I Want You . . . On My Team

Posted on Sat Feb 17th, 2024 @ 8:20pm by Ensign Connor Turner & Ensign Millicent Ambrose
Edited on on Sun Feb 18th, 2024 @ 10:15pm

0 words; about a 1 minute read

Mission: Episode 15 - The Evil That Lies Beneath
Location: Main Engineering - Deck 11 - USS Pioneer
Timeline: MD003 0900 hrs

Fortified by Marjani and perhaps so some extent his Assistant Chief Engineer, Connor knew that he had better do what he set out to do in coming here this day: ask Millie to join the team that he was forming on Gamma Shift. The only thing that he did not know was what he would do if Milly said no. If she said yes, well, that would be one relief, but he would have to work with her all the time. Could he really do that? Lead her and a team? Marjani certainly thought that he could. Elen apparently thought he could. So why was he still so uncertain?

He started looking around Engineering, marveling that the majority of people here were still female. Despite what Elen said, it still unnerved him. Look for pink hair. Look for pink hair. She has to be around here somewhere.

The main doors to engineering swooshed open, and Milly stepped inside. Her magenta streaked hair was braided in order to keep it from getting into her eyes. She was getting signed in for her time of duty, ready to tackle that project that Elen wished her to do, and that was to solve the mysterious malfunctions on Deck 5. Maybe she was a bit early but Milly was eager to tackle the intriguing possible mystery.

Milly was so caught up in her thoughts as to the project she actually had a bit of a smile. Now whether anyone was watching her, Milly didn't notice. "Wonder what I will find on Deck Five," she murmured to herself.

Connor did not notice Milly come in at first. After all, with her hair braided, less of the pink showed. He was pretty certain that braiding it when he was trying to find her and steady his nerves must be cheating of some sort. If not, it was just downright inconsiderate. He rushed to catch up to her, calling, "Milly, er, um, Milly...." He only hoped that she would hear him before she wandered off to God knew where.

Milly's thoughts were interrupted when she heard someone call her name, her eyes widened when she looked to see who was calling her, and she felt a slight sense of panic well up inside. It was Connor!

Oh gosh, it's him.... What does he want from me? Did I get into trouble for something? What am I thinking? He's not that way; he likes milk in his Earl Gray tea, and Vura said to just try to not go back in my rabbit hole. And Milly- don't run. "Uh hi Connor, er, how is it going?" She uttered the last part, and it came out like a squeak.

It took Connor a couple more steps before he realized that something had changed. He was not sure what, but something was different in the way that Milly answered. Of course, he could be imagining things. "Uh, I wanted to talk to you...." His cheeks pinked and he looked down. Of course she knows that you want to speak with her. You got her attention, you ninny.

After he took a moment to compose himself, he looked back at Milly and said, "Um, well, um, the Chief, er, Elen offered me the lead on gamma shift...."

Oh, that was an interesting piece of news to Milly, her eyes widening once more, her lips going into an 'O' form. "Oh, that is, er, awesome." her mind raced for a moment then it dawned on her, "Wait, does this mean you are back in engineering?!" Her voice was quiet but definitely contained an amazed expression there. "I, er, am glad that you are, er, back where you want to be." She chewed on her lower lip for a moment, exerting a lot of strong will to stay where she was. He's not going to bite; he's scary; no he's not scary; he's nice. Another small voice her own whispered in her, That is why he is scary; he's being nice! Milly shushed the inner voices for a moment and waited for Connor to speak.

"Oh, um, yeah.... I guess I forgot to lead with that. Blimey, everything happened, well, fast. I asked the Chief, er, Elen, if I could come back now that Ensign F'rar was gone and, well, she obviously said yes. Then, um, well, she said that there were reports read about my work in Ops and I was offered the lead in gamma." He looked down after he told Milly about being offered the lead in Gamma. You sound like a bigheaded arse, don't you?

He cleared his throat and then tried to start again. "Well, anyway, I honestly don't know a thing about leading, but I did ask if I could pick some of my team. Elen said she wanted to know who. I said, well, um, you." He pointedly looked at Milly, then his eyes went wide and he looked away, trying to hide from any potential negative answer. "So, um, well, do you want to....?"

Milly was speechless at this, just standing there blinking slowly. Wait, he asked me to be on his team? On Gamma shift, that would be easier. Not meeting too many people makes it easier to get back into life, I guess? Why not? He's not overbearing. I feel slightly comfortable with him. I can't believe I just thought that. Okay he needs an answer.

"O-okay, sure I'll be on your team." Milly mustered up a small smile. "I-I, er, think it would be a good thing, just as long as I get to do my, er, investigation of Deck Five, still," she stated, this time meeting Connor's eyes.

Audibly, Connor exhaled, relieved. "I am so glad that you want to be with me." His eyes widened again. Say something, Connor! That came out all wrong! "On my team, I mean." He swallowed hard and looked at his shoes.

"This is, um, hard," he practically whispered as he slowly raised his head back to Milly. It took him a moment, but his brain finally caught up with his mouth. What was that about Deck Five? "Investigation?" Connor asked curiously. "What's happening on Deck Five?"

"There is a section on Deck Five that strange things are happening. Power fluctuations and seeming to have failures there, a grav plate just fell without reason. She said that basically the readings say everything checks out but still there isn't light where it says it works. So she was asking me to take apart that area and try to find out why it's doing that." In talking about that project, Milly wasn't hesitating in her speech, this project was something she felt she could really get into. "I'll have to do some talking to the area, maybe it will speak to me."

"Maybe," Connor answered thoughtfully, trying to determine why any area would act so abnormally. "I would not interfere with that project, of course, but if you wanted a second set of eyes...." Did you just call her incompetent? Connor, you're a bloody idiot. "I'm sure you don't really need me, but, well...." He sighed, feeling like he was just digging himself further into a hole.

"Uh Connor, are you okay?" Milly asked, tilting her head to one side, "I don't mind you coming to have a look see and you are right, perhaps the two of us can figure out what is happening there. I normally don't bother people when I am on a project. I can get a little bit testy." She rubbed the back of her head. "I, er, get into an argument with said object when I wrestle with trying to figure out why something isn't working." Giving a wry smile, she continued, "I can have some colorful language when I argue with said item I am working on."

"I prefer blue," he told Milly, wondering if she would catch the humor. Not waiting for he response, he continued, "For a colour, that is." He gave Milly a meek smile and soft shrug. "I don't want to intrude, but, I like to solve problems, so if there's a mystery with a computer, I naturally, well, gravitate towards it."

Milly gave a soft giggle getting Connor's joke then quickly looked around, having covered her mouth after she had giggled. "Sure, with your expertise with computers and my liking to work on difficult problems hey I think we can solve it or at least find the issues." She realized that they both were just standing in one place and maybe blocking movement, "So, you are now my team leader and in some aspect my boss? Maybe we can go find the other person or persons who will be on our team?"

What is going on here? I am being more talkative. This is weird, what did Vura do to me? I am talking way too much. Oh gosh... is the pent up other part of me ready to burst forth? I can't let that happen all of a sudden, this must be just a fluke. It would be too much for the others! Stand your ground Milly....

"Well," Connor started. "I don't know who the other people on our team will be. See, um, well, I have not yet formally told Elen that I was accepting her offer. She gave me a week and, well, it has only been a day. So, I, well, have not, well, informed her that I was accepting yet."

"Oh! I thought you already had accepted the position." She paused for a moment then asked, "W-were you waiting to decide on the position until you spoke to me first?" Milly was a bit perplexed on that one. It boggled her mind, but then she shrugged. I am over thinking things again.

"Well, yesterday, Elen gave me a week to decide." He shuffled his feet uncomfortably. "I talked to Marjani about it. I, well, was not sure I would accept. See, well, I was worried, well, that, um, I could not lead. I've never, well, done it before, and um, well, I have, um, trouble talking to well, many women, and well, this department seems rather inundated with them."

He shrugged and looked somewhere over Milly's left shoulder. "So, when Elen offered me the position, I asked if I could bring you along, and she said, yes, if I accepted the position. I can, well, talk to you. Mostly, anyways. And, well, you knew me at the academy, so, I figured, well, we could work together. With a small team, I could, well, break myself in, too. Anyways, Marjani thought it was a good idea that I have someone familiar, too."

He gulped hard and then said, "So, as soon as we're done talking, I'm going to tell Elen that I accept and that hopefully, you still want to work with me on Gamma."

Milly drew in a breath letting it out. "Connor, I said yes. And I am not going to back down on that. And to me well...." She chewed the inside of her cheek slightly, "Your suggestion of helping me look at the trouble on Deck Five-well that says you have the capability of leading a team," she uttered hurriedly. "I feel I can work with you; I feel more comfortable with that option." I feel safer with him. She spoke her thought out loud. "I feel safer with you." Her eyes widened; she actually spoke that out loud.

I can't believe I said that, gosh does that mean I am actually trusting someone besides Vura! feeling a little bit of panic rising.

"Um, you do?" he asked, not understanding what she might be referring to. "Right, well, I feel better with you being around, too. Not as many nerves...."

Milly nodded, "Well um- yeah I do, but you may want to get going and go talk to Elen. I er... need to go check my work orders. Just let me know when we will be starting, okay?" She rubbed one hand on the leg of her pants feeling her palm get a bit sweaty. She needed to get a cup of tea or something to calm her nerves, and to process what had just happened.

"I will," Connor replied, more relieved to be on topic again. "Thanks, Milly. I hope we will work well together. I think we will."

Milly gave a vigorous nod at Connor's comment. "I think we can work well together too." Her shoulders showed the signs of relaxing. "So, I'll just go start this one job and we can catch up, okay? Or you can catch up to me to see what is going on with Deck Five. Uh meet you there, maybe?"

"Sure!" Connor replied excitedly. "I'll see you on Deck 5...after I accept the job from Elen."

"That sounds great. See you then." Milly managed to give a smile towards Connor. She turned to head out from engineering to investigate Deck 5. She paused at the doorway, turned to look at Connor and gave him a wave before stepping through the door.

A Joint Post By

Ensign Millicent Ambrose
Engineer, USS Pioneer

Ensign Connor Turner
Computer Systems Specialist, USS Pioneer

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