Ships in the Night - Pt. 1

Posted on Fri Jan 31st, 2025 @ 7:27am by Lieutenant Eira Cortez & Lieutenant Hamlyn Ambrose

2,031 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: A new era - Time for change
Location: Ten Forward

ON:

After meeting with the CO ot announce her arrival on the ship and then getting her personal belongings stored away in her new quarters, Eira realised there was an orientation going on for the new officers that had just come aboard that she could, and probably should, attend. It looked like it was being run by an Operations officer which was to be expected.

The orientation itself was standard: take a small tour of the ship and see where the different departments were located, learn who the chain of command was, emergency protocols. However, having been on a few different ships already, she knew all of it already. The only thing that really changed was the chain of command and the deck listing.

Towards the end of it, Eira started to tentatively cast her mind out to feel the different emotions surrounding everyone. It wasn't something she did very often, but almost everyone around her had the same bored aura, which was disappointing, except for one person. Someone in Engineering yellow whose emotions felt like he wanted to cry because he was so bored. Eira stifled a laugh in response, causing him to look her way.

For a moment he was confused, then flashed a quick half-smile as he noticed some distinctive Betazoid features.

'He'll tell us about the airlocks next,' Hobb said a little listlessly as they were dragged around the next corner. Lo and behold, he thought as they pulled up next to some aft-deck airlocks. He pulled a face when the Bolian began to instruct them in the appropriate use of the airlocks in a dry and nasally voice.

'Once you've listened to one of these, you've listened to them all,' he chuntered, nodding in Eira's direction. 'Lieutenant Hobb, new Chief Engineer. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lieutenant.'

Eira nodded in agreement, "I agree, heard it once, heard it a million times. I'm Eira, the new Intelligence Chief, and it's nice to meet you too. Sorry for listening in on your emotions, I don't usually do that. I just kind of got a bit bored."

'I'm sure you, uh, meant nothing by it,' Hobb nodded graciously. 'We're all in the same boat here - except a few of those Crewmen over there, they look pretty green.' Continuing in a low drawl, he nodded in the Bolian's direction, 'They'll be finishing up soon, and the shift change's soon after. Fancy a trip to the Lounge to exchange resumes?'

A look of relief flitted across Eira's features as she nodded in agreement, "I say that's a great idea. I believe a few people here like the idea of whiskey if they can get their hands on some?" She looked over at the Bolian and wondered if he was fun when he was off duty like he was when he was on.

'I know there's three bottles of scotch in the Chief Engineer's quarters. Lagavulin if you like it,' Hobb flashed a grin, 'but there's always that synthehol stuff served up in the Lounge if it's too much for you.'

"Is that a challenge?" Eira quirked an eyebrow up and looked at him with her own grin. This was probably the most she'd talked to anyone outside of direct superiors and it was... nice? "Lead the way. I'll leave my own bottle back in my office then."

'Unless you know a guy who can get a few bottles delivered before you leave, best to save some for the tour,' Hobb replied as the Bolian motioned for the group to move on to their next and final stops. 'My favourite,' he deadpanned at Eira, 'cargo bay safety one-oh-one.'

"No poker games to be played in the cargo bay," Eira said under her breath with a quiet laugh. "What do you think they would say if we just left? We know all of this, right? Surely, they'd understand."

'Have you ever known a bureaucrat to understand not filling your forms in at the end of an orientation?' Hobb snorted. 'Not a good look for two senior officers to be written up at the beginning of their tour. We just gotta suffer til he's done.'

"I guess that's fair. Suffer in silence it is then," Eira nodded in understanding and watched the Bolian continue his orientation. It was entertaining to have Hobb with her, she'd give him that much. "We all secretly love paperwork though."

'Are you kidding me? Unlike intel officers, engineers can't black everything out or file pages and pages with 'redacted' on them,' he teased, 'if things go wrong, it's filed in triplicate for me. You can bet it was an Operations officer who dreamed it up.'

"Operations for sure. Definitely not Command, they wouldn't have the time," Eira retorted, "I've only ever had to redact things a couple of times, but I'll let you in on a secret: black's definitely my favourite colour for that reason." She smiled at him sweetly.

He raised an eyebrow in return at the smile. 'Well, I won't go looking for your service record then, wouldn't want the heavies turning up at my door during the night.' Hobb noticed the droning had stopped, and the orientated crew were beginning to drift off, their briefing and shift done. 'Say, I'll go grab that bottle and freshen up - meet you in the Lounge in fifteen? The Ten Forward, not the Ice Lounge,' he clarified.

You don't want to know my history at all, Eira thought to herself. "You look fine as you are, but I'll find Ten Forward and I'll meet you there."

It was more like twenty minutes before Hobb strode in, bottle tucked in against his side. He'd taken the opportunity to change out of his uniform into his off-duty standard t-shirt and jeans. The pointless fight against his five o'clock shadow he left til the next day cycle.

Spotting Eira he gave a wave before self-consciousness set in and he made his way to the table she had picked. 'Sorry. Took longer to get here than I thought. Columbia is big.'

"I got lost as well, don't worry," Eira replied with a polite smile as she put down the holonovel she had been reading. She too had freshened up and put her hair into a plait that was draped over one shoulder, a pair of high-waisted light blue jeans and a zip-through cropped black jacket, with black matching sneakers. Simple and effective.

"Not going to lie, I thought you'd ditched me for a moment," she admitted as she moved the second glass towards him and sank back into the chair.

He flashed a crooked smile as he opened the bottle with a distinctive squeak and pop and poured the amber liquid into the tumblers. 'I tend to keep to what I agree to. It's much simpler that way.' Hobb leaned back in his chair, 'besides, can you imagine the awkwardness during the morning briefing?'

"I've seen and felt the awkwardness between two people at a morning briefing and it was highly entertaining," Eira picked up the tumbler and took a sip of the drink. It was incredibly smooth and the burn going down was nice, "Mm, this is really good, is this the Lagavulin you mentioned earlier?"

"Yeah, that's the Lagavulin - no smokier scotch on Earth,' Hobb shrugged, 'simply the best. And I know what you mean about that morning awkwardness. Everyone says they're not interested in drama, but they get into other people's business.' He took a sip of his drink and leaned forward, 'So, Redacted, what brings you to the Columbia?'

"Well, Hobb," Eira leaned forward to match him and said in a slightly teasing tone, "Miss Redacted here thought being in Engineering was boring and needed a change to get back into Intelligence, and there just happened to be a position open," she sipped on the scotch again, "But this is the first time I've been a department Chief, so we'll see how we go. How about you?"

Chuckling at her jab he shook his head. 'I decided flying starfighters wasn't for me and took advantage of a scheme that let me take up Engineering.' He shrugged, 'There's some transferable skills, but thankfully there's less exciting.' Hobb flashed a smile, 'I chose the boring life.'

"So you're a pilot as well as an Engineer?" Eira chuckled, "This just keeps getting better and better. And I don't think it's boring, it just means you get an entire ship to take care of, not just one small department." She finished off the drink, "I admire the dedication."

'I still do my certifications,' he admitted reluctantly, 'but I haven't flown one in about twenty years. It was, uh, a war thing.' He looked around the Lounge and shrugged, 'Engineering is much more my speed these days. A lot of processes to work through. Anyway,' he pointed at her, 'you successfully deflected my question. Why Intel? You've got the same responsibility for the whole ship.'

Eira shrugged in reply, "Intel was simply a calling, one that the CO and I share through different sides of the same conflict, and," she took a hold of the bottle and poured them both another drink, "The rest is redacted." Truth be told, she didn't know what she could and couldn't say without revealing too much of herself at once. "Does that answer the question?"

Grinning he nodded slightly, 'I'll just have to chalk you down to be a mysterious femme fatale for now.' He took a big swallow, 'besides, sometimes it's best to look towards the future than rehashing our pasts right?'

Moving the stray bit of hair back behind her right ear, Eira nodded, "May the future be bright, the past stay in the past, and may we go onwards and upwards." She raised her glass in salute and drank from it.

Noticing the scar covered by her hair, Hobb winced internally but opted to not bring it up. 'Eloquently put, Redacted,' he flashed a smile 'to the future! But if we smash much more of this it'll be horizontal rather than upwards.'

"Horizontal sounds preferable to me. Maybe not here, though." She didn't need to feel his emotions to understand what he'd just seen. "I guess we could just act normal and have a chat as we walk towards either set of quarters?"

'That sounds like a sensible plan,' Hobb answered with a wink, finally acknowledging the uncoiling, urgent desire within. 'Now?'

"If I remember our orientation correctly, there's also my office being only two decks up from here?" Eira said as she tried to remember the layout because it was such a big ship. "So your pick, you choose."

'Our quarters are on Deck Three,' Hobb replied in a moment of clarity. 'If you can wait that long there'll be fewer questions if you like discretion.'

"And just what are you proposing we're getting up to, Lieutenant?" She quirked up an eyebrow in response. "Is this going to be a situation where another bottle is needed or?"

'Just a bottle of water,' Hob smirked. 'Hydration's important.'

"Ah yeah, just a bottle of water, huh?" Eira repeated as she stood and steadied herself with the help of the table, "And who's going to question the Chiefs of Engineering and Intel going into quarters together, something might be broken in there..."

'Right?' Hobb replied, slightly steadier on his feet as he made towards the door. 'Something may have gotten blown out in there ...'

"Come on, let's go investigate this then. You're more familiar with the ship so you lead the way." Eira responded as she followed him out of the lounge.

'Only just,' he chuckled as he placed a hand at the small of her back as they headed out the Ten Forward Lounge.


TBC in Part 2


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Lieutenant Eira Cortez
Chief Intelligence Officer
USS Columbia

Lieutenant Hamlyn 'Hobb' Ambrose
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Columbia

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