Chance Encounters

Posted on Fri Jan 20th, 2023 @ 12:45pm by Chief Petty Officer Meredith Corden & Ensign Tobias "Toby" Dienstag

0 words; about a 1 minute read

Mission: Mission 1: A Fool’s Errand
Location: Mess Hall
Timeline: M1 MD07 (2268.22.05) 1200

Meredith had a stack of paperwork in front of her even as she absentmindedly ate a roll from the plate next to her. She hadn't really planned to work while she was here but she had been carrying the papers and she had started to fret over it. She was a little behind. She didn't want to displease the captain. She frowned as she went back. How had she missed that? She leaned forward over the table, her legs crossed at booted ankles. She didn't even notice someone else coming in.

"Good morning," came the cheery baritone voice of Ensign Dienstag. The young man, who always had the same doe eyed expression on his face sat down across from Meredith, "You look like you could use some help," he said as he set his tray down.

"Good morning," Meredith said as she looked up, "Sir." The ensign looked extremely young but an NCO got used to having fresh-faced ensigns as superiors. "I was just catching up on my work. How are you?"

Toby gave an embarrassing smile at being addressed as sir. Being an Ensign he was at the bottom of the top of the heap. "Looks like your work is catching up on you," Toby responded, "You're the Captain's yeoman right? I've seen you on the bridge before but there's always so many admin officers."

"Yes, sir. I am," she answered readily enough. "I've seen you too. It's Ensign Dienstag, right?" She tilted her head. Not sure she got that right.

The young man nodded, "Toby," he added, "I'm one of the junior science officers... First assignment."

"Toby," she repeats. "It's nice to meet you, Toby." She smiled warmly. "How do you find it so far?"

"It's a nice ship, and everyone is rather friendly even with the emergency situation," Toby responded, "It helped having a few friends also being assigned to the ship, classmates even. Although being on the away team this morning was... exhilarating." He smiled.

"Oh?" Meredith asked. "What happened?" She took another bite of her food and pushed the papers away, giving him her attention for the moment.

"Well the ship was attacked, as we knew, but we've been reviewing the logs and it would appear a group of Orion pirates attacked the ship," Toby responded, "Attacked with some sort of EMP pulse. Regardless they took the crew and the colonists..." He started to speak quicker as he got more excited.

"As slaves?" Meredith leaned forward and there was real horror in her voice. She knew about the Orions or thought she knew something and it made her shutter a little to think about that happening to those poor people over there.

Toby cleared his throat, "Yes as slaves," he confirmed, "The Captain is determined to get them back. A engineering crew is going to take the Detroit back to Starbsse 10."

"I'm sure we'll get them back," she said properly, but she was clearly troubled by this development. "I..." She shook her head. "The Captain will get them back."

Toby nodded, "Well that was a depressing subject," he commented, "Sorry."

Meredith shrugged slightly and then smiled again. "But it was exciting to go on your first away mission, Toby?"

The young man smiled, "Yes it was," he responded, "And now Commander Heartfilia are going to figure out how the Orions managed to disable the ship and the hopefully prevent it happening to us," he responded, "It's a lot of computer work, but I enjoy it."

"Hopefully," she agreed. "I'm sure you'll figure it out." She smiled more warmly at him. "You're good with computers?"

"Yes, that's my job," Toby responded, "My parents wanted me to be a chef like them... Trained me to be one too for all good that did." He laughed.

"So you're a good cook?" she asked and then laughed slightly. "I'm sorry. I'm not trying to ask all the questions."

"I think so at least and so do my friends," Toby responded with a laugh, "And that's fine, usually when you meet someone new it's always twenty questions. How about you talk about yourself, why did you join Starfleet?"

"The food!" she joked. Then she shook her head. "I had a good childhood. I have nothing to complain about. But it was a little quiet. Not much challenge or adventure. I wanted to get out here. I wanted to explore, to see the stars, to push myself. How about you?"

"Similar I guess, spent too much time working in the restaurant, never got to go anywhere," Toby responded, "They still run it down in Baltimore, Maryland. Besides I was too into the sciences, although cooking is a science too... Probably the bridge there if I think about it."

"You're from Baltimore?" she asked, slightly excitedly. "I'm from Stevensville. It's actually very close. Annapolis was where we went when we went into town but I did spend a lot of time in Baltimore."

"Yes I am, well that's quite a coincidence," Toby responded, "I was born in Austria but my parents moved to Baltimore when I was young to start the restaurant."

"Where in Austria?" she asked him. "I've been a few times." Moving around on Earth was not much trouble in the 23rd century.

"Vienna," Toby responded, "I've been back a few times, but Baltimore is definitely home."

"Vienna has such a sense of history," Meredith noted. "You can feel the weight of millennia there."

"Absolutely and so much art and culture," Toby responded, "The Staatsoper is my favorite spot in the whole city... It's a magical place."

"You enjoy opera?" she asked. "Baltimore also has a rather nice opera house, though not quite so old. Only a few centuries."

"Yes I do. There's been a few opera companies in Baltimore," Toby commented, "Took a long time for one to stay in existence. Of course it's an acquired taste."

"I enjoy it," she remarked. "What other music do you like?"

"Heh well classical, jazz, Latin," Toby responded, "I play the piano half way decent. I think I sound worse than I do apparently."

"That I would like to hear!" she exclaimed. There must be one on board somewhere!

"I have a little roll up keyboard," Toby said, "That's usually what I'm stuck playing. My parents have a grand piano in the parlor of the house."

"Well, I would like to hear it," she reiterated.

"Maybe some other time," Toby countered, "I don't exactly carry the thing around with me." He chuckled.

"I didn't mean right now," she said, taking another bite of her lunch.

"Oh, sorry," Toby responded, missing the social cue, "Ah... So what do you do for fun? Besides paperwork?"

"I play the guitar," she told him. "I read. I like to hike, though you can't really do that in the ship."

"Oh wonderful," Toby responded, "And you sort of can... Either you walk the corridors or test out that new holographic rec room. I still haven't tried it yet, it's always booked."

"Holographic rec room?" she asked. "How believable can that be, really?"

"It's an experimental design just incorporated into the latest model of Constitutions," Toby explained, "It has its limits though. You don't want to walk too fast otherwise you'll hit the bulkhead. I had to make some adjustments to some of its programming before we left dock. Sometimes the door would disappear and not reappear. Big issue if you ask me."

"Hit the door?" she says, taking a moment to work this out. "Doesn't really sound like any holograms I've ever worked with before."

"No, the exit would disappear," Toby responded trying to explain it better, "But then it wouldn't reappear despite hitting the button. It's pretty rudimentary but it is the most advanced system attempted on a starship."

"It doesn't sound rudimentary at all," Meredith said. "Not if it makes the door disappear."

"True, it's just the result is rather basic, what I mean," Toby clarified, "It looks real...ish but you can tell it's fake. Still pretty amazing though."

"I would like to see it," Meredith decided. "And hear you play." She had a little checklist going.

Toby chuckled, "Alright then," he said, "I guess I have a reason to stop by and say hello again."

"I guess so," she said smiling.

"Well, I better leave you to it and I have another meeting to get going to," Toby said as he stood up, "It was a pleasure to chatting."

"You too," she said. "See you later."

 

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