Rule 13

Posted on Fri Jan 1, 2021 @ 7:10pm by Lieutenant Nicole Anderson & Lieutenant JG Camille Lévesque PhD

1,217 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Archangel
Location: Camille/Nicole's Quarters
Timeline: After Briefing

"You know," Nicole said, as they rode the turbolift down to their quarters, "I never did like chess."

"Non?" Camille asked, leaning against the lift's wall. "I always enjoyed it, despite not being very good at it."

"Strategy, forethought, planning out your opponent's moves," Nicole said. "Diagnoses are so much easier. You read the symptoms, you make the diagnosis. If a new symptom presents, you deal with it in the present. You don't sit there and spend your time wondering what will happen next. See a wound? Stitch it. Broken leg? Set it. Simple."

"And what happens in the rare circumstance where fixing the symptom compounds the problem? Or hides some other important detail?" Camille looked away a moment, thinking hard about the metaphor. "Broken arm. You set the bone, tell them it will be sore for a few days. The patient ignores a different source of pain, thinking it to be normal. Unlikely, I know, but you can't say it's impossible. When testing scientific hypotheses, anticipating the next step is crucial. In X conditions, Y will happen. If Z happens instead, then there's something curious going on. Or the experiment is flawed." She took Nicole's hand and smiled. "Keeping an eye to what might come in the future is seldom a waste of time or effort."

The turbolift doors opened and Nicole stalked out, still holding Camille by the hand. "Except in medicine the future is far more nebulous. In the game we're playing, the moves are a bit more rigid, if more numerous. Nonetheless, here we are. So, rule 13: Whatever your enemy does well, do it better."

"Not a bad rule," Camille observed, "if a bit difficult to implement universally."

They reached their quarters and the doors opened for them, and closed behind them. "We're dealing with two master strategists trying to outmaneuver each other. Whatever Kennit's going to do, Markus has already planned for it. Whatever secret base we're heading for, he knows about it. Whatever rocks she's going to look under, he's probably already kicked. He knows it, she knows it. The only way we're going to make any progress is to play their game on our terms: be sneakier, look in spots he doesn't have knowledge of."

"Or to play multiple games at once," Camille added, removing her commbadge and rank pips and setting them on the shelf. "Look where he thinks we will and also where he doesn't."

"Exactly," Nicole said, then sighed. "To be frank, this is one of the reasons I didn't go back to the Castel," she said, sitting down at their desk, gesturing for Camille to pull up a chair. "I didn't want Amber's job. I didn't want this to be every day for me. I wanted to heal people, hold a newborn baby in my arms, and go home at night knowing I spent my day doing the right thing, not just the correct thing."

"I can see the appeal." Camille took the offered seat. "Do you have a sense of what the Castel crew are going to do? Will they be with us or against us on this? Or both or neither?"

"They're with us," Nicole said, gesturing between the two of them. "As for the rest of the ship, we'll see." She pulled up the communications system and began entering codes. "As for being against anyone, my guess is only if someone gets in their way. Which is why we're going to circumvent Federation space for the time being." She pulled up a Klingon frequency and sent out a hail. "I just hope he's within range," she said.

"Who?"

"A friend," Nicole said. "Someone I met on a medical mission, while on the Ommadawn."

The screen came to life and a relatively handsome Klingon was staring at them. He immediately broke into a grin and gave a hearty laugh. "The healer with the diamond eyes and the golden voice! Good to see you again!"

"And you, my silver-tongued friend," Nicole said, grinning. "How have you been?"

"Well," he said, proudly. "My war with the ship continues, as always, but she is in good fighting condition, and we continue to sail smoothly. If we could just find some decent bloodwine this far out, it would be a joyous voyage, indeed. How are you faring? You look decidedly less caustic since last we saw each other." He let out a hearty chuckle. "Of course, you also look far more sober."

Nicole grinned, and blushed a bit at Camille's glance. "Yes, well, I found something more intoxicating than your noxious brew. May I present my t'hy'la, Doctor Camille Levesque, our ship's Chief Science Officer."

Camille smiled at the Klingon and waved. "Enchantée."

K'Vegh stepped back and gave a slow, solemn bow. "As one warrior to another, it is an honor to meet you."

This prompted Camille to giggle, both at the strange sight of the Klingon's gallantry and his implication. "Thank you, Monsieur, but I'm a scientist, not a warrior."

"I assure you," he said, his eyes twinkling, "any person with the might to tame this beast," he tilted his head at Nicole," must be a formidable warrior indeed."

Her cheeks flushed and her smile wide, Camille laughed and kissed Nicole on the cheek. "I'll concede that point."

"petaQ," Nicole said, albeit warmly. "I seem to recall, less sober or not, I beat you in arm wrestling, and you owe me a favor."

"Name it," he said, putting his arms wide. "If it is within my power, it is yours."

"Call in some of your chits and tell your Captain you need three weeks furlough," she said.

He blinked and looked at them. "For what purpose?"

"Chiefly, a visit to my ship, a chance to meet my better half in person, and a chance to drink my brandy. And tell your Captain that if agrees, I'll throw a bottle in for him as well."

"Three weeks may be difficult," he said, "but I can see when we'll be passing by."

"Your leave would need to start tomorrow," Nicole said. "We're going to be heading to some remote areas, but we can swing by and drop you off after. I would greatly appreciate your company, K'Vegh," she said.

He looked at her for a long moment. "I shall speak with my Captain," he said, "and I shall see you in two days time."

"I'll keep you appraised of our coordinates," Nicole said. "I look forward to seeing you. Better work up those arm muscles."

At that, K'Vegh's smile returned and he threw his head back laughing as he closed the channel.

"Well," Nicole said, "that's done." She looked at Camille. "Who did you say you knew on Jupiter station? The main bartender there?"

"My uncle, Maxime," she answered. "Plus a number of staff and regulars. Freighter Captains who did regular business there. A few of the civilian programmers at the Zimmerman Institute. Why?"

Nicole chewed her lip for a moment. "When is Maxime's birthday?"

"A little more than a month from now," Camille answered, understanding her meaning. "And he likes interesting artifacts to display in the bar."

"I think we need to make sure his gift arrives in time," Nicole said.

 

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