Preparing The Ship

Posted on Tue May 19th, 2020 @ 1:57am by Commander Isabella dei`Silvisi & Lieutenant Melodia Rios

833 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Distant Shores
Location: USS Endeavour, Bridge

Isabella couldn't help but sigh as she exited the turbo-lift. The bridge was quiet, as was the normal setting first thing in the morning, but there was the undertone that had been present for the past several days. As was more often than not on a star-ship when there was nothing exciting going on, boredom set in the minds of the crew and people often could loose focus. The mind could also be distracted if a number of unusual changes happened in a short period of time, and unfortunately the Endeavour had suffered quite a few of those. Almost half of the senior officers had been replaced, were the replacement officers were en route, and the recent bar fight on the planet that had restricted shore leave for the immediate future had certainly fouled the mood of several of the crew. Fortunately, Isabella knew of a cure for some of the crew. She had already seen to the science staff, and now it was time for operations. As she walked along the back of the bridge, she focused on the woman who now stood at operations. "Lieutenant Rios, I have a project for you if you have the time," Isabella said.

"Of course, commander. What sort of project?" the newly-appointed chief replied.

"As soon as things calm down somewhat and the science team from the colonial science department assembles, the Endeavour will be heading to the nearby nebula for a scientific survey mission. I need quarters readied for the team members, the forward observational lounge prepared to be used as an observatory, and if possible I'd like to get help from operations in calibrating the sensors," Isabella said.

Melodia made a quick note of what the commander wanted, then nodded. "Not a problem. How many quarters do you need? Also, will science want holographic mapping in the observatory?"

Isabella hesitated for just a heartbeat or two before she tilted her head to the side thoughtfully. "Is that possible to set up?" she asked. "I must admit that would be extremely useful and perhaps might even help out a great deal. As for the quarters, I'm quite sure that we'll need all of our empty cabins; I'd like to prepare all of them just in case either way."

"I could set up holographic projectors that tap into the Astrometrics computer. It should work fine for holographic imaging." She tipped her head to one side. "All of them? Okay. I'll make sure they're ready."

"Thank you," Isabella said with a thankful nod. She paused for a very brief heartbeat before speaking again. "How well are you adjusting to your new position and settling in the role of chief of operations?"

"It's been fairly smooth," Mela replied. "I know the ship and the department, and it was already running well. It's just a matter of adjusting to being the boss instead of the second."

"Sometimes that alone can be overwhelming," Isabella said, nodding her understanding. Indeed, she had felt overwhelmed at times when she had first stepped up to take on the position of first officer, but she had eventually settled in to the position. "It may take some time before you fully adjust to the change, and of course you have to figure out how you want to run the department as well. It can become an enormous source of stress, but my advice to you is to try not to worry too much. The captain and I are both here to help you in anything you need."

Melodia nodded. "I appreciate that. Lieutenant Walker was good. I have no immediate plans to change the way he did things, but I know it will happen eventually. Hopefully by then they'll be used to me being the chief." She smiled. "I can have everything set up in a couple of hours so you can check it over and make sure it meets your expectations."

"I'm quite sure that any work that you and your team complete on the observatory, it will be an outstanding," Isabella said with a smile. Indeed, silently she had to agree that the young woman would be not only a welcomed addition to the Endeavour and the rest of the crew, but an outstanding replacement for the position of chief operations officer. "If you need any help from the science department, please don't hesitate to ask," she said.

"I won't," Mela assured her. The job should be easy enough, but if she hit a snag, she would definitely reach out. Having the lounge set up properly would not only help the science team with their work, it would reflect poorly on the commander if it wasn't. "I'll let you know when we're done so you can make sure we got everything you need."

"Thank you, Lieutenant Rios," Isabella said with a nod and a smile. "I look forward to seeing the observatory when it's complete."



Commander Isabella dei`Silvisi
Chief Science Officer
Executive Officer

&

Lieutenant Melodia Rios
Chief Operations Officer
USS Endeavour

 

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