Stories of a recent Graduate- August Olson
rswri234
Member
Starfleet Academy -Adminstation building. Ensign August Olson.
=Personal log 2398- August Olson=
“I’m not sure if it’s a side effect of last nights graduation party or wether I’ve finally caught up with the excitement my fellow cadets seemed to have on the first day. I’ve been called to the office of LT-Com Seliac. I’m yet to begin packing up my room as I’m still yet to receive my deployment options. Truth be told I’m terrorfied.”
= End log =
The door chimed and Senior Cadet August Olson was sure he had never been so nervous in his life. The previous day had been his graduation. Four years spent at San Francisco’s Starfleet Academy, discovering what it meant to be a member of Starfleet and over the gruelling months discovering who he was against the backdrop of the United Federation of Planets vast fleet. Now he stood nervously at the door of the his academic supervisor pulling at his collar.
“Come in.” A voice called out and the door toggled open revealing the office behind it. August shuffled in, and walked towards the far end of the room. At a desk, piled with PADD’s Lt-Commander Seliac , a Betazoid sat nursing a cup of coffee
“Ensign Olson, reporting, Ma’m.”
“Yes, August come on in. Congratulations are in order.
“Thank you Ma’m. Sometimes I thought it would never happen.”
“Not uncommon amongst the cadets, you’d be surprised the tension which passes by my doors each day. Wait a day and reality will settle in. “She went silent for a moment before smiling.” and yes the nerves will settle. Which brings me to why I called you here. Reality is calling.”
It had been almost a weekly event; that August be stood in this exact room receiving the mentor ship of the Lieutenant Commander, and together they had what August hoped was a loose friendship, getting used to how the other worked. It had taken him a few weeks to see how much she cared for the cadets in here charge, relentlessly watching over them and making course corrections to improve them. It had taken him a little longer however to get used to the way she could pick up and interpret his emotions.
“Ma’m?” He questioned.
The betazoid moved her eyes over the desk quickly without moving her head downwards collecting a PADD off the desk, and raising it in front of her.
“The USS Drake is a defiant class vessel assigned to Sector 1 patrol. I’ve recommended that you be assigned there for a short while as Operations Officer, while fleet operations consolidates our forces elsewhere. I thought given your experiences here at the Academy that it would be worthwhile you partaking in a short assignment. A confidence booster if you will, and a chance to hone your skills in a real life situation.” She explained, handing him the device, which contained the rest of his deployment instructions and details of his assignment, before continuing on.
“There’s no doubt you are a fine Officer, August. It’s been a privilege working with you over the years. Remember keep your head up, and look to the stars. You’re a part of something very real now. Your confidence in the skills you learnt here will eventually take hold, and one day it will all feel natural even under the strangest of circumstances. Of which there will be many. Do you have any questions .”
“No. Thank you Ma’m.” Truthfully he had hundreds of questions running through his head, wondering about the future, to the smallest details of how he felt given the magnitude of the events unfolding. The academy had been difficult for him, he had undergone so much personal change that at times he wondered which version of himself was working at any particular moment. He was sure that the Lieutenant could tell, but when she spoke she simply moved things a long. He greatly appreciated it.
“Well in that that case, good luck. You are to report to Spacedock 1 at 0800 tommrow to the briefing officer aboard the dock. The Drake is undergoing a resupply and there is no doubt you’ll be needed.
Dismissed Ensign.”
A final nod and turn and he left the room for the last time, the memories flooding back. As he walked through the halls back to his accommodation he watched as a new string of cadets moved through the administration and he began to take stock of his time at there. It was true at first he had not been the most notable cadet, nor did he have highest grades but if his friends, tutors and experiences had taught him anything. He was about to embarkon a journey of a lifetime, the USS Drake a gate away to the endless opportunity that lay in front of him.
About midway across the hall, a voice called out a fellow cadet who had graduated. The brash and excitable deep southern American accent rang through the room and met him before the words reached his ears. The Ensign was calling him out on his promise for one final night out.