From: Masakog@aol.com
Date: Mon, 17 Mar 1997 15:47:41 -0500 (EST)
Subject: USS CHESAPEAKE: Murray on the Bridge

SD 90317.1954
Location: Bridge
MD:         3.0840
Stepping onto the bridge for the first time in many hours, Anne was tempted
to hide.  The large open space was a bit too public; though the Commander had
been most pleasant (or as pleasant as could be expected under the
circumstances), she still felt as though she were a potential criminal.  She
took note of the few officers at their stations and quickly found the science
stations.
As she took in the console, Anne reflected that she had made the right choice
in coming here.  She hadn't wanted to deal with the humorless Vulcans in the
MLD; yet neither had she wanted to deal with her too-energetic remaining
staff.  Here, alone with the computer, was where she should be.
 squawked the computer.
Anne looked down to see that she had inadvertently pressed a button marked
"Analyze Data." She frowned.  She had never heard of a computer saying such
things to its users before, no matter what the provocation.
"If you think that's a funny joke, whoever programmed this darn thing, it
most certainly is not," she grumbled at the computer, still grouchy from what
she considered to be a serious question of her ability.  "Now shut up and let
me work."
She ran some diagnostics on the console, then checked for some system
modifications that she had ordered from the Comp Sci department to
accommodate her research programs.
"Well, the MUTT system looks a bit dog-eared," she muttered to herself.
 "Probably ran it through the debugger without caution." She fiddled with the
parameters, changing this and that.  The fractured images became
intelligible.  "Good.  Let's see..." She checked out the other programs, then
ran another diagnostic.
Or tried to, at any rate.
 the
computer informed her.  
"Of course I verify it, you stupid machine!" said Anne, tapping her foot
impatiently.  My, but what an aggravating day!  Anne needed eight solid hours
of sleep a night to be a pleasant person at best, and the last two nights had
not been all that restful.
 inquired the computer
solicitously.
"WHAT?" Anne glared at the machine, ready to blow her top.
"Sheesh, Anne," said a familiar voice, "get a grip, will you?  What're you so
excited about, anyway?  Haven't you ever had anybody play that trick on you
before?"
Anne turned to find Fielding standing at the second science station; she had
been too engrossed to notice his entrance.
"Then you... you..." She glared at him, but his impish smile forced her frown
away.
"YOU programmed it to say all those things?" she demanded.
"You didn't run diagnostics on the other console," said Fielding, shrugging,
"and I thought you could use something to entertain your brain."
"It nearly killed me, Derek!" Anne retorted.  "How are you feeling, indeed!"
Fielding shrugged.
"At least you got the MUTT program set up now," he told her.  "I was kind of
concerned when Cassidy installed it, but I wasn't sure; and I didn't want to
mess around with it."
"Concerned with Cassidy?" Anne furrowed her brow.  "Why?"
"He didn't really look like he knew what he was doing," said Fielding.  "But
he's the CISD expert, not me, so I just let him get on with it.  I guess I
should've listened to my gut instinct, huh?"
"In most cases, I would say yes," said Anne, "but today, I'll just say 'let's
go get some breakfast' and leave it at that.  Come on, I need some hot
chocolate."
"Anne!  It's in the middle of the shift!"
"We'll talk shop," she told her assistant as she led him to the turbolift.
Respectfully submitted,
Masako Goto
Lt. Anne Murray, Ph.D.
CSciO
USS CHESAPEAKE NCC-31813
*NRPG*
Okay, okay, I know that I get stranger every time I post, but the opportunity
was just too great to let it pass by.  BTW, anyone has any idea how this
shift thing works?  I know that in hospitals and such, you're supposed to be
on the go pretty much all the time; but this *isn't* a hospital, and they're
still docked at SB DELTA anyway.  Just sort of wondering...

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