Rounding up the Newbie (Tanner/James/any)

[James Ramort]

Leaving Kinley's science labs, Tanner and James made quick work of the route to the turbolift. They'd head to lunch on Deck 6 but, since it shared a floor with the holodeck, it would be easy to include a short conversation on holodeck safety and ...inappropriate usage. There weren't rules against holodeck romances or sexual adventures, but Tanner liked to ensure newbies understood how small their ship was in the grand scheme of things. Staff still had to work together despite the drama.

After that, it was down to Engineering and Sickbay and then all the way up to the bridge.

"So.." Tanner said as they entered the lift and it closed behind them, "Before we get to food, I need to know a few things." She called out their destination and the lift moved, "Being new on a ship usually has about a three-week honeymoon period where you're all excitement and endorphines. You want to explore, see things, volunteer and sometimes as I've seen, rush into danger headfirst."

She gave James a smirk, "And sometimes, the holodeck can be a catalyst for releasing hormones and such. Are you able to look me in the eyes and say you won't be an Ensign I remember awkwardly?"

[USS Discovery - Turbolift]

The tour of the Ship left a deep impression on Ramort, shaking him even more when he question was asked. Of course he knew how Holodecks were used (there weren't any official statistics of course but it wasn't even an open secret) but Starfleet Academy was very vocal in its insistence on Holodeck routine. Specifications stipulated that they were to be used soley for Training Purposes. That didn't really stop anyone from taking some extra minutes to marvel at the setting suns over Tafala or taking a stroll in the Amazonas though.

He was feeling caught a bit by the part with being overexciting for joining their first ship and volunteering for stuff though. That one he might have to work on, it wasn't even his first duty shift and he kind of already volunteered to work on an experimental roaming holographic critter.

Looking Lieutentant Lachlyn in the eyes
"I promise you, you won't have to deal with me causing any problems, including on the Holodecks. The last thing I want in my first weeks of service is a record in my files from Ops or Security for misuse of ship facilities!"

[Tanner Lachlyn]

Tanner grinned, "Good answer. I'll hold you to that." She wouldn't hold him to it too tightly. Almost every newbie gave the same promise and there was always grace if they got carried away. From her brief time with James though, Tanner was getting the feeling he might be one of the few who didn't wind up in trouble even after his first month.

The lift stopped, allowing them to exit. Tanner motioned that they were heading left and led him down the corridor to the lounge. She rattled off some information about the transporter rooms and the battle bridge which was part of the Secondary hull.

Entering the forward lounge she waved to the bartender and then looked at James, "First meal, what ya gonna order?" She pointed to the replicators, "We can head up to the second level to eat. It's got a better view."

[James Ramort]

Tanner grinned, "Good answer. I'll hold you to that." She wouldn't hold him to it too tightly. Almost every newbie gave the same promise and there was always grace if they got carried away. From her brief time with James though, Tanner was getting the feeling he might be one of the few who didn't wind up in trouble even after his first month.

The lift stopped, allowing them to exit. Tanner motioned that they were heading left and led him down the corridor to the lounge. She rattled off some information about the transporter rooms and the battle bridge which was part of the Secondary hull.

Entering the forward lounge she waved to the bartender and then looked at James, "First meal, what ya gonna order?" She pointed to the replicators, "We can head up to the second level to eat. It's got a better view."

[USS Discovery - Aft Lounge]

"How about some New Town Stew. It is a special Dish from my Hometown. So far no replicator has managed to recreate it quite right but maybe Discoveries Replicators can manage to surprise me after all. It's not like it's particularly complicated dish but the balance of vegetables and spices seems to have been programmed just that little bit off. Maybe I will program my own version one day."

He turned to the Replicator and ordered one serving. It was produced in an isolated metal bowl, steaming hot producing a small pillar of steam. A single spoon replicated next to it. He took both items out of the Replicator and turned to his guide:

"Still worth a try though, if you want to give it a chance or course."

He stepped aside to allow he to access the Replicator herself while already taking a look through the Room. It was not too crowded but many different Departments were present. With the Discovery starting onto her next mission soon most Officers and Crewman had already returned from their shore leave. Among them surely some as new to the ship as  himself.

[Tanner Lachlyn]

With a wide grin, she said, "Stew or soup is always a good idea." She ordered the same plus a cup of ginger tea. It whirled to life on the tray, a thing that never ceased to fascinate Tanner despite seeing it every day.

"Replicators are cool, but they still miss the beat on a few things. Whenever I get to Earth, there are a few things I desperately need to find and devour." Tanner couldn't help but smile at the warm memories of food with her friends. Drinks on the pier with a picnic of foods they'd missed.

Taking her meal and drink in hand she motioned to the second floor, "I enjoy hiding in the corner when I eat. Socializing is fun, but sometimes after a long shift, you want the quiet. Most crew can relate and tend to take it as a sign to steer clear."

Tanner led him to a table near a large viewport and sat down. The stew smelled divine, but having no knowledge of what it was supposed to be like she waited for James to pick up his utensil, "You know, if it's not up to par there are ways to tweak the recipe."

[James Ramort]

With a wide grin, she said, "Stew or soup is always a good idea." She ordered the same plus a cup of ginger tea. It whirled to life on the tray, a thing that never ceased to fascinate Tanner despite seeing it every day.

"Replicators are cool, but they still miss the beat on a few things. Whenever I get to Earth, there are a few things I desperately need to find and devour." Tanner couldn't help but smile at the warm memories of food with her friends. Drinks on the pier with a picnic of foods they'd missed.

Taking her meal and drink in hand she motioned to the second floor, "I enjoy hiding in the corner when I eat. Socializing is fun, but sometimes after a long shift, you want the quiet. Most crew can relate and tend to take it as a sign to steer clear."

Tanner led him to a table near a large viewport and sat down. The stew smelled divine, but having no knowledge of what it was supposed to be like she waited for James to pick up his utensil, "You know, if it's not up to par there are ways to tweak the recipe."

He sat down on the opposing site of the table located under the viewport, the massive primary hull of the Space Dock hanging over them, its position lights casting little dancing sparks of light reflecting in the metal bowls holding the stew.

"I get the need to sometimes take a break from other people. On the academy there were missions we had to partake in which we were not allowed to have any form of time for ourselves for weeks on end. I think they meant to prepare us for the dense living conditions on a starship but it still was burdensome. At least Science has the benefit to offer long shift of concentrated and singular work on projects."

He started to dig into the stew, first carefully to test the temperature, then enjoying the familiar dish. It was a fair approximation but as expected it fell short just around the end.

"I should probably seek out someone from Ops or Engineering to assist me in adding my own version to the taste files. Maybe I can even add some more family recipes."

A small smile forming on his face at the thought of it. It had to be part of human nature to take the small parts that gave comfort and insurance with them outwards. A purely materialistically constructed ship would have no need for an expensive and complicated device like a Foodreplicator. These devices added a thousand moments of humanity materialized through dishes, evoking memories and emotions.

He realized he was losing himself in a train of thought unrelated to the situation and snapped back to it. Looking out to the ships in the space around Discovery, which not too long he was part of himself, he glanced at the other ships, some unknown, some other legends of the Federation.

"May I ask, do you know anything about our upcoming mission? It just might be because its my first one or because it is such a big occasion but the mission orders I received were a little .... short."

[Tanner Lachlyn]

[USS Discovery - Lounge]

Tanner paused her spoon mid-scoop and looked at James, "Short?" A smirk formed and she placed the spoon into the soup and picked up her drink, "Short is the most beautiful way of describing it."

How much to tell the Ensign without sounding cynical? She pondered her response and then continued, "So, unless you're specifically involved in the mission - it will be short. You don't always get details." She took a sip and then placed it back down, "Go here. Do this. Often without explanation. That doesn't mean you shouldn't ask questions, but we are all cogs in a very large machine. We need to be aware of how big the picture can be, and sometimes it comes down to us doing our small parts."

Tanner offered a reassuring smile, "That being said, work your ass off to stand out in your small spot and you'll earn the trust of those around you. Trust means you learn more than others. You're offered the opportunity to do more than others."

[James Ramort]

[USS Discovery - Lounge]

Tanner paused her spoon mid-scoop and looked at James, "Short?" A smirk formed and she placed the spoon into the soup and picked up her drink, "Short is the most beautiful way of describing it."

How much to tell the Ensign without sounding cynical? She pondered her response and then continued, "So, unless you're specifically involved in the mission - it will be short. You don't always get details." She took a sip and then placed it back down, "Go here. Do this. Often without explanation. That doesn't mean you shouldn't ask questions, but we are all cogs in a very large machine. We need to be aware of how big the picture can be, and sometimes it comes down to us doing our small parts."

Tanner offered a reassuring smile, "That being said, work your ass off to stand out in your small spot and you'll earn the trust of those around you. Trust means you learn more than others. You're offered the opportunity to do more than others."

A confused look appeared on Ramorts face. Standing out was a double-edged sword. If you garnered attention for brilliance and excellence in service, a swift promotion would be most likely the consequence. Pushing the wrong buttons though and appearing over eager on the other hand might be a path just as swift to extra shift cleaning out the bio filters.

"I thought you warned me against volunteering too early? Now it almost sounds like you are trying to encourage me to stand up to stand out?"

Giving her a moment to answer, he ate the last spoonful of the stew. All in all it had been a very good meal for being his first on the ship.

[Tanner Lachlyn]

[USS Discovery - Lounge]

"Exactly," She nodded and picked up her spoon again, "You're a smart one."

The balance between wanting to stand out and being willing to accept your place in the vast world of Starfleet was a massive strategy game. One Tanner didn't play very well.

"It's all about timing and knowing your crew." Tanner clarified, "Just get settled. Move past the new excitement. Get a mission under your belt so you can brush off the textbook knowledge." Tanner grinned, "And then when you do have a moment to shine, you can jump into it."

"Unless you're one of those rare Ensigns who shows up and makes Captain a year later," She shook her head, "Those moments throw all my sage advice out the window."

[James Ramort]

[USS Discovery - Lounge]

"Exactly," She nodded and picked up her spoon again, "You're a smart one."

The balance between wanting to stand out and being willing to accept your place in the vast world of Starfleet was a massive strategy game. One Tanner didn't play very well.

"It's all about timing and knowing your crew." Tanner clarified, "Just get settled. Move past the new excitement. Get a mission under your belt so you can brush off the textbook knowledge." Tanner grinned, "And then when you do have a moment to shine, you can jump into it."

"Unless you're one of those rare Ensigns who shows up and makes Captain a year later," She shook her head, "Those moments throw all my sage advice out the window."

"Captain in a year? That sounds impressive. Not sure whether I can excel quite that much. I have to admit though, the thought of my own quarters is one that has a certain ring to it. Even after my time on Earth I still value those moments where you can find quite for yourself. Not that I have anything against sharing a room for the time being but eventually having my own quarters is something I look forward too."

He felt a bit bad admitting this. He hadn't even properly met his roommate but the allure of an eventual own quarter was just something he could not completely push aside. Back on Cerberus they had lived in Pike City but City meant something different out in the far colonies. He was used to a certain degree of space and privacy. Academy had trained him to work around it and accept concentrated living arrangements. The little moments of privacy were still greatly appreciated by him.

"For now I am just looking to become a productive member of Discovery though. If you ever have need for a, albeit untrained, but additional pair of hands though, I would certainly be open to repay the kindness of this great tour with helping out wherever needed."

[Tanner Lachlyn]

[USS Discovery - Lounge]

"You're going to do just fine," Tanner offered reassuringly, "Just be careful who you offer blanket offers to help. You might wind up regretting it. Thankfully I am a kind human and would never take advantage of someone like that."

Mostly. That was mostly true. If the need called for it, she absolutely would take advantage of someone.

"And don't feel any guilt over wanting your own space. Trust me, sharing teaches a lot of things about teamwork and communication but I would worry about anyone who opted for it over their own space." Tanner laughed, "Unless they're really close to their roommate, if you catch my meaning."

[James Ramort]

[USS Discovery - Lounge]

"You're going to do just fine," Tanner offered reassuringly, "Just be careful who you offer blanket offers to help. You might wind up regretting it. Thankfully I am a kind human and would never take advantage of someone like that."

Mostly. That was mostly true. If the need called for it, she absolutely would take advantage of someone.

"And don't feel any guilt over wanting your own space. Trust me, sharing teaches a lot of things about teamwork and communication but I would worry about anyone who opted for it over their own space." Tanner laughed, "Unless they're really close to their roommate, if you catch my meaning."

[USS Discovery - Lounge]

"I get you yeah, but maybe I should try to meet my Roommate before planning our shared future."

He could not suppress a smile at least. Of course there are those special reasons that make it worthwhile to share a private room. Finding someone worth sharing with wasn't the highest on his lists of priorities though. He had to get settled in and still needed to find some friendly faces. People to share a meal with or spend downtime between missions on the holodeck together with.

"I hope my teamwork does not need that much more training though. Zero Gravity Maneuvers really left us no choice in that matter."

He could not stop an image from his past arising in his head as the words left his mouth.

It had been one of the Academies first missions. 12 Cadets thrown into Space after 2 Days without sleep. The only thing they could use to move 3 sole shared thrusters, the only way to navigate a plastic starchart pointing them to the location of the Shuttle where their instructions had a watchful eye on them. Always prepared to tracktor them back in should something go wrong. After those painfully difficult hours a shared bond had existed in the group, a link of experience, the kind of experience you can not teach anybody but only live through it. Hard but essential if you future career was to sail between the stars, the possibility of having to rely on nothing but a mini-thruster pack to keep you alive always real.

[Tanner Lachlyn]

Knowing exactly what he meant, Tanner nodded, "I still have questions about the effectiveness of such...experiences but that's just me thinking trauma shouldn't be a necessary part of training."

She shrugged, "Ever the idealist." Tanner finished her soup and looked to James, "Come on, finish up and let's go explore a little more. I won't be showing you the multiple bridges we have, but it would be handy if you learn about them. Having a ship that can separate into three pieces is a unique spot for your first assignment."

It took a bit for her to realign whenever she traversed a 'normal' saucer section of a starship. Discovery was a unique vessel and one she hoped James wouldn't struggle too much with.

"And I think you're rather lucky that we're headed for Frontier Day. I mean, come on, what could go wrong with pomp and circumstance." Tanner laughed, "You'll be fine."

[James Ramort]

Knowing exactly what he meant, Tanner nodded, "I still have questions about the effectiveness of such...experiences but that's just me thinking trauma shouldn't be a necessary part of training."

She shrugged, "Ever the idealist." Tanner finished her soup and looked to James, "Come on, finish up and let's go explore a little more. I won't be showing you the multiple bridges we have, but it would be handy if you learn about them. Having a ship that can separate into three pieces is a unique spot for your first assignment."

It took a bit for her to realign whenever she traversed a 'normal' saucer section of a starship. Discovery was a unique vessel and one she hoped James wouldn't struggle too much with.

"And I think you're rather lucky that we're headed for Frontier Day. I mean, come on, what could go wrong with pomp and circumstance." Tanner laughed, "You'll be fine."

They walked down a seemingly endless amount of corridors. Corridors lined by panels broken up by Computer Terminals and Doors, leading into other parts of the ship. Some Ramort hadn't access too. Some simply storage areas and of little interest for their tour.

He tried to take everything in. It was a mind-boggling large area in comparison to what he knew before. Not purely because of the sheer size of the Decks, no ship could be build to rival the area of a planet, but because of its complex dimensionality. It wasn't enough to memorize on which deck which Lounge, what kind of lab or ship component was located, he also needed to know the access points to the Jeffries Tubes and the Turbolifts.

After some time his head seemed like it wanted to explode but the thrill of the new experience was still carrying him. Slowly the new reality was settling in though. This was going to be his home and he was lucky he liked it.

"Might be the reason they had us graduate so close to our first assignment. They want to show off the newest recruits when the Galaxy is watching. Benefit for us Ensigns; we get to make some once in a generation first mission experiences. May I ask, how was your first posting?"
True curiosity being evident in both his voice and expression.

[Tanner Lachlyn]

"Well, my first posting didn't get much fanfare." Tanner laughed, "No fireworks." She shrugged, "In all seriousness though, my first posting..was.." Tanner thought of the right words. Horrible. Dramatic. Soul crushing. Heartwrenching.

No no. Leave all that out.

"My first posting was on Spacedock. I know it doesn't sound as fun as a ship that takes you out of our system, but looking back, I appreciate the time spent there. It was a perfect place to learn how people can say one thing to your face and act the opposite. As a security officer, I got to see how our defence system works up close, and how much people revere our little planet. I also became best friends with a horde of nosy people who keep me appraised of Earthy items." Not just for a security officer but for a young woman in the fleet, "I was there for three years before I transferred to my first ship"

She ignored the part where she broke her engagement, demanded a last-minute transfer and left without looking back. That part stayed tucked away in the back of the closet.

"Come on," Tanner motioned ahead, "Let's finish this tour and let you get settled. I have a feeling these celebrations will be unforgettable.