The Other Woman (Backpost)
Posted on Sat Sep 24, 2016 @ 4:25pm by Lieutenant Nicole Anderson & Lieutenant Cassandra Kennings
580 words; about a 3 minute read
Mission:
The Fall
Location: Cassandra's Office
Timeline: 30 hours after leaving the station
Cassandra heard the alarm and snapped her fingers, silencing it. She flipped open her gold compact and checked it quickly, then walked over and stood next to her door, watching it carefully. "Five," she said, "four...three...two...one..."
The doors to her office opened and Nicole swept in, a padd in her hand which Cassandra promptly plucked away. Cass flipped her compact closed and walked back to her armchair, curling up in it. "Hello," she said.
"Be a dear and sign that for me, would you?" Nicole said, availing herself of Cassandra's replicator.
"Transfer orders?" Cass said, surprised. "'McKenzie'? Isn't that your new Number Two?"
"Yes. Sign," Nicole said, sipping a drink and looking at Cassandra expectantly.
"Before I slog through what I have no doubt is going to be very carefully worded bullchips," Cass said, "would you care to sum up your reasons for me?"
"I am in no way satisfied with her performance," Nicole said.
"Oh," Cassandra said, "I see. You're having sex with her?"
Nicole spit her drink so hard it went across Cassandra's coffee table. "I...you--I what?" she sputtered.
"Or perhaps she plays an instrument in Sickbay? Or does theater?" Cass' eyebrows bobbed as she muttered to herself. "Actually that's not a bad idea, a ship-board theater group. I should write that down."
"You're barking," Nicole said.
"And you are attempting to transfer an officer based on 'performance' without her having had any chance to perform on duty, so clearly you must be judging some other aspect of her life."
"I have had forty-eight hours--" Nicole started.
"--of her working Gamma shift with no emergencies or even so much as a splinter being reported at those hours," Cassandra finished. "So you'll have to base your pettiness on something else."
"The staffing of Sickbay is at my discretion. Starfleet can attempt to dump whoever they want on me, I do not have to accept them. As far as my discretion goes, I can turn her down based on her training, her age, her height."
"Her height?" Cassandra echoed, curious.
"She's far too tall," Nicole said, prompting a full-on eye roll from Cassandra, which Nicole ignored. "Not to mention prideful, a bit snobbish-sounding, self-confident to the point of arrogance and stop looking at me like that!"
By that point Cass was sitting back, legs cross, arms folded, and one eyebrow arched royally in mock indignation. "So, what, you're afraid she'll steal your thunder?"
"I'm worried I'll put a hypospray through her temple in a week," Nicole said.
"Likewise, I'm sure," Cassandra said. "You're no peach yourself, sugarplum, and I'm pretty sure she's as frustrated with your 'self-assurance as you are with hers. So coming here hoping I won't read before I sign is not going to work."
Cass suddenly brightened, something that made the hairs on the back of Nicole's neck stand up. "What?"
"Consider this an object lesson," Cassandra said. "If you can learn to get along with her, then you can see what people have to go through to get along with you. If she's really all that bad, it should be quite a challenge for you."
Nicole snatched her padd back. "You're no help," she said.
"Get back to work," Cassandra said. "When we reach that cube, we're going to need you on your game."
Nicole stuck out her tongue and swept out of Cassandra's office. "So nice to have her back," Cassandra sighed.
Cassandra Sanders
Ship's Counselor
Nicole Anderson
CMO
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