.
Travis came into the mess hall as a fallen king. His reign was over.
Still, more people than usual said hello to him, and offered him to sit with them. He kindly said no to all except Liz.
"Hey," he said, sitting down.
"Hey yourself," she replied, toying with her pasta.
"Are you alright?" he asked. Liz was usually always talkative, and Travis felt himself concerned. Especially since they had spent the better part of last night talking about everything and nothings.
"I'm fine," she said looking down at her uneaten plate of food.
"Liz." Travis started, before Liz interrupted him.
"It's that stupid Vulcan!" she hissed so that no-one else could hear them.
"T'Pol? What has she done?"
"She was looking over my stuff. And she said that it was unsatisfactory and lowered by damn efficiency rating." Even quieter she asked, "Starfleet doesn't look at those, do they?"
"I don't know. I've never been worried about those before," Travis admitted. "Don't worry. T'Pol just expects a lot from people."
"Yeah, I know. But she still doesn't have to say that my work is crap."
"Actually," Travis had no clue if he was lying or not, "a criticism where a Vulcan expects more from a person is one of the highest forms of compliment. It means that they think you are capable of much more. And do you really think that a Vulcan would give a direct compliment to us primitive humans?"
Liz laughed gently.
"I suppose you're right. I never thought of it that way. Oh god, this is exactly like what Phlox was saying about judging people based on your own culture, not theirs."
Travis started realising that his kind words might not have been so helpful after all. Looking around, he struggled to find an escape route. But no good ones were available.
"I better go. I have to finish a report for T'Pol. I'll see you later." Travis hastily said, grabbing his tray and walking away.
Liz started making a mental list at things she needed to work on. Stop judging people based on your own culture Stop scaring guys away
First Phlox, now Travis. I should have some sort of medal. .
"Is everything running smoothly, Trip?"
"Smoother than a baby's butt, Captain. What brings you down to engineering?" Trip asked. He finished the command in the computer and told it to execute.
"I just wanted to make sure that everything was alright. No more heating failures? No more attacks of foam?" Jon asked.
"Nope. And I've been taking some lessons from Malcolm. Next time anything happens, the computer is automatically going to track crew movement and give names." Trip looked quite pleased at himself.
"You did all of that before lunch?" Jon asked unbelieving. Trip is good. Real good. I should talk to Starfleet about a commendation or something, Jon thought.
"Me and Malcolm had been working on something similar before. It was just a matter of changing and adding some parameters."
Malcolm and Hoshi, Jon remembered.
"I have to go. Something I forgot to do," Jon called out as he left Engineering.
Trip just shrugged and continued working. .
"Good to see you Hoshi. Where's Malcolm?" Jon asked the small screen in front of him.
"He's in the shower," Hoshi said with an uncomfortable look that Jon didn't catch.
"OK. You guys have everything you need?"
"Yes Captain."
"Oh, and we've been getting your orders and work. Nice work translating that Klingon transmission."
Hoshi blushed modestly.
Jon continued, "Tell Malcolm that T'Pol misses him. And you for that matter. She was complaining the other night about how your efficiency ratings were much higher than your replacements."
Hoshi wondered how she should tell Malcolm that. On one hand he would be pleased to have a high rating. On the other, he would be upset at not training his successor well enough.
"I'll pass it on, Captain."
"How are you guys doing?" Jon asked, trying to figure out what had surpassed between the two jailed officers.
"Fine." Hoshi could tell that the Captain wanted more. "We've been working and sleeping a lot. A bit of reading."
Jon realised that Hoshi wouldn't tell him anything else and signed off. .
Travis came into the mess hall as a fallen king. His reign was over.
Still, more people than usual said hello to him, and offered him to sit with them. He kindly said no to all except Liz.
"Hey," he said, sitting down.
"Hey yourself," she replied, toying with her pasta.
"Are you alright?" he asked. Liz was usually always talkative, and Travis felt himself concerned. Especially since they had spent the better part of last night talking about everything and nothings.
"I'm fine," she said looking down at her uneaten plate of food.
"Liz." Travis started, before Liz interrupted him.
"It's that stupid Vulcan!" she hissed so that no-one else could hear them.
"T'Pol? What has she done?"
"She was looking over my stuff. And she said that it was unsatisfactory and lowered by damn efficiency rating." Even quieter she asked, "Starfleet doesn't look at those, do they?"
"I don't know. I've never been worried about those before," Travis admitted. "Don't worry. T'Pol just expects a lot from people."
"Yeah, I know. But she still doesn't have to say that my work is crap."
"Actually," Travis had no clue if he was lying or not, "a criticism where a Vulcan expects more from a person is one of the highest forms of compliment. It means that they think you are capable of much more. And do you really think that a Vulcan would give a direct compliment to us primitive humans?"
Liz laughed gently.
"I suppose you're right. I never thought of it that way. Oh god, this is exactly like what Phlox was saying about judging people based on your own culture, not theirs."
Travis started realising that his kind words might not have been so helpful after all. Looking around, he struggled to find an escape route. But no good ones were available.
"I better go. I have to finish a report for T'Pol. I'll see you later." Travis hastily said, grabbing his tray and walking away.
Liz started making a mental list at things she needed to work on. Stop judging people based on your own culture Stop scaring guys away
First Phlox, now Travis. I should have some sort of medal. .
"Is everything running smoothly, Trip?"
"Smoother than a baby's butt, Captain. What brings you down to engineering?" Trip asked. He finished the command in the computer and told it to execute.
"I just wanted to make sure that everything was alright. No more heating failures? No more attacks of foam?" Jon asked.
"Nope. And I've been taking some lessons from Malcolm. Next time anything happens, the computer is automatically going to track crew movement and give names." Trip looked quite pleased at himself.
"You did all of that before lunch?" Jon asked unbelieving. Trip is good. Real good. I should talk to Starfleet about a commendation or something, Jon thought.
"Me and Malcolm had been working on something similar before. It was just a matter of changing and adding some parameters."
Malcolm and Hoshi, Jon remembered.
"I have to go. Something I forgot to do," Jon called out as he left Engineering.
Trip just shrugged and continued working. .
"Good to see you Hoshi. Where's Malcolm?" Jon asked the small screen in front of him.
"He's in the shower," Hoshi said with an uncomfortable look that Jon didn't catch.
"OK. You guys have everything you need?"
"Yes Captain."
"Oh, and we've been getting your orders and work. Nice work translating that Klingon transmission."
Hoshi blushed modestly.
Jon continued, "Tell Malcolm that T'Pol misses him. And you for that matter. She was complaining the other night about how your efficiency ratings were much higher than your replacements."
Hoshi wondered how she should tell Malcolm that. On one hand he would be pleased to have a high rating. On the other, he would be upset at not training his successor well enough.
"I'll pass it on, Captain."
"How are you guys doing?" Jon asked, trying to figure out what had surpassed between the two jailed officers.
"Fine." Hoshi could tell that the Captain wanted more. "We've been working and sleeping a lot. A bit of reading."
Jon realised that Hoshi wouldn't tell him anything else and signed off. .
