Lost Part I
Posted on Wed May 24th, 2023 @ 5:01pm by Lieutenant Vura & Ensign Connor Turner
Edited on on Wed May 31st, 2023 @ 8:41pm
6,452 words; about a 32 minute read
Mission:
Episode 14 - The Poseidon Adventure
Location: Various USS Pioneer & Poseidon Station
Timeline: MD007 1100 hrs
Connor Turner was a brilliant computer specialist. Some he might even be an artificial intelligence himself, the way that he interacted with them, talking to them, and trying to soothe them. However, as good as Connor was with machines, people were completely foreign to him.
His nose stuck in a PADD, the lanky brunette was trying to find his way from Poseidon station to report to the Pioneer. He had not found it yet and had not thought to ask a computer for directions. Even if the station computer had given it to him, he feared that the directions would be meaningless. Find a window. Find a window and you can see where the docks are.
Not watching where he was going, he bumped into a woman. She seemed to have both Cardassian and Bajoran features. His mind tried to calculate the probability of this and he found himself just staring. Words finally formed. "Um, I...I...I'm, um, looking for, um, the Pioneer.... Um, can you help me, um, find it?"
Paisley had stepped out of the auxiliary Engineering room to head off to lunch. The Carjoran still had to work in between her bouts of fun. She, too, had her black-haired head bent over a PADD, sending a message to Diari about what she'd finished so far-twenty tickets in a single morning was some kind of record but they ran like a well-oiled machine-her boss took little nonsense and Paisley didn't GIVE nonsense. All of them worked hard, quickly, and cohesively.
"Ow," she muttered, looking up, her bright blue eyes full of fire. She was about to give him a piece of her mind. "The Pioneer?! Yeah, we're docked in Docking Bay Three. But you likely won't find anyone there. We're here on R&R, and last I heard, Captain Malbrooke was out with some of the people on the Base, at a party for the Fleet Marines. Is there a person in particular you're looking for?" She asked.
Connor stared at Paisley like a deer in the headlights. He rationalized that he did not see this woman because she was at least a half a foot smaller than he. However, to his horror, he now discovered that she too was going to be on the Pioneer. His mind started whirring. Why in the world did he agree to transfer to a Starship? Was it to show Holly that he could change? That he could be "adventurous"? He did not know. It was a rare flight of fancy for him and he had not heard from Holly in at least a year. He would have to check his calendar to properly give the exact days, hours, and minutes.
His thoughts whirred in his brain when he remembered that there still was a woman talking to him. His gaze had never lost its focus on Paisley but was fixated on her. She was pretty in a harsh sort of way but for Holly's sake, if not his own, he immediately averted his gaze to the floor. "Um, uh, person.... Um, I'm one of the new computer specialists in Engineering.... So, um, yeah, if you could direct me to, um," he scrolled through his PADD before saying, "Lieutenant Diari...."
"Elen also isn't here," she laughed. "But I am the Assistant Chief Engineer. Ensign Paisley P'Rar. Can I help you? I was about to head to lunch, but it can wait a bit." Elen was gonna have an absolute field day with this guy. She might as well have a bit of fun, too. "What's your name? That's probably a good place to start. You DO have a name, right?"
A small squeak of surprise and horror barely escaped from Connor. He snapped to attention and dropped his PADD in doing so. "Sorry, um, ma'am. I did not know. Um, ensigns can be Assistant Chiefs?" He swallowed hard and purposely looked above her head. "I'm sorry, ma'am. Um, yes, um, I have a name, I'm Ensign Connor Turner, reporting for duty. Computer specialist."
"Ok, Ensign Connor Turner. Come with me," she said, turning around into the Auxiliary Engineering Office. She settled in at the table they used as a desk-they weren't formal, and it made it more fun. The testosterone was going to be a fun but sad change. No more bitching about idiot men. "Ok, so. Diari will be back on duty tomorrow; it's just myself during Alpha shift and Thex during Beta. We have one more ticket on the ship herself to answer; fixing the console in the Counselor's office-it's basic maintenance time. We're also assisting the Poseidon folks in updating their entire Engineering system; that's where Thex comes in-she's their Chief Engineer. Ingratiate yourself to her, and it will be smooth sailing. Annoy her, and...well. Don't do that." She said. "Looks like we'll be assigned to updating the Turbolift system on Habitation Deck Theta after lunch. You have any plans? I'll introduce you to the Lounge, if not. I prefer not to use the Replicator in here-Prophets only know when it was last cleaned." She made a face. "That'll be my last job before we set sail again if it kills me. Are you ready?" She asked. "Lt. Povis will be glad to see. He's been assigned to help me out this week; he's Ops. Good at that, but not so great at decoupling wires and such." She sighed. He'd mostly been a tool-holder.
Connor had stumbled when Paisley told him to follow her. He scrambled just to pick up his PADD and thanked his lucky stars that he was significantly taller than Paisley so he could follow her onto the ship. Why is she not saying anything while leading me? Did I offend her? Nonetheless, he finally arrived in Engineering with her. He tried to follow everything that Paisley was telling him but found she talked too fast. What he did catch was that everyone seemed to be female. He turned pale and felt as if he was going to faint. "Um, so, um, plans? Me? Um, no. So, um, yes, I guess, um, I could be um, introduced." Do I really have a choice? Oh, God help me! Where's the nearest escape pod?
Paisley raised an eyebrow but shrugged. "Ok, then. As I said, I am off for lunch because I've been here since 0700. You're welcome to come along. Or I can leave you here, and come collect you later. Got a preference?" She asked. With that, she stood up, and moved for the door. She purposely shook her butt a little, just to mess with him a tiny bit, but then turned serious again. "Come on!!"
Come on? Come on what?! Is she asking me to do something sexual? No, that can't be. Not in engineering! Um, now go with her or set up and let her come and get me? God! I need to meet the computers. They'll want to know me. Yes, talk to the computers and work with them. But, is there a dress code? "Um," he said haltingly, with too many thoughts in his head. "So, um, should I get in uniform to be here, or is it OK to stay like this?" He gestured towards his jeans and button-down shirt. "And, um, is there a dress code for, um, this thing.... The introductions...."
Paisley snorted. "Yeah. Use the general replicator. I'll step outside. But to answer your question, sometimes, yes, Ensigns can be assistant department heads. I have a lot of experience with Engineering before joining the Fleet via the Exchange program. Excuse me, I'll see you in a moment," she said, stepping into the hallway to give him privacy to change. He was cute, in a way that one might think her friend's brother is. Nerdy, that was it. She was a nerd but not like that. She thought a moment; Thex was around, she'd start there. After lunch. Her stomach rumbled. She still had a few tickets to answer so skipping a meal wasn't an option if she was going to be on her game.
Connor waited for a good half a minute after Paisley left to be assured that he was alone. He then told the computer, "Computer, please replicate an engineering uniform for me, Ensign Connor Turner. Also, if you would kindly make the collar a bit looser. I really do not like the feeling of being choked. That would be greatly appreciated."
Nearly instantly, the computer provided what Connor asked. He then told the computer, "Thank you very much. I really appreciate that. Now, if you could just lock the area while I am changing and only allow it to open if there's an emergency, that would be great."
The computer responded, "Acknowledged."
Connor quickly changed out of his clothing and into the engineering uniform with the ensign pip. "Thank you, Computer. That was perfect. Release the lock, please, and let Ensign F'rar know that I am ready for her, please."
A moment later, the door opened. "You look like an Engineer now. You can leave your clothes here and get them at the end of your shift. Let's go, I am starving, and if you learn nothing else, learn this now-leaving starving women too long is a really fast way to find yourself locked in the outer Nacelles without an EV suit," she said. "Ten-forward isn't far; that's the Station's lounge. Ours is called After 11, but it's closed today because I haven't fixed the refrigerator yet." She explained as she hurried quickly down the hallway. "I hope you're hungry; the special today is Bok-rat liver stew!" Her blue eyes twinkled. The Klingon dish was quite disgusting, and she was kidding, but Connor likely didn't know that.
An engineer fixing the refrigerator? Before he could stop himself, his mouth was moving before he could think, "Why did ops not handle the refrigerator?" After hearing the special, Connor turned more pale. He did not care for Klingon food. He was a proper Englishman. The less spice and the less exotic, the better. "I think I will pass on the special."
"Because Ops is a pain in the ass, and I'd rather do it myself and make sure it's done properly," she said. "I was kidding about the special. It's called a joke, Ensign. You should try it sometime," she remarked dryly. "Also, I don't ask questions like that of Elen, I just do what she asks and she leaves me alone, and vice-versa. No one cares what we do so long as tickets get answered and no one dies," she said. "At least while we're here. Joining during R&R is hard because you won't get a real feel for how we work, but at least you didn't join in the middle of an exercise, like I did. I showed up, and bam! Was in the middle of a strange planet, backing up an old shuttle like I was a pilot." She paused a moment, only to catch her breath. "This place has both replimats and a kitchen. I prefer the kitchen but do what you want," she said. She headed for the bar/counter and placed her order for Sem'hal stew and a lemonade. She found her way to a table and waited for Connor to join her.
Connor politely, or more accurately, nervously listened to the waterfall of language that was Paisley. How was he supposed to know what her joke was? They just met. He knew nothing here. He was happily working on a station before coming out here. Already, he was starting to regret it. He gulped hard and ordered himself some fish and chips and a synthohol ale. Upon getting them, he headed over to where Paisley was and sat down silently. He looked hard at his meal, hoping that he could hide his discomfort.
"You ok? You look like someone just told you your dog died," she said. "Look, sorry. We tend to be a little...uh...hard on newbies, but it's in good fun. Trust me, I am the least of your problems," she said. "Where'd you come from? Starbase guys are lame, they all have such big staffs that most of the time, they just sit around. Us Fleetys have to work. Constantly. It's ALWAYS something. You ask a girl out for 9 pm on Friday for drinks in the lounge? Guarantee, a panel will blow. You're on duty at 0800? Jefferies tube will come uncoupled. And you have to fix it, because there's FOUR of us. If we take fire? Pffft. Hope you do well on no sleep." She said. "It's dirty, it's greasy, and it's hard work. We don't have time to coddle new people." She shrugged, but ate some soup. "Goddamn it, did they replicate this today?" Gross. Too much salt. "Fish and chips is a brave choice. We're crawling through the refrigeration system after this, I hope you don't get gassy from fried foods," she made a face.
Connor lifted his face in horror when Paisley said that Starbase guys are lame. "Right! I will have you know that I worked at Utopia Planitia before coming here. We are not lame!" His eyes widened as he realized that he had just talked back to a superior officer. "And maybe if you were nicer to the computers, they would do what you want more often," he asserted. "I'm a computer specialist. I never have these sorts of problems. Are you hatcheting the systems?" All the conversation regarding his meal was long lost on him.
Paisley blinked once. "I'm sorry. Yelling at the computers? No, I meant...did the hostess replicate the stew today. Are you...are you ok? Do you need to go to medical? Maybe I should call the Counselor." She sipped her lemonade. "Planitia Utopia, huh? Who'd you piss off?" She thought people only went there when there was some kind of personality problem they had or if they knocked up an admiral's daughter or something. "I am doing NOTHING to the system. Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't know how. I barely know how my PADD works," she said. "I fix INTERNAL things. You can have the systems. Please." If she were the one to have to do computer-related fixes, the whole base would be running on 20th Century binary code. Not a good thing.
"I'm perfectly fine. And I pissed nobody off! I wanted to be at Utopia Planitia. It is a perfectly wonderful place to be for those of us who are trying to better the universe! And yes, I will take the systems. The poor things.... You have to treat them better if you want things to work." He actually looked up at the ceilings as he told Paisley this information.
She made a face. She realized what was happening. He was FLIRTING. Oh, she better let him know she was half Bajoran and that arguing wasn't a good way to flirt, just annoy her.
"Um. I am half Bajoran, you know...flirting with me via aggression isn't...um...all it does is further annoy me. The Bajoran tempers that with, you know, rational thinking and regular courtship rituals."
Connor was now at a loss for words. "You...you...you think I'm...I'm...." He turned red and blew out air. "I have a girlfriend, you know! You're really off your rocker! Are you sure that you're the ACEO? Maybe I should alert the doctor."
" I am off my rocker?! You're the one baiting a Cardassian into an argument. What else was I supposed to think?!" She spluttered. She picked up her PADD, which she'd set down on the table. "Crew manifest, see? There. Assistant Chief Engineer, Ensign Paisley P'Rar." She stubbed a leather-like finger at the screen. "I think I have more experience than you," she said, stabbing at some meat with her fork savagely. She took a deep inhale.
"YOU have a girlfriend? Your hand doesn't count, you know," she said. She looked around the room, and flushed purple. They were attracting attention. "Anyway. Better eat because after this, YOU can climb through Jefferies tubes, Mr. I was at Planitia. Which, by the way, is where people go when they're fuck-ups, like my friend Elly," Paisley said. For someone *not* flirting, he was sure intent on arguing.
"You're not a Cardassian," Connor pointed out. "You just said that you're half Bajoran! Can't you keep your bloody story straight?" His blood boiled but outwardly, only a tinge of pink could be seen rising up his neck. His voice elevated only slightly.
"Only the best go to Planitia. Maybe you're the bloody moron for coming here. Maybe I am now, too, arguing with a stupid git." He then pointed two fingers at her sternly. "And my girlfriend's name is Holly Moore. You can bloody well look her up, if you don't believe me. Probably more than you could do."
"Yes, but my dominant half is Cardassian. My mother was in a labor camp run by my father's regiment, if you must know, and didn't have a lot of say in the marriage." She set her cup down with force. "Good thing you have a girlfriend. No one else around here will tolerate you," she said, quietly. She'd said more than she intended. She stood up, dumping her things to be recycled. "If you're not back in the Engineering office in ten minutes, don't bother. I'll have you reassigned back to Utopia. Since you think you know so much, you can handle the refrigeration system. I'll take the counselor's console. Ten minutes." She said, leaving the room. "I AM the Assistant department head, and I recommend you not be late," she called out over her shoulder. The time alone to the Auxiliary office would be enough for her to calm down. She should've had a synthale or something at lunch.
"It is an ops job!" Connor insisted before burying his head looking at the fish and chips and his sythahol ale. "Whatever you say, ma'am," he replied with a dejected voice and upset undertone. He did not give half a wit as to Paisley's parentage but he certainly was wishing that he stayed on Utopia Planitia. He did this for Holly.... Going out into the stars. But who knew where she was. It had been over a year since they last talked. They had not broken up, so they were still in a relationship, right? That's how it worked, right? Someone had to end it? He shook his head, realizing only one thing. People, especially women, were odd creatures and that computers were much easier to relate to.
Back in the office, Paisley pulled her breakfast out of her bag. She'd ended up eating donuts that Thex had brought in, and finished her eggs. She was still hungry, but she had had to leave before she'd thrown her lemonade at this Connor person. Men were idiots. It was why she preferred to date women. Still, she didn't usually respond this viscerally to anyone. So why now? She didn't know. She shoveled half a leftover donut in her mouth, too, for good measure, and washed it down with lukewarm coffee. Gross. She checked the chronometer. Five minutes. He better show up. She didn't CARE if it was an Ops job. Ops never did anything right, and she had to go back and fix it anyway. She put her head on the table for a minute, inhaling the scent of the treated wood. What was it, anyway? Oak of some kind, and polyurethane. It was comforting, in an odd way, reminded her of Jamie. Her mentor had been an engineer himself. She put her head up. That's what it was-he reminded her of Jamie, probably. Maybe she should apologize. Nah.
The moment that Paisley had left, he set his chronometer for nine minutes. He would arrive back in engineering, but he would arrive exactly in ten minutes. As an engineer, he was nothing, if not precise. She said ten minutes. He would be there in ten minutes. No more. No less. The fish and chips was adequate and satisfied his hunger. The synthahol ale was helpful to wash it down but it would have been better if it contained real alcohol. Of course, he could not let himself get drunk. That would be a right mess - losing control and he certainly was not about to do it for this miserable Cajoran.
Sure enough, exactly at ten minutes, Connor walked in front of Paisley and said, speaking over her, "Ten minutes, as ordered ma'am." He wondered when she was going to let him find his quarters and set up with the quartermaster. It felt like that the answer would be never with this one.
"Well, that's the first sensible thing you've done today," she said. "You will need to see the Quartermaster eventually, and get yourself sorted. I am sorry, it doesn't look like you'll meet Diari today, but you will meet sh'Zohari. She's Andorian, and runs our Ops department. Look, I know I bag on them a lot. OURS is fantastic. Poseidons? Not so much." Too many men for her tastes. "They need more estrogen," she said. "Now. You think you can control yourself? If we work together, we can complete these two tickets, and be done for the day. If not, we'll be here until five." She said. "I know you think that Ops needs to do the refrigerator but I prefer to do it because I do it right the FIRST time," she said. "And the computer in the Counselor's office will be right up your alley. So will she, I am sure," she said. She tapped her console. ==/\==Lt. Vura, I am heading over shortly to answer your ticket. Ops is busy today, and we got a newbie to train anyway. If you're in a session, I'll get Dr. O'Rourke to let me in!==/\== She stood up. "Let's go. After we're done, I'll turn you over to whomever is supposed to sort you out. Did they say if it was us or Poseidon? If it's Poseidon, I think Letsul handles all of that." She said.
Connor said nothing. He did not need training. He knew his way around a computer. It was clear to him that this woman not only was crazy but was a female chauvinist. He did not realize that Starfleet let such people with those attitudes onto starships.
Vura answered in her melodic voice, =^= I have time for you and your trainee. Thank you for coming. I look forward to your visit. =^=
Connor listened to the Counselor's voice and wondered if anyone on this ship was male besides him and apparently people in Ops. He followed Paisley off to counseling, purposely avoiding looking at anything that would define her as female.
"Hi, Vura. This is Ensign Connor Turner. He'll be joining us ladies in Engineering. He's some kind of computer whiz. Let him take a look. I will be around to monitor, but he assures me he knows what he's doing." She looked to Connor. "Good luck, kid," she said.
The Counselor's office had changed since the last time that Paisley had visited it. Now, it was completed with all of Vura's changes. At the entrance to her office, she placed some blooming lavender plants, that gave off a pleasant soothing smell. On a wall, over a couch, she had put up a copy of Katsushika Hokusai's "The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife" above a periwinkle couch that swooped up and then down in the middle and then back up again. The couch had definite sensual innuendos written all over the convenient shaping.
The walls of her office were of a deep rose with hints of purple hues. From there, she opted only for a small desk, so the desk would not set a barrier between her and her clients. It was a semi-circle and she placed it carefully in such a way where she could swivel on a chair and quickly type something on a computer or PADD and not interfere with her relationship with her client. The color of the desk nearly blended into the wall but was more mauve on closer inspection.
Warm wooded mahogany chairs were available in case her clients did not prefer to be on the couch. There was a small glass circle table between the chairs. The table contained a small zen sand garden and rake for clients to manipulate.
Connor, on the other hand, saw the Deltan. His eyes grew wide and he immediately averted his attention. "Um, uh, you're having a problem maintaining the environmental integrity of the office, is that it?" He gulped hard and found the computer console, said nothing more aloud, pulled out his tools and got to work.
She turned back to the Counselor. "You can stay and watch if you want, but it's pretty boring stuff. Also, you should request to see this one. He's gonna need it." She watched as he got to work. He really DID know his way around a console and she felt better leaving him alone, though not with the Deltan, just yet. Human males were gross and operated solely with their hormones, and she didn't want to do that much paperwork today. "This was preferable to the refrigerator system, right, Turner?"
Connor was not paying attention to Paisley. He was in his own universe, busily working on the console. Every once in a while, he apologized to something he touched that he deemed to be sensitive.
Vura watched Connor in amazement and looked at Paisley. "He's intriguing, isn't he? He works on that computer console with all the love that an ordinary person would show a lover. And, he's purposely avoiding me. That's not something that happens every day either," she told Paisley with an amused voice. "What is your concern that you think he should see me, Paisley?"
"He's an asshole," she said, frankly. "I mean. You know I am no picnic myself, but I am not PURPOSELY antagonistic. Chauvinistic. And a liar," she said, still not convinced about this "secret girlfriend Holly" he had. It sounded like something from a Human holovideo program-the teenaged kid with a "secret Canadian penpal" that his pals couldn't meet on purpose. "Plus, after Diari gets through with him, he'll be shell shocked, poor thing," she murmured. She'd had her own "initiation" too, and while she was fine because it was a bunch of women doing goofy stuff, she wasn't so sure he had the same mettle she did. You had to be a bit turned off internally because they were a group of women who could be loud, sassy, a bit crude, and no-nonsense. It was how they all meshed. She loved it. Most others would think they were dysfunctional and hated each other-quite the opposite was true. "Besides, it'll be funny to hear about," she said. Her eyes hadn't left him, watching him work.
"I am not an arsehole," Connor replied as he shut the panel. "And I definitely do not lie!" he defended. He then looked at Vura and immediately found his feet much more interesting. "You can check it if you want, I just had to encourage a circuit back into place and reroute across a buffer. It was nothing to difficult."
Vura looked at Connor and then at Paisley. He seems harmless, so why is Paisley so upset? She asked Connor, "Is there a reason that you cannot look me in the eye? Might that be why she thinks you are lying?"
He shook his head furiously. "She doesn't believe I have a girlfriend and she's been mean to me ever since I got on the ship." His voice sounded like a puppy dog who had been spanked. "I can't look at you because you're too pretty, and um, well, if I did, I doubt I could talk."
Vura looked back to Paisley and gave her a critical look. "Are you having a difficult day, Paisley?"
"My day is FINE. I wasn't the one trying to flirt with someone who is HALF CARDASSIAN and telling me what my job is and isn't!" She was, by now, fully exasperated. "HE was the one who started off aggressively, and I just responded in kind. If he wants to be treated nicely, he needs to extend the same courtesy. Especially to a senior officer," she pointed out, though she was only senior to him in position. She put a hand on her hip, about to say something snotty. She didn't want Vura to think less of her, though, so instead she simply tossed her head, and sighed. "I didn't say he was lying. He assumed that on his own. And we all know what happens when you assume things!" It was true-she hadn't actually SAID he was a liar, she just hadn't disabused him of the idea. She looked at him, challenging him to sass back again. Maybe she was going a bit TOO hard on him. Maybe there was some other thing going on. She didn't know. And if she did, she wouldn't allow herself to think about it.
Connor turned to Paisley and stared her straight in the eye. "Look, you gormless wazzock, I have never flirted with you! I swear that you are the most thick person that I've ever met. I don't even know why you would think that I would flirt with you! I bumped into you, you kindly showed me onto the ship and you've been a tosser ever since!" Connor replied exasperated.
"Oh, my," replied Vura laughing at the scene in front of her. "This is interesting, isn't it? Should I bring you both in for couples counseling?"
Connor turned and stared over at Vura, his mouth agape. A squeaked, "Whaaat?" escaped his lips before his eyes hit his feet again.
Paisley turned her ire to the Counselor. "Lieutenant, I would appreciate you testing your console, and not your luck," she said. "And why am I the one at fault? Do you do anything but look at your PADD and antagonize people? Really, it's quite enough that I showed you the ship! And you SHOULD be happy to flirt with me, look at me. Then look at YOU! I am no Deltan but I am hardly UGLY," she said. "Besides, even if you DID flirt with me, you're not exactly my type. You're too...too...ugh!" She didn't have the words to express it. She wanted to hit something, and she wanted to cry and laugh at the same time, but all of those seemed like the wrong thing to do. "And hurry, please, Vura, we still have a refrigerator to fix! I will NOT be without my cream in the morning, or may the Prophets bless us all!"
"Antagonize people?" Connor asked incredulously, still staring at his feet. "Most people forget I exist! You're not playing with a full deck! And I never said you were ugly! I said I had a girlfriend! Honestly! Do you not listen?"
"Hurry?" Vura cooed. "Whatever should I hurry for? I think that this is particularly interesting." She slowly strolled towards the console and came within a hair's breath of Connor, but purposely avoided touching him.
As Vura neared Connor, Connor felt as if he was going to faint. Was everyone crazy on this ship? Deltans should know not to touch anyone and they had that Oath! What was she doing passing so close by.
Vura got to the console and lazily said, "Hm. Now how did I want this thing to work again?"
"You're antagonizing me right now," she said, stamping her foot. "Listen, man up and help her turn on her console, or I will, and I can't stop myself from pressing all the buttons like a child," she said, pushing past him. "If I, as a bisexual woman, can do my job fine without being tempted by Lt. Vura here, then so can you!" She was practically yelling. Why were men so dumb? "Look, here, she doesn't bite," she said, standing VERY close to Vura. Her hand hovered close to the button to wake the console, and it was his ballgame now. "You expressed that you needed it to record non-session conversations for future reference, according to your ticket." Her blue eyes hadn't left Connor's body. Vura knew that Paisley was the one lying now, if her memory was any good-she'd mentioned once at their dinner that she didn't fancy overly muscled men and, indeed, preferred the nerdy, needy types. Oh, Prophets, what was happening?!
Vura stifled a laugh before it could come out. From her point of view, Connor was clueless as to any interest that Paisley had in him and despite his best efforts to push her away, he was actually pushing Paisley towards him. Vura made a mental note to have a girl to girl chat with Paisley again at some point.
Connor dodged Paisley as she pushed by him. How in the world am I antagonizing her? She really does not listen! How am I going to work with her? Why did I come out here again? I can't very well put in a transfer just after getting here, can I?
"So, Paisley, did our young Mr. Turner perform to your satisfaction?" Vura was smirking in her direction, while she went through her tests.
Paisley shrugged. "You tell me, Counselor. Is it working to your satisfaction?" She asked, but this time her tone was less antagonistic. She watched Vura mess around with the Console. "I think he did fine; I hate computers so anyone is better at than me," she admitted. She really WAS terrible at it.
Connor's mouth dropped when he heard that Paisley hated computers. How could anyone hate computers?! They ran everything! He was definitely going to have to chat with the computers and soothe their feelings.
Vura hit a button and played the entire conversation back for Connor and Paisley. "I think Mr. Turner performed admirably." Paisley could recognize some mischief in the Counselor's voice.
Paisley shot Vura a LOOK. "I am glad he performed to your satisfaction," she said. "I'll let Elen know you are satisfied with his work." She would do that, mostly because she didn't want any more console assignments. This walking testosterone bank could handle ALL of them, as far as she was concerned.
"We will leave you alone now. Is Dr O'Rourke in, do you know? Thought Turner here might prefer to do his onboarding medical instead of doing a simple Ops job," she said. Probably because he COULDN'T, most likely!!
"Hermia?" Vura asked lazily, hoping to keep these two around longer for her amusement and also to see if some resolution to their difficulties was possible. "I really cannot say but my, oh, my, Paisley, you really seem to be taking charge of Mr. Turner." She snickered lightly, having purposely inserted more innuendo that she was pretty sure that Paisley would not miss but Mr. Turner would.
Paisley's blue eyes flashed. "Yeah, I don't know another!" What was she playing at? "Someone needs to. You and I both know men need their mothers until they are fifty, and even then-" She sighed deeply.
Connor opened up his mouth and then shut it, finally realizing that he was not going to get anywhere with Paisley by explaining to her that he has no need for his mother to do anything for him.
She led them both to anteroom. "Please mark the ticket as done on your end, and I will on ours. You know where I am if you need anything else," she said. "Come along, Ensign. We have a refrigeration system to fix if you're not going to see the Doc," she said.
Vura laughed, completely amused with Paisley and to a lesser extent, Mr. Turner. "I think Mr. Turner learned something today, but what that is, I cannot say."
Connor avoided looking at Vura and Paisley, simply saying in a defeated tone, "Yes ma'am. Doctor and then refrigeration system."
She turned to look at him. "Nothing sassy left to say? She really DID do a number on you, didn't she?" Her laughter turned to a tinkling, melodic sound. "Vura, I think you broke him," she hollered down the hallway as she led him further into the Medical unit's hallway. "I don't even know if O'Rourke is on duty today and I don't know who Poseidon's CMO is; I avoid medical if I can," she said.
Vura interceded on Connor's behalf, "Oh, I don't think I did anything to Mr. Turner." She made a musing humming sound before continuing, "And you don't avoid medical all that much. May I remind you how early you came to me."
Connor kept his eyes on the ground and waited for Paisley but could not help but absorb the information he just received. Ah, so she IS crazy.
Vura interceded on Connor's behalf, "Oh, I don't think I did anything to Mr. Turner." She made a musing humming sound before continuing, "And you don't avoid medical all that much. May I remind you how early you came to me."
Connor kept his eyes on the ground and waited for Paisley but could not help but absorb the information he just received. Ah, so she IS crazy.
Paisley smiled. "Only because I had to see a Deltan in the flesh for myself. Fun day, wasn't it?" she said, her voice dripping with innuendo for Connor's benefit. "And dinner later!" She winked at Turner. "Maybe, if you're nice from here on out, she'd take you, too." She shot a look to the Counselor.
Connor's eyes remained widened. Did she not understand that he had a girlfriend?! What was she doing?!
"You DID break him, he's being nice!" She laughed but stopped and knocked at the office for the CMO. "Dr. O'Rourke? Ens. P'rar. Engineering. One of my guys needs his onboarding and we just finished in the Counseling office. You got a moment?"
Vura called out to Hermia, "Have fun with those two! I promise that it won't be dull."
A Joint Post By
Ensign Paisley F'rar
Damage Control Specialist, USS Pioneer
Lieutenant Vura
Chief Counselor, USS Pioneer
Ensign Connor Turner
Computer Systems Specialist, USS Pioneer
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