Needing a favor

Posted on Fri May 25th, 2018 @ 11:54am by Cadet Senior Grade Marcus Mattson

1,800 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Episode 95 - Helping Old Friends
Location: Fighter Bay Recreation Room.
Timeline: MD 5, 1300 Hours

Zeke had a lot of preparation work to do before he could take the USS Falcon out for a spin, he could have sent a transmittal requesting two fighter pilots to join the Falcon. However he would prefer to select two pilots to join his maiden voyage. He walked into the reaction room, headed towards the center of the room. "I need two pilots willing to go on a training mission with the Falcon, do I have any takers?" Zeke asked.

Markus was sitting at one of the tables at the back with a very strong light shining on the table infront of him. On the table was black robotic arm, it was in a semi dismanteled state as his backup arm held one of the servos up in the light and his good hand worked an old fasioned screwdriver to dile in the servo.

Over the years he had had the mechanical prostesis he had learned how it worked inside and out and it payed off to keep it in perfect condition. A cable was attached to the shoulder piece of the backup arm from the other arm so he could move it about as he would test the diffirent joints.

The cadet looked up from his work as someone called out about joining ship on her mayden voyage and no matter how much he wanted to go, as a cadet he had no say in the matter.

Zeke noticed he got the attention of a man wearing a cadet uniform. "Your a certified fighter pilot?" Asked Zeke as he walked over to the young man. He noticed the cadet's left arm was replaced by an artificial limb, a mechanical style looking arm.

Markus wasn't sure why he was being picked out for this. He was a cadet after all, but getting some 'meat on the bones' wasn't a bad thing. "Yes commander." he responded with a salute.

"Good, you interested in getting some flight time in, maybe get some practice simulation time in?" Asked Zeke. Hoping that the young cadet would be eager to get in some simulated combat drill time in. He hoped the young cadet was interested.

Zeke noticed another pilot said he would sign up too. Zeke smiled at the other man, he was a Lieutenant and was also wearing his uniform. Zeke looked at man and then back at the cadet, he needed a simple yes or a no from him. He believed in giving people opportunities. And he felt this would be a good opportunity for the cadet.

Mattson wasn't one to turn down a chance of what he was offering. "Yes sir." he wasn't in any position to tell the commander that he would have to clear it with his direct CO first, but you didn't get to commander by stealing personel from others. As far as he knew, that would get you hated by just about everyone.

"What's your name Cadet, so I began the the TAD (Temporary Assignment Duty) Request to the Falcon?" Asked Zeke, noticing the cadet seemed a little stiff, maybe it was the fact that Zeke was now a Commander. Some days he still felt like a Lieutenant. He noticed people treated you differently when you become and Lieutenant Commander or higher.

Sad reality was, he was now a commanding officer, and people would treat him differently, and he was going to have to get use to that. He still felt like Zeke, the overachiever, the guy willing to help anyone. Now he needed to learn, he was now a leader and not a crewmember.

Markus stood up after detatching the cable that ran from his shoulder to the arm on the table. He gave a sharp salute. "Cadet Senior Grade Markus Mattson." he responded. He didn't know about the U.S.S. Falcon, he had to look her up later.

"Thank you cadet, I will get your TAD assignment approved asap, the Falcon is in docking bay 24. Will depart tomorrow, and be out for about a week. I appreciate your willingness to participate Cadet." Said Zeke, as he returned the salute. "At ease Cadet. When you board the Falcon check in with me." Said Dom.

Markus was probably looking like a dear in headlights. 'Just like that?' he thought to himself. As much fun as it would be to get some more experiences under his belt. He wasn't sure it would be that easy to pull him off the roster on the station. Not that he would complain if he got the chance. He did stand at the 'at ease' pose. "Yes sir."

"Cadet Mattson, are you busy at the moment, I am about to have some lunch, I sort of skipped breakfasts, been in a few meetings this morning. Have a few more this afternoon. I hate to eat alone, do you mind keeping me company. Maybe I can learn a little more about you." Suggested Zeke. He wanted to know everyone under his command, even if it was only a week long TAD.

This was a very strange to Markus, in his experience the upper ranked crew often didn't have time to deal with the cadets, not to mention they had their own circle of friends and maybe even family. "I am doing maintenence on my arm sir." he had already had his meal not long ago.

"Not a problem, I will replicate a meal, and meet you over at one of the tables." Said Zeke, as he left to replicate his meal.

After the man left to get his meal, Mattson sat down at the table again and plugged the cable back in to the shoulder socket. He made the servos of the arm move as he observed the arm move like a worm on the table. He picked it up and listened to it. It sounded alright so he detached it again, removed his secondary arm to do the fine tuning of the arm after he attached the main arm to his shoulder plate. It was easy to attach since the sockets that fed the arm with information just slotted in to the 'female' socket and with a click it was locked in.

A few short minutes later, Zeke returned, he placed the tray on the table, and set directly across from him. "How long have been on Starbase 400?" Asked Zeke, as he started to scoop up some green beans with his fork. He had replicated chicken fried chicken breast, mash potatoes, country gravy and green beans, with a mucho mango soft drink.

Markus made the mechanical fingers move back and forth, the thum was a little shoppy in the movement so he used the screwdriver to open a covering on the lower arm in order to get to the adjustment part of the wirers. "A few days sir." he answered as he was working on the hand.

Zeke noticed the cadet tinkering with his hand, but decided to continue on with interviewing him. "How long are you assigned to Starbase 400, I noticed your a senior grade cadet, just curious how long we have you before you have to go back and graduate?" Asked Zeke, trying to see how long cadets now days got to serve in Starfleet before graduating. Zeke recalled his assignment was only six months.

"Primery assignment is four months." Mattson responded as he tested the fingers again. They worked perfectly this time, so he used a cloth to wipe down the tools and placed them in a box where several screwsdrivers, plyers and other tools could be seen, there were also several jars of liquid. they contained cleaning agents to remove dirt and grime from the sensetive inner mechanical parts. Even if they were shielded, it was always wise to keep them clean. He finally closed the lid. "Would you excuse me for a moment sir? I just need some liquid in me."

"Not problem cadet," said Zeke, waiting for Marcus to return. Four months was not a lot of time to evaluate his performance, but it would have to do thought Zeke, as he grabbed a padd from his pocket and added Marcus to his list of names. His next free moment would be talking to his CO about pulling him from rotation to serve on the USS Falcon, for a week long TAD.

The cadet returned with a tall glass of orange juice. He needed the fruit sugar in his system. "May I ask what kind of mission she will be on sir?" Markus asked after taking a sup from his juice.

"Simulated combat run, I need to evaluate the performance of the Falcon crew and the Marines of MARSOC, the Falcon as you probably guessed, will be a special operations vessel. I also need combat pilots, that understand the high risk assignments of being a pilot for a special operations group. I happy you signed up, and before you concern yourself, if you are qualified, no one on this station is qualified, they just have more flight time than you." He suggested, hoping Marcus would not try back his way out.

He didn't mind what was said, it was standard practice and he knew it. "Sir, if you clear me for the security clearence, I will not say no to come with you. Special Ops are..." he rubbed his chin with his mechanical hand. "Sensetive when it comes to information. Or am I wrong?"

"Very true, to bad you will not be able to tell your friends about it at the academy. I think this is a great opportunity for you. I will not take to much of your time." Said Zeke, as he finished wolfing down his food.

"I believe that it would be a nessasery evil, I have few friends at the academy and the ones I have understand the sensetivety as I do." Markus said, he waited for the Commander to finish his food and would be ready to stand and salute when he stood up to leave. It was only propper after all.

"It's been a pleasure getting to know you." Said Zeke, as he stood up, and waited for the cadet to salute first. After they exchanged salutes, he took his place over to the replicated and recycled it.

Markus took a seat and looked at the spare mechanical arm he had used earlier. Things were starting to move along fast, not long ago he was at the academy. He hoped things would turn out good in the end.

RSS Feed