Bonding Over Weapons
Posted on Sat Apr 22nd, 2023 @ 9:01pm by Lieutenant Commander Alyssa Maren & Lieutenant JG Mira Jayna
Edited on on Mon Apr 24th, 2023 @ 10:31pm
1,114 words; about a 6 minute read
Mission:
Episode 14 - The Poseidon Adventure
Location: Maren's Office - Deck 8 - USS Pioneer
Timeline: MD002 1000 hrs
Mira Jayna rang the chime to Alyssa's office door after confirming her location. The science officer had a tendency to move around during her shift and was sometimes hard to pin down.
"Come in." Alyssa was going over a report on the current status of the garden cube to send to the captain. Everything was growing well and they were on schedule to open in the next few weeks. When she heard the chime, she saved the document and stood. "Come in."
When she saw Jayna, she smiled. "Congratulations on your promotion. It's well deserved."
Jayna frowned briefly. But not wanting Alyssa to think she didn't appreciate it, she quickly smiled. "Thank you. I think. It's not the promotion I mind, it's the paperwork. Do you have a few minutes?"
"That's true." Alyssa thought of the report she'd been working on. "There is a lot of paperwork. Have a seat. I've got a few minutes." She indicated a couch and two chairs in the corner. "Would you like something from the replicator?"
"No, thank you." Jayna looked over the office as she went over to one of the two chairs, noting the changes since she last visited. She was curious to see a dart board on the wall, but she had business to conduct before asking about it. "I'm done with the Astrometrics lab for now."
"Did you find what you were looking for?" Alyssa knew that the intel officer was working with commander Malbrooke to find out where the Pioneer had been when the crew went missing for a year, but not the details.
"I found where the ship went, and who may have been involved, but not what it did. Someone went to a lot of effort to remove communication logs and ship records. Commander Malbrooke is trying to piece together that information from the main computer. But for my part, the passive sensors were of great help once I got past the initial barriers. Thank you."
"You're welcome. It was nice to see someone taking advantage of that. Astrometrics is a very…flexible lab." Alyssa had used it herself once to lock out some of the ship's functions once before.
"It is indeed. The Pioneer's is one of the more advanced ones I've seen."
Alyssa nodded. "It is. I inherited an excellent science department."
"That you did." The intel officer nodded to the dart board. "That's new. Do you play darts?"
"Not exactly. I have a blowgun and occasionally practice here. Not everyone appreciates my kind of darts and the lounge isn't the best place for it."
Jayna raised an eyebrow. "I've never used a blowgun. It's an unusual weapon."
"I would rather incapacitate someone than kill them. I took up the blowgun when I was assigned to a Deep Space Relay Station. The chief of security thought it would be fun to test my reflexes by asking me to meet him in an unused room, then attack me with a knife. I was furious."
"I would be, too." It would definitely catch someone off-guard, but it was also a dirty trick to pull on someone—especially a science officer who didn't use weapons on a regular basis. "What did you do?"
"Ran into unused quarters, short-circuited the power in the bathroom and turned on the shower, then slipped out through an access panel. I didn't hurt him, but I did give him quite a shock." Alyssa smiled at the memory.
"I can imagine. And that is why you took up a blowgun?"
"I figured I should have a weapon on me after that and a blowgun seemed to be better than a belt knife. I used his face as the target," Alyssa admitted, grinning. "It was…therapeutic."
Jayna laughed. She should try that some time. "That is brilliant. I'm not sure electrocution is the most efficient way of stopping someone, but I like the idea of a blowgun." And then the details of what Alyssa said registered and she raised an eyebrow. "I think I know of that particular relay station. You were the only science officer, right?"
"Yes…" She hadn't given any details, so she was surprised at Jayna's reaction. But then, given her occupation, maybe she shouldn't be.
"I met an intel officer once who told me about a security officer who liked to surprise the crew with attacks like that. He was on a…special relay station." Or, rather, an intel ship that used the deep space relay station as a cover for their activities. From what she knew of the project, they had a regular science officer on board to deal with the science part of their missions. But she didn't officially know about it, and she knew Alyssa wouldn't admit it.
"Who knows. It may have been someone who learned the same trick. I was only there for a year, then I was transferred."
Jayna nodded. "I can see how a blowgun would come in handy. It isn't a weapon that's restricted on ships, and it's easy to keep out of sight. I should take up the hobby. I just throw knives." Although shoe often wore wire jewelry that had several uses. A weapon that could be used from a distance and wasn't a phaser might come in handy.
"I'm not as good with knives, but I'll be happy to teach you the blowgun. I've put the one I like best in the computer. Maybe you could give me a few pointers with a blade as well."
"If we're going to be throwing knives, we should move to a holodeck." Jayna looked over the room. "I'm not sure Ops would appreciate a call to repair holes in the wall."
Alyssa grinned. "Probably not. Why don't we meet after our shift? I'll reserve a holosuite and we can do as much damage as we want."
"I wouldn't go that far," Jayna replied, chuckling. "I can do a fair amount of damage if I try."
"Good point. So, we'll do it to give ourselves room to miss until we both get the hang of things."
"Sounds good. I'll bring the knives. I have a set with good balance. I can get you one like it. You can bring the blowguns and darts."
"Perfect. See you then."
Jayna grinned. "I think this is going to be fun." She nodded to Alyssa before she left the office.
A Joint Post By
Lieutenant Junior Grade Mira Jayna
Assistant Chief Intelligence Officer, USS Pioneer
Intelligence Liaison, The Cure
Lieutenant Commander Alyssa Maren
Chief Science Officer, USS Pioneer
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