You did WHAT?!

Posted on Sun Sep 27th, 2015 @ 4:33pm by Ensign Corrine Steiner & Enlisted Cadet Jasmine [P: Steiner]
Edited on on Sun Sep 27th, 2015 @ 5:56pm

Mission: Blooming Friendships
Location: Quarters, Starbase 332
Timeline: Evening time

[ON]

Part of the price of Shokirian symbiosis is being less able to keep secrets. Jasmine had been on Corrie Steiner's mind quite a bit more than normal. Her suspicion that all was not right came with the flood of repair requisitions that came as USS Wainwright limped back to spacedock. The limping part was also a clue.

Normally, cadets returned from advanced training cruises in wild, happy spirits. This crop drifted back in rather quietly. Jasmine had left messages upon her return, but it soon became obvious that the young lady was avoiding her. "Okay, enough is enough." Corrie instructed the computer to notify her the next time her symbiont boarded a turbo-lift. When that signal came, she used her COO command codes to redirect the lift. The door slid open to reveal a patient, sober Corrine Steiner standing there with arms folded. Staring at Jasmine, she slowly beckoned her with curling finger to come.

Jasmine braced herself and complied. Without a word, the two walked into Corrie's quarters. With her eyes, Corrie directed her guest to join her in the easy chairs. "A successful training mission?"

The Shokirian shrugged sheepishly and gave unsteady nods.

With a dull unbroken glare of doubt, Corrie sighed deeply and folded her arms.

In wistful confession, Jasmine's nod transition to shakes of the head.

"Ah, I thought so." Corrie curled her fingers in and spoke as she studied her own fingernails, "Was there... a problem?" She receive slight nods. Corrie remained sympathetic to cadets. "Failed to achieve goals?"

Jasmine stared up and away in thought. Eventually, she decided to shake her head.

"Ah, goals were achieved. Oookay. Did somebody make mistake in accomplishing said goals?"

She received a tense nod.

Corrie shifted more comfortably in her chair. Her tone was gentle, "I would ask what person or persons might have made those mistakes, but I take it that my suspicions are correct?"

Jasmine bit her lower lip and gave a pained nod.

Corrie nodded in acknowledgement and folded her hands. "Okay. This'll probably necessitate you speaking words here, but could you enlighten me as to what your mistake was?"

Jasmine cleared her throat, "I deliberately overloaded the entire automatics computer networking."

"You WHAT?! Umm... WHY?"

She gave a pleading look, "The training officers were conducting an emergency situation test, but they didn't tell us."

"Annnd?"

"Would you like the full account?"

Corrie decide and responded through her alarmed stare, "I'm fond of Reader's Digest Condensed Versions."

Jasmine was able to relax a little, "The trainers countered all of our repair efforts."

Corrie closed her eyes and slumped in a sigh, "It looked like a real cyber-attack." She received a nod. "And the only way to regain control of the ship was to force everything to be operated under manual overrides." Again, she received a nod.

The Shokirian expected to be chewed out, and worse, feel the flames of disappointment from her dear friend. She couldn't have been more surprised, however. Corrie snorted forward, eyes closing tight as she shook with laughter. Jasmine stared back with astonished disbelief, "But...!"

Corrie laughed so hard that she couldn't speak. Her face turned beet-red and she began to feel faint. At last, she she reached to grasp Jasmine's hand, "Our sweet, harmless little doe-eyed, passive Shokirian blasted a starship's systems and crippled the ship?" With a clap of hher hands, she fell back in her seat in hysterical laughter. At length, she managed to calm. She sat up and wiped the tears from her eyes. "That's gotta be some kind of Academy record first. I'll have to verify that Kirk never did anything like that as a cadet."

The bewildered Jasmine began breathing again.

"Oh, Jazz..." With compassion for her beloved friend, Corrie went to give an embrace, "I know the real reason that you did this."

"Oh?"

Again, Corrie snorted and teased, "If Fleet bars you from starship duty, that'll ensure that you stay my yeoman!"

That evoked a smile. Jasmine rested in the embrace, "I wouldn't be unhappy with that."

[OFF]

--------------------------------

Corrine Steiner
Jasmine [P: Steiner]

Starbase 332
Pegasus Fleet