Meeting the Head

Posted on Tue Aug 26th, 2025 @ 2:25pm by Lieutenant Commander Steve Ryan & Ensign Fiona Flores

1,667 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Children of the Stars
Location: XO Office

[XO Office]

The XO office, not really wide and spacey, was practical to say the least. The desk was simple: dark brushed duranium with a black glassy top, a 3D printed model of an alien starship rested on the edge of it, as a reminder of Commander Ryan’s past successes. PaDDs and mission notes were scattered around the desk on all the available space.

A single viewport behind the XO's desk offers a modest view of space, often half-obscured by structural ribs that cross the outer hull — but in the stillness between duty shifts, starlight pours in, stark and cold.

***

As Fiona left her quarters, she strode down the corridor past her neighbour’s door, the music still reverberating from within. It puzzled her how the music was simultaneously loud yet low—more like a deep frequency than a typical tune. For a moment, she even felt it vibrating in her ears. With a roll of her eyes, Fiona headed for the turbolift. Standing in the Turbolift, she ordered, “Deck 1”.

The turbolift carriage sent its familiar hum pulsing through the ship’s network of conduits until it arrived at Deck One. Unlike the ship simulator at the Academy, the turbolift didn’t stop directly at the bridge. With a quiet, derisive scoff, she realised she’d have to walk the rest of the way.

She muttered to herself, “When was this thing built?”

Fiona strutted down the corridor until she reached the double doors that opened onto the bridge. As she eyed its layout, it was the one thing that resembled the simulated bridge—compact, sturdy, and equipped with only the essential stations. She saw the Captain’s quarters. Crossing the bridge with a scissor-gait strut, she moved confidently, her tight skirted dress uniform swaying subtly at mid-thigh. She pressed the door chime before stepping inside.

"Come in" the voice of the XO ordered as he raised his view above the PADD he was reading while the doors slid open

She heard the Commander’s voice from the other side of the door. She pressed the button on the doorframe, and the door slid open. Fiona entered, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of her lip as she noted how humble even the senior officer spaces were on the ship. Her impression of the USS Montana so far was that of a repurposed freighter, judging by how cramped and narrow everything felt.

Coolly entering his office, she nodded at the Commander with a small pout. Fiona stood before his desk with her hands clasped behind her back, and her chest firm. She said, "Reporting for duty."

Steve gallantly stood up and, smiling, pointed her to the closest seat in front of his desk
"Please have a seat" he closed towards a replicator and asked "may I offer you anything?"

As instructed, Fiona sat, crossing her right leg over her left as she adjusted her hair bun. Eyeing his office, she answered lowly, "No thank you, Commander".

He stared at her for a few seconds then went back towards his desk and sat down.

"So, Ms. Flores" he started by accessing the personnel file from his computer "operations officer I see, huh?" And waited for her to tell him more about her life and career so far.

Fiona's right leg swayed back and forth as she rested both hands on her right kneecap, maintaining eye contact with the Commander as she spoke.

Once she stopped speaking, Fiona said, "Montana is my first rodeo, so to speak." Seeing that he was a no-nonsense officer, a nervous laugh escaped Fiona. Clearing her throat, Fiona continued, "Before this, I was a J.A.G's personal assistant back on Earth at the Academy. I had the opportunity to stay and," she trailed off as she withheld details about her personal life. A relationship with a Vulcan. She looked away a moment as she pulled her legs closer to her.

Swallowing, Fiona resumed her train of thought, she continued speaking, "I wanted something more. Space."

Steve nodded mildly smiling at her reluctance to speak about something that seemed like haunting her.
"Oh we got lot of space here " he pointed at the viewport behind him "but we're kind of confined too. The Montana isn't exactly a spacious vessel but it's a reliable one for sure." He confirmed.

"I am the acting chief operating officer on board too, you know, the crew is limited here and sometimes we need to wear different hats too. I can't wait to work with you. I will schedule you to bridge watches starting from tomorrow, so you start blending in with the ship's life "

Fiona could sense his eyes working into hers, almost like she was being studied. She uncrossed her legs and set her booted feet on the floor. She pressed her knees together tightly as she, almost daintily, rested her clasped hands in her lap as he spoke.

Fiona laughed lightly, in an attempt to brighten the mood from its very austere, and business like, tone. "Actually, by space, I meant," she waved her right hand about, "You know....the big great unknown. Planets, stars, nebula."

She was now struggling to keep eye contact. What was it about him?

Fiona then shrugged, "But yeah, stoked. Totally looking forward to it."

The XO kept probing her with his eyes.
"It's a fine ship and a nice crew. You will like it. The captain is great. Do you have any question?"

Craning her head to the right, she asked, "What are my first orders?"

"Well, I asked some representative to all the departments to bring out a very detailed inventory of all the equipment we currently have on board" he eases his back on the chair, relaxing a bit "let's call this a special assignment to be done together with the usual watches. You report only to me the findings and and any weird thing you might find." He kept staring into her eyes

Fiona narrowly concealed her scoff at the assignment which had been described to her. Leaning forward in her chair, Fiona asked, “To confirm; you are wanting me to take inventory of equipment, and report this to you?”

"without telling anyone else, yes" he replied closing to her.

Fiona looked off to the side, shifting uncomfortably in her seat before crossing her arms across her chest. "May I ask why, Sir?"

"Of course you can"

A cynical smile crossed her lips at the sound of his answer, her eyes piercing back into his. Breathing out, she followed through as she clenched her toes inside of her boots, "Why would this need to be kept confidential?"

He smiled bitterly "because I say so"

A profanity-laden question played out in her head as she craned her neck to the right, lowly answering, "Acknowledged, Commander. Is there anything else?"

The XO shook his head with a calm and comforting smile
“Not on my side, Ms Flores”
As he pronounced these words the door chime announced the presence of someone else.
“Come in” Cmdr. Ryan answered still maintaining his eyes on the sitting ensign.
The door slid open once again and Deborah stepped into the room with a PADD in her hands.
“Steve, finally I..” she noticed he wasn’t alone and abruptly stopped, fixed her uniform and reported formally “Sir” she saluted the senior officer to then give a quick nod to the Ops ensign sitting in front of the XO.
“Oh, Ens. O’Donnel” Steve smiled “I am not sure you two met”

Fiona's lips coolly parted as she heard the Ensign refer to the Commander by his first name. Her eyes looked up and down her figure, a story beginning to form in her mind. The young woman's dress was adhered to her frame like a second skin, while her boots were less footwear, and more like wax moldings on her legs. Standing up, Fiona extended her right hand, "Ensign Flores." She shrugged provocatively, "Fiona if you prefer."

Deb slightly tilted her head on the right acknowledging Flores’s presentation.
“Ensign Deborah O’Donnel, engineering” Deb presented herself to the newcomer “I’ve never seen you around, were you in that last shuttle transport that left our ship few hours ago?” she asked moving her head from Fiona to Steve studying them and trying to read what was going on when she entered the room.

Fiona stepped forward to Deborah, "Yeah. I'm not part of the furniture."

Steve showed a perplexed face at Fiona’s comment but decided it was wiser not to intervene.
Deb raised a eyebrow and turned her gaze to Steve who purposely kept himself out of the discussion. She managed to control her temper.
“Never said so, I spend most of the time in engineering so might have missed a crew rotation or two”

Fiona sighed, "I'm sure you could bring me up to speed. Eventually." She bit her bottom lip, "Good to meet you." Fiona's gaze then shifted to the Commander's, "I will carry out your orders. Thank you." She walked toward the double doors which parted.

“See you around, Fiona” Deb greeted her stressing her name.
As soon as the door slid closed once again and she was left alone with the XO she turned her head towards him, eyes wide open
“The hell is she?” the engineer asked.
Steve shrugged “Ensign Fiona Flores, operations” he simply answered.
“operations” she mimicked his voice closing in and sitting on his desk. “You know I almost killed you once, right?” she remembered him
“How can I forget? The doctor took some time patching me up” the XO countered
“Behave, Mr. Ryan” she concluded and left the room.
As she left he stood and yelled “Wait, what was the reason you came here?” but his words were unheard since the door already slid closed and he was left again alone in his office.

-------------------------
Lt. Cmdr. Steve Ryan
XO USS Montana

Ens. Fiona Flores
Operations

Ens. Deborah O'Donnel
Engineering

 

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