He was going to be late. 

Ryke Ashfield ground his teeth as he waited in line for the transporter to get over to Starbase Bravo. Layovers in his journey to get here had caused delays, which meant that rather than getting here last night and settling in, he had… less than half an hour to find his office and report for duty. Thankfully, he’d already gone through security pre-screening or he wouldn’t make it in time.

He didn’t like to be late. No, he hated to be late. 

His knuckles popped white as he reached the end of the line finally. The pad cleared and the transporter tech looked over at him. Giving his name and duty assignment, Ryke stepped forward and took his position on the pad. 

It took less than a few seconds for the world around him to change, and he opened his eyes to an almost identical transporter room. But this one was nearer to his goal. Smiling at the officer on duty, Ryke stepped off the pad and walked out onto the corridors. 

It took him longer than he thought it would to find his office, but that was understandable. He’d never been aboard a Guardian class before and found himself amazed everywhere he looked. The size alone… he’d never been on a ship or base this big. Pausing in a corridor, he checked with an information panel to make sure he was actually going the right way and caught sight of himself as the inactive panel acted like a mirror. It took a moment for him to reconcile the reflection with his mental image of himself. The neat uniform and the new pips. Sure, he was older than most junior-grade lieutenants, but his Starfleet career had started later. Up until a few years ago he… yeah, he hadn’t moved in the same world as anyone who wore this kind of uniform. 

Reassured he was headed in the right direction, he found the counseling department and the small office that was assigned to him. Stepping inside with a few minutes to spare, he finally allowed himself a deep breath and a sigh of relief as the tension eased from his broad shoulders. Late was by far not the worst thing he could be, but it bothered him on levels he really didn’t want to poke it. 

“Physician, heal thyself,” he murmured as he looked around. It was a small space, with one way in and out, with no window but the decor was nice and he had a plant. He eyed it with apprehension. He’d never been good at keeping things alive but was reassured by the pot it was in, which seemed to be an auto-watering system. 

Settling himself behind the desk, he logged into the system and reported himself aboard, then started to look at the list of appointments that had already been set up for him. His apprehension at being in a new place eased as he concentrated on the work in front of him. He would get familiar with what had been assigned then a little later, he would search for some coffee…