Hey Mickey
Posted on 30 Nov 2025 @ 1:55pm by Lieutenant Michael "Mickey" Ballentyne & Captain Threlox
Edited on on 30 Nov 2025 @ 2:47pm
961 words; about a 5 minute read
Mission:
Opening Transmission
Location: USS Proteus: Barbershop, Deck 5
Timeline: 2259
Tags: Collingwood, Foster, Threlox, Mickey, Ballentyne, Proteus, Dex
[ USS Proteus: Barbershop, Deck 5 ]
“Hey, Mickey”. Lieutenant Commander Iris Foster, the Proteus’s Chief Science Officer, shouted as she entered the Barbershop.
A diminutive young man sitting in a barber chair jerked his head in recognition and was reprimanded by the Bolian Barber, who was attempting to prune the unkempt mass of brown curls atop his head. “Keep still”, chided the Barber.
“Sorry, Mr Dex”, muttered the young man with a mischievous grin.
Foster sucked her teeth, “Short back and sides for this one, Dex. Senior officers cannot be walking around with inappropriate hair!”
“Ignore her, Mr Dex,” replied Mickey, “inappropriate is definitely what I am going for.”
“Keep still”, cursed the Bolian, tapping the top of Mickey’s head with a comb in reprimand. “And you,” Dex pivoted on one foot and camply pointed his scissors at the Chief Science Officer, “get out unless you’re here for a back and sides!”
“I’m not letting you near this work of art”, Iris laughed, gesturing towards her own hair and turned towards the door. “Oh, and Mickey, when you’ve got a moment, the new Captain wants to see you in the Observation Lounge.” Ballentyne’s eyes widened. “Yes, he’s here.”
[ USS Proteus: Observation Lounge; Deck 2 ]
The doors hissed open, and Ballentyne entered, standing to attention. “Lieutenant junior grade Ballentyne reporting as ordered.”
The Captain, the old Captain, that is to say, Captain Collingwood, under whose command Ballentyne had served for the last three years, was seated talking to a stout man with a beard.
“At ease, Mickey”, said Collingwood, softly pushing his chair back and standing up. “Captain Threlox, may I present to you Lieutenant Ballentyne?”
"The Lieutenant certainly doesn't know how to make a first impression," the Denobulan-Tellarite captain continued, "Mr Ballentyne -- you are aware that you violate Starfleet Regulation 7, Section 3, Paragraph 5... do I need to cite it?"
“Sir, no sir.” Replied Ballentyne, his face straight while his inner voice said, 'Oh shit.' It was just then that Mickey spotted Foster smirking in the corner of the room.
“Get yourself down to see Mr Dex, he’ll sort you out, Mic…er Lieutenant.” Collingwood gently interjected, and the pressure Ballentyne was feeling eased. “It’s been a long shore leave. Did you finally climb Table Mountain?”
“Yes, sir.” Answered Mickey as he realised the ship was about to change.
“Captain,” continued Collingwood, addressing Threlox, his tone more formal, “despite his ... inappropriate ... hair, I assure you, Lieutenant Ballentyne is one of the most promising officers I have served with aboard Proteus.
'Table Mountain?' Threlox mixture of Denobulan and Tellarite facial features confounded, "I will take your suggestion under advisement since we were pupils together at the Academy and add him to my shortlist."
"Number one, did you bring them?" Collingwood asked over the top of Threlox's head.
Foster peeled herself from the bulkhead she had blended into and strode to Collingwood’s side, “Replicated them myself this morning” she winked at Ballentyne.
“Mick…hey…al Matthew Ballentyne.” Collingwood furrowed his brows, stumbling through Mickey's full name; he was used to calling Mickey, Mickey. “You are hereby promoted to the rank of full Lieutenant with all the rights and privileges thereto.” He nodded at Foster, “Do the honours.”
Iris smirked and produced from behind her back a pair of thin silver bands, handing them to Mickey with a grin. "Congratulations, Lieutenant", and kissed him on both cheeks.
Collingwood exhaled and looked around the room absent-mindedly before turning to Varn, “Well…”
Captain Threlox rubbed his Tellarite clan's signet ring while he sat witnessing the commotion in the Observation Lounge. The transition of the command process had stagnated. He didn't know if he approved of his Academy peer's command style even after going down the command track, "So it appears what humans call 'leapfrog', the shortlist and land the promotion anyway. Fine. Just keep in mind, as a former CSO myself, you will be under a high level of scrutiny going forward. I hope you prove yourself, or the next three years are going to seem very long."
Sweet (if unsolicited) success turned to terror, and Ballentyne’s stomach somersaulted. He paused for a moment before replying with a confidence he did not feel. “I shall do my utmost, sir.” 'Three years…'
Captain Threlox rubbed the signet ring of his Tellarite clan, the familiar weight grounding him as he watched the young officer. The Denobulan‑Tellarite hybrid gave a gruntal sound of agreement, a noise halfway between a hmphf and a sigh.
“Unless Captain Collingwood or Commander Foster have anything further to add,” he said, his tone edged with Tellarite bluntness, “I’ll leave it to them to dismiss you and bring in the next one.”
Collingwood nodded at Mickey silently. Foster looked at the floor. Ballentyne turned on his heel and stiffly walked out of the room. The doors hissed closed in silence.
Collingwood exhaled. “He’s a good lad, Threlox. Give him a chance.”
"Noted," Threlox replied.
[ USS Proteus: Barbershop, Deck 5 ]
Ballentyne sulphurously plodded into the Barbershop. “Mickey!” Squeeled Dex in delight at the return of one of his regulars. “Back to see me already? How is the new Captain?”
Mickey plonked himself down in an unattended barber’s chair and sighed. “You don’t want to know Mr Dex…”
“Oh, Mickey”, replied Dex putting his hands on his hips, “what a pity…”
OFF:
A Joint Post By:
Lieutenant Michael "Mickey" Ballentyne
Chief Science Officer, USS Proteus
also as:
Captain James Collingwood
Outgoing Commanding Officer, USS Proteus,
& of course
Lieutenant Commander Iris Foster
Outgoing Chief Science Officer, USS Proteus
and we can't forget
Mr. Dex
Barber, USS Proteus
and
Captain Threlox
Incoming Commanding Officer, USS Proteus
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