A Temporary Change

Posted on Mon Jun 12, 2017 @ 7:49pm by Lieutenant Commander Alex Rho & Commodore Michael Aravan

Mission: Avatar
Location: Ready Room
Timeline: MD 11 || 0700 Hours

Michael paced the length of his ready room table and looked at the plethora of information now available to him. In the form of dozens of PADDs into of neatly collated on the giant LCARS display the conference table normally showed. He felt a headache coming on and with Commander Weisz still in Sickbay, and the fact that he had made very little in the way of actual progress that would have taken less than an hour with the Commander's help.

He shook his head and thought for a minute before he tapped his combadge =^=Lieutenant Rho, please report to the Ready Room.=^=

Alex had just started making his rounds in the Office Complex. Things seemed to be progressing as well as they could, considering. He had checked his Intel that PADD for the real-time updates from the other areas of Deck Forty-Four and saw several discrepancies. Shaking his head the Lieutenant said, "Can't expect everything to be perfect." It was then that his combadge chirruped and he heard the Captain's request. Still in the habit of using the armbands, he transported straight to the Bridge and walked to the Ready Room door. He reached up to press the chime and then paused, mentally scanning the room for thoughts. It was a habit he'd gotten into as of late and just wanted to be sure. When he found nothing but images of stacked PADDs from the forefront of the Captain's thoughts, he pressed the chime.

"Enter!" Michael called and headed over to get a cup of coffee.

Alex stepped inside and walked up to the conference table. He smiled as he realized that a Captain's work was never done.

"Lieutenant," he said. "Would you care for coffee before we begin?"

"Thank you, Captain," he said, "I would. Strong, if you would please. It's been one of those days these past few."

The Captain poured a mug of coffee for himself and added two sugars, then a mug for Rho. "Sugar or cream?" he asked.

"No thank you, Sir," he said. "I'll take it straight." Lieutenant Rho walked the small distance between him and the Captain. No need to make one's Commanding Officer deliver the coffee he'd just poured.

Michael handed him the mug and gestured towards the table and all the PADDs. "I know Intel and analysis is more your area, but this is suited for you in a way, too," he started before he took a drink. "That's why I want to make you my acting Executive Officer until Commander Weisz is back on duty."

Alex had his mug to lips when the Captain mentioned the offer. He paused slightly and then continued with his drink. The Intel Chief nodded as he pulled the mug away from his mouth. "Analysis can be applied in many different areas, including acting Executive Officer. I presume the responsibilities would be greater and, as such, Lieutenant Hartley should be able to manage the Intelligence Department."

"Fortunately, there won't be much to do in Intel until we get back to Earth, so he should be able to handle it," Michael said as he took another drink of coffee. "What you'll be doing is mainly coordinating with the other department heads for reports, signing off on duty rosters, handling discipline as needed when it doesn't require my attention and collating everything for me in a summarized report. There's also the other aspect that will require you to have your own mind and thoughts if you disagree with a decision that I make, but only behind closed doors away from the rest of the crew."

"I understand that," said Alex. Truth be told, it was a lot. A lot more than what he had ever been used to doing. But he could handle it. Analyzing intelligence was one thing, analyzing and prioritizing reports, rosters, and such was another. "I would only speak with you behind closed doors when it comes to disagreements. With that said, should a situation warrant, am allowed to communicate with you telepathically?"

"Only if there's another crewman present and it involves them," Michael said. "I also expect a high measure of decorum when communicating in that method with me. As a Captain, I have clearance to data which you do not."

"Of course, Captain," he replied. "I wouldn't have it any other way." He took another drink of his coffee. "Is there anything particular you need me to look into or check on? Or anything you know of the Commander Weisz was working on that I'll need to pick up?"

"As far as I know, everything is up to date until two days ago when the Thasian tried to deep freeze her," Michael said. "After that, things sort of got put on hold while we sorted this out. I read your report on Intel with the...Guardian AI's, I believe you call them? Are they still offline?"

"Yes," he said. "I call them the Gatekeepers, the Guardian AI's officially, whatever it happens to be that day. And yes sir, they are still offline at this point. Until we are certain that everything in the Intel department is cleared, we won't be bringing them back online. In their stead, I have Intel officers guarding the entrance to the Network and Data Center."

"Good," Michael said with an approving nod. "As nice as the ship is and the holographics to go with it, we've just had it proven that they can be used against us. I don't want that to happen again. For now, I'm sure there's a dozen reports and likely to be dozens more waiting for your attention. When we get back to Earth, we'll have some downtime while the ship gets repaired and we can sort out what we want and what we don't there while we take on new crew."

"Indeed. With the Commander being out of commission at the moment, I'm certain that many have piled up," said Alex. "So, the holographics is something that you're looking at for possible removal?"

"No," Michael said. "Not entirely, but as a primary system of control, it's proven that it can be taken from us."

"I'll review the reports and such and see if there is anything else that we can sort out when that time comes," said Alex. "Are you expecting a lot of new crew?" He turned up his cup of coffee, finishing the last bit.

Michael nodded and activated the LCARS display on the conference table. Row after row of personnel showed up, but each had Deceased in red next to their names. "We lost two hundred and one personnel," He said sadly. "That's more than I've seen fall on one day than all the time I've been serving. Starfleet has a lot of fresh recruits for us, though."

Alex watched the name scroll by. It was unreal. "That many deaths...I don't think I've ever seen that many names scroll by on a screen. And all due to...." Alex trailed off it was all done now. No need to bring it back up. He put the coffee mug down on the conference table. "But it's good that we have new recruits. And some time to do repairs." He turned to look back at the stacks of PADDS on the table. "As you said, Captain, more and more."

"That and the fact that we were nearly four hundred and fifty light years from Earth before Engineering got control of the transwarp drive and shut it down," Michael said. "Interesting bit of information. We're near the planet where the android Data was found."

Alex stopped for a second, curious. "That really is interesting. Just curious Captain, and I realize the history of the android, but...is there a possibility that we could scan the planet? Since we're near it and all."

"It's been a dead planet since the Crystalline Entity killed the colonists and every living thing on it, Lieutenant," Michael pointed out. "The Enterprise and others have gone back there several times. There's nothing there."

Alex smiled. "It was worth a shot. The worst that could happen happened." He chuckled and continued. "It will make quite the account for the report, though. Is there an estimated time of arrival back at Earth?"

"It won't take long," Michael said. "I've authorized use of the Quantum Slipstream Drive. It'll take less than the sixteen hours it took us to get here. What was so interesting about Omicron Theta that you'd want to scan it?"

"That's good news. I have a feeling that the crew will need a few days," said the Intel Chief. "As far as Omicron Theta, it's been quite a while since the Enterprise was last there, twenty-three sixty-four. We have better sensors now. I was just curious if there might be a positronic signature that was missed before. Something deeper underground, for example. That's all."

"Perhaps we can come back, but right now we have a badly damaged ship and too many dead personnel," Michael replied. "Our duty is to get back to Earth as soon as we can."

"Understood, Sir," replied Alex. He was glad it didn't get completely shot down. But the Captain was right, there were higher priorities at the moment. "Is there anything else you wish before I get started on sorting and prioritizing the PADD's?"

"Nothing else for now," Michael said. "I'll let you get to it. We have a lot to do and a short time to do it. Get to it."

Alex nodded. "Aye sir," he said. PADDwork first and then coordinating with the other Department Heads for reports. "Getting to it."