Millie Meets Kat
Posted on Sat Apr 5th, 2025 @ 2:44pm by Lieutenant Commander Katherine Malbrooke & Ensign Millicent Ambrose
Edited on on Sun Apr 6th, 2025 @ 5:41pm
2,043 words; about a 10 minute read
Mission:
Episode 16 - Silent Cries
Location: Equipment Storage - Deck 3 - USS Pioneer
Timeline: MD007 1800 hrs
There was an assignment given to Millie and that was to do some cleaning in the Equipment Storage room. Deck Three, well she hadn't truly been assigned but in essence she volunteered. By the records, it hadn't been seen to for a little bit. The door was opened while she did some cleaning, the tune she hummed was Whistle While You Work and actually singing some of the words and whistling. She was on key and she was quite engrossed in her cleaning.
Kat Malbrooke was making her way down the corridor after doing a lap of the ship. Hermia told her to stay off her feet, but she refused to become a couch potato. As she approached the captain's quarters, she heard someone whistling. Especially something that old. She continued past her and Ty's quarters and went to see who was doing what.
She paused outside the equipment storage room and listened for a minute before moving forward and engaging the door's sensors.
Millie was on a step ladder, cloth in hand. In part of this equipment storage room there were emergency supplies water, food. Some spare parts. She had just wiped down the top shelf when Millie heard the door open. She stopped in mid whistle, looking towards the woman who was in the door way. Climbing down, Millie greeted her. "Hello, I'm Ensign Ambrose."
"Hello, Ensign Millie Ambrose. I'm Katherine Malbrooke. I heard you and had to see what you were doing."
"I figured I'd do some cleaning. At times the Equipment Storage room gets neglected. Things get a little bit jumbled. The Pioneer has been through a rough patch so I figured some tender loving care wouldn't hurt." Millie patted the wall, “Hang in there." a half beat later. "Wait, Malbrooke as in you are married to the Commodore. Hopefully I've not disturbed anyone by my cleaning."
"My, that's a list of questions. Let's see... I'm surprised things get jumbled. Everything is supposed to be checked in and out, even in the supply rooms. But cleaning is often ignored, so thank you for taking care of that. Yes, I'm married to the commodore." She rubbed her belly. "This is Junior Malbrooke and no, you didn't disturb me. As I said, I was walking the deck to get some exercise."
Millie came down from her perch, putting the ladder to where she can get it later on, in its proper place. She waved at Kat's stomach, no touching involved. "Hello Junior Malbrooke." after that greeting, Millie scratched her head as she went into some thought. "So...I was wondering if I can ask you some more questions to get to know you? That is if you don't consider that out of line."
It was unusual, but Kat didn't consider it out of line. "What sort of questions?"
"Hmmnn, maybe we can find some place a bit more comfortable. Well..." Millie taking a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Just let me know if I am getting too personal. My first question is, what sort of hobbies do you like to do? "
Kat laughed. "That's hardly personal. I like the outdoors. Especially camping and horseback riding. But that is on hold until after the baby is born." She cocked her head to one side. "What do you like to do, Millie?"
"I do like outdoor activities. I do like camping. In the winter which I think my favorite time, I go snowboarding, I will tell you a secret, I do like to sing, as well as dance. There are other things I like to do, my tastes vary" Millie remarked.
"Variety's a good thing. So, are you in ops or engineering to be stuck here?" Kat had to admit, she rarely saw anyone actually cleaning a storage room. Organizing, cataloging, or retrieving, yes, but not just cleaning.
"I am in engineering, and I requested this task. It’s something that will help me relax my mind to hopefully go to sleep. I've been having trouble sleeping, as of late. I do not know why, but I haven't been able to get any true rest." Millie pulling up a couple of boxes for both herself and Kat.
"I haven't noticed a problem sleeping, but right now I'm napping anyway." She cocked her head to one side and looked Millie over again. "I'm an engineer, too. I was the assistant chief engineer on Empok Nor before Tyler and I decided I should transfer here so we could start a family."
"With you wanting to start a family that makes sense. Do you miss being in Engineering? I know I would miss it." Millie having a thoughtful expression. "Things that make a person think."
"Sometimes. But I'm writing papers and peer reviewing others. Much like scientists, engineers publish academic papers. Not as many, but it's a lot better than seeing Ty only when the ship docked at Empok Nor."
"Do you publish the papers under Kat Malbrooke or under your maiden name. I would like to read them, unless I have read them and didn't realize I had. Would they have been used at the Academy?" Millie was regarding Kat with great interest.
"I use Katherine Malbrooke. I doubt they're used in the academy. I've only been writing seriously since I came to the Pioneer. Before that, there were a few here and there. Generally, when Tyler was away."
"Well, if you don't mind sharing, I would like to read the papers you've written." Millie was truly interested. And she felt that she could learn a lot from Kat.
"They're on my computer. I can send them to you. Several deal with the main computer as I had the opportunity to have a good look at the secondary computer on the Pioneer when I first arrived."
"Yes, I would love those thank you." Millie regarded Kat for a few moments. "There are more questions I would love to ask you but, I might be taking up your time and I don't want to do that."
"I have time for a few more questions. I'm officially on maternity leave" Although her time was still her own regardless. She'd caught up on the papers she'd been sent to review.
"Do you play an instrument? And, do you sing? And have you gone to the um... Oh what Alyssa had created, The Garden Box?" Millie didn't quite know what to name it. She'd gone from titling it the Plant Box. Or there was the Garden Box.
"I play the flute, French horn, and cello." Kat cocked her head to one side as she considered the woman before her. "Are you always this inquisitive? I don't mind, but you do ask a lot of questions." She had yet to visit the converted cargo bay, even though it was on her list of things to do.
A small chuckle, as Millie’s cheeks turned pink. "Yes I've been told that I am quite inquisitive. Thing of it is, this ship isn't just a bunch of nuts, bolts, power conduits and warp drive. There are people living here. There are probably a few people who only go do their jobs, then the go back to their quarters, or go somewhere like the mess hall eat by themselves, being sort of on the outside of the proverbial window looking in, and feeling lonely or isolated-" her voice went to a lower register thick with emotion, looking down at her fingers " For a year I slid into a spiral and lived in that isolated state of mind. Thank goodness for counselors and also, my realizing I needed help." her eyes lifting up from looking at her hands to gaze into Kat's. "I honestly do want to get to know people upon the ship, and hope to do so. There is one person that I'm not thinking I will ever meet him, unless on an official basis or accidental encounter. I don't think I would be someone to come over and hang out with the Commodore." thinking of that possibility she gave a shrug. "What would a junior engineer be doing going to see the Commodore on a whim? That just doesn't seem possible or even right. I know he is a person but, there is the whole hierarchy of the ranks."
"Tyler isn't like that. He likes to get to know his crew, but not when he's busy with his duties." Kat shrugged. "I admit that I've spent a lot of time in our quarters lately getting everything ready for the baby, so I can't tell you how to best meet him. Sorry." Plus, she wasn't going to give advice without talking to her husband first.
"Um... well.. This is certainly surprising information. I will have to mull on that one." this news was very surprising indeed. From what she's been told and had observed, was that those in upper ranks do not really talk much with lower ranks. However, Tremble did take the time to talk with her, and she did speak with Hermia. And she is becoming friends with Vura. And as far as she knew, Pioneer certainly was shaping up to be a very different ship. "More and more I am finding out that this ship is unique. And I like it.
"So, Millie of Engineering, do you have any other questions before I leave you to your organizing and cleaning?"
"It is. The Pioneer is special." Kat knew it was because of Tyler and his style of command. "
"Actually, I do have a question, I came across something while I was cleaning." Millie rose from her box and went deeper into the equipment storage then came back carrying a tee shirt which stated Merrick's Merry Maids and a calendar with a woman she wasn't certain as to who it was, she had to admit the woman in the calendar was pretty.
"I found these upon one of the shelves in front of some boxes. Who is Merrick and the Merry Maids that this tee shirt is about? And who is this lady?" holding up the calendar. "She is beautiful. It is interesting to find pin ups calendar wise inside a supply room."
She took both and looked them over. Kat recognized Merrick's name immediately. It took her a moment longer to recognize Jayna as Neil's girlfriend. "Just the one t-shirt and calendar?" That was odd to find them in a storage room. "I don't know why they'd be in here."
"There are others in boxes but these were on the shelf outside of the box near those." Millie shrugged her shoulders. "I was a bit surprised to see them. I had planned on putting them back in the boxes but hadn't done so yet." Millie raised her hands on either side of herself, having a baffled expression.
"Boxes? Hmm. Then I think I'll take these and show them to my husband. He probably knows about them." Kat shook her head. She was glad Jayna was dressed in the calendar, but still... She shook her head. "It's an odd place to store them, isn't it?"
"It is maybe this was the only place a person could store these. Merrick's Merry Maids. It sounds like a clean-up crew to me. Are we getting a cleaning crew just for the Pioneer?" Millie shaking her head. "Would probably put me out of cleaning. Well, hopefully you will figure out what is going on here. I just have to finish a couple of shelves then I will be done with this equipment storage area. " Millie handing the t-shirt and calendar to Kat. "Well, back to work I go, heigh ho heigh ho." flashing a smile before she turned to get the ladder to finish up the last two shelves.
"It was nice meeting you, Millie. Have fun." But Kat was a little distracted as she went back to her quarters. There was no cleaning crew, but there was an explanation. She just didn't have it.
A Post By
Ensign Millicent Ambrose
Engineering Officer, USS Pioneer
Lieutenant Commander Katherine Malbrooke
Operational Advisor, USS Pioneer
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