Welcoming a new arrival

Posted on 08 Jul 2020 @ 11:43pm by Lieutenant Xu Chang Lau

Mission: Mission 4 - Race against the machine
Location: Medusa's Head
Timeline: MD 5 just after shift
2576 words - 5.2 OF Standard Post Measure

Michael stepped towards the turbolift after a long shift, he was dog tired, but knew there was more work to be done. His thoughts wandered over the events on the bridge, recalling who was present. A cold shiver raced up and down his spine once more, the brief conversation of the Dark One made a memory pop up in his mind, something he had come across a few years back. Something that caused some personal distress. He shoved that thought back into the dark recesses of his mind. He'll bring it out to light later, in the privacy of his quarters.

Once more he pictured in his mind, who was on the bridge, there was something, or rather someone new on the bridge, a woman who was stationed near Aidan at the science station. Michael pulled out his PADD to check on the roster of crew members. Lieutenant JG Xu Chang Lau, was her name. He should get with her to see if there was anything she would need. The lift doors opened once he neared it and Michael prepared to step inside.

"Hold please!"
Xu called to the young man just entering the lift. She had been so preoccupied with the current events on Andromeda that she still needed to unpack, not to mention shower and sort her hair out that was still refusing to return to a tidy ponytail at the very least.
'To hell with it' she thought as she pulled to jade hairpin from her hair allowing it to cascade down around her shoulders almost down to the small of her back. 'I'm off duty anyway!'

She slipped into the lift besides him "Thank you Ensign" she smiled at him, now noticing him and taken aback at how similar he looked to her ex-fiancee. "Deck..." she stopped herself, realizing that she had no idea what deck or section her quarters were located on, and she looked at him, a slightly crooked smile tugging at her lips. "I'm new here and I have no idea where my quarters are!"

Michael gave a little start, and turned towards Xu, an easygoing smile crossing his lips. "I can help you with that, and.." a slight cough"I was just checking the roster as to new arrivals. I was wondering whom you might be when I saw you on the bridge. I'm Ensign Michael Hawkins, Chief Operations Officer." He noted that her hair was now loose and it was beautiful. "And I can show you to your quarters."then gave the deck number to the lift.

As the lift started, Michael commented, "You have certainly been plopped into a bit of a messy situation, us dealing with an ancient weapon of destruction."

"Xu Chang Lau", she offered her hand to shake his. "Assistant Chief Science. A pleasure Ensign."
she couldnt help but smile back at him finding his own smile to be contagious. "I'm still trying to understand everything. Lieutenant Datari and the Captain have brought me up to speed but even after that it still seems so unbelievable. I'm still struggling to understand how it all fits together. The Don's, these Dark ones... not to mention the weapon!"

He took her hand shaking it gently but firmly, his hands were strong and had some callouses on them. "About all I can do is try to ride the waves of the challenges that come at us. Just like the sea, space is ever full of surprises. Some rewarding, some not. That weapon certainly needs to be dealt with. Same with the Don's, and the Dark Ones. However those will have to be attended to one at a time. " Michael answered as he released her hand.

The lift's door opened to the deck they needed to be at and Michael waited for her to step out before he did, then started leading the way to Xu's quarters. He slowed his steps to walk alongside Xu. Once I show you where your quarters are, I can show you the Medusa's head where we can get a drink, and something to eat." he looked at Xu, "That is if you wish, to do so." giving her a slight smile.

The idea of eating had been at the back of her mind until now and the tantalizing thought of food immediately kicked her metabolism into action by making her stomach grumble.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea Ensign!" she went formally, not knowing if he would prefer to be known by his name or rank.

"Medusa's head?" she asked quizzically.

Hearing her stomach rumble, Michael said"You can call me Michael, or Hawkins when off duty.Whichever you are comfortable with. As for Medusa's Head, its what our 10 forward is called. And it sounds like your stomach will agree to getting something to eat." his own stomach giving off a weird burbling growl." Yup and my stomach is in agreement." Michael looking down at his belly ruefully shaking his head then chuckled.

His chuckle was infectious and she couldn't help but laugh along with him while letting a hand fall to her stomach to try and quell the now relentless feeling of hunger. It was this moment they rounded a corner and she saw her name stamp on the door before them. She stepped forward and entered, immediately placing her bag on the small coffee table. She took stock of the room quickly, motioning Hawkins to enter as well. It was far larger than she was accustomed too, all of her other luggage neatly stacked in the sleeping area ready and waiting for her to unpack and put her stamp on the place.
"Its like a hotel room! I'm not used to this!"

"It is a nice sized room. I take it you have slept in a smaller room. Were you stationed before arriving here?" Michael asked.

She smiled, trying to cover how she really felt but the humour in radiating from her smile did not reach her eyes. The instead reflected the horrors she had been wading through during her last assignment.

"It was a field unit, one of those prefab things... I stayed there for a couple of years... I was assigned to Cardassia, part of the urban recovery unit sent by Starfleet" her voice trailed off, not wanting to cover any more than that, instead she changed subject "Shall we head for Medusa's head?"

Michael's mind scoured his memories for what pertained to Cardassia, the bits and pieces of information. His eyes widened ever so slightly. Recovery, working among the dead,forensic science. That was something that would take a toll on anyone.

"That is a very difficult situation to be in, and I have a great respect for those who were there." he simply stated, and expression of sympathy, not pity. " Now to something more pleasant. Good Food, good company I hope I will be and a good drink. " When they arrived at the Medusa's Head. Michael scanned the room to see if there was a table near where they could look out at the stars. There was one. "How about there? I like to gaze out at the stars whilst I am eating."

All she wanted to shout at him was she wouldn't mind being stared at, certainly not by his baby blue eyes... Thank the lords he wasn't a Betazoid!

"That sounds ideal".

She started to weave her way through the tumult of off duty officers and the socializing civilian population until she reached the table he had indicated and she had to admit the view was out of this world.

Once they settled down at the table a wait staff approached them,handing them menus "Good evening, I'm Nel and anything you'd like to drink while you decide what you'd like to eat?"

Michael looked at Xu, his dark grey eyes making a query, "Ladies first" he remarked with a smile.

He was making her feel a little giddy with his chivalrous approach but it was also nice to feel like this. It certainly was a break from the norm given her last assignment and how her ex-fiancee had made her feel. To have the attention of an attractive man, however platonic the situation was soothed her heavy soul.

"A glass of Umeshu would be lovely thank you!" she asked of the server.

"I'll have a Ginger Rogers, please. " Michael replied.

"I'll be back with your drinks." Nel said, with a smile, the girl giving Michael a quick smile, then leaves.

"Now to figure out just what sort of food I'm in the mood to eat." he said to Xu. " Also, when off duty, Lieutenant, how would you like me to address you?" since he hadn't asked her earlier.

"Xu, even when I'm on duty. I'm not one to stand on formality", She interlaced her fingers as she placed them on the table before her, regarding him intently. "Tell me more about this place Michael, and yourself... I don't really know anything about you!"


Michael chuckled slightly, matching her gaze and noting the almost imperceptible signs of having been under a lot of stress and maybe slightly anxious. Xu was beautiful woman but he didn't ask her to come have dinner with him, to hit on her. It was more about hoping to help her feel that she wasn't in some sort of free fall,with no place to land.

"Well the Andromeda is a ship with some interesting people. Its a good ship, the command staff are fantastic. All personable. Captain Jonathan Reynolds a good man, the XO Lieutenant Amelia Fox, then there is Lieutenant Aidan Datari our Chief Scientist as who is third in command." a fond smile became evident as he listed those of the command staff.

"As for me, let's see if I can give you some basics of myself. I am the chief operations officer. I come from a decent sized family, I am quite literally the middle child. I have two older sisters Kate and Ariana who are twins, then me and next comes my sister Elizabeth and then last but not least is the baby of the family, William. Both of my parents are alive, and both sets of grandparents are alive as well." he went silent for a moment just to collect his thoughts. "I have quite a few things I like to do however I will just mention a few. I love to dance, I love theater arts, I love to sail. I am into martial arts. How about a few basics on you? Family, things you like to do?"

The conversation is interrupted by Nel bringing their drinks, and he told Nel what he wished to eat, medium rare steak with mushrooms, sauteed shrimp plus a dinner salad.

Nel waited for Xu's order before leaving to get their meals.

"As for me, where to start!!" she leaned back in her chair, nursing the Japanese plum wine she had ordered. "I'm a Forensic Anthropologist first and foremost, I wear my heart on my sleeve which isn't always the right stance to take given my line of work".

She took a moment to blink back the wave of emotion she was feeling. Having spoken very frankly to the Captain about it and now to be opening up to Michael... it was bringing back a lot of dark memories. Instead she decided to focus on herself rather than her career.

"Outside of my career I play the Sanxian, something like a lute from ancient Japanese culture. I am a Geisha so dance, theatre and performance arts are very close to my heart also. No family to speak of, they all passed away and I never had any siblings. I was almost married... Nothing more to tell really!"
Michael listened intently,his dark grey eyes showing his emotions as he heard her small history. He noticed the brief storm which rose in her grey eyes, like the rising of a wave, then returning to somewhat calmness. He could see there was hurt, as she related the status of not having any family, her brief flash of pain mentioning a chance of marital happiness being snatched away. He wasn't going to pry,it would be for her to mention something if she chose to do so.

"My sympathies on your losses." he said gently, his hand reaching out as if to touch her hand in sympathy, though her hand wasn't near enough for him to do so. His eyes filled with compassion.

He made to move his hand back, deciding to speak of something else. "The Sanxian,I am familiar with it. Can't play, but love hearing the instrument. I would love to hear you play, as well... if you are comfortable enough that is,I would love to see your performances. I have seen some of the dances that Geisha have performed, graceful,elegant,sublime is how I would describe the dances."

"Its not so much about the dance itself but becoming one with the moment, feeling the movements as if you were an extension of the emotions behind them", she stopped, noticing how enagaged she suddenly was by the topic, passionate. "Apologies, I get lost when talking about that aspect of my life. And thank you for the kind words. I'm not angry about my losses but a quote does come to mind..." she paused for a moment, trying to find the correct words to start with. "Adversity is like a strong wind. I don't mean just that it holds us back from places we might otherwise go. It also tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that afterward we see ourselves as we really are, and not merely as we might like to be.”

This time she held out her hand, wanting to hold his in hers. "What I mean is that whatever has happened I am stronger for it no matter how turbulently I may feel about it. The kindness you have shown me means more than you can possibly understand, more than that, I'm glad I have found a friend here".

Michael's warm smile,appeared once more as he placed his hand into hers. "Aye, friends indeed." giving a gentle squeeze. "As for the topic of dance, I too get lost in the emotions of the music, letting it guide me in a journey of discovery and movement." his gaze grew intense as he looked into her eyes.

"You have great strength, Xu, and I do agree with what you say about adversity. I've experienced that sort of wind on an occasion or two."the intensity of his gaze softened. "There was someone whom had extended her kindness to me at the time I desperately needed. I do understand, and if you need a listening ear or a dance partner or something fixed, let me know." his eyes filled with sincerity.

She couldn't help but once again be drawn in by his eyes. Soulful, joyous, sincere and so many other things being communicated by this friendly, warm and handsome man before her. She squeezed his hand in return relishing the human contact, the warmth of his hand. "Thank you!"

Michael nodded, this certainly seemed like the start of a beautiful friendship.


● “ Ensign Michael Hawkins“
Chief Operations Officer
USS Andromeda

○● Lieutenant JG Xu Chang Lau
Assistant Chief Science Officer
USS Andromeda