Getting Settled

Posted on Fri Oct 23rd, 2015 @ 1:13am by Céline Valois & Captain Li Hawke

Mission: Further Challenges
Location: Deck 277 - Promenade

* * * Deck 277 - Promenade * * *

Celine’s past few days aboard the station had come at whirlwind speeds. She had been informed that she would arrive and would have several days to get settled before having to do anything official, but that had changed when she notified the headmistress that she had arrived.

She had been given her room assignment a few moments after setting foot on the station, had gotten to her room to begin unpacking and had the computer send a message notifying the school officials she was there. Within minutes her monitor indicated a message advising her to come to an orientation meeting in an hour. Apparently they thought it would be better to go ahead and get her in with the current group of new arrivals instead of having her wait until the next week. The message had been littered with apologies and the like, but they were still adamant that she come. Four hours after the class began, she was free again but had been requested to return the next morning.

So, she did. She returned and provided the headmistress with her proposed lesson plans and other information. After some discussion, and a tour of the facilities and her own room and office, she was told that now she could have her two days of downtime. Relieved, she left as quickly as possible for a nap and some station adventures.

Her first day was filled with just wandering around the station, getting to know the areas she would most likely frequent, or need to know the locations of, and also started checking out the Promenade, which was much, much bigger than she had expected, despite being told just how enormous it was. She couldn’t get it all in on the first day, so she decided to take in a movie and head home with takeout from Cravings.

Today she started slow. It seemed she had worn herself out wandering so much yesterday. It was fairly early, 0900 hours, but with a station like this there was never really a slow time of day, so the regular hustle and bustle was still happening. But for her, she needed one thing and one thing only: coffee.

Now sitting in Java, a cafe she had passed the day before, she ordered a Café Noisette with toast and strawberry jam. She had always been drawn to the French style of doing things as she had always been told when she was growing up that she was, indeed, French. But she found it odd that her parents did not speak French or seemed not to have that ancestry. It wasn’t until she was ten that her parents told her she was adopted. From that point on they had helped her embrace her heritage with full immersion in the language and culture, along with other languages for her to learn. And she absolutely loved it.

As the server was bringing her food, Celine noticed that he had stopped to speak to a very striking woman who seemed very nice. Once the food was at her table, she asked, “Who was that Captain you were speaking to?”

“That’s the station’s executive officer, Captain Li Hawke. She comes in here frequently.”

“Thank you,” Celine replied and saw the Captain headed her way. “Excuse me, Captain Hawke?” She stood so that she could introduce herself. “I hope I’m not keeping you, but I’m new to the station and wanted to introduce myself.” She offered her hand. “Céline Valois, one of the new school teachers on the station.”

Li shifted her coffee to her other hand and shook Celine’s. “Welcome to 900, Celine. I recall seeing the name in the reports.” She smiled and indicated a chair. “May I join you?”

“Absolutely. And thank you,” she added as the two sat. “I just expected to introduce myself. I didn’t think we would actually have time to talk.”

“I’m on my way to the office but I have a little time yet. Everyone knows my morning coffee run is sacred.” Li laughed lightly, then sipped her coffee. “So have you gotten settled in yet? Or did the school swamp you the minute you arrived? They’ve been running a little short-handed and to be honest, this area of space is sometimes a hard sell for civilians.”

Celine laughed as well and told her about the ordeal she went through when she arrived. “But they did give me two days off before I actually started, so that’s good. It’ll give me time to get acclimated.”

“Make the most of them.” Li smiled. “And don’t let the station wear you out. The cardinal rule here is that you don’t have to see it all the first week. It’s not even possible.”

“I learned that yesterday. I wound up heading home early because I’d almost walked myself to death.” She finished off her first piece of toast and sipped her coffee. “Is there anything I should know about the station, or places I should avoid? I wouldn’t think there would be that many, but I guess the Delta Quadrant is much different than other places a station could be.”

“It is indeed the frontier,” Li answered. “Do you want the light version or the down and dirty one?”

Celine shrugged. “Whatever you have time for. You’re the one who actually has to work today.”

“The area known as the Cherry Pit. It runs through Decks 530 to 535. It’s not exactly fantasy land, Celine. It’s rough and its dangerous. You’ll often hear that area referred to as being below the equator. There’s two bars especially that attract the most traffic. Saturnalia is larger, the place where everyone gathers. Iapetus is a small, dark establishment where deals are made. Neither is anything to write home about.”

“I guess I won’t be going down there anytime soon, then,” she said as she took another sip. “I am absolutely fine with what the Promenade has to offer. Oh! I do have a question that you may be able to answer. I had always wanted to take the children from my other schools to Starfleet Academy for a field trip, but we were never close. Since there is a satellite academy here, do you think that would be something I could get authorization for? I’d go through the proper channels, of course, but I wasn’t sure if it was even allowed. I think the kids would enjoy it.”

“I think it’s a wonderful idea,” Li answered. “The resource is here, why not make use of it? You can contact Lt. Alan Young, the Dean’s assistant. He can arrange it for you.”

“Lt. Young,” she repeated, to try and remember the name. “I’ll do that. Thank you. And since I’m on the topic of field trips, I may send a request to you about them coming up to the command deck, or whatever it’s called here, if that’s okay. I’m sure it’s much better, and bigger, than anything I’ve ever seen so I can just imagine their little eyes wide with wonder.”

“Very well, just send word when you want to set it up and we’ll make it happen.” Li drank some more of her coffee. “If you want a good place for dinner, just down from here on this deck is Lao’s. It’s awesome, but popular. I suggest calling ahead to make a reservation so you don’t have to wait.”

“I will,” she replied. “And I really do appreciate you taking the time to chat. Thank you.”

“I’ve enjoyed it. I really should --” Her comm badge beeped. “It must be that time. Good luck Celine.” Li stood and hurried off.

Celine smiled. The Captain seemed like a nice person. She hoped everyone else on the station would be as well. Finishing up her coffee and last piece of toast she stood, exhaled deeply trying to brace herself for the overload of what all she would see today, and headed out.

“Thank you,” she said to the server in passing as she walked out. “It was lovely.”

“You’re very welcome.”

In the corridor she tried to decide which way to go. “Left,” she said, then turned and began walking.

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Celine Valois
Teacher on an Adventure

Captain Li Hawke
Welcome Wagon