Chapter 4

As they entered the cockpit's transitional area from the opening airlock, the neck of the Normandy to said-cockpit was filled with their persons facing several glowing orange screens and chairs, and to the left through that "foyer" of the ship was a pilot wearing a ballcap pointed forward to his displays and console….He spun in his chair a few degrees left and saw Gala acknowledge him as she was nearest his side, Anderson a step ahead already, and checking something on one of the screens directly ahead of the airlock….Kaidan was after Gala, who said Hello to the pilot, "….Joker."

The pilot, curiously named "Joker", craned his head backwards to look up at her from under his ballcap, "….Commander," he moved his eyes back and forth from her face to Kaidan's, "….how was your trip….to Earth?"

"It went as expected," she shrugged, turned and went right down the connector bridge towards the navigation center of the ship.

"You get out of that chair since we docked, Joker?…." Kaidan looked from Gala's back to Joker's face.

"I got up and rolled around some in the old 'hamster ball'," Joker looked at Anderson, who was chuckling from hearing his reply.

"Joker, I take it you've met our newest crewmember….No complaints?…." Joker zipped his mouth with his fingers and gave the Captain a thumb's up, Anderson nodding his approval. Kaidan chose not to be nosy, though he saw the pass of expressions….He turned to head down the neck of the bridge to the navigation center after Anderson, and both made their way in the same direction as Gala.

Gala was looking over the crewmembers who were heading to man their stations, what with the arrival of both she and Anderson to the deck, and they all noticed her heading their way, but diverging right with the split of the floor runners leading to the middle of the ship behind the navigation center….She nodded back and saluted those who made eye contact with her, they doing the same to prompt her signal of reply….She passed with the navigation center on her left, going around a doorway that would have taken her to the communications room, and made her way to a split staircase winding down to the lower level of the ship—as well as the ship's lift that would enable access to the hangar and Engineering….Gala descended the steps with her bag still over her shoulder.

Kaidan and Anderson had split off to the left route around the navigation center and communications room, taking the opposite staircase to the next deck below.

At the bottom of the stairs, Gala passed a conference table with some logistical screens displaying nothing at the moment above the table, separated by a wall with a cutout above it—to give the crew's mess area on the opposite side a sight of two of the screens, and these were playing news and datafeeds about ongoing civilian matters that would be of interest for the crew to watch….if anyone were paying attention, but as it was, the mess area was occupied by only two crewmates, who were more interested in going over something they had on a data tablet shared between them, in the middle of the mess area. Gala had to pass by the primary—the only—lift of the ship at her left, dividing the landing between staircases, and the ship's medical unit was on her right.

As she passed the medical unit with a glance into the windows of the lit lab area, she saw it was empty of its usual Doctor presence—in that of "Karin Chakwas", and made for a row of lockers at the bottom of a short flight of stairs that led to the sleep pods arrayed in near-vertical angles at the higher deck.

She set down her bag at a locker labeled for "G. Shepard, Cmdr.", and opened the locker's door after applying a passcode. Anderson and Kaidan had come down the opposite staircase, and were crossing the right half of the mess hall, Anderson heading to his office alone, opposite the lockers, and Kaidan approaching Gala's right after cutting through the mess area….She was beginning to transfer her belongings from her bag to her locker as Kaidan set down his own bag underneath his locker and tapped in his code to open this….His bag hit the floor a little louder than he liked, and he apologized for dropping it so, "….You're good, Lieutenant," Gala was moving sundries and clothes into the locker and its lower compartment bin.

Kaidan had an "unfortunate" glimpse of some black underwear….Gala refused to acknowledge the fact she, too, had caught his eyes noticing the piece of lingerie in her locker bin, and glanced at him as he tried to play aloof, "….Something on your mind, Alenko?"

"….I heard you had the opportunity to visit Earth, Commander."

"You heard right, Lieutenant."

"Family there?"

"Family."

"I'm from BC, myself—Vancouver….Wish I could have gone back to visit my folks."

"You close with your family, Lieutenant?"

His teeth shown through the smile of his answer, "….Yeah, I'm what one considers a 'spoiled-brat upstart'….One of those kids without any siblings who doesn't take a hint from anyone besides a fatherly-figure with a set of stripes and a medal….but I'm fond of my parents, don't get me wrong."

Gala's smile returned, "….Good to know."

Kaidan pulled a confused look, "….Wait, I didn't mean to come off as…."

"Hmm…." Gala closed her locker after stuffing her bag underneath the main compartment, inside the bin, and let the security mechanism beep its final Goodbye….She left him at his locker to finish emptying his bag out, and organizing his belongings while Kaidan reviewed in his head just how exactly he had managed to shove his foot into his throat….He stared melancholically at his locker bag, then to Gala's back as she turned left into the mess hall, turned right at the corner before heading into Anderson's office.