Set Up

Posted on 14 Jul 2016 @ 11:36pm by Ensign Kelly Khan & Lieutenant Commander Temerant Bast

688 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: Risky Business
Location: Operations
Timeline: MD 4 1400 Hours

Kelly sat at her desk studying warp dynamics and stellar navigation on two separate PADDS, a mug of hot chocolate near her and something playing in the background. Her wavy brunette hair kept threatening to cover her eyes every time she leaned forward to go over another paragraph. She still had another year in Academy and was expected to continue her studies while on her cadet cruise and she wasn't going to shirk her duties.

"Gah!" she muttered after another hour had gone by and she finished off the mug of now cold chocolate. "Kelly's Rule of Chocolate Number Seventeen: Even cold hot chocolate is still good. I need to have some fun now to achieve a balance and live in harmony with myself."

"I need something to get into," Kelly said to the air as she thought about what she wanted to do. A second later, a prank came to her mind and she grinned from ear to ear. "Khan, you are a genius! All I need is a PADD, a couple holo imagers and a few holo emitters!"

The hyper brunette cadet bounced on her toes and giggled, then left her room to begin her game of scavenger hunt. Her first stop was Operations and when she got there, she headed to where the Quartermaster's office was located and entered. "Hi," she said cheerfully. "Is this where I can make requisitions for holo imagers and holo emitters? I'm working on an Academy project and need four imagers and two emitters."

The Assistant Quartermaster, a burly Bolian with a bad disposition, looked up from his inventory list graced the young cadet with a sour look. Four holoimagers, and two emitters, was a request he didn't get often. There were holoemitters in a few selected locations - Sickbay, Engineering, the main Conference Lounge and the Bridge, in addition to the ones on the Holodeck, and in all his twenty years of experience, he could only remember one instance when he'd been asked to provide new ones. Not that the technology was restricted, but its installation could be complex, and the thing needed a bit of power. And they were somewhat short on that at the moment.

"What do you need those for?" he asked, his annoyance at the interruption clear in his tone.

"An Academy class project, like I said, Sir," Kelly said respectfully in deference to his current disposition. "I need to create a holographic live action scenario without a subject's knowledge in order for it to be as real as possible."

The Bolian frowned. "I don't have that many holoemitters to spare," he protested. "They have to be returned within 72 hours."

He slid a sign-out form on a data padd, and turned it toward her so she could place her thumbprint on it.

Kelly pressed her thumb to it and smiled up at him. "I'll have them back in less than twenty-four hours, Sir," she said. "Unharmed and in the condition you give them to me in."

"Don't try to project anything outside the ship," said a voice behind her. Temerant Bast walked up to the counter next to her. "Those things probably wouldn't work outside because of the nebula."

Kelly turned at the voice behind her and found herself staring that the Chief of Operations and new Second Officer. "Lieutenant Commander Bast," she said in formal acknowledgement. "I have no plans to do such. I'm well aware of the restrictions the nebula has placed on us, Sir."

"Good," replied Bast as the Bolian placed the young cadet's items in a duffel bag. He handed the Quartermaster a data padd. "These need to get to Cargo Bay Two as soon as possible." He nodded to the cadet, and walked away.

The Bolian took the data padd and set it aside while he closed the duffel bag, and slid it across the counter toward the cadet.

"Thank you, Sir," Kelly said with a bright smile as she took the duffel bag. "I'll have them back to you in no time." With that, she turned around and headed out with a gleam in her eyes that spoke volumes.

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