Starcrossed [Backpost]

Posted on 23 May 2018 @ 12:46pm by Senior Chief Petty Officer Charles Stephens Jr. & Commodore Harvey Geisler

1,372 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: The Search Begins
Timeline: MD 1 | 1130 hours

Charles was getting used to his added duties as Chief of the Boat. Fixing a broken replicator or patching a hole in the ship was easy. He was able to do those things by himself or with a small team he trusted. But now being the go to point for all the enlisted on the ship was a pain in the ass. He forced himself to make rounds and check on the different areas of the ship. It was amazing how a ship this size turned into a soap opera. Charles had made his way down the hall from the counselor's office when he saw a young female crewman come out crying.

All Charles wanted to do was turn and run the other way, but she ran up to him as soon as she saw him. "Chief Stephens. I need reassigned." She said through the sobs.

"That is a bit difficult giving our current situation. What seems to be the problem?" Charles offered as she stood in front of him eyes pouring out tears and snot coming out the nose.

"My one true love is now with an Officer. We were going to get married and have a family and now he has run off with some Officer like she can understand him like I can? She isn't even pretty. I need off this ship!!!"

"Slow down. We are in the middle of the Gamma Quadrant. It is unlikely we can get you a transfer there just isn't that many ships out here. Plus the paperwork itself would be hard to work through." Charles was trying to be sympathetic but also realistic. He grabbed a hankie out of his pocket and handed it to her. He realized he had not given her the answer she wanted.

She took it and blew her nose. "You're a man you don't get it!!" She said as she threw the hankie back and Charles and stormed off.

Captain Geisler had exited the turbolift a few moments prior to the crewman's storming off. The situation had surprised him, but he did recognize Chief Stephens and took this as an excellent opportunity to observe his new Chief of the Boat at work. As she departed, Harvey took two steps forward to stand next to the Chief and watched the young woman disappear around the corner. "Well," he remarked. "That's something you don't see every day."

Charles turned at the voice of the CO. "I wish it was less frequent then you think." He rolled his eyes. "Lets throwing multiple species or multiple genders on a ship and not expect them to fall in and out of love is ridiculous. And of course when it goes south everyone needs an immediate transfer...." He let that trail off.

Harvey couldn't refute, after all he'd met and married two wives all thanks to his service in the fleet. That's not to say he would not have married had he not entered Starfleet, but it was best not to dwell on what might have been. There was a multiverse for such things. "I hear the janitorial staff is always looking for work. Maybe a week's detail with them will change her mind."

"I will just give her some space and see if she settles down. That is the part of the job I am getting used to. Being that sounding board for the enlisted crew. As soon as they found out I was Chief of the Boat they lined up." Charles smirked

"Lined up to shack up or bouncing ideas?" Harvey joked, realizing only at the last second that the joke may have been in poor taste. He had, after all, until recently been withdrawn from the crew. Though that letter from the future nearly undid everything he'd worked for, it was those around him who'd help draw him out of his shell. In many ways, his younger self, whom he thought died on Betazed, was starting to appear here and there. "You're not finding your new duties too much to handle, are you Chief?"

"No, Sir. Not to much just an adjustment." Charles said with a reassuring grin. "It is duties I am honored to do. I feel a ship is only as good as its enlisted crew. And said crew is only as good as the morale. I feel I can play a huge role in that morale." he said with obvious excitement in his voice.

The Captain smiled, accepting that answer. "Care to join me on my walkabout for a bit, Chief? That is, if you're not too busy."

"Not at all, Sir. I was actually getting ready to do the same." Charles said with a smile. As the two made their way to the next destination Charles added. "Crew seem to be doing well so far. It is a strong group we have here."

"Indeed we do," Harvey confirmed. "A majority of the crew was with me during the Consortium crisis. I know most of the enlisted we have know weren't on the old girl, but it pleases me to see that there's no divide between both groups."

"Yes it seems that the transition went rather smoothly." Charles agreed. "So any idea what we face in the convergence zone?"

Harvey sighed. "More than likely?" he asked. "The realization of our worst fears and nightmares. That poor crewman that stormed out on you hasn't even scratched the surface."

"And we think going there is a good idea...why?" Charles said lifting and eyebrow at the grim picture the Captain just laid out for him.

"Can you imagine what it would have been like had Klang never crash landed on Earth before the Federation was formed?" Harvey suggested as the continued walking. "If the Enterprise had never encountered that first cube? Or if Captain Sisko never encountered the Jem'Hadar? We would have been caught utterly and totally unaware. Where would we have been then?"

"Let's just hope we aren't the ones crash landing someplace. And we live through it enough to write home about it." Charles added in with a chuckle.

The Captain winced at the thought of crash landing. Even though his former command had crashed a few months ago, it still felt like yesterday. There were days he still missed that Akira-Class ship. After all, just like a first love, a captain never forgets his first command. "On the contrary, Chief. I hope we all get to go back home when this is done."

"I do as well." He felt the Captain had read him wrong. "Are they giving us plenty of time to explore inside the convergence?" Charles asked.

"As long as it takes to find what we're looking for," Harvey confirmed. "Honestly, I hope it turns out to be nothing." Given Harvey's history, even the Captain knew those words were nothing but a fleeting wish.

"Other then my duties for Engineering anything else you would like me to concentrate on?" Charles said as they continued.

The Captain shook his head, unable to think of anything specific. "Just make sure morale stays up. I know we don't have a cruise director, but maybe we can get some events going to keep tensions at bay. Recitals, performances, barbeques..."

"I will make note of that. Maybe some Team building activities during off shifts." Charles said enjoying the thought of the that.

Harvey nodded his approval. "Good. In the meantime, let's hope that our people don't drive each other crazy with failed relationships or other pettiness. If there's anything serious, be sure to let myself or Commander Teixeira know right away."

Charles was about to answer when his coms chirped. "Chief we need you in sewage reclamation. One of the process units is causing us some issues." Charles looked at the Captain. "I hate to cut this short but duty calls."

"Just don't let the shit hit the fan, Chief," Harvey said with a nod. With that, he turned at the next junction to head for his next destination.

Charles smirked at the comment. He enjoyed how down to earth Harvey was. As he made his way to the waste reclamation control room he thought he would enjoy to sit down and have a drink with the Captain some day.

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