Checking out the lounge

Posted on Sun Oct 17th, 2021 @ 10:54am by Civilian Jessica Haugen & Ensign Min Zhao & Ensign Zachary Chandler & Lieutenant JG Jun Zhao
Edited on on Sun Oct 17th, 2021 @ 10:55am

Mission: The Silent Scream
Location: Lounge
Timeline: 9th April 2395

Zack had finished his first shift. Being on a class of ship he'd never been on before did make him feel a bit like the wet behind the ears Ensign he appeared to be. But there was more to the ship then her warp core and power relays. It was time to discover them.

He changed into a comfortably worn pair of jeans, a light blue tshirt, and an open button up darker blue shirt. Stepping into the lounge, he took a few extra steps so he wasn't blocking the entrance, then just looked around to get his bearings.

With the lounge somewhat quiet and no customers waiting to be served Jessica was people watching. By the window T'Miko; the ships resident Caitian was tucking into her favourite steak, Ensigns Raynada and Turell were in their usual seats no doubt waiting for their friends to arrive. A young Andorian stood staring out of the window as the stars streaked by, the rumour was this was only his second time in open space having spent his entire service on planetside assignments.

She looked over when the doors opened, a young man who looking a little out of place had entered. She didn't recognise him but figured he ws probably one of several new crew that had come aboard at starbase 54.

Zack didn't need a map to find the bar and headed that way. He smiled politely to the bartender. "Good Evening."

"Hello there." Jessica smiled back, "what can I get you?"

"Umm not sure. Do you have a specialty?" Zack asked.

"Oh I couldn't possibly serve you that, you'd be on the floor after half a glass." Jessica said laughing as she picked up a glass.

"Oh well you can't lay a gauntlet like that down and not anti up." Zack grinned. "But I'll take club sandwich please."

"Coming up." Jessica headed off to a food prep station still within earshot of the bar, glad she'd had the chance to restock her fresh food supply before leaving the base."

Having finished her run, Min came into the lounge. She already had several shifts in Ops under her belt, mostly familiarization on the Wolff's systems and protocols. After today's shift, a rather mudane one regarding energy transfer protocols on the waste reclamation system and holodecks, she'd gone for a run to clear her head. She'd re-read the protocol docs on her padd this evening, but for now she needed a quick break.

Stepping into the bar, dressed in what certainly wasn't regulation exercise wear, she went up to the bar. "Hey Jessica, Two pints of water and a glass of terran beer." As she waited, she noticed Zack waiting at the bar, eyeballing the young man, an interesting choice of outfit.

Zack felt like a cartoon character, picking his jaw up off the floor. The woman was way out of his league, but he wasn't going to be such a wuss as to not even say hi. "Hey." He smiled. "I'm Zack." Not the smoothest introduction, but at least he hadn't stuttered or drooled. He was out of practice after all.

Min scooted a little closer, offering her hand. "Min, Ensign Min Zhao. Just came aboard at SB54." She was flattered by the way he'd reacted when he saw her, she liked the attention from men at times, especially handsome ones like Zach.

Zack shook her hand. "Ensign Zachary Chandler." He gave a proper introduction. "So did I. What department are you in?" He asked.

Min smiled, "Good to meet you Zach." She paused, "I'm in Ops, not bridge duty, not yet at least."

"Well, I'm sure you'll get there." Zack commented to Min.

"Here we are, one club sandwhich." Jessica said as she returned, she glanced over at Zach's companion; another new face. "Would you like anything else?"

Zack smiled. "I believe the special was mentioned? I'm not afraid."

Jessica shook her head slightly. "Next time the lady upstairs lets me serve real alcohol come see me, she'd throw me off the ship otherwise."

Zack just smiled "fair enough. I will take a beer though, please." He didn't care if it was synthehol, he still liked the taste of beer, and Min had made it sound good when she ordered it.

"Two beers and two pints of water." Jessica said adding Mins earlier order alongside Zach's. A few moments later the drinks were made and she put them up on the counter for them.

Min took her glasses, pounding back the two pints of water rather fast. "Sorry, Just have to hydrate after a run. So yeah, bridge duty, I'm still going over orientations to the various system's Ops looks after."

"No worries. Hydration is good." Zack quipped back light hardheartedly. "Sounds like you didn't go through Starfleet Academy?" He half asked, half stated. He took a decent pull of his beer.

"Not exactly." Min remarked, setting herself down on a stool close to Zach. "Starfleet has a transition program for individuals coming out of civilian institutions. I graduated from the T'Sal academy with a degree in material's sciences, I was approached by Starfleet, and six months later came out a newly minted Ensign, pip on my collar, and still don't get half the stuff academy grads know by instinct."

Zack took a seat at the stool next to him. He gave Min a smile. "It just comes with experience, you'll get there. What were you going to do before Starfleet approached you?" He asked curiously, take a bite of his sandwich.

"Not sure to be honest. A few private firms were hiring grads with my training, hadn't really started and sort of serious looking when they approached me. My sister's starfleet medical so figured why not?"

"Why not indeed. It's not a bad life." Zack took another bite of his sandwich, and another pull from his beer.

"Other then the odd time it feels a bit too regulated, it's been a fun ride so far. My older sister Jun jumped into starfleet full bore, right out of high school, straight into the academy, went medical. Made jg a few months ago last I'd heard."

"The same Doctor Zhao who's here on the wolff?" Zack asked. "She handled my on boarding physical."

"Jun Zhao? Couple inches taller then me, little skinnier? Same brown hair about this length?" Min was floored that her sister might be here. That said, she'd not paid nearly as close attention where her older sister was posted as she should've.

Zack nodded. "Sounds about right. You didn't realize she was here?" Zack asked. He couldn't imagine not knowing his own sister was on board, but then Cindy would have made herself known quite vocally. Not all siblings were the same.

Min's faced flushed in embarrassment as she realized just how little she had kept tabs on her sister. She'd have to rectify that soon, today in fact. She took another sip from her glass to try and cool the burn she felt in her cheeks. "Apparently I didn't," she said, her voice softer then it had been a few moments before.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to embarrass you. I just couldn't imagine my sister not making herself known, loudly." He grinned, hoping to ease the embarrassment he'd clearly caused. "But that's great. I mean if you two get along. It's nice to work with family."

"It's okay Zack. Jun and I were pretty close growing up so not realizing she was assigned here, bit of a large lapse of something." Min admitted, "We'd never worked together so hard to say."

"Hard to say what?" Jun asked, stepping into the lounge. "Min? I thought I saw your name on the manifest." She went over and gave her sister a big hug. "We have too much catching up to do." She looked over at Zach, "We're sisters. She's the younger one, not the baby, but the younger one for sure."

Zack smiled and nodded, thinking fondly of his own younger sister, who also hated being called 'the baby'. "I'll let you two catch up." He grabbed his drink slid carefully off the school.



Jessica haugen
Lounge manager
Npc Taliserra

Ens Zachary Chandler
Engineering Officer

ENS Min Zhao
Operations Officer