Looks Like We Might be Stuck for a While
Posted on Sat Aug 1st, 2020 @ 8:02pm by Lieutenant Noa Modi
Edited on on Sat Aug 1st, 2020 @ 9:14pm
Mission:
Welcome Aboard!
Location: Diplomacy Office
Timeline: Present
ON:
It wasn’t a big office, and she wasn’t expecting it to be. As important as diplomacy is, both in general and to the Federation, it was one of the only things that could be done without a designated spot. Some ships take that literally, assigning the duties to another staff officer or bringing someone in for specific diplomatic functions, and using other parts of the ship to hold their diplomacy meetings and events. Space stations were more likely to have the space and personnel for diplomacy than the ships were, but just barely.
“Can I help you?”
Pulled from her thoughts, Noa turned to face the door, and the room’s new occupant. “I’m Lieutenant Noa Modi. You must be Ensign Nuniz-Santos.”
When she got her orders, she was also given the personnel files for her captain and that of the ensign assigned as her aide. The picture in his file did him justice, though he was taller than she expected.
“Yes, sir. Uh, if it’s all the same, Raul is fine,” he told her with a small smile.
“And you can all me Noa when the big guns aren’t around,” Noa replied. There’s enough pomp and circumstance related to their duties; she didn’t need him calling her ‘sir’ every five minutes.
“Hebrew for movement and motion,” Raul said. “Your surname is Indian, old Hindi, if I’m not mistaken.” Noa raised an eyebrow. “Etymology specialist. It comes in handy when encountering a new race.”
“Anthropology,” she said, referring to herself.
You’d be hard pressed to find a diplomat who didn’t have an outside proficiency. Mind you, some are still around, they just weren’t common, as part of what makes the job challenging and rewarding is figuring out interesting ways to bring two or more races together. Understanding the commonalities in in different cultures is how Noa usually finds her way in, Raul, it seems, uses language.
“For the time being, I think it’s just us,” Noa said. Though the office could fit a few more people, Raul was the only person assigned to her. “I’m sure the brass will send additional personnel if we need it. In the meantime…”
The lights in the office flickered, so did the consoles and the datascreen on the wall.
“Are they still running tests?” Raul asked her.
“This close to departure? Highly unlikely.”
The flickering continued for another minute before plunging the pair into relative darkness, the only light coming from the station outside.
“Computer?” Noa inquired, with no response. =/\= Modi to the bridge. What’s going on? =/\=
=/\= There are power fluctuations all over the ship, sir. If you’re safe and unharmed, we need you to keep the channels clear. =/\= The comms officer, though hurried, was nice about it.
=/\= Copy that. Keep me posted. Modi out. =/\=
“Looks like we might be stuck for a while, huh?” Raul asked.
“Looks that way.” Noa dropped into a chair. To much stuff on the ship ran off the power grid to go walking around. She honestly felt bad for anyone stuck in a turbolift right now.
Raising an eyebrow, Raul pointed over her shoulder. “You have an office. Might be tricky getting in there right this second, but still.”
“Trying to get rid of me already?” Noa asked, feigning hurt.
“Not as all, it’s just… You’re messing with me.”
“A little. I’m not the office type and unless it’s classified, you’ll know about it anyway. No reason I can’t work from here. If that’s okay with you.”
“Of course.” He gave her a look. “This only my second assignment. My last CDO was a bit of a jerk, so you’re being nice is…”
“Weird. I know.” Noa smiled. “Some really great diplomats aren’t necessarily the best people. So, I’ll make a deal with you; if you think I’m wrong, call me out and I won’t hold it against you if you do.”
“I can work with that.”
OFF
LtJG Noa Modi
Chief Diplomatic Officer
USS Sunfire
