A Bridge too Large

Posted on Wed Oct 23, 2019 @ 9:01am by Lieutenant Penelope Naroot & Commander Cullen Walker

1,096 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Nibiru

Walker walked into the flight deck. He was quiet as he walked, despite his size. The Lieutenant was twenty two minutes late for her check in. He walked up behind her, "Aloha ʻoe. Welina mai i kuʻu moku. Pau ʻoe i ka tuai. ʻAʻole mākou ma luna o mokopuni wa." Technically, what he said was borderline racist, but it was a stereotype based on sociological evidence.

Penny let out a squeal and jumped a mile, dropping her tool kit on his foot. She'd just finished inspecting a shuttle and whirled around. "E kala mai!" she said, batting her blue eyes in shock. "Who are--are you Commander Walker? Oh! Was I supposed to check in already? I didn't realize how long I'd been working! I just came from the bridge, and thought I'd tinker on the ranger a bit."

Walker had to translate what she said, "Stay Hawaiian. Oh you're apologizing. Sorry, my Hawaiian isn't very good. I learned enough to function while training in Kapu Kuialua. It was fun. Real fun." He grinned, "All departments are supposed to check in. They give a run down. I tell the Captain."

"Sorry, Sir," she said, straightening up. "Um...so reporting in: Helm is inspected and up to snuff. Shuttles are all here and look good, and the Ranger is fully repaired and operational. We're physically ready to fly so long as Commander Torres says the engines are good to propel."

Walker looked at her, "Torres has a list longer than his arm to make it through. His team will make it here before we deploy."

"Well I told him I'm available, but he said just stick to the stuff on my list and he'd get to the rest." She shrugged. "I've gotten almost all of my to-do list done, so I'll probably start messing around in Sickbay and help out Nic-Doctor Anderson."

Walker answered, "We are all doing the best we can. A lot of things go along with a new ship."

"Oh I know," she said, grinning. "I had to help launch a ship that had been rebuilt from scrap and there were, like, a million things to iron out, but now she flies like a dream. This ship's gorgeous in comparison, although the computer's a bit bland to talk to, but it'll get some personality once we're all using it." She bounced on her toes with excitement. "I just can't wait to take her out!"

She caught herself and reigned herself in. *Beep, beep, Penny!* she thought. "Sorry, Sir. Didn't mean to sound unprofessional. The Captain's usually reminding me when I'm overly exuberant."

Walker looked at her. "academically and practically speaking, my understanding is you are a great pilot and can fly almost anything immediately and if I give 10 minutes, you can fly everything." He assessed her reaction to what he had heard. "Here is what I need. I need a Helmsman who fly in an ion storm, near a black hole, with Mambo Number 5 playing, and me fighting four Klingons behind you."

Penny tilted her head in her 'thinking pose' and then looked at him. "Valkyrie fighter, shields at maximum, warp drive routed through the impulse engines for a boost, slingshot around the singularity at full impulse to achieve near-warp velocity, then cut around so the Klingon ships, with less maneuverability are delayed by the singularity's gravity well, and you can get off enough shots to disable their engines, and problem solved," she said, then grinned. "I also make an awesome tuna and salmon poke."

She looked at his ears and forehead, then tilted her head again. "Sorry to stare," she said after a moment. "I thought you were one of the Chalchaj 'Qmey, but then I remembered reading your service record. It must be interesting coming from such a unique and varied background."

Walker looked at her, "Genetically speaking, my mother is similar, but Vulcan instead of Romulan. My father is human, mostly.." He grinned, "Norse, Irish, and Saxon mix. I went to school on Vulcan. I would return to Earth to train in Martial Art, mostly Jujitsu.." He didn't go into details about the style of Jujitsu.

She smiled. "That's nice, being able to experience so much. Do you surf?"

Walker laughed. "I failed at Surfing. I fell off the board. I punched a Shark. Then I stabbed it and brought it to shore where I started a BBQ. The surfing instructor refused to take me out again. The shark was his family's house god."

Penny's smile dropped. "Oh," she said. "That's a shame. I, um...I love to surf." She finally knelt down and recovered her dropped tool kit and stood up, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "Well...sorry to have delayed you. I should probably get back to my work."

Walker motioned to the work, "As you were. Have a nice day." He prepared to leave her to her work.

Penny stepped back, eyeing him. She hadn't quite made a judgement on him yet, but she'd watch him carefully.

Walker looked at her, "Human element. Different cultures on Earth. I reacted in my primal instinct when I hit the water so quickly. Another predator like myself came. I treated it like a threat. It wasn't a threat until I reacted. I failed in my Iajitsu Training."

Penny mulled that over and nodded. "Okay," she said. "I guess instinct is something hard to overcome. I've taken some bad spills on a board myself, although never punched a shark for it. Kicked a boyfriend, once though, although that was an accident...sorry. Rambling." She cleared her throat. "Well, if you ever want a lesson on the holodeck, let me know."

Walker grinned, "A lesson on rambling, kicking boyfriends, or something else?"

Penny tilted her head again. "Well that depends. How well do you and your boyfriend get along?"

Walker looked at her, "Never had one. No interest in in either." He wasn't offended. In fact, he grinned afterwards.

Penny nodded. "We'll have to start with surfing then," she said.

He grinned, "After we get everything up to code before launch, I will want a list of everyone who is due for recert for shuttles and helm. If we can, I want us a month ahead of schedule."

Penny went through the roster in her head, as well as auxiliary crewmen who could or should be on her list and nodded. "I'll have it for you shortly." She smiled a bit more. "Thanks."

Walker wandered away and out the door.

 

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