Meeting with Orin

Posted on Thu Feb 1st, 2024 @ 10:28am by Lieutenant Orin Sempton & Captain Elijah Rutherford

Mission: A New Beginning
Location: Ready Room
1049 words - 2.1 OF Standard Post Measure

Elijah was going over his records and he paused upon a name, that of Orin Sempton, Ltjg. Tapping on his combadge he sent out a message. "Lieutenant Sempton, what is your location, please?"

"Uh... Sir?" Came the reply. "S-sorry. Deck Nine, Mess hall, sir."

"I will join you, Lieutenant." Elijah remarked.

A few minutes later Captain Rutherford strode into the messhall looking for Orin. He looked around not seeing the man as of yet.

Orin popped out of his seat, meeting the Captain's gaze. "My apologize Sir. Your call came just as I sat down to eat."

"I'll go get something to eat as well and I'll join you." Elijah giving a bit of an apologetic smile, then left quickly to get himself some food then returned just as quickly. He took a seat across from Orin. "So how are you doing?" he asked, before picking up the sandwich he had acquired for himself.

"I am alright, sir." Orin stirred the curry around the bowl. "I'd realized I'd been in my office for a little too long, eating ration bars while I read and filed reports." He looked away, a bit sheepishly. "I hadn't realized how long I'd been there till I ran out."

"That engrossed in your research. There is a reason that I wished to see you, and that is due to something important." he took a bite of his sandwich chewed up his bite before he continued. He reached into the pocket of his unifom and brought out a box. "I don't think that you want to have a whole lot of fanfare but, here you go." sliding the small box towards Orin on the table top. When the box is opened Orin would see the golden pips of a full lieutenant.

Elijah took another bite of his sandwich, while he waited for Orin to open up the box.

The spoon stopped in front of Orin's open mouth as he looked at the box pushed in front of him. His eyes shifted from the Captain to the box and back again a few times. "That, is a very particular kind of box, Sir." He said as he placed the spoon back in the bowl, his appetite gone. "I've seen ones like it before." He absentmindedly touched at the two pips at his collar, one gold and the other black. "Why?"

"I read the report of your actions when dealing with Adna, you rose up to the occasion, you didn't falter. Your service upon this ship also has been exemplary. I've not seen anything to not give you the rank of being full lieutenant. Your report as to your concerns when you and Lily had come in, that was most helpful as well. I feel that you deserve it, and also have earned it." Elijah giving a nod towards the box.

"Sir, my actions on Adna were no greater than anyone else. To be completely honest, were it not for my mother's love for old horror stories, I'd not of known of the creatures we had to battle. Even then, I believe we'd have fared just as well being that the crew banded together to do what needed to be done, even if I'd not been a part of it." Orin sighed and rubbed his eyes, placing his glasses on the table as he did.

Another bite of his sandwich, Elijah chewing the bite as he considered what Orin had stated, he swallowed it, then took drink to wash it down. "Possibly what you have said is true, however, I do not have a time machine to go back into the past to see how things could have turned out without you. Instead I have reports as to how well you performed and also had no complaints about you from the others in the science department. I won't force you to take the pip, just that I know and I feel, that you have shown that you have earned it, even now. As you are not someone about climbing up the rank ladder. Please, let me give you the rank raise." Elijah stated with a smile.

Orin took a deep breath and let it out slowly, his whole body seeming to deflate. "Sir, my apologies. I'm not good with people... or praise." He said the last word with a grimace, like it pained him. "I understand your thought process and it's a logical one." Without looking up from his bowl, Orin grabbed the box, popped it open and replaced the onyx pip with the new gold one. He placed the onyx pip in the box and placed it in his labcoat "May I live up to the faith you've placed in me."

Elijah replied, "Thank you." he ate the last bite of his sandwich, chewing upon it for a moment or two then swallowed it. "Lieutenant, I do have a question, has there been a bit more research done where er Guardian is concerned? Have you spoken to Lieutenant T'Par?"

"I will admit, sir, I have not. Though it's likely time to have a meeting to gather all our information into a single dataset and see if there's any other information we can glean."

Elijah gave a solemn nod. "I highly agree, I feel that we'll need all the information gathered together in order to take our guests to their new home. This is indeed a bit of an interesting situation." he looked at his now empty plate as well as his glass. "I should be going, thank you for meeting with me, Lieutenant." giving a warm congenial smile.

"Yes, Sir. And thank you." Orin answered, standing as well. "I will see if I can find the Lieutenant."

"Thank you as well, I am very pleased that you accepted your raise in rank." Elijah giving a smile, towards Orin. With that statement Elijah strode away leaving the messhall after depositing his dishes in the proper area.

He watched the Captain leave before staring back down at the barely touched bowl, no longer hungry. What a waste. He thought, as he picked it up and deposited it with the others. Taking a calming breath, he set out to his office. First, he would compile what data they'd learned so far, then he would find Lieutenant T'Par.