When Crates Go Missing

Posted on Wed Jun 22nd, 2022 @ 12:38pm by Samanthia Akiashiro & Chief Petty Officer James Calmara

Mission: A Day in the Life
Location: Starbase / Cargo Section

"Everyone gets to go planet side, while I track down some cargo!" A five foot, one inch, black haired woman mutters entering the vast cargo section where incoming freight is stored once it off loaded and passed through customs checks. She flipped through invoices attached to a clipboard.

She looked up to see if anyone was moving about the area. "Hello?!" Hesitantly called out in a pleasant voice, a bit irritated at having to be here. She looked towards the offices of the cargo storage area. She moved to look through the stacked cargo to where the ships were off loaded to see if anyone was there dealing with any incoming cargo.

Coming out of one of the offices, having queried and gained a satisfactory answer, a human male paused and adjusted a notation on his own padd, the sound of cargo doors opening had him looking up, tucking the personal device under an arm he watched for a moment. Breaking off at the 'hello' that came from the other side of the space. Leaving his spot, James Calmara went in search of whoever was trying to attract attention. Rounding tall stack, he came upon the person. "Hi, you looking for someone?"

Megan gave the man in uniform a quick glance over, as she brought the clipboard with invoices on it to read. "Yes. I am." She looked down at what was on the clipboard. "I'm looking for cargo with these tracking numbers, 36278AB356C," Then flipped over the to the next invoice, "987D421Y, 333RT3477D." Looking up at James as she let the invoice settle back into their proper place on the clipboard. "Have they cleared Customs? If they have, why weren't they delivered?" Her dark almond shaped eyes bore into James as she waited.

The request and then the stare, he was familiar with both, but this woman seemed to be particularly good at the latter. Pulling his device up to his eye line, he punched in sections of the tracking numbers, first half of the first, middle half of the second, and so on the system had a certain amount of auto-complete, which made locating items straight forward enough. "Crate ending 421Y is being checked over still, they came in as three, so there's a hold on the other two." James informed matter of factly, letting that sit for a moment before offering. "Do you want another estimated completion time?"

Megans eyes lost some of the hardness with a slight quick scrunching of her smooth face. "The two that has a hold on them. What's the reason behind that?" Breaking the stare to look around the vast room with stacks of cargo waiting to be delivered as if she could spot the two crates in holding.

“They’re part of the same shipment as the crate being checked, I believe the intention is to release all three once checks are complete.” He responded after a quick check of the scheduling, movement updates. “It’ll save on the back and forth for your people and ours, the wait may be frustrating, but it should be better over all.” James added hopefully, having to inform persons of a delay in any of the shipping process was always a tricky proposition, thankfully he had plenty of practice.

Megan nodded thoughtfully, as she pivoted away to look through stacks of cargo. Quickly glanced through the rest of the invoices on her clipboard to see if there was any more cargo that needed to be addressed while she was there. "Sound management of time and personnel." She muttered softly, giving him a quick glance. "You're the only one on shift right now?" Having not heard nor seen other cargo handlers as most cargo receiving would be filled with noises of others and cargo being handled.

"At the moment. The next shifts are coming on shortly, I'm just around for queries and to make sure the transitions are nice and smooth, that crates in customs get picked up, for instance." James came back with, her comments making him aware of the lack of activity at that moment, but truth was aside for the crates in customs and on hold the next incoming ship was twenty minutes out from docking. "You sound like you've spent enough time around the docking area." He commented, hoping to sound friendly at least and have an interaction beyond, 'where my stuff, here you are'.

"More times than I'd appreciate." Megan nodded acknowledging James as she turned her attention back to him. "I feel I should set up my office here." Giving a smile that was quick as she hugged the clipboard to her torso. "The way I'm always chasing down stray cargo for 'The Dive', Warp 12 Lounge up on the promenade levels and other business interest of Akiashiro's that we have contracted out."

“I imagine keeping Warp 12 supplied is a constant job, heard a it come up in conversation enough, although for it to seem like a spot to visit, I’ve not made it there myself yet, but sometimes soon.” He said with a smile, there was a pulse of a notification on his data device. “Hey what do you know that crate has cleared customs ready to be moved, where do you want it?”

Megan looked at her invoices again. "Have them delivered. Two of them go to Warp-12. Third one, send it to Deck 1403." Megan looked up at James. "It is a place to visit. One of the few places that imports fresh food products from all over. Live entertainment provided by the residents of the station. Decor and furnishing is provided by holodeck technology. So, it changes at the whims of Samanthia or by popular demand from those that patronage the place. That includes the live entertainment." She smiled a bit again. "Here I go again giving free advertisement."


James have a small chuckle at the end of the little promotion, one that came across honest rather than rehearsed. “ Got to help the family business when you can, right, I’ll see the three container get to the right spots for you, can I ask your name?.” The distinct sound of voices could be heard from adjacent sections along with the clunk and hum of start-ups, the other shift had arrived and getting to work. “I’ll go and see about it now, and no doubt I’ll run into you at some point soon.” James offer taking a step away.

"Megan Akiashiro," Megan responded with a nod as she left the cargo handling area. She paused to give him another glance over and then those that arriving as she took off for office on Deck 1403.

End

Megan Akiashiro (NPC of Samanthia Akishiro)
&
Chief Petty Officer James Calmara