Same Class, Different Focus

Posted on Mon Feb 4th, 2019 @ 5:43pm by Cadet Freshman Grade Jesse Grant
Edited on on Sun Feb 16th, 2020 @ 2:31pm

Mission: The First Step...
Location: Main Messhall
Timeline: 2388/08/28 1200 (Thurs. August 28 2388 12:00pm)

ON:

Cadet Jesse Grant walked away from the line of messhall replicators with his tray of a cheese burger and fries when he saw Braden sitting alone at a table. Recognizing him, he went over to him and smiled, "Mind if I join you?"

Looking up from his study-PADD Braden smiled easily, "Sure although being seen with me might not be in your best interest." Braden glanced at the Klingon hybrid on his right. "We had a problem after the opening ceremony and he got in some trouble. Might not be the only reason I sit alone but those glaring eyes of his are not helping any." Braden offered his hand "I am Braden MacCloud, Braden if you like. You're Grant? Psychology right."

Jesse stared over at the Klingon hybrid cadet at Braden's mention of him and gave a smile, waving while he placed his tray on the table. He and the Klingon had talked earlier, and seemed to be cool, so he wasn't worried...especially now as the Klingon looked away. Jesse then took Braden's hand in a firm shake, and released it as he sat down, "Yeah, that's right, and you can call me Jesse."

"I figure you want company, by trying to put this Psychology stuff to use." Braden put the PADD away to be polite. He noticed the look between the Klingon and Jesse. Braden laughed easily, a light laugh. "No worries it makes little sense to me, at least when I read it. So you want to talk about classes, background stories, or gossip about fellow cadets?" Braden 's expression was a friendly smile which touched his eyes. He was direct, to the point and his rustic style was easy to tell he spent little time with others.

"How about all of the above?" Jesse smiled just as sincerely, and then looked at his plate to pick up a fry. "Psychology..." he shook his head, "it's a tough subject," and continued as he looked back up to him, "and I'm going into psychiatry, which happens to require quite a lot of psychology courses. So what's your major?"

Braden shook his head "You like this stuff? I am going to be feel lucky to get through the course we have to take." Braden shrugged "I wish you luck Jesse, you are smarter then me." He picked up his bacon and cheese sandwich "I am just a pilot, me and the machine against whatever comes our way." He said lightly before taking a bite.

His brow furrowing, Jesse gave an 'eww' expression, "I suppose I do like that stuff..." and then took a bite of his burger as he thought about it. Swallowing, he smiled, "But don't assume I'm smarter than you. You're here at the Academy, and I like to think that we're all smart in different areas."

Braden laughed and had to put his sandwich down to cover his mouth. "You are a natural! Stay neutral, make everyone feel on equal ground.. Ahh.. There was something else but I forget but you sounded about perfect to me." Braden smile was wide "You know it is okay, you being smarter then me, I am not offended in the least. If you were a better pilot then me I would see that as a challenge to do better. For me hands on skills are more easily improved with training. The IQ thing though, we were not all created equal. I might well figure out all this, but I would have to work really hard. For you it seems natural, like being pilot is for me." Braden thought about what he had heard and said, his smile grew as it dawned on him. "Like you said 'we are all smart in different areas."

Jesse grinned and looked amused as he watched Braden figure it out. "See? I know I'm not always right, but I think I am about this. Well..." and then with a 'on second thought' expression, he teased, "I'm only taking the basic course when it comes to piloting, so when it comes to who's the better pilot, I guess we'll never know."

Braden shrugged "I can pretty safely say the odds of you and me testing our flight skills against each other might be unlikely as you said. Compared to the odds if me testing my IQ against yours being a challenge for you? No comparison." Braden eyed his food and decided on a drink of his soda instead. "You mentioned making head shrinking a minor, you thinking of medical or maybe legal?" Braden had heard that both those fields had a wide majority of Psychology minors in their portfolios.

Jesse shook his head as he casually explained, "I plan on making psychiatry, head shrinking as you put it, my major. Becoming a psychiatrist, I'll end up with a degree in medicine and have specific training in the assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental illnesses. We're talking about six to seven years of training."

"I feel sorry for you, six or seven years here? Okay not necessarily here but in school learning to do what you want? By the time you finish schooling I might be in a unit three or four years, doing what I want." Braden watched a group leaving and checked the time, "so making many friends so far?" Braden figured it was time to change subjects before he insulted Jesse for real.

Jesse smiled as he swallowed. "I've made a few. Roommate's cool. What about you?"

"Room-mate is good, I expect we will be friends, well we are friends. I sometime thinks he wants me as part of his posse though. Then there is a professor Miach Tinsha, I think we could get to be friends? Although I am not I understand all he says. I think I hit it off with the petty officer over at the shuttle bay. Going to be working with him as well." Braden spoke as if making a report on a mission. Then he added "That's about it." In a more normal tone.

Having chuckled a little inwardly at what Braden said about his roommate, Jesse had ended up needing a drink. "Oh, so you got a job?" he smiled as he sat his glass back down.

Braden nodded "Yes, grunt work in the shuttle hangar. It gets me close to the boats though. Also have a test coming up from Lieutenant Jaime Mallory, she is the deck boss. She passes me and I might get some stick time running mundane routes. What most people call milk runs. It is better then I expected and I have high hopes."

"Well, that's cool." Jesse said, picking up his burger with both his hands, "I hope it all works out for you...and Mallory..." he gave a look that said wow. "I'd like to get a job, even thought about it, but I don't think I'm really going to have the time. Maybe next semester. So..." he took a big bite of his burger and finished chewing before continuing, "With a job, think you'll have time to join any of the elective sports programs?"

"At this time I have no plans, I keep fit running and working out. Between keeping my grades up and the job.. I do not see much free time available. I have never been much on team sports anyway. What about you, you sound fairly busy yourself, are you joining any teams?"

After swallowing his milk, Jesse nodded, "Yeah, I'm thinking track and field, middle and long-distance running. I'm hoping so, anyways. I did it all through high school," he grinned, "I guess I'm sort of addicted."

"Now that I am here, I run every morning about five miles. With my warm up and cool down takes about a half hour. I always ran cross-country in the mountains at home. My Uncle believed running was the best way to build endurance. So what would middle or long distance amount too in sport environment?" Braden had no idea as he had lived pretty far from others since before he was a teen. He had home-schooled and only gone to the school four times a year for testing. So he was curious.

"Okay, well," Jesse thought quickly about it, and he had no problem explaining, "in the sport of athletics, middle-distance running covers 800 metres, 1500 metres, and a mile run. Long-distance races cover three kilometres and above. And in my opinion, your uncle is right. Physiologically, it's aerobic in nature... Improves cardiovascular health. It requires stamina as well as mental strength."

"I remember watching something called a steeple-chase, sort of an obstacle course type race, that appealed to me. I like jumping as I run, sort of like running a mountain stream leaping boulder to boulder." Braden smiled at the memories then shrugged "Well I wish you luck on the track team for sure Jesse. Sounds like you will enjoy that." Braden was not sure what else to say, running was not something he could think of much to say about?

"Yeah, I will. Thank you," Jesse smiled. He looked up at the time and sighed. "Well, I arrived here late, and it's already time to leave," he started getting out of his seat, scooping up his tray, "so, I better get going. It was nice to meet you, Braden."

"See you around campus." Braden said before finishing off his dessert. Today he had classes after lunch so would not be going to the gym till after dinner.

"Yeah..." Jesse nodded as he still smiled, "I bet we will. Maybe we can hang out sometime..." and raised an eyebrow as if to ask 'so what do you think?'

"I do not see why not? I run mornings around dawn, and I am at the gym almost every evening. I also run two or three evenings near dusk. You are more then welcome to join me." Braden had fallen back on what was familiar. The evenings he did not run he was working in the shuttle hangar.

"Okay," Jesse nodded again and started backing away with his tray as he looked at the time again, "I have a few things to figure out and then I'll...oops, sorry," he grimaced a smile at someone he almost backed into, and then looking back to Braden, he waved, "I'll get back to you."

"Say Jesse watch-out." When Jesse was about to walk into someone Braden spoke up as he stood and caught a bottle of water off the other fellows tray. He nodded as he returned it. "Say it is okay, if the times are not good for you is no big deal."

Jesse looked confused for a second, "Oh, no...it's okay. I'm just in a hurry. I'll find you." he tried to smile reassuringly, and then waved again before walking away.

OFF:

Cadet Freshman Grade Braden MacCloud
Flight cadet
SF: Magellan Campus

Cadet Jesse Grant
Pre-Med/Psychology
Magellan Campus



Edit 4-4-15: Needed to fix Jesse's explanation of his major due to my own confusion. Does not affect Braden's parts. - Kim