Assigned

Posted on Mon Aug 29th, 2011 @ 4:05pm by Captain Alexander Gunning & Lieutenant Mignon Melia
Edited on on Thu Dec 22nd, 2011 @ 9:34am

Mission: The Pak'Leth Problem
Location: Counselling Suites - Starbase 332
Timeline: MD01 - 1023hrs

[ON]

Gunning's footsteps seemed to pound ever louder upon the increasingly plush floor carpeting as he approached the Counselling Suites. Usually, he would have waited for new members of his senior staff to get settled and report to him before speaking to them. However, the new counselor was a different matter altogether. The Starbase had gone too long without a head counselor for its crew and he wanted to make sure she knew exactly what was needed of her.

He reached the central hub with its small reception area, from which spidering arms went off, leading to different suites and offices. A quick check on the reception computer told him where he'd find the newly promoted Lieutenant Mejia. He set off down one of the creeping arms in search of her.

Mignon Mejia, dressed in a deep blue jumpsuit, was putting the finishing touches on a large fish tank adorning part of the back wall of her office.

She had yet to place the front section of transparent aluminum, so she was taking advantage of the opportunity to work on the inside of the tank. She was currently twisted at an awkward angle to make sure the oxygen tube was properly fastened. True, she could get someone from Operations to help, but she disliked calling for help for things she was perfectly capable of doing herself -- even though she occasionally failed the first time.

When she heard footsteps she called out, "Come in, the door's open," without looking up to see who it was.

Alex stepped through the door, quite taken-aback at the woman's ability to hear. When he entered the office he saw a woman up to her shoulders in a fish tank, something which he hadn't quite expected. "Lieutenant Mejia?"

"Mignon," she corrected. "Just a sec. I think I've got this in right..." She turned on a valve and listened to the sound of air flowing through the tube. She quickly felt for holes to be sure she'd sealed it properly, then nodded, satisfied.

She grabbed a stabilizing bar near the ceiling and pulled herself out of the fish tank. With a quick kip she swung herself over the tank and landed gracefully on the ground.

She looked up to see who'd entered her office and blushed. This was not the impression she wanted to make on her new CO. "Uh, sir. Hi," she fumbled. Well, nothing to be done about it now, so she grinned brightly.

Gunning glanced down at the PADD he was carrying and then back at the woman who was continuing to smile at him. "Oh, yeah. Mignon. Right. Sorry about that, I'm still on the lookout for a decent yeoman." He said with a shrug. "It's good to meet you. Commodore Alexander Gunning."

"Nice to meet you, Commodore. I'm afraid I don't have any yeomen around here. I could offer you a councilor's aide, but I don't think it'll do."

"Oh, I'm quite sure you'll need their services Lieutenant." Gunning said, realising the enormity of the task that was facing her. "I just thought I'd come down and welcome you aboard before your onslaught of appointments begins."

"I appreciate that, sir. Do you get to be my first patient?" she asked cheekily.

"I wouldn't have thought so," Gunning answered meekly. His own psych evaluation would need to be put back until he was in a position to emerge from the cocoon of paperwork he was currently trapped in as a frazzled, panic-stricken moth. "I doubt I'll get the opportunity to leave my office again any time soon."

"You know, I DO make house calls," she countered. "Part of my job as counselor is to act as your advisor, if needed. I can help you feel less frazzled." She didn't want to say it, but she was picking up on his emotions and she wanted to help him relax.

Gunning placed a hand on the back of his neck. "I'll be fine, Lieutenant. I've got my first officer away on rest and recuperation on Pacifica and I'm handling the extra paperwork. Nothing I shouldn't be able to handle. Still, sometimes you dream that running a station will be all about wandering around the Promenade window shopping. Harsh realities, I suppose."

"Yes. Reality is seldom as carefree as we imagine it to be. But there should still be time for the occasional window shopping."

"Well, I suppose so." the Commodore replied, making a note to step up the search for a yeoman, "so how are you settling in?"

She looked over at the fish tank. "I'm getting there. I've got more cosmetic work to do in here and in the counseling center as a whole to make the place friendlier. I'll deal with my quarters later." She cocked her head to the side and thought for a moment. "How about a tour of the starbase instead of an official counseling session? It would give me a chance to get to know my new boss and you wouldn't have to sit on my couch and tell me about your mother."

Gunning glanced down at the chronometer on his PADD. "I reckon I could just about manage that."

"Excellent," she said, putting away her tools. "Let's go."

To Be Continued...

[OFF]

Commodore Alex Gunning
Commanding Officer

Lieutenant Mignon Mejia
Chief Counselor