====== Starbase Kinsi ===== Shane walked slowly along the small but busy promenade deck of the Kinsi station. He had now plenty of time ... Rangi was still helping out in the station's infirmary and there was no ship related business waiting for him. Shane felt quite relieved in some sort of a way. Beeing the Executive officer he had to spend a {huge} amount of time doing evaluation and other paper work. It was almost unbelievable what a pile of PADDs that stuff took every other day. Sure ... much of the paper stuff was done by the CO and to be honest Keylor beeing a marine guy took his duties very seriously, but still there were many and many little things that never reached the CO's desk and still needed a decission. Well ... lets take the ship. AN well oiled machinery of officers and NCOs with strict rules and work delegation. Everyone on the ship had his duties and reponsibilies. Those times of neglcting work like in the late 22nd century were long over ... but still by accident or not there was work done the bad way. Still there were complaints and queries. And again ... most of thme were worked out within the respective department, but again ... some were brought to the XO's desk. From that count Shane had to sort those that might be important enough to bother the busy CO and the rest .. guess what ... remainded on the XO's desk. For example a complain from som enewbie ensign who think that his department head gives him no oportunity to show his qualities, or the recommendation who of the four ensigns from engineering should fill the vacant shift leader's deputy post and thus be promoted to LtJg. To add pain to injury ... beeing an SSF officer and more that that ... the XO of an SSF ship, you were constatly bothered with fleet intel informations that were sure interested to some freaking intel guys and operatives ... but had little value for Shane. Shane remebered the last memo classified as important ... it concerned the Klingon Empire and their fight for the cancellor seat. Appearantly some of the bloody klingons stoop up for the vacant seat and challenged everyone who disagreed with his act. Shane frowned. {And those Intel guys forced me to read it and acknowledge}. Shane wondered if Keylor thought alike of all those SSF 'news' but he never complained. {And truthfully} Shane thought {how could i expect a marine man to complain ...}. He shook his head. Shane agreed with Rangi to meet at the 'Four aces' restaurant, but knowing that Rangi will most probbaly spend at least a hour more in the informary, Shane stopped at a little promenade bar for some drink. Ordering a raktajino {I wonder if i wont regreat this all too soon} he leaned a bit back in the restaurant chair and listened to teh conversations of the other ppls (and aliens) in the bar. Klatch ... rumours ... little intriques ... 'nuttin of interest. Clothed in casual, there was noone who would guess Shane as a fleet Commander and noone tried to join him at the table asking about his/her evaluation or asking for counsel. While on the ship ... Shane could not hide. Everytime and everywhere ... he was the XO and all treated him that way. There were only little ppls that spoke to him as equal and Shane was very glad that on the base ... he was just an orinary and nameless that any other civilian. "You wont believe it Peter" an elderly man said to an other elderly man on teh table next to Shane, "my son told me that they served serpents on that dinner" The other elderly man moved one of his chess figures forward and asked: "Serpents? The world is going to hell when even serpents are beeing served as a meal. Where are he old good times with ordinary food? Now all you can get is that replicated stuff or some hasparat or egg-mustafa ..." The first man noded and moved his chess figure: "I tell you ... my son said thay were even alive!" The second shook his head in disbelief: "Sure some of that klingon stuff ... worms and things ... rough and alive. Like Animals ..." Shane had to laugh quiestly. Appearantly those two man were quite old-fashioned with little undersrading of new or other culture-like things. Shane would guess that they never tasted the klingon 'worm' dish or a sip of their blood wine. Trying not to reveal himself listening to their conversation, Shane pretended to observe the peoples passing by. "And thats the the peak of all the weir stuff there ..." said teh first. The other noded in agreement expecting more 'weird' stuff. "My son said that 'his' serpent tried to bite him and chased him for an half hour!" "yes, yes" came the reply, "I never understood the modern games of novadays ... but a chase with a serpent .. thats really odd ... must be one of the new adrenaline games, musnt it?" Shane did his best not to laugh. ===== End of log ===== Cmdr. Shane Guzman XO USS Chimera