I Need A Wizard Part I
Posted on Sat Jun 17th, 2023 @ 8:21am by Ensign Connor Turner & 1st Lieutenant Marjani Smith
Edited on on Tue Jun 20th, 2023 @ 8:34pm
0 words; about a 1 minute read
Mission:
Episode 14 - The Poseidon Adventure
Location: Shuttlebay - Deck 10 - USS Pioneer
Timeline: MD010 1500 hrs
1st Lieutenant Marjani Smith, had heard that the USS Pioneer was heading to SB 50 otherwise known as Poseidon Station, so she hitched a ride. She was one to go explore the various stations that were out there and also to see if there was work for her to do. This time she had been at Empok Nor but had a hankering to see more. She had met the Marine XO Captain Edmund Merrick who had suggested that she come with, especially since her Talon fighter needed a bit of a tune up computer wise and she wasn't as skilled in that aspect.
Now who was it he had recommended? Oh yes, an Ensign Connor Turner. Tapping on her commbadge she stated, "Ensign Turner, this is Lieutenant Smith, I was wondering if you'd be available to help me out with some computer work. I don't know where I could meet with you to discuss this face to face. Any suggestions?" her voice having that melodious slight southern accent to it.
Connor was happily working on the LCARs terminals in the computer access room. He was chasing down a computer error that occurred only when temperatures reached 32C, the lights were on, and the replicator was activated in one particular segment of engineering. It was a ticklish problem, but he was going to sort through it.
However, his bliss was interrupted by an unknown person on a commbadge. More concerning was that it was a woman. He tapped his commbadge and asked, =^= Um, who are you? =^= He paused before continuing, =^= Um, well, where are you, um, currently? =^=
"Well, I am currently near the turbolift, not knowing what level to meet you at. But I am on the level where the shuttle bay is at. However, I am being told I need to get my craft over to Poseidon Station for me to do some work on my fighter." Marjani replied. "Oh, and I did introduce myself. I just need someone who is good with computers and such. Would you be willing to do so?"
Connor brightened up at the sound of computers. =^= You're at Pioneer's shuttlebay? What's wrong with the computer? =^= His voice became more animated. =^= What did you do to it? =^= he accused.
A moment of silence then Marjani answered. "I've not done anything to the computer, I need some updates on the fighter. I can work on different sorts of repair work but I won't mess with the computer. I call on someone who knows more than what I can do. Look would you go with me to the Station and take a look at my fighter? I really would like that very much. I've also got to go pick up some parts there too." Marjani looked out to where her fighter was being moved to where it could be worked on the station. "Meet me at the turbo lift I want to make certain that my baby makes it in one piece."
Connor hesitated. Either this woman was taking good care of her fighter and its computers, or she wanted him to come down and correct everything she messed up. Either way, he had to admit that he was curious about the project. =^= All right. I'll come round straight way, =^= he told her, his British accent highlighted as he spoke. =^= How will I know you? =^= he asked curiously. Now if only I could talk to more women like this, it would be so much easier.
"I am a tall woman with dark skin, I'll be wearing my marine uniform." Marjani replied. "And thanks." His voice she was liking to hear. that British accent wanted to make her melt. behave yourself, Marjani. then she waited for him to arrive. She wondered what he would look like.
It did not take a lot of time for Connor to arrive. He was in his Starfleet Uniform. He was six feet tall and lanky. There was a nerdy look about the clean-cut man that was completed with his dark rimmed glasses. His nose barely looked up for a PADD as he looked at Marjani, opened his mouth, and then promptly buried himself in his PADD again. Hesitantly, in his British accent, he responded, "Um, Ensign, um, Connor, um, Turner, here for Lieutenant, um, Smith. Is that, um, you?"
"Yes, I am Lieutenant Smith but if you don't mind, would you call me Marjani, please?" She really wanted to hear Connor say her name. "And also, I would like to converse with you with some eye contact please. " Giving a soft warm smile, her voice also in a coaxing tone as well. "Anyway, let's get going." She didn't think him to be bad looking, and the glasses made him look sexy.
"Eye...eye contact?" He looked at her hesitantly and his eyes bulged and then promptly went back into his PADD. "I'm... I'm, um, Marj...Marjani," he started. "Um, that will be difficult. Computers.... Computers are easy." He followed along, like a lost puppy dog, knowing he should follow but being uncertain he was doing the right thing.
Ah a very shy computer specialist Marjani thought. "Okay I won't make you have eye contact with me all the time," she said softly, as they stepped into the turbolift which would take them to the disembarking area into the station. "You do have nice eyes though, Connor."
Upon the bridge into the station, Marjani paused for a moment to take in the scenery, it was breathtaking. "Say Connor what do you think of the view?" pointing towards the Planet Aquil.
I have nice eyes? I think Holly said that back when we were at the Academy. Could it be true? And am I being flirted with? But I have a girlfriend. Well, according to the Doctor and Counselor Zhara, I might not. What do I do? HELP! he screamed in his own head.
Obediently, he looked down at Aquil. He looked at Marjani quickly and then back at Aquil, "It looks watery," he replied simply. "Is it inhabited?" he asked, slightly curious. He had never paid attention to the planet before.
"It has a lot of water and yes, it is inhabited. Most of the dwellings are under water but there are buildings on the solid ground that they have for visitors. I have yet to go down and visit the planet, I wanted to take care of my ship first. I've put in a lot of hours in the care of my Talon fighter, and the Talon has gotten me through a lot of rough patches." Another look towards Aquil and then she proceeded further on towards the exit from the bridge.
“Who would want to live under water?” Connor wondered aloud. He continued to stare at Aquil. When Marjani left, it took him several minutes before he realized that she had left. He quickly recovered and followed her. If he thought that staring in Marjani’s eyes was difficult, watching her walk from behind became just as difficult. He picked up his pace and moved to her side. Without looking at her, he asked, “So, um, where is the ship and what, um, did you want done?”
"Well, it can be pretty for those who are born in that sort of civilization, plus with the world having a lot of water, it makes it easier to have a city under the sea. As for my ship." Marjani paused to take out her padd. "Oh good it is now at the shuttle bay repair area waiting for me and you, c'mon, let's get moving," Marjani linking her arm with his and moved at a fast bit of pace. She didn't want to leave him behind, as she was worried about that. "And I can show you easier when we get there."
When Marjani linked her arm with Connor, he stiffened and squeaked. Connor was too much of a gentleman to push her arm off of his but he could not admit that he was comfortable. "I," his voice squeaked in a higher pitch than normal, "I...have.... I have...." He swallowed the words that he had a girlfriend, feeling it would be rude to say anything more. He knew that he was way out of his element and at this point, he was just hoping to survive.
Marjani stopped abruptly when she heard him squeak out something. She realized then she was just dragging him along and that was a bit rude of her. She sighed and let go of his arm, walking over towards a bench and took a seat upon it, placing her arms over her knees and just buried her face in them, feeling rather mortified. A muffled. "I'm sorry." drifted through the air towards Connor.
Oh dear. What did I do? Is she crying? She's curled up in a bloody ball. What do I do? Think, Connor. Think! You can work with the most advanced computers in the universe. You should be able to figure out what to do here. He blinked several times and finally made a decision. He walked over to the bench, leaned over her, patted her shoulder lightly and said, "There there."
That gentle pat on her shoulder surprised Marjani, she slowly lifted her head, she wasn't crying but her face had darkened due to her blushing. "I am sorry Connor; I was so eager to get to my ship that I invaded your personal space. I can be a bit impetuous at times, well maybe more than just at times. Just well... I will understand if you don't want to help me out with my ship." leaning her back against the wall behind the bench. She closed her eyes once more rubbing her face giving out a groan of frustration at herself.
"Um, well, why would I not help you with your ship?" he asked Marjani in a way that would make someone wonder if someone had asked, "Why would I not want to breathe air?" He sat down on the bench, though not close to Marjani and continued, "Your computers need me. I'm here." He then gave a short snicker. "Well, I'm not here with your computers. They're there and I'm here, but I'll soon be there," he explained to Marjani, stumbling all over himself.
Her eyes opened once more, and Marjani turned her head to look at Connor. "Thank you, I appreciate you agreeing to still look at my ship. Also, I do apologize once more. You are handsome and I guess I lost my head as well, hearing you speak. Just the timbre of your voice is so lovely." giving a slight sigh. "Okay lets get back on our way and I won't drag you with me. Though it was nice, you felt nice."
"I would say that I speak like any other person from old Britain, but that is not true. There are so many different dialects." The hesitation in his responses seemed to have disappeared, at least for the moment. He then computed that she thought he was handsome and that he felt nice. How long had it been since he had been touched? Were Hermia and Zhara right? He shook his head. "Um, uh, you're, um, well, very pretty. But, um, I, uh, well, have a girlfriend...." After a longer hesitation he added, "I think."
Marjani's cheeks colored when Connor said she was pretty but felt crestfallen when he mentioned he had a girlfriend. "You have a girlfriend, you think? I am someone who if a person has a significant other, I act accordingly as in, no touching, that sort of thing. And including no hanky panky," giving a teasing smile but also there was a seriousness in her expression as well.
"That's fine. I don't cheat," he told Marjani seriously. "But I'm told, well, that we might be done by some others here. I don't know. I haven't heard one way or the other. It has been a year." He shrugged. "It has been suggested, well, that, um, maybe I should, well, look into it." He sighed. "Computers are easy. People are hard."
"People are in one aspect walking computers with a whole lot of glitches. And it takes a lot of observations to maybe figure them out? I am not any expert on people though, just someone who at times just shakes my head as to the foolishness that some people decide to do." By this time, she stood up and waited for Connor to rejoin the walk to the turbo lift to get where her fighter was waiting. "As for your girlfriend, maybe you could utilize your skills with the computer and track her down. Always best to find that out, as if maybe you may see her, you might find out she is probably married."
"Married?! So soon?" Connor asked, shocked, but following Marjani. "Why would she be married? Why would she not tell me that we were done?" He shook his head woefully. "It does not make sense. And if people are computers with glitches, how do you fix them?" he wondered aloud. "I mean, it isn't like you can go inside them and reroute subroutines and fix processors."
A Joint Post By
Ensign Connor Turner
Computer Systems Specialist, USS Pioneer
First Lieutenant Marjani Smith
Pilot
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