Helm Duties

Posted on Sun Mar 22nd, 2020 @ 10:03pm by Lieutenant Samantha Leyton

Mission: Mission 2 - Fallout
Location: Mess Hall
Timeline: Day 3, Month 1, Year 0 07:00
1084 words - 2.2 OF Standard Post Measure

Entering the Mess Hall, Samantha saw that only a few of the crew were sitting down and eating their share of rations. She hoped they would find more food soon as her eyes landed on a familiar face belonging to Ensign Livingston and knew that any interaction with him would be interesting to say the least as he had basically been the ship's Chief Helm Officer while she and Aurelius had been injured. She grabbed her ration portions, placing them on a tray and made her way over to the table. "Hey. Mind if I sit down?" she grinned, putting on a friendly face.

Ben looked up at her and shrugged. "Open seat, help yourself, lieutenant." Truth be had, this was probably the last person he wanted to speak with anytime soon.

She sat down and studied the man for a moment. He didn't seem too happy with her, yet she knew she had to make an attempt. "So, what ration did you get? Seems I got the Salisbury Steak," she said picking the ration pack up slightly to look at it. Truth being, she hated Salisbury Steak but at the moment, beggars couldn't be choosers.

"I just picked up whatever was there." Ben looked at his meal. "Looks like lasagna, lieutenant." He thought to himself...~All the empty seats, she has to sit at my table. The last person I want to talk to.~

Seeing that he wasn't buying it, she decided to get straight to the matter instead of beating around the bush. She looked at Livingston as she began to open her meal. "Look, I wanted to talk to you about the Flight Control Department. You've done a great job while Lieutenant Davis and I were incapacitated."

"That's what I was told. I was told that I would make a great chief helmsman for the ship. I was told that I would get the job, but then you recovered from your injuries...which left me out. And once Lieutenant Davis recovers, that makes me the odd man out." He moved his ration aside. "Let's be honest, shall we? If we were in Federation space, I could apply for a transfer and move on. But we're not, so I can't do that. All I can do is to wait and see if we come across an inhabited world, populated by humanoids...and live there. If that means jumping ship, I'll do that."

Samantha chewed a bite from her salisbury steak for a moment, thinking over what Livingston said and swallowed it. "I guess you haven't been told yet. I spoke with Lieutenant Davis apparently he won't be returning to his position as the Chief Helmsman. So, that makes you, by default the Assistant Chief Helmsman. And you heard right, from everything I've heard and read in reports, you would make an excellent Chief Helmsman. So, are you still planning to jump ship and make life on board harder for everyone else because they have to pick up the extra duties?

"Assistant Chief Helmsman." Ben snorted. "All that means is that you get all the good tours and assignments, leaving me with the night shifts. And when we run into a situation, you come to the bridge and relieve me. That's what the 'assistant" does. And you really think that the ship wouldn't be better off minus 2 people? Means more food and water for everyone else...lieutenant."

"And what happens if something happens to me? Who is going to pilot the ship then?" Samantha asked, setting her fork down on her tray hard, looking at Livingston. "And if we weren't lost 150 years from home, I would say you're right but we are lost and everyone from the captain to the lowliest crewman is needed. I was in fact thinking of a new specific duty for you as Assistant Helm Officer. Unless specifically asked by the captain, you will be acting as the primary shuttle pod pilot as well, which means a lot more away missions for you."

"What? A handout? You feel sorry for me so you're creating something for me to do? You're not afraid I'll just disappear with that shuttle?"

Samantha was growing tired of Livingston's attitude. "And go where exactly?" Samantha questioned. "Shuttle pods only have a top speed of one quarter impulse with limited range. It's not a handout--it's a chance for you to get more experience so you can someday become the Chief Helm Officer aboard the ship. Now I know not being the senior helm officer aboard anymore might not seem fair but this is Starfleet and right now we're on our own. I didn't ask for Lieutenant Davis to give me the job--he simply did because I was the next senior officer in line, per Starfleet Protocol. And the only way we're going to get home is by abiding by the laws Starfleet was created with."

"If we ever get home. You know the chances are that we either die, find a planet suitable for colonization, or our great, great grandchildren bring this ship home." He looked at her. "Me? I vote for the planet." He sipped his juice. "I'll take the job."

It was true that Samantha had had similar thoughts on colonizing a planet instead of travelling a 150 years aboard a starship to that was designed to go only 6 months before a resupply. Then the thought of never seeing her grandfather or family again began to hit home and she looked out the view port she blinked away tears. "I'm glad to hear it," she replied as she looked back at Livingston. "We're all in this together and the only way we'll survive is by sticking together--no matter what."

"We're going to have to locate a food and water source....weapons....materials to repair the ship...and avoiding any more powerful enemies." He looked at her. "It's not going to be easy."

"No, but we'll make it--we have to," Samantha replied. "Besides--easy would be boring," she commented with a smile.

"Easy? No, it won't be. But who likes easy?" He leaned back in his chair. "In my opinion, the first thing to do is try to find a wormhole, maybe that gets us closer to where we should be."

"If there's one nearby..." she replied, doubtful, before eating another forkful of her salisbury steak. "First thing's first though. We find the XO and then gather more food."

"We'll find the XO...we leave no one behind."

Samantha simply nodded as she continued to eat.