Study Report

Posted on Tue Apr 14th, 2015 @ 8:30pm by Commander Worth Maxwell VIII & Ensign Aria Natinde

* * * USS Ptolemy * * *

Worth left Sickbay and Dr. Sahli and checked his padd. The new engineer was due to arrive within the hour, as was Oswald, due back from leave on station. Now, however, Worth’s other duty called. Ensign Natinde was working on her command course and Starfleet had agreed to let her do it in the field, as long as Worth would oversee it. He had agreed, though he suspected Aria might be wishing for a less exacting teacher. The thought brought a smile. He didn’t set out purposely to make her jumpy but such was life. He entered the turbolift, still checking his padd as he began to ascend to deck two and his office.

Aria yawned and stretched out her arms as she did so, all of the constant hunched over reading notes on her padd and broken sleep pattern was starting to get to her a little. Getting up and going to the replicator, she ordered herself an iced coffee before settling back down to studying at her desk. She knew that she didn’t need to be doing as much reading as what she had been doing, but she figured that a little extra studying wouldn’t be so bad, especially whilst being on the Ptolemy.

Worth entered his office and looked around, finding it empty. He glanced at the time, then a smile flitted across his face. Tapping his comm badge, he spoke. “Maxwell to Ensign Natinde. I believe we have an appointment.”

As soon as Aria heard the voice come across her comm badge she looked at the time it can’t be that time alre... CRAP!

“Sorry Commander Maxwell, time’s escaped me. I’ll be right over.” Getting flustered, Aria got up and tried to rush out her door to Worth’s office, only she smacked her knee and spilt her coffee in the process. Thinking about the agony she was in, and the mess she’d have to clear up later, Aria made her swiftly, and more gracefully this time, to Worth’s office.

“Come!” he called out when the door chime sounded. He glanced once more at the clock and was impressed. Aria must have run the length of the ship to get here in such a short time. She was getting better and he was impressed.

He couldn’t just let me pause to catch my breath for 2 minutes. He’s bound to have realised I’ve sprinted here. Aria thought to herself before composing herself and entering into Worth’s office finding him behind his desk.

“Once again sir, I’m sorry for my lapse in time keeping. I promise it won’t happen again.”

“On the contrary, Miss Natinde. You’ve managed to be right on time. Have a seat.” He studied her a moment, noting her pink cheeks. “Perhaps some water?” Worth kept his tone composed, despite the urge to laugh.

Aria glanced at the time - seems she was right on time - before replying to Worth “water would be greatly appreciated sir.”

Worth requested water from his replicator and placed it on the desk before her. “Drink before we get started. Then you can tell me how the last round of exams went for you.” He sat on the corner of his desk and crossed his arms. “We’ll start with something easy.”

Downing her glass, then instantly regretting it after the brain freeze set in, Aria tried her best to keep her cool - but failed miserably and winced as the cold took hold and passed as quickly as it started.

“Well sir, there were questions and I answered them as best I could. I know everyone expects to hear that we answered them perfectly and we’re going to get 100% on them, but no point in lying to you sir. There were some tricky ones on there, that could have been answered better, hence the extra studying,” she said raising her left hand to show Worth the padd she still had in her grip.

“They do that on purpose, you know. Many of the questions on the exam are designed to determine how you think, not simply to have you parrot back answers. You’ve been out in the field enough to see that things are rarely textbook neat.” Worth watched her fidget a moment. “That is what I am more interested in as well. Perhaps your approach to a problem might be something they hadn’t considered, or better in one circumstance than another solution.”

“I sure hope so. Of course you get the know-it-alls who have mummy and daddy training them from diapers, who think they rhymed off the perfect text-book answer, looking down on you when you come out and discuss answers. But I have a feeling that they’ve been stuck in a tiny ship in the middle of nowhere being made to clean floors with toothbrushes.” She paused and caught on to what she was saying in front of Worth.

“Sorry sir, I shouldn’t be bad mouthing the other Ensigns, not until we know how well we did.”

Worth nodded and finally showed her a rare smile. “What if I told you that the rest would give their eye teeth to be in your shoes? On this station, on this ship, and working with me. Not to mention having the Delta Quadrant at their disposal.”

“I daresay sir, that if a certain few found out where exactly I’m placed and who I’m working with, they would have daddy complaining and trying to get them placed here as well, or instead of me. Now sir, not to press you, but I know you didn’t want a meeting to just discuss my recent exams.” Aria prompted him.

“They might try. And it might interest you to know that Captain Warrington and I requested you specifically.” Worth was silent a moment to let that sink in. “As for today, we are shipping out in two hours.”
A million questions filled her mind along with holy crap, they requested me! She decided to question why they requested her, and to remain professional.

“Noted sir,” she replied, acknowledging the departure time. “Any orders as to where we are headed?”

“Captain Warrington will do a briefing just before launch. In the meantime, we’ll have some new crew checking in, namely engineering and the CMO. Dr. Sahli is already on board. You might stop in and say hello.” Worth could read Aria’s inner reaction to his news that she’d been chosen for the Ptolemy and it pleased him.

“Noted sir, I shall try and call in with...” She paused for a second wanting Worth to indicate whether the Dr. was male or female.

“Dara Sahli. She went over to Piper but she’s likely back by now.” Worth lifted a padd from his desk and checked the screen. “And according to this, your test results should be in later today.”

“Oh the joys,” she mumbled to herself, before speaking up again. “I shall try and call in with her on my way back from here then sir. And thank-you for the heads up on the results,” she said with a smile, even though she didn’t feel grateful to be told it was today her results would be through.

“Is there anything else sir?”

“I think that is all for now, Miss Natinde. You’ll be called in time for the briefing. If there’s anything you need to do or...anyone you need to see before we go, now’s the time.” Worth moved behind his desk and sat down. “I’ll call you when the results come in.”

Oh please don’t was her first thought to reply to Worth, but she quickly changed her response to “Thank-you sir.” And with a nod towards the Commander, she left his office, and began hobbling towards her quarters, before remembering to call in with Dr Sahli. Hope the CMO decides to turn up soon she thought to herself. could really do with getting this knee check for bits of desk she thought as she continued to hobble back to her quarters. Dr Sahli could wait ‘til later. For now she needed to rest her knee, and take her mind off her incoming results.

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Ensign Aria Natinde
Requested Calamity Jane

Commander Worth Maxwell VIII
Still Striking Fear Into The Hearts Of Ensigns