Sic Transit Only

Posted on Fri Aug 11th, 2023 @ 11:12pm by Lieutenant Naota & Chief Petty Officer Jericho East
Edited on on Fri Aug 11th, 2023 @ 11:16pm

592 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: Pressure
Location: Haumea Colony
Tags: naota

After seven years aboard the Akira, it felt strange to be getting the keys to his house.

Shimmers of light were visible flicking in the various rooms and niches, as the boxes containing their personal effects were beamed directly into the home. From the padd that he held, the New Englander made a few final adjustments to some of the transport assignments.

A cursory glance didn't reveal any sign of the kid, so the man called out, "Brat!"

The Only came flying out of left field. Apparently, he'd unpacked the toy bat'leth that had been part of the Bat'leths & BiHnuchs game.

Priorities.

"nuqneH!?" the hyperactive Maori boy blurted aloud, leveling the toy sword at the man.

Which, it was mildly distracting just how bad the Klingonese sounded when said in the New Zealand accent. "Where do you think we should put the jukebox?" the man asked, raising his eyes to look around the interior. It had all the hallmarks of Starfleet modular construction, but it wasn't sitting on top of a warp reactor so he wasn't going to be one to complain.

"wo’ batlhvaD!" Midget of House Obnoxious declared, raising the bat'leth triumphantly overhead as he spun around and...

...and then started trying to figure where the jukebox could go.

"Y' thinkin' the living room here, yeah?" the boy asked, using the bat'leth to indicate where they were standing. Then pointed off to an alcove by the kitchen. "Eatin' there, so... so..." the boy stammered, starting to turn in a circle before he pointed at a spot along one wall. "HIja'!"

Glancing back down at his padd, the man made a quick entry before a shimmer of light appeared where the boy had been pointing, depositing an old fashioned vinyl jukebox into the room.

Discarding the bat'leth onto the floor, Naota bounded over to the jukebox.

Shaking his head, Jericho stooped to pick up the toy sword. As he was straightening back up, he realized one of the colonists from the housing office was approaching him with more paperwork.

Tucking the bat'leth under one arm, Jericho made a free hand for himself as he was now juggling padds, combinging through both the receiving manifest and the assignment of responsibility.

As he was clicking through everything he needed to sign, the colonist remarked, "Its unusual for a chief to be assigned housing like this."

"Oh?" Jericho uttered in a neutral tone, looking up as he passed the padd back to the colonist.

At that moment, America suddenly blasted the musical intro to Sister Golden Hair, stealing Jericho's attention over to where Naota had powered up the jukebox. Recovering, he finished the last signature and passed the padd back.

As the older man accepted the document, he glanced at it briefly before noting, "I see there's a Lieutenant East that's also pending assignment to the colony. Will the lieutenant be joining you later?"

Jericho's mouth fell open, but he wasn't entirely sure how to answer that.

Jumping up into the air, Naota landed atop the coffee table and started to air guitar along with the song.

Jericho looked at the bouncing Only, then back to the colonist as he finally answered cryptically, "I think you'll meet the good lieutenant soon."

As the colonist took his leave, Jericho took another glance at the boy bopping along to the music before resuming his work with the arrival and delivery of their things.

He supposed he'd start on the kitchen next.

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