The QM is a Cobra, Part 1

Posted on Saturday February 1st, 2020 @ 2:14pm by Lieutenant Commander Canaan Serine & Lieutenant JG Sydney Allen

1,052 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Shakedown Cruise
Location: USS Poseidon; Quartermaster's Hooch, Deck 6
Timeline: Day 003 - 1345 Hours

[ON]

Canaan took a sip from his mug of coffee, savoring the bite of the warm liquid. Placing the cup aside, he spooned liquid sweetener and tipped a pour of sweet creme into the vessel.

Canaan slowly swirled the metal utensil to mix the amalgamation thoroughly. While he absentmindedly attended to this action, the Science Officer's attention focused on reviewing the abstract submitted by Ensign Honey for a scientific paper the trainee was composing. Mr. Honey was a talented scientist whose study of "The Neuro Sympathetic Revival of the Verulean Trap Beetle in a Liquid Hydrogen Enriched Environment" showed genuine promise of being published by the Daystrom Institute. Canaan was reading and preparing to critique the Ensign's third draft of the paper, which was progressively improving.

After the rampage Sydney caused in the XO's Office, she was on the hunt for blood. She went back to her office and requested a coffee with milk and three sugars, to calm her nerves again and before she requests that monkey.

Sydney sat down in her sofa and pondered what to do; she knew there has to be a conversation about it because if she doesn't then anyone would just come into the bay and start taking stuff without the correct paperwork and then everything would be a mess, so she had to get her point across to Canaan.

Hitting her comm badge, "Lieutenant Serine to the QM's Office, please."

The chirp of his combadge surprised Canaan, pulling his attention from what he was reading. Why would the Quartermaster be summoning him? He had no pending requests nor any desire to visit with the woman. Gently tapping the arrowhead-shaped communications device, he opened the channel on his end and replied, "This is Serine, on my way." He touched it once more to close the channel before gathering his items and heading out of the mess hall.

A short time later, Canaan arrived at Mrs. Allen's office. His presence automatically activated the melodic chime from within, signaling the Lieutenant to his arrival.

Upon hearing the chime, Sydney knew precisely who was on the other side, with a snarly voice, "Come in."

The doors parting, Canaan stepped into the Lieutenant's inner sanctum, "Good day." He greeted the woman politely enough. "How can I be of service today, QM?" He asked, remaining near the door.

"Are you mental, and before you ask, that is a serious question." Sydney looked with anger at the Lieutenant standing in front of her.

Canaan stood there for a moment, a look of disbelief overcoming his usually relaxed facial features. "I beg your pardon, Mrs. Allen?" He asked with an eyebrow cocked upwards, intrigued by what had perpetuated the Lieutenant's boldness.

Sydney stood up, with both hands on deck, so she does lob something across the room at her target. "You decided to go to the XO about the fecking situation earlier. So I will ask again, are you a fecking nutcase, sir."

Placing either hand behind his back, Canaan stood with a relaxed posture. Slowly, he nodded in understanding. Although he'd not heard from Phoebe since they'd last spoken, she must have had a conversation with the Quartermaster in follow-up to the paperwork hassle and their uncomfortable exchange from earlier. To her credit, Canaan hadn't expected the Executive Officer to be as diligent in addressing the matter, the outcome of which had ruffled the Quartermaster's feathers.

"Indeed, I did." He replied calmly, yet not elaborating further. Canaan was under no obligation to explain is reasons to the Quartermaster, especially given how she was addressing him at the moment. "Please take caution with how you're speaking to me, Lieutenant." He warned politely. If she persisted, Canaan would have no other choice but to involve Lieutenant Brinsley or the Executive Officer again. He was happy to have a cordial exchange, but this wretched woman was anything but that.

Sydney's anger still hadn't subsided and now that worth of nothing was her to be careful, she started to shake. Seeing a cup she picked it up and threw it across the room, not at the target but at the back wall, now full-on shouting. "Don't you dare tell me to be cautious you worthless piece of dirt."

The Quartermaster's action caught Canaan completely by surprise. There was no denying the two shared a tenuous relationship, their first time meeting one another had seen to that. He could see that she was visibly upset but never thought the woman would go so far as to attempt battery on another person. The cup smashed against the wall directly behind Canaan. The sound of metal impacting metal echoed as the contents of the cup sprayed against the bulkhead like some new piece of contemporary artwork. Sydney had thrown the cup to deliberately miss, Canaan, although that didn't stop some of the hot liquid from soaking into his uniform. The cup fell to the floor with a thunk, rolling until its handle stopped it from doing so.

Sydney's earlier question reverberated in his mind, although it wasn't he who had evidently gone mental. Ducking out of the cabin, Canaan retreated to the corridor lest the Quartermaster attempt to assault him further. A string of obscenities followed Canaan's departure, Sydney's angry tirade drawing the attention of two passing crewmen, who looked to Canaan with genuine concern.

The Lieutenant secured the cabin, drowning out the woman's irate screaming, before tapping his combadge, "Security to the Quartermaster's office at once!" Canaan's voice shook as a bewildered expression furrowed his brow. She'd known he was going to escalate the matter about the liquid nitrogen, so then why was she so angry? Oh to have been a fly on the wall for the exchange between Lieutenant Commander Graydon and the Quartermaster.

Two security officer's arrived at Sydney's office soon thereafter. Canaan explained what had happened to both of the officers before they entered the office, the Quartermaster's screaming spilling out into the corridor once again. Canaan had no desire to wait around to see what became of Sydney. Now that security was here, he left it to them to deal with her. Instead, he turned away, intending to return to his quarters for a fresh change of uniform.

[OFF]

"If I know I'm going crazy, I must not be insane."

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