The Gift of Friendship [Backpost]

Posted on Tue Jun 23rd, 2020 @ 12:11am by Lieutenant Tyson Brookes & Lieutenant JG Vecon Fick
Edited on on Fri Jul 10th, 2020 @ 5:17pm

Mission: Divided We Fall
Location: The Gifted
Timeline: Current

A Mission Post by Lieutenant JG Tyson Brookes & Lieutenant JG Vecon Fick
Mission: Divided We Fall
Location: The Gifted
Timeline: Current
Wed Oct 17th, 2018 @ 4:34am

The gifted was busy today. The sound of the hum of the ships treadmills, bicycles and elliptical’s was working. Since Tyson was new on the Pandora, he didn’t have his dedicated machine yet. However, he was quickly accustomed to the third row, the fifth machine for the treadmill of choice.

Last night Tyson had spent time at a holodeck bar, making it home at three am. Since he was running off of B vitamin injections to keep his body awake that day, he was now clocking in fourteen hours without sleep. By the time he hit the gym, Tyson was beyond gnarly, but he had to finish up with his hour and a half jog routine because his OCD demanded it completed.

Noticing another crew member had just taken spot beside him on the treadmill, Tyson pulled off his headphones when the other looked ok to talk.

“I think I’ve seen you before at Little Caesar’s.” Brookes eyed Fick curiously.

Fick grinned and tapped the controls of the treadmill setting a light, jogging pace. "Oh yeah? Mindo and I are buddies... I couldn't not show up there at some point. I missed his opening though." He looked Tyson over. "You okay there? You look like maybe sleeping for a few days might help," he joked. "I'm Fick, by the way... or Lieutenant Fick... or Lieutenant Vecon... people are confused." He laughed softly.

“Oh hey, well good to meet you, Fick.” Tyson had extended his right hand on the treadmill, managing to continue a jog along pacing his runners. Shaking hands awkwardly between the two machines, Tyson was happy to greet him.

“You come here often?” he asked. The room is loud with the sounds of weights and motors.

Fick chuckled at the handshake. "Good to meet you too. I don't come here too often, but enough," Fick chuckled. "I like to come here when I don't feel like being creative with my exercise. I do a lot of different stuff to stay in shape."

“You are the one who pilots the Pandora? How does she compare to other vessels?” Brookes asked curiously. Flying the Pandora was quite possibly the best arcade game alone.

"Yeah! That's me," he chuckled, grinning from ear to ear. "Although, I can't answer your second question. This is the first starship I've ever flown outside of holo programs at Academy. I did take extra courses, but yeah. She's a dream to be honest. I've been surprised by how easy she is to handle. I expected a ship this big to be... well..." he tipped his head from side to side as if he was weighing his answer. "... more clunky? If that makes any sense." He continued to jog while he talked.

“The Pandora certainly has some sweet propellant system upgrades.” Tyson tallied off on his hands the specs of the starship he memorized. “Total warp of 9.2., the emergency warp of 9.5 for a Luna Class vessel that is nothing to shake a stick at, It’s total Choice, Man!”

“Where is a right place to go for dinner around here, other than the central Pandora’s Box?” He had wondered if there were any other little places that Fick known.

Fick laughed. "You sure do like your ships huh? I met a Caitian back at the Academy that had all the parts memorized like that... except his wasn't specs. It was like actual parts... nuts and bolts and crap. When he talked to me about starships I had no idea what he was even saying most of the time." Fick turned up the machine just a little, quickening his pace and shrugged. "To be honest, I eat at the Box or the mess hall. I'm really not all that exciting when it comes to food. I'm one of those people that once they find something on a menu they'll order it every time they go there." He laughed a little.

Tyson chuckled. "That's it. Because once you find something that is good, reliable, and every time you order it, it never changes, like... a burger or something, or chocolate chip cookies and milk... " Tyson thinking it and he just listed pure junk food.

Fick nodded. "He said something like that once. What's the point of replacing what's not broken." He chuckled, grinning over at Tyson. "So what about you? What do you do? I haven't seen your face around before. I don't even know your name. Of course you might tell me you've been here all along and I'm gonna be all embarrassed. Human... right?"

Laughing out loud causing it to become hard to run and catch his breath at the same time. Coughing and retraining his efforts, he broke back up into speed on the treadmill. The OCD he had about completing a run, was enough to force the finish!

"So..." He swallowed, taking a drink from his water bottle, "Tell me about life Fick, out here on the Pandora. This is a much larger ship than others I've served."

"Nuh uh..." Fick was grinning, feelings rather proud of himself for making his new friend laugh. "You didn't answer any of my questions!" He maintained his easy pace on the treadmill. You are human, right? Or am I wrong there too? I'm not human... the only reason I'm asking... if you hadn't noticed the nose..." he rubbed the ridges on the bridge of his nose, still grinning.

"I'm in Medical. Chief of Medical." He jogged along slowing down when his chronograph signaled completion. In a cool down now, Brookes regarded the question. "It's funny you ask. I only thought there were Humans for most of my life. I entered cryostasis in the Earth year of 1988. Only by chance."

"Oh I've noticed the ridges." He posited. "However you don't seem fully Bajoran?"

"Nah..." Fick was still jogging, although he did slow his pace a little. He grinned. "My mother is from Risa. I grew up on Risa, actually. So... that's gotta be weird. Go to sleep in 1988 and wake up... to this. Did you have culture shock?" He chuckled. "Surrounded by blue and green people... people covered in ridges and scales... people who breathe different environments?"

"It has been that, yes." He pondered. "Really. You grew up on Risa. That sounds truly incredible. Climate controlled environment biosphere of sciences and technology. That's prime!"

"One day you're playing a very normal game of football, then you're in a coma on the field of your highschool. I almost didn't finish my High School, Fick bud!"

Fick laughed and started to slow his jog to a walk. "It would have been so weird. That's a long time to be out of commission with the world changing around you. So... why did you go into a coma? You might have told me. I'm sorry if you did. Did you get hit with a football?" He didn't stop and wait for Tyson to answer, instead he just went on. "We have football on Risa... The Humans really like it. I've really never been one for sports. I mean I'll play them, but I don't really care for watching. Risa is... a pretty weird place to live." He chuckled. "I don't even think we have our own culture any more. All we do is cater to everyone else and what they like. I mean I learned a little bit about a lot of cultures and species, so that was cool... but... I dunno. Sometimes my friends talked about traditions. I'd like to know what that's like to have a tradition." He shrugged.

Tyson listened along to Fick and he enjoyed it. The topic of culture and society and where Fick was from was on Risa. Risa was an awesome to the max planet. "Risa is gnarly righteous!" He grinned thinking of the girls, the beaches, the exotic plants and suns in the sky. It truly was the truest form of paradise in the federation, and yet it was a climate controlled resort world.

Fick eyed him as he slowed to a stop and used the towel around his neck to wipe his face. "I have to say Lieutenant... I can't say that I've ever heard anyone use those words quite like that. Gnarly... and righteous... I hope those things are good." He laughed, grinning and hopped off the treadmill. He looked up at Tyson. "Jeez, you're tall..."

Tyson stopped and furrowed his eyebrow at the comment. "Tall? Nah, I don't feel I am that tall to be honest." He laughed. "I guess it is like an inner form of language thing." He hadn't yet asked "Do you speak Federation Standard English, and Bajoran as well?"

Fick shook his head. "Nah. Just Federation Standard... and a little bit of Klingon. My father never seemed all that interested in teaching me Bajoran and at Academy I had too many flight courses to take more than my required languages... Do you speak any other languages?"

"Nah," He shook his head. "I'm used to speaking the truth, Nah, just kidding!" Then after a brief intervene, both having private post workouts, sanitization and change. Tyson was interested in hanging around to talk as they had left the Gifted. Both Fick and him walked down the large corridor.

"Well it was a good time, nice to meet you Mr... Fick? Still confused about that." He grinned.

Fick laughed and grinned. "Fick is fine. It is my first name. I was nice to meet you too Lieutenant Brookes. You have a regular workout schedule? Sometimes I work out with my boyfriend, but sometimes he's on Theta shift.. so I have nothing to do. I'm almost always Alpha shift.”

"Sounds like a plan then." Tyson nodded. It would be great to have someone to spend his workout with. "Cool. Bring your boyfriend too if you want."

Fick continued to grin and even bounced a little on his heels as he walked. "That would be awesome!"

OFF