Harvey and Harvey

Posted on 02 Jun 2021 @ 5:02pm by Captain Harvey Geisler

1,882 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Extinction
Location: Bridge / Ready Room
Timeline: Mission Day 1 at 1300

As Harvey finally got going, taking a moment to figure out that he hadn't actually asked where the commander of this ship was, he made his way up to the bridge and started memorizing in his head what he was going to say to the commander. He wanted to make sure that he left a good first impression on him. He wanted to make sure that he knew what Harvey was coming onboard to do, and what it meant to him, but also how he could play a vital role in the communication between the many civilians onboard and the senior Starfleet officers onboard... well, actually all the personnel onboard.

He finally made it up to the Bridge, it was rare that a civilian like Harvey would be allowed on the bridge, he was ready for someone to try and stop him, he knew what he would say to them. He only wanted a few minutes to introduce himself. As the doors opened, nobody was there to stop him. He thought about taking his first few steps slowly onto the bridge but then felt that it would show a sign of weakness to anybody who might have been looking, so he stepped off with confidence.

Captain Geisler stood on the other side of the bridge, focused on the displays on one of the bank of stations. He hadn't noticed the turbolift doors opening, after all, he was used to their familiar whooshing as they opened and closed. Harvey, satisfied with what he saw on the screens, turned to head back to his chair. He paused though, spotting an unknown figure on the bridge. Civilians were normally prevented from accessing the bridge, and there were only two people on board that he knew could accomplish them. Only one of them was male, and Harvey hadn't met him in person yet.

"Mister McCloud, I assume," the Captain greeted, crossing the bridge to the new arrival. "Welcome aboard the Black Hawk."

"Thank You..." Harvey, having trailed off after seeing the four pips on his collar, knew that his first thought was wrong, this wasn't a Commander. He was a Captain. That straight away changed the understanding of what Harvey was doing, and how different this was going to be. He hoped that he was wrong. He composed himself in the split second, once more, to keep talking; "I hope you don't mind me coming up here, I just wanted to introduce myself to you face-to-face and get a running start on what I'll be doing here"

"No, I don't mind at all," Captain Geisler said with a smile. "Why don't we step into the ready room and we can get you going on that running start." With that, he gestured to the ready room entrance that was located next to the forward viewscreen.

"More than happy to, Captain" Harvey followed along with a little bit of trepidation in his mind, he was still not able to get the best reading on how this Captain worked alongside the civilians on the ship already but he had to also had to go into this room and his assignment with an open mind

Before long, both gentlemen had relocated to the ready room. The room appeared to be quite settled and furnished, typical for a Captain who had spent more than a year aboard the ship. Along the wall to the left of the door was a desk with two chairs in front of it. Opposite that was a table and two chairs with a rather unusual aquarium beside them. The aquarium had been fashioned out of an old Captain's chair and still bore burn marks and scarring. Between the desk and the table was a couch long enough to double as a temporary bunk. "Would you like something to drink, Mister McCloud?"

"I won't say no, Captain. Thank You" replied Harvey

The Captain returned from the replicator a moment later with a cup of herbal tea. "I had an opportunity to review your file, Mister McCloud," he said as he took his seat behind the desk. The Captain also gestured for Harvey to have a seat, if he so desired. "You've had quite the job history between Starfleet Headquarters, and a Starbase after that. You certainly have rubbed elbows with quite a few prominent individuals."

"To name a few, Sir. I wanted to originally be an officer in Starfleet, but I dropped out before I got to the Academy but I still wanted to be in some form or some part, and being in some form of civilian leadership and administration, it was a natural setup for me to take on. I find that civilians respond better when they have a civilian to take to, as many will hide away from expressing concerns or questions with being on what you could call military installations, starships and bases, and in turn, I can take those concerns through the channels and get results, hopefully," remarked Harvey, he then took a sip of his drink. It was a lovely tea as well. It wasn't his favourite, but it was still something nice to enjoy during this conversation, which was actually going better than he had hoped, or planned.

Captain Geisler nodded, following along with McCloud's recollections. "There are definitely a lot of people, no matter how hard Starfleet has tried over the centuries, that still see Starfleet as a tough, military organization. I applaud you for your willingness to assist us with that throughout the years. But, it does leave me to ask... Why give it all up and come out on a starship that's assigned to Starfleet's front lines?"

"To be honest, I wanted a new experience and I wanted to get out and see a different side of the world, a different side of Starfleet. Civilians on a starbase are easy, there is plenty of space and plenty of areas that they can operate and work around, but on a starship; it is different all together, much more closer, and add in all the officers and personnel who are doing their jobs, it makes for a busy experience and I am someone who wants to make the best of what is there, and what is available" replied Harvey, who knew that the question was coming up, and it did seem strange that he would trade in a base for a ship like the Black Hawk, but he was truthful to himself, and to the question

Havery Geisler chuckled before taking a sip of his tea. "Well, your time on the Black Hawk will certainly provide you with different perspectives. We're outfitted for long-range deployment, and we often go for months without docking at a starbase. We used to not see any other Starfleet vessels, but our newest assignment is going to keep us in regular contact with several ships. We have families aboard, and we have civilians in different areas, including the Talons lounge and overseeing the recreational facilities aboard. I'm sure someone like you could not just help our civilians and Starfleet personnel aboard maintain a harmony, but also look for areas in which we are deficient."

"I find that harmony between those civilian areas that officers and personnel use and interact with, as well as those civilians who operate such areas, is important, especially as you point out in a long-range situation, where space essentially is limited for months and months. I find that while I would in turn have a space to complete such work that I need to do, and have discussions and meetings and keep things moving in a way that keeps it off your desk, but that also I take the time to be there in person and be around to talk in person with civilians and also to be able to report any major concerns to you, that maybe I can't fix, or that are needing for additional support"

"Of course," Captain Geisler confirmed. "The Black Hawk is a spacious ship, but it can definitely get claustrophobic after a while. Just because one wears a uniform doesn't mean that we're not invulnerable to these feelings. In fact, you'll probably be one of the first to spot depression and discouragement."

"I find that civilians feel it a bit more and quicker, in a way, and having someone that they can chat to, someone who doesn't wear a uniform or have a rank, gives them an avenue to talk to someone that they can relate to"

The Captain nodded, understanding where Mister McCloud was coming from. "Most certainly. What sort of initial plans do you have now that you're aboard?"

"Well, honestly, I had hoped to just spend a few days settling in, sorting out an office of sorts, if I can find one and organise it with your Operations department, and then just get some time to acquaint myself to the ship, it's layout and have a chat with civilians and hopefully some of your officers and crew, get an idea of what things have been like and how I can make improvements for the benefit of everyone" he replied, knowing full well that it would be a few days to get things moving, and he had only been onboard for a number of hours

Harvey considered the available options as he knew them. "I'll check with Operations, but I think there's either an office across from Talons, or there's an extra desk in the Administration office. As for getting the lay of the land, definitely take your time. I'm sure you'll find there's a lot of people aboard who would love to spend some time with you."

"I appreciate that, Captain and I hope that I'll be able to find moments to discuss matters with you from time to time, obviously when matters at hand dictate." Harvey knew that for that to happen, it would take time and effort on his part, but also an understanding of when things warranted it.

"Of course," the Captain agreed. "Both my door, and Commander Walsh, my Executive Officer, will be accessible to you, just so long as the ship is not in the middle of a crisis."

"Understandable Captain. I hope to get some time to also meet and discuss matters with Commander Walsh, I always find it useful to both senior officers, on a ship or a base to be aware of what is going on with the civilians that reside onboard an establishment, or in this case a starship, so that there are no crossed wires or one feels like they are being given the runaround on the other. Promotes better leadership in all parties" smiled Harvey, it was always something he found useful to make good with the second in command, that way, he knew he could get things done one way or another.

"I'll make sure to arrange an introduction," the Captain confirmed, agreeing with McCloud's assessment. "Well, unless you have anything else, I should leave you to get settled. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask. And, if I'm unreachable, be sure to reach out to Senior Chief Rasputin, my yeoman. She makes sure I never miss a beat."

The two men finished up, shook hands, and the Captain dismissed Harvey so that he could get to work.

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