Running Joke

Posted on Wed Nov 28th, 2018 @ 4:12am by Lieutenant Commander Angus Murphy & Commodore Jane Saulitis

Mission: Run Afoul
Location: Engineering/ Vayr's Quarters
Timeline: MD 3 1315 Hours
834 words - 1.7 OF Standard Post Measure

Ambassador Vayr entered engineering, finally having gotten rid of the young man who had insisted on accompanying him there, for some unknown reason. "Ah Mr. Murphy! Forgive me, Lieutenant! I have need of your services again. It seems someone has reprogrammed my replicator again. This time it will put out only these. I assume someone on the ship things it's amusing but I am not a cannibal Lieutenant." Vayr thrust over the bird feet.

"Ambassador?" Murphy frowned as he walked away from the crewman he was discussing shop talk with. "You really can't be down here unescorted, sir." Without thinking, he reached and took whatever it was that Vayr was handing him. Once he had it, he looked at it and threw it aside with a yip. "FUUUUHHHH-- Are those feet?" he asked, mortified, as he wiped his hands repeatedly on his uniform. "Wh-- why-- why would anyone replicate feet?"

"I have no idea. I wasn't very pleased either. I apologize, I did not mean to frighten you." Vayr looked concerned. "I will of course not linger here, I only wanted to inform you of what happened." Vayr bowed his head and turned to retreat which revealed a large note taped to the back of his wings. In delicate writing it read: Pluck Me.

Murphy scratched his head as the Creoli walked away, clearly questioning what the right move here was. "Wait, Ambassador," he called, deciding that this probably needed addressed. "Hold up," he said, catching up and plucking the sign from the man's back. "Who've you been hanging out around?" he asked as he held up the sign.

"I was escorted here by a young man by the name of Stef. I believe he said he was a Yeoman." Vayr looked at the sign, his beak closed, clearly displeased and hurt by the actions of someone he believed to be friendly towards him. "Do you believe he could have altered the settings on my replicator as well?"

"No, I don't believe he could have," Murphy answered honestly. "But I don't know for sure. I don't really know him." He motioned for the hallway. "Let's go back to your quarters and I'll reset your replicator patterns again." Vayr's birdness still did not settle well with Murphy, who still had a deep-seeded fear of the winged animals, but he was starting to feel bad for the guy and his luck.

"Thank you Lieutenant, I am grateful. I simply wished to have a quiet afternoon meal. I do not understand why someone such as myself could have provoked this." Vayr appeared rather distressed the more he thought about the sign and the sabotage to his replicator.

"I have to imagine that it was not done out of spite," Murphy said, walking with Vayr toward to turbolift. "But it seems very childish and, if I were being honest, I can't see anyone on the ship doing something like this," he admitted, indicating the sign.

Vayr nodded, though someone must have. He did not do such things to himself. He remained rather quiet as they returned to his quarters. He let Lieutenant Murphy in and stepped in behind him. He sat on the edge of the sofa while the Lieutenant got down on his hands and knees to take a look at the replicator.

Murphy pulled off the access panel and after a few minutes had everything reset. "I also put a lock-out on the unit, so that only someone with command codes will be able to override the programming," he said, grunting as he got up. "Hopefully that will slow down our prankster. Do you want to give it a try?"

"Yes, thank you." Vayr ordered fish this time, a filet of salmon, cooked a little rarely. It shimmered into view and he turned his head upwards to draw the flavor of it into his nostrils. "Wonderful. I am in your dept again Mr. Murphy. Somehow I will find a way to repay you."

"That's.... that's really not necessary," Murphy assured him, waving off the gesture as he averted his eyes. Perhaps he was afraid Vayr would gobble up the fish and he wasn't sure that was a sight he wanted to witness. "Just doing my job."

Vayr knew it was his job but he still felt the man deserved something more, plus he could feel how nervous he was around him. "I insist. I just don't know what you require. I will speak to the Captain about you though. Perhaps she will have an idea."

Murphy was pretty sure it would be against the rules to accept anything from outside governments anyway, but it made him feel good that something so routine would be appreciated. "Well, if there's anything else I can do, please do let me know."


"I will, thank you again!" Vayr dived happily into his salmon as Murphy showed himself out of the Ambassador's quarters.


Vayr (pncp by Saulitis)
Creoli Ambassador to Earth
USS Majestic

Lieutenant Angus Murphy
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Majestic