There is 1 message in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. USS Calypso: Meet your staff
From: Josh Turnof <josh@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
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Message: 1
Date: Sun, 17 Jul 2005 15:56:50 -0400
From: Josh Turnof <josh@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
Subject: USS Calypso: Meet your staff
Place: back at the academy
Time: a few years ago
=B3Alright, Louie,=B2 the producer said, as Louie walked through the
control
booth. =B3Now, just because its your first night, don=B9t think you=B9re
going to
get a pass. Watch the prompter, listen in your ear, but remember, this
is
yours and Eddie=B9s show. Plus, that you=B9re going to be the first all
first
year team on the network, broadcast to thousands of systems universe
wide...well, I don=B9t have to tell you about pressure. Just go and
have a
good time!=B2 The producer said, patting Louie on the back.
=B3Yeah, no pressure.=B2 Louie said, walking out the door onto the sound
stage.
Now, Louie and Eddie had been practicing every day for the last week
for
this show. It was a nightly show, rebroadcast in any number of
languages to
any number of planets, but tonight was real. Tonight was their big
night.
It was live. It was real.
=B3Good luck, Louie.=B2 Some of the PAs shouted as he walked towards the
desk.
=B3Take home, Louie!=B2 =B3Eddie, try not to mock him too much on the
air!=B2
=B3Louie, remember, we=B9re in New York.=B2
=B3You know, that was one time, I screwed that up. How much longer am I
going
to have to put up with it?=B2 Louie said, sitting down.
=B3Looks like its gonna be just a little bit longer,=B2 Eddie said,
walking by
the Oslap line=B9 that had formed in the last moments. =B3Hey there,
boys and
girls, this is Eddie McCarthy coming at ya with your Eye on S****ts!
Woo! Oh
yeah, and I think Zan from the Wondertwins is here too.=B2 Raucous
laughter.
=B3You really enjoy that, don=B9t you?=B2
=B3You have no idea.=B2 Eddie said, sitting down. Laughter and jokes
were
definitely his way of amusing himself, but they were also a defense
mechanism. There was no question he was just as nervous as Louie was,
he
just handled it...differently. =B3You got the story on...=B2
=B3Yes.=B2
=B3And the one on...=B2
=B3Yes.=B2
=B3You don=B9t even know what I was going to say.=B2
=B3You were going to ask if I had the racing story change and the change
on
the soccer match on Vulcan.=B2
=B3That was absolutely NOT what I was going to say.=B2
<Yes, it was, Eddie.> the producer said over the loudspeaker.
=B3Alright, yes it was, but still.=B2 Eddie said, rearranging his PADDs.
=B3Okay, you ready?=B2
=B3Yup.=B2
=B3You sure?=B2
=B3Yup.=B2
=B3And remember, we=B9re in New York.=B2
=B3I hate you.=B2
=B3I know. Hunker down. I=B9ll show you the way.=B2
<And we=B9re on, in 5...4...3...2...1...>
=B3Good evening, from New York,=B2 good start, Louie, keep it going...
=B3My name
is Ed McCarthy, sitting beside me, is Lou Coltraine...=B2 DAMNIT!
This was
going to be an excruciating night...
****
Place: USS Calypso
Time: MD 4:1145 (or so)
=B3Louie you have the con for now! The rest of you return to your
stations
until further notice!"
"Sir?" Louie asked pensively appearing on the other side of Brant. The
Captain looked around at the Ops offer with a questioning glance,
seeing the
hesitation on his face Reed smiled, knowing immediately what the
problem
was.
"First time on the throne Oeh?"
"Yes Sir!"
"You=B9ll do fine Ensign!" Still sensing the first time jitters in
Coltrane,
Brant added, "Providing there=B9s not too many problems in the holodeck,
when
I get back I want you to take a run down to Holodeck 3, you look like
you
could use a trim!"
Belying the fact of his own longer hair Brant just smiled knowing a
trim was
the last thing Louie really needed, The barber program aka OCharlie=B9
was an
awesome program. The computer-generated barber had more advice then any
Ohuman=B9 he=B9d ever met and was a good listener, especially when a
person
needed an impartial sounding board.
"Sir!" The ops officer exclaimed in surprise, totally befuddled by the
odd
request.
"Yes Ensign, I think a trim is just what you need! And Louie, that=B9s
an
order!" The Captain added before exciting the briefing room.
ORight, okay, time to sit down.=B9 Louie said, walking out, and onto the
bridge. He started walking towards his chair, to find someone else
sitting
in it already. Not that this came as much of a surprise. He looked
around
to see if anyone was looking, and without fail, all but the Flight
control
officer were looking. Odamn.=B9 =B3Alright, no reason to stare at the
klutzy
ensign. Where are we?=B2 He asked, as everyone quickly hid their
smiles. It
was going to be an excruciating ****ft.
****
Time: MD 4:1430
Louie, having just spent the most miserable amount of time on the
bridge,
virtually useless, now was making his way down to Holodeck 3 for his
=B3mandatory haircut.=B2 As he walked past, he saw one of his ops guys.
They
both nodded at each other, really in a way that only men could. Women
nodding like that just looked silly, even engineers. It just didn=B9t
work.
For men, it was really a genetic thing. It just worked for them.
He walked through the archway into the holodeck, but more im****tantly,
into
a foreign place. It was a cacophony smells and sights and sounds. As
he
walked through, he heard a bell right behind him.
=B3Take a seat, I=B9ll be right with you,=B2 a balding man said standing
behind a
man in a chair. Louie didn=B9t usually go to a holodeck for a haircut.
Normally, he=B9d either go home, and his mother would help him (or one
of his
sisters), or he would just find the Starfleet barber. =B3Where you
from,
son?=B2 the bald man asked the younger person in the chair.
=B3I=B9m from Kansas, sir.=B2
=B3Kansas?=B2
=B3I=B9ve been there before. I used to work at the University of Kansas
there.
A lot of good people there.=B2 The balding man said, before asking,
=B3do you
want your sideburns kept too?=B2
=B3Yes, sir.=B2 the younger man said. =B3Please keep them. I like the
University Campus at UK. Its a very comfortable school, for a huge
one. I
liked my farm more though.=B2
=B3Oh? You=B9re a farmer?=B2
=B3Yes, sir. I grow corn and soy beans.=B2
=B3Got any good recipes you want to share?=B2
=B3Nah, I just grow Oem. I let my wife cook Oem.=B2
=B3Well, then send your wife over here. I=B9ve been looking for some
good corn
recipes. You don=B9t happen to have any good corn recipes, do you,
Louie?=B2
Louie looked around, but noticed he was the only other person there
besides
the barber and the boy.
=B3No, sir. I usually go to the lounge...er, the restaurant down the
way to
get some food.=B2 Louie said, correcting himself, not really thinking
about
the fact that the barber knew who he was before he=B9d introduced
himself.
=B3Pity. Chet here says his wife makes Oem good.=B2
=B3Yup, she do.=B2 Ochet=B9 said. =B3You won=B9t never have tasted
better.=B2
=B3Well, then Louie, dinner=B9s at chet=B9s house tonight.=B2
=B3Come on by, and we=B9ll make for an army.=B2
=B3That probably won=B9t be necessary, Chet. You=B9re done.=B2 He said,
tapping
him on the shoulder. The young man took some green paper out of his
pocket
and handed it to the older man. =B3Have a good afternoon! You=B9re
next,
Louie!=B2 He said, cleaning off the chair, as a small boy swept the
hair from
beneath his feet with an oversized sweeping object.
Sitting down, Louie felt as a towel was quickly wrapped around his
neck,
before another cloth, plastic this time, was placed over the rest of
his
body from his shoulders down. =B3So, what can I do to you today?=B2
=B3Well, the captain...er, my boss told me I need a trim, so I guess one
of
those, please.=B2
=B3Ah, Brant sent you down, did he?=B2
=B3You know the captain?=B2 Louie asked, shocked.
=B3Yup, he probably comes in once every other week for a trim or so.
He=B9s
very meticulous about those things.=B2
=B3Really.=B2 Louie breathed as he watched the man take out a pair of
scissors.
=B3I have to admit, I was a bit surprised when he told me to come down
here.=B2
=B3Oh?=B2 The barber said. =B3Why=B9s that?=B2
=B3Well, I didn=B9t think my hair was that bad. I only had it cut a week
ago.=B2
=B3You=B9re right, it doesn=B9t look that bad. Usually he doesn=B9t send
people
down to me haphazardly.=B2
=B3He=B9s done this before?=B2
=B3Oh sure. Brant sends me all sorts of young officers. Usually ones
who are
fresh out of the academy. So, how long has it been for you?=B2
=B3Only a few months.=B2 Louie said, feeling a little bit down.
=B3Don=B9t worry about it, Louie. You=B9ll get over it in time.=B2 The
barber put
the fini****ng touches on his hair. =B3I=B9m usually the kind of guy who
makes
people into better officers. Its my job.=B2
=B3I thought you were a barber.=B2 Louie asked, getting up.
=B3I am.=B2
=B3So, how is it your job also to make people better officers?=B2
=B3Metaphorically, Louie.=B2
=B3What is your name?=B2
=B3Normally, people call me, Chief. But, my name is Charlie.=B2
=B3Well, Charlie, its been nice meeting you. Maybe I=B9ll see you again
when I
need a trim.=B2
=B3Nah, Louie, you=B9ll be seeing me again sooner than that.=B2
=B3What do you mean?=B2
=B3Have you met all of your staff yet?=B2
=B3Yes.=B2
=B3No, I mean, have you spoken with all of your staff one-on-one?=B2
=B3No, I=B9ve only been able to really get to Chief Casey and Chief
Johnson.=B2
=B3So, you have three left?=B2
=B3Yes.=B2
=B3Good. Before you see me at this time tomorrow, I=B9d like you to have
seen
at least 2 of them, if not all three.=B2
=B3I=B9m seeing you again tomorrow, am I?=B2
=B3Yup. That=B9s the fun about being mentored. Now, have a good day, I
have
another customer.=B2 Louie looked around to find a blondish boy sitting
in a
chair reading a book. The title looked like =B3Barry Trotter and the
Cynical
Stone=B2 but he couldn=B9t really tell as he was walking out.
=B3Remember, Louie,
see you tomorrow.=B2
=B3See you then, Charlie.=B2 He said, walking out very confused.
Walking
back onto the bridge, he saw the captain sitting in his familiar chair.
=B3Ah, you look good, ensign. How was Charlie?=B2
=B3He was...interesting, sir.=B2
=B3Yeah,=B2 the CO chuckled, =B3he tends to have that impact on people
first time
around. You going to see him again.=B2
=B3Tomorrow.=B2
=B3Good. You=B9re off for the rest of the ****ft. Why don=B9t you get
started on
your first assignment?=B2
=B3Yes, sir.=B2 Louie said, still shaking his head while walking back
towards
the turbolift. Oso weird,=B9 he thought as the doors closed.
****
Respectfully Submitted,
Ensign Louie Coltraine
Operations Manager
USS Calypso
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