Fade In, Fade Out

Posted on Wed Jun 21, 2023 @ 9:22pm by Fleet Captain Rhea Kennit & Lieutenant Commander Zachary Addams
Edited on on Wed Jun 21, 2023 @ 9:23pm

713 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: We Will Take Care of You
Location: Captain's Ready Room
Timeline: Day after the androids leave

Zach came on the bridge and walked down to the Captain's ready room, gripping the padd in his hands a bit harder than was probably necessary, but he needed the reassurance. He pressed the panel for the chime and stood as patiently as he could manage.

After a short pause, the door opened as the Captain called out “Enter!”

Zach stepped inside and walked up to the Captain's desk. "Captain," he said, steeling himself. "I am officially requesting a transfer, preferably back to Earth."

The Captain rolled her gaze toward the Doctor for a moment, looked at him and then replied simply “Denied.”

"Captain...." he struggled for a word. "Permission to speak freely?"

With a subtle nod of her head, the Captain leaned back in her seat and turned away from the report she'd been drafting and focused her gaze on Dr. Addams. "By all means..."

"I am not supposed to be here," he blurted out. "I'm supposed to be on Earth, checking Admirals' blood pressures. This ship...they're either lunatics or superheroes. I am neither, I assure you. I'm just a doctor. Hell, the only reason I'm here is because some jackass admiral thought he was doing me a 'favor'." He let out an exasperated breath. "I've no idea what I'm doing here, Captain."

Rather than becoming angry or offended, the Captain just laughed. A genuine laugh that brought a sparkle to her eyes as she answered, "Join the club! Your request is still denied."

Zach deflated. He slumped down until he was sitting in a chair, then felt his shoulder slump down further. "I..." he stopped and swallowed hard, realizing he was attempting to appeal to one of the very lunatics-and-or-superheroes he'd just condemned. "All right then," he said, his voice a bit hollow. "But, with respect, you're making a bad decision."

“I don’t believe so.” she retorted. “And in any case, if I am indeed making a poor decision it is not the first time, nor will it be the last.
Regardless of whether or not this ship is crewed by lunatics and superheroes, what we do is vital to the Federation. We are effectively the first line of defense against the unknown. Someone must keep watch, right now that someone is us. And we are the best at what we do.”

"So if I screw up enough, you'll send me home. Duly noted," Zach deadpanned, nodding sagely.

“If you ‘screw up’ too much I will make your life a living hell. The lives of everyone in this ship are placed into your hands, just as much as they are mine.” the Captain replied. “You took an oath Doctor, do not forget that.”

"To be fair, I said 'enough', not 'too much'," he said, then let out a breath. "Captain, I'm a capable physician, and I can keep this crew patched up, but I'm no soldier. I'm not even much of an adventurer. I'm a shanghaied magician who was wrestled into a teal uniform." As the bitterness leaked into his voice, he straightened his posture and evened his tone. "I don't particularly care for the unknown. In fact, I quite prefer the known." He paused. "How well do you know your crew, Captain?"

Her gaze was locked on him, sharp and piercing. “As for how well do I know my crew? I know their names. I know their records. Some I know more than others.”

He nodded. "That is a point of concern, then," he said. "I suppose I'll have to review their records as well. For as far as that will get me." He sat silently for a moment, looking at his hands clasped in front of him. Finally, he looked up. "I suppose I can give this a try. What harm can a week or two do?"

He stood up and walked to the door. "Probably just long enough to be deatomized by some interdimensional lifeform or assimilated into oblivion," he muttered grumpily as the doors closed behind him.

For her part, the Captain closed her eyes for a moment. Then, she drafted a short note to the ship's Counselor with a recommendation that she pay Dr. Addams a visit as he seemed a bit, 'out of sorts'. Why did Starfleet continually send her the special ones...

 

RSS Feed