That New Ship Smell

Posted on Sun Jun 16th, 2019 @ 10:51pm by Captain Abigail Laurens

Mission: Getting To Know You
Location: Starbase 357 / USS Astraea

Abigail stood at the docking port, hesitating. Why she was hesitating she actually had no idea. It wasn't like there was anything for her to really be nervous or unhappy about. This was it, what she had worked for for so long. USS Astraea. The Star Maiden. HER Star Maiden.

Finally, tugging down her jacket and smoothing her hands along her sides, she drew in a deep breath and stepped through the docking port. There was no flurry of activity, no barrage of crew rushing around to do the millions of things that needed to be done every day. There was a single sentry at the docking port that cleared her with a salute and a 'welcome aboard Ma'am' before returning to the PaDD he held in his hand.

"Thank you Ensign," Abigail replied with a smile and a nod before she started walking along the corridor toward the turbolift, her fingertips trailing along the bulkhead, inhaling deeply. "That new ship smell," she said fondly.

"Sorry Commander, I didn't hear you?" The Ensign at the docking port called after her.

With a laugh and a wave over her shoulder, Abigail shook her head. "I was just talking to myself, don't mind me," she said lightly before she rounded the corner at the first junction.

The sight of the long corridor stretching out ahead of her brought a smile to her lips, a wave of reassurance washing over her at the very familiar sight. This was an Akira class. The same class she had served on for her cadet cruise, the same class as the USS Rawlings, the ship she had been assigned to when she had decided that Command was going to be her ultimate goal.

The Astraea wasn't the first ship she had been offered command of, but it was the first she had felt compelled to actually accept. The timing had finally felt right. She had finally started to feel like she was mentally prepared for the burden of Command, and the fact that Astraea was an Akira class was definitely the final lure that drew her in.

And drawn in she was. She had been on the ship for mere moments and Abigail already knew that her heart was already firmly entrenched in this ship and all that would come to be within her bulkheads.

With half a skip, Abigail stepped into the turbolift, leaning back against the wall, unable to help but smile happily. "Deck One, main bridge," she ordered.

As the doors parted, granting Abigail access to the main bridge, she stepped out and smiled, glancing around, drinking in every detail of the bridge.

"Captain on the bridge!" The voice caught Abigail by surprise as she turned, realizing for the first time the two engineering officers who must have been working on one of the consoles, both now standing rigidly at attention in front of her. She smiled and nodded, acknowledging both of them, "As you were," she said gently. "Thank you."

With one last glance around the bridge, Abigail walked across to the ready room, her ready room, and keyed in her access code, inhaling deeply as the doors parted, granting her access. She walked around, fingertips trailing over surfaces, before she sank into her chair and activated her console. "Computer, this is Commander Abigail Laurens, reporting in as active and on board."

=/\= END POST =/\=

Commander Abigail Laurens
Commanding Officer
USS Astraea