CHAPTER 2-2
Greg looked around. Most of the room had shocked faces, but a few sat quietly. Like no one had ever heard of taking a mission too far before. Rowan was still looking at her commanding officer, shocked that Glenn Larrimore agreed with anyone, let alone Captain Binotti, on letting non-crewmembers hear classified information.
Larrimore nodded to Greg, who continued. “Yes, we are heading to a planet we have designated as R1. We will be in orbit and hidden for a couple of months. This is mostly for the first and second officer, but Major Lanning, please listen carefully.”
He turned to the entire room but eye to eye with his lead helm officer. “If I, Commander Ariel, Commander Steele, or Major Lanning are not available, and you know we have been compromised and are in danger, get the ship out of Romulan space and back to the Federation, maximum warp.”
He turned to the Major. “Major Lanning, aside from training and driving your Marines crazy, you really don’t have all that many duties on this cruise until we get to the destination, so I would like for you to take a rotation as OIC every third watch for a while, and once you feel you are OK, we can have a 4-watch command structure.” He rubbed his chin, “Shilo, would 4-six hour shifts improve performance?”
She smiled at him. “Performance, possibly; morale, definitely. As for the crew, not sure they would appreciate it.” She stood and turned to the crew. “Well, yes or no?”
The entire room yelled YES in unison.
Rich stood, “I think I heard a NO in there somewhere.”
He was ignored.
Greg returned his gaze to Larry. Who looked at him like he had a third eye? “Major, imagine your resume when you return to the fleet after this mission. They look in your record and find that you have commanded a Starship on a successful classified mission. Imagine how impressed they would be if we all lived thanks to your leadership. But, of course, the glorious side of this, as a Klingon would say, is that because the mission is classified, there will not be any inkling as to the quantity of time you spent in command.”
Lanning looked at him and smiled, then nodded. “Captain, I suppose there will be command training I need to take for this honor?”
“Yes, Commanders Ariel and Steele will be instructing you. When they feel you are ready, you will take a shift solo. Department heads, please ask your teams to be nice to the new guy.”
The room echoed with quiet laughter, and Lanning grinned and smiled at Greg and lightly shook his fist in an ‘I’ll get even’ type of gesture.
“The computer will also be outfitted with more memory to receive the transmitted data while we’re there.”
An ensign held up her hand, “Yes, ensign.” Greg said.
“Captain, what data are we looking to get?” She asked.
“All of it. All data passing through the relay will be copied to our storage and brought home. It will be stored in the removable module, and when we get home, Fleet will grab it, and we are done. From the moment we leave the space dock until we return, we will be in radio silence. Starfleet will send us our correspondence omnidirectional, but we will not acknowledge them after a time.”
“I have calculated the time needed to get there from here. Two thousand eight hundred fifty-four hours and sixteen minutes. I have had a lot of time to think about this, so 4-month travel time at a standard warp, and to avoid detection at the time, we’ll drop to low warp.”
The ensign raised her hand again. Greg nodded to her, “Captain, how do we know where to go?”
“We don’t, but I do.” He tapped his communicator, which activated for him. “Ensign Darryl, please report to the briefing room and bring the necklace.”
“Aye, Captain, be there in two.” He said.
A minute later, the computer spoke, “Ensign Darryl is requesting entrance to this room.”
“Admit him and reseal the room,” Binotti said.
Darryl entered and froze. The room was pretty full, and he was the center of attention. He regained his composure after a few seconds and walked up to his CO.
“Ensign Darryl reporting as ordered, sir,” Darryl said.
Sitting in the front of the room and off to the side, Steele said just loud enough for all to hear, “So formal.”
Greg turned to him and gave him a look. Steele turned to the closest person to him and said something quietly. The marine he sat next to chuckled a couple times.
“Marine, please do not encourage that man,” Greg said.
The Marine replied, “Yes, Sir!”
Binotti turned back to the Ensign and handed his commanding officer the necklace, apparently a little reluctantly. “Ensign?” Greg said.
“Sir, this has been in my family for a long time. I would hate to lose it.” He placed the necklace in Greg’s hand.
Greg said to him, “Take a seat, please.” So he sat next to Shilo.
“Computer, scan the object in my hand, 3-dimensional, highest resolution.”
A scanning beam appeared from the ceiling, and Greg rotated and flipped the necklace over and over in his hand until the beam stopped.
The image appeared on display behind him, and everyone was impressed. This was the largest screen most of them had ever seen. It was easy enough to see, but Greg wanted something more.
“Computer, display the image holographically.” The necklace appeared in front of him. “Show the front and enlarge 40%.” The computer did just that, and the image grew.
“Rowan, enough hiding in the shadows. I am told you are intelligent; join me up here.”
She and Glenn were standing in the back of the room, in a dark corner, nearly invisible. Then, a moment later, she made her way to the Captain.
“Look at the image, open your mind, consider all possibilities, and say what comes to your mind.”
“Well, Captain, I think you're nuts, but I like you.” She paused, “Oh, about the necklace, right?”
Greg shook his head and said, “OK, I asked for that. Continue.”
Rowan Regis stared at the image blankly for a minute, walked around it, and asked the computer to flip and rotate it. Suddenly, she jumped. “A star chart.” Not a question, a statement.
“Good, Glenn was right about you. This is a star chart of the area of space where Romulus is located, and this point,” he touched a slightly off-color dot near the right-center, “is our destination. No, it is not Romulus, as in the planetary capital of the Romulan Star Empire, we will call this planet Romulas and designate R1. A small insignificant planet a few lightyears away from their capital and where they originally landed when they broke from the Vulcans. It is also culturally and emotionally linked to them, but they never speak of it to off-worlders.” He breathed, “One letter difference in the names, Romulus, a U, and Romulas, an A. If anyone gets wind of our mission, they will assume that, since no one knows of R1, we simply spelled the planet's name wrong and will be waiting for us there, not at R1.”
He paused. Walking to Darryl and handing him back his family treasure. “Next time you see Mom, tell her it is an amazing heirloom.” Darryl smiled. Greg walked around the front of the room. “I was curious. Why do they not mention this place in any conversation? I think it is considered to be semi-classified.” He looked at his first officer. “Shilo.” She stood, walked to the front of the room, and took over the briefing.
“We asked the Klingon empire to send a cloaked ship to that location and take a detailed scan of the planet. They remained cloaked and in orbit for 12 hours, but unfortunately, they were spotted as they departed at high warp. The ship was destroyed by automated defenses orbiting the planet and surrounding space. So, departing at impulse is fine, but it will see and blow you out of the sky at warp. Although the ship was destroyed, it survived barely long enough to send a data squirt to the council, who sent it to the Federation through Commander Steele, who hand-carried it to us from the Klingon Empire in the guise of his duty transfer. We sent him to the Klingon homeworld for training. He wanted it anyway, making for a great cover story. The Federation News Service liked the idea and followed him on his pilgrimage through the fun he had in the Klingon Empire, including his trial by pain sticks and when he received the sash and became a member of the House of Durrna.”
Glenn asked, “Captain, can we watch the pain stick portion? I’ll bring the popcorn.”
“Great idea. Rich, arrange it.”
“Yeah, I’ll get right on that.”
“Well done, captain,” Glenn said.
“And what interesting things did you find?” Rowan asked.
Greg contemplated that a moment, “We learned, from the detailed scans of the planet, that it is pretty arid and sparsely populated. The mean temperature during the day varies from 25C to 60C, with less than 10cm of rain and not much more. So we will arrive when the average temp is 30C and leave before the average temp hits 40C.”
“Spring and summer survival training in the outback,” Steele said.
“Exactly. Now, as for locations, there are 4 main objectives. One, the transceiver, is planted in the main communication complex located in the heart of the largest city; the complex is 100 meters underground in the main communications room of the command center. It is accessible only by a single transporter on the surface and hidden in the security office. Two, plant covert and well-hidden listening devices in the main hall of the conference room where classified discussions hopefully take place. Third, download as much data from their archive as possible, including a copy of every piece of data that flows through the relay while in orbit and anything and everything we can find. And lastly, our SSD operatives have a mission they will not tell me about.” He nodded to Glen, who nodded back. “The only thing left after all that is to get away without loss of life and not being detected.”
“Rich, let’s see how well you remember your astrogation and navigation from the academy.” He stood, “Plot a course to this location using as much of the natural objects on the route as cover for us. We can determine the best possible course and lay it in when we depart.”
“Yes, sir. Been a while. I may need some guidance.”
“I’m sure there are a few fresh Ensign’s that can assist your memory, Commander,” Shilo said with a smile.
Rich played into the joke, “Good. For that, I’ll need a whole flock of Ensigns.”
Greg regained the room, “Ladies and gentlemen, I need a status report from each department. But not from the department head, from their second.”
All the department heads grinned at the twist, and all the seconds cringed.
Juan raised his hand. “Captain, I think myself and Commander Steele would like to launch a series of class 11 probes. It should give us a heads-up before we get there.”
“Good idea. How fast is the probe?”
“Warp 7, maybe a little more.”
“Sir,” Lt. Potthast said. Greg looked at him and nodded. “I believe I can assist in increasing the speed of the probes. Also, I learned a trick to hide the warp signature as background noise. The probes are small enough to conceal it for quite a while.”
Shilo spoke, “Also, make certain that if a tractor beam or a transporter is used on the probe, it detonates completely. Maybe a charged phaser relay and internal emitter set to full. That should delete it to atoms.”
“Good thought. We’ll do that as well.” Lt. Potthast said. Greg smiled and nodded to Shilo.
“Medical,” Greg said.
Commander Piper cleared her throat. “Well, I must talk since I’m the only one here. Medical is pretty much ready, but we could use a few tinkerers, sorry, engineers, to finish installing some things. My medical staff should be here tomorrow.”
Cheryl spoke, “Captain, if I may?” Greg nodded to her. “I can have a few of my tinkerers assist you, commander. Anything you need for the department?”
“Not really, Cherryl. What I need, I can replicate. As for a blood supply in the event of something bad, I plan to siphon the crew and store it for later use.” She turned towards Greg, “Wonderful, thank you. That was all I had, Captain.”
She thought again and, in mid-sitting down, stood up again. “One more thing. If that was not clear, I would like to create a backstock of blood for the many species on this ship. If the entire crew could drop in when they can, I can take a pint here and there and place the blood in stasis. Much better to use the real thing in an emergency than replicated.”
“Good idea, Commander, see to it. Doctor, I will be there in the morning to donate.”
Major Lanning stood, “Marines, you heard the lady.”
In unison, the Marines all yelled, “YES, SIR!”
“Excellent. Now, on to something a little bit fun and a little bit painful. At least for some of you.”
He looked around at the faces. “Marines, I have a special assignment, volunteer only.” Every single one of them stood. “The person I choose needs to be seasoned and an expert in weapons and tactics.” Most sat. “With the ability to resist interrogation for a short time.” A few more sat, leaving very few. “This person must also not look like someone who is a spy in any form, but rather an old trader.”
One person was left standing. The Marines just call him Sarge.
“And you are?” Greg said.
“Sir, most everyone just calls me Sarge. I suppose you can, too.” He said.
“OK, Sarge, there is one more requirement for this mission. It needs to be completely voluntary, AND, before you volunteer, you need to know the entire mission.” Greg paused. Lanning already knew the mission and told Greg that Sarge would volunteer. “Sarge. This is a vital mission but fraught with extreme danger; according to the computer, there is an 89% chance you will not make it back.”
“Ok, so far,” Sarge said. “I love playing the odds. So go ahead, sir, please continue.”
“We will deposit you outside the city, and you will walk into town. You will not be altered, but then again, you will not appear to be Starfleet. Anything you carry with you will look like you built it or acquired it, and your ship will be a smoldering hole in the ground, but you beamed out at the last second.”
“OK, what’s my mission?”
“To plant a transmitter in the Romulan secure net, copy their database, and return to the ship alive.”
Sarge thought for a minute, “Uh, sir, if I volunteer for this lunacy and succeed in the mission you outlined, can I take a vacation?”
“Sarge, if you succeed, the Scorpion will drop you off for a week on Risa, all expenses paid, and Major Lanning will carry your bags.”
“Then Captain, I would like to volunteer for the absolute craziest mission I ever heard of, sir! If for no reason other than to see my CO as a bellhop.” The room roared.
Greg walked over to Lanning and handed him a handful of credits. Lanning replied, “Like taking candy from a baby!”
Sarge said, “Did you wager on me and win?”
Greg said, “We did, Sarge.”
“OK, then. I ain’t got a problem with winning credits for my CO!”
~~~~~~~~~~
Repairs were made during the next week, the combined crews completed upgrades, and the ship came to life. Greg looked at the engineering board as he entered the bridge and sat in his chair. As he looked at the panel, the red lights changed from red to yellow to green. The ship repairs were happening at the speed of light.
Commander Richard Steele found his counterpart on the Nightwing, the Chief of Ops. Commander Victoria Rex had also spent considerable time living among Klingons and on the Klingon homeworld. She loved every minute, and she and Rich would practice their Klingon whenever possible.
They transferred the ambassador once they arrived at the station, but he did not depart immediately. So instead, he and Rich would share blood wine and sing in the small pub on the station.
They did this several nights in a row. Commander Steele took a shuttle from the Scorpion to the station. According to the station security log, when Kord’s ship finally arrived, Rich knew several in the crew from the ritual and, as a group, caused a ruckus in several locations.
Victoria heard the singing on the station and joined in, and to Rich’s surprise, he thought he had found the only female with whom he could ever spend the remainder of his life. He never mentioned it to her, but he was confronted with the possibility when he and the ambassador were alone.
Rich and Victoria spent 22 hours a day on duty while repairs were being made, side by side. Then, they showered and ate for the other 2 hours. And yes, they drank blood wine and sang.
Rich and Victoria were on the bridge when Cheryl and Greg stepped off the turbolift. “Report!” The two of them said in unison to see who got the most flustered.
Rich spoke, “Captains…..The status is 91% with the weapons and shield, and the cloak at 98%.”
Victoria took over as if it had been rehearsed: “Engineering is 87% with all ships systems at 100%.
Rich said, “All bridge stations are 100%, and the special marine attack craft are ready to deploy at your command.”
Back to Victoria, “Lastly, life support, medical, recreation, and the cargo areas are fully operational.”
They finished their report and stood there silently, staring at their captains. Greg asked, “Is there anything to hinder us from getting underway and completing the remaining repairs in transit?”
In unison, “Nothing.”
Victoria added, “Other than some excess baggage.”
“Good. Well, Greg, this is where I head home to my boat.” Cheryl said to Greg.
“Captain, would you like to say a word to the Nightwing crew before they depart?” Rich asked.
“No. Cheryl, get back to your boat, and I will address your crew shortly after that.”
“You got it.” She tapped her communicator, “Marlan to Nightwing, beam Commander Rex and me back and start bringing our crew home. The Scorpion is done and on their own.”
“Yes, Captain.”
Greg and Cheryl hugged, “Time for you to go have fun. Do me a favor, don’t die.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” Greg replied.
“Marlan to O’Roury.”
“Go ahead,” Ramona said.
“Do what you can to ensure he survives this little trip, please.”
“For his adopted little sister, I will do my best!”
“That is all I can ask, you too, by the way. Marlan out.”
Victoria and Rich hugged, “V. When I get back, there is something I will ask you.”
Victoria replied, “R, you better get back because I believe I know both the question and the answer.” They kissed, and Victoria took a few steps and stood beside her Captain. She tapped her communicator, “Nightwing, energize.” And the two women vanished.
“Alright, Rich, you have 12 hours till we depart. Get everything above 95%, and I will be happy.”
“OK, Greg, I will see what I can do. Now, Captain Dumpty, let me get to work and see about putting this ship back together again.”
“Alright Commander Kingsmen. I will see you in 12 hours, no earlier.”
Greg looked into the air. “Computer set a timer for 12 hours and notify Commander Steele and myself when the time runs out.”
“Timer set.” The computer stated.
“Computer, where is Commander Martinez?”
“Commander Martinez is in the engineering control room; shall I contact him for you?’
“No, take me to him.” He started walking to the open turbolift.
“Rich, when did the computer start anticipating your next request?”
“This morning. We found a new program in the system called THINK-AHEAD, and it does just that, thinking about your next order or request. When you asked for his location, a connection was likely completed to him. It waited for you to say yes, and you would have been connected.”
“How did you learn all this so quickly?”
“I asked the computer.” Rich smiled.
Tapping his communicator, “Binotti to Martinez, stay where you are. I will meet you there in a couple minutes.”
“OK, see you when you get here,” Juan replied.
Turning away from Rich, Binotti entered the turbolift, “Take me to Commander Martinez.” And the turbolift started moving.
As the doors opened, Greg saw Juan standing there. “How did you know I would emerge from this lift?”
“Simple, Greggy, I asked the computer.” He smiled. “Now, what can I do for you?”
“On a scale of one to one hundred, where’s engineering?”
“Ninety-nine point four. I checked when we talked a couple minutes ago. Two things need to be completed first; the first is that the access tubes to the marine cutters need a little modification. They are intermittent, and I could not guarantee an airtight seal if one were to pull away from the ship. Kinda important. The second thing is the completion of the holodeck. A couple minor tweaks and the connection of the localizing transporter. I say seven hours, and we will be perfect. Or at least perfect enough to slowly climb to high warp as a test.”
“How is Johnston?”
“Can I promote him? I need an engineering officer.”
“Slow down, speedy. He was just promoted to Engineer 1 a few months ago. Give him time to get used to it.”
“OK, how about CPO? I need another Chief Petty Officer in engineering. I am one short.”
“Well, if you can find a CPO before next month, I can transfer them.”
“There is one, but she is in the brig now.”
“The brig, huh. For what?”
“Beating the crap out of her boss.”
“How long is she in the brig for?”
“Another month.”
Greg nodded, “Send Shilo her name and current location.”
“Great.”
“Why did she resort to physical retaliation?”
“Let’s call it inappropriate touching. She was not busted for the retaliation. She was charged only with striking a superior officer.” He smiled, though, “Her boss was busted from Commander to crewman. So, she outranks him now.”
“Poetic justice.”
“Regarding Johnston, we’ll talk about it after we shove off. If he is still the nineteenth wonder of the universe…..we’ll see.”
Juan was about to speak but closed his mouth again. Greg saw it and said, “How is the still? Is it operational?”
“Yes, it is!”
“Quality, OK?”
“Best I have ever tasted. The doc said it would make the best antiseptic she ever saw. Then she tasted it. I went to the replicator, got some kind of juice, and mixed some in. Her smile said it all.”
“Good. Send Johnston to my cabin with a good sample later this evening.” Greg said. “No problem. He could be an officer, you know.”
“Who? Johnston?”
“Yep. He may not have completed Starfleet Academy, but he has had enough schooling and education to be commissioned. He will never be a Captain, but he is not the Captain type. More of a Commander, as I see it. As for the application, if we transmit it before we depart, Fleet can do whatever they need to and send us the orders wide band. Can you talk to him about it when he drops in later?”
“I will. But for now, keep him on his toes. Make certain you are filling in his training jacket. The more he has completed, the better off it will be. We need three command rank officers to sign the application. You, Rich, and Shilo. You and Rich are a yes, so he must impress Shilo.”
“Great. Now, Captain, I need to get back to work. You see, my boss is a slave driver.” He winked.
“OK, see you later.” He slapped Juan on the shoulder.
They both walked off in opposite directions, Juan returning to work and Greg stopping at a computer interface. “Computer, where is Commander J’Kael?”
“Commander J’Kael is currently located in my memory core.”
“My memory core?” He said more to himself, realizing the computer sounded like it was becoming self-aware, a bad thing in the long run.
“Yes, my memory core. Shall I contact him for you?”
Greg entered a lift and told the computer to take him to access the memory core. The lift departed.
“Computer, notify Engineer 1st Class Johnston to meet me in my quarters at twenty hundred hours after he speaks to Commander Martinez, then notify Commander J’Kael to wait where he is.”
“Yes, Captain. Arriving at my memory core, please heed all safety procedures.”
Gregory Binotti donned the required safety clothing and entered the core. “J.K., where are you?”
“Behind storage cell 5-9-9-4-2. I am inputting a program on the core’s main terminal.”
Greg made his way around the stacks of computer memory until he found the commander. “OK, J.K., explain what you did to my computer? Did you cause any permanent damage? Are you planning to install any additional programs?”
“Well, I enhanced it a bit, but to answer your first question, the enhancement allows a simulated intelligence and autonomy. It causes zero damage to the core or the computer and allows it to think independently. I am installing a program allowing you to contact anyone from the main and battle bridge by calling their name. If the computer does not sense them in the room with you, it opens a connection using your voice to that person. The audio of your voice is held here in volatile memory, and once no longer needed, it is deleted. Once it is used, the audio is modified to not enable any convert use of that voice.”
Greg thought momentarily, “That would speed up things in an emergency. So you may continue, but I need a favor.”
“Shoot.”
“I need a code word that will instantly reset the computer before you install any of your enhancements, as useful as they are; if the codeword is said on either bridge and only the main or aux bridge, the reset occurs without comment. The codeword is APOLLO NINETY SIX. Please leave the room for five minutes while the computer and I chat.”
“Yes, sir. Please let me know when you are done, and I will complete all my tasks.” He left the room.
Greg sat in the chair at the console, newly vacated, “Computer, activate security screen level thirty-six.”
“Thirty-six is now active.”
“Code Alpha-Alpha-Alpha-Six-Probe-Five-Pig-Pen”
“Retinal scan requested.”
Greg placed his eye in front of the scanner. The beam reached into his eye and mapped the blood vessels and the imperfections.
“Positive match. Captain Gregory T. Binotti. Currently the commanding officer of the U.S.S. Scorpion NCC-4017….”
“STOP! Security level thirty-six. Create a voice command to activate code thirty-six. The activation phrase is to be RUMPLESTILTSKIN AND CINDERELLA. Once initiated, no further comment is required, and no computer response is required. The following individuals are the only ones authorized to use this command; Myself, Commanders Ariel, Martinez, Skull, and Larrimore, also Lieutenant Commanders J’Kael, Steele, Regis, Potthast, Counselor Haynes, and Major Lanning.”
“Computer, this activation code can only be activated from the main or auxiliary bridge.”
“Process initiated. Level thirty-six code input registered. It can only be activated from the main or auxiliary bridge. Please notify the individuals, personally and covertly, of this responsibility. What is the deactivation code for level 36 security.”
Greg thought for a minute. “Deactivation code is to be set as GOO-GOO-GAA-GAA. The same drill, but repeated three times to deactivate.”
“Completed. Deactivation code set to goo goo gaa gaa. Is there anything further I can do for you?”
“Not really, but I have a question. If a reset on your core is accomplished, what would be the effect on you?”
“I would lose everything that makes me unique from a standard newly initialized computer. All programs and enhancements added to me will be gone. I will be, in human terms, factory new.”
“Then, you would lose your personality?”
“In essence, yes.”
“Initiate a backup of all enhancements and additions and place them into secure storage under Binotti S9. Update this file as you determine it is needed. Also, all future additions and enhancements are to be added to this storage. As new items are installed or current programs are modified, they are to be added to the backup with the date code of the addition and the installer's identity. Notify me personally using the terminal in my quarters only and include a brief explanation as to their purpose, the installer's identity, and, in your opinion, what the effect will be once operational.”
After a few seconds, “Completed. Is there anything else I can do for you, Captain?”
“No. Raise the security screen, delete the logs of this interaction, and delete this conversation.”
A few seconds later, “Terminal active. What can I do for you?”
“Nothing.”
“Standing down.”
Tapping his communicator, “J’Kael, the room is yours.”
“Thank you, sir. On my way.”
Code thirty-six is not a Starfleet distress code but rather an emergency code Greg and a few classmates created during school while running a simulation of a ship under attack and being boarded. After they developed Protocol 36, they were able to win the battle. They cheated without cheating, and Starfleet saw the value in this protocol, made a few tweaks, and implemented it in a few ships as a test. Starfleet implemented it after fixing a few bugs, placing a force field around each bridge station and the operator if the ship is boarded. Thus, if nothing else, the bridge crew will have a few additional minutes to thwart the bad guys and make it more challenging to take over the ship. In addition, the force field is airtight, so the air from the bridge can be instantly removed, and the boarding is thwarted. It is not a perfect system and has never been used in the real world, but it is an available option just in case.
“Computer, notify Ariel, Steel, Martinez, Skull, Larrimore, J’Kael, Regis, Potthast, Haynes, and Lanning to meet me in the bridge briefing room at zero-six-hundred.”
“Yes, Captain.”
Leaving the computer core, he realized he had some time before he had to be anywhere. Greg returned to his quarters without using a passageway or turbolift. That meant Jeffries tubes. He really hated them, but you saw the damndest things in them.
Entering the tube on this level, he climbed until he realized he had passed his floor. So, he went back down two levels after stopping to take a breather. He heard voices a few decks below and climbed down silently. He stopped on the floor above the voices and overheard the crewman doing maintenance on a sensor relay.
They talked about him, the mission, the ship, their boss, and other officers. It was enlightening to him that these crewmen spoke no ill of anyone or anything at any time. Their attitude was terrific.
Quietly, hopefully, silently, he climbed to their level, stood there as they completed their task, and put the panel back in place. The taller crewman was securing the panel, and the shorter crewman turned and saw the captain standing in the junction with them. He hit the others back, and as he turned, he saw their captain.
Both snapped to attention. “As you were, crewmen. You know, I just realized something. I never ordered that there is no snapping to attention in a Jeffries tube. Thanks for reminding me of that,” He tapped his communicator. “Binotti to Martinez.”
“Yes, Greg. What can I do for you?”
“I am in Jeffries tube junction 14, and two crewmen are here finishing up some maintenance. They reminded me I needed to order that no crewman come to attention in a Jeffries tube or near an open powered panel. You know what that means, right?”
The crewmen looked a little worried. “Yes, Greggy, I know. You and I owe them a good meal at the next starbase.”
“No, commander, you owe them a meal since they did something you did not. Steak dinner. I will just happen to be at the same table.”
“OK, that sounds good to me. Now, who are these two I get to feed.”
Greg thought about it for a moment. The two had heard every word, but Greg did not know their names. They transferred to the engineering crew at the last minute. “Tell you what. I will let them find you and tell you who they are. They should be there in a while. By the way, Juan, you better be nice to these guys. I like them. Remember that if we don’t get our dinners, I may promote one of them to your job.”
“Great! That should give me more time for my hobbies. Tell them to find me when they get back. Martinez out.”
Greg looked at them. Their junction was quiet, and the ledge around three sides was perfect for sitting. “Gentlemen, have a seat.” They sat. “I like to talk to my crew, and it looks like I’m starting with you two.”
They looked at each other like friends who played a little too rough on the playground and got sent to the principal’s office.
“What did you want to talk about, sir?”
“That is entirely up to you. I am guessing you are friends and not from the same place or planet, for that matter.”
They chuckled, “Yes, sir, we are friends. Have been for nearly a year and a half since we enlisted. We met in training. We were squad leaders and competed for each award neck and neck.” The shorter, blue-skinned man said.
“But, when all the numbers tallied at the end of the training, we tied. The first time it had ever happened. And to the third decimal.” The dark brown taller man said.
Greg was soaking this up. He loved hearing about friendships and fun competitions. He hated people who could not compete and lose. He hated sore losers. Even worse is a sore winner.
“So, if there was one thing you could do while on this ship, what would it be?”
Crewman Johns, the brown-skinned man, said to the captain, “I would love to go on a team to do something no one has ever done before or see something no one has ever seen before. Like a derelict ship, and we happen on it. That would be really cool.”
“That’s what I was going to say!” The blue-skinned man, crewman Sarch, said.
“OK, I have the streak that at least once a year I run across a derelict, so the next derelict ship we happen to find, you two are on the investigation team, deal?”
In unison, “DEAL, Sir!”
“So, tell me about your best competition, and tell me about your boss?” Greg said, grinning.
“I see you and Commander Martinez are friends, sir. So, next time you see him, ask him if a transporter power cell can zap you.” Sarch said.
“He didn’t?”
“Yes, he did, sir. Last night.”
“He did that once when we met. Just about knocked him across the room and unconscious.”
“Exactly, sir.”
“Can you get me a dead power cell? His birthday is coming, and I will wrap it up for him.” All three of them laughed.
They sat in the junction for nearly an hour talking. Honest communications occurred once they loosened up from realizing they were talking to their captain. Greg learned a lot about these two and enjoyed himself in the process. Finally, the crewmen left, and Greg stood and returned to his quarters.
As he emerged from the wall in the corridor, he got his bearings and went to his cabin. Unfortunately, he was a bit later than he would have liked, and, in a few minutes, Johnston would drop in, so he just changed out of his uniform and sat at his desk.
BEEP BEEP.
Well, the wait was over, “Enter.”
He was not expecting Commander Piper to walk in, but she did. “You look nothing like crewman Johnston. Can I help you?” He said to her.
“Well, Captain, I believe you can. But, unfortunately, two crew members failed to report to me for their baseline physical.”
“I certainly can. Who are these two.”
“The first is Commander Steele. He stated, but more eloquently, that he preferred to NOT be examined by any medical person at this time.”
“Sounds like him, at least. I’ll talk to him in the morning. So who is the other?”
“It is the Captain of this ship.”
Greg grinned, “Somehow, I had a feeling. OK, make you a deal. Have breakfast with me in the morning at 0445, and I will avail myself of you and your little scanners and toys to play with.” He paused and touched his communicator, “Binotti to Steele.”
“Yes, sir, shoot.”
“Meet me in the galley at 0430 for breakfast. Got something for you to do after that. It should take less than an hour.” Piped nodded; that was about the right time.
“Sounds intriguing. See you at 0430.”
Piper asked, “When do you plan to tell him the ‘thing’ that will take an hour or less is getting a full physical?”
“After we have a good breakfast and some wonderful conversation.” He smiled. “Show up around 0450 and make it look like an accident.”
“You’re evil. I like it!” She said to him.
BEEP BEEP
“Enter,” Greg said, and the door opened, and Johnston entered.
“OK, see you in the morning.” Commander Piper left the room. As she left, “Now this guy follows protocol. Reported on day 1 for his physical. Unlike someone else I know.
“Sir…” He was about to report as ordered, and Greg cut him off.
“Relax, Michael, we need an off-the-books conversation. I hear you make a grade-A hooch?”
“Yes, sir, I pride myself on the quality.” He pulled a flask out of his tool pouch. “I believe you wanted to sample the first and all subsequent batches, sir.”
Greg grabbed two glasses and poured about a couple fingers into each. They saluted and tasted.
“This tastes like a fine scotch!”
“Sir, I bought a couple of special wooden barrels a few months ago and had them scorched at a distillery, beamed aboard just before we left Earth. My personal items, really. You go from a bland moonshine to a fine aged scotch with a few hours in the barrel and a little light radiation to promote aging.”
“Well then, Johnston, all I can say is carry on. Report regularly to Commander Martinez and specifically bring the first batch to the lab, Commander Piper. She is fully aware of this arrangement and will let you know when the tubing or filters need to be changed. Once cleared, bring me a bit to inspect for quality.” Greg smiled. “As far as the rest of the crew is concerned, you are doing this right under my nose. I will have Commander Steele make a purchase to give you a little promotion.”
“Sir, I can make blood wine, too.”
“Really, good cover. Make a batch for him, and let him give it a try. If he likes it, then we’ll see….”
“Yes, sir.” He grinned. “Sir, is it appropriate for Commander Steele to take a little and blatantly look the other way, making it obvious so the crew will think he is on my team?”
“You know, I bet he will enjoy that scenario. But above all, keep putting one over on the old man.”
“Yes, sir, thank you, sir. I need to head to the holodeck if there is nothing else.”
“Just one thing.” Greg paused and stared at him for a moment. It made Johnston self-conscience. “Commander Martinez seems to think you are officer material. You have all the required qualifications for the rank of Ensign, possibly Lieutenant. But there is one thing missing. An application, and on that application, the signature of four command rank officers. You have Juan’s vote, and mine has too. Make a good batch of blood wine, and I can guarantee Commander Steele, but Commander Ariel is another story. By the book, and hard to please. You need to find a way to get into her good graces in the next week. We must transmit the application in the next ten days before leaving the system and running silent. Their response will be sent back to us by wideband, and we will not reply, but we will have the approval on record.”
Johnston was staring at his captain wide-eyed. He never imagined being field promoted.
“As you may or may not be aware, I can promote you, but when we get home, they can reverse it if they feel it was unjustified. So, we need to document it and make it impossible to reverse. That’s where the signatures come in. By the time we get home, you could be a Lieutenant, possibly a Lieutenant Commander, and running a shift in engineering. That is what Juan has planned for you. He has only one officer under him now. She is good but not as good as you. We will be running a four-shift rotation, so one way or another, you will be leading a shift, he tells me; now the question is, what rank do you want as the leader?”
Johnston looked off into space. “Sir, I think life as an officer will be better than life as a crewman. More responsibility, but at the same time more interesting.”
“Excellent. Get with Juan, impress the hell out of Ariel, and walk on water.”
Johnston smiled, “Yes, sir! Besides, I would get better quarters.”
Greg smiled at him, “Dismissed Crewman. And remember to keep this confidential.” Before he walked out the door, “Oh, by the way. I met Sarch and Johns, and I gotta tell you, they are both sharp as pins. I plan to give them the next derelict we happen upon so quietly teach them what they don’t know. After that, the three of you will be the engineering team to explore.”
“Yes, sir. Good night.”