Planes

Posted on Sun Mar 25th, 2012 @ 3:32am by Commander Raven Adams

1,495 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: [Typhon] Through a Window Darkly
Location: various

ON

After a squadron of P-51s had flown through her office viewport, Raven decided to take the rest of the day off.

Something was terribly wrong and her first through was to go to Engineering and talk to Skylar.

Several minutes later she rang the chime on his office door.

Skylar looked up, at the door, from within his paperwork storage dungeon. "Come. Watch yourself. Operations was just here." Skylar noted, paying little attention to the 19,251 PADDs littering his office floor.

"Do they hate you that much?" she asked humorously. She picked her way through the PADDs and kissed Skylar on the cheek. "There's something weird going on. I just had a squadron of P-51s from Earth's Wordl War II fly through my viewport and disappear."

Skylar nodded. "There have been several reports of various interesting incursions, including a porcelain doll appearing, a pair of particularly valuable oven mittens disappearing, and Roman Legionaires appearing in several locations of the station. A report has already been submitted to Starfleet Security." Skylar said, taking just a moment, to grasp Raven's hand with his own. "In addition, I had someone drive a bulldozer from Earth's 1900's from the spot it appeared, 17.4 centimeters from one wall of my quarters, through the table in between, without harming it, and the point it disappeared, 1.4 meters beyond the table. The driver did not seem to note anything wrong with either his navigation, nor the fact that he drove through a the living quarters of another person, without doing said living quarters any damage."

She looked at him, one eyebrow quirked up in query. "Odd. Has Typhon encountered a spatial anomaly? Otherwise, what could account for these apparent phantoms?"

"Uncertain. I have suspended work on the Athena project, however, to redirect more attention to this issue." Skylar said. "Which, as a side note, seems to be coming along well, when I assign Lieutenant Walsh to tasks that keep her away from combustible materials, while we are installing energy production systems."

"A wise move. Can I do anything to help? I'll talk to science and see if we can research all possible causes of such phenomenon. If there are records of anything like this happening in the past, I'll find it."

"There are some phenomenon which are theorized to be responsible. Unfortunately, as I understand it, after a rather tense conversation with Admiral Ongaku-Chi, our resident expert on one such topic is no longer a resident expert." Skylar said, with a raised eyebrow. "It is fascinating, how many times the Admiral can use the word Classified, in regards to specific events."

Raven grinned as she leaned closer and whispered in Skylar's ear, "It's not classified to me. What should I be looking for?"

"I'm afraid I can't even narrow the subject list down. The issues we are having span a long list of quantum, relativistic, and various other branches of physics." Skylar said. He looked at Raven. "I'm not entirely certain that continued attention without more information is productive, at this point."

"Well, Imzadi, that's right up my alley," she grinned. "I'll add P-51s to that list and see what I can find. Will you be done in time for dinner?" She looked at the piles of PADDs and wondered if a year would be enough time to get through them all.

"I will not be done for an estimated 2.17 work shifts." Skylar noted. "However, as my duty shift ends in .17 work shifts, and I am attempting to limit my duty shifts to a maximum of two double shifts per week, this not being one, such information is irrelevant."

Raven smiled. "Good. Want me to replicate something or shall we find a place on the promenade to eat?"

Skylar briefly pondered the statement. It wasn't one he'd contemplated before, but it was not public knowledge that he, and Raven, were a couple. Upon review, he decided that the answer was not relevant. "Wherever the lady wishes." Skylar said, with a gracious nod.

"The lady wishes to spend time with you," she parried. "I'm not going back to my office today. I'd like to spend some time with you."

"Then we shall wander the promenade until something catches our eye." Skylar said, nodding. "That way, it will be harder for anyone wanting us to do work to find us."

Raven gave him an evil grin. "That sounds like fun. And if we don't find our way back until morning, all the better."

Skylar raised an eyebrow, briefly considering Raven's statement. Then he nodded. "Agreed."

Raven kissed Skylar. "Excellent. I'll go change into civilian clothes. Meet me in my quarters when you're done here?"

"It seems rather illogical to go to your quarters prior to finding dinner." Skylar said, pointedly. "But I shall be there, none the less."

"I could change here," she looked round Skylar's office, "but I'm not sure it's the most appropriate place. Besides, if I change in my quarters, I can put my uniform away and pick out some of my own clothes instead of wasting replicator resources. So, I think it's most logical."

"That was not what I was referring to." Skylar said, with a raised eyebrow. "However, your logic does make sufficient sense."

"As for the other ... well," she kissed him again. "We'll just see how the evening progresses."

"Indeed." Skylar said, nodding, as he kissed her back.

Several minutes later, Raven broke the kiss and smiled. "See you soon."

"I certainly hope so. I think your eyes are beautiful. It would be a shame, if you misplaced them." Skylar said, in an attempt at a joke.

Raven laughed in delight at his use of humor. She kissed him again and then rubbed her nose against his. "Cheeky. I like it."

"Glad you approve." Skylar said, with a wrinkle of his nose.

Raven laughed and hugged him again. She'd become much more of a huggy person since meeting Skylar. "If I stay much longer, your shift will be over and you'll get nothing further accomplished today -- at least regarding work."

"That would be acceptable." Skylar noted, mischievous glint in eye.

Raven chuckled and cleared a place on his couch. "Very well. I'll wait for you here. And then we can go to my quarters together when your shift is over -- or wherever you want to go."

Skylar raised an eyebrow. "You should feel priveleged. Normally Operations has that covered in PADDs too."

"Oh, I do."

"As I understand it, Operations only does this, to stop the unfiled PADDs in main Operations from reaching metric tonne ratios to define their volume." Skylar said, with a scowl. "We really need a more efficient filing system. I'll put Sirgei on it later."

"An excellent idea," she agreed. "How can you get yoru work done if you're buried in PADDs?"

"Hence my logical conclusion to have someone resolve the issue, though it is under Operations' task heading." Skylar noted. "There are days I'd appreciate it if they'd do their own job, instead of dumping it on a critically understaffed department."

"You'd think they would minimize the paperwork until you caught up -- and became fully staffed. Have you asked Captain Drkmoon about it?"

"Captain Darkmoon has a station, repair depot, and several thousand people to watch over. The lack of crew, and excess of paperwork, has effected most departments, including Command. To say that the Captain has little time for what concerns I've discussed with him would be an understatement." Skylar said, frowning.

"Fortunately, little of it has bled into Intel. We've got the explosion and murders, but little else." She considered for a moment. "I can make some of your paperwork disappear into a data loop that will take a few months to get through."

"Sadly, they'd probably find some way to get us to repair it." Skylar said, in a borderline annoyed voice. "At any rate, I am done with this for the day."

"Good." Raven stood up and walked back to Skylar. "Let's see how long we can disappear before someone notices." She grinned impishly. "If it gets really bad, we can go out on the Hawthorne." She thought for a moment and then shook her head. "But with the increased security, I doubt even I could get us out unnoticed. Oh well. Maybe next time."

"I like the way you think." Skylar said, nodding. "In more ways than one."

Raven kissed him again and grinned as she slipped her arm through his. "Let's go."

An Ensign entered Skylar's office. "Sir I just need your-"

"Signature?" Skylar asked. He pointed a thumb over his shoulder, at the PADDs in his office. "You are in queue. Leave a note, and I'll get back to you."

As Skylar and Raven left, he added, softly, so only Raven could hear, "When I have sufficient interest to care, of course."

OFF

Lieutenant Commander Skylar
Chief Engineer

Commander Raven Adams
Chief Intelligence Officer

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