Arrival of the Amphea

Posted on Thu Oct 27th, 2022 @ 3:37pm by Captain Taiga Aisaka & Lieutenant JG Nezuko

934 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Sand Sea Fun and Surf
Location: Captain's Quarters

The young Amphea officer materialized in shimmering light in the USS Tokyo's Transporter Room Two, luggage at her side, eyes wide in horror and concern. Was she late? Was she coming aboard an empty ship with no one to talk to, no one to show her around, or worse, no one to tell her how to get to the approved Risa transports?

Or even worse still...did she miss the Captain?

She raced off the pad and approached the transporter chief. She tried to pass the chief her PADD but she fumbled with it, dropping it to the floor.

She sighed, looked up to the chief, and held the four fingers of her left hand to her right collar, sharp fingernails standing out, resembling (she hoped) rank pips.

The transporter chief smiled and chuckled. "You're looking for the Captain? It's okay, Lieutenant, she's still here." He typed on his console. "Computer says she's in her quarters."

That made sense. It was 2030 hours. Late enough that even the most dedicated Captain was probably not in their Ready Room, but early enough that they probably weren't asleep.

She gave the chief a thankful nod, picked up her PADD, and rushed out...

...before sticking her head back through the open door, to eye the chief again.

"Deck two, Lieutenant."

---

Taiga was in her quarters laid down on the couch after dinner. She was looking forward to some time off, especially on Risa where she could get away from being 'The Captain' all the damn time.

"Ryuuji. Do you have to really be doing that?" she asked with a slightly annoyed tone. She watched as the man went from here to there around their quarters with a cloth. "The engineers will clean you know!"

"Yeah I know. But I feel much better doing it myself..." Ryuuji replied.

Taiga sighed as she relaxed into the cushions. She still had no idea what Ryuuji was such a clean-freak. Although considering she was the total opposite, it did work well for them.

"Whatever..." she muttered.

Outside the door, a junior Lieutenant took a deep breath and touched the doorbell.

Upon hearing the doorbell, Ryuuji opened the door. "Ah, another to see Taiga I see. She's right over there..." he said indicating to where Taiga was lounging on the couch.

Nezuko nodded and stepped inside, handed her PADD to her Captain, and politely bowed at the waist, the way she'd read that humans from Captain Aisaka's culture did.

[Good evening, Captain,] the PADD displayed. [Lieutenant junior grade Nezuko, the new Chief Operations Officer, reporting in.]

Taiga seemed a little confused at first. It wasn't often an officer reported in this late unless it was a last minute thing, or their transport was delayed. However she did know about the new Chief Operations Officer being an Amphea, and the fact that they were a mute species.

She shuffled so she was sitting up a bit, and she had also noticed the bow. She could respect that, someone showing respect for her own culture. "Well, its a little late Lieutenant. But I gather you wanted to report in before we all ship out tomorrow?" Taiga asked.

Nezuko nodded excitedly. She opened the top pocket of her luggage, which stood at her side, and displayed an isolinear chip that was labeled with the symbol of the transport ship soon to leave for Risa. Her boarding pass.

She gently took the PADD back, typed, and held it for Taiga to read. [I've never been to Risa. I don't think any Amphea has. Thank you for arranging this for us!]

Taiga nodded. "Yes, I haven't been before either. Its meant to be the best place for a vacation." she replied. "I gather that the Quartermaster has made appropriate arrangements for your quarters here on ship?"

Nezuko hadn't spoken to the Quartermaster yet, being in a rush to report in.

She held her right index and middle finger to her chest and pointed them forward (not directly at Taiga), and then moved them in an arc to the right, ending ten centimeters in the same plane.

"Well, make sure you get that sorted..." Taiga replied. "I can see that you're excited to start, I presume you'll be staying on ship? Or will you be joining the crew on Risa?"

Nezuko's lips curled up and were slightly visible behind the respirator. She passed the isolinear chip in her hand to Taiga, the one which was emblazoned with the livery of the transport ship that was leaving the next day. On it was all the coding that would give her a berth on that ship.

"I see..." Taiga replied. "Well then Lieutenant, get settled in before the transport leaves. I would suggest you take a look around the ship, but she's kind of beat up right now"

Nezuko nodded. She had a map of the ship on her PADD, and had studied it before coming aboard (though her attention had been more directed at the transport at the time, so it wasn’t fully memorized).

She pointed to the door with her thumb, in essence asking to be dismissed formally.

Taiga nodded. "Sure. Go do what you need to, by all means dismissed"

With a quick nod, Nezuko collected her things and left the Captain's quarters, eager to meet the Quartermaster and find her own place to live while she served aboard the Tokyo. Even if she and others were about to leave.

Posting by

Captain Taiga Aisaka
Commanding Officer

Lieutenant Commander Ryuuji Takasu
Flight Deck Crew Chief

Lieutenant JG Nezuko
Chief Operations Officer

 

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