The nightmares kept her awake.  The events of Frontier Day were burned deep in her psyche.  They had been sheltered from the insidious transformations that had spread across the galaxy.  Reading the reports of the dead and dying had taken its toll.  The morning had come hard and bright again, and she blinked as the lights of her bedroom brightened jarringly.  She scoffed at past-her, who had made that setting, knowing it was the only way to get Cassidy out of bed.  She plodded into the sonic shower and shouted obscene things at the jolt that was the second thing designed to wake her.  She’d intentionally tweaked the settings to give her a cold temperature shock.

With her uniform on, and hair in place, the coffee brewer chirped, and she filled the thermos with care.  She glanced at the chrono.  0545.  Montgomery felt some pride in getting out of her quarters that early.  Until the door opened as she departed and found Ensign Geraldine Parker standing there with a PADD and her cup of whatever it was.  She greeted her CO brightly, “Good morning Deputy Chief Doctor Montgomery. ”

Cass turned to her and stared her down until she tried again, “Good morning Deputy Chief?”  The not-yet-caffeinated woman waved her approval, and they were off down the corridors as Parker gave her the rundown of the day ahead.  Montgomery sipped at the life-giving liquid in her cup as she listened intently to her assistant.

They entered a turbolift or two; Cass wasn’t sure.  They walked down another group of corridors before arriving in the General Medicine waiting room. “And your next round of physician reviews are in your PADD and on your board to look over.”

The Deputy Chief took a long drink from her coffee cup and relished the notes that slipped over her tongue.  She was starting to feel the encouragement from the caffeine, “Nice work, Parker.”  She was about to return to her office, but Parker mentioned one more thing.  Lieutenant Commander Peri Anya was waiting in her office. “How the hell did you let her in my office?”

“She’s Director of Promenade Security, sir.”

Cass pointedly looked at her assistant, “Next time, call me, and I’ll tell her to wait outside my office.  That’s the only pass you get regarding my office, Ensign.”  She dismissed the girl, noticing her usual smile had faded.  She made her way to her office, stepped through with purpose, and found the stern figure standing in the middle of her officer, hands behind her back.

Standing in front of the Doctor’s desk, a tall brunette with her hair scraped back into a tight bun and a pristine yellow uniform that looked freshly replicated, Lieutenant Commander Peri Anya looked a little annoyed at being kept waiting. With her hands clasped together behind her back whilst clinging to a data PADD, feet shoulder width apart, she was ready to go to battle with the Doctor. And today, she was confident she would win.

Montgomery wondered how this was going to go.  Should she fight inch by inch with the woman at the ungodly hour of 0600 hours?  Or would deference win the moment?  In the mind of the Deputy Director, she was a doctor first.  There was something to be said for bedside manner.  She walked and stood behind her desk, matching the eyes of the director, “You’re up early, Lieutenant Commander.”  She’d spent some time reading the profiles of her contemporaries on Bravo.  Lots of verbs told the story between the lines.  Unwavering.  Focused.  Dedicated.  Relentless.  Cass slipped on her doctor’s lab coat, wondering what had brought Anya to her office this early.

“It’s not uncommon, trust me,” Commander Peri replied, her eyes trained on the doctor from door to desk. “I’ve been set a mammoth task that requires the attention of someone from your department, Doctor.” She released her hands and slipped the data PADD she had been carrying onto the desk, then with her right index finger, she slid it across to Cass. “In my new role as Director of Promenade Security,” perhaps her new title would give her a little sway, “I want the best people on my team, which is why I am here for you.”

Cass chuckled lightly as she accepted the PADD and scrolled through while sipping on her coffee, “No need to throw your title around in this office.  You got one over my assistant, so you’ve figured out how to get your way.”  She tossed back her cup and slipped it under the replicator, where fresh coffee filled the worn cup, “Besides, I’m just Deputy Director around these parts.  I still report to someone.”  She scrolled to the end of the report, “Mammoth is certainly one word to describe the pile of crap they’ve assigned you.”  She gestured to the chairs before her desk, “Inside my office doors, everyone’s equal – I’m not a fan of ranks and titles in this room.  Don’t gotta have pretense to pretend.  We’re all just folks here.”  She sat in her chair, “You’ve got a good team here.  I’ve been called plenty of things in my career…’best people’ isn’t at the top of the list.”

Taking the offered seat, the Bajoran watched the Deputy Director of Medicine closely, listening to her words. While the blue-shirted woman wasn’t a fan of ranks and positions, Peri was. It was about order and hierarchy. “Oh, such as?” she asked, once comfortable.

Montgomery smiled slyly, “A lot of four-letter words, to be honest.  I get the job done…which is why you’re here.”  She asked, “What do you anticipate with the adoption rate for the fix?”

“There is no acceptable number below one hundred percent,” Peri retorted quickly, crossing her right knee across her left and grasping the arms of her chair. “Every single person the age of twenty-five or below on Frontier Day is to undergo the procedure. If there are any refusals, they are to be detained until the issues are resolved. If there are any biological issues preventing the procedure from going ahead, they are to be removed from duty until a solution is found.” The decree probably sounded quite draconian and heavy-handed, but after the shambles of Frontier Day, there was no way they could take any risks going forward.

Cass reflected on the thought about bedside manner that had crossed her mind earlier.  The Director of Promenade Security didn’t appear to have any, at least at first blush.  Perhaps that’s why Anya was Director and Montgomery was Deputy Director.  She wasn’t sure how to feel about that theory.  She tapped at the PADD. Security had to security, she supposed.

“I also need your medical teams to be on standby for any genetic testing that will be required in the event we identify any changelings during this procedure,” Peri instructed.

The doctor sighed, “There are moments when I forget that part.  As if this situation wasn’t bad enough.”  She tapped at her console on the desk, “I’ve got a reliable response team.  I’ll get them up to speed.”  She sent a message for them to meet up in her office within the hour.  She asked, “You and I come from different worlds, metaphorically and literally.  You understand we look at people differently here in medical?  Sometimes we gotta find different ways to get our patients to see what they need to do?”

“And I’ll be relying on you and your people to take care of that,” Peri nodded, “but this, first and foremost, is a matter of Federation security. Starbase Bravo is the largest facility in the fleet. If this place had fallen, Bravo as a whole would have been in pieces.” Shifting forward in her chair, the Bajoran rested her elbows on her knees and clasped her hands together, as if she was pleading for something. “I have to stay clear-minded and focused on this; too much is at risk. You and your people are going to have to deal with the more human side of the situation.”

Cass felt some progress had been made.  “We can do that, Lieutenant Commander.  The nightmare of what could hasn’t really faded for me either.”  She finished her third cup of coffee and stood from her chair, “I’ll start the impulse engines on my side of things.”

Rising from her seat, the Bajoran looked at the Terran, regarding her closely before offering out a hand in thanks. “I appreciate you coming aboard Commander,” Peri smiled at last.

Cass shook the woman’s hand and gave a nod of thanks, and Peri was out the door moments later.  Montgomery sat back in her chair.  The real work was about to begin.