8
Chapter 32
David arrived on the dot; eight o'clock in the morning.
He stood there for about ten minutes…his duffel bag lying at his feet.
The halls were empty…so David stood there alone…half asleep, periodically rubbing the fatigue out of his eyes.
"Why am I doing this?"
David was mid-yawn…when a short, stocky and balding man came marching down the hallway.
He moved with such inhuman gusto…and his face contained a bright and chipper smile.
"Good morning, Lieutenant…er, I mean Lieutenant Commander!" the jolly man winked at David.
"How are you this fine morning!"
David glanced down at his fresh rank insignia; it had been deposited in his temporary quarters along with his orders the night before.
"Dandy," David bemoaned…slumping to his side.
"I am Commander George Roberts…the executive officer of our fine vessel! I'm excited to finally meet you!" David held out his hand; glanced down at it…then back up at Roberts.
"Lieutenant Commander David Moore…reporting as ordered, Sir," David droned.
Roberts glanced down at his hand…then back up at David…slightly confused.
"Yes," he said. "Well right this way!"
The little man led David through the air-lock.
David rolled his eyes as he followed…and mouthed the words "God help me".
The two men each took their seats in the shuttlecraft; David tossed his duffel at his feet…and leaned back in his chair.
"So…where you from, Commander?"
"Earth," David responded monotone.
"Realllly?"
"Really,"
"How long ya been in Starfleet?"
"A few years,"
"Do ya like it?"
"Its great," David replied sarcastically.
The shuttle engine roared to life. The little craft began to slowly move forward towards the hanger door.
"Well the Captain and I are just thrilled to finally have our new Chief of Security! Its awesome!"
The shuttle exited the hanger and picked up speed.
David started fumbling with a crease in his pants.
"We've been stuck in drydock for a year and a half now…things are finally really starting to come together!"
David started to pick some lint off his pants.
"Yeah…great,"
The shuttle started approaching a metallic shell encasing a sleek starship; David was too focused on his shoes to notice.
"There she is now!"
David slowly glanced up disinterred…when his eyes set upon her…he was immediately taken.
The Republic. She was a sight to behold.
"She's a beauty, isn't she? Constitution class…freshly refitted. They said she was at the end of her days…but boy, we'll get a few good more years out of her, I tell ya!"
"I've never seen anything like it," David said wistfully…caught in a bit of trance.
Her sleek lines and shapely body made her envy of any Captain…Starfleet or not.
David hadn't been on or seen any of the larger, more elegant starships of the fleet since he'd joined.
Let alone any of the brand new refitted Constitution class ships.
It was a rare pleasure for him.
Once they had docked, the pair made their way into the long, winding halls.
David felt a bit like a kid in a candy store; every sight was so brand new to him.
He watched everything with a sort of wondrous glint in his eyes; the cramped and noisy hallways; the cables and conduits jutting from the walls…or the engineers running diagnostics and repairing systems.
It was all so new…and so exciting.
David accidentally tumbled over a repairman. He quickly picked himself up…and patted the fellow on the back.
"Oh…excuse me!"
He didn't seem the least bit bothered; he was just so absorbed in everything going on around him.
The pair made their way to the engine room first; this was in even more disarray then the corridors.
Cables ran everywhere; tools and parts were strewn all over the floors.
Shouting and discussion filled the air.
Bodies ran to and fro…in a sea of chaos.
Amid the mayhem…David spotted something else he'd never seen before.
"To start our tour…this is engineering. This is where our Miracle workers work their magic!"
David slowly stepped forward; he didn't take his eyes off of it.
He'd never seen a warp core; it was more beautiful than he imagined.
The blue liquid swirled about in all sorts of wonderful patterns.
"Good morning, Gentleman!"
David turned towards the voice; a portly Tellarite approached the pair.
"This is our Chief Engineer…my best advice is…stay out of his way," Roberts said to David out of the side of his mouth.
David stared the man down as he approached…a look of apprehension in his eyes.
"And just what are you looking at, boy!? Is there something on my face?"
The felt up his nose and eyes.
"Ah! Yes! Ridges! Silly me…I forgot!"
David cringed at the man's poor attempt at humor.
"Ha ha ha…" David said wryly.
"This is our new Chief of Security…David Moore!"
The Tellarite gave David a strong and uncomfortable hug. David winced in pain.
"Pleasure to meet you, David! I assume you're replacing me as Second Officer!?"
David let out a great big yawn.
"Yes…"
The Tellarite leaned in close to his face.
"Well…I'd be careful. I might poison you in your sleep," he whispered.
The Tellarite cackled…then turned and started shouting at one of his subordinate.
David flashed Roberts an uncomfortable look; Roberts shrugged his shoulders.
"Its his way,"
The two turned and headed for the door…David stealing one last glance at the warp core.
As they were leaving…one of the engineers lifted his head from some parts and spotted David.
It was Ed.
After the pair had scrounged through deck after deck…and Roberts had shown David sickbay, the two found themselves at the armory.
David slowly entered…yet again enamored by what he saw…but in a different way.
Rows and rows of rifles and hand phasers; a large set of lockers and a monitor with a console at the center of the room.
David felt somewhat at home; the drab gray and spartan organization faintly reminded him of the Outpost.
And it was all his.
A young guard…a human male of Asian descent…stood at the console typing in information.
Roberts let out a loud and exaggerated cough.
The young man's head whipped around.
When he saw the pair…his body spun around…and stood at attention.
"Sir!"
The pair stepped a few paces closer.
"Ensign," Roberts said. "This is Lieutenant Commander David Moore…your new CO!"
"Oh…hey!" the ensign said with a cocky smile on his face, holding out his hand.
"I mean…pleasure to meet you, Sir," the young ensign immediately stood upright.
David's lips twisted into a wry smile.
"What's your name?"
"Wong, Sir," David chuckled a little.
"Chill, Ensign."
"Sir?"
David glanced around the room a bit mournfully. He glanced back at Roberts…then to Wong.
"You don't have to do that stuff around me,"
Roberts raised an eyebrow; his face turned from chipper to slightly disgruntled.
"Commander…don't you think you should maintain the discipline of your subordinates?"
David turned to Roberts with a slight glare.
"You could use a good chill pill yourself,"
"I beg your pardon!"
David chuckled again. Wong joined in with him.
"Commander! This is not very ingratiating behavior! I'll have to report you to the Captain!"
"Yeah…whatever," David winked at Wong and grinned.
Roberts let out a frustrated harrumph…turning and leaving.
David rolled his eyes and grinned…following behind him.
After an uncomfortable silence in the turbo lift…Roberts quietly led David to his room.
"The Captain wants to see you at 1400…and I wouldn't pull that stunt with him," his voice was dripping with passive aggression.
"Thanks," David said…ignoring the tension.
He entered his quarters and did not look back.
After Roberts had left…David dropped his bag on the ground and sat down on the bed.
His eyes scanned the room; it was small and cramped.
There was a desk…and a painting of the ship on the wall.
And a bathroom in the corner.
It was a bit more luxurious than his previous quarters.
David let out a sigh of relief and relaxed onto the bed.
He placed his hands under his head confidently.
He laid there for a while…until he remembered his letter of resignation in his bag.
He got up and pulled it out…reading it over again.
He felt a pang of regret; he was enjoying his new posting so far.
But he knew it couldn't last; he knew he couldn't stay.
David put his face in his hands…feeling a bit torn over his emotions.