=Starbase Bragg= =Docking Port= Rick stepped off the transport with excitement flowing through his veins. As the transport docked with the starbase, he managed to get e peak at the Chimera. It was smaller than the ships he grew up on, but it looked beautiful to him. It was going to be his new home. Home ... It seemed fitting since the only home he ever new was in space. The only grass and sky he ever saw, for the most part, was when his father was on shoreleave or in the holodeck. Maybe that’s why he became efficient at developing holodeck programs ... to give him a feel for being ‘outside’. Still, space was his home and after spending the past four years at Starfleet Academy, Rick was glad to be returning to a starship. Rick hoisted his starfleet-issued bag over his shoulder and searched for the port the Chimera was docked with. After a few minutes, he found it and stepped aboard. He slowly examined the corridors as he walked, getting a feel for the ship. Even though he lived almost his enitre life on starships, this was different. He was a starfleet officer now. Rick could never get over that. He said it to himself over and over. Even though he had no doubts about making it to the academy and graduating, not that he was here, Rick still couldn’t believe it. He stopped and looked at his orders again. “Computer, where is Lieutenant Matthew Kirkland?” Rick asked. [Lieutenant Kirkland is in main engineering] “Of course he’s in main engineering,” Rick mumbled to himself. “Where else would the chief engineer be?” After a few minutes, Rick entered engineering and his first sight was the ship’s warp drive. He allowed a smile to cross his face as he stared at it a few seconds. He then asked the nearest crewman to point out Kirkland, who was talking with another crewman. The first thing Rick noticed was that Kirkland was wearing some sort of band on his arm. Rick approached Kirkland and stood at attention when the chief engineer took notice of him. “Sir, Ensign Rick Rodgers reporting for duty,” Rick said sharply. Ensign Rick Rodgers Assistant Engineering Officer U.S.S. Chimera