USS Marduk

Staring blankly at the viewscreen, Sky sat mindlessly waiting for the next shift to start. “I just had to pull the single shift this time around.  At least on the double shift you have someone to talk to.”

4 days prior:

“USS Marduk, your mission is to head to the Black Cluster.  We’ve lost one of our Communication arrays out there, and you’re to fill in until we can get a new one out there.”

“Yes sir, but how long should that take?”  Sky was sure they were being practically exiled from the front lines.  “We’re a rescue vessel, we shouldn’t be away from the action for too long.”

“Due to your most recent missions, it has been decided that you’ll be placed away from danger to let your crew recover.  They did nearly die on a simple supply mission.”

Sky couldn’t disagree, they were all to close to being destroyed by those Jem Hadar fighters.  “But comms duty sir? There has to be a more proper ship for that mission.”

“Let’s face it Sky, you’re the only unarmed ship still in this area.  Any vessel that is, as you say, more suited to this mission is required elsewhere.”

And that’s how they came to be here, deep within the Black Cluster, completely stationary, just waiting for messages to come in so they can be rebroadcast back out.  Since the bridge had to be manned at all times, the Crew had taken to having a rotating 3 shifts, with two people on first shift, two on second, and one on third.

However, after days of this, Sky was remembering why he never wanted a position as a listening post operative.  If he had to sit here and do nothing for his whole career, he’d go insane.  The crew had come up with a number of ideas to stave off the boredom, everything from chess to bad jokes.  The results were middling, Sky was dead last in the chess tournament, with Ensign Rios currently the champion.

Recently, he’d begun watching old movies on one of the viewscreens.  Halfway through Singing In the Rain, Desiree entered the bridge, her shift beginning.