Theories and Reactions
Posted on February 15th, 2017 by T'Lira

 

“Sir?”

Captain Elena Garson looked up at that ensign at communications whose name she could never remember, despite how many times her first officer had to remind her.

“Go ahead, Ensign. I don’t bite.”

“There’s an incoming transmission… it’s broadband, everyone’s getting this.”

“Punch it through to my Ready Room, I’ve been meaning to catch up on a few logs anyway… that’s probably a notice about that.”

“Somehow,” the familiar voice of Eddie Harrel drawled, “I doubt that. They’d probably call personally to bitch at you.”

“Don’t you have patients?”

Eddie chuckled, “On a ship this small, I get maybe two a day normally. About half the crew shows up if we’re picking a fight.”

“Damn. Go find someone else to pester, you don’t help me write logs.”

“You don’t help yourself write logs.”

A few officers snickered, but quickly silenced when Elena glared at them.

“Lieutenant Chawras, you have the bridge. Follow the three rules.”

Chawras chuckled, “Don’t pick fights, keep working, and try to keep the jokes at a decent rating. Got it.”

Elena tossed off a sloppy salute and disappeared into her Ready Room, followed by a persistent Eddie.

“Alright, I’ve got a message to check, you sit there and watch the stars or the snake or something.”

Eddie snorted as he cast a derisive glance at the small tank by the wall, where a small snake sunbathed on a rock and seemed to watch him.

Sitting in her chair, Elena flicked the screen on and decrypted the transmission before reading the message. And then proceeded to read it again and again.

“Eddie? C’mere and tell me I’m reading this right.”

The doctor stood and walked over to stand behind her, reading over her shoulder and gaping.

“Wasn’t he dead?”

“Apparently it didn’t take. But disregard that…” Elena gazed at the message, not quite getting it, “Shit just hit the fan, didn’t it? This is a broadband… that means everyone is getting this.”

“Was it encrypted?” Eddie asked. When Elena nodded, he let out a sigh, “So this is specifically Starfleet… do you think this will piss the Admiralty off more than what I know you’re about to do?”

“Hopefully. Garson to the Bridge, I need an encrypted channel to the USS Kennedy, captain’s eyes only.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Chawras replied promptly, “One encrypted channel, coming right up.”

After a few minutes, the haggard face of Eric Drivens appeared. The man had a very large cup of coffee in front of him and looked like he picked a fight with a Klingon and proceeded to not put up a fight at all.

“You look like complete shit, Eric. Your wife keeping you up?” Elena smirked.

“She wishes she was the reason for this. No, I’ve been up all night trying to convince a pair of pirate ships to leave each other alone and not start a shooting match in a nebula.”

“What… you know what, I don’t want to know why they got into a fight in the first place. Probably one stiffed the other or slept with the other guy’s girl or something.”

Eric snorted, “Something like that. Anyway, what’s up?”

“You checked your messages yet?”

“No? Why, did Command send out another bulletin about some diplomatic thing we all have to remember?”

“It’s better,” Eddie cut in, “Check ‘em, look for the encrypted broadband.”

Eric seemed to perk up, “Encrypted? I’m interested.”

He took a few moments to pull up and decrypt the message before blinking and taking a very long swig of his coffee before setting the mug down with a thump and unleashing a string of curses.

“Portuguese and Mandarin? I can see Aki has been teaching you a few things.”

“Elena…” Eddie muttered, “Pretty sure he picked up some of that on his own, you remember our Academy crowd.”

“Fair enough.”

Eric stopped swearing and leaned forward, “On a scale of two pirates in a nebula to Borg, how interesting do you think this is going to get?”

“I dunno… somewhere between Organians and Orion Syndicate, maybe even Obsidian Order.”

“Hot damn. I’ll let Aki know to keep an ear open. And… I’ll see if her father has an opinion on the matter.”

“I’ll call Nadel, but I can almost guarantee that she’ll have the same opinion of Thirty-One that she does of the Cardassian Occupation.”

“Just tell her not to blow too many things up. That tends to get messy.”

“Your wife is an intel officer, how can you not like messy?”

“You and I would have to clean up said mess.”

“True. Anyway, go and find Aki. Tell her I said hi and that maybe she should just sabotage the pirates next time, make things easier. Then she could keep you awake at night.”

Eddie covered his eyes with his hand and muttered, “You are so damn juvenile.”

Eric laughed, “I’ll be sure to tell her that. I won’t repeat the litany she’ll respond with, though.”

“She’ll tell me herself, it’s cool. Garson out.”

The channel cut and Elena lifted her hand, facing the palm backwards so Eddie could slap his hand to hers.

“I love when things get interesting. Last time I had this much fun was… probably when I was blowing up lizards.”

“Remember how that also gave you a command?”

“That was cool. I mean, I’m not exactly the definition of reliable or obedient, but at least I get the job done.”

“So…” Eddie returned to his seat across from her and leaned forward, propping his elbows on the desk, “What now?”

“Now? Business as usual. Reach out, see what other people think, but carry on as normal. I get the feeling we’ll know when we’re needed, if we’re needed.”

“I assume it’ll be-“

“Something blowing up!” Elena grinned. Eddie muttered something foul and put his head in his hands.

“But seriously,” the doctor complained, “Why is it that whenever there’s trouble, someone we know is always involved?”

“We have interesting friends?” Elena shrugged, “Though this is probably why I got the most non-answers I’ve seen in a while in one conversation. Typical… trying to keep all the fun hidden…”

Eddie frowned, “I’m pretty sure that’s not the reason she didn’t say anything…”