===Captains Ready room, USS Chimera=== Having decided that it was best for him to leave the engineering to the engineers, Keylor started to organized things in his ready room. By now most of his items had been beamed aboard. He was not sure how, but he had accumulated quite a bit of stuff. HE had moved many of the pieces of are he had either acquired or created from his quarters to his ready room. HE was in the process of arranging things about to give his ready room a comfortable feel. HE was hanging a piece of Orion abstract art on the wall when he heard the turbo the chime on the door ring. "Come" he called out, not even turning to look to se who it was. After a night full of sleep and intensive medical care he received from the stations CMO, Shane felt a lot better. As he was told he needed to report to the ship's CO. They don't tell him who it was, so Shane was curious whom he will see in the Command chair. Upon entering the bridge, he found it quite deserted, manned only by few technicians and an eager looking Lieutenant behind the Helm console. The Lt. directed Shane to the Captains ready room. Shane pressed the door chime, excited about his fate on the USS Chimera. Hearing the permission to enter (the voice seemed a bit familiar to Shane), Shane stepped into the room. He noticed how 'bare' and 'impersonal' the office looked like. Behind the Captains desk he saw a marine officer turned away from him doing something. Shane gulped before speaking stood to attention and only then reported: "Lieutenant Guzman reporting to duty Sir" he didn't use the rank, coz he did not know it. It could be easily some Major, Colonel or even a General ... Keylor struggled with his abstract painting trying to get it hung just right. He called out to the officer standing behind him. "Does that look straight to you?" He remained holding the painting while he waited for a response. {That voice is surely familiar to me!} Though Shane. But could not recall who's voice that was. Noticing that that the marine is still standing with his back to him, Shane wondered about the 'out of place' question. He looked at the painting ... {modern art! I never understood people liking it ... looks like a squashed frog to me ...} "Yes, sir. I think its now straight ..." and looked at the tall marine still holding the picture. Keylor released his grip on the painting. He stepped backwards a few steps, keeping his back to the officer. "You know I don't quite understand what this is supposed to be, but I liked the color arrangement." Keylor turned around and faced Shane. He smiled "Nice to have you aboard lieutenant." Keylor held out a hand. Shane's eyes were now wide open ... {Bretam Keylor ???} Shane still moved not an inch, but stared at Bretam. {Bretam is the CO ??} Like released from a spell, Shane moved towards him and shook his hand. "Err ... hhmmm ... Thank you ... Colonel" he gasped. Still holding his hand, Shane added: "I won't hide that I am VERY surprised to see you Sir ...", Shane looked around, "AM I on the right ship? This is the Chimera not the Falcon, isn't it?" Shane asked visibly confused. Keylor chuckled. "Aye this is the chimera. Have I changed so much in 4 months that I look so different?" Keylor motioned to a chair in front of his desk. He then moved to his chair behind his desk and sat down. Keylor reached into a drawer and pulled out two emergency rations of water. HE held one out to Shane. "Care for some? I would offer you something else, but the replicators are still not functioning." Shane sat down like in some sort of a trance. {Bretam Keylor! Here, on Bragg! As the Chimera's CO! As MY CO!} Whirled through his head. He suddenly noticed Bretam asking him something. Not really knowing what is he replying to he said: "Yes, sir. Thank you. And no sir, you haven't changed that much. I am VERY surprised to see you here. I haven't expected to see you here ... . Well, its better I ask before some lightning will strike me ..." said Shane and nested himself on the chair: "You are Chimera's Commanding Officer? ..." Keylor opened his pouch of water and took a sip before replying. "Aye I am. Strange thing too. Here I was being recalled from aurora only to find my self being interviewed and tested. Next thing I know they are making me a ships commander." He sipped his water from the pouch. "I half expected the ship to be ready by now. But it is only a small delay." Keylor leaned back in his chair and propped his feet up on the desk. "So you eager to get started?" Shane shivered a bit. It was obviously that Bretam was awaiting him to be ready to fulfill the XO's duty right now, right here ... to the highest standard. Shane felt a bit uneasy in the presence of the Colonel. The last time they spoke together was the Dry Dock bar ... the Rob Richard's accident. And now ... Shane was supposed to be a 'text book' XO ... for a marine CO .... Shane shivered again. "TO tell the truth Sir, I know about my position here not more then 24 hours. I don't know much about the ship or the crew yet. All I know is the name and the class. USS Chimera, Intrepid class, standard crew 150. But to answer you sir, I am more then eager to leave the station ... Permission to speak freely sir?" Shane asked. Keylor nodded with a smile on his face. "I know. If I had not had so much time before hand to study the ship diagrams and what not, I would be at a lost as well. But there is a lot to do before we can leave, so don't worry, you will get to know this ship real well, real quick." HE grinned at his comment. "And yes, in here alone, you may always speak freely." Shane nodded. Thank you sir. "Hmm ... why am I here as your XO? You requested me?" Well Lieutenant when I was asked to choose crew for the chimera I was handed a mile high stack of new recruits. They varied from experience to ability. But when I reviewed them all, for all of the ships positions I saw something. Something unexpected." He finished his water and crumpled the pouch up and placed it on his desk. He moved his feet from the desk and scooted up closer to it. HE placed his hands on a pad. "Regardless of your personal problems back on aurora, I saw some thing in you. A loyalty, if you call it. A drive and a dedication that I thought would work well as the XO of a ship. Any way, I was familiar with you and felt we could work well together." HE smiled. Shane nodded again. "Thank you sir. To certify your words sir ... how can I help in getting the ship ready?" Keylor pushed a pad to Shane. "Well for starters here is a crew list." He grinned as he pushed the pad over slowly. "Get to know them and make sure they are getting on board. WE will need to get everyone involved in finishing up this ship so we can get going." Keylor leaned back in his chair. Shane took the PADD without looking at it. "Ill Study the roster immediately as I leave your office, sir. Maybe I should take a little 'tour' around the departments to see how they perform with the preparations. Are we lagging any vital crewmember sir?" Shane asked. "What time is the deadline for the repairs to be completed? ..." HE looked at Bretam in a special way ... "Sir, again thank you for giving my the opportunity ... to show myself ... I hope I wont disappoint you. Keylor just grinned. {HE had no clue does he? He does not know she is here. He will certainly be surprised.} He thought. "Well the engineering team in charge of the refit says that the ship will be completed in 5 days, barring any complications. But I figure if we get our engineering teams in to it, they can help speed up the process and learn about the ship first hand." HE leaned forward in his chair a little. "And once the other departments have gotten aboard and stocked their areas, they can help out in any way they can. Even if it is handing tools to an engineer, it could speed things up." Keylor folded his hands together on the desk, still with a half smile across his face. "And your idea of a tour is good. Why done you start in the medical department and see how they are coming along. With all of the loose cable lying about, some one is bound to get hurt." Shane nodded: "Aye, Colonel. I'll go there and see if I can help a bit as well. Its not very far from the bride if I recall the intrepid plans very wrong." Shane's felt an empty feeling inside his heart. {Where is the woman I love? Where is Rangi? Will I ever see you again?} Shane nodded and grinned a bit: "Just a stupid question sir. Should I call you Colonel or Captain while on the bridge?" Keylor leaned back and pursed his lips together. "Well to tell you, I don't rightfully know. I guess I would be the captain of the ship. Captain is fine, if you need to get my attention. Otherwise sir would do nicely." Keylor smiled. He really had not thought about what to be called. He always thought of him self as a commanding officer but not as the captain of a ship. Well times change and there is tradition to follow. He will have to just get use to the idea of being called Captain. Shane stood to attention: "Aye, sir. Captain, sir" he said and smiled at Bretam. "I will make myself on the way. My report will be ready in 12 hours. Is there anything you would like me to take special attention about?" The smiled remained on Shane's face. He began to feel that the Chimera could be a home for him ... Keylor stood up. "No lieutenant, just get familiar with the ship and make sure the crew get aboard and to their areas. Once you have surveyed the situation we will hold a briefing for the senior staff that have arrived." Keylor watched as Shane nodded. "Yes sir." Shane then turned and walked out of the ready room. {Well I should be hearing a loud scream of joy before too long when he finds out that Rangi is on board already.}Keylor then turned to his newly hung painting. "What was this artist thinking about when he painted it?" He muttered to himself. He shrugged his shoulder and started on the next item to decorate his office with. ===End Log=== LtCol Bretam Keylor Captain USS Chimera & Lt Shane Guzman Executive officer USS Chimera