Executive Officer’s Log: Lieutenant Commander Cullain, Stardate 2403.221.1750
“The Culver City is collecting the last of its crew members from the Colludia system, and the ship is under final preparations for departure. I expect our commanding officer to order us underway shortly after all crew are secure.
“Ship’s operations were uneventful in the previous days: all systems standing by, and the vessel satisfactorily quiet, with most crew ashore throughout the system. Those I know who stayed aboard were pleased with leave in their own ways–a chance to catch up on projects, or reading, or simple recreation without the infamous bustle of the planet below.
“Of note are our holographic Commander Bill and our long-term medical hologram Doctor Cathy, who were invaluable in maintaining ship’s order in this downtime–an accolade I shall pass to the CO.
“All systems are due for departure go/no-go. End log.”
Lieutenant Commander Pix Cullain stepped onto the bridge, confidently and firmly departing the turbolift behind them. Cullain swiveled their head, scanning the space ensuring no one was idling. Cullain wanted no unnecessary delay: the ship would be at the ready for Commander Park, and the XO would not tolerate any hint of unpreparedness.
With precision steps, Cullain circled past the science and tactical stations to the command chair. “Commander Bill, status?”
An apparent human male with a flat-top haircut and thick mustache rose to meet Cullain’s gaze. “All systems coming back to full operational status, Commander. Chief Engineer Olivarez is in Main Engineering overseeing the move from hot standby as we speak.”
“Very well, Commander Bill. If you’ll remain here for a moment–Captain to the Bridge!”
Commander Brian Park appeared from the Ready Room, a cup of something iced and dark clutched in his hand as he strolled onto the deck. “Cullain…Commander Bill. All is well?”
“Yes, Captain,” both officers replied.
Brian rubbed his head. He swore to himself he would get used to custom. “Good. Commander Bill, thank you for your assistance in these past few weeks.” Park paused, pondering how to further care for the ship’s command hologram. “Is…is there anything you need from us?”
Commander Bill replied with no delay. “Since you’re asking: some shore leave of my own? A holosuite would be sufficient.”
Park considered for a moment, and had no qualms in his mind. “Commander, I grant you leave. Everyone else should be working, so the holosuites are at your disposal.”
Bill smiled and bowed. “Thank you very much, Captain. I don’t often get to run for longer than I’m needed. I very much appreciate this. I’ll let you know when I’m done and can be deactivated.”
Park nodded. “Of course, Commander. If…I may ask, what do you plan to do?”
“Mini-golf, Captain. Computer, transfer me to Holosuite 1.”
The holographic command officer fizzled out of view as the computer executed his request. Park and Cullain looked at each other, shrugged, then dismissed the momentary frivolity as Park took the center chair. “Bridge officers, stations, please!”
Cullain relieved the operations officer at their station, and took the seat. Lieutenant Fairfax started tapping commands more frequently. Other officers traded positions or swapped with relief crew, and in mere moments the Bridge was filled with an air of confident readiness.
The chronometer display at the top of the bridge viewscreen ticked to 18:00. “Captain, I read eighteen-hundred hours,” said Cullain. “Security, sound all-aboard!”
Lieutenant Chelsea Obest, who had locked eyes with the XO waiting for the command, complied. “All-aboard, aye.” A two-toned ascending chime sounded on the Bridge and throughout the ship. After the tone finished, Obest’s eyes squinted as she looked at something on her console. “Uh, Commander? We have four crewmembers unaccounted and not aboard.”
Cullain’s expression descended into a deep frown. “Who has not reported in, Lieutenant?”
Obest tapped her console to narrow down the list. “Ensign Bartle, Nurse; Midshipman Z’Ava, Engineering; Ensign Qon, Stellar Cartography; Petty Officer Wiest, Computer Ops.”
The XO’s frown turned to pursed lips and their eyes narrowed at hearing the last name in the list–someone from their own department. “Can we get transporter locks on them?”
Park looked at Cullain and raised an eyebrow. “You don’t want to call them first?”
Cullain rose from their chair and headed for the turbolift. “I’m sure you’ll agree they had ample time to call, per your orders. Lieutenant, transporter lock?”
“All four transporter locks available. Getting a location…confirmed, a few meters off one of the beaches. Transporter room standing by.”
Cullain’s lips condensed tighter from a quiet internal smoldering. “Captain, I will handle this,” they scowled, trudging into the turbolift.
Park rose from his own chair and followed his executive officer. “I’m coming with you, Lieutenant Commander. I’m curious about this.” He stepped in to the lift as well, sharply rotating to face the door. “Deck eight, transporter room one,” he commanded.
The turbolift landed on deck eight in a section close to the main transporter room. As the lift doors opened, Pix Cullain waited to allow Commander Park to go first. This may have been Cullain’s own call to action, but in their mind, Captain leads the way.
Park walked methodically through the corridor to the transporter room. He could hear his executive officer’s footsteps fall a little more heavily, holding back impatience that he surmised Cullain dare not vocalize. They turned a corner to the final corridor and the transporter room doors.
Cullain stepped slightly ahead once they were in the room. “Chief, do you still have them on lock?”
The duty transporter chief keyed confirmations into the console, which beeped softly in response. “Yes, all four crew locked on. They appear to be horizontal in water…adjusting transport rotation to compensate. They’ll arrive softly in vertical orientation, though the pad will get a little wet.”
Cullain sighed with a slight impatient groan. “Fine. Energize.”
The chief ran three fingers along the ubiquitous triple slider control on the console, and the transport machinery started its low hum, followed by the shimmer of the transport beams bringing the four remaining Culver City crew members aboard.
Each person jolted slightly in the direction of whichever way their limbs were moving before the transport began. They looked at each other, confused for a moment, then realizing their new location, then realizing how deep they were in something else other than ocean water.
“Uh oh,” said Z’Ava, turning slowly to look at Commander Park covering his mouth, his eyes betraying the smile that was developing under his hand. She then turned to see Lieutenant Commander Cullain’s severe expression.
“ATTENTION ON DECK!” Cullain shouted. The crew on the transporter pad went official and stiff; Brian Park found him self involuntarily also standing to attention.
“Now. I see none of you are in uniform, let alone, even bothered to be ready to return to the ship. Would someone care to explain to me why none of you reported in on time?”
The four looked at each other trying to find the one who would give the answer.
“WIEST! What do you have to say?” Cullain demanded.
Petty Officer Wiest gulped. “Uhhh…ss…sorry Commander. We…we just lost track of time.”
“That much is obvious, Wiest,” Cullain growled. “Since it is quite clear that you have disregarded and disobeyed the captain’s orders to report to the ship on time, you will remedy this with time. You have 10 minutes to change into uniform then report to your duty stations for immediate shift duty. And, since you are all so relaxed, you will work the next two shifts. And your holodeck privileges are rescinded until we arrive at our next port. DISMISSED!”
The four crew members hurried off the pad to obey the XO’s order to change. Commander Park dropped his hand to reveal a mouth agape, watching the wet crew drip as they sped out of the room. He paused for a moment to regain his composure, only to notice Cullain start to walk out. “XO! A word, please. Chief, would you wait outside?”
The transporter chief logged off the console and walked out the door. Park waited a beat as the door closed.
He sighed. “Lieutenant Commander, wasn’t that a little…harsh?”
It was Cullain’s turn for their mouth to drop open with surprise. “Sir? They didn’t follow orders!”
“I understand the fact of that, Cullain. But to me, what you laid out seems an overrotation for the situation.”
Cullain looked down and around, confused at their commanding officer’s evaluation. “Sir? Permission to speak…freely, sir?”
Park nodded. “Yes, of course, what are your thoughts?”
Cullain stopped and started, trying to find words. “Sir…Captain…Commander Park, I do not want our ship descending into a lack of decorum. If I see any hint of it, I want it stopped, sir. If one lapse of order is allowed, more lapses will occur. The California-class has a…reputation…to which I do not want this ship contributing.”
Park closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Pix. One Cali-class ship. Decades ago. And since then, the average Cali served with distinction–especially this one.” Brian opened his eyes and locked with Cullain’s. “Pix, I get what you’re trying to do. Please hear me when I say I understand your concern. This situation is a breach of trust and a breach of order, I agree, but I do not want to operate this ship with an iron fist. We need to be aligned on this.”
Cullain hesitated slightly. “Sir, if that’s the way you want to operate.”
“It is. Before we start piling on consequences I want to give people the benefit of the doubt and the chance to make things right. And, by the way, you acted more on your own without my say, which…doesn’t that put you in the wrong as well, Lieutenant Commander?”
Cullain’s shoulders sunk. Commander Park was correct. “Yes, it does, Commander. I…apologize, sir. I suppose…I wanted those four to get the full heat for their insubordination.”
“That much is obvious, Cullain,” Park said, with a small smirk as he emulated the XO’s tone from earlier. “Lieutenant Commander, we may not have worked with each other for long, but I will be clear: severity is not how I operate. It is not how I want the ship to operate. There is a time for sternness, but we will make that determination together. I wish you’d just given them a warning, but your decision has been made. I’m not going to undo what you did, but please don’t go piling on any more heavy punishments without my say-so. Clear?”
Cullain stood firm, holding a tinge of disagreement but quickly swallowing it. “Clear, sir.”
“Good, I’m glad, Pix,” said Brian. “Now, at ease, please. What’s say you and I get back to the bridge and go? It’s gonna be a long road getting to there from here.”
Cullain snapped out of their mild funk to squint at Park, recognizing something about that sentence. Park smiled with a hint of deviousness. Cullain opened their mouth and breathed in, but decided to say nothing else and walked briskly out of the transporter room.
Brian followed more slowly behind at first, pondering the cause of the last few minutes, then sped up to catch Pix Cullain at the turbolift to return to the bridge. Weeks at the open sea, as it were, started in mere moments.
