Day of Trial 4: 1027 Ship’s Time

Orex sat on his favorite chair in his quarters, staring at his wall screen but not really seeing the images showing on it.

It was one of his favorite comedy sketches of all time, from an ancient Human duo known as Abbot and Costello. They were short on payment to their landmaster and the short, portly one, Costello, was using ridiculous math to convince the landmaster they weren’t. He considered this possibly the greatest bit of comedy ever made and yet he wasn’t really seeing it.

Orex was weary, the stress of the last few days beginning to tell. He should be sleeping but his racing mind foiled his attempts. The gamble in the nebula had paid off. The shockwave as the trap was sprung hadn’t even affected the San Diego past the barest of tremors, the enemy threat had been eliminated and the convoy now hung over the southern pole of Anoad III, a massive gas giant with a suitable magnetosphere for hiding in. A success.

Five crewmen dead and over a dozen more injured. Not so successful in Orex’s view. He felt as though he had charged headlong into danger recklessly. There had been two hostile ships, not one. Had his trap not worked….

Orex leaned his head back and remembered the conversation with the civilian captains.

The bridge’s main view screen had showed all of them, including the newcomer they had just rescued, Captain Ganor of the Krivak. He was a Lurian and his puffy face had been inscrutable to Orex. 

“You’re alive.”, Captain Corrin of the Bardan’s Folly had been incredulous.

“Corrin for the love of-”, Captain Kanok had begun to rub his forehead, a pained expression on the old Angosian’s face.

The Deltan man’s face had turned defensive, “I’m just saying, after Ganor said the San Diego was fighting not one but two of them-”

“Enough.”, Orex hadn’t shouted but the force in his voice had been clear for all to hear, “The immediate threat has been dealt with, but we must leave. Now.”

Several of the captains had made relieved exclamations. Kanok eyed Orex narrowly, “How long?”

Orex knew the canny old soldier turned shipmaster had connected the dots.

“Not sure and I don’t plan for us to be here to discover the answer. We will head to the Anoad system, take a day to allow us to mend the San Diego’s wounds, then continue.”

Orex had almost glared at the viewscreen, his look cowing all but one to silence.

“But they will also search the surrounding systems, I demand-”, the Andorian who spoke immediately shut his mouth as a grim-faced Orex had approached the screen, looming large on the end of the connection.

“I have at least five crewmen killed and over a dozen wounded and my ship is battered from protecting one of your number. Do you really want to continue your statement?”

Though still angry, the Andorian had had the sense to look away.

“Prepare to transit to the Anoad system in two minutes, San Diego out.”

Orex had stayed there, standing straight and tall in front of the main viewer, gathering himself. He heard a throat clear behind him.

“Are you…alright, Captain?”, Grkovic’s voice had held a note of concern.

Orex had turned with a tight smile, “Of course, XO. Sometimes you just have to be a bit direct with freerunners like them.”

“Of course, sir”, Grkovic hadn’t sounded entirely convinced.

——–

Orex’s door chime startled him awake. He blearily looked around his quarters and then checked the time. Sixteen-fifty eight. His viewscreen was dark, the computer shutting it down when it sensed he was asleep.

Could use another two days of sleep, Orex thought to himself with irritated wryness. He cracked his long neck and spoke, his normally gravelly voice even rougher with sleep and stress, “Welcome.”

His tone was at odds with that word.

The doors to Orex’s quarters hissed open and Jackson Carstairs, the ship’s counselor, walked in. He took in the sight of his captain and said, “I woke you.” It wasn’t a question.

Orex exhaled loudly, leaned his head back on the chair’s cushion and replied, “That’s alright counselor, I was asleep anyway.”

“Some other time, perhaps?”, Carstairs’ gave a crooked smile at the captain’s quip.

Orex waved a hand with a conciliatory noise, gesturing for the counselor to find a seat. As Carstairs sat on the couch to Orex’s right, the captain asked, “How can I help you, counselor.”

The sober faced counselor looked at Orex thoughtfully for a moment before speaking, “You know perhaps the most important job of a ship’s counselor is to tend to the captain. Not because you are more deserving of help than anyone else, but that you need it most.”

Orex met Carstairs’ eyes, “I’m fine, counselor.”

Carstairs continued as if Orex hadn’t spoken, “You need it most because as captain, you’re the top of the chain and in so many ways stand alone. No colleagues to confide doubts and stresses to over a few drinks in the lounge. I mean even the XO has you at the end of the day. So that’s where I come in, the one person you can confide in. The sounding board available when you need it.”

“I currently have nothing to confide, counselor.”, Orex replied firmly.

Carstairs gave another crooked smile as he rose to his feet, “Another job of a good counselor is knowing when to push….and when not to. I will definitely be around when you are ready, Captain.”

As Carstairs made his way to the doors he heard Orex make a frustrated noise behind him. The counselor stopped but didn’t turn around.

Orex stared sightlessly ahead as he spoke, his voice full of regret, anger and frustration.

“I made a bad cast and members of my crew paid the final price for it, Jackson. I blundered into a situation without all the information. I knew better.”, Orex’s voice rose at the last statement, self recrimination feeding anger.

Carstairs still didn’t turn around but he turned his head to the side towards the hurting captain.

“Was it such a bad throw of the javelin, Captain?”

“What?”, Orex’s voice was raw with exhaustion and emotion.

This time the counselor turned, answering a question with a question.

“Have you read my file, captain?”

Orex stared at the counselor in faint confusion as the man returned to his seat and continued.

“Before I decided to take on the mantle of counselor, I served in the Tactical Division for several years. Unfortunately, I also know the feeling of having to make a snap decision in a cloudy situation and people dying for it.”, Carstairs’ face was as serious as it had ever been.

“I….I should’ve….Jackson….I’ve never had a single person die under my command before”, Orex took a deep breath.

Carstairs looked at his captain for a long moment and then spoke, “You did nothing wrong, Orex. Not really. The convoy was hidden and already knew to leave if we hadn’t reported back but the Krivak most definitely needed our help right then and there. The second ship was just bad luck. You had all the information you could get in that short span of time.”

Orex snorted in consternation and looked away, “I feel differently, counselor.”

“Of course you do, you’re a good man who cares about his crew. I became a counselor because when I was in Tactical I learned that officers like us not only need someone to talk to, but someone who has tasted that very same pain first hand.”

Orex didn’t look Carstairs in the eye, but said,”So, is you stating it wasn’t my fault the word of a counselor or a former tactical officer?”

Carstairs flashed another crooked smile, “Both. It was a lousy situation. Hell, this whole thing has been one giant, lousy situation. Yet we’re still breathing.”

Orex sighed and leaned back in his seat. He began to open up and the counselor listened. They spoke for some time.

Day of Trial 4: 1146 Ship’s Time

Doctor Kumiko Uchiyama sat leaning on her office desk in Sickbay with her head in her hands, letting emotions and weariness wash over her now that she was alone. A small, quiet and reserved woman, Uchiyama wasn’t one to let others see her in anything other than a professional state if she could help it.

Past the large floor to ceiling window that essentially made up one wall of her office, the lights were muted in the main part of Sickbay. Several of the beds remained occupied with some of the more grievously injured casualties, resting under pain relievers as the healed.

Uchiyama’s head snapped up when she heard someone speak by the door of her office. 

“You should go to bed, Doc.”

A large Denobulan man in the uniform of a security chief petty officer leaned casually on the wall by the door with his arms crossed.

“Umm..hello, chief…”, the doctor wracked her brain for the man’s name.

“Drex, Doctor.”

“Uh…yes, Chief Drex.”, Uchiyama cleared her throat, “How can I help you, chief?”

“Ah, I’m fine.”, the NCO grinned and Uchiyama still had trouble quite accepting a Denobulan with a Southern North American accent.

“Just checking on you.”, the big man continued, “Been in this business a long time, eighteen years all told, and never have seen a doctor take care of themselves the way they do their patients. You did right by me and the crew so I figured I’d at least kind of return the favor.”

Uchiyama was touched, though she kept her voice even, she had the faintest of smiles on her face when she replied, “Thanks for the concern, chief, but I’m fine I assure you.”

Drex gave her an unconvinced look and said, “Uh huh.”, Drex then jerked his chin to her office’s replicator, “When’s the last time you ate, doc?”

“I believe I stated I was fine, chief.”, Uchiyama tried to inject some sternness in her tone but it simply bounced off of Drex like a rubber ball off a bulkhead.

“Look at it like this, you doctor types are always looking after everyone else so somebody needs to keep an eye on you. Heavens knows ya’ll are pretty bad at looking after yourselves. Respectfully.”, Drex grinned at her.

Uchiyama tried to be angry, she really did, but ended up bursting out with laughter and shaking her head.

Drex meaningfully looked at her, then the replicator, then her, then the replicator again.

Sighing in defeat, the doctor stood up and walked to replicator.

“You do realize I outrank you, chief.”, Uchiyama said as she perused the replicator’s menu, though her tone held no rancor.

The big Denobulan chuckled, “Yeah well, I’m due for a good dressing down. You’d probably be shocked to know that it wouldn’t be the first time.”, his Southern drawl somehow making the words even lighter and more humorous.

This time it was Uchiyama’s turn to say, “Uh huh.”

As she turned back and walked to her desk with a bowl of noodles she said, “You are an odd choice of fate to be my guardian angel.”

Drex erupted with laughter, “Well, doc, I’m figuring that’s the first time I’ve ever been called an angel.”

Shaking her head, Doctor Uchiyama sat down at her desk and began to eat, suddenly ravenous. The chief had been correct, she hadn’t been taking proper care of herself.

“On that note, doc, I reckon I’ve used up all the rope available to me so I’ll be going.”, the grizzled Denobulon sketched her a friendly salute and made to leave, then suddenly turned back and asked, “Doctor what is that, that smells really good.”

“Yakisoba.”, Uchiyama answered between mouthfuls.

“Yaki…soba, got it. Thanks, doc.”, the big security NCO walked out of the office.

“Chief?”

Drex turned around.

“Thank you.”, Uchiyama said sincerely.

Drex gave another of his grins, “No worries, doc.”

Day of Trial 4: 1326 Ship’s Time

“Commander Massaquoi?”

The chief engineer, who was currently laying half out of a workspace by the warp core, shouted an acknowledgement and waved a foot.

A young engineer strode up and squatted by Massaquoi’s legs, “We have finished the repairs to the navigational deflector. I bumped into Brazka on the way here and she said the dorsal phasers should be one hundred percent in an hour or so.”

“Thank you, lieutenant.”, Massaquoi responded with forced cheerfulness. He was bone tired.

The equally tired lieutenant nodded even though the chief engineer couldn’t see it and walked off to the next task. The engineering team was worn out to a man, the workload even worse when casualties were taken into account. There just wasn’t enough engineers to go around.

Massaquoi looked at the various circuits, electronics packs and tubes that filled the tight workspace. Everything was almost set to rights here and the warp drive should be at full efficiency shortly. He wearily slapped the combadge on his chest.

“Massaquoi to Tomczak.”

“Tomczak here, sir.”, Ensign Tomczak’s reply of decidedly unforced cheerfulness made Massaquoi irrationally angry for a split second.

“Lord above, what is that boy’s power source?”, the chief engineer grumbled.

“Sir?”

“How’s that final hull breach coming along, ensign?”, Massaquoi said louder, slightly embarrassed.

“Not too much longer now, sir. We got the main patch job done and now we’re just filling in the cracks as it were.”, came the young engineer’s earnest reply.

“Good work, ensign, Massaquoi out.”, Massaquoi laid his head back and closed his eyes, the dim interior of the workspace and the gentle hum and beeps of Main Engineering soothing. Too soothing.

Massaquoi jerked awake and banged his head on the ceiling of the workspace.

“Owww! Dammit!”, Massaquoi raged.

Quickly sliding out of the workspace and getting to his feet while rubbing his forehead, the rest of the crew in Main Engineering suddenly had somewhere else to be or were suddenly fascinated with the screens of their work stations.

“Time for caffeine, I think.”, Massaquoi grumbled as he stormed off to find a replicator for everyone’s safety.