First Time On The Bridge

Posted on 14 Sep 2025 @ 1:58pm by Ensign Mira Quinn

555 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: Fractured Accord
Location: USS Arawyn
Timeline: Later in the day of the bouy blow-up

=/\= Mira's Quarters =/\=

Mira spent what seemed like hours pacing back and forth in her quarters, first getting upset at herself, then at Sorvak, then back at herself.  She knew she shouldn't have just gone back to the lab, but what else should she have done?   She now had a lot of time to think about that.

Finally, exhaustion took over.  She'd been up since the beginning of Gamma Shift yesterday, and though her mind was still keyed up after everything that's happened, her body favored collapsing into bed.

She fell into a deep slumber.  If she had any dreams, she couldn't remember them later.

She was therefore sleeping when her combadge beeped.  "Ensign Quinn, report to my office."

She opened an eye, trying to figure out where she was.  Then she remembered - the sudden explosion, trying to join the efforts to scan the debris, but getting sent back to her quarters instead.  Sneaking back into the lab...

She hurriedly tapped her badge in response. "Aye, sir."

Great.  

She hurriedly got herself somewhat presentable and headed to the Chief Science Officer's office.


=/\=

The "office" was actually a partitioned area of the science lab.  Mira stopped by the doorway, "Sir, you wanted to see me?"

Sorvak's face was impassive, though with a Vulcan, even a half-Vulcan, one never knew.  "Yes, Ensign.  Your phased variance observation is… interesting, and is relevant to the investigation.  The Captain has requested your presence. You will present the debris analysis personally.”

Mira blinked.  This was unexpected.  “Sir, I thought I was—”

“Confined. Yes. And you will be, once this is concluded. For now, you're to present this to the Captain." He handed her a PADD.  “Make sure you read it through on your way to the bridge.”

She nodded. “Understood, sir.”

She had only started on the debris analysis. As she made her way up to Deck 1 on the turbolift, she learned a lot more has been uncovered in the past few hours.  All evidence pointed to this being a deliberate explosion, executed by the Vethari.  Mira wished she could have more time reviewing the material, but the turbolift did not take that into account. 

=/\= Bridge =/\=

As the turbolift doors opened onto the bridge, she took a deep breath. This was her first ever time on the bridge of a starship.  Not including simulations and a quick tour in her second year at the Academy, both of which didn't really count.

But she could not look too awe-struck.  So she took another deep breath, before anybody noticed her just standing in the turbolift, and stepped onto the bridge.

Her heart was pounding as she crossed over to the science station.  As she took her place, she looked through her PADD again."

Ensign Quinn."

At the Captain's words, Mira looked up. 

"Your report on the debris."

Mira cleared her throat.  "Analysis confirms deliberate destruction, Captain. The buoy was destroyed by shaped charges. Residue matches metallic compounds found in Vethari mining ordnance. And the detonation profile shows it was remote-triggered. Someone had to be close enough to send the signal at the exact moment we passed."

"Not chance, then. Someone knew our timing."

"Aye, Captain."

The Captain finally turned to somebody else and Mira quickly went over the PADD again, to make sure she had not forgotten anything.

=/\=


Ens. Mira Quinn
Science Officer

 

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