Iced Over Ch1: "A Cool Run"

[JayB]

Marcus was glad that the inspections and business meetings were over with. Now, real business could happen again. This latest run should be an interesting one if nothing else. As he walked in to the conference room, he was happy to see all of the requested employees sitting ready to hear of the latest job. Marcus took his place at the head of the table and began.

"Alright guys, we've got a big one this time around. Government Contract Big. We have a load of Cryogenically sealed pods that the Federation wants left on some planet. This will be a big test of what we can haul here since there is going to have to be some special equipment brought aboard to monitor and support the pods. No melt downs are allowed here. Paul, I need you to work with Elliot and make that happen." Marcus shot a look over to Paul and then to Elliot in turn as he named them. "Jake, I'll be giving you the coordinates for the drop off point later. I need you to give priority routing for this. I'll also need you to coordinate the auxiliary vessels to make our other deliveries." He shifted his gaze to Arianna. "Ari, I need you to get with Paul and figure out what all we need supply-wise to make this happen." Once more, Marcus shifted his gaze, this time to the Compliance officer. "And of course, you will need to make sure we do this all by the book. No screw ups allowed here. This is a government contract, we can't afford any mistakes. Everyone, we have a lot of work ahead of us for this one, but when we pull it off, we will have some excellent profit lining our pockets. If there are no questions, you are all dismissed."

[Kris]

Catrina watched Marcus for a bit and listened to the whole situation with the current job they were doing. She did hate the government ones, but what choice did they have? There wasn’t going to be much for her to do on this one, except watch Elliot of course. If he was going to be watching the cargo, she would be watching him.

She’d taken very few notes on the situation, as there wasn’t really any for her to do. Most likely, she’d be hiding out in the infirmary or walking around the ship while on duty, then hiding out in her own quarters. She wasn’t talked to much lately, and she was more of a babysitter and ‘patch me up’ person at the moment. Maybe that would change with the mission, maybe it wouldn’t.

Cat hung around as the others started to leave. There had to be something she could do, right?

“Marcus...don’t tell me this is another babysitting gig for me. I need something to do.”

Tag: Marcus, anyone listening.

[JayB]

Hearing Cat, Marcus looked up from his own notes. He gave her a grim smile. "Unfortunately Cat, I don't really have anything for you. If you get too bored, I suppose you do employee health exams. Its a bit early for 'em but it's something to do." Marcus paused and grinned conspiratorially. "In fact, Elliot has had some strange sleeping patterns lately. Perhaps you need to... examine him? Or maybe do some sort of... sleep study?" I'm sure something will come along regardless."

[Angelo]

K'Roth looked a little confused and uneasy as he thought about this in his head. "Okay, I know it's not my place to say this but, isn't it a little wierd that the GOVERNMENT would ask for US to move these cryogenically sealed pods to some random planet that we have no info on so far." He tapped his elbow as he thought it over more and more. "In my opinion, this sounds like some kind of ambush or trap. But that's just me."

He turned on his heels heading back down to cargo where he's suppsed to be to make sure no one moves his crates around. While in the back of his mind he continued to think over the new situation. "Cryogenically sealed pods being left on some random planet. That smells like a trap waiting to happen."

When he got to cargo he sat on a crate and watched the stars fly by out the port holes in the ship. They streaked by in little dashes nothing more. "I hope I'm wrong about this. But I also hope im right. I could use a good fight."

[Ricker]

Paul/Elliot

Paul looked over the schematics that he had been given of the cryotubes that were receiving. He was only able to access certain parts that were necessary for him to properly maintain the cryonic conditions in the tubes. He grumbled at Starfleet and at Marcus for taking this load and its confidential nature.

He was about to look into trying again to crack the encryption algorithms of the PADD again, when the door opened to his office. Elliot walked in, uninvited, of course. He had his nose buried in a PADD of his own.

“Hey, Paul?”

“Yes Elliot, what do you need?”

“I need to know how big this stuff is so that I can figure out where to put this stuff.”

Paul grunted. “I’ve already picked a spot for it. Deck C7 section F2, it’s big enough and easily accessible.” He went back to work, dismissing the boy.

Elliot was a little confused. “There’s already three other pallets of stuff there, if this is going to be more than a few square meters there won’t be any room.”

Paul rubbed his temples for a moment and tried to calm his annoyance. “The logs show that space to be empty. In fact, it shows the sections surrounding it to be empty too. Are you telling me that there is something wrong with my eyes?”

Elliot face screwed up. “Logs?”

Now Paul let out an exasperated groan. “Those things you are supposed to be filling out every time you move something? You know about those, right?”

“I do those every once in a while, when some of the big stuff gets moved around.”

Paul looked the boy straight in the eye. “So what use are you to us if we can’t tell where stuff is at?”

Elliot knew that he wasn’t supposed to talk back to an adult but he was incensed by Paul’s affront. “Last time I checked Paul, I’m the cargo master. If you want to store some cargo, I’m fully capable of figuring out where to put it. My notes tell me exactly where the current cargo loads are at and I work down there, I see it all on a daily basis. When was the last time you were down there?”

Paul lost all but the last of his temper. “You run that department under mine and your father’s supervision, you aren’t autonomous down there. Now, if you want to defend yourself while you are doing your job wrong, I’ll promote Parim, an actual adult, and you can learn how to do paperwork from the comforts of the school room, how’s that sound?”

“Like you pride got hurt because a thirteen year old boy is doing part of what used to be your job. Now, if you’d like, you can put just about anything on C3 J7, you’ve got two whole sections in all directions there. Let me know when it gets here and I’ll get it all transferred. Or, if you want to take your duties back, you can do the heavy lifting.” With that last bit said, Elliot turned his back and walked out the way he always wanted to do to his father but never had the guts to do.

[Ricker]

Paul/Ari

Paul shook his head at Elliot as he walked out. He’d be mad but he didn’t have the time. So long as the tubes had adequate space for all of equipment, it didn’t matter where it went.

He tried to pull himself together. It had been a while since he had lost his cool that way. He should have controlled himself better, how could he let a kid get his goat that much?

He went back to the schematics. “Damned things, they needed way too much work.” Starfleet was going to be providing the equipment needed to keep the tubes cold but they weren’t going to be providing the materials necessary to adapt that equipment to the ships systems, or even the fuel to keep it all up and running.

He started making a list of things he would need. Of course, none of it was part of the normal supplies he kept on hand. When he finished, he opened a comm channel.

“Ari, Paul.”


TAG:Ari

[Ricker]

Jake/Marcus

Jake looked at the course change request. When Marcus handed it to him, he knew it was more than a mere request. “You know, when I interviewed for this night Captain job, you told me that there would be challenges sufficient to stretch my skills. I did not realize that that would include bending time and space to be in two places at once.”

Marcus was surprised. “Are you telling me that this isn’t possible? I’ve seen you pull of miracles Jake, I thought nothing was beyond your ability.”

Jake recoiled. “No Sir. Captain, if you want this to happen, I will make it work. Hunter will just have to pick up some more of the slack.”

“I don’t just want it to happen Jake, I need it to happen. And have fun telling Hunter that he will have to double his work load. I’m sure he will figure it out but he won’t be happy.”

Jake smiled. “I thought that you might take to him, you are in fact, his superior, not me.”

“Not a chance Jake, I don’t have time to get yelled at about impossibilities that will be conveniently possible an hour later.”

Jake sighed dejectedly. “Aye, Captain.”

[Ricker]

Hunter/K’roth

Hunter hit the comm channel. “Jake, this had better be a personal call. I do never like it when you interrupt the end of my day with business.”

“Unfortunately, Hunter, I have to disappoint you. I guess you know about the big contact we’re about to pick up?”

“No I don’t, but I already don’t like it.”

“Wait, it gets worse. It got priority routing and I need to dump the next weeks’ worth of deliveries on you.”

“All of you hoopdy-doos up on the funny levels must have lost your cotton pickin’ minds! I’m booked solid, I can’t handle any more work!”

“Hunter, I’m sorry, but as they say, don’t shoot the messenger.”

“I’ll have to start working more than one crew per ship, with no rest periods for the shuttles.”

“I’m sure Marcus will reassign people to help you out. We’ve pulled out of worse.”

Hunter sighed. “Back into the magic hat for another trick I guess. Get me all the deliveries you need us to make. Out.” He closed the channel before Jake could anger him anymore. As the data started flowing in, he could tell it was going to be a long few weeks. He opened another channel.

“Hunter to K’roth.”

TAG:K'roth

[KatyS]

Ari Looked up blearily at the sudden chime and vovoice coming from her comm panel. She got up and stretched, an involuntary "Mrroow!" of contentment came out. And what a fantastic nap it had been. She knew it had been a good idea to put that nap cushion in her office. It was right next to the wall vent and was perfect for a quick nap after doing a large lump of paperwork, or after lunch, or anytime really.

However, work called once more, and she really shouldn't ignore it. "I had a feeling you would be calling, Paul. What do you need?"

TAG: PAUL

[JayB]

Marcus looked over a the night captain and grinned wryly. "Oh come on Jake, this is fun! Adventuring across the galaxy, doing runs no one else could do, isn't that exactly what you signed up for?" He paused a moment and dramatically struck a pondering pose. "In fact, I think it was in your contract to do the supposedly impossible... Somewhere around section 3, condition 1, and stipulation 16. It was in the small print. Now that I think about it, it was in Hunter's contract too..." Marcus winked before waving the night captain off and returning to the veritable mountain of paperwork on his desk.

[Kris]