Futuristic Shadow of the Empire

[KilljoyJayy]

ACT 1: Landing among the stars
​

LOCATION: SPACEPOURT OMICRON - Vellum
TIME: 07:00 EMPIRE TIME ALERT: CREW EXPECTED AT
08:00 ET.

PCS FEED: "-onvy was ambushed in
the outer region today. Our sources
indicate that five warships belonging
to the Outer Region Scoutfleet were
dest-"
​

Torrid and pungent, Nori’s walk through the Spaceport above Vellum was as stressful and bothersome as it usually was. Nori always knew what to expect on this side. Our wounded warriors littering the one side of the street, away from the windows out, eyes asking for assistance while they waited for their case to be processed. Or the parents who just saw their kid fly down to the surface world, crying and wailing at the thought of their baby being away for so long oblivious to the plight of someone else’s baby behind them. Nori knew this was not unique to this station, to this planet, or to the empire at large and she simply put one step in front of the other to get her mind off the machine that grinds out broken people.

“Halt,” someone shouted, and Nori obeyed. “PCS.” Nori looked up at the voice, his shoulder had a red line. A marine. He must’ve been a recruit, and he must’ve fucked up to draw guard duty up here. She had happened at the checkpoint that led to the active-duty side of the station.

Nori flashed her device, and the soldier scanned it with his. In a moment, her information was visible through the screen and the soldier looked through it for a moment before he flagged down another soldier, this once had a purple line. He walked over with a powerful step, looked Nori over, before scanning her PCS. Her information once again flashed to life and the officer scanned through it before he drew himself to attention. “Captain, welcome to the Vellum spaceport.” The rest of the soldiers pulled themselves to attention at once at the mention of her rank. Nori felt like the station had their eyes on her back.

“I hope your travels are uneventful. Right this way captain,” the officer motioned her through.

Giving the soldiers a nod, Nori walked past them, gliding through the rest of the checkpoint before she moved into the military district beyond. The comforting aura of the district pulled Nori into a sense of peace. Directly inside the entrance was a common area, where soldiers would get food and lounge as they waited for their departure. Nori knew that she would see two types of soldiers here, those who found comfort in the chairs and those who found wonder in the stars. As Nori walked through the common area, she caught sight of a soldier who had his back pressed into a chair, sitting with arms at the side and with a slight twitch in the leg. His eyes scanned the room with a look that both saw everything and saw through it all. Recent deployment. He would see more combat soon.

Nori shifted her gaze away from the soldier in the chair to those who stood by the window. They were all young, fresh graduates, and each one took turns marveling at the machines of war moored outside. They would point out different guns on different ships, remark on the damage they could do, and boast a confident boast that usually summed up to “I can’t wait to see those in action”. They would see what they could do soon enough. And they would lose that precious smile of theirs when they do.

Nori looked back to the soldier in the chair, but he was already gone. She smirked at the empty chair. She would take better care of her new crew than his captain did.

She departed the common area and began her walk towards frigate row. Frigate Row was the illustrious name given to the section of the space station that housed the frigates. Currently, by Nori’s count, there were seventeen ahead of her. As she walked, she looked at their names and their kills. USS Badger, seven destroyers and no cruisers, USS Teresa 0 cruisers and 0 destroyers, USS Harpy 5 destroyers and no cruisers. This pattern was common. 2 destroyers, no cruisers, 8 destroyers no cruisers, 27 cruisers and no destroyers. Nori paused in her step and looked at the markings again. 27 destroyers and no cruisers, and then 1 cruiser and 15 destroyers. Nori paused again and a smile spread across her face. One cruiser, and fifteen destroyers. Her eyes slipped to the name, USS Traveler. She was home. She took a deep breath in and made her way to the airlock and headed inside.

An hour later she emerged back off the ship, dressed in her armor and she stood at attention. She knew her crew would not be long, and she wanted to ensure she was ready to greet them at the start. "Alright, here we go."​

 

[Jackson123]

Lieutenant Titus Mariano stood waiting outside the USS Traveler, his new post in the Imperial Starfleet. The time was 7:30 Empire Time when he arrived at Frigate Row of the Vellum spaceport, 30 minutes ahead of schedule for him to report for duty. As he waited for the rest of the crew to arrive, he reviewed his new ship's statistics and battle logs, as well as the files of the new crewmate on his PCS data pad.

He had been on the frontlines for years, engaging in battles against numerous hostile forces, and had been recently assigned to the USS Traveller under the command of Captain Nori. He observed some fresh-faced graduates talking excitedly about the machines of war moored outside, he couldn't help but feel a pang of nostalgia as he thought about his old comrades who had lost their lives in battle. He had seen the horrors of war firsthand, but he always felt alive when he was on the battlefield. He pushed those thoughts aside, reminding himself that he had a new mission to focus on. He took a deep breath and stood a little straighter, ready to greet his new crew with confidence.

He caught sight of Captain Nori, radiating confidence and command. Titus felt a spark of excitement and determination ignite within him. Nori's service record was well known in the Imperial starfleet, the Officer of the Deck of USS Interloper when 3 cruisers and numerous smaller crafts ambushed the cruiser in the asteroid belt, under her command the Interloper alone disabled 2 of the cruisers and destroying numerous other ships before the inevitable hull lost.

Titus was ready for a new mission, and he was eager to follow this captain to sail the depths of space and into battle. The USS Traveller was in good hands.

 

[BloopNoodle]

kusuri.

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  Captain Nori ( KilljoyJayy )
  

  
  
  

  
  
  

Walking along this planet made Kusuri’s heart ache. So many people she had the capability to help, none of which she could without compromising her situation and or safety. And, technically, none of whom needed it… yet. A guard had to walk with her through the unprotected streets, though nothing was said. It just made her all the more anxious.

Then, she saw the entrance to the active duty deck. Her deck. Her first real mission… helping people, actually being the head of her first medical team. Should she appear firm, or bubbly? Respect would be demanded, of course. She didn’t go through nine years of- “-‘am I need to see your PCS.” A seemingly irritated marine was gruff in his tone. Clearly irritated. Kusuri suppressed her frown and handed him the PCS to scan, to which she got an arm sweeping wide, allowing her entrance. “Welcome, Doctor.”

"Thank you."

Came a brutally tense reply. She turned over her shoulder and the guard was gone, leaving her to enter on her own. So that she did, walking through the deck and admiring the ships. She knew she was looking for the Traveller, but all of these vehicles were just… beautiful. She didn’t notice all of the marines looking in awe of the guns, nor did she note the bitterness of active combat. If she focused on that all the time, or allowed those random thoughts to surface, it would distract her from her work. Grieving those she’d lost did not help her save others… thats what she tells herself.

Now, where was the ship she’d be boarding? After a quick look, she located the ship, and it’s Captain. Several steps and a deep breath later, she stood tall in front of the woman, a smile on her features.

"Captain. I’m Dr. Kusuri Junsui, I’m the head of your medical staff. Pleased to meet you."

She held out her hand to shake, both trying to make a good first impression, and trying to get a gauge on this woman. She’d heard a little bit… but not a lot.

MISSING HOME

nineishuman

♡coded by uxie♡

 

[Solivagante]

Pru kept her head down as she passed through the spaceport, avoiding eye contact with civilians and wounded alike as she passed through familiar corridors to the checkpoint. She'd all but been thrown out for a short 'leave' a week ago, her previous CO using the excuse of the Traveler's deployment date to be rid of her. He'd been alright, as they went, but younger than her - though most officers were, these days - and watching her like a hawk, as if he'd expected her to start a scrum at any minute. Too much attention on Pru, not enough on the rest of his unit, but maybe he'd get his confidence back now she was gone.

At the checkpoint, she flipped her PCS to the marine on duty with a nod and a grunt, hoisting her duffle higher on her shoulder as he waved her through. A glance at her screen confirmed the USS Traveler's berth - 18 - and the time - 0750. Pru quickened her pace as she passed through the common area and mess onto Frigate Row. Here, her eyes were drawn up from her boots for the first time all morning, taking in the mix of familiar and new hulls. She'd been posted on more than one of these ships, and seen a fair amount of combat, and yet none were as illustrious as the ship she was bound for today. Well, perhaps 'illustrious' was the wrong word - 'storied' might be a better fit. Or maybe just 'old'.

She wasn't the first to arrive, of course, but then she didn't want to be. The only thing that would make meeting strangers more awkward would be a one-on-one conversation with her new Captain. As she approached the gathering members of the crew, Pru slowed her pace and came to a crisp stop at attention, facing the ship's airlock and Captain Jay in front of it. The woman was young, but even at a distance her face showed the strain of someone who has seen too much death.

Maybe this is what we need, Pru thought, a cautious curl of hope unfurling in her chest. Someone who's seen the worst and wants to do better.

Maybe she won't disappoint me.

 

[Holyhalo]

“-is what I mean. You’ve been doing so great the last few weeks and I think Empar is the best option for you to continue to do so.” The older gentleman spoke softly to the man next to him, patting him softly on the shoulder. His eyes glanced forward quickly, seeing that they had arrived at his destination. “Well, this is me.” Another smile, a little apologetic head tilt, a kind handshake. “Go see Empar, just for a week or two, maybe three, whatever you feel comfortable with. You can always stop when you feel uncomfortable but you can’t say you tried your best if you never went.” The younger man shook his hand and nodded, thanking him for all the help he’d provided before seeing him off, waving at the older man’s back.

Dressed in a presentable but comfortable attire consisting of a vest and a buttoned up shirt, tie adjusted to fit snugly around his neck, Arthur checked behind him to see the little hovercart following him, carrying all of his baggage. The soft hum of the little machine continued on as he approached the check in area. A few strings of knowledge clicked together in his mind as he saw the face of the soldier at the door. “Trion? Is that you? I see you made it to your first posting. Congratulations.” The young recruit jumped up and saluted him, mostly out of reflex rather than any real show of respect to whatever rank Arthur might be holding. The older man spoke kindly with the recruit for a few minutes before he noticed a nearby officer of the same station giving the recruit a dirty look from behind. “It’s good to see you here, Trion. Here, scan me in before I get you in trouble.” He held up his PCS, the official one, for the recruit to scan. “Still dating Alissa? Give my best to her and keep up the good work, alright.” He put his hand on the recruit’s shoulder for a moment and walked past him, the humming of the little machine continued on.

Checking the time on his PCS, Arthur made a conscious effort to spend only a few minutes on each person he knew in the lobby and lounge, allowing himself a few extra minutes to have a proper conversation with one of the caretakers of the facilities here. What would have taken a more direct person a few minutes to walk through was a conversation filled zig-zag for thirty-odd minutes for Arthur. But eventually he left the lounge behind and walked into Frigate Row.

He looked up at the massive warmachines in the docks here, reading the names on their prow. Unlike most soldiers passing through who’d remember past glories or, possibly, past traumas, with these names, Arthur instead read through mental lists of names, connected to faces, possibly connected to favors or bridges or other ties. USS Badger, current Captain: Johnes, First mate…, Nav/Comm Spec…, USS Teresa, current Captain: Silmar, First mate…, Nav/Comm Spec…, USS Harpy… The list for each ship was endless in his head but as he passed them he moved onto the next one, starting again from the top. By the time he got to his destination, he continued his list out of habit. USS Traveler, current Captain: Nori, First Mate…, Pilot: Titus Mariano, Nav/Comm Spec: Arthu- Oh, that’s me.

He shook his head, smiling at the fact that he’d gotten so lost in his own exercise that he’d almost skipped over the fact that he had arrived. A smaller group of people had gathered near the entrance to the ship by now, all waiting to interact with the captain for one reason or another. First timers excited to introduce themselves, Veterans ready to check out their new leader, Officers not wanting to insult their new captain by ignoring her. Seeing the waiting line, Arthur moved aside and walked past them, the little hovercart following right behind him. “Captain.” As he approached the younger captain of the ship he saluted and continued past her.

They would have plenty of time to get to know each other once they’d set out, either by their professional proximity to each other, given that they’d both work on the bridge, or by someone’s design at some point during their deployment. For now, Arthur was happy to let her deal with those who wanted or needed her attention first.

He flagged down the first recruit he saw and kindly pressed them into baggage carrying support duty so the hovercart could return to its station somewhere near the entrance port he’d arrived at an hour or two ago.

 

[KilljoyJayy]

ACT 1: Landing among the stars
​

LOCATION: SPACEPOURT OMICRON - Vellum
TIME: 08:02 EMPIRE TIME ALERT: DEPARTURE UPDATED
TO 12:49 ET.

PCS FEED: "-thus far, we have heard
no reports on the mining colony but
based on what we are seeing it is
safe to assume that everyone here
has die-"
​

Even the admirals themselves must’ve felt the dread that emanated from Nori. As soon as she had finished looking over each member of her crew that had arrived thus far, returning their paperwork, and offering them a hello and a salute, an urgent alert pinged her PCS. She pulled open the log. The dread fell from her body, and the crew around her would notice her expression get a little lighter. If they looked close enough they may even see a small smile break through the corners of her mouth,
​

DEPARTURE TIME CHANGE
11:03 -> 12:49

UPDATED CREW LOG: ADDITON - Three marines,
three engineers, two medics, one pilot. Press view
to review.

ARRIVAL TIME: UNCHANGED 13:00
MISSION OBJECTIVE UNCAHNGED: DELIVERY
​

“Alright everyone, huddle up on me,” Nori spoke as she used her right hand to make a circle above her head. “We have a small change to the mission parameters, we are delayed. Make your way on the ship and find your quarters. At 11:00 we will have a quick meeting on the bridge to discuss the situation in more detail.” Nori paused as she pulled up her PCS, typed in a few commands, and sent the same message via text. “Feel free to get to know each other in the meanwhile, we’re going to see a lot of each other for a long time. Your time is yours, dismissed.”

With that Nori pulled herself away from the docking ramp and from the ship. Her PCS in hand as she scrolled through the updated crew roster.
​

NAMES:
OLIVIA BRIGHT AGE 24, ARNIE SKOR AGE 24

COMBAT MEDICS

SERVICE HISTORY: USS Olympus, 4 years.
​

“Twins.” Nori muttered as she looked over their combat history. Both had recently been commended for dedication to their duties and performing their duties under duress. They were good medics, Dr. Kusuri Junsui will be most pleased.
​

NAME:
AYDIN JONES AGE 18, RUSL SMITH AGE 18,
ZAVYR CRUX AGE 18

COMBAT MARINES

SERVICE HISTORY: N//A
​

“Fuck,” Nori whispered as she leaned her back against the glass. Fresh recruits, fresh out of boot camp, and fresh to actual life on an actual spaceship away from simulations. They would need their hands held for most missions, especially on a combat drop. Nori knew she would need to lean on her more experienced marines to shape them up.
​

NAME:
FYONAE AGRESSI AGE 26, SOFIA BREAENNA AGE 28,
JORDAN SIER AGE 32, JACKSON WER AGE 20

SERVICE /COMBAT ENGINEER - PILOT

SERVICE HISTORY:

FYONAE/SOFIA – USS Olympus 8 years,
JORDAN -USS DELAWARE 12 years
JACKSON - N//A
​

“Experienced, this was needed.” Before, Nori knew if anything happened, they would be stuck in space until a tugboat was able to repair. Now, if the engine goes out, they will be able to turn it back on. Also, having combat engineers on the ground team could prove valuable to the mission. A second pilot was also needed; however, this would be his first ship. He will be able to fly whenever Titus is away and will be assisting Titus and Arthur during combat situations. Nori would make him the primary shuttle pilot to get him worked into the roster for peaceful drops.

Nori dug a little deeper into the message, looking specifically for any coded message or any indications of who approved her request. Before today, she was informed her crew was considered at an adequate level and no further soldiers would be granted. Now, she is still flying with half crew, but the half crew makes things much more comfortable. She looked at each word and their order trying to find a clue even though she knew the PCS message was automated and would have been drafted by an AI. Nori already had a feeling that she know who approved it, and in her head she had 50-50 odds of being right with her guess. She did not want to confront them without having proof.

- - -
The crew would find their quarters barren. While they would have the essentials, a bed and bedding, everything else would be devoid of life and personality. The rooms themselves were small 95 square-foot roots dominated by two beds, one on top of another. While they had the room to themselves it was still a small room. They would have free reign to decorate, within regulation, and they would have the time needed to start. Outside of their rooms, in the heart of the ship, they will find the mess hall and common area. There will be ample seating, tables, and a few automated food dispensers available for food. The kitchen itself is barren, and there will be no mess hall services at the start due to the small crew size. Alongside the mess hall and common areas are a few places for leisure activities, such as a movie gallery and workout center. These are small and cramped but are options all the same.

The crew had their time to them, and it was time to see what they’d make of it.​

 

[Jackson123]

Lieutenant Titus Mariano, left alone for the time being, took advantage of the delay before the crew meeting to explore his new home. He wandered through the hallways of the USS Traveler, noting the various work and leisure spaces, and mentally keeping track of the locations of key rooms like the mess hall, workout center, and movie gallery. He had always been good at memorizing layouts and locations, a skill that had proven useful during his previous battles.

Finding himself near the movie gallery, Titus decided to take a quick look inside. He found the selection to be somewhat outdated and limited but noted a few classics he hadn't seen in years. Making a mental note to revisit the gallery during his downtime, he continued on, eventually arriving at the workout centre. Titus stepped inside and smiled at the sight of the various exercise machines, knowing that he would be spending significant time here maintaining his physical fitness.

Eventually Titus entered the bridge of the starship. He stood tall at his helm station, his hand caress about around the control yoke for a bit. The hum of energy pulsed through the deck.

The cockpit was a symphony of blinking lights and console displays, each panel conveying essential information about the ship's status. The pilot's gaze darted from one display to another, his fingers deftly tapping commands on the control panel, initiating the pre-flight sequence.

"Computer," he called out, his voice steady and authoritative, "run diagnostics on all systems."

The computer's female voice responded promptly, "Initiating diagnostics. Standby."

A series of beeps and chimes filled the cockpit as the ship's systems sprang to life, verifying their operational readiness. Titus's eyes followed the diagnostic results on the main screen, ensuring that each component was functioning flawlessly. The ship's engines, life support, navigation systems, and shields were all green and ready to go.

Satisfied with the diagnostics, Titus adjusted his seat, settling into a comfortable position. He checked the star chart is updated to the latest automatic terminal information released from the Vellum Spaceport authority, and make sure to align the pulsars data with the ship's XNAV (X-ray pulsar-based navigation and timing) system.

He glanced at the holographic interface that displayed the intricate schematics of the warp drive. A complex web of energy conduits and quantum resonators glowed with an ethereal blue light, signifying the latent power contained within. Titus initiated the startup sequence, his fingers dancing across the holographic controls.

The quantum reactor's thrumming pulses echoed throughout the starship, a consonance of controlled power. It harnessed the energy of quantum fluctuations, tapping into the fabric of the universe itself. Blue arcs of energy crackled and surged within the reactor, responding to the pilot's adjustments, particle–antiparticle pairs danced within the reactor, created spontaneously without a source of energy, and annihilated each other within a time limit determined by the uncertainty principle so they are not directly observable. The intricate laws of quantum physics.

The ship's AI chimed in, its voice calm and measured. "Quantum reactor at optimal levels. Energy fluctuations stabilized within the acceptable range."

Satisfied with the reactor's stability, the pilot's eyes flicked between the viewport, displaying the awe-inspiring beauty of space, and the control panel, gauging the ship's trajectory and alignment.

Power distribution—optimized. Crew status—accounted for. All systems were synchronized and ready to commence the voyage.

 

[Holyhalo]

After stashing away all his luggage so it wouldn’t slide around or get tossed in case the ship had to do some spinning tricks on the way out of the space station. Unpacking could come later, when they were zooming through space with nothing to do but wait for the next stop. Giving the room a quick once-over, Arthur found it severely lacking. The fact that his room had a double bed in it didn’t sit right with him. He’d need to create and cash in quite a few favors to get his room up to his own standards.

Unzipping the top of one of his suitcases, Arthur pulled out a neatly folded and ironed uniform, slowly changing into it as he carefully undid the buttons on his vest, folding it up on the bottom bed next to the tie. In the same unhurried manner he put on the uniform, making sure to look his best on his first day. A good twenty minutes later, fully uniformed, Arthur walked out into the hallway, closing the door behind him.

The room led into a hallway which led to the heart of the ship where all the main areas were located. Food, relaxation, training, diversions. All in one place for ease of access. It looked very empty, aside from a handful of figures, and thus seemed too big for what they had going on. He would need to check to be certain but it looked like they would be running understaffed for quite a while. Who did he know that could send some more hands their way?

Past all these rooms, Arthur found the ship more militarized with bulk doors and all the necessary security measures one would install leading up towards the control center of an Empire spaceship. His credentials carried him through to the main part of his job, the brain of the ship. Like the downtime space before, there were very few people around as Arthur made his way to the bridge, which was empty aside from one other person.

Arthur walked up a little closer, trying to get a good look at the man on his way over to the comms station. “Lieutenant Mariano.” He saluted the younger man as soon as he recognized him and passed him by to get situated at his own station. They all had their jobs to do and it didn’t look like the pilot was up for a friendly conversation. As soon as he sat down, a diagnostic report popped up on his station in regards to the communication dishes and systems. Arthur looked up over his station to the other man in the room. Very conscientious. As nothing was wrong with the report, Arthur dismissed it and got to work.

His fingers tapped the larger, middle screen and the station came to life fully, lighting up softly as more screens popped to life and lights blinked and steadied. Arthur slowly moved along his station, tapping screens and adjusting dials and slides. A short burst of crackling ran through the speakers all along the ship as green lights popped up along the ship’s schematic on Arthur’s station. Everything was in working order both diagnostically and practically.

From a small compartment, Arthur pulled a comms device and placed it around his ear, activating it and connecting it to the ship’s system. Opening a list on one of the screens, Arthur’s fingers ran through a series of names and connected the ship with the station’s tower. “Good morning, Omicron Tower. This is Comms Specialist Merode of the USS Traveler.” With a burst of data, the ship’s comms dishes beamed the communication to the station. A moment later, a male voice came back over the earpiece. “This is Omicron Tower, Traveler. Good morning to you too, Arthur.”

Hearing his name over the comm, Arthur ran down a quick list in his mind. Belmas? No, he was on paternity leave. Doris had recently switched to night shift. Ah, of course. “Jimmy? Since when are you awake at this time of day?” If James Telgri was on duty, his partner in crime would be too. “I know you’re listening in, Bertha. How are you doing?” A woman’s voice jumped into the conversation, a strong french accent. Good guess. “Arthur, so good to hear from you. On your way out, hmm? Everything’s going as usual here.” Within minutes of setting up communications, Arthur was embroiled in a three way, ten minute casual chat about James and Bertha’s lives. Apparently, some scandal was going on after some captain had been caught sleeping with a married woman.

“Jimmy, where is the Traveler on the list of departures? I walked past a bunch of big ones on my way here and they all seemed eager to go.” There was a moment of nothing but the sound of tapping fingers and beeping noises. “I’ve got you for 11:03 at the mo-... Oh, hold one.” Arthur’s PCS beeped just a few moments after Jimmy went quiet. “You’ve been rescheduled to 12:49.” Arthur sat up a little straighter and checked his PCS to see the same information come in from the captain as well. “I just got the message, tower. Hold one moment.”

Standing up behind his station, Arthur quickly muted the outside conversation with his friends and leaned over towards the pilot. “Lieutenant Mariano, I just got double confirmation for a Departure Time Change from 11:03 to 12:49. There should be a message on your PCS from the captain about it.” Arthur didn’t know if Titus was one of those PCS hangers who were constantly up to date on everything all the time but from what he’d seen so far, Arthur felt it was only right he’d communicate to the pilot that things had changed, even just as a third confirmation for the man. After all, communicating was his job here.

Jackson123

 

[Jackson123]

Titus glanced up from his console as he heard someone approaching. He recognized the voice addressing him and turned to see Arthur, the Nav/Comms Specialist, saluting him. Titus returned the salute with a nod before Arthur made his way to his own station. The pilot appreciated the professionalism and efficiency displayed by Arthur as he settled in and began his work.

Not long after, he overheard something about some changes in departure time. Titus straightened in his seat as Arthur leaned over towards him and shared the news.

"Lieutenant Mariano, I just got double confirmation for a Departure Time Change from 11:03 to 12:49. There should be a message on your PCS from the captain about it."

"Roger that. Thank you." Titus replied, and reached for his personal communication device to check the message from the captain.

Titus tapped a few commands on his console, pulling up the captain's message and reviewing the details. He quickly analyzed the impact of the delay on their pre-flight procedures and made mental notes of any adjustments that needed to be made.

interaction: Holyhalo

 

[Solivagante]

'Your time is yours' was all well and good for some folks, but it left Pru at loose ends; after finding her bunk, she unpacked her few belongings into wall-mounted storage units secured against loss of ship's gravity, and then flopped across the bottom bunk, staring up at the grey metal above. Delayed. More waiting. Nothing to keep her busy, nothing to keep her thoughts quiet. After a week on leave, the additional unoccupied time was just too much.
Vaulting up from the bed, Pru grabbed her PCS and clipped it to the mount on her uniform belt, then left her room behind at a jog. May as well get the lay of the land, she thought, her boots thumping steadily as she settled into a rhythym. It might also help burn off some of that nervous energy.
The hallways were largely empty, a reminder of how undermanned this mission was. Of course, that was relative to the size of the ship, not necessarily to the actual dangers they would encounter - but what if they did find trouble? A ship this big might look like a plum target to an ambitious pirate, and with so few crew, any combat could be a challenge. If the medical supplies were so valuable, in particular, shouldn't they be better protected?
Pru shook her head as if she could shake the thoughts away and refocused on the doors she was passing. Mess hall, common area - those were self-explanatory. Movie gallery - sitting still was the last thing she needed right now. Ah, the onboard gym - a critical facility, especially for marines, to maintain physical condition in artificial gravity. Pru slowed and opened that door, walking into the unmistakable and unavoidable smell of rubber and sweat that pervaded every gym she'd ever known. The space was tiny and simply furnished, with a handful of treadmills and racks of weights held in place by mechanical clamps. In the narrow equipment lockers at one end of the room, she found low-gravity harnesses for the treadmills - both pessimistic and optimistic at once, to assume people would still be exercising if the ship lost gravity for that long - and then the object she was looking for, a punching bag. Pru had left her gloves in her bunk, but tapped the bag with her knuckles anyway in a kind of greeting.
Satisfied with her inspection of the facilities - or at least the one facility she cared about in particular - she left the gym and continued her exploration of the ship at a slower pace. Years of practice meant she avoided the medical suites; too many eager ship's doctors would collar any convenient marine for a start-of-cruise physical, and while Pru was sure she wouldn't avoid it forever, she didn't have to invite that interaction. The doctor, from what she'd seen on the dock, was a bubbly one.
With that and the bridge ruled out - she'd no business there, and officers generally didn't like grunts in their shiny command centers - she circled back to the common areas she'd jogged past before and, this time, went in.
Captain'd said to get to know each other, after all. Seemed she'd expect her crew to get along, and the least Pru could do was make a token effort.

 

[BloopNoodle]

kusuri.

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  Jackson123 Holyhalo
  

  
  
  

  
  
  

Irritated. Thats the only way to describe how Kusuri felt right now. Scanning her PCS again and again, refreshing it every five seconds as she walked to the medical wing, she grits her teeth and curses whoever gave her two combat medics as a ‘crew’. Was this some kind of sick joke? No doctors, no assistants, fuck, not even a student. She’d take five medical students over two combat medics.

She’d simply slung her bag into her room haphazardly, trying to transfer the medical data from her PCS to her physical notebook she carried. She’d been wise enough to request medical records before the trip, and was studying up on them now as she tracked down the ‘hospital wing’. She should understand history, typical structures and expectations. She didn’t want to be caught off guard to see a low blood pressure mark on a crew member only to find out that was their normal. Besides, who wanted to bother with a check up before a high stress mission?

She passed a few people with small smiles and waves, though her doctors coat was now absent so she very well could be mistaken for a basic crew member if no one had read up on the ships medic. She’d registered the time change for departure, but now she really wanted to what she was working with for such a low medical personnel.

… and of course, it’s a perfectly fine med bay. She’s not sure if that makes it better or worse. Better because that meant, hey, at least she wasn’t lacking in supplies! Though, she could get around without all the fancy pants gadgets. Most doctors cringed every time she pulled out her physical notebook, she sure as hell could do some work without all the tech-help. Which brought her to the ‘worse’ bit. She had a tiny tiny team, and a perfectly functional med bay. Which was weird.

"These better be the best two combat medics I’ve ever seen, or I’m rioting."

She mutters to herself, before sharply turning on her heels and walking straight to where her PCS directed her in order to get to the introductory meetings on time.

As she entered the bridge, she recognized two faces almost immediately. High priority patients, should they get injured. Though, that really only counted if they were in combat. Lieutenant Titus Mariano, nearly 30 years old. Impressive lack of severe injuries for his record and rank. Typically higher blood pressure, though not at a dangerous level. Then, there was Arthur Edele-Merode. There was a suffix in there, she’s certain, she just didn’t memorize it. 66 years of age, with a history of having a very pleasant temperament. She hadn’t gotten far in his chart, but there were some tags in his filing that she wanted to look at before any physicals.

"Gentlemen, good afternoon."

Kusuri has a winning smile as she greets the men, holding her posture high.

"Pleasure to meet you, my name is Dr. Junsui. I’ll be the head of the medical department while you’re stationed here."

Medical department… please. You could hardly call it that with the lack of staff.

MISSING HOME

nineishuman

♡coded by uxie♡