Act I Scene I: Starfleet Hospitality

[ManWithDoor]

Alik is rather confused by the Commander's possible wink. Did he start a fight with the Commodore right before their arrival to have them come in at an embarrassing moment, thus trying to guarantee that their CO treats them extra well for having witnessed such a thing? Very confusing.

"Cadet Craig, reporting as ordered, sir." He very decidedly makes no mention at all of the tail end of the argument, nor even refers to the very existence of Commander Chekov. "And thank you for inviting us, I had not expected as a new Cadet to be let in this area at all, let alone for a welcoming conversation."

[Orvost]

“’Reporting as ordered?’ There must be some mistake. You are invited to dinner. I wasn’t expecting you for another few hours. As you can see, the chef isn’t even here laying things out yet, though I suspect he is busy in the galley with my requests. Did someone on the crew purposefully misinform you? I’m far too lenient with their petty hazing, except when it interferes with my time. Not that I consider your presence here now as an inconvenience—I welcome the chance to finally get to know you in person. It’s just that I had my entry into your lives planned for this evening, so whoever put you up to this robbed me of my dramatic first impressions.”

Something about his delivery lets you know the Commodore is half-joking.

“How did you enjoy the Orbitron Shuttle from Alpha Centauri? I thought we’d be at Starbase 11 weeks earlier, so I figured we could get your cadet cruise started without delay if we could move you quickly to our location. Unfortunately we were waylaid and the whole reason to put you aboard a luxury liner was thwarted. But I hope you enjoyed the trip anyway.”

[ManWithDoor]

Alik looks a bit sheepish. "Well, sir, it's not bad hazing per se. Perhaps more that things were left a bit vague on aspects of timing and directions here. Had to hunt around to even get this far. I've seen much more malicious acts in other places, so personally this felt more along the lines of a test of intellect and commitment. I was theorizing that this happened to all the new arrivals, and if they 'failed' the worst thing was that they were late to dinner and someone would have to go retrieve them."

Shrugging, his smile becomes more natural. "But regardless, I'm happy to be on board. Working on the Starbase was an interesting experience, and to this budding engineer I was happy to be doing important work that needed expert hands. Certainly not glamorous work, but Starships don't upgrade themselves, and done badly could wreck the entire Fleet. But I'm a born spacer, so being on the move in a ship like this is where I belong."

[Orvost]

Commodore Singh looks thoughtful for a moment.

“Yes. You were working at Starbase 11. Our delay left you stranded there, of all places, didn’t it?”

He shakes his head and frowns bitterly.

“Well, it couldn’t be helped. And you’re here now. I trust your state rooms are adequate? I understand we picked up an extra cadet, so more of you will be sharing living quarters. I hope those arrangements have already been settled. Speaking of arrangements…”

The Commodore turns his attention to Campeador.

“Your haul needs to be secured in the security lockers. Even if we were carrying a cargo pod I wouldn’t place it in the bay. I’m used to carrying freight, not contraband.”

Campeador speaks quickly, eager to move the conversation past this subject. “Yes sir. I will see to that personally, sir.”

GM Note

You passed Commander Chekov’s test (or was it an obnoxious hazing ritual?) and found the Commodore’s table. We can move things forward a few hours to dinner. You’re free to chat the Commodore up some more. You also have fellow cadets who are waiting to know if you were successful in your mission. Campeador still wants to get his physical from the doctor. You have options.

[ManWithDoor]

"The living quarters are far better than I had hoped, Sir. I grew up on a trade ship, so even the Academy rooms were luxurious by comparison. And myself and the other Cadets get along well, so living close isn't a problem."

He glances back at the door. "But regardless, you were right when saying we were early. I'll go with Cadet Campeador to get checked in at medical, and we'll all be back in time for dinner."

[Orvost]

Alik is out of the room and the door is closing before the Commodore formally authorizes his departure.

”Dismissed.” The commodore says, mostly to himself. He stands alone in the empty room for a long moment, sighs heavily, then moves to the other exit to the room.

At the medical station, Dr. Vogelsang seems pleasantly surprised that Alik and Campeador are following medical and security protocols and having their identities confirmed and their medical records input aboard ship. The small talk the doctor engages in during the examination is mostly the doctor telling Alik his insights into Alik’s background based on his readings—which are remarkably accurate. The pattern of growth around the growth plates of Alik’s long bones show his formative years were spent in an artificial gravity environment. The minerals in Alik’s bones and teeth show the staples of his diet. The scars and evidence of past medical and dental work show the unique way certain procedures are performed by differing medical traditions. From this information, the doctor is able to discern Alik’s spacer background and the trade routs and shipping lanes his family mostly stuck to.

Toward the end of the exam, Alik overhears an amusing conversation between the doctor and Cadet Serao. Serao calls in to request that life support controls be released for local adjustment in her personal quarters. The doctor balks at her request, suggesting that she would vent herself into space and he would be held responsible. Serao assures him she will not vent herself into space and that she was under the impression that she was entitled to this accommodation. The doctor assures her that she isn’t as entitled as she thinks she is. This goes on for several minutes with the doctor becoming more obstinate and Serao becoming more bewildered. Finally Alik and Campeador take the doctor aside and explain that she is Andorian and the standard habitat settings of a human vessel are outside her comfort zone. This clicks something in the doctor’s memory and he tells Serao that her request would be reconsidered. Baffled, she ends the call. The doctor spends the next few minutes on the computer looking up her information, verifying that there is and Andorian aboard ship, and releasing habitat controls to the Wall Comm unit in her state room. He spends the rest of the visit justifying his behavior to Alik and Campeador: how was he supposed to know she was Andorian and not some prima donna crewmember seeking preferential treatment?

GM Note

As time grows short, Alik now has to decide who, among his fellow cadets, he is sharing the location of the Commodore’s table with. Everyone also has to decide what they are wearing. When leaving branch school, instead of being issued a dress uniform, each of you was given a clothing voucher for any establishment that accepts federation credits and is familiar with, and authorized to reproduce Starfleet uniforms. There were two such shops at Star Base 11. I will leave it up to you to decide if your character found the time to be fitted for a dress uniform.

Also I’ve been making quite a few rolls on behalf of your characters, probably more than you’d think. It moves things along more quickly, but I think you’d have more connection to what is going on if you made the rolls yourself. We can do that on the site or over Discord. What would you prefer?

[ManWithDoor]

Alik is seeing more and more how strange and unique of a Ship this is. A paranoid captain, excessively friendly Vulcan, and now an overly intense doctor. And that's not even mentioning Chekov, who seems to have his own thing going as well.

He finishes up with the doctor feeling intensely uncomfortable. Dr. Vogelsang's initial conversation topic was enlightening and kind of fun, having him read Alik's past just from his medical observations. Like a palm reading, but, you know, actually real. The verbal tussle with Cadet Serao killed that mood, and he extricates himself without trying to justify anything.

Once he and Campeador are out of there, Alik rushes around the ship to find all the remaining Cadets, informing them of the actual location and time of dinner. No more running about on a snipe hunt, that mystery is solved.

Onwards to preparations, Alik is glad that the Captain is so eccentric, he probably doesn't place much value on things like precise dress uniforms. Alik purchased one at Star Base 11, but between the overtime and everything he got one off the rack, rather than precisely tailored. So it has all the basic requirements of a dress uniform, but it hangs badly by being too tight in the shoulders and too long in the arm.

OOC

I know this was over the comms, but initially I thought Serao was there in person until I read it a second time. Derp. If is had been in-person, given their blue skin and mobile head antennae, maybe she thought it was Jeffrey Combs in cosplay?

Commander Shran

I'm active on Discord, so would be happy to connect live there any time you need rather than solely by posting in the Thread.

[Orvost]

As eccentric as the ship’s command staff may be, Alik feels a duty to his fellow cadets and rushes to tell them what he has found out. His first stop is the Bridge where he finds Jacob, who is more than willing to break away from the conversation he was having with the communications officer and the amiable contempt the man is showing towards him. After a brief conversation with Jacob, Campeador tells Alik that he has to report back to security and leaves.

The other cadets aren’t hard to find. Shur is in his room. Serao is not in hers, but Alik finds her in Weathers’ room just like she was earlier in the day. Weathers doesn’t open the door, but speaks through the intercom. When he tells her the location of dinner, Weathers gushes her praise and gratitude for Alik and his ability to see a task to completion.

Having made the rounds and alerted everyone, Alik rushes back to his room to make his own preparations for dinner. He takes a quick shower and puts on his dress uniform. It’s tight in some places and loose in others. It was made to fit the standard body shape of a human male of his height and weight. Obviously Alik falls somewhere outside the standard. With a few final tugs and adjustments, he leaves his quarters and makes for the Commodore’s counsel chamber.

What a difference a change in lighting and a set table can make! When Alik first came into the Commodore’s counsel chamber in the afternoon, the lighting was dark and the mood of the room was somber and serious. Now the bright colors and lighting give the room a festive, celebratory feel. The table is set with many colorful dishes without a clump of grey nutra-gel in sight. The ship’s stores have recently been inundated with quadrotriticale grain, which the ship’s cook has milled and baked into an assortment of breads and pastries. A wide array of colorful fruits and vegetables provide a feast for the eyes and the smell of exotically spiced meat dishes provide a feast for the nose. There are even some Andorian dishes to suit the tastes of everyone present. There is an open bar overseen by the head chef with at least a score of spirit and intoxicant varieties. As the evening is just starting, most people grab a drink and mill about conversing, waiting for the Commodore to arrive and formally start the dinner.

Cadet Campeador is wearing a formal security uniform. Not a formal dress uniform that a guest would wear, but a uniform someone would wear while serving as security at a formal event. Campeador either doesn’t appreciate the difference or doesn’t care.

Cadets Serao and Weathers come in together. It is apparent that Serao has been molded under the skillful hand of Weathers to meet human standards of feminine beauty. She wears a common service uniform that has been modified and accessorized to accentuate her best features, most notably the graceful musculature of her long limbs. Weathers is wearing a dress from Starfleet’s diplomatic corps. It’s a creative choice, but a safe one as well—she isn’t trying to push any boundaries tonight. Her hair is up in a Yeoman Rand beehive with checkerboard pattern and all. She lights up the room when she enters. These are the type of events she lives for and it’s her time to shine.

Other than the Commadore and the Cadets, the only other guest for dinner is First Officer Chekov. He wears the standard dress uniform decorated with all of his service medals and awards. Most of the medals you don’t recognize. Some you recognize as awards from his days in the academy.

Everyone is waiting for the Commodore to arrive.

GM Note

I sent you a message with my Discord ID

[ManWithDoor]

Alik is a friendly fella. He's no professional diplomatic or experienced party hound or something, but he likes people and generally does a good job at fitting in at social events and befriending people. Perhaps it is all the time he spent as a Spacer, meeting all different kinds of cultures and situations, needing to establish relationships quickly before he leaves with the next shipment. Heck, that's how he met Jacob all those years ago, and maintained that friendship over the years.

But for some reason, tonight is a bit off. Maybe it's the ill-fitting dress uniform. Maybe it's the open bar hitting him harder than normal because he hasn't had any real amount of booze in a while. Maybe it's nerves from first assignment jitters. Maybe it's hormonal distraction seeing Serao and Weathers all dressed up and gorgeous. Whatever the cause, he just can't quite seem to feel comfortable and go with the flow. He flits back and forth around the room, not settling into any one conversation for long, instead focusing on the one thing that can't unsettle him - the food!

Real grains made into pastries. Fruits and vegetables. Spiced meats! Until the Commodore arrives he practically parks himself by the Chef, asking about all the delectable dishes, and if he can get away with it, starts sampling whatever he can.

[Orvost]

Nobody comments on Alik’s poor-fitting uniform. Either it isn’t as noticeable as he thinks, or everyone is too polite to mention it.

Alik makes the rounds, greeting everyone but not engaging in a long conversation until he reaches the head chef. Chief Petty Officer Maxwell is head of food service aboard the Pas-de-Calais. He’s in charge of the galley but also serves as the Commodore’s personal chef. Chef Maxwell is more than happy to discuss the various dishes. He proudly regals Alik with the many rare, exotic, and hard to find ingredients that come into the ship’s stores, frequently complementing the Commodore’s ability to make such things available. After several minutes of conversation, the chef excuses himself. His withdrawal from the conversation was either intuitive or fortuitous, because the trill of a boatswain whistle announces the imminent arrival of the Commodore.

All the enlisted orderlies and servers snap to attention and the dinner guests congregate toward the table. The door with the Latin script above it opens and two security guards dressed like Campeador walk in and stand on each side of the door. Commodore Singh walks in moments later. He strides to the head of the table and bids everyone to sit down. Once everyone is seated, he begins reciting some prepared remarks welcoming this class of cadets.

Alik thinks back to his encounter with the Commodore earlier in the day. The Commodore said something about being robbed of first impressions. The pageantry surrounding the Commodore’s arrival certainly made for a dramatic entrance.

Having met the Commodore before, Alik is in a position to notice a change in his demeanor: The Commodore seems troubled and distracted. Earlier in the day he was personable and cheery, in spite of the tone of the conversation he was having with the first officer when Alik and Campeador interrupted them.

As the Commodore finishes his remarks, Alik feels prompted to answer the welcoming speech with a toast to the Commodore on behalf of him and the other cadets.

GM Note

Your toast to the Commodore is your opportunity to show off your carousing roll. It won’t be so much what you say as much as how others will react to it, so you can make it as friendly and innocent as you like. Or, if you can find enjoyment in having your character make an ass of himself, you can make it boorish and awkward. It’s up to you.