| Red Head Surprise |
| Summary: | An average time on the deck when the Chief meets his wife's twin. A comedy of errors ensues… |
| Date: | Feb 24 |
| Related Logs: | Phantom Swallows |
| Players: |
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[ Repair Bay ][ Hangar Deck - Battlestar Cerberus ]
When engines need to be rebuilt or other heavy but short-term work needs to be done, this is where it happens. Large, red hand-mobile cranes are situated along the wall beside stacks of toolchests. Carts with various computers and electronics are dispersed around the area for quick access. A very conspicuous yellow locker at the rear holds a sizable amount of firefighting gear, as well. Sturdy metal stands are available to hold all sorts of parts from gun systems to the FTL drives of a Raptor. Big enough to accommodate quite a few Vipers and Raptors at once, this area see's extensive use and is usually attended by at least one crew at all hours of the day and night.
The repair bay is much like the rest of the deck. Vipers and raptors are being hustled into bays, work is done, and they are hustled out again. Atreus is kneeling on a lift, head and shoulders in the cockpit of one of the vipers. He has already removed an older frameboard and is currently working on installing a new one. Holding it in place, he reaches for a tool that is hanging on his belt. When he has it, he reaches in to secure the board in place.
The Chief might've heard that Damon switched off his shift with one of the other POs this morning, opting instead to come in a bit later. He's just coming in now, holding a gigantic cup of tea in his hand and a clipboard tucked under his arm. "How's it coming, Chief?" he asks, settling in to check over the Viper next to Atreus'.
The changes to his duty billet were not quite known yet to everyone, as the orders were just cut a few hours ago, but Chris Hellicon was still going to hit the ground running. Changing back into his well-worn (but comfortable) work coveralls, tool-belt on his waist, he silently walks up to the Viper the Chief is working on and assesses the work. Briefly, he looks to Damon and waves him over, eyeing the clipboard. "Is that the work order for this bird, Crewman…" He's not sure of his name, as he's been shuffling back and forth trying to get the new LSO settled in.
Quinn stalks back onto the deck after her little fit that she threw when she tried to launch… and couldn't. Bird down for repairs, something blown, something deep in the system either defective or just worn out, but there was no going anywhere for Maggie or her bird. Considering the ceremony and importance surrounding this all, the fact that she ISN'T out there drove her a little crazy and she stormed off a while ago. Now, finally, she's taken a breath, stared at something punched something not human, and finally has calmed down enough to actually be a sane head on the deck. It must be her redhead temper. The woman, still in her unnecessary flight suit though it's unzipped and hanging around her hips, stalks back through the hatch, calling loud and hard across the deck, "Alright, boys… what the frak is the news? Can I get her out there for a FEW minutes at least?"
Voices. One recognizable, the other not. Atreus finishes connecting the frameboard, then turns to glance out to see what is going on. Spotting Damon, he nods, "Almost finished here. Just need to upload the CNP." The other man is given a raised eyebrow but he does not interfere just yet. Maybe he is waiting to see how Damon handles things. Setting the software deck within reach of the connections, he queues the upload. That is when he hears Maggie. He turns to reply to her as he backs out of the Viper he has been working on. Catching sight of her, he boggles, eyes widening and mouth opening. He almost misses a step and leaps to the floor. Ignoring the others for the moment, the man hurries to reach the pilot and is nearly running by the time he gets to her. "Cloe? What the frak are you doing here?" Lowering his tone, he puts his hands out as though to catch her in a hug or shake her. His whisper is not as quiet as he thinks it is, what with the noise of the repair bay, "Baby, what the frak? You know it's illegal to impersonate an officer. Yeah, I'm glad to see you, but… But… This is crazy!"
Damon raises an eyebrow at 'Crewman' but gives the LSO the benefit of the doubt. Maybe his pins aren't quite visible from where he currently is. "Petty Officer First Class Damon," he corrects. After a slight pause, he adds: "Captain." Striding over, he hands over the clipboard so Hellicon can have a look over it if he so wishes. "This is for the Viper right next to it." As Atreus jumps up and heads over to Quinn, saying something he can't hear, he makes no move to answer the woman; he just waits for Hellicon's response, standing with a thumb hooked into his toolbelt.
Hellicon gently takes the clipboard and nods, flipping through it in review. "Hmmmmm… Okay." he then hands it back to the Petty Officer and nods. "Carry on, Petty Officer," he says as he gives a textbook salute to him. He then turns his attention back to the Chief and his reaction to Quinn… Boy, I hope like hell this is a case of mistaken identity, he thinks to himself as he watches on… "Oh boy, this ought to be good," he says quietly, hoping no one else heard him…
Quinn is about to say something more, but then the deck chief is… Reaching for her? What? Who the frak is Cloe? Maggie blinks, utter confusion dancing across her freckled face as he half shakes her and then embraces her…"…what… It's.. I'm not…" The Captain manages to studder out, but this entire situation is so bizzare that she actually doesn't manage to form a coherent protest in time for him to not embrace her. So, there she goes, she's being hugged. She gives a breathless laugh at it all, shaking her head…The first thing that might give away that something is wrong is possibly her stiffness in the hug, but also her accent. All clear, clipped Caprican.
It is into this comedy of errors that Trask makes his entrance, substituting the Chorus for the peanut gallery. It was Atreus that he was looking for, but it's Quinn he finds in the arms of the Chief Petty Officer, however brief it may be. "You brazen hussy," he tells her, with blithe indignation. "Some of us have actual business here. Legitimate business. Y'know, the kind not involving your jugs, Jugs." Then, with a tilt of his chin, he greets the DC, "Chief. You got a sec?"
Damon returns Hellicon's salute, but it's not too close to textbook. It passes, but its execution leaves something to be desired. "Captain." Taking his clipboard and his tea back to the Viper just beside, he sets them down on the bird and stretches his neck out - he's spent at least eighteen hours a day on the deck for the past several days, and most of those hours underneath a Raptor or a Viper. It gets to be a strain. "What in the frak," he mutters to himself as he watches the drama unfold with more people coming in. "This is just a weird day all around."
And so it is. Atreus is holding Quinn by the shoulders, his expression one of pained realization. A blush, long in coming, flames his cheeks all the way to the tips of his ears. Something has certainly happened. He releases her shoulders with a stutter of incomprehensible nothingness. Trask has come up near the two and something he said seems to have knocked some sense into the Deck Chief, "Wait… Wait… Cloe?" Clearly Quinn is not whomever the Chief thought she was. The man tries again, "Sorry. Sorry… Uh…" Damon and Hellicon are off by the vipers. There are several of those in the bays either being repaired or waiting for attention. Atreus shakes his head and is finally given the solice of military protocol. A salute then and the man comes to attention, "Sorry, sir. I… Hephaestus, but you look exactly like my wife. I mean… Exactly. It's uncanny."
Quinn gives the poor Chief a moment, trying not to smile too much but damn, it is funny. The amusement reaches her hazel green eyes, at least, a chuckle crossing her mouth as he finally releases her shoulders. Trask is given a bit of a sideways look and a half glare at his comments. "Keep my jugs out of your business, LT." She states flatly to her ECO, before looking back to the saluting chief. She waves it off casually, "As you were… well… Not -exactly- as you were, you know… But you understand. It's fine, Chief. I hear rumors everyone in the universe has a twin somewhere…" That clipped Caprican voice does it's best to set the startled man at ease before she offers her hand. "Captain Margaret Quinn… SL of the Harriers. They call me Jugs in the field." Which… must be from some sort of story as she doesn't actually have 'Jugs'… they're more like half pints.
Sitka troops into the repair wing of the hangar bay, flight suited and clearly recently showered. He's retrieved a cup of coffee on his way through, and appears to be looking for someone— judging by the way his eyes rove over the sea of bustling crew clad in orange coveralls.
"Hey, I'm not the one who put 'em into my business… or into the Chief, for the matter." Evidently, the half-glare is no deterrent. That said, his attention is back on Atreus. "I hope your wife doesn't snore like her, though." Quinn is indicated with a tilt of his head. Carrying on, Trask continues, "I know I'm not as cute as the Cap'n, but I do need to discuss a few things with you, Chief, the most pressing being about our upcoming 'battle'."
Cidra looks fresh from the showers. She's in her dress blues, at least, and her hair looks a little damp even tied back in its bun as it is. She strolls into the repair bay, hands laced behind her back, that deceptively casual air about her she often wears when prowling the hangar environs.
Relief softens Atreus' expression when the Captain does not slap him silly and it grows when she is gracious enough to be amused, "Thank you, sir. I…" He shakes his head, for truly some things are best left alone. "Er. Your bird is next on the list, Captain." He accepts her hand, shaking it with a firm confidence, "Atreus. Constantine. But, Chief is probably easiest all things considered. Neither Atreus nor Constantine can be shouted with authority. I know. Mom and dad both tried." More relaxed, he turns to Trask then, and nods, "Shoot, sir." Then, he lifts a hand, "Er. Come this way, please? I need to check an upload." Glancing over his shoulder, he nods again to Damon and Hellicon in a 'just a sec' sort of motion. Looking back, he notices the way Sitka's expression wanders. He motions for someone to please see to the other Captain, person.
Of course, the man he happens to be looking for, seems to have a waiting list already. Instead of taking a number and getting in line, the Petrels' Captain checks his watch briefly, checks the whiteboard listing what's being repaired by whom and when, and turns on his heel to prowl back out again. Operation corner the Deck Chief will have to wait for a more opportune moment.
Well, that was that. All awkwardness aside, a good bit of amusement had, Maggie shakes her head and steps back. "Well…for your wife's twin, chief…if you could make it frakking faster? I missed the first jump in this mess." Maggie admits, frustrated to all hell but not quite so fiery any more to take it out on him. Hopefully the poor guy's wife doesn't quite have the temper Quinn does. She just quietly glares at Trask, not even giving him the joy of a response as she turns on the ball of her foot and heads for the hatch, not much more to do here other than hover uselessly worried over her downed Raptor. She gives Cidra a brief, respectful nod on her way out. "Sir."
Hellicon stifles a good laugh as he sighs. "The excitement never ends," he says as he wanders over to the whiteboard to review the work load… Grabbing a free clipboard, he pulls his expensive gold pen out from one of the pockets and jots a few notes down. Keeping his eyes on his notes, he walks over to a nearby computer terminal and calls up some reference materials and begins scanning through them. "Hmmmmmmm…"
"I'll make this quick, Chief, 'cuz I know you're hella busy." It's said with all the conviction of someone who worked Deck on a busy Battlestar for 6 years. "See ya, Cap'n," Trask calls out to the departing Quinn and then starts following Atreus. "So, I can drop the paperwork in your office, but the gist is that I and a team I've assembled will be re-configuring the swallows. If you want the deets now, cool. If not, everything," and he really means everything, "is in the file."
"Good eve." Cidra offers it to all an sundry. Returning Quinn's nod with a slight inclination of her own head. "Captains. Chief. Lieutenant." The faintest of smiles as she catches Trask's little spiel. "Ahh. The swallows. I was about to inquire as to that very thing of you."
CAG and ECO met up, most business behind her, Maggie disappears out the hatch.
((Scene continues in Phantom Swallows))