Mission Impossible

Posted on Sunday, 7 June 2020 - 4:26pm by Lieutenant JG Adrianna Eberhardt & Lieutenant JG Maximus Mackenzie

Mission: Operation: Iktomi
Location: USS Standing Bear | Various
Timeline: 2393

{ON:}

Adrianna Baciami was true to her word, and was at the quarters of Mac within the hour. She'd got changed into civilian clothes first, with her satchel across her front, hiding the grappa. She sounded the chime whilst messing with her messy bun. Damn these curls sometimes. Her focus was on Eyelaya - she was the mission. Mission or not, the woman was still a person and this was going to be strange.

Her new roommate had commandeered the bathroom so she sat on the sofa in the joint living area reading. The chime caught her off guard. She stood and walked to the door to open it. Before her was a lovely young woman with wild curls. "Hello." Eyelaya smiled.

"Hi, I'm Adrianna," the Italian introduced with a warm smile, "I had an IOU for Mackenzie, thought I'd drop it off on my way home."

"Oh! Come in!" She grabbed the woman's arm and pulled her in. "He's in the shower...or redecorating the bathroom....he's been in there along time." She sighed. "Oh well! Come in sit down!"

Adrianna tried to not look too surprised at the quick passed conversation, "sorry. I didn't get your name?"

"Oh right! Sorry I'm Eelaya. Have a seat....oh wait it's customary to do a tour right?"

"I guess, but if Mac is in the bathroom, we'll skip there," Adrianna chuckled, barely mid perch.

"Okay! So this the common area...it's like our living room, dining room." She pointed to the door on the right. "Maximus' room...locked of course." She then pointed to the other closed door to the right of that "Bathroom." She then took her to the final door. She keyed in the code. "My room!" The door opened. The room was spotlessly clean but cluttered with gadgets and tools. "And...my workshop of sorts."

"Very homely," Adrianna stepped in and looked around a little. Her fingers hovered over some of the gadgets, but never touched them, "engineer or just a collector?"

"Engineer. I love to tinker. I'm working on lots of projects...my mind never really stops."

"Me either, though I'm not an engineer," Adrianna replied. Screw this, she thought, if she needed an in because of orders, she would have to act somewhat more chatty. Operation girl mode. "I mean, if I'm not busy, my head just spins in a bad way. I need to keep my mind occupied. I awful with tinkering, though. I'm convinced I'd just find a better way of breaking something. I'm probably the reason you guys have to idiot proof things."

Eyelaya laughed. "Don't say that. You're not an engineer. Tinkering is not a must. Are you in Tactical like Maximus?"

Adrianna shook her head, "no, I'm intelligence, nothing as fancy or as hard work physically. I just work hard and play harder."

She grinned. "ohhhh wanna see something cool?"

Adrianna looked intrigued, "depend on if it will help me work hard or play harder."

"Hello ladies." Maximus had emerged. He was clean showered and he laughed. "I see you are getting the tour."

Adrianna's eyes flew to the voice's origin. Somehow she managed to keep her smile, "Hi MacKenzie, your IOU is in my bag on the sofa. I've just been told I'm about to be shown something cool, so if you'll excuse us." There was a mischievous look in her eyes though internally she wanted to shoot herself already. This was too much social interaction.

"Oh you stay too. You'll both love this." She became animated. "You know the Borg right? You phaser they adapt."

"Yes, and sadly you can't put them in water like an old fashioned toaster," Adrianna chuckled, looking back to the woman.

She pulled out an arm band. "Been working on a shield of that kind for our sec/tact teams. It provides a body tight shield. In theory...I haven't gotten it to work yet but I will!"

"To confirm, to protect us from them not the other way round," Adrianna broke the silence.

"To protect you from any phaser hits. It's like a personal shield you get protected and then like the Borg shield it adapts. Same principle..."

Adrianna looked to Mac, "that sounds like it would be useful in principle."

Max was impressed. "Absolutely."

Eyelaya sighed. "If I can get it work. Many have tried but. Well its a dream." She sighed. "I'm sorry I'm monopolizing time. You came to see Maximus. "I'll just grab my book and be out of your hair."

"I came to drop something off, not to see him," Adrianna waved off the woman, "call it a happy accident to run into another friendly face whilst here. As for the tech WHEN you crack it, ensure Maximus, here, has a lovely pink one. I'm sure it's his favourite colour."

Maximus growled.

Eyelaya laughed. "Hey how about we have sandwiches. You hungry?"

"Why don't you two have sandwiches. I'm gonna go visit a friend." Max said.

"That sounds great," Adrianna let the woman lead the way before whispering subtly to Maximus, "that bed is free whenever - you owe me."

He smiled and winked. "Thanks!"

Eyelaya ordered some food up from the replicator after checking with her new friend what she'd like. When they seated themselves she picked up her sandwich and ate with gusto. "So are you new to the ship?"

"I am, yes. I was assigned here maybe three weeks ago. What about you?" Adrianna replied picking up the sandwich.

She grinned. "I was here from the beginning. I convinced the Commanders to being me aboard." She grinned. "I was so nervous! I had never done anything so bold. I just knew that I had to be amongst the stars."

"You could have chosen any ship," Adrianna chuckled, "why here? Do you know people here?"

She shook her head. "Not the people. The ship. The Fontana put in once at the station I was on and I go to work on her. I knew in that instant that I had to get back here. Bella captured my heart. I knew that she was meat for greatness."

Adrianna was clearly confused, "Sorry, I don't understand."

She laughed. "Sorry I forget that I'm a bit odd. The Fontana. The ship I loved it. It was beautiful and I kind of named the engines Bella. I knew that I wanted to be on her. When I was helping fix her I knew I would be back. I saw the crew changeover and I figured this was my chance."

"Destiny," Adrianna commented, now all caught up, "I'm glad I'm not the only one that names random things."

She laughed. "Yeah I'm an odd duck. I relate to my gadgets more. Sometimes I think they are better then people. They can't hurt you or lie to you."

"They do hurt you," Adrianna chuckled, "I've almost killed myself on a lost fuse or a recoil gone wrong. Either way, you odd duck, you seem like my kind of weird."

Eyelaya smiled. "Thanks." She finished munching her lunch. "So tell me a little about you?"

"Now you've put me on the spot and suddenly I realise my life is boring," Adrianna teased, "uhh, been in a form of intelligence since working in the family business. Then came over to Starfleet - use my powers for good and all that. Kept in contact with a lot of people, actually. Not so much family. They don't approve, but friends certainly. Are you close to your family?" That was a good way to change the topic to the information she needed. With any luck Adrianna could rest her ears soon.

She shook her head. "I kind of don't have one. I was an orphan and when I was adopted on Betazed it was not cause they wanted me but hey needed a status boost. So no family that I know of."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Adrianna looked sincere in her apology, "at least you still got far without them. I mean you're an engineer in Starfleet. I think they'd be proud anyway."

She shrugged. "If they were proud they wouldn't have left me." In those words a depth of sadness could be heard.

"If you have not seen them since achieving so much, you will never know," Adrianna offered with a small smile, "I for one, would tell you that they don't matter. Look at what you have without them. Every negative needs a positive. If it didn't the concept of electric and magnets would never work."

Eyelaya did something she rarely did. She leaned over and hugged the woman. "Thank you."

Adrianna froze. This wasn't something she was used to by any stretch, man or woman. A second passed and she relaxed into it, hugging her back. Apparently Adrianna needed the hug too, "No need to thank me. Just maybe coffee or lunch a few times a week, hm?"

After a few more moments of the hug Eyelaya pulled back. "Absolutely!"

The Italian looked Eyelaya over a moment. Thinking. There was no way in hell this woman would be dangerous. But with her, at the very least, being aware of her heritage, she could be at risk. She'd send Soral an initial impressions report, but frankly, she'd be safe out here anyway, right? Adrianna looked down to her watch, "listen, I've got to go. But we'll do coffee sometime. My hours are pretty fixed, so I'll work around you."

Eyelaya gave a nod. "Sounds wonderful"

Max had left but was off to the side outside by the lift just enjoying the silence waiting to see how long it would take Adrianna to run out screaming.

Adrianna was soon in the hallway and just as the door shut behind her she made a weird face as if to get cramp out of her jaw from a forced smile. She didn't notice Max as she turned and headed for her quarters.

"That was not as quick as I thought. You survived." He laughed.

Adrianna jumped out of her skin at the interruption, flinching as if to punch an intruder. She quickly relaxed though, feeling rather stupid that her bad habit, though one learned out of necessity, had shown, "mostly. Think my face may be permanently screwed. She's lovely. I'll be meeting her for coffee again soon. Just give me a nudge if you ever need that room for a break. Gawd I can see why you would. But please. Call first. I've been too used to being by myself, that I may wind up doing something stupid without realising you're there."

He laughed. "Now I'm interested."

"I had similar onboard my last ship. They only assigned a roommate maybe a month into voyage. I wound up coming home from the gym after work, stripping at the door, so I could just hop into the shower - long story short, I have never see someone turn so red and then avoid me for the rest of the mission - we were away a year. In the reverse - I almost stabbed the someone on the ship prior to that - same reason, but I was a little more uptight, and I genuinely thought I had an armed intruder. I hadn't. But my roommate was a marine that wound up on his back, begging for mercy. Thankfully I saw the uniform before I saw his blood."

Max put a hand on her shoulder. "We're all friends but habits die hard." He gave her shoulder a squeeze. "Well I better get back to the Tribble."

Somehow that was comforting but then she shook out of it, "wait, you mean my habits or are you suggesting you'll show up unannounced? Also don't be mean about Tribbles. They are cute and do have a lot of uses, like being shoes and hats."

He laughed. "I'll let you ponder the answer to all those questions." He gave her a wink.

Adrianna couldn't help but change her expression, that definitely highlighted how much she was like her father. Her tone calmed, and was even, though clearly it would have been a tone to threaten, even though her eyes had more of a playful glint to them, "please don't make me stain my carpet with blood this week. At least wait until I've been here a while, so I can call it wear and tear. Call first if you want to maintain breathing or at the very least non visually impaired."

He laughed. "See you later... maybe." He headed back towards his quarters.

Adrianna chuckled and made her way back to her own quarters.

{OFF:}