Shift Secrets

[Trichon 0]

A joint log from Warped To The Core Productions...

 

 

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It was 0826, ship's time, and Merri had just finished her shift. Graveyard wasn't usually as busy as the other shifts, and as it happened Merri was the most senior engineering officer on her shift these days. She supposed that was good experience, getting her ready to someday be promoted and supervise a crew on Beta shift. And it was handy because Trichon, as Chief Engineer, would almost always be working Alpha shift. Merri hadn't spoken to him since just before his promotion, since she'd been moved to the Gamma shift under one of the last orders from the previous Chief. And she knew senior officers weren't supposed to see their juniors socially.

 

What bothered her was that she couldn't let go of her feelings, and at times it was almost as if Trichon was with her, in her mind and emotions almost as if he were standing beside her. She kind of felt that way now, as she waited at the lounge replicator for her dinner.

 

Trichon walked into the lounge a little earlier than normal this morning. He still had a ton of things to do before he could head down planetside and relax, but before he could work he needed his coffee and eggs.

 

The machine beeped, and Merri took her tray of burrito, rice, beans, and a cherry soda. She turned to the nearest unoccupied table and occupied it, focused entirely on her food. Adjusting to a new work schedule was rougher than she had thought it would be.

 

Trichon still stared down at his "to do" list for the day and bumped square into Merri.

 

Bumped in the process of sitting down, Merri looked up. "Oh. Hi, Tr-- er, Chief." She turned bright red, embarrassed, and glanced around quickly to see if they were being observed.

 

Trichon just stared for a minute, "Sorry, it's going to be a while before I get used to the chief thing." He grinned, "So what's someone like you doing in a place like this when there's a beautiful pleasure planet below us?"

 

The only thing Merri could think (other than how she could drown in his eyes if she let herself) was that he must not have looked over his duty rosters lately. She could forgive him for that, since he had a lot to do and as long as the work got done it really didn't matter who was doing it. "I've only got one shift worth of leave coming," she said softly. "I'm your Gamma shift team lead, so I guess I can't be spared for more."

 

"Gamma shift?" he quickly flipped through the roster and saw that Merri had indeed been assigned to Gamma shift by Jaruq before he had left. "Well, I'll be. I'll tell you what, I'll find someone to cover for you if you would like to escape from all this with me. There's a beach down there with our names on it, and I look good in a bathing suit."

 

Merri's heart pounded, but her brain wanted to shy away. The news of Trichon's promotion had come to her via the grapevine -- with advice about the regulations concerning fraternization between junior and senior officers. "I-- I don't know," she stammered, looking away miserably because she really DID want to go with him.

 

Trichon saw Merri shy away for a moment. "Don't worry, I can get Stevenson to cover for you." And then it dawned on him. He was the chief of engineering now, and people usually frown on senior officers dating the crew members under them.

 

She couldn't help sensing the change in his emotions as he realized why she was reticent. She smiled shyly at him, loving him for being himself. "We should talk," she murmured. "Care to join me?" she asked, with a nod at her tray sitting on the table. "It's dinner for me, but I know it's probably breakfast for you."

 

"Yeah, let me go grab some coffee." Trich walked over to the replicator and made himself a cup of coffee and a plate of scrambled eggs and walked back over to where Merri was and sat down. "I know what you're going to say..."

 

"Oh?" Merri raised a brow. "What am I going to say?"

 

"Other than the fact that I am utterly irresistible," he paused, "You're probably going to say now that I am the chief..." he trailed off as he let out a long sigh, "We shouldn't see each other the way we were hoping."

 

Merri smiled into her burrito. "Well, you are and we shouldn't," she said, stifling a chuckle. "Unless I changed departments..." she added as the idea occurred to her.

 

He pondered the idea for a moment and then quickly dismissed it, "As much as I would like that, I need you here. You're a valuable asset to the team here and I would hate to see you throw that away over... us."

 

It made sense, but at the same time Merri didn't think she could throw away the "us" part just because of work related issues either. She took a sip of her soda and just looked thoughtfully at him for a few minutes.

 

Trich just stared into those wonderfully gorgeous eyes of hers, "What ever are you thinking?"

 

"That I don't want to give up on whatever might happen between us," Merri responded honestly, green eyes glinting with affection. "But I don't want either of us to get in trouble over it, either. So I'm open to suggestions."

 

"Is it possible to keep it a secret?"

 

"Is that wise?" Merri toyed with her beans and rice with her fork. "Would we be in even more trouble if we snuck around and someone found out? Maybe if I stay on Gamma shift and we do see each other when we can find time, it wouldn't be so bad as if you put me back on Alpha and I was under your direct supervision?" Of course, if she stayed on Gamma shift, their time together would necessarily be limited. Maybe that was what Jaruq had had in mind when he scheduled her, maybe it was really a gift to them instead of the difficulty it seemed.

 

He scratched his head. "All I know is that I don't want this to be the end. I refuse to accept that."

 

She gazed into his eyes. She couldn't bring herself to say it aloud, but somehow it was easier to say telepathically. ~~It's not the end, Trichon. I love you.~~

 

~~I love you too, Merri. It's taken me a while to realize it, but it's true.~~

 

Merri wanted to lean across the table and kiss him, but she couldn't, not in a public lounge. She compromised by bestowing an empathic caress on him. "You mentioned a beach?" she murmured quietly. "I do have my next shift off... so I've got a day and a half before I have to be back at work."

 

"Well, I do have to spend time with my engineering team. I did promise Koshic I would meet him on Risa later. He mentioned something about a promotion party."

 

She sighed, thinking maybe it just wasn't going to work out after all. "I have to get some sleep anyway," she said, her disappointment showing in her voice. "You can comm me if you have time..."

 

He quickly turned to her, ~~You know I'll always make time for you.~~

 

~~Do you have time to walk me to my quarters?~~ she dared to ask.

 

He smiled, "Of course."

 

Putting her tray in the recycler, Merri smiled at Trichon. She wanted very much to take his hand, but wasn't sure if she ought to under the circumstances.

 

He walked behind her acting professional, when all he really wanted to do was take her in his arms and hold her tight, "Ready whenever you are."

 

She touched his hand briefly with just the tips of her fingers. The contact made her shiver and want more, but she made an effort to restrain herself. Together they walked to the lift and rode to junior officers' quarters. "I've been thinking about asking to change quarters," Merri commented in the turbolift. "Most everyone on my deck is on a day shift, and I know there are open quarters down in night shift territory."

 

"Any reason in particular?"

 

"Oh, just because I always feel like I have to tiptoe through when the corridor lights are dimmed, and a lot of times I hear people being rowdy past my door when I'm trying to sleep," said Merri. "If I'm staying on nights, I should probably live down where the dimmers are reversed, you know?"

 

"I can understand that, but are there any other motives that go along with that as well?"

 

There hadn't been, but now that Merri thought about it, she could think of one. "Well... you could visit my quarters and no one who cares would find out," she said slowly.

 

"You know I think I might have to put the paperwork through on a new quarters for you." He gave a sly grin. ~~No ulterior motives there at all.~~

 

"Maybe I'd better do it through the quartermaster so no one will have reason to suspect anything," she countered. The lift door opened and they exited. Her door was only a few meters along the corridor, and it opened automatically when she paused in front of it; she had programmed it to read her commbadge, but only when she stopped for several seconds.

 

He watched the door open. "Well, that's pretty resourceful. I guess I'll let you get some sleep..."

 

Merri shook her head and took his hand, drawing him into her quarters so the door shut behind him. "I... first... I mean..." she stammered. It was so unlike her to be at a loss for words. Her eyes met his again, and she put her arms around him and hung on tight, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it would jump out of her chest. She just needed to touch him, to feel contact with him, and couldn't do that in public.

 

Once the door swooshed closed, Trichon leaned in and gave her a tender kiss, and embraced her tightly. "You're the best secret I've ever had."

 

Her head spinning, Merri managed to smile at him. It was something she couldn't confess aloud. ~~No one else ever kissed me before,~~ she admitted silently.

 

~~I'm glad to be the first. Hopefully it will be the first kiss of many.~~ He embraced her and gave her another kiss that promised much more.

 

 

 

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