The Screaming Shower

Posted on 07 Nov 2017 @ 4:40am by Lieutenant Danyl Adan & Lieutenant Callam Jaxer

1,099 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Crossing Over
Location: Callam's Quarters
Timeline: MD6 0830hrs

Callam had awoken early and gone through a long yoga routine, done some Qigong, and then worked for quite a while on his Fu Style Wudang Chuan forms (Tai Chi, BaGua, XingYi, LiangYi and Baji, empty hand and weapons), then did some cool down exercises and stretching. Finally done, Callam went to take a shower.

The sonic shower worked like a dream. The vibrations, in addition to shaking all of the dirt and grime off of his body, massaged his sore muscles. Callam lingered in the shower for a bit just to let the sound waves soothe his muscles. When he felt suitably relaxed, he tried to shut off the shower. The shower didn't seem to like this. The soothing sound quickly turned into a high pitched and very loud wail. Callam tried repeatedly to shut it down, but nothing he did helped. Callam leaped out of the shower before the now violent vibrations shattered his bones and fetched his commbadge.

"Lieutenant Jaxer to Operations!" he shouted over the noise. "Anyone there? I could really use a hand here! My shower sounds like it's going to explode!"


"Adan here," responded the Chief of Ops who was on duty. "I'll be there in a hurry!" He closed the Commlink and rushed off to Jaxer's assistance.

Arriving at the Lieutenant's quarters, Adan pushed the call button. When he was let in, he was surprised to see a younger man than he was expecting to see considering the number of years that had passed. He wasn't even sure that Jaxer would recall that Jorrell Adan had served in the Maquis briefly before getting lost in the Delta Quadrent with Chakotey and Voyager. He was also naked.

"Lieutenant Jaxer?" he inquired. "I'm Lieutenant Adan, Chief of Ops. What appears to be the problem?" He asked this last handing the man a towel.

Jaxer wrapped the towel around his waist and looked and Adan like he had three heads.

"The problem, Lieutenant," Jaxer shouted at the top of his lungs to be heard over the noise. "Is that damned blood curdling sound emitting from my shower that's making my teeth vibrate and is threatening to fracture the hull!"

Lieutenant Adan smiled. The man wasn't used to this host's with or sense of humor. "Sorry. I was just kidding. Let me take a look at it. It probably needs some tweeking like everything else new on this ship."

Removing the outter panel, He began working on the problem.

Jaxer took the opportunity to get dressed, ultimately putting on a pair of loose drawstring pants and a t-shirt. Then he had an idea. He picked up the headphones he sometimes used when playing one of his basses so he only he could hear his music. He put them on and the noise from the shower was reduced somewhat. Not completely, but at least it didn't feel as though his skull would explode. He walked into the head, wincing as the noise got louder.

"Any luck, Lieutenant?" he asked.

Adan smiled. As he applied pressure to one of the inner workings, he said, "Looks...like...this...will...work." Klunk!

He sighed as the noise of the shower stopped. "Talk about a spanner in the works. Still, that should suffice. You shouldn't have any more problems with the shower."

Looking a bit hopeful, he said to the Lieutenant, "Remember me, Jaxer? Adan? The Maquis? 2371? I'm a different host now. We hardly had time to get to know one another back then. I was young and foolhardy and that was my first mission with Chakotay. To get lost in the Delta Quadrent."

Callam looked at Adan for a moment, frowned, then it hit him.

"Seriously?" he said. "I remember you. Well, the old you anyway. I mean, I think I do. We only met in passing, right? Shortly after you first joined up? You were excited to join Chakotay's crew, all starry-eyed, head filled with visions of adventures in space. Sounds like you maybe got more adventure than you planned on."

"You've got that right!" stated Adan emphatically. "The Delta Quadrent was more than I could have imagined in a lifetime. We did only meet in passing. What brings you to the Black Hawk?"

"Uhm..." Cal said. "There are these things called orders. Starfleet issues them to you when they want you to do things. In this case, my orders were to come here and join this crew, so I did. I wasn't actually looking for a new assignment at the time. I assume someone thought I could do some good here and sent me those orders, telling me to go forth and rendezvous with the Blackhawk and command Bravo Flight. They also took the liberty of promoting me from Chief Warrant Officer to Lieutenant, either for kicks, or because they thought I could be of more use with the added rank. It all came as a surprise to me. I don't know whether I was upset at the change of assignment, or relieved. I mean, an instructor gig isn't a bad gig, BUT, having to ride in the back seat while rookies or at least pilots who are new to the Gryphon do the flying can be damned dangerous, and therefore a bit stressful. So, maybe it was a good thing."

Adan nodded. "Sounds like it. Getting to be Adan's host came something of a surprise for me. I was a Trill initiate for so long, I didn't think I would ever be joined. It's a wonderful experience, if a little confusing. I wonder, though, if it might not have been a mistake to return to the Black Hawk. So many people I have known from before as Jarveth. Trill's like to avoid meeting up with those whom they've met as the previous hosts. Still, like you said, orders. This is where I was ordered, not what I requested. My predecessor, Bast, left and they needed someone to take over Ops.

"I'll be honest with you too. I was assigned here as the Assistant Chief of Ops. The Captain promoted me to Chief within such a short period of time, that it made my head spin."

"Yeah, well," Callam said. "I'm sure you'll grow into it."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," said Adan with a smile. "I need it." Quickly, he gathered his tools together and put them away. To Jaxer, he said, "It was good seeing you again. Perhaps, we could get together in Talons sometime or on the Holodeck. I have some excellent mysteries by Christie and Grimes in my holonovel collection. It's quite extensive"

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