Neon Boulevard

Posted on Sun Jun 21st, 2020 @ 3:32am by Lieutenant Kalin Brennan-Griffin PhD & Captain Nycolas Temple & Commander Owen Nash & Cailus Griffin & Major Leo Halliwell Sr. & Lieutenant Katniss Wakefield & Captain Bethany Wallace & Lieutenant Van Kolbeck & Lieutenant Machwen Adaestron & Lieutenant Commander Janet Glyndar & Lieutenant Laurel Oakley MD
Edited on on Wed Jun 24th, 2020 @ 6:39am

Mission: New Moon Rising
Location: Recreation Deck
Timeline: Evening

ON:

Temple waited patiently in front of the turbolift on the USS Pandora's new Recreation Deck, anticipating the arrival of the senior officers of the ship. The refit team had worked very hard to provide the crew with a shiny, exciting, lively area for the officers and passengers onboard the Pandora to unwind, shop, interact, have fun, and take their minds off their long journey together.

The last of the refit team had just departed for the evening, though Nyx had requested all the brightly coloured lights of the Deck be turned on, so he could show it off to the senior staff. The businesses themselves were empty, also waiting patiently for their owners and staff to arrive tomorrow, so for tonight this neon boulevard was just theirs to explore.

Cailus was (somewhat uncharacterstically) the first to arrive. He had been mentally planning a drill before the doors opened and, starstruck, he simply stopped in the entrance. And stared. And kept staring.

"This is new," he said, stunned. "What in the hell..."

Nyx immediately moved to his side, giving him a gentle pat on the shoulder, "Amazing what they can do these days. It's like a slice of modern Earth right here on Pandora." He smiled, "Take your time to get acquainted."

"Ah...yes sir," Cailus responded, awestruck as he moved in and looked around. "I've seen starbases less well equipped than this. This is extraordinary."

Leo strode out of a turbolift on the far end of the deck, whistling quietly. He was still wearing his uniform, which to some would be more of a sign of his lack of ability to wind down. On his right he was flanked by Captain Wallace, the Flight Leader. The pair walked at a quickened pace towards a figure down the hall. This must be the place. The bright, garish colours where a little headache inducing and where slowly aggravating Leo.

Bethany walked quickly on the right side of the Major, trying to keep up with his long, purposeful strides. She originally hadn't planned to come to this but the Major had convinced her too. He was an old friend and very good at convincing people to do things when he wanted them to, and it did help that the Captain had a little bit of a thing with the Major, but no one but the pair of them knew that.

Shae knew; as soon as she had stepped into the turbolift with them, she could smell them all over each other! But it wasn't like she was going to tell anyone; what they did behind closed doors was none of her business... "Stars above, it is bright in here!" Shae exclaimed as she exited the lift behind the Marine Major and Captain. Her daughter, Aoife, didn't seem to care too much for all the bright lights either and hide her face against her mother's shoulder. Shae's eyes scanned the area looking for Cailus, finding him talking to Nyx; the Chameloid woman padded over to where they were talking, acknowledging the Captain with a nod, but for Cailus she had a shy smile.

Leo and Beth walked up, quietly moving around the woman and her child, before Leo gave a light grin to Nyx, indicating up to the lights with his hand "The lights are a wee bit bright aren't they?" he commented, giving a wicked smirk before lowering his hand.

Beth stopped just behind Leo's left shoulder and chuckled as she heard him comment about the lights, reaching up to her hair and tucked a rouge, raven black strand behind her ear, her eyes part fixed on Leo.

"I wanted it to make an impact," Nyx explained. He had noticed some of the folks were cringing in the brightness of all the lighting, and it concerned him especially to see little Aoife in distress. "Guess we overdid it a bit with the lights. Computer, reduce luminance by fifteen percent."

The computer chirped happily and the area dimmed accordingly. Nyx gave a sheepish shrug, "Actually, it looked like this old historical film I saw once about space travel. The lens flare was practically blinding."

"Old Earth ideas about space travel were odd, but I can say with full honesty that I will never step foot in this place again if you add more shiny things in here," Shae said, gazing around now that the lights were dimmer. Then she pointed up to the roof and scaffold-like embellishments all around. "If you string up lengths of cloth between the trusses, like a sail or-or banners, it would help diffuse the light and make it more of a glow. Though it really does look like a slice of a big city on Earth in here, I'm very impressed," she offered in return.

Owen stepped out of the turbolift and entered the Rec Deck having gotten himself settled in as well as getting the various Ops teams underway with plenty of work to do before the ship launched into her mission into deep space. He recalled looking over the plans for the Refit of the Pandora and was eager to see how this new addition to the Luna Class starship looked. He was impressed as he entered and took in the lights and the view.

Noticing Captain Temple, Owen made his way over to him. "I must say, sir, this wasn't part of the Pandora before...but its certainly a magnificent addition to the ship," he said, admiring the deck and all of its amenities. "This will certainly help the crew during our mission." Owen looked around to see some of the other senior officers already there and mingling. He noticed a Marine as well as another officer in a yellow uniform as well as a few others.

"So who are these fine officers I see before me?" he asked the Captain, looking to get to know who his other fellow collegues were.

Laurel highly approved of socialization and recreation, especially on a starship like the Pandora. The Luna class starship was the perfect size and likely to be assigned on some rather lengthy missions and assignments, allowing the crew to work side by side day after day for some period of time. The Counselor walked onto the Recreation deck and headed over to the Captain and Lieutenant Commander Nash. "Quite the gathering you've assembled, Captain" she commented with a pleasant tone. "However, I see your First Officer isn't here yet" she added.

Nyx went around the group of Senior Officers and introduced everyone that had arrived to each other, pretty hopeful that this was the beginning of their team building. However, the Counsellor was right to notice Commander Glyndar's absence, causing Nyx to furrow his brow.

"I imagine she's been occupied getting her little one settled," He replied, "As soon as she arrives we can head into the Bar for a drink. Now the service staff aren't boarding until tomorrow morning so you'll just have to make do with me as your bartender."

"Laurel?" Shae said with surprise and wonder. With a smile growing on her face, she approached the Brekkian woman and gave her a hug. "Laurel, it's so good to see you again!" Shae said with excitement, happy to see another familiar face from the Tornado.

Standing slightly behind Shae's right shoulder, Cailus offered the counselor a subtle smile, his back nevertheless ramrod straight in uniform. "The captain mentioned a Lieutenant Oakley, but I didn't quite believe it."

Laurel smiled at the sight of the two officers she knew from the USS Tornado. "Seeing is often believing, and I am honored to see you both aboard the Pandora. I know our Science and Security personnel will be working with the best."

Having noticed that Counselor Oakley seemed to know both the heads of Science and Security, Owen though it best to say hi to them all, seeing as they would all be serving together. He approached the three of them. "Apologies for interrupting, I just wanted to say hi and introduce myself," he began. "Lieutenant Commander Owen Nash, Chief Operations Officer. Its a pleasure to meet you all and serve aboard the Pandora...again...well for me anyway." Owen was still getting used to the new updated versions of Pandora, but he was warming up to her...

"Shae Brennan, Science, pleased to meet you," Shae replied with a shy smile. "I'm really looking forward to see what the Pandora has to offer; she looks to be a wonderful ship."

Katniss let out a loud sigh as the turbolift came to a gentle halt, she didn't know any of the crew and had this thrust upon her. The doors to the turbolift opened and the buzz and light of deck five hit her and so did the young child, clinging onto a woman. No doubt the arrival of the turbo lift had caused some heads to turn towards it, then the smile from Katniss's face disappeared as she saw the child. "Deck seven." Katniss blurted out as the turbolift doors quickly closed and began to whisk her off. Panic set in, her heart was racing, she didn't know the ship had children aboard, her heart sank, her thoughts went back to her own miscarriage several years ago.

Nyx noticed the sudden appearance then disappearance of their Chief Research Officer and frowned. He decided just to set a reminder across the comms system for all the missing crew members to come along.

"Let's go through to the Bar." He announced, "The stragglers can meet us there."

The Captain led the crew towards the Pandora's primary ten-forward, known as the Luna Eclipse. At the entryway were two large, wooden doors; both engraved with an image of the Pandora over the Starfleet symbol; which opened automatically as the group approached. Inside, they were immediately greated by the expansive panoramic window that looked out uninterrupted into the vast, glittering space in front of them. Nyx had ensured the Pandora was positioned just right to give the best view of the galaxy outside.

The Eclipse had a long, wood-panelled bar to the back of the room, the walls decorated with engravings of all the planets in Earth's solar system. This lead down to the true showpiece of the Eclipse, the main seating area, which consists of a metallic black floor, reflecting the view before them. The room was filled with a variety of small lounges and tables with chairs, all positioned towards the window. The Eclipse had an informal, intimate vibe, with low-lighting and soft music playing in the background.

Shae rather liked this space, it was warm with all the wood paneling, and it felt surprisingly roomy despite the rather small allotment of space. She wouldn't mind frequenting this area again in the future!

As Nyx waited for everyone to get their first impressions, he jumped behind the bar and started setting up glasses.

"Who wants a drink?" He asked, smiling broadly.

After following the others into the bar area of the Luna Eclipse and taking a good look around, Owen decided to step up. Besides its not every day that you get to have your Commanding Officer serve you a drink on board a starship...

"Right then Barkeep, I'll have a Cardassian Sunrise...oh and hold the ice...its tastes better without it I'm told," Owen said as he made his order. He didn't admit that it had been a few years since he'd had one of these though...

Joining Nash at the bar, Cailus gave him a curious look. "A Cardassian Sunrise? I think I'll be trying that one myself, Commander. How is it?

Nyx furrowed his brow again, looking hard at the two officers. He was hoping to make a vodka and cola, or gin and tonic, not some fancy cocktail concoctions. He tapped away at the computer with confidence, however, trying to look like he knew what he was doing. Thankfully the ship's database was able to show him exactly how to make the drink and after a few minutes was able to serve up the bright looking beverage to the waiting crew.

Having taken a sip of his drink, Owen smiled broadly as he recalled the taste and also the happy memories that came flooding back with it.

"Oh yes...its very nice...I could get used to these again," Owen admitted.

"Just something simple for me please, maybe wine, something red and subtle if you've got it? And juice for the kiddo," Shae said with a smile, taking a seat in one of the booths with Aoife and hoping that one of the others wouldn't mind bringing the drinks to her once the Captain got it ready.

"Coming right up!" Nyx replied with a smile. He found a nice Cabernet Sauvignon from 2376 on the shelf and poured it into a glass for the Chief Scientist. For Aoife, he served up a simple orange juice, though added a tiny red umbrella to the side for decoration.

Kolbeck walked along the large skylit concourse of the entertainment deck. His first thoughts were positively impressed. He had never seen anything like it aboard a Starship before. He was surprised that Star Fleet had invested such design and work into creating a welcoming and comfortable long term atmosphere for the crew of the USS Pandora to relax and unwind. Given the mission terms and length, it was understandable to outfit such entertainment for the crew.

He was excited about the development. As a Doctor one of the underlying causes of the disease process within humanoid species was stress as the cause. Being able to unwind in a positive way would mean fewer patients hopefully.

Entering the large mess hall, Kolbeck was again impressed with panoramic views. He could quickly see this as becoming one of his favorite places to stare and observe the universe around them.

He had a sonic shower after having arrived recently. Having checked out his Sick Bay and meeting with the Captain, Van refreshed and quickly threw on a pair of casual khaki shorts and a plain tee shirt. He looked at his stainless steel analog wrist watch; he was just on time to meet his fellow crew mates.

“Good evening.” Van had taken advantage of a respite in the crew mates conversation to introduce his self-having walked up to the bar. The Captain behind it. “Lt. Van Kolbeck. Ships Doctor. It is a great pleasure to meet you all.” He offered a slight nod.

"Doctor!" Nyx exclaimed with a broad smile, "God aften, min vän."

He served up his Scandinavian brother from across the sea another glass of aquavit, though this time it wasn't diluted down. He poured himself a glass too and looked at the amber liquor with a pleased grin.

Once everyone had a drink in hand and had said their general introductions to each other, Nyx grabbed his own glass and tapped it gently to gather everyone's attention.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming tonight, I hope you'll stay a while and get to know each other." He smiled and took a beat. "From tomorrow, this deck and the whole ship will be filled with a full compliment of officers, crew, and family members. And while I hope this Recreation area helps to relieve our stress and isolation, we cannot ignore the fact that we will be deep into unknown territory, outside Federation space, exploring an ever-changing and sometimes hostile part of the galaxy."

His gaze lingered momentarily on each of their faces, his still smiling broadly, "The Pandora will look to all of us as the leaders of this ship. We are entrusted with the responsibility to take care of our departments and our crewmates, and ultimately, to see ourselves back home safely again at the end of our voyage. We must work together to navigate these troubled waters, and hopefully, make some really exciting new discoveries along the way."

"Whatever happens, let us pledge to be there for each other and make the Pandora a damn fine ship to sail on!" Temple exclaimed, raising his glass. "To the Pandora!"

Owen raised his glass in celebration of the Captains Speech and could feel his chest swell with pride. "Here! Here!" he called out.

Kolbeck nodded with the rest of the crew in the raise of the glasses and repeated the pledge of the Ship and its Crew. "To the Pandora!" He nodded. He then took a drink indulging in his second alcoholic beverage of the day.

That was a toast that Shae was happy to raise her glass to, then she sipped gingerly of the red wine in her glass, savoring the fruity flavor as it washed over her tongue. This was definitely the most interesting start to a tour she had ever had, and she hoped that meant that things were looking good for this ship and her crew.

Somewhat bemused, Cailus raised his own glass. "To the Pandora," he echoed with somewhat less enthusiasm.

"To the Pandora!" Ensign Machwen Adaestron called out from where he was, leaning on the bar. He had managed to get in just in time to grab a drink a couple of minutes before the toast was made, thanks to his stargazing through the windows of the ship. He raised his glass, and then took a drink of it, noticing how it was quite different to many of the alcoholic drinks that he had had before from Earth. Being a betazoid, Machwen was interested in whether or not there were any of his own kind on board. He scanned the room, and, through the general happiness, he could sense that there were a couple, although he could no sense who they were. Sipping his drink some more, Machwen hoped that he would be able to get to know his crew some more, betazoid or otherwise, especially as he would be doing their medical check ups.

The crew drank their selected beverages after the toast and Temple looked around with glee. They were a unique assortment, that much was true, but most of them appeared eager and excited to launch this ship and start their mission. Maybe it was the strong alcohol he was consuming but he was beginning to feel the tingles of a deep pride for being assigned to this ship.

"Who wants another?" He asked with a broad smile.

OFF