New Job, New Ship, New Start

Posted on Tue Sep 21st, 2010 @ 3:04pm by Lieutenant JG Jason Fisher & Captain Elsie Halliwell

1,521 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Structured Shoreleave - Marchwiel
Location: Captain's Ready Room.
Timeline: Three Days Ago...

ON:

Jason Fisher moved through the corridors of the USS Ranger. Life had been a blur in the last four weeks.

He stepped out on to the bridge and looked around. A few engineers were working on various stations, but, aside form that the command centre was very quiet. He liked the design of the Intrepid-class bridges and felt a tinge of excitement as he contemplated his new role. He moved across and slotted himself in behind what would be his new station, and looked over the controls before him.

"Excuse me, sir. Can I help you at all?"

A young non-commissioned engineer had appeared next to him. "Sorry." Fisher replied, moving out of the engineer's way. "I'm Jason Fisher, the new Chief of Security."

"Petty Officer Lynch." the female non-com responded. "Is there anything I can do to customise your station for you, sir?"

"Um, no. Not at the moment, thank you." Fisher replied, remembering why he had come to the bridge in the first place. "Where is Captain Halliwell?"

"In her ready room, sir." Lynch responded.

Fisher nodded his acknowledgement, stepped out from behind the station and walked round to the ready room door. He took a deep breath as his stomach turned a little at the prospect of meeting his new commanding officer. Eventually, he reached out and pressed the chime.

“Come in,� Halliwell called out, returning from her replicator with a hot, steaming cup of acrid coffee and looking up to see Fisher enter as stepped through the parting doors. “Ah, Lieutenant Fisher!� she greeted, turning back around to the replicator. “Coffee?� she asked.

"Please." Fisher replied simply, standing to attention a few paces inside the ready room door.

Sitting down in her chair, she offered him the vacant stool across from her and smiled, placing down her china cup and moving it to the side with a swiping motion across the surface of her desk. “I have been meaning to welcome you officially, Lieutenant. Welcome to the Ranger.�

"Thank you, sir," said Fisher as he moved forward to take the seat offered to him by the captain, "It's a pleasure to be aboard."

Even though Elsie was genuinely pleased to have Fisher on the Ranger’s manifest, there was a slight twinge of regret that Rose was no longer in charge of her personal and professional safety. But, always guarded, the captain did not betray her vulnerable mindset. Fisher’s was a remarkable story, and Elsie knew only what had been officially reported: that the man before her was clinically dead for a matter of time and yet here he was, alive and back in service for the Federation.

“Good,� she replied, interlacing her hands on the desk. “Now, is there anything that you need now that you’re aboard? To make you more comfortable, maybe? The transition from Intelligence to Sec/Tac shouldn’t be too much of a hardship, but I’m more concerned with your physical ‘condition’.� She smiled warmly to lighten the atmosphere she had just created.

"No, thank you." Fisher responded, his face emotionless. "In terms of my physical condition, I would say I'm pretty sprightly for a corpse." No sooner were the words out of his mouth than he wished he could take them back. He looked in horror at the Captain's face, trying to get a quick read on how she would respond to the inappropriate comment. "What I meant to say, Captain," he rushed out, "Is that I'm physically fine." He took a deep breath and tried his best to recover the situation. "At the moment, my artificial organs are working perfectly and, as such, I've never felt healthier."

“That being said,� Halliwell replied, ignoring his wistful comment but all the same, being reminded of it, “I would like you to undergo weekly physicals with Lieutenant Marstin, our Chief Medical officer. You may never have felt better, but I’d like to know that you haven’t been. Plus, it would assist her in becoming more familiar with your… somewhat unique physiology. As Chief Tactical officer, you’re put in harm’s way more than most, I need to know that should something happen, she is equipped to deal with it.�

Halliwell had considered that since his resurrection, Jason would have had about enough prodding and probing from Starfleet doctors, but this was something that she wasn’t going to let by. She needed all her crew to be in top shape, especially the ones at the top of the hierarchical chain. She looked at him rather coolly, and just to make the situation crystal clear added, “This isn’t a request.�

"I understand, sir." Fisher responded, a certain formality returning to his voice. He breathed an almost inaudible sigh of relief, grateful that the captain had chosen not to pursue his faux pas, although he was certain that she would have picked up on it. He decided that perhaps the best course of action would be to change the subject. "Do we have new orders yet, Captain?" he enquired before taking a sip from the delicate coffee cup he had been clutching.

“Deep Space Four, she said without a beat. “Routine supply run to the station. Nothing exciting,� she added, changing her tone somewhat and wryly smiling to him, arching her right eyebrow, “so you mightn’t have an extremely exciting run, but, as captain, that’s how I like it. In fact,� she continued, reaching for her own brew and resting back against the chair with her full weight, “it might be time to train the crew regarding inner-security.� She fell silent for a moment, took in a draught of coffee and turned ever so slightly grave. “You have some big shoes to fill.�

Despite hers and Rose’s tempestuous relationship, and the fact that Elsie was severely injured on her watched when they first entered the nebula, she did unashamedly trust Rose’s professional capabilities. And, if she was honest with herself, she had the same expectations, and hopes, that Fisher would not only match but supersede his predecessor.

"Hmm." Fisher nodded, "From what I understand the previous chief of security is still aboard in a training position." He said thinking back over his research. "Is that correct?" It was an unnecessary question, but somehow it seemed to be a polite one. It also invited the captain to make further comment on the situation, which, since he hadn't met the training officer yet, would allow him to get a head start in terms of getting to know her.

“Yes, that’s correct,� she replied, almost too quickly. “Command have seen it fit to install the division aboard the Ranger and both they and myself agree that no one is better suited to the position.�

If Fisher was, for lack of a better word, fishing for information about Rose, her temperament, or their interlocking relationship, he was asking the wrong officer. “I’m sure, should you need any assistance in the transition over to the position, she would oblige.�

"Thank you, Captain." Fisher replied professionally, making a mental note of Halliwell's unwillingness to divulge any more information about the Training Officer than was absolutely necessary. Perhaps she was simply being professional, or perhaps there was another reason. Either way it was of interest and, of course, he was sure he would find out in due time. Again, he decided that a change of subject may be the best way to go. "When are we scheduled to depart, sir?" He enquired nonchalantly.

“Momentarily,� she answered with a flourish. “Lieutenant Zhukov is warming the engines as we speak. She looked on him again, a steely squint pulling in the edges of her eyes. “I’ll allow you to get back to your station, Lieutenant.� Her posture was now stiff and unmoved. “If you need anything…� She trailed off, not finishing the sentence but betraying the meaning perfectly.

"Thank you, sir." Fisher responded formally, a small smile adorning the corners of his mouth. He stood, understanding that the captain had made it clear that the conversation was at an end. Inclining his head slightly he turned and made his way out of the ready room, back on to the bridge, thinking as he went that, while in the main the meeting had been very positive, a slight chill had descended over the captain's demeanour towards the end. He disliked the feeling that the conversation had stirred up. A feeling that he was being regarded with suspicion. He had expected it as an intelligence officer, but he had hoped not to be in the same position once he had transferred. Of course, there was always the possibility that suspicion of everyone and everything was so drummed into him that he simply couldn't help himself. But there was also a distinct possibility...

...that the captain just didn't trust him.

OFF:

Captain Elsie Halliwell
Commanding Officer
USS Ranger

&

Lieutenant (j.g.) Jason Fisher
Chief of Security / Senior Tactical Officer
USS Ranger

 

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