Work meeting
Posted on Thu Jul 9th, 2026 @ 1:07am by Lieutenant Commander Rowena McGowen & Lieutenant Junior Grade Stefan Zamfir
Edited on on Thu Jul 9th, 2026 @ 11:08am
1,534 words; about a 8 minute read
Mission:
Episode 18 - The Edge of Darkness
Location: SCIF - Deck 9 - USS Pioneer
Timeline: MD001 0800 hrs
It was just nearing the end of Alpha Shift, Stefan came in early. He pressed the chime of Rowena's Office and waited to be allowed in. He had been informed about what happened earlier before he joined, had asked questions but in fairness, he needed to talk to her outside of just a huge meeting where it concerned a mission.
He tapped on his combadge, "Commander McGowan may I have a moment or two of your time?"
Rowena dropped something under her desk and she reached under it to get it. When the door chimed she bumped her head. "Ouch!" She hissed and rubbed her head. She tried to get up when she got a message over the com. She tapped her badge. "If that's you, Lieutenant, outside my door, just come in."
"Yes it is me. I figured that I'd contact you before entering." Stefan stated once he stepped inside. " After all this is your inner-sanctum so it wouldn't be good for me to just barge in." Flashing a warm smile.
"May I have a seat?" glancing over to the nearby chair. He seemed at ease as he gazed at Rowena, calm, cool and collected.
Rowena nodded to the nearby seat, still rubbing her head. "Can I get you something to drink?" She offered before making her way to the replicator.
"Green tea please." Stefan requested as he watched Rowena go over to the replicator.
He knew from her records, she had been chief of intelligence for close to two years. There was also the fact that she had been possessed by some entity which put the ship into danger. He was there to watch her as well.
"How have things been for you?" Stefan leaning back in his chair.
Rowena ordered the green tea and a latte for herself. "Aside from a bump on my head, I am doing just fine. Just very busy, gaining up on reports. just work, work." She took the drinks out of the replicator and put the tea in front of Stefan.
"Thank you. And a bump on your head? How did you happen to get that?" Stefan asked, picking up his tea. "With our line of work there is always something going even when we are on personal time."
Rowena just smirked. "I was just clumsy...I dropped a padd and then your hit the chime and I kinda got up too quickly, hitting my head on the desk. I'll be fine."
Stefan nodded in understanding. "I've done that myself a time or two. Makes for a headache." he picked up the green tea to blow on it first before taking a drink of it.
Lowering the cup, Stefan set it upon the desk, "When I was on Poseidon Station I didn't have the pleasure of meeting you at that get together for intelligence that Captain-make that- Major Merrick had planned, I had left that get together before you arrived. My apologies for not staying. Now though, things are different and I am here working on the same ship. And this is the first opportunity for a one on one conversation." Stefan having a genuine smile.
"I am interested in what your perceptions are as to how the intelligence team are run on the ship?" it was an honest query from Stefan. Each intelligence department head on either a station or ship, they seemed to have their own way of how they run things. And their own perceptions. Stefan wanted to know hers.
Rowena leaned back in her chair in thought a moment how to answer that one. "Okay, I am not going to lie, I am quite an unorganized person. You don't want to see my quarters. And I mean that. When I got here and took over from my predecessor, Staff warrant officer Masters, I found her organisation quite good. She ran a pretty tight department here. The shift plannings were quite good and her work ethics are quite admirable. So I figured, why change something if it works, so I basically took that over."
"Organization skills as to how to run a shift? Did she do any planning as, in doing exercises to help create a sense of a unit? I know some of of the intelligence staff have fighting skills but, can they work as a team. And we do have a petty officer, Emiko Marley, who needs quite a bit of training. A lot of training, in various areas." Stefan watching Rowena's reaction.
She tapped her fingers on the surface of her desk. She looked at Stefan closely and then sighed before she replied. "Well...you know...I was possessed and all, I am slowly getting back into my normal routine. There are of course a few exercises miss Masters drafted...that...are engaging and team building, that I am sure Miss Marley would greatly enjoy."
Stefan raised an eyebrow, "The sound of Miss Masters having drafted exercises in a previous incarnation of the Intelligence team sounds nice, I though, am wondering just what YOU can come up with. What sort of creativity can you come up with in sharpening up team work. I am sure we can try Master's platforms but would that truly work for you, or even the rest of us. You've got people who may have some ideas on how to work a routine out as well."
Taking a drink of his tea, Stefan then added. "One can't always adopt someone else's work and hope that it will work out. It is better to come up with something of your own, with maybe using her exercises as a template."
Stefan went quiet for a moment, leaning back in his chair, thinking over what he had said. A few beats more then he chuckled quietly "Look at me, trying to boss the boss lady."
Rowena leaned back in her chair. "I am aware I have to eventually find my own way. But I recently returned to work, and the department worked seemingly fine on the way Miss Masters ran it. I do have to admit she has a pretty organized way and gives me space to breath and roll back into things."
Stefan gave a nod. "You do have a few of us who you can bounce off ideas, or even get ideas from. Just so some sort of unity can be developed. I know that being in intelligence there might be need for some distance. Since I had been a part of an undercover team before, knowing what the skills that each other has or is capable of doing when out in the field, was beneficial."
Rowena leaned on her hands in thought. "The problem is, this is intelligence, not engineering. Most of the time it is just collecting and analyzing data. The most unity we create is off duty. According to Miss Master's logs, the department met up once a week in after 11, maybe I should bring that back. Drinks and chats." She contemplated.
"That is something I feel that may need to happen. But also, lets say when some of our people go out in the field. Like say Emiko Marley, there needs to be training."
"it seems that there was a problem and that is due to Emiko not having any training in field work. This department I feel needs to get their skills up. Due to Emiko, the mission she want on, something happened to where she and Jayna had been captured. They were rescued by a team of marines." Stefan gave a frown thinking of what happened.
"Something needs to be done, training, is needed. Which brings me to a question I am wondering about. Have you gone out in the field to work?" Stefan honestly wanted to know, he'd not read it in her files.
Rowena looked away. "More than I would like to talk about." She said. "But to be honest they were mostly paranormal cases." She frowned to as she continued speak. "What exactly happened with Emiko and Jayna?"
"They were captured during the mission to Breyet Nor, they were rescued but from the report that was written, Emiko had been the one who got them captured. This is why I wished to do the training, just in case something happens again. It could have gone rather sideways and those on that mission lost." Stefan remarked with grim expression.
"However, they were able to get out of the situation and are back with the ship." There wasn't much more that he could or would want to continue upon this subject.
Stefan finished his tea, taking a look at the now empty cup, then looked up at Rowena.
"Thank you for taking the time to talk with me. As it is, there's more information to be gone over and our work is never done is it." Stefan rising up from his chair with a smile, and headed out of the office.
A Post By
Lieutenant Stefan Zamfir
Assistant Chief Intelligence Officer, USS Pioneer
Lieutenant Commander Rowena McGowen
Chief Intelligence Officer, USS Pioneer
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