The Knight and The Bishop

Posted on Tue Dec 18, 2018 @ 7:05pm by Lieutenant Nicole Anderson & Lieutenant JG Camille Lévesque PhD

1,943 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Plaga Navis
Location: Science Lab
Timeline: An hour after reuniting with the ship

It normally took strength of will for Camille Lévesque, PhD, to pry herself away from her precious science labs.

Her first meeting with the Captain was jarring and more confrontational than she was used to, but she was confident that she'd be in her new CO's good graces very soon. She just needed to work hard and prove her worth, even if that worth was as a science officer aboard a warship.

It occurred to her that there might be a reason she was given her first job as a department head on a ship with all of ten scientists. She was inexperienced, but this wasn't very high stakes either. Nevertheless, after being aboard the Victory for only a few hours, Camille planned to dive headfirst back into her science department, making a point to meet all nine of her team members, schedule meals with them, and tour every lab aboard the ship. Or that was the plan, at least. After being excused from the bridge, she started with a small biology lab on Deck 5. The room was empty. She put on a lab coat, took a seat at a microscope, took off her glasses, and began studying cell samples from plant life on new Delta Quadrant worlds visited by Victory in the past year. Completely oblivious to the various other obligations she had upon arriving at a new post.

Without a chime to announce her, Nicole walked in through the opening doors to the lab, black bag in hand and a scowl on her face. "I go away for HALF a day and everything falls out of balance," she grumbled. "The Captain's in need of regeneration and de-modification, my office is piled with paperwork, and our new science head decides to bury herself in her lab rather than come in for her initial exam. It must be Thursday; never could get the hang of Thursdays." She sighed and put her bag down on a countertop and snapped it open, pulling out a small torch and holding it up to the woman's chin. "Say 'ah', Lieutenant."

"Ayoye!" Camille began to say as the brusque woman pushed the light into her face, though she couldn't get the entire interjection out. She wasn't sure if she was startled or terrified by what was happening, but she pieced together that she was supposed to go to sickbay the day before. "Pardon, docteure," she said once able. "I guess I got caught up in my work and missed visiting your staff. Please don't be mad." Objectively, Camille knew the doctor wasn't much bigger or taller than her, but she nevertheless felt quite small before the aggressive physician.

"Mad? Me? Never," she said, her British lilt making her words even drier than her tone. She snapped her torch off, having gotten enough of a glimpse as the girl jabbered on and put it in her bag, pulling out a tricorder and flipping it open. Her brow furrowed. "I know that accent. Montreal?"

“Oui, madame,” she replied. “Or just outside it. My father insisted we keep the language and culture. The accent comes with it.” The doctor not quite so close in her face anymore, Camille sat straighter and put her glasses back on. “It occurs to me that we’ll be working quite close, you and I. I’m a life scientist. My dissertation was in xenobiology. And our departments are usually, close, non?” She realized that she was rambling and started blushing.

"Do all Terrans talk like that?" Nicole said, scanning her slowly. "On Rigel we can always tell a Terran by their speed."

"Non," replied Camille, her head dropping. "Just the nervous wrecks." She took a deep breath and looked back up at the doctor. "Found anything interesting?"

"Well, you aren't dying," Nicole said, grabbing the other chair in the room and straddling it. "And you aren't diseased, so what's to be nervous about?"

"I don't like confrontations," Camille answered. "When the going gets tough I can handle myself, but I prefer not to get on people's bad sides to start. And this is my first posting away from home. I asked for it, but it's still all new. And I don't think I impressed the Captain earlier."

"It takes a lot to impress her," Nicole said, smirking. "Same with me. I had to trick her into swallowing a diagnostic probe to get her attention. But if you do your job and nothing explodes, you'll be on her good side just fine."

"Thank you," said Camille. "And it's always good to be assured I'm not dying!" She stood up and moved towards a replicator in the corner of the lab. "Can I offer you something to drink? I'm thinking I want some tea. I know this is the biolab, but there's nothing infectious out of stasis right now. We can enjoy a tea."

"I could go for a spot of tea," Nicole said. "Some ruskal spice tea would be lovely, thank you."

"I've never had that," Camille mused. She turned to the replicator. "Two cups of ruskal spice tea. And two maple cookies." Two cups of tea, on saucers, each with a small light brown cookie on the edge of the plate materialized. She took a saucer in each hand and brought them to where she was sitting before, and passed one to the doctor. "A taste from my home," she said, by way of explaining the cookie. "Let's start again. I'm Camille Lévesque. Pleasure to meet you."

"Nicole Anderson, likewise," Nicole said, accepting the cup and cookie. "I'm sorry for the brusque start, it's been a bit of a trying day. Social niceties are not always my strong suit."

She took a sip and sat back. "Taste of home for me as well," she said. "Rigel V has over three dozen varieties of tea, but this one is one of the few I've taken a liking to."

Camille took a sip as well, her eyes, eyebrows, and mouth registering her enjoyment of this new drink. "I've never been to Rigel V. Papa didn't like leaving home. I didn't get to leave Earth until training missions in the Academy. I love home, but it's freeing to be out this far!" She took a bite of her cookie. "What's Rigel V like?"

"Ninety-nine-point-nine percent farmland and forests," Nicole said, taking a bite of her biscuit. "One decent-sized metropolis as the head of the planet where Starfleet Medical has an academy branch, the planet hospital is located, and most of the Starfleet types tend to hang out. Ancient Grace is still fairly "quaint" according to the Terrans I've met there, but I know they tend to think Earth is the cradle of civilization." She gave a wry smile. "Outside the city it's a variety of communal-living clans who work to farm, or make crafts, or such and keep their numbers in balance. It's a simple life, but it has its perks."

She took a long sip of tea. "I've been told about Montreal, but never been there. I understand they host the annual Temporal Displacement Society gathering on that large floating convention center of theirs. I've always been curious to visit it."

“I attended that once,” Camille said. “The TDS parties hard!” She giggled, remembering one of the most fun evenings she’d had that year. “Montreal was mostly spared the devastation of the mid-21st century. New buildings and old side by side, some back to the 17th century. Some of my favourites date from the mid-20th, from Canada’s centennial. And they kept a massive park in the middle of the island. We would rent snow shoes and walk around Mont Royals every winter.” She sighed at the pleasant memory of home, and took a final sip of her tea. “Have you been aboard long?”

"Months," Nicole said, sighing a bit. "Although sometimes it feels longer. However, Providence has provided me with an exemplary staff and loving, if sometimes asinine and/or annoying friends. My numbers may not always be in balance, but they are still relatively strong."

"Well, I hope that you'll count me among your friends," said Camille with a sweet smile. "If you don't mind me asking, is there anything fun to do on this ship while off duty? I've not had the chance to explore yet. I know this is a combat ship, but surely there's some night life. What do you do for fun here?"

*Piss off the XO,* Nicole thought, and smiled. "Well there isn't too much," Nicole said. "We have a couple of holodecks, so we don't go stir crazy, there's Cass' Garden when you feel the need for some greenery, and a few of us have a girl's night every once in a blue moon. Cards, food and drink, discussing matters of great import amongst us, et cetera."

"Thanks," said Camille. "I'll have to explore the holodecks some time. I still need to meet the Counselor, perhaps she'll see me in her gardens. And if you'll have me, I'd love a girls' night." She started giggling. "When I was on Jupiter Station, my last assignment, the ladies of the Science Department would requisition a shuttle and spend the weekend club hopping around the Sol System. We'd spend a good 18 hours following midnight around Earth. Drinks and dancing. More than once needing to be picked up the next morning from a new friend's bedroom." She sighed. "Good times."

Nicole choked slightly on her tea and barked out a laugh. "Cheers," she said. "Reminds me of a party or two I've been to. My former CO got so inebriated one time, two engineers from Jupiter Station used her as a limbo pole. We've yet to let her live it down."

"I think I heard about that!" laughed Camille. "Even on big stations, gossip spreads fast. Well, you and I will just need to exchange more stories over the next weeks and months. Meanwhile, I still need to meet most of the senior staff." She set her empty dishes on a nearby console and stood. "Well, Nicole, I'm sorry I didn't come and find you earlier when you got back from your mission, but I'm glad you came to find me now."

"Likewise," Nicole said, standing as well. "And thank you for the tea, it's much appreciated. And good luck with Cassandra."

“Thank you,” said Camille. “Any advice for talking with her? My experience with Counselors have been either very good or very bad.”

"Yes. Whatever you do, don't look her directly in the eye. She thinks it's a challenge to her authority on board. And anything she says, just say 'I'll take that under advisement, thank you, your Excellence.'" It's part of the salutation of where she's from, so she appreciates the respect we show."

Camille squinted at her new friend the CMO. Her Federation Standard was imperfect, but that didn’t sound right. Was this legitimately good advice? Or was she being hazed in a good-natured way?

“And what’s the appropriate salutation on Rigel V?”

"May your numbers be in balance," Nicole said, smiling.

“Well then, May your numbers be in balance. Et bonne journée.” Camille extended her hand for a handshake.

"And may yours as well," Nicole said, taking her hand and shaking it. "Pleasure meeting you," she said, then headed for the door.

As the doctor left, Camille happened to get a glance of Nicole’s figure, and caught herself staring at the doctor’s rear as she left. “Câlisse,” she said to herself, before moving the dishes back to the replicator and resuming her work.

 

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