moment before responding, to even out his voice from the surprise.

Evinrude: =/\= Evinrude here, go ahead sir. =/\=

Morgan: Hope I wasn’t interrupting anything, but I need to know if the Ops department can handle impulse engines going off-line for an hour or two? I just want to clear the power transfer with you guys so we don’t get our wires crossed, so to speak.

Tess knew that, with Munro gone, there would be a small increase in his responsibilities until a new department head was chosen. All of the ops staff would feel that increase, truth be told, but it gave the ensign pause that he was being asked to field this question.

oO I know that we've got a reduced demand while in orbit here...and we're actually caught up on our computer upgrades. There's a lot of stocking and inventory to do...and I don't think Crewman Brat's computations he requested are going to be interrupted? Oo

After pausing to think that through, he replied.  Working with his hands always put him in a good mood, and his response was almost mirthful

Evinrude: =/\= That shouldn't be a problem, Lieutenant. Just keep the lights on while I verify inventory, and we'll be square! =/\=

Morgan: =/\= Fantastic, I’ll add you to my Christmas card list. ::she laughed:: No, seriously, thank you, and while I’ve got you on the line, could you look into something for me? =/\=

Tess smirked, and rolled his eyes good-naturedly. He didn't really celebrate Christmas - it wasn't a religious or cultural observation, but an odd byproduct of his upbringing. His family just...never seemed to have time for the holiday and its traditions.

Evinrude: =/\= So the Christmas card list comes with a catch. ::He chuckled back over the open channel.:: What can Ops do for you, sir? =/\=

Morgan: =/\= It’s the gel-packs on deck 14 over by the Brew Continuum. Could you take a look at those? I’m being told they’re malfunctioning and affecting the flavor of the coffee, and I’d like to get that solved before the staff gets upset or worse, a mutiny. =/\=

That was a surprise. Maybe it was Commander Munro's departure, but somehow those reports hadn't made their way to operations yet.

Evinrude: =/\= ::Genuinely surprised.:: Oh! That's news to me. I can look into that first thing when I start my shift. ::After a short pause.:: Actually, I'll even get an early start... =/\=

The coffee shop was becoming critical to morale, and with that last mission taking its toll physically...he just wanted to keep the Ronin's comforts at peak efficiency.

Morgan: =/\= Thanks! I owe you one, Morgan out. =/\=

Evinrude: =/\= Goodnight, sir. =/\=

Tess stared down at the gray plastic pieces on his desk for a long while. When he raised his head, his gaze went not to that photo from his past but to the image of his fellow ensigns holding instruments.

[End Scene]

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Ensign Tess Evinrude

[he/him]

Operations Officer

USS Ronin

R240111TE1