Tour: Administration

Posted on 06 Nov 2024 @ 2:08am by Master Chief Petty Officer Mila Rasputin & Commodore Harvey Geisler

1,579 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Bait and Switch
Location: Administration
Timeline: June 29, 2390 || 0910 hours

As was common for the first morning of a new mission, Harvey took it upon himself to tour the vessel, stopping by each of the major locations aboard the ship and check in with his senior staff. His next stop was the administrative office, where Harvey planned to connect with Mila for a task group update, and to also get the current pulse of the ship.

Mila was in the heart of the Administrative Complex, still a bit nonplussed at the tiny size of her office. She had been spoiled on the Century class ship, but she made do with what she had. She arranged the photo of Jameson and Allison on her desk, the frame that was decorated in different shades of purple, and to add a more personal touch, a hand print from each little one was attached in opposite corners with their names inside. The gift from Joey had been very thoughtful and she was lost for a moment as she looked at her krestniki.

She looked up with a blink when she realized someone was right outside of her transparent windowed office and made a point not to let her mind wander again. Especially when she saw that it was the Commodore. She yanked her uniform top down and came to her feet. "Commodore, please be excusing me. Come in."

Harvey waved the excuse off. "There's nothing to excuse, Mila," he said, stepping across the threshold and into her office. "I think if there's anyone who deserves to let their mind wander now and again, it'd be you."

"I have already had enough of mind wandering," Mila said with a smile. "What can I be doing for you, Harvey?"

With a grin, Harvey held his arms out, though he was careful not to spill the rest of his coffee. "Inspection time," he simply announced. "You know, the thing I do when we get underway on a new mission and get a true pulse for what's happening on the ship."

"You are knowing what is happening because I am being the one that is always telling you," his Yeoman said with a cheeky grin.

The Commodore chuckled, then asked, "Well then. What's the pulse saying today?"

"The pulse is saying that they do not like that we are flying into an unknown trap," Mila said evenly. "Between the crews we rescued, our own overworked crew, and the scuttlebutt in the Yeoman's Network, the general consensus seems to be that we'll be the bait."

"I can't argue that," Harvey remarked. He'd had that same thought as well, that the Black Hawk was the true target. Perhaps they were the ones being observed and watched. It wouldn't have been the first time, but it was something he was truly tired of. "In which case, it's a good thing we've already thrown the book out the window."

"On side note, Grahamhole is not seeming very difficult," she said. "I was talking to his Yeoman and he was saying that Captain Holmes is madder that he is not finding ways to trip you up. I am not yet talking to other Yeoman, but I am not seeing problem."

Harvey delivered a hearty laugh just before finishing his coffee. It was always sad that his first cup of Wilkins never completed the tour and always left him early. He really needed a larger mug, perhaps something the size of a coffee pot, but there was no way he could carry that thing around the ship. "He's my biggest worry of this whole thing. Even now, I'm still counting on him doing something stupid with that Sovereign of his."

"Da, but he is still being Captain and has put his ship in dangers like we have faced," Mila said. "Are you needing another cup?"

Harvey shook his head. "I'll hit the galley on my way to the bridge... I mean Auxiliary Control. As you know, they keep a warm carafe for me in the mornings."

"You and coffee," she chided him gently. "You should be drinking strong black tea with currant jam. It would put hair on places that need more hair and help make babies."

A deep belly laugh escaped from Harvey's lungs. If he'd been drinking, he more than likely would have performed an involuntary spit-take. Even just a year ago, he never would have thought to be so frank and free with any member of the crew, but Mila, like several others, was basically family at this point. "Two is already plenty at this point. I don't know if I'm ready for more."

Mila enjoyed hearing him laugh like that and smiled brightly. "If you are being ready or not, tea is still better for you," she said. "I will not be telling Joey, though."

"I've been drinking tea," Harvey remarked. "But just in the afternoon. Mainly darjeeling or some herbals. But I just don't know if I can start cutting back on coffee in the morning. It's like my body can't function without it any more."

"Da, da, I am giving you hard time," she said with a smile. "I would fall and not get up again if I am having to cut out black tea."

Harvey chuckled again, and this time closed the lid on the travel mug. "Well, aside from Endurance and Valcour, any updates from the rest of the task group?" Harvey knew that by now the probe deployments should have been finished and the group would be redeploying along the new border.

Mila pulled up the report on her console. "First stage deployment is being completed and it is looking like they are now expanding to new areas of our operations."

"Good," Harvey remarked, nodding his head. "Good. That means we are right on schedule. And do we have a log of everyone's designated runners? We'll need to run that up the flag pole so Gamma Command can prioritize response if it comes to that."

She glanced at her screen even though she already knew the answer to that. "It is ready for your command, Commodore," she said as she looked back up at him.

"Then let's get it sent," Harvey said with a confirming nod. "I'll review the latest reports from the task group when I make it to the bridge... I mean Auxiliary Control." Damn, it was weird having to think like this again. The last time he had to move bridge operations was because the bridge was destroyed. This time it was to keep his bridge crew from dying senselessly during an attack that may or may not happen. "One of these days, I'll get the hang of that, though I never hope it happens."

Mila tapped the console and smiled. "It is being sent, Sir," she said. "And let us hope that it does not become habit. Perhaps all ships should have bridge crew in belly of ship instead of being big target on top of saucer section."

"One would think..." Harvey said just before his voice trailed off. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that targeting a bridge was a dirty tactic. Not even the Klingons would dare target a bridge so early in a fight. There was something humane or even honorable sparing against an enemy and out-witting them. He cocked his head to the side with the thought, intending to take that one a little deeper when he had the chance.

And that's also when he noticed the picture on Mila's desk. "Oh, that's new," he said.

She was distracted by what he didn't say, but then got distracted again, but this time in a good way. "Da. Joey brought that to me a few days ago," she said with a smile. "Is homemade, like my krestsnik." She couldn't help but tease him a little.

Harvey was a bit surprised. He hadn't known Joey to be someone to make homemade gifts, especially after the twins were born. Then again, the two hadn't spent as much time together as they once used to, thanks to all of the recent events. "Well," he said, "the best gifts are the ones made from the heart. Not everything can be replicated, after all."

"She is to be making another for my quarters," Mila added with a smile. "I am not getting enough pictures of babies to put around."

His eyes widened in mock surprise. She'd had a chance to fire a shot at him, and this was a chance for him to return. "Making another child for your quarters? With any luck, you'll wind up with two instead of one, and then you'll never be rid of us."

Mila laughed. "I would take them in a minute and I hope to never be rid of you,," she said.

Harvey chuckled. "Careful what you wish for, Mila," Harvey joked. "Well, anything else to take a look at while I'm here?"

"Just the usual that I am not needing to bother you with until you are needing to be bothered," his Yeoman said. "Otherwise, you are being good to go when you are seeing fit."

He tipped his empty coffee mug and nodded his head. "Then I shall leave you to it. Thanks, Master Chief." With that, Harvey turned and exited the room, bound for the next stop on his tour.

Mila watched him go with a smile, then turned to her duties once more after a glance at the picture.

* krestsnik = Godchildren

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