Greeting New Arrivals

After the ninety seconds or so it took for Samji to make his way up to the upper section of the large conference hall where the replicators were situated around the sides and back of the seating, he noticed the smudgy Engineer in coveralls he had seen earlier take a seat. It was Lieutenant Commander Lire as he had guessed. He extended a hand and said, "I thought I ordered everyone to get some sleep, Mister Lire."

Samji saw the officer had been working hard to get the ship ready for her mission and secretly admired the man for his dedication, but didn't let it show... at least not yet.

Niomo still wasn't used to the hustle and bustle of such a large meeting. When he heard his name spoken, he was a little surprised. Quickly, he turned in his chair to look at the voice addressing him. "Ah, Fleet Captain... Hello." Niomo took the man's hand and shook it firmly. "I suppose you've never known a real engineer then, sir. As Montgomery Scott used to say, 'I'll sleep wen I'm dead, sar.' Or at least I imagine he'd say that."

Niomo laughed at his own joke. "Don't worry sir. I will get some shut eye before the Alsea embarks on her mission, scout's honor." He sighed, and rubbed the handle of his coffee cup. "She needs a lot of work done though. I'd give her a day at least before I'd mark her ready for departure."

The work required on the ship was extensive. It had been some time since the ship had received a once over...even for a newer model Prometheus. He was already thinking of ways to redirect work teams in order to accelerate the repair time.

"Good to hear, Commander," Samji replied, his features softening a bit since the last rebuke to portray his appreciation for the officer's work.

Just then, Doctor Bindo and a man he was not familiar with passed by, searching for a pair of seats. They were deep in conversation and did not appear to notice him.

Not meaning to be too intrusive, Samji nodded and simply said, "Good morning Doctor."

Jolie turned as she heard the greeting, and instantly recognized the commander of Starbase 10. "Fleet Captain Samji! Hello, Sir. Have you had the opportunity to meet Dr. Shian Andres? He came out from Betazed after the Borg Invasion to treat our telepaths. He's one of the finest paracortical neurologists in the galaxy. We've been poring over the medical data to try to anticipate injuries and illnesses so we can be prepared."

Shian inclined his sandy brown head at the fleet captain in acknowledgment. "Good to finally meet you, Sir."

"And you, Doctor," Samji said with a smile and similar gesture. "Apologies for not knowing your name, although the manifest on an entire Starbase can be daunting," Samji chuckled.

"Have you two met Lieutenant Commander Niomo Lire?" he asked, gesturing to the Engineer beside him. "His 'patient' is now our Fleet's beast of a warship, the Alsea."

Niomo grinned at the Fleet Captain's joke. He raised his cup in greeting to the two doctors. "The Fleet Captain eggagerates my abilities. I am only a simple assistant compared to the work that my engineering teams are currently doing. Pleased to meet both of you. Have you been with the Fleet long? There are a few faces I don't recognize, yourselves included."

Niomo smiled.

Jolie grinned at the patient reference. "Better you than me, Lt. Commander. I prefer live patients to machines any day. I've been with the fleet for awhile--I was assigned to the McKenzie during the Borg Invasion, served here on SB10 for a little while, and just recently got assigned to the Lotus. I enjoy the medical challenges we see on a Starbase, but I'm looking forward to time in space again. The stars call."

"I'm new to Starfleet--I joined after the Borg invasion," Shian added. "We had a lot of telepath neuro injuries to deal with, and that's my particular area of medical study. Starfleet needed my help, and I couldn't turn them down. The neurologists here are some of the finest I've had the honor to work with, so I'm delighted to be part of the crew now. I don't have the same space bug Jolie has, so I'm more than happy to stay on the Starbase."

"You have your hands full fixing up the Alsea, Lt. Commander. It sounds like it's your passion, too," Jolie said.

Niomo nodded in agreement, "Aye, ma'm, it is a passion. It gets a little touch and go when Romulans try to burn our faces off, but an engineer always manages. I'm sure it's the same for Doctors." Niomo laughed. "But it's good to know Starfleet is bringing in some of the best and brightest in. I know I take a trip or two to Sickbay once a week for various burns and such. Sadly, I'm stuck with an EMH. I hear they aren't any more sociable than they were a few years ago."

Niomo paused for a moment, to recall his time on the Lotus so many years ago. "The Lotus is and was a good ship. Serve her well. The doctors who have served on her still say that if you listen hard enough, you can hear my shouting the time I seared one of my fingers off and had to get it reattached. Let me know if you hear anything. Didn't know Medical Professionals were so superstitious." Niomo shrugged and shook his head. "Not that I can recall that event. The good doctor knocked me out."

Samji uttered a short laugh, and said, "Huh... something I was not aware of and is quite surprising."

He then saw the bright red hair of Lieutenant Commander Rivers out of the corner of his eye and said, "Excuse me Mister Lire, I have something to ask your XO. Doctors," he said in acknowledgement of the other two as he strode up the stairs further toward the entrance.