From: Masako Goto
Date: Sun, 23 Mar 1997 20:13:10 -0500 (EST)
Subject: USS CHESAPEAKE: More Diners in Ten-Forward
SD 90324.0043
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Murray's Quarters
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MD 3.1100
Returning from the Science Department, Anne glanced at her computer
console. There were new messages, it seemed; she sat down in front of the
viewer, getting ready to take any notes if necessary.
"Computer, display index of messages."
Thirty-five of those would be from her department, including the
Emergency Protocol Handbook that she had sent her students. She quickly
went through them, saved those she would need later, and turned her
attention to the last three messages.
N-36 was a message from her aunt with the weekly update on
Myron's doings. N-37 was from Ensign Sereh informing her that the
Computer Science students were going to need even *more* drills in
emergency protocol; and n-38 was a message from Ensign Keyrin.
Anne listened to the message carefully, noting the names of the
officers who were to be involved with her various divisions. She also
made a note to herself to invite the CSO to be an "audience" for the
Iotians' practice drill one of these days.
After she had listened to the entire message, Anne let a smile
cross her face. She listened to the dinner invitation section once more,
relieved that she hadn't antagonized the CSO by her wild message. She
had been busy, then; not trying to avoid her. She composed a message to
Ensign Keyrin immediately.
"Mr. Keyrin," she said, her tone still painfully professional,
"thank you for the information you have provided regarding the handling
of my staff. I have received the holodeck exercise list from Ensign
Martiljohni and Lt(jg) D'varen, and I will begin our review sessions
later this afternoon. Lt(jg) Cassandra Stewart and I have discussed some
times for our Iotians' drills, and we may be able to use them as...
'extras' in our drills for the other members of the Science Department.
"I thank you, also, for your kind invitation..." Anne paused,
feeling awkward, but she decided to blunder on regardless. "I will be
most honored to have dinner with you tonight. Is 1800 a good time for
you?" She paused again, then continued, "I hope to hear from you...
Again, thank you." Another pause... "Anne out."
As she sent the message, Anne hoped that she wasn't making a big
mistake... she hoped that the Ensign was really extending an invitation
and not just feeling sorry for her.
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MD 3.1800
Scene: 10-Forward Lounge
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Anne met Ensign Keyrin where they had agreed; she was disturbed
to note that the CSO seemed tense and distracted. She certainly didn't
sound very energetic.
"I suppose," said Anne, looking around nervously, "we should find
a seat before it's too late." She was always one to find a reliable table
before heading for the serving lines.
The two reserved a booth off to one side, off from the main crowd.
It was quieter in this little niche than elsewhere in the lounge.
Aelyria ordered "Chicken Monterrey a la Terra and a large pina
colada, as nonvirgin as you can make it," while Anne went for tortellini
and hot chocolate.
As they sat down and began their meal, Anne looked up shyly at
Ensign Keyrin.
"I must say," she said, rather softly, "that I am rather a fool."
Keyrin looked up in surprise and put her fork down. Her face turned
thoughtful as she asked, "You don't strike me as one. What makes you say
that you are?"
"I've been doing everything wrong!" said Anne, absently piling
cheese-filled tortellini like playing blocks. "Every single division in
my department is either incompetent or dysfunctional, and I have a
horrible feeling that it's all my fault."
Aelyria narrowed her eyes, giving the CSciO a piercing gaze.
"It's that reprimand from OPS, isn't it?"
"I don't understand it, Keyrin," said Anne, shaking her head.
"Aelyria, please. Or better yet, 'Lyr. There is no need for
formality here."
Anne was ready to cry, but she wouldn't allow herself to do so... not
with so many people in the room. "I spent *years* studying how the system was
run. I watched five years' worth of science department activity, and I spent
two years as an assistant CSciO... and I haven't been reprimanded *once*...
well, not exactly in that particular way..." Her voice trailed away, and
she took a sip of her hot chocolate. "How do you deal with it, Aelyria?
You're so courageous, so... *determined*."
A pained look crossed Aelyria's face and she studied her plate.
"What is evident on the outside is not always an accurate reflection upon
what is happening inside."
Suddenly, Keyrin's eyes flashed, and she looked up. "Let me tell
you something, Anne. You want to know how I get along? I'll only tell
you two things: One, it's never a good day until you've kicked some ass
or pissed someone off; and two, it's only a reprimand. If figures in
authority didn't give them then *everyone* would get out of line. They
give them, and that way all the spineless schmucks do what they tell them
to so that the screwing around can be done by true geniuses like you and
I." Aelyria shot her a lopsided grin. "There you go. Keyrin's Keys to
Guilt-Free Living."
There was a period of silence as the women ate, Anne obviously
thinking about Aelyria's words of dubious wisdom. She wasn't at all sure
that she *wasn't* one of the spineless schmucks.
"Sometimes," said Anne, actually taking a bite of her food, "I
wonder at this place. I mean, starships. We all live in one little
enclosed space, always seeing each other, never too far away... Yet there
are hundreds of people on this ship whom I have yet to meet. Have you
met many of the crew?"
"I would *like* to think I know my staff fairly well for the
amount of time we've been here," Keyrin responded. "Outside of the
senior officers and my department, however, no -- I haven't really met
anyone."
"I know I'm talking too much," Anne said, even as she pushed more
tortellini onto her fork and babbled on, "but you're so... easy to talk
with, if you know what I mean." She smiled at Ensign Keyrin shyly. "You
have such a tough exterior... nothing can shake you, it seems. But
inside... there is a golden heart there, Aelyria, I can feel it." She
didn't mention that she had felt the golden heart emerge that first
night, when Ensign Keyrin had graciously allowed Anne to walk into the
Officer's Mess with her.
Aelyria blushed furiously and took a large swallow of her pina
colada. It was nearly empty. She wondered why she didn't just go for
straight alcohol at this point. "Heart of gold, my arse. If I had my
way I'd have a heart of titanium alloy." *And an aCSO with the same,*
she added silently.
Seeing the CSO's discomfiture, Anne changed the topic slightly.
"How is your staff holding up?" she asked. "I know that you have
been running many drills the past two days. My staff fell apart even
before the first drill, but you seem to have a more competent crew."
"They've been doing quite well. I have no complaints -- they're
a competent bunch and I'm proud to serve with them."
Anne wished that she could say the same for her crew;
unfortunately, such was not the case. She wondered what else there was
to say. Her mind raced, trying to think of something her mother might
say at this point. The weather, she realized. The weather was something
that was almost always mentioned... then she frowned slightly. Weather
was most certainly *not* an adequate conversation subject here in space.
She could almost hear the entire conversation in her mind: "Nice vacuum
we're having today, isn't it?" she would say. "Oh, very nice," Aelyria
would reply. "It's extremely cold out." "Just like always." "Ever wonder
what the Badlands look like?" "Nah. Lots of color but too many bad guys
roaming by." "Nice vacuum." "Uh-huh."
No, weather was out of the question.
"I wonder why it is," said Anne, for lack of anything better to
say, "that people insist on telling me how incompetent I am." She looked
up at Ensign Keyrin, suddenly afraid that she might be antagonizing the
young woman with her all-too-obvious insecurities. But, once stated,
she felt that the fact should be substantiated. "It's not just Commander
th'Tellan, you know... I mean, Commander Brennan's already called me into
his office, and as for the Counselor... *she* seems to take some kind of
perverse pleasure in putting me at a disadvantage." She frowned, then took a
large gulp of hot chocolate to cover up her lapse into introspection.
"Sometimes, I think I should just let Lieutenant Serak run the stupid
department... *he* seems to know what's going on, and he's as cool as a
cucumber." She didn't mention, of course, the fact that he *looked*
rather like a cucumber as well, being tall, thin, and rather green.
"People aren't telling you you're incompetent. They're telling you
that your staff is incompetent. You knew that already. And Brennan called me
in as well, and I absolutely REFUSE to believe that I am incompetent. This
ship can ill afford a CSO or CSciO that is incapable of fulfilling their
responsibilities. Therefore, we shall overcome. There is no other option."
Aelyria shrugged. "You'll get those kids in hand soon enough, Anne. Just
stay on them. And remember that for all Serak's calm -- *you* are the one with
the experience."
Anne pondered this for a moment, then realized she had nothing on her
plate left, and neither did the CSO. "Aelyria," she said in a confidential
tone of voice, "I have something in my quarters you may find interesting...
I collect psychometric testing kits... aptitude and personality tests, if
you will. I have a feeling some of it might interest you. Would you care
to come see them?"
The thought of it piqued Keyrin's interest, but she was tired, and a
headache was promising to make her night a long one... it had been a
stressful day. She sighed and gave Murray an apologetic look. "I'd love
to, but unfortunately, not tonight... may I take you up some other time?"
"Of course, Aelyria... perhaps some other time." Anne studied the
Ensign and realized that the length of the day hadn't been just her
imagination. "Thank you for dinner."
"Thanks for understanding." The CSO mustered a weak smile. "See you
soon..." With that, Aelyria wearily stood and made for the door,
preoccupied with thoughts of Stavay and Dannon Torr, and of losing battles.
Anne watched the Ensign leave, feeling a bit concerned. She
seemed so... *different* from her usual bouncy and brash self. Well...
maybe she would send her a short message tomorrow to tell her she would
be there to lend an ear if necessary. But then... perhaps Aelyria would
see that as "controlling"? She absently stood up her fork on her plate,
balanced her mug on top of that, and decided that she would have a glass
of something cold before leaving.
Respectfully submitted,
Lynnaea AelCaymarth Masako Goto
Ens. Aelyria Keyrin Lt. Anne Murray, Ph.D.
CSO CSciO
USS CHESAPEAKE NCC-31813 USS CHESAPEAKE NCC-31813
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Thought for the day: Which is better, to see where you are going or to
know what's going on?
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