Eye of the Storm

Posted on 23 Sep 2016 @ 6:50am by Lieutenant JG Felix Langston & Lieutenant JG Catherine Cooper
Edited on on 23 Sep 2016 @ 6:57am

1,832 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Click Three Times
Location: Lounge
Timeline: MD 7

Erin walked into the crew lounge and stepped in to the first empty replicator she seen.

"Country fried steak mashed potatoes and carrots with a sweet tea" she requested. As the replicator began to hum she looked around the room. The lounge was busy but not as busy as the Galaxy class she previously served aboard.

Before the replicator stopped she could already smell the meal she had ordered. As she grabbed the tray she looked around for an empty seat but couldn't find one. So she decided to approach an officer sitting by herself.

"Care if I join you lieutenant?"

Cooper glanced up from the PADD she reading in one hand the other with a spoonful of stew half way to her mouth, she nodded out of automatic reflex then put the spoon back in the bowl. "Sure..." She then looked at the PADD's and other 'portable office' debris and cleaned it up. "Sometimes I find working in a different environment helps refresh my mind." She gestured to the other chair, "Lt. Jg Catherine Cooper, Deputy Security...." She said politely even as her mind worked at the several things she'd been working on, doing its usual bit to slow her down so she could focus properly on the other person.

Erin sat her tray down pulled out the chair and sat down. "thanks, Erin Dodson. Assistant chief medical officer and surgeon." She took a drink of her tea as she finished.

Cooper smiled, "You know I seem to be familiar with entirely too many of the medical staff, here's hoping I don't need your help professionally..." she said as a part of her mind worked on guard rotation schedules.

Erin smiled at that comment. "although I'd love to see your brains functionality I would prefer not to have to work on colleagues."

Lt. Felix Langston walked into Talon's, face buried in a PADD. He was so absorbed in his duty reports that he almost didn't see the Benzite engineer in front of him. Fortunately, he looked up and barely avoided running into the large man. "Sorry," he mumbled under his breath as he made his way to the bar. He didn't see Selah manning the bar and sighed, slightly disappointed. He sat down at a barstool and scanned the room, looking for someone, anyone friendly. The mission had gotten off to a quick start and he hadn't the opportunity to meet hardly anyone on this whole trip.

"If you've got Coca-Cola, I'll take that," he said to the man at the bar. The bartender nodded and reached down for a chilled, oval-shaped glass. He got the seltzer hose and wordlessly filled the glass with bubbly brown liquid. He slid it over to Felix, who thanked him and gladly took a sip, absentmindedly scrolling through items on his PADD while looking around the room.

As Cooper talked to Dodson she happened to catch sight of the new Chief Flight Officer. She'd hadn't seen him since he tried to be comforting on the Cochane about Corwin's injury, she caught his eye and waved then glanced at Dodson to ask if she minded if she invited him over.

Erin nodded in approval. Shed been on ship for some time but had been too busy with duties to familiarize herself with any crew. Or make friends.

Felix's eye caught the sight of two lieutenants sitting at a nearby table. The feisty brunette with the gold collar was waving and smiling. He pointed at himself as if to say, "me?" Once he got confirmation, he casually picked up his drink and PADD and walked over to sit at the extra seat at their table.

"Good evening," Felix said as he sat down, "I'm Felix Langston." He reached out for a handshake as he set his drink and PADD down on their table.

Cooper nodded, "I remember, this is Erin Dodson, Medical." She made the introductions.

Erin smiled and nodded at Felix. "it's a pleasure lieutenant" she said not trying to be rude as she finished her meal.

"Evening, Lt. Dodson, Cooper," Felix said. "It's really great to see some friendly faces. Since we launched right into this from Starbase Unity, I haven't had a chance to get acquainted with anyone. How are y'all enjoying yourselves this evening?" He took a sip from his drink.

"Great now, I was starving when I got here" Erin replied as she stood and took her tray to the replicator to recycle and get a new Sweet tea.

"How about yourself?" She asked as she returned and sat back down.

Felix finished another sip of his sweet, fizzy drink. "I'm doing alright over here; a little overwhelmed, though," he said. "This is my first post as chief of a department. I've been setting and redoing duty schedules all day when I'm not in that helm seat. I've barely had enough time to go box, work out, or practice piano."

Cooper nodded, "I understand we were just talking about the lack of free time but that's just how it works sometime. It will eventually slow down and we can remember we have hobbies. Me I've been meaning to learn the harp. I'll get to it someday..." She continued drink her drink think as she listened to the others. She was glad to eek out the time but knew they all had duties soon enough.

"Oh cool, you play harp?" Felix asked. "How long have you been playing?"

Cooper shrugged, "Not long as I said I'm newly learning but I can read music and play a few songs so far. How about you?" She asked curiously, continuing to eat as she waited for replies.

Dodson listened for a bit but was content to let the conversation flow around here. From across the room she saw another medical officer she needed to talk to about the next shifts work and excused herself.
Cooper smiled and nodded as Dodson grabbed her items and headed to the other table.

"My aunt Alicia is a jazz pianist in New Orleans, where I'm from," Felix said. "She started teaching me piano lessons when I was about eight or so. So I guess I've been playing off and on since then."

Cooper grinned, "New Orleans now there's a culture that celebrates life in all its wonderful crazy..." She said, remembering her trips there as a cadet, "You know free form Jazz? I love that."

"I do know it," Felix said with a chuckle, "but there's only so much Ornette Coleman and late-era Coltrane I can take. I'm more of a traditionalist, myself. Even in the old forms, there's still a lot to do and ways to express oneself. That's what Charlie Parker did." Felix hoped his references were making sense and that he wasn't just babbling to the friendly faces in front of him. He hurriedly took another sip of soda.

Cooper grinned, "Coltrane now there's a name not everyone knows. And Charlie wow he was a genius in behop..which as you know is...characterized by fast tempos, virtuosic technique and advanced harmonies."And he had mad speed and the revolutionary harmonic ideas he had.." She said getting excited and her words started to speed up but she caught herself with the practice of long habit and smiled, "I like music..." She said sheepishly.

"Nothing wrong with that," Felix replied after taking another sip of his soda. "What else do y'all like to do for fun?"

Catherine replied, "Pretty much anything that requires movement, competition is nice but movement is essential. Sports, climbing, martial arts, running. Also reading oddly enough but that's more mind movement you?" She asked, looking at them as she sipped her drink.

"I like reading, too," Felix said while chuckling at the Lt.'s seemingly boundless energy. "I'm going through all the Master and Commander novels right now; I have most of them in paperback. I also do a little bit of working out with weights and stuff, but my main passion is boxing. I've done it ever since I was a kid." Felix felt at ease talking to the Lieutenant. She was one of the first people he'd opened up to ever since he got on the ship.

Cooper smiled, he was easy to talk to. A part of mind going over the parts of a torpedo as a slowing down tactic, something she'd been trying to do even more since a recent discussion with her Chief. "To be honest it started off when I was younger as a way to slow me down. I had to be able to not just remember what I read but figure out the meaning. My parents made it a game but later on I figured out what they were up too." She didn't go into detail as to this was so but continued, "After awhile though I discovered I liked it, there were worlds in worlds and if I'm reading I can be still, at least for awhile, because all my energy is going into the book. I never needed a holodeck..." She shrugged..."It must sound odd coming from me...."

"Not at all," Felix said. "You know, I'm actually in the middle of writing a book myself. You probably wouldn't want to read it, though."

Cooper tilted her head briefly then smiled, "A writer huh? What about?" She was curious, she figured it may have something to do with flying but didn't want to assume. She didn't laugh as some may have expected. She had her passions to and wouldn't have cared to have them mocked. In her opinion it took a lot to write and share with others, that was a part of the writer's soul and took it's own kind of courage. The hand resting on her knee under the table began to twirl a coin she pulled from her pocket. The rest of her body language was perfectly attentive.

Felix smiled and tried his best to answer the lieutenant's question. Just then, his COMM badge beeped. Felix sighed out. "Good grief," he said to Cooper, "I'm sorry." He tapped his COMM badge. "This is Langston, go ahead"

"Sir, we need your help in Flight Control," the voice on the other end said. "We're having some trouble with the thrusters, they're getting a bit squirrelly. We thought you'd want to take a look at it yourself."

Felix hung his head resignedly. "I'm on my way." Felix shook his head. "Sorry, y'all, I have to get going," he said. "It was great getting to know you. See y'all around!" He stood and nodded apologetically before heading out the doors of the lounge.

"See you..." Cooper replied, "And then there was one..." then tried to finish her meal and her commbadge went off, it was the weapons officer with a question about integrated firing systems. =/\="On my way.." Was her reply, this was too complicated over comms. "So much for a break" She said and grabbing up her PADD headed out.

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