Ryk Brown - Aurora CV-01

The commander returned to his place behind the podium before continuing. “Until further notice, the duty hours of this ship are zero-eight-hundred to twenty-two-hundred. There will be no days off until after the first test flight in two weeks. All crew report to your department heads to begin training. Dismissed!” Commander Montero stepped away from the podium and exited the briefing room, with Lieutenant Commander Kaguchi right behind him.

Vladimir suddenly turned to face Nathan, excitedly demanding, “You must give me details.” Now that the briefing was over, he was dying to know more about Nathan’s tryst with Ensign Nash.

Nathan turned to him, all set to share the events of the previous night, when he noticed Ensign Taylor, hurriedly making her way out of the briefing room. Suddenly, he felt the need to follow her. “Vlad, my friend-gentlemen do not kiss and tell.” Nathan got up and left, patting Vladimir on the shoulder on his way out.

“Gentlemen? What Gentlemen?” Vladimir turned to his departing roommate. “But we are roomies, Nathan!” But it was too late. Nathan was already on his way out the door.

Nathan entered the corridor outside the briefing room just in time to see Cameron turning the corner down the corridor to his right. Breaking into a jog, Nathan caught up with her as she was heading up the ramp to the command deck.

“Ensign Taylor,” he said as he caught up to her. She barely reacted to his presence, not slowing her stride or missing a step as she ascended the long ramp. “Hi, I’m Nathan Scott.” Nathan offered his hand as he fell into step alongside her.

“I know who you are, Ensign,” she answered. Although Nathan hadn’t expected any particular type of response, her absolute lack of interest or emotion was a bit surprising, as was her disregard for his offer of a handshake.

“Really? So who am I, then?”

“Ensign Scott, Nathan R. Graduated thirty-second in your class from the North American Fleet Academy, despite rather mediocre scores in command simulations. Specialized in Piloting and Navigation, studied Earth History in a private college, son of Senator Dayton Scott, who just announced he is running for president of the NAU." She flashed a fake smile at him. “Did I miss anything?”

“Yeah, you left out that I flunked chemistry in secondary school. How is it you know so much about me?”

“I make it a point to know who I’m working with.”

“Well, that’s encouraging-I think.” There was no response for an awkward moment. “So, I guess we’ll be working together?”

“In a manner of speaking.” She was either being coy or rude. He wasn’t sure which just yet.

“So it’s kind of exciting, huh?” he asked, trying desperately to strike up some kind of friendly conversation with her. But he didn’t seem to be having any luck.

Cameron couldn’t figure out if Nathan was trying to size her up, hit on her, or was just being polite. And it made her wonder if he even realized what was at stake? One thing was for sure, she was not going let her guard down around him.

“The XO was laying it on kind of thick back there, wasn’t he?” Nathan fumbled, “all that Best of the Best stuff.”

“Best of Class,” she corrected.

“Huh?”

“What he said was Best of Class,” she reiterated as they came to the top of the ramp and turned towards the bridge.

“Whatever,” Nathan muttered. He was pretty sure now, she was just rude.

Cameron glanced at him for the first time since he started talking to her, put off by his cavalier response. “Look, Ensign, I don’t know if you realize this, but you and I, we’re in competition with one another.”

“Hey, I’m not looking to compete with anyone,” he defended. “I’ll be happy if I just don’t screw anything up”.

Cameron stopped short of the entrance to the bridge, turning to Nathan to confront him. “Let me spell this out for you, okay? It takes two people to fly this ship, a helmsman and a navigator. And the helmsman is the senior member of that team. And the first one to take the helm will probably end up lead pilot, in command of all three flight teams once this ship is fully staffed. Get it?” she ended, stabbing him in the chest with her pointed index finger to emphasize her point.

“Look,” Nathan assured her. “I don’t care who’s in charge. I just wanna do a good job.”

“Great, then you won’t be disappointed when you’re sitting second seat to me.”

Nathan stopped dead in his tracks, stunned by her brazen attitude. That’s when he noticed that she was headed for the captain’s ready room. And all of a sudden, Nathan found that he did care about the lead pilot position. In fact, he cared about it more than he ever could’ve imagined. So much so that he ran to catch up with her to make sure that they met the captain together, as equals.

Nathan entered the corridor outside the briefing room just in time to see Cameron turning the corner down the corridor to his right. Breaking into a jog, Nathan caught up with her as she was heading up the ramp to the command deck.

“Ensign Taylor,” he said as he caught up to her. She barely reacted to his presence, not slowing her stride or missing a step as she ascended the long ramp. “Hi, I’m Nathan Scott.” Nathan offered his hand as he fell into step alongside her.

“I know who you are, Ensign,” she answered. Although Nathan hadn’t expected any particular type of response, her absolute lack of interest or emotion was a bit surprising, as was her disregard for his offer of a handshake.

“Really? So who am I, then?”

“Ensign Scott, Nathan R. Graduated thirty-second in your class from the North American Fleet Academy, despite rather mediocre scores in command simulations. Specialized in Piloting and Navigation, studied Earth History in a private college, son of Senator Dayton Scott, who just announced he is running for president of the NAU." She flashed a fake smile at him. “Did I miss anything?”

“Yeah, you left out that I flunked chemistry in secondary school. How is it you know so much about me?”

“I make it a point to know who I’m working with.”

“Well, that’s encouraging-I think.” There was no response for an awkward moment. “So, I guess we’ll be working together?”

“In a manner of speaking.” She was either being coy or rude. He wasn’t sure which just yet.

“So it’s kind of exciting, huh?” he asked, trying desperately to strike up some kind of friendly conversation with her. But he didn’t seem to be having any luck.

Cameron couldn’t figure out if Nathan was trying to size her up, hit on her, or was just being polite. And it made her wonder if he even realized what was at stake? One thing was for sure, she was not going let her guard down around him.

“The XO was laying it on kind of thick back there, wasn’t he?” Nathan fumbled, “all that Best of the Best stuff.”

“Best of Class,” she corrected.

“Huh?”

“What he said was Best of Class,” she reiterated as they came to the top of the ramp and turned towards the bridge.

“Whatever,” Nathan muttered. He was pretty sure now, she was just rude.

Cameron glanced at him for the first time since he started talking to her, put off by his cavalier response. “Look, Ensign, I don’t know if you realize this, but you and I, we’re in competition with one another.”

“Hey, I’m not looking to compete with anyone,” he defended. “I’ll be happy if I just don’t screw anything up”.

Cameron stopped short of the entrance to the bridge, turning to Nathan to confront him. “Let me spell this out for you, okay? It takes two people to fly this ship, a helmsman and a navigator. And the helmsman is the senior member of that team. And the first one to take the helm will probably end up lead pilot, in command of all three flight teams once this ship is fully staffed. Get it?” she ended, stabbing him in the chest with her pointed index finger to emphasize her point.