[Bridge]
Zuriel brought the ship to a stop. Kali squinted at the viewscreen.
"That's new," she snuffled, her fingers tapping hesitantly on the chair arm where the comm sat. "Just keep on coasting for now until the brass gets back, Soreka. The last time we did something under the Captain's nose it was hell in a handbaska-ACHOO!"
Zuriel had taken to counting the exchanges of energy across the expanse, He felt it was a good way to pass the time, and a even more effective way to staying awake. Zuriel had heard about humans counting sheep to do the opposite, but he was not up on ancient terran lore. In any case Zuriel continued on with his duties, checking the shuttle manifests at his station, they had drawn a bad lot in regards to shuttles afforded by the federation. Frankly Zuriel looked at them as his island of misfit toys, three where nearing thirty years old and many of them had hodgepodge parts. Zuriel made his case to the Dock Chief but even considering they were the same rank, he was shot down, the choice words did not help either.
Zuriel's team did the best they could with what they were given, and they did a hell of a job, even if they did not know it. Sadly on a ship with unlimited food he could not buy them dinner or something like that, but he did take a few hours off of each of their shifts, which is why he sat here with the zen focus only coffee could achieve.
His increased work hours did not go over well with his wife. Talia knew the dance of marriage to an officer, department head, but she did not have to like it. Zuriel would have to tread carefully with her, a nice hand made dinner would do. What time Zuriel did have off he would be sure to include her.
Once Kali gave him an order Zuriel snapped back to work, he wanted to keep the ship safe, but orders were orders, "You got it Chief." The El-Aurian said as he moved with a sense of urgency. Moving the ship was more complicated than it seemed, you had to hit over thirty different buttons in the right sequence just to make a two degree course correction, you had to do this every time you altered the course or you died quite simply. Helmsmen could not just be quick thinkers, there hands had to move as the person in charge gave orders, and not as their brain processed them. A slow flight like a survey mission was easy, but a fleet battle, while tracking twenty other ships was another matter, you had to have the gift.
Zuriel arched his shoulders as the miasma wind of Kali's sneeze hit his neck, he turned for a moment to give a pleasantly snarky comment in jest, but found himself staring at a medical officer instead. Zuriel shot his gaze back and forth between the two, until he picked up on Kali's deception. He had to think quickly, no one likes to be pulled away from duty for something as dumb as a cold. Zuriel had one shot and he would take it, he would give such a performance, it would normalize what Kali just did, he had no more time to think. Zuriel bent his neck back and released such a sneeze the federation would have given him two awards of valor. "Man, you too Kali?" Zuriel said as he put the icing on by wiping his nose with his sleeve. "I thought it was just me, it think its those animals Kalabax has,been stopped up since I came on board." Zuriel made his acceptance speech in his head, it was glorious even if his performance was not.
