From: MFielding@aol.com
Date: Fri, 6 Jun 1997 19:41:07 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: USS CHESAPEAKE: The Time Bomg Returns to Science
SD 90606.2300
----------------------
Biological Sciences HQ
----------------------
7.1435
Derek Fielding very nearly lost his lunch when he saw the tall
figure standing rather sulkily near the entrance of the Biological
Sciences Headquarters. It wasn't so much the *sulk* that got to him,
though he did consider it very unbecoming of a senior officer; it was the
fact that she was there at all. And wasn't that woman with her...
He straightened out his facial expression, a skill with which he
had become increasingly familiar over the past few days, and approached
the arrivals.
"Counselor, welcome to the Science Department."
He managed to sound halfway sincere.
"Thank you," answered Stavay.
"Might I ask, Counselor, exactly *why* it is that you're here?"
he continued a bit nervosly.
"It's very simple. I'm doing a random personnel evaluation of the
Chief Science Officer." Fielding nodded as the other scientists in the
room did a great job of pretending not to be listening to every word.
"There are several officers on board this vessel...and they'll all get a
visit from me, sooner or later."
Oh? wondered Fielding. I wonder if this is *my* house call? He
hoped not... seeing his less-than-friendly (of late) superior officer here,
in Sciences, was not having a good effect on his morale.
"Well, Counselor, I hope we measure up to your standards,"
answered Fielding. "But...Mr. Tats-Marush...there's a...." Fielding was
trying to find an appropriate way to say that Murray had been temporarily
removed. Maybe the Counselor didn't *know*....
"Lieutenant Fielding," replied Murray with a smile. "You
understand that I am here only in an *advisory* position to the department.
On the other hand, I'd hate to think that you impeded the Counselor's
evaluation. Perhaps, you'd rather I took over the reigns during
Beta shift."
Fielding looked at Murray and at Tats-Marush. *Was this some kind
of psychological exam that Murray had created with Tats-Marush? No...the
Counselor isn't that devious, from what I've heard*, thought Fielding.
*And if this *is* an evaluation, maybe the Counselor will get to see close
up what the Science Department has had to deal with over the last
few days.*
"I'm always at your disposal, Lieutenant," answered Fielding. *If
she destroys the department, she and the Counselor can take the heat.*
"Good," answered Murray. "Now, those personnel records you were
talking about...."
"I've seen Commander Brennan about them, and he has approved the
transfer." There. That ought to catch her attention...
"Oh? That's good... so where *is* she?"
"The arrangement has been approved, Sir... they have yet to
be implemented."
Anne muttered something nearly unprintable into a nearby console.
She looked at Karen's bowl of soup sitting on a desk. She looked at the
men -- with the exception of Fielding -- who were staring with
unabashed admiration at the Counselor.
"What," she said finally, "is a bowl of *red* chicken noodle soup
doing on this perfectly good keypad of a perfectly good computer console?"
"Karen left it there," contributed Fielding. "When she came to
look over some things, I suspect."
"What does she think, that computers need to eat her
spice-fortified soup in order to remain functional?" Anne nearly growled,
then thought better of it. She would have to contain her rage for the
moment. She immediately thought of the BELLEROPHON, where Counseling
staff could be seen roaming the august labs of the Science Department
almost every day... then dragged her thoughts back to the present when she
realized that Fielding was babbling on about some report or other.
"What did you just say, Derek?" she asked.
"I *said*," said Fielding, taking care to see that she was paying
attention this time, "that we need a New Rabbit here."
"WHY?" asked Anne, perfectly logically and with only a hint of a
raised voice. Only a hint.
"Because..."
"You *know* what happened the *last* time we had a RABBIT in this
lab, *Mr.* Fielding!" The hint became a Hint.
"Karen's students need them..."
"NO STUDENTS ARE ALLOWED! ...or did you conveniently *forget*?"
asked Anne, her temper snapping quite unexpectedly. All those times she'd
told them to keep them *out* of here...
"Since Ensign Sereh will be taking over for... Stevie," said
Fielding with a slight cough ("Stevie" had been an unofficial nickname
among the executive officers in the Science Department), "I thought it
only fair that we implement her suggestions as soon as possible. And now,
if you'll just look here for a moment, I have some suggestions as to
*which* rabbits might be good for study..."
"NO RABBITS." She was adamant about that. So what if the
Counselor was shadowing her? She wouldn't be tricked into having another
rabbit in her labs if she could help it; the last one had caused all sorts
of problems, half of which had taken away any credibility the Science
Department had built up over the past week.
"Awww... Anne! Karen's got her entire two-week unit on comparative
physiology worked out, and she needs to have the bunny here for that."
"When," asked Anne, her voice a dangerous calm, "did I ever
authorize her to write such a curriculum?" She wouldn't have authorized it;
that was the point.
"You didn't," said Fielding. "I did."
"YOU did!?!"
"Hey, Karen came up to me two hours ago, claimed she had the
syllabus all set to go, asked me to take a look and OK it, so I said OK."
Visions of runaway bunnies and insubordinate assistants leaped
not-so-merrily through Anne's mind.
"You seem to have taken things in hand, Mr. Fielding," she
commented rather heavily.
"Hey, after that... uh... *discussion* about Ensign Sereh, I
thought it might..." Fielding looked uneasily at the Shrevashal woman
standing next to Anne, then shrugged.
"So." Anne took a deep, calming breath. "How is the mission
research coming along?"
"Zilch."
"Bless you."
"I didn't sneeze."
"It sounded like you did."
"Okay, maybe this will make more sense to you, then. None. Nada.
Rien. Nanimonai. NOTHING." Fielding wasn't having such a great day,
either, and keeping his eyes averted to prevent himself from staring at the
Counselor was no easy feat.
"What are they *doing* up there?" muttered Anne, tapping her comm
badge. "Murray to Serak."
[Serak here.] The voice was calm, collected, as though its owner
heard unexpectedly from off-duty science officers in a Mood every day.
"What's with the mission-related analyses, Mr. Serak? Derek says
there's NOTHING?"
[Nothing *worthy of note*, Sir,] amended Serak with a calm that
only Vulcans couls emanate. [Theirs is a large stellar system, with many
complex interorbital relationships. We will need at least another twelve
to fifteen hours to assess theier true state of affairs.]
"Twelve to fifteen hours," muttered Anne, entering the figure into
her mind. "All right, Lieutenant... I will hold you to that." She broke
the connection, took another look around the BSHQ, then decided that she
would rather go to her office for the time being.
For a split second, as she left, she could almost have sworn that
Fielding had looked relieved. Don't be ridiculous, she told herself.
It's probably your over-active imagination.
***** ***** *****
--------------
CSciO's Office
--------------
MD 7.1450
"Glad to know that you're all right, Mr. Oxmyx," said Anne
pleasantly to the woman in front of her. "Are you *sure* you're well
enough to resume your duties?"
"As well as I can possibly be, Sir," the Physical Sciences
Division Chairman responded confidently. Being a female and aall, she
didn't take as much notice of the Counselor as some of the others had.
She went on easily, "and I think that our division is ready to begin
doing some actual research instead of proficiency drills."
"Oh, really?" Anne asked, her tone not exactly skeptical, but
not exactly helpful. The Physical Sciences had had some bad moments in
the past week; they were also known to be over-confident of their
abilities to break the odds.
"Yes, Sir. Everyone has gone through the minimum officer
requirements documents and have been passed by Mr. Fielding. The
Specialists are anxious to begin their respective research programs, and
the Researchers are ready for some change in scenery."
"What about the students?" asked Anne nervously.
"The students are the same as always."
"Oh. I see." Anne took some notes on her PADD. "I'll suggest to
Mr. Fielding that they be given more supervision in future."
Denise Oxmyx nodded; she seemed to want to ask a question, but she
left the CSciO's office without another question.
***** ***** *****
MD 7.1600
Blah. That was the only word for it. FIFTY-THREE DIFFERNET WAYS?
What did Serak think he was, the Personnel Manager of some corporation?
She read down the lenghy and meticulously described list of ways
in which her staff meetings could accomplish better what they were meant
to accomplish.
"Respectfully submitted indeed," muttered Anne, reluctantly saving
the message. "I bet he had *fun* writing all this."
She looked down at her desk and frowned.
"That's funny, I don't think..." she quickly picked up two pieces
of paper, put them in the recycling receptacle, and began to busily clear
off her desk. She kept her eyes on her work, not looking at Counselor
Tats-Marush at all. "Ah, there they are." She triumphantly fished out
three PADDs, each one with exit review grade information for the three
divisions that had participated in it.
Not high enough scores in emergency procedures, as expected.
These scores were rather depressing. Those who knew shipboard
protocol down pat had become bored and had drawn strange things in their
margins; others were quite lost in all the mess and couldn't find his
way off the Bridge with the turbolift sitting in front of his face.
Anne shook her head, deciding to deal with competency issues
later. She, herself, was in no good position at the moment to speak to
her staff about such things.
Now, if only she could get through the *rest* of the shift without
losing her temper the way she had with Derek...
Respectfully submitted,
Masako Goto
LT Anne Murray, Ph.D.
CSciO
USS CHESAPEAKE NCC-31813
MFielding@aol.com
<<NRPG>>
Amy: Looking forward to Catch-Up Part II... are you still in town?
Takako: Thanks for the Delta Corellis info... and is Brennan going to be
mad that Murray has, effectively, taken over the Sciences after
being temporarily relieved of duty?
Melvin: If Sereh would like to visit the nice Counselor, maybe she can
come on up to the CSciO's Office... :)
Lynnaea: How's Keyrin doing? How are *you* doing?
Fabian: See you at Poker Night!
Chris: Hope you get internet access soon!
James: I left the poker game to you, since I don't know the first thing
about poker. :) I wasn't sure if/when Stavay would say anything,
so I just played it as though she *were* a green shadow. :) I
hope it was okay. I *tried* to keep Murray Vulcan... guess it
didn't work with so many of the original copies walking around.. ;)
Naomi: Glad to hear that you're there! Comments on post later on... I
am expecting to like it very much. :)
All: Yes, I did borrow a lot of stuff from James's post... thanks, James! ;)
Go to messages for
June 1997 or latest