A Run In With Lt Commander BobO

[DaveJohnson 0]

David walked to the turbolift having just left engineering after being summoned to the Cargo bay by Lt Cmdr Dax. Usually David did not like to leave work unfinished as he was almost finished cooling down the impulse reactor injector systems when he was called for. But, in this case, he welcomed the interruption as he had just had a very disturbing run in with one of his engineering superiors Lt Cmdr BobO. David knew very little about BobO. When he was reviewing the data he had on the crew prior to joining the ship in order to get acquainted with them there were no entries on BobO. Having committed himself to making new friends David had tried several times during his diagnostic to make conversation with the Lt Cmdr. He told him that, “If we are going to be working together I’d like to find out more about you, you’re likes and dislikes.” BobO simply sneered at him and said, “I don’t like conversation.” That one comment in David’s opinion pretty much summed up his assessment of BobO. It seemed that not everyone was going to be as friendly as Lt Cmdr Jax or Dr. Eagle and some like Lt Cmdr Robinson and Lt Cmdr BobO we’re going to be impossible to make friends with. In Lt Cmdr Robinson’s case, he had a reason to dislike David already since David had shot him. But, David hadn’t said more than two sentences to BobO during his short time onboard and already it seemed as if BobO loathed even being around him. Every time he tried to make conversation BobO would either just tell him to be quiet or worse, ignore him entirely. David entered the TL. “Cargo Bay 1,” he said sighing. As he rode the turbolift to his destination he tried to think back to any time at the academy when he had dealt with anyone that didn’t like him, “just because.” David knew that in life he was bound to encounter such people but he could not think of anyone. Then…it hit him. He remembered back to his third year at the academy when he was introduced to someone by his girlfriend Rebecca Cohen. His name was Richard Mason. Mason was a Starfleet brat just like David and his parents we’re both on starships that we’re far away from Earth. He had no family and very few friends besides Rebecca who was only a passing acquaintance. It was understandable that he might be a little antisocial but this cadet was particularly unusual. When they first met David extended his hand with a warm smile on his face and was about to introduce himself when Mason snapped, “You find me funny cadet?” David was stunned, he hadn’t even opened his mouth and already this guy was accusing him of an insult that he hadn’t made. After a few seconds David shook his head and explained that he was just trying to be friendly. David tried again, “Allow me to introduce myself my name is…” “I already know who you are,” Mason said as he looked at David with contempt. At least this time David had gotten out a half a sentence before Mason had again said something that surprised him. He had never met Mason before and he couldn’t for the life of him figure out how Mason knew him and he intended to find out. “How do you know me Mr. Mason?” Mason looked at him with the same expression on his face and said, “You’re a hot-shot cadet who wants to be a Captain one day, and you have excelled at every class you have taken, received high marks from you’re professors and you have a beautiful girlfriend right?” David’s eyes widened as he listened to Mason describe his dream, his performance thus far and Rebecca.” He again said nothing for several seconds and then said, “I don’t like to brag but yes, that’s all true, did we have a class together and I failed to notice you?” “No,” Mason said as he laughed sarcastically, “But you told me what I needed to know, you’re just like everyone else here, and frankly I don’t have time to waste on people like you. Most people around here will tell you I got into the academy because my parents are Starfleet officers and they’re right. They might tell you I really don’t work that hard and I don’t really get good reviews from my professors and their right, but let me tell you something, I don’t care. Now if you had said no to my question I might have wanted to know more about you but since you didn’t, leave me alone.” With that Mason stormed off. David stood there, completely at a loss for words. Rebecca put her arm around his waist and looked at him with a guilty expression on her face. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I should have warned you, see I’ve known Richard a long time. You’re probably wondering why I am dating you instead of him.” David looked at her curiously. “It’s because in all the years I have known him I have never seen him really put any effort into anything and he wouldn’t put any effort into a relationship.” David looked at her smiled and said, “And I suppose you think I’m different hmm?” “I know you are,” she said, “You’re a hard worker and it shows, but sometimes you just meet people that hate hard work and hate people who work hard even more. Instead of changing their ways they just drift through life all the while hating people who are higher than they are because they worked hard.” The hiss of the turbolift snapped David out of his chain of thought. He now thought that he might understand just why BobO hated him. He was a young man fresh from the academy eager to prove himself. BobO had been in Starfleet a long time and it hadn’t occurred to him that he might not want to make small talk with someone so inexperienced as he was. One thing was certain, BobO wasn’t a drifted like Richard. He was a Lt Cmdr and obviously had to have achieved his position through hard work. Maybe if he engaged him in conversation about how he did it, asked for advice, or help, then BobO might come around. Then again it might make things worse, he honestly didn’t know. David entered the cargo bay and found Jax. He walked up to her shaking his head, “With all due respect ma’am, Lt Cmdr BobO is really rude.” She looked at him and smiled, “Yeah he is, but he’s a fine Starfleet officer.”