Ensign Nolen Hobart - Mantra

[Karrod Niac]

Those first few scenes as a new player are always intimidating and, in this case for Mr. Hobart, doubly so because he's on the Bridge a few hours after showing up.  Still he manages to jump right in and contribute with some wonderful characterizations and observations, along with some follicular humor, starting our Act 3 off on a great note.  Well done Ensign!  

 

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((Deck One, Bridge, USS Arrow))

Commander Niac leaned back in discomfort in the command chair on the Bridge, before rising to survey the assembled and assigned crew. Hobart in his own kind of discomfort, tucked away into the proverbial corner of a round-ish room, fell back onto his accidental mantra. It was something he took to saying in Academy simulations, when he found himself in a place like this. The simulations were all contrived to find a way to make cadets of varying specialties all act together as bridge crew. Every bit of his training, every component system he memorized, every tool he learned, had him situated if not in the beating heart of Main Engineering, then somewhere in a Jefferies tube, which from inside felt a bit like a ship’s digestive tract. But every major simulation had him situated right where he was, at the stern of the bridge, looking at a screen, his hands very much grease-free. Every time, Nolen's expression became a little more exhausted, a little more exasperated. But here, on the Arrow, where the stakes were real, he couldn’t muster such chutzpah. Accordingly, he only mouthed the words: "But what does an engineer do on the bridge?" He was about to find out.

Niac:  Lieutenant Commander Collins, Lieutenant Jg. Ayemet, you're going to be our eyes and ears while the away team is offship.  I need you to squeeze everything you can out of our passive sensors.  I want to keep track of the team and I don't want us to get snuck up on.  Any questions?

Collins/Ayemet:  Response

As Niac began his round of the bridge crew, Hobart stared at the panel in front of him. Thrusters only, shields offline, weapons powered down, life support and air circulation at a minimum. It was a blessing that the lights and displays themselves wouldn't create too much "noise," so they could be left un-dimmed. The air was still fresh enough, but Hobart knew as they settled in, things would begin to get stale. With any luck, the Captain's excursion would be brief.

oO And “successful,” of course. Don’t forget “successful.” Oo

Niac:  Understood, give me as much warning as you can.  

Karrod nodded and turned his attention towards their helmsman, Cadet Jenna Perim. Nolen wondered which sadistic instructor assigned her to this ship for her cruise.

Niac:  Cadet Perim, confirm we're in position relative to the asteroid and the facility.  Once we're set, I want you to start plotting warp trajectories out of the system and back to the Proteus ring.  ::Karrod tried a reassuring smile::  You think you're up for that, Cadet?

Hobart's black eyes danced around the map of the ship as he mused to himself about which sections were about to become very cold, and which very sweaty. The Bridge, he estimated with relief, would be closer to the former. As Nolen's father put it: you can always put more layers on. He did not envy Lieutenant J/G Dewitt, though, nor the smell that would undoubtedly await him on his return to Main Engineering. In the brief span of time between his arrival on the ship and his assignment to his current station, Ensign Hobart had only barely had a chance to drop off his belongings in his new quarters, drink a glass of water, and briefly meet a very busy man who seemed to have only just arrived out of the Academy a week or so before he did. The fact that Dewitt had already secured his half-pip was bewilderingly impressive, and Nolen wondered exactly where the Lieutenant got off setting such impossibly high standards for the rest of the crew.

Perim:  Response

Karrod fought to keep a smirk off his face and turned his attention towards the last and newest member of their team, Ensign Nolen Hobart. The hairs on the back of Nolen's neck tingled as an image of looming anthropomorphized facial hair in a command uniform filled his mind.

Niac: Ensign Hobart, welcome to the bridge.  You'll be responsible for monitoring our power systems and making sure we're not leaking any detectable emissions.  We don't want to trigger those facility defense batteries.  That said, I want us ready to power up and get underway on a moment’s notice.  Think you can handle all, Ensign?  

Hobart: ::raised voice:: Aye, sir, not a scrape nor squeak, Commander Bea— ah, Commander Niac. Sir.

Hobart kept his back to the ship's Executive Officer, ostensibly to continue to monitor the ship’s systems. Had the ship's lights been dimmed, he imagined that his face, glowing as hot embers, would have drawn more attention no matter which way he stood. In this precise moment, he envied Lieutenant Dewitt a great deal. Karrod straightened up in the Chair and tapped at his commbadge.

Niac:  =/\= Niac to Shayne.  Captain, we're all set up here. =/\=

Shayne: =/\=  Understood. Standby for our launch. =/\=

Niac:  =/\= Aye sir, good hunting.  You're clear for departure.  Arrow will be standing by waiting for you. Good luck, Captain.  =/\=

Shayne:  =/\=  Thank you, Commander. =/\=

The comm closed and Karrod turned his attention back towards the bridge.  The viewscreen showed the barren, pitted surface of broken stone stretched off into the darkness all around them. After a few minutes of relative silence, Karrod spoke aloud, half to himself and half to the bridge as a whole.
 

Niac: Guess I should've brought a deck of cards.

This caused Nolen to turn around, his face finally under control and un-blushed. Out the main viewscreen he saw the vast surface of their shelter against prying Sheliak sensors, a slash of barren rock against the dark void of space, and felt for a moment as if he was back home. An Engineer on the Bridge, he realized, if nothing else, got a real good look.

 

Collins/Ayemet/Perim:  Response

With his eyes finally filled, Hobart turns back to his station, focused on making sure things stayed good and quiet. He tapped, rhythmically, cycling through the different powered down systems, arranging them for reactivation in the most efficient sequence possible. Somewhere from the dark recesses of his mind, antiquated cultural artifacts echoed.

 

Hobart: ::whispering absentmindedly, with a Scottish lisp:: One… ping… only…

 

Any: Response

Tags/TBC

 

— — —

Ensign Nolen Hobart

Engineering Officer

U.S.S. Arrow (NCC-69829)

A240001NH3

 

[Nolen Hobart]

Thank you so much! I'm having so much fun.

[Doz Finch]

Nolen this is amazing! I love your style.

[Nolen Hobart]

Thank you, Doz, that's a real compliment coming from you!