The Atta Girl/Oh Shit Balance, Part One
Posted on Aug 22, 2014 @ 11:49am by Phia
Edited on on Aug 22, 2014 @ 11:50am
Mission:
http://thefrpg.com/sim/missions/id/7
Location: USS ARMSTRONG
The “Atta Girl”/”Oh Shit” Balance - Part I
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High expectations are the key to everything.
-Sam Walton
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Location: USS ARMSTRONG
TI: [2.14]0731.2327
Scene: Sickbay
Phia was sitting up in a biobed reading through some reports that filtered to her daily. Sickbay could lurch from crisis to crisis, or it could be calm and it didn’t matter. Since she was able to sit up this was her routine - she sat up, read her reports, participate in banter with Cade that mostly consisted of the Bolian/Vulcan coming up with new ways to tell him to shove off as he upped the ante, then there was physical therapy, and then back to her reports.
Repeat, lather, rinse; more or less.
An exception came the morning when Dr. Aerdan Jos, now known as the aCO, came into the Sickbay. He surveyed the area; this once had been his domain. Maybe not on this ship but all Sickbays were more or less the same.
Walking over to where Phia was sitting up, Aerdan listened to Cade and Phia banter.
“Did you know that like Humans, Bolians have 206 bones in their body?” the doctor asked.
“Having passed grade school biology, yes, I was aware of this fact,” the counselor replied not even bother to look up from her PADD.
“Want another?” Cade offered waggling his eyebrows.
Phia just glared at him; Aerdan just flattened his antennae against his head in confusion. “Am I disturbing something?” he asked.
“Yes,” Cade replied.
“Yes, please continue to disturb it,” Phia clarified.
Shaking his head, the aCO stated, “Lt. Phia, if you’re up to it, I would like to talk to you.” Pausing for a moment he said, “In an official capacity.”
“That means you’re gone,” Phia replied with a dismissive wave. “He outranks you.”
Cade glared at her as he got up. “I have better places to be.”
After Cade got up, Aerdan sat down in the Human doctor’s spot. The Andorian shook his head. “We just started to make the trip back to EARTH.”
“I heard the announcement,” Phia nodded.
There was a long pause as the only sounds were the other machines in Sickbay. Aerdan studied the Bolian/Human before saying, “A message came through for you.” He paused before saying, “Encrypted. Under the highest levels of security.”
“I know,” she replied. She didn’t have to show Aerdan; she simply could have told him it was above his paygrade, or made up an excuse.
Instead, it was a sign that she trusted the man that she moved around a few things on the PADD she passed it over.
To: Lt. Phia
From: Lt. Cmdr. Sam Johnson
Lt. Phia -
I don’t know if you recall - we sat next to each other in the Mata Hari building at SFA. I believe you have some upcoming leave. If you’re not too busy I was hoping we could reminisce at our old stomping grounds. You remember it don’t you? It’s the only city that was declared to have been both most boring city and murder capital in the 21st century for Canada.
By the by, I’ll expect your tally.
Cheers,
Sam
Aerdan re-read the message and sighed. “All that was encrypted and secure?” he sighed. “I’m not sure I could explain it.”
“It’s not that difficult,” Phia pointed out. “First of all, that’s not his real name.”
“I figured. I also know there’s no Mata Hari building at SFA,” Aerdan sighed. Re-reading the message he said. “Most boring city and murder capital of Canada?”
The Bolian/Vulcan nodded at that, a little proud of herself. “Abbotsford, Canada,” she explained.
Aerdan’s antennae swayed, he felt they were finally at the crux of the communication. “The tally?”
“What I’ve done correct and incorrect. It's their way of determining if I'm worth keeping on or...cutting ties. Permanently,” the Counselor/Intel officer explained. “Or to put it more colloquially, my “Atta Girl/Oh Shit” file.”
Aerdan nodded. He was familiar with the phrase. Amongst the more competitive persons there was a tally - you could get so may “Atta Girl/Boys” but so many “Oh Shits” could wipe that out. He was not aware, however, that SFI actually kept a tally but upon reflection he realized perhaps he shouldn’t have been surprised. “How many?” he asked, his voice between a lisp and a rasp.
“Ten to one,” Phia replied softly.
The aCO blinked at that, letting it sink in. All ten of her “Atta Girls” got wiped out by one “Oh Shit” -- it just took one mistake for SFI to declare any good she would do to be gone. “How many “Oh Shits” do you get all told before--”
“Don’t ask questions you don’t want the answers to; or are we back to remedial Counseling sessions?” the Bolian/Vulcan snapped.
“No more locking me in the Holodeck without the safeties,” the aCO agreed. There was a pause as they both sat there; Phia cleared off the PADD while the aCO gathered his thoughts. Folding his hands he said, “May I inquire something personal?”
Raising an eyebrow Lt. Phia replied, “I just showed you classified information above your paygrade. And I just explained how SFI does its personnel files, what else do you want?”
Aerdan almost smiled. Still he became serious as he asked, “What are you giving for your “Oh Shit” file?”
“I haven’t decided,” Phia replied. Admitting wryly she said, “Although I’m tempted to say Cade.”
“What is wrong with you two?” Aerdan asked.
“Didn’t he tell you? We slept together once - five years ago - and hadn’t seen each other since. Now since we’ve seen each other again he’s eager to repeat the performance. Maybe because he’s sober this time,” Phia caustically replied. Seeing Aerdan’s face she said, “What? Didn’t he tell you? I figured he called you the next day since you’re all BFFs.”
Aerdan - if possible for an Andorian - looked a little green as he antennae flipped in opposite directions. “That gave me images I didn’t need,” he muttered.
=/\=
NRPG: Setting up Phia’s trip to EARTH, which will be Part II!
Jamie: Tag if you want it! I figured if Phia is going to keep confiding in anyone it’s going to be Aerdan :)
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Sarah Albertini-Bond
as
Lt. Phia
Counselor/Intel
