Dynamic Patrol: Gel Squad! Episode II

Chapter 50: Lower Decks

Baxter Harren was in the mess hall. Currently getting something to eat as all young Ensigns aboard the USS Trinity did. Although they had the synthesizers, they could never taste anything beyond coffee or juice. So they still had a chef and a galley line. Just about every Ensign from the Gamma shift was present, which made sense. They always ate last. Uniforms of different colors, men, women, and non-gender specific officers wore command red, just like the Captain and the helmsmen. Engineers are in a surprisingly pleasant pink, medical specialists are in green, and security is in blue(It looks like Yar got that wrong.) Security like Baxter. They all had one gold bar on their collars per their uniform standards.

Baxter was friends with two other Ensign and one Pretty Officer, Third Class, who worked as a yeoman. Ensign Chen was a comms officer, handling long-range communications and monitoring distress signals or unusual transmissions, and was relaxed everywhere except the bridge. Ensign Patel was one of the helmsmen responsible for the ship's navigation and ensuring the vessel stayed on course. They were sitting at the table, already consumed by the usual banter, men, women, roommates, duty assignments, and whatever issues that cropped up during their time being lower decks on the flagship vessel of the Patrol. Baxter caught up with his crew, "What? Did you start without me?"

"We finished without you." The Edait PO3 informed that since he couldn't reach up from his chair to grab a sip of coffee, he settled right on the tabletop, putting the tip of his beak against the rim of his coffee mug and sipping the liquid. "The line's long all the time. What do you want me to do, Till?" The bird blinked at him, shaking his head and sighing, "Well, perhaps you should get Ensign Chapman to swap duty shifts with you so you catch the early lunch; I'm sure if you do her a favor, she'd be happy to." Baxter rolled his eyes as he settled in. "Come on, Chen, would you put that away? We're on break." Patel said, smiling, as she took a sip of her coffee. Surrounded by datapads, Chen frantically tried to finish her work during lunch hour before she was due on the bridge. "Can't stop now. I'm on a role. XO is expecting this communications system diagnostic by 2130. I want to have it done by 1900."

"What are you, bucking for a promotion? You've only been on board for two years— it takes at least three to hit Junior Grade, assuming you even pass all the regulations. Captain runs a tight ship." Baxter informed them that he knew all the regulations. Memmorized them by heart. Chen tilted her head upward to eye the Earthen Panda. "Hey! Look. On the capital ship of the DP... the Captain is looking for hard workers— people to stand out. If you look at the statistics, junior officers aboard flagships have a 37% higher chance of being promoted early than any other command. I'm an ensign now, but six months later, I'll be Lieutenant... and it'll be onto First Officer on some unknown explorer after that... I want to say... in three years? Anyway, that's where I'll earn my name... and by the time I get to 40... Vice Admiral Chen." She smiled brightly, looking around the table as if telling a campfire story, "And I'll have my own fleet to command, with a Capital Ship in it. Just like this one." Everyone nodded at that, all grinning at the idea. They had similar ambitions, and so did everyone in the room. So did every Ensign on every ship and instillation in the Patrol fleet.

"Yeah. But comms officers like... never get promoted, love... that's why no one is a comms officer." Ensign Patel commented that her English accent made her sound like the old-fashioned music artist Estelle. It made her sound smooth and cool. As did her heritage, she was human. A very rare and aristocratic race in the Patrol. Known for their savageness, the humans stayed away from the galaxy. Her choice to abandon her people and join a greater cause was a journey not often taken by humans. But it was taken by their captain. And that made her. 'Cool.'

"Hey, if it weren't for me. You wouldn't be able to call anyone. I admit the communications pipeline isn't the most... promotable. But people in my department do climb the ladder. You just have to be patient."

"And kiss ass while doin' it." PO3 Till said after that, Patel raised her mug in faux toast, "I'll toast to that." The entire table laughed, even Chen. Baxter tested the food and shuttered as it slid down his throat. He pushed the tray away after one bite, refusing to eat anymore. "That's gross as hell. I would kill for some bamboo... even a leave or two." A panda's diet was 99% vegetarian, primarily including bamboo roots, stems, shoots, and leaves. Even though their digestive system is typical of a carnivore, Baxter could technically consume meat, but it was just difficult for him to do so appetite-wise. Unfortunately, the Trinity didn't have an arboretum to grow such things. So he was content to eat what everyone else ate... even though the galley said that he could have a vegetarian option if he wanted it. But he refused. He wasn't sure why he did it; he just did it.

"Attention on deck!" Someone called out, and the entire population of 250 Ensigns jumped to their feet and popped to attention. The Chief of Tactical and Security, and recently promoted Full Lieutenant, and Earthen Bunny. Andrews entered the mess hall. Everyone ceased eating, talking, and moving. "Where's Ensign Harren." Baxter, who was at attention with the rest of them, broke free of the mold and faced his Commanding Officer; in the pool of straightened officers, he stood out immediately. "Sir?" Baxter made himself known; his voice was trembling, and he was concerned, terrified for his life as the Lieutenant called for him. He and Andrews never interacted one-on-one unless it was a training exercise. Orders for security were passed down via intercom, and that was it. Andrews approached and observed the panda's uniform as he straightened his posture. The man was direct; he left hardly any room for nonsense, which was expected of a security officer with ten years of experience. "Report to my office at 1830. I want to talk to you."

"Aye, Sir. I'll be there, Sir." Baxter said, trembling in fear, "I would expect nothing less." Andrews brushed a hit of dust off of Baxter's pressed uniform and turned on his heels. On course for the exit. "Carry on." He shouted to the room as he moved out. A clean 45 seconds in the mess hall. Precise. When everyone had permission to move again, the commotion commenced. Everyone surrounded Baxter. He'd never been so popular before... he was usually invisible. "What was that about? Did you do something wrong?" Chen asked. She was more astonished than anything else; she couldn't imagine Baxter doing anything wrong. She'd known him their entire time on board the Trinity, and he was one of the most upstanding officers she knew. "I don't know... do you think I'm getting a promotion..? It has to be that because he could just put anything else over the comm." Baxter replied. He sounded out of breath— that made sense. He was holding it the whole time the LT was talking to him.

"Uh-oh. Should I sound general quarters?" Till asked jokingly. Baxter turned to face him, confused. "What does that mean?" Till shrugged, using his wings to glide across the table. "Well, you're only the most upstanding ensign on the ship. If you get promoted, it's the end of all buffer time." Everyone laughed, and the other Ensigns returned to their tables, some of them to their duty stations. "Look, PO3, it's not my fault. I like to follow protocol. Not like that Tommy fellow."

"Don't get me started." Patel scoffed; she took her seat back, crossed one leg over the other, pulled down on her uniform shirt, and returned to her coffee but suddenly found that her will to drink was gone as quickly as Tommy mentioned. "Well, we wanted to help the Omeocoi..?" Chen said slowly. "Omeocoon." Till, Patel, and Baxter corrected her immediately. "Omeocoon." She stood corrected, then continued, "But they said no. Why should we hold that against them?" Baxter's eye twitched. Patel said what Baxter was thinking, "Are you kidding me? He wears the Patrol logo but has absolutely no right to. He abandoned his post."

"But he was protecting his people. And as a member of a species that has had multiple civil wars. I can understand why he'd leave to protect his people. Let's not forget the Patrol left the Omeocoon behind, too. We're at fault as well." Till defended. "Look. It doesn't matter; I do my job. I'm glad that Tommy isn't around here. I'll never go to that planet. Never." Baxter commented that the lower deckers went back to their socialization. But Baxter couldn't shake the lingering thought in his mind. What could the Lieutenant want..?