Ex Post After Shift (Part 1)

Posted on Sat Jan 13th, 2024 @ 3:26am by Lieutenant Ami Rori & Lieutenant JG Connor Talmage mr
Edited on on Sat Jan 13th, 2024 @ 3:27am

3,061 words; about a 15 minute read

Mission: Operation Tokyo Return
Location: Lounge, USS Myogi
Timeline: Immediately after After Shift

Connor had just finished chatting with a new captain. When he made he noticed a attractive woman he had only briefly Seen before. "Allright time to make a move" Connor thought.

"You're Lieutenant Ami right? Connor said introducing himself.

Ami smiled up from the PADD she’d gone back to reading after Taiga had left them, “That I am! Lieutenant Ami Rori, at your service!” She beamed, happy that someone else seemed interested in chatting, “And you might be…?” She asked, not recognizing the Lieutenant in blue.

"Me?" Connor began. "I'm God's gift to woman, Lieutenant Talmage." He began. "I couldn't help but notice a pretty girl like you not with a handsome man like me" Connor said.

The smile on Ami's face froze for a heartbeat as she tried to decipher whether he was being serious, or if he was trying to make a joke. Benefit of the doubt and she gave a giggle, "Oh you..." She play-swatted towards him, "It's no secret that I'm not with anyone, I'm at work far too much for anyone to have enough patience for me." She flipped her PADD around and showed him the schematics for a warp core, "Looking over what sort of upgrade we're going to get once we reach a good shipyard, just for a bit of light reading while I wind down from the day."

"Hmm a woman who values her work, I've settled for less" Connor said prying further. "Ya know I almost went into engineering. I grew up fixing 21th century tractors on a farm. It was to the point where the engines spoke to me." Connor begin to explain. "I think I was maybe 8 or 9 when I saw my first starship in person. Starfleet was in town for some Agricultural recruitment thing. When I was let on the ship for the tour I saw the warp core for the first time. It was beautiful I knew from that moment that I belonged in Starfleet. I ditched engineering however as science seemed more suitable given that I no experience on a warp engine. "

Connor concluded while looking at her PADD. "Anyway I apologize for rambling about myself. Not everyday I get to share my passions with others."

"Nobody has experience with a warp core and the engines until they get in there and start." Ami pointed out, "And never apologize for going on about what you love! Me? I love tanks. The old-fashioned armored vehicles, that is. My personal favorites are a French medium tank and an American light tank, but I've driven a lot of different types, including a couple of the super-heavies." She shrugged lightly, "I followed my sister, Sora, into the Fleet, but I was quite a few years behind her."

"I'm the first in my family to join, My mother wasn't super keen on the idea. I guess she blames them for my father's disappearance after I was born. Never mattered though. I hated that farm. But enough about me." Connor concluded.

"I want to know more about the warp core if you'd mind explaining. "

"Not a problem, but the question is if you're talking about our current Mark 7 Warp Core, or the upgrade to the Mark 9? Because from what I've been seeing, there really is a world of difference with them. We'd see about a fifteen percent increase in max cruise speed with the Mark 9, plus a good chunk of additional max warp for emergency use, rather than being stuck at Warp 9 for emergencies." Ami shrugged, "Has to do with the power curve to optimize warp field geometries, but the addition of an additional antimatter injector gives us the option to provide that boost of power in an emergency." She was going with more of a general overview, the minutae could get dull for someone who didn't actually know them.

"Well tell me about the mark 9" Connor replied.

"Makes me wish we were in engineering where I could bring up a 3-D hologram of it, but I'll do what I can with this." She placed the PADD on the table and spun it to face him, zooming out to give an overall look at it, "What we've got is a more streamlined Core to replace wat we've got, but that's in part to the reaction chamber being more compact, even with the extra injector, but those are now on the outside of the chamber looking in, which will help with maintenance. The wave guides above and below are configured slightly differently than in the 7, but with the increase in power generation from the M/AM reaction," She pronounced it 'M'am', "They can actually be adjusted between the different levels of production. It'll give us probably about twenty-percent more 'usable' power generation in total, but I'm going to need more data before I can really say one way or another. I don't really trust the 'test' numbers that those sitting in offices on starbases want to give us, so I'm going to be babysitting this when we put it in to make sure that any data points are reviewed right away." There was no doubt about it, Ami was a nerd when it came to this sort of thing.

"Well It truly is a beauty isn't it? Connor replied. I was thinking unless you have somewhere to be why don't we go down to engineering. Show me the 3d model"

She pondered the thought for a few seconds, "I don't know.. Yeah, it's only Madge and Jesse down there right now, or it should be, because they've got the night watch. But... I've been told I spend way too much time down there as it is, Terry booted me out today at 1750 and warned me not to go back until tomorrow at 0600 or else I'd be in real trouble." Ami snorted in laughter at the thought of her assistant chief scolding her again, then shrugged.

"Well it's your call, I was just making a suggestion." Connor said.

"Meh." Ami decided, "It would be totally like me to go down there and be in my office, but I don't really want to. Besides," She tapped the PADD, "This is still just in the future, not something that's going to happen in the next few days. I need to figure out how to properly integrate it into the ship and that's going to take a while. The ship isn't my only enjoyment, though, that would be tanks."

"I get that, Well then....What if we went back to my Quarters and I showed you my collection of antique engine models. Mostly die-cast models but still. I've never told anyone about them because...well No one's had the same interests in me." Connor said as he began to notice how gorgeous Ami really was.

"We're outta here? Not going to engineering so Terry can't yell at me?" Ami marked those two items off her list, "Sounds kosher to me!" She unfolded and slid her feet into her shoes again as she collected her PADD and stood, "Wht kind of engines are they? Sounds like you're talking train engines, but are they? Or are they ICE engines for cars? I actually have a Chevy Nova at home I customized for street racing and all."

"I have all kinds some are Even ancient relics. In fact I may have a ww2 tank model from the 1940s now that I think about it. Connor explained. Moving up from his seat.

Ami smirked a smile at him, "Oh, ye of little faith. Maybe, maaaaybe if you're lucky I'll show you my holodeck recreation of a couple of my own other friends at home. I've got a Batignolles-Chatillion 25T that I use as my personal fun tank and an M24 Chaffee that I use as a match-grade tank. I'll admit, the BatChat is more modern, from the 50s, but the Chaffee is vintage from the end of the Second War, rebuilt by yours truly."

"Well then, shall we go?" Connor said holding out his hand in a romantic gesture. 'I just hit the jackpot' Connor thought.

Ami ignored the hand as she walked next to him, holding her PADD in both of hers, "Let's see, you're probably on the same deck as I am, right? I'm in Quarters 2-6-1, what about you?"

"2-11-1. "He replied. Kinda relieved that she had ignored his advance. "As for offering you my hand, I apologize I haven't talked to a woman like this since the academy. And well she Ghosted me." He explained.

"Like what?" Ami asked, a confused look on her face, "Like... A person? I mean, I'm an engineer and we're talking about mechanicals like we're just two normal people. Okay, yes, I specialize more in the mechanical side of engineering, though I'm good with most everything else that the Fleet has to offer in the area." She gave him a brief smile, wondering if he was actually trying to flirt with her. Well, okay, maybe he was, but it was a bit awkward, but if it were the first time since the Academy? "When did you graduate? I was at the Tokyo Academy, class of '89."

"About 2 years ago actually this is my first assignment." Connor explained. "During my first year I met this totally hot babe named Kylynn Addams. We never officially dated but there was definitely love even if we did...well you know." Well she was in her last year and I was in my first. One morning I woke up with a recording of hoobastanks the reason. Dunno if you're familiar with that." Connor added. "She just left. I held myself responsible for all those years shut myself off completely. " He further explained. "

"Until tonight that is Now I understand that we just met and all but I feel safe coming out of my shell. Your the only person on this ship, hell the fleet I've told any of this to. So yes I was trying to make a advance but it was only out of habit and I apologize." He concluded.

"I was more into Luna Haruna and much of the JPop scene from the 21st Century until now, just flows better with what I've been doing." Ami chuckled, her Japanese and Trill features melding perfectly into it, then she reached up and patted his upper arm very gently, "I appreciate the honesty, but if I may say, you do happen to be a bit more than rusty." Her smile was apologetic, but she tried to be honest in all things herself, "That 'Gods gift to women' thing I think wasn't intended the way it sounded, buuuuuut." She grimaced, "Janky is the best word for it. Don't worry, I'm not offended in any way, shape or form. I guess I'm a bit flattered overall, nerd, you know."

"I took the line from a old video game anyway. I should come clean about something though. I wasn’t lying about the models I do have them but there was more to it.... I was gonna ask you on a date." Connor said realizing he just blew his chance.

Ami slowed gradually to a halt, "Ā, kore ga kuru no wa wakatta." (Oh boy, I saw this coming) She glanced at the ground before turning on the heel of her shoe to face him and looked up at him, trying to figure out the right words to say. "I could pretend I don't know your first name, because you never told me, but I know that you're Lieutenant Connor Talmage, Chief Science Officer, but Connor, we just met what? A few minutes ago? Oh sure, we've seen each other a couple times at Staff meetings, but we just met met. We hardly know anything about each other, because we've barely begun to talk. I can’t ask what if I had a boyfriend, because I spilled the beans on that lack earlier, but… Why do you want to ask me out on a date? Surely you didn’t just look over at me while I was talking to Taiga-san and suddenly think, ‘I’m going to ask that girl on a date because she looks pretty.’, right?”

"No..its more then that, Ami. I've had my eyes on you for a while. I mean let's face it your a bad ass, I mean you could be the poster child for Starfleet Engineering and even the Ferengi would join. Look my point is since Kylynn left me something has been missing. I think I've possibly found it." Connor explained as he started to cry. "Sorry I've never had to explain any of this before"

Ami’s eyes opened wide because this was not at all what she had expected to see or hear from him. She reached out with a very gentle hand and out of instinct and compassion pulled him into a hug. Nothing sexual or anything, just someone being there for a friend. “It’s okay, there’s nothing wrong with you about this, but I’m no Engineering badass, I’m way too short for that!” She said, trying to get him to laugh at some humor.

"Connor let out a soft laugh. You really know how to cheer someone up huh?" He joked. "Please don't tell anyone you saw me like this. It's a side I try to hide" He asked.

“My lips are sealed.” Ami promised, then shook her head slowly, “but my whole point is that you haven’t gotten to know me at all yet and you want to ask me out. Tell you what, close your eyes.” She waited as he did so, then peeked up, “Nice and tight? Good. Now, I’m going to run an exercise where I want you to visualize what you think a date with me should look like, something you think would be fun. Take your time, I’m going to want details.” As she spoke, she opened a new tab on her PADD and typed in several things, drawing a rough but decent picture of herself and what she’d want to be wearing and doing. “Okay, now… Keeping your eyes closed, describe it to me. What am I wearing? You? Where are we? What are we doing?” She scribbled in a few more notes and him as well.

"Uhm..you've got on a really nice sparkly red dress. I'm wearing a white tux. We're sitting across from each other at a table, getting ready to dance. There's Italian food being served and a band playing "Making love out of nothing at all by Air supply"

“Ouch.” Ami said as she cringed hard, “No problem with the Italian food, but I dance like a moose and…” She shook her head and flipped her PADD around, “All right, open your eyes, this is what I had more in mind: Casual wear, chilling out on a couch with plenty of munchies around while watching old war movies.” Her PADD had a crude picture of her wearing what looked like boxy sweatpants and a t-shirt, sitting and watching planes bombing on a very crude screen. “Never been much into the formal scene.”

"Uhm yeah that sounds good to. I watch to many rom coms" He explained. "Ya know I've heard that the holodeck has a "top gun" flight simulator.”

“Planes are well… Decent?” Ami hedged a bit, “I mean, I know the basics and I DO fly a bit, mostly propeller designs, but did fly some jets because the physics and aerodynamics are different and one of the Academy courses had a segment about it. I’m no ace pilot, that’s for sure. Do you fly much?” She was assuming he did, otherwise why suggest that program. But, she moved past it for a moment anyways, “I tell you what.” She looked up at him with bright eyes, “You’ve got me for a date. One date to start off with, see where it goes from there, all right? And I’m going to leave it up to you for when it is, what we do, where we go whether the Arboretum or the Holodeck or whatever, just tell me the dress code you’re looking at, or if you really want me in something specific, tell me that too. How does that sound?”

"yeah uhm..no I don't fly, I mean I have but not very well." Connor explained. "Still it would be fun. And i guess just wear whatever your wearing holodeck will change them for us." Connor explained.

Ami gave him a bit of a quizzical look, then shrugged. "Well, yes, it would, but it would mess around with..." She stopped herself before she mentioned the whole immersion effect. Some people weren't into that aspect of dating or getting involved in what they were doing. To her, it showed her something else. "Connor, I'm going to ask you a question, but I really don't want you to be offended by it: You're not all that interested in flying, are you? I mean, it's not something that you'd do aside from as a whimsy?"

"Actually I am interested. I created the holodeck program to learn how to fly F-14s really. Though i've only done it once. That and it was boring alone."

"You know what? I'm making a decision right now. Date night is tonight for you and me, starting right now." Ami made that decision in a heartbeat and since he wanted to go flying, "You're coming with me and don't get any ideas. You are coming to my quarters so that we can get ready for this properly." She grabbed his hand briefly to tug him into motion, "You see, Connor, yes, the holodeck WILL provide you with everything you need, but that's not going to give you more than a tiny bit of the experience! Let it give you all the life support gear, the O2 mask, the helmet, all that stuff, BUT unless you're a complete barbarian, there's a better way! We're going to get ourselves fitted out in flight suits BEFORE we walk into the holodeck, because it's more FUN!" Her voice told him that she considered it far more exciting her way.

To Be Continued...

Mission Post by
Lieutenant Ami Rori
Chief Engineer
USS Myogi

and

Lieutenant(jg) Connor Talmage
Chief Science Officer
USS Myogi

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