A Shuttlecraft of Personality Traits

[DaveJohnson 0]

A Shuttlecraft of Personality Traits

A Log by Lt David Johnson

 

 

David sat at the helm of the Republic’s shuttlecraft had used to travel from the ship to McKinley Station with the ducks and was now heading back there with his wife and the newest member of the Republic’s crew. Rebecca sat next to him looking over information David had provided her about the ships procedures as well as the crew manifest. She wanted to learn as much as she could about the members of the crew, particularly those she would be working with so she could make a good first impression. She had had some trouble making friends in the past because she was the type of person who kept mostly to herself except when she met someone like David or their mutual friend Lt Richard Hart who she felt she had a connection with. But she knew she had to try and change that especially if she was going to fit in on the Republic

 

“Computer engage auto-pilot,” said David. “Now how about some dinner?” he asked Rebecca. Rebecca smiled and said, “Just so long as we don’t have to have ration packs…again.” “Oh no,” said David, “I made sure the replicator was working before leaving McKinley. The two chuckled and headed to the replicator in the hold. “Ladies first,” David said with a smirk. Rebecca smirked back, “Grilled Salmon over White Rice with Greens a Baked Potato and two glasses of Vulcan Red Wine,” she said. She watched the food materialize and David helped her with the wine and the baked potato then placed his order. “Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken,” David said. Once his food was replicated he joined Rebecca at the shuttle’s small table. As the two eat they talked about how they should set up their new quarters, how many shifts Rebecca would have David thought of something that he had neglected to tell her.

 

“Sweetie, I know you are a fine officer, but I have to tell you that the crew of the Republic seems to be very friendly with one another. They had apparently been together for a while before I came aboard and I should tell you that it wasn’t easy making a good impression on all of them. I’ve already told you about the incident with Lt Commander Robinson, which I am sure he will bring up just to make sure you don’t do the same thing to him,” David said as Rebecca chuckled, “But I think it’s very important for you to just be yourself. I know it sounds cliché but I tried to…well force my way into the group by following orders and such, but it didn’t work to my advantage as I thought it would. I think it made the rest of them think that I was an ambitious upstart either that or a, “Yes man.” It wasn’t after I stood up for myself against one of the other engineers when he treated me badly that people seemed to realize I wasn’t a pushover.”

 

Rebecca took a sip of her wine, smiled and said, “Well I appreciate the warning, but you and I both know you’re not a pushover and neither am I. If I have to assert that my first day on the job I will…but…that’s not who I am, at least that’s not who I was on the Rhode Island when I first arrived. You know that I am generally a very reserved person because I don’t trust just anyone and like you my first few months aboard ship wasn’t a bundle of roses either. My tactic was the same as it was at the academy; keep my mouth shut unless I knew whoever I was talking to was someone who would listen. The problem was that nobody noticed me, nobody recognized my abilities. That changed when I started to make my shipmates realize that I was not just your ordinary run of the mil officer. I started requesting more duty assignments, places on dangerous away missions. I was almost killed on one of them but managed to use my quiet personality to calm down that trigger happy alien I told you about. Now you have already established yourself on the Republic so whatever problems you had early one aren’t an issue anymore. I think for that to happen with me, I should balance my quiet personality with my ability to assert myself. That way people won’t think I am to over the top nor will they ignore me entirely.

 

David raised an eyebrow and said, “You know I never thought of it like that, I guess if I had done that I might not have had as many problems.” “You got over those problems,” Rebecca replied, “Your colleagues respect you now and I am sure once they get to know me they will respect me as well. I just have to make sure I don’t shoot anyone and I will be fine.” The two chuckled as they continued to eat their dinner

 

The two were only a few days from the Republic and though David had only been gone for two weeks it felt like two months or even more to him. He knew that a lot had probably transpired since he had been away especially on a ship like Republic that always seemed to be bursting with action, something he knew Rebecca would like and now that Rebecca knew how she was going approach social interactions with her knew colleagues he was certain she would make a good impression. It seemed as though the shuttlecraft they were flying in wasn’t just carrying their cargo but their personality traits as well and David hoped that the crew, especially Lt Commander Robinson would recognize Rebecca’s personality traits and make her a part of his team, just as Lt Commander Jax had made David a part of hers.