The Pilot and the Linguist

Posted on Wed Jun 12th, 2019 @ 1:04am by Lieutenant Commander Magnus Grey & Lieutenant JG Liliane Olivier

2,174 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Mission 6.5 - Obtaining New Crew
Location: XO’s Office
Timeline: 2296/02/16 - 1830

Lieutenant Commander Magnus Grey found himself setting up his office aboard the America. He hadn’t had one on his last assignment, so he wasn’t exactly sure what to put in it. Some of his books, of course. A few PADDs. A small trinket that Liu Mei Zhen had given him years earlier, when she was a little girl. Maybe Shri could help him with some decorating advice.

When his door chimed, he turned his head toward it in surprise. He wasn’t expecting anyone. Still, he had an open door policy, and wasn’t going to turn someone away just because he was decorating. “Come in,” he called to the door.

This was so stereotypical, Liliane thought as the door hissed open. She had her arms crossed in front of her, one eyebrow raised as she glanced around the room. "You know, I'd rather meet in a bar than a badly decorated office," she quipped as she eyed the rather handsome man, dropping her arms as she stepped through. Then, as if seeming to remember where she was and who she was talking to, added, "Sir." It wouldn't do anyone any favors if she was reprimanded the first couple of hours on the job. Even if some on her last posting were taking bets.

Magnus gave her a half-smile. "Normally, I'd agree with you, Lieutenant. I've been meeting other senior staff all over the ship, including in my cabin. Not at the bar yet, but it's a good idea." He walked around his desk to stand closer to her. "Magnus Grey, First Officer and Chief of Communications," he said, by way of introduction. "What's your name, Lieutenant?"

"Liliane Olivier," she said, eyeing the slightly taller man up and down. "So. Communications. I guess that means you're good with your tongue." Damn it, she thought, recoiling and taking a step back. Liliane tilted her head. "I guess I'm your pilot," she said, changing the subject.

Magnus couldn’t help but laugh, not only at her comment but also by how quickly she changed the subject. “I guess so, Liliane,” he replied, matching her French pronunciation of her name perfectly. “And as for my tongue, I’ve heard no complaints. From my superior officers evaluating my language skills, of course.” His half-smile turned into a grin. “Vous êtes arrivées aujourd’hui?”

"Not bad," Liliane said and returned his grin. "I prefer my hands to using my tongue, myself. I'm pretty good too. I could show you. I think you'd be surprised." She held up her palms and wiggled her fingers to emphasize, laughing as she did so. "And yes, by shuttle. Only been on the Starbase for a couple hours before I found the ship."

My, she’s forward! Magnus thought to himself. Having already spent nights with the Chief Medical Officer and the Chief Science Officer...well, he didn’t realize how many opportunities there would be for fun aboard the America. Captain O’Connor hated it here but Magnus had no complaints so far. Still, he wasn’t about to jeopardize what he had with Shri for fun with someone else.

“Well, welcome aboard,” he said. “Have you found your quarters and settled in yet?”

She raised an eyebrow. “That sounds like an open invitation to me,” she said, with a laugh and a wink. “Are you offering to show me? If you were, then I’d say that no, I haven’t and would like a hand or two.”

Magnus smiled widely. “I’ll show you then,” he said. “But first, I need your honest opinion.” He turned back toward his office. “What else does this room need? I agree, it’s badly decorated. How do I fix it?”

Liliane grinned, crossing her arms in front of her. "And what would my honest opinion be worth to you?"

"Hmm." Magnus considered his next words carefully. "Well, I make a damn good cup of coffee. I'd also be happy to help carry your effects to your room. I'm also friends with most of the restaurant owners on Spacedock and can set you up with a good pre-launch meal or bottle of wine." He smirked and pointed to the rank insignia on his shoulder. "And for what it's worth, I am your superior officer, too."

"What? So that means no touching?" Liliane laughed and waved one of her hands towards him. "All of those sound great. So. What can I expect then?"

Magnus laughed again. He liked this one. "A bottle of wine, then. But your honest opinion first."

Liliane's eyes wandered over the room. "Huh," she said, and shrugged, "A man who asks my opinion on something...I'm not much of an interior decorator. I've moved around, I learned to travel light and not get attached to things if I can't bring them with me. Where are you from? Why not something from your home?" She shrugged again. "Also a new paint job would do the place a world of good."

Magnus looked around the room and nodded. It was a simple opinion, but some of that he hadn’t thought of. He was fairly certain he had the authority to change the room colour. He would ask Shri for her opinion on which colours. And there was one bulkhead without anything on it that a painting of his homeland might be perfect for. Maybe that Pendragon fellow could help him manufacture a copy of Haagen’s painting of the Pholus Ridge mountains?

“Thank you, Liliane,” Magnus said with a smile. “Now, as for your quarters....” He looked up her cabin number on his computer terminal. “Looks like Deck 4, section 6. And ship Ops reported that your effects have been delivered. Shall we?”

"There's not much to bring on board," she said. "But by all means, we shall." Liliane gave him a wink. "That may be something you will regret in the morning." She abruptly spun on her heel and left, after giving him another wink over her shoulder at him.

Magnus smirked behind her back as he followed her to the lift. Behave yourself, Magnus, he thought to himself. You don’t know where things are with Shri right now, but odds are good she would be mad if you did something with someone else. When they reached the lift, he ordered it to deck four, just two levels down. “Make sure you check in with Captain O’Connor as soon as possible,” he reminded her, trying to keep his mind on the job and off the short, lovely brunette in the turbolift with him.

"Captain O'Connor, sure," she said in confirmation. Liliane grinned as she sidled closer. "Wish I could read your mind right now," she said nonchalantly. "Some species get all the fun."

Magnus laughed nervously. He was pretty good at picking out people’s intent from tone and body language, and Liliane wasn’t being the least bit subtle. “Wouldn’t you get bored though? Knowing what everyone was thinking?”

"Eh, maybe," Liliane shrugged. "That's also a possibility. But it would be fun even for a a few minutes. My attention span doesn't last long enough past that." She laughed. "But you're holding it pretty good, right now."

I could hold more than your attention, he thought, his imagination getting ahead of him, but then he silently chastised himself. “Look, we’re here.” The door opened and he showed her to her cabin. “Here we are. Deck 4, section 6, cabin 18. Wow, just two doors from mine.”

"I'd say that's pretty convenient, wouldn't you?" she said with a grin and stepped inside. Liliane glanced around the room. "Hmm, not bad. I was on another Constitution-class so this is pretty much same shit, different pile." She let out a deep sigh, her hands on her hips and spun around to face him. "Although I do like the handling capabilities of the Constitution. Once you know you're way around her, she'll never disappoint. She'll get you to where you want to go, sometimes it takes longer, but she'll give you a hell of a good ride while she's at it." Liliane gave him a grin and a wink.

She looked over her things, neatly placed in the center of the room. "Now, I think we should celebrate," she said quickly, remembering something. Liliane dug through a couple of crates all the while muttering, "Where is it...where is it...?" She opened a third, rummaging around. "I swear if they broke it...Ah, here it is," she said, pulling out a bottle of wine and standing up. The label read Descharmes Vintage, 2280. "Wish I could say they gave it to me as a going away present, but I admit I swiped it," the pilot chuckled. "What say I open this and give you a glass?"

“Sounds fun,” Magnus said. “I’m reminded of when I swiped a bottle of champagne from the Moulin Rouge as a Cadet. It tastes better when you take it upon yourself to get it, no?”

"Oh, I agree," Liliane said and set the bottle aside. She rummaged through another crate. "And it sounds like we are going to get along just fine." In her rummaging for two glasses, of which she was sure she packed as she liked to enjoy a drink or two, her fingers brushed against a small picture frame. Liliane paused, looked at the picture of a small boy for a couple of seconds and set it aside just as quickly. "Here we go," she said, laying out the glasses and popping the cork off the wine. She poured a half glass, handed it to Magnus and poured one for herself. "Red," she said, and then with a laugh, "I meant to take the white. But it's still pretty good."

“I like both,” Magnus assured her. He smelled the wine, but knew little about wine tasting, so he just enjoyed the smell. “What shall we drink to?”

Liliane gave him a smile and a wink. "How about to fun?" she said and lifted her glass to him. She downed the glass in one go, then held it up and looked at it. "Yeah, I'm not a fan of the red, but this is some damn good stuff. I should have taken more."

“To fun!” Magnus agreed before following her lead. “I’m sure we’ll have lots of fun on this assignment. But I should get going.” He gestured back to the door.

Liliane raised an eyebrow. "Going so soon?" she said, giving him a wide smile. She set her glass down on a crate and stepped closer to him. She grabbed his uniform jacket by the collar and pulled him closer to her face. "What did you think I meant by fun?" she purred.

Magnus laughed nervously. He met the eyes of the gorgeous helmswoman. Part of him was tempted to manhandle her; push her against a bulkhead and have his way. But the rational part of him still worried about what he was doing. He hadn’t made a commitment to anyone. Or had he? Was there some unspoken agreement between him and Shri? Does she think there is? If so, he would be ruining that.

“Another time, perhaps,” was all he could get out. There. Not closing the door, but standing on the other side of it.

She laughed and took a step back, releasing his uniform jacket. "If you say so," she said as she poured herself another glass. "Go if you have to," Liliane drank another half a glass before she raised it to him. She gave him a wink and laughed again.

Don’t leave, you idiot, a voice in Magnus’s head seemed to say. She wants you. Go for it. Show her how good you are with your tongue. Leave the uniform jackets on and have your way. But another part of him chastised him for that train of thought. One night of fun wasn’t worth ruining other things. He wasn’t the kind to sleep around, despite what the last few days looked like. Breathing heavily as temptation pushed him, he smiled put his empty wine glass down on a table. “Good night, Liliane.” Coward.

She laughed and shook her head. "My door is always open," Liliane said. She had finished off her second glass and set it aside. It looked like she would be finishing off the bottle herself. "Bye, Maggie," she added with a sly smile.

“Bye,” Magnus replied as he stepped out of her room. As the door closed behind him, he walked across the hall and hit his head to the bulkhead. “That was either the smartest, or the dumbest thing I’ve ever done,” he said to himself. “Probably both.” But in any event, he’d met the new helmswoman, and was reassured once again that his journey aboard the America would be interesting to say the least.

 

RSS Feed