Roommate Chat

Posted on Mon Sep 6th, 2021 @ 7:48pm by Ensign Noah Balsam & Lieutenant Kennedy Ryan Walsh

Mission: The Place of Skulls
Location: Junior Officers' Quarters, Deck 5
Timeline: Mission Day 6 at 1800

[Crew Quarters]
[Deck 5]
[1800 Hours]

Click... click...

There was a beep. And Noah Balsam blossomed a smile, albeit a tired one. His day had been consumed with- firstly- repairing Stellar Cartography's subprocessor interface, and then putting out other fires, and finally, giving the LMH a full integration diagnostic. And, in the relatively short time he'd been allowed for privacy. he had toyed with the first of Lieutenant Cassian Pell's puzzles. With a couple of clicks and a beep, he'd solved it.

The pieces of metal gyrated into the shape of an Icosagon and flashed with bright, rhythmic colors over each of its twenty sides. The pleased engineer watched two rounds of it while he stepped into his quarters. He was ready for a nice, quiet evening, and maybe some model painting. Noah went straight for his room and he shouldered off his uniform jacket. He changed his sweated-through SOJO shirt for a comfortable, billowy tank top.

Kennedy had a very busy day. His promotion to Acting Chief Medical Officer, the Chameloid autopsy, running diagnostic sweeps on the LMH. He entered the room he shared with Noah, "Hey."

"Hi," Noah said, his back to his roommate. he was stepping out of his uniform pants and into a pair of pajama pants. "H-how was your day?" He asked over his shoulder.

"Very busy," Kennedy replied. "I'm Acting Chief Medical Officer now, or, about to be. Been, very busy. I like being busy. How about you?"

"Really busy," Noah confirmed. "Undoing a lot of damage. Cuh-congratulations on the promotion?"

Kennedy didn't know how he felt about being promoted to Acting. He wasn't expecting to be Assistant Chief Medical Officer on a starship by twenty-seven let alone being an acting department head within six days coming onboard, "Thank you."

Noah fidgeted with the cloth of his tanktop that settled loosely on his shoulder. "D-does it come with a promotion? Full Lieutenant?"

"No," Kennedy shook his head, "just Acting Chief Medical Officer for now as Doctor t'Nai is temporarily been reassigned as First Officer."

Noah nodded. He dropped butt onto his mattress and lifted each foot to take off his socks. "Wha-what do you do for fun?" He asked over his shoulder again, determined to give Walsh at least a little privacy.

"What's fun?" Kennedy asked, uncertain about the question.

Noah's brows furrowed as he too was uncertain. Was Kennedy playing a joke on him? "Um... f-fun? Fun things like hobbies?"

Kennedy looked at his roommate quizzically, he was hoping for a definition but he hadn't developed or pursued hobbies other than reading, "I like to read medical journals, fascinating discoveries, and stuff. But I do like to read science fiction and fantasy holo-novels. I like to do jigsaw puzzles."

"Oh," Noah went for his desk and nabbed the twenty-sided puzzle. "Lieutenant Pell likes puzzles.He-he gave me this one," and he tossed it gently for Kennedy to catch.

Kennedy tried to catch but it landed at his feet, "I'm not good at catching stuff." He picked it up and started to inspect it.

"S-sorry. About that," Noah said, "I'm not a good catcher either."

Kennedy moved his hand around the puzzle trying to figure it out, "What do you do for fun?"

"W-well I read a lot," Noah smiled amiably, a wide smile that bowed to show teeth, "Um. Holo-programs... holo-pramming... um, a lot of science fiction," he picked up one of his models of a robotic looking creature. But it had no color to it, appearing to have been replicated in an unfinished state. "G-gotta paint my Bumblebee."

"We should one day play one of your science fiction holo-programs," Kennedy offered. He looked over at the Bumblebee, "Is that a Transformer?"

Noah nodded agreeably at the idea of sharing a holo-program. His attention turned back to his figurine. "Yes, actually. You know about Transformers?"

He shook his head 'no', "I do know about them but my parents explicitly told us that we'll never have one."

Noah's brows furrowed, "W-why? It's just a toy... I mean... it's... it's more than a toy but... it's harmless." Noah had seen hints that Kennedy had a strict upbringing... but he'd yet to hear why it was such.

Kennedy was a touch uncomfortable to talk about it as his mother's voice lingered in the back of his head, Family drama is not for the entertainment of others, for which he frowned at. He took in a deep breath and exhaled, "I don't recall why we weren't allowed them..."

The furrow of Noah's brow didn't ease, but he nodded just the same. "Oh. Well, you could have one now," he pointed out with a renewed, toothy smile- the sort of beam that was meant to enable.

Kennedy nodded his head in agreement with Noah. His frown turned back to a smile, "I could, couldn't I?"

Noah's nod was quick and enthusiastic. "I have replicator templates for..." his eyes narrowed as he counted out on long fingers, "Bumblebee, Optimus, Star Scream, Megatron, Jazz, Soundwave...?"

"Which one do you think would be appropriate to use as a ornament for my desk?" Kennedy gave Noah a perplexed look as he put a finger to his lower lip in thought.

Noah's eyes brightened and widened, "Ratchet, of course!" He exclaimed. "The A-ambulance."

Kennedy grinned at Noah, "Have you had dinner yet?"

Noah shook his head, "N-no not yet," he said while he crossed his small space, picked up a PADD and started to bring up the archives he kept so dear. "Are you hungry?"

"Starting to get to," Kennedy asked, "I can wait a bit if longer if you haven't... if you want to go with me."

Noah was up, PADD in hand. His mind was spinning with possibilities, the creative urge throbbing through him. "I could eat now," he said with a smile.

Kennedy nodded curtly as he stepped up from his bed. He moved through the door. He stepped aside at the couch waiting for Noah. His eyes shifted towards Irynya and Sheldon's room wondering how their respected days were going. He looked back to the room door he shared with Noah.

Noah produced himself in the common area a few moments later, in the same tank top and shorts but with shoes on. He had his idea PADD under his arm. "Ready."

A Post By:

Doctor Kennedy Walsh
Acting Chief Medical Officer

Midshipman Noah Balsam
Systems Specialist