“Close encounters of the far kind”
part
2
Scenes:
6.
The not very helpful Vulcan
|
SCENE 1:
Slaughter |
LT: “What the?”
LT
sees the 2 aliens, who were just phasered down with a heavy stun setting, get
back up for a second time. Still hiding, relatively safe, behind the leg of a
console, he sets the phaser to kill. One of the aliens shoots at the captain
again, but hits the leg of the console. The alien now comes straight for the
captain and seems to want to engage in hand to hand combat. The captain is just
in time to shoot the alien… The alien falls down to the floor yet again, but
doesn’t come back up. Not hesitating for a moment, he also kills the second
alien and then the captain addresses all crew through the com system:
LT: “Captain to all crew, set your phasers on kill! phasers
on kill!”
Everyone
complies and continues to shoot at the intruding forces. One by one the aliens
are dropping to the floor in a more equal fight… Slowly but surely the bridge
is cleared of little black creatures. Holcraft returns to his ops station as per
orders of the captain once all the dark critters are gunned down.
LT: “Holcraft, take your station and give me a report.”
Holcraft: “Aye, sir.”
LT: “Captain to sickbay.”
Shelley: “What is it, captain? We’re kind of busy here…”
LT: “Then you’ll have even more to do now, many casualties on the
bridge.”
Shelley: “Have them brought to sickbay if you can, I can’t spare any
of my crew to play taxi right now…”
LT: “Understood. LT out.”
Holcraft: “All decks are reporting, sir. The aliens have been defeated,
all decks are under the control of our own crew. However, sensors indicate 30
dead aliens, 3 less than beamed onboard.”
LT: “Scan for alien life signs onboard…”
Holcraft: “Hold on, transport in progress on deck 15, sir. The 3
remaining aliens are beaming back onboard their own ship. I’m reading a total
of 3 life signs onboard that vessel.”
LT: “Beam them back onboard the Greate Pier, Holcraft. Straight to the
brig.”
Holcraft: “Aye, sir… No go, sir, they’ve beamed directly to their
bridge and they raised some kind of force field around it. They’re raising
shields and are starting up their engines.”
LT: “Pattison! Are you in any shape to fly this ship?”
Pattison: “I think so, sir…”
Pattison
limps to her seat at the helm and sits down… The alien vessel flies off…
LT: “Follow that ship!”
Pattison: “Yes, sir!”
Pattison
immediately follows at full impulse, the same speed as the aliens.
LT: “Holcraft, weapon’s status…”
Holcraft: “Phasers are still down, photon torpedoes are available.”
LT: “Why aren’t they jumping to warp?
Holcraft: “I think that’s all they might have, at least at the
moment… Or maybe it’s a sublight vessel.”
LT: “Captain to security.”
Reinard: “Reinard here.”
LT: “Assemble a 6 man security team and prepare to beam aboard the
alien ship. Be advised, there are 3 aliens onboard that vessel.”
Reinard: “Understood, sir.”
LT: “Holcraft, the bridge is yours. You, Pattison and K’Ehlen, stay
at your posts. Wherever that ship goes, follow it! Stop that ship at all cost,
but try to keep that thing in one piece. Try to knock out their shields, so you
can beam the security team onboard.”
Holcraft: “Yes, sir!”
He
now addresses the rest of the people on the bridge in a louder voice.
LT: “The rest of you, who are able, help bring the wounded to sickbay
immediately.”
Despite
his own injuries, the captain himself moves to the closest person in need of
assistance, Eisinga. Eisinga sees the captain kneel right beside him and shows a
little smile…
Eisinga: “Hey there, LT, what’s up?”
LT: “Apparently, not you. Let me help you get up, you need to get to
sickbay.”
Eisinga: “Get up? Is it morning already? Just help those people who
really need it… It’s just a little chest pain…”
LT: “Then why are you on the floor, commander? Let’s get you up…”
Eisinga
is helped up and, supported by the captain, is brought to sickbay together with
all other casualties from the bridge and surrounding corridors. Holcraft,
Pattison and K’Ehlen are the only crew left on the bridge… The rest has been
taken to sickbay or is helping others get there…
Holcraft: “Helm, keep at least 3000 meters distance, we don’t want
them to use that damn weapon again…”
Pattison: “Aye, sir.”
Holcraft: “Ok, time to get those shields down. Bridge to transporter
room 1. Are you there, Reinard?”
Reinard: “We’re standing by on the transporter pad…”
Holcraft: “Be ready, I will attempt to knock the shields out now.”
Reinard: “Understood.”
Transporter
chief Amato suggests a different pose first…
Amato: “I suggest you squat down, gentlemen.”
Reinard: “Why?”
Amato: “You’ll see…”
K’Ehlen: “Firing torpedoes!”
A
volley of torpedoes is launched from the Greate Pier and hit the target…
K’Ehlen: “Shields are weakening… Firing again.”
A
fresh volley finds the alien ship.
K’Ehlen: “Their shields are out!”
The
aliens respond by attempting to hit the Greate Pier again with the weapon that
earlier knocked out their shields and engines. The attempt fails, there’s too
much distance between the 2 ships…
K’Ehlen: “Firing at the shield generators…”
A
third batch of torpedoes destroys the generators first time around.
Holcraft: “Bingo! Transporter room 1, beam them over
Amato: “Energizing…”
The
6 man strong, squatting security team is beamed onboard the alien vessel. They
find themselves in a cargo bay not far from the bridge. The room is about 1.80
meters high, so some of the team members have to keep their heads down when they
try to stand up. The doorways are more of a problem; they are just 1.20 meters
high. With drawn phasers, they move into the corridor that leads to the bridge
and are almost immediately confronted with one of the dark critters firing at
them. After a few missed shots in both directions, Kerr manages to hit the alien
right in the chest and exclaims a loud celebratory growl. The team continues
down the corridor and finds the door to the bridge. The door is locked. Reinard
tries to open the door by pushing some buttons on a control panel next to the
door.
Kerr: “Sir, we’ll have to cut it open…”
While
2 men cover the left and 2 men cover the right corridor, Kerr and Reinard
start
cutting open the door. They guide their phaser fire around the entire door, as
they will need all the height and width they can get to get through the midget
doorway.
Reinard: “Alright men, get ready, almost there…”
The
4 men guarding the corridors move back to Reinard
and Kerr as they finished
cutting the door… Three men on each side of the door, ready to burst in. Kerr,
first on the right of the door, looks at Reinard.
Reinard
nods at Kerr and
without hesitating for a second, the Klingon gives the door a firm kick and
moves back to the side of the door. The heavy metal door falls down onto the
bridge and immediately the 2 remaining aliens fire their weapons through the
freshly cut opening. While resting on one knee, Reinard
is the first to fire
back, Kerr soon follows suit. The aliens are taking up positions at the far side
of the bridge, which is surprisingly big for those small creatures, 14 by 14
meters but still only 1.80 meters high. They hide behind consoles, which seems
like a good idea to the team leader: Reinard
notices a console on the
right-hand side of the bridge.
Reinard: “Kerr, Philips, get behind that console… Marks, as soon as
they move in, take Kerr’s place and cover them with phaser fire.”
All
3 officers nod and get ready to act.
Reinard: “GO!”
Reinard
shoots at where he last saw the aliens and Marks soon joins him after Kerr and
Philips start running over to the console. Trying to hide behind the 70 cm high
console isn’t very comfortable for a big Klingon…
Kerr: “Tiny petaQ!”
Reinard
taps his combadge to address all away team members.
Reinard: “Reinard to away team. Marks and I will now move over to the
first console to the left. All 4 of you cover us with phaser fire as soon as we
move in. After that, move in closer to the alien positions at your own
discretion, fire at anything that moves and is shorter than 1 meter…”
Reinard
now addresses the other 2 men in the corridor.
Reinard: “You 2 stay here and let no alien leave the bridge.”
Nods
confirm the orders.
Reinard: “Get ready, Marks. GO!”
The
two move to the console while the other 4 obey orders and lay down phaser fire.
After that, Philips is the first to move in closer. While aliens and allies are
firing back and forth, he sees his chance to stand up from behind the console
and run over to a wide chair. Just before he could crouch down behind it, he is
hit in the stomach area by enemy fire and falls down behind the chair…
Philips: “Philips to away team, I’m hit… I think I’m bleeding a
bit… I think…”
Philips
passes out…
Reinard: “Dammit! Philips, can you hear me?”
No
response.
Reinard: “Reinard to Greate Pier. I’ve got one wounded officer here
on the alien vessel, unknown injuries, he’s out cold. Can you beam Philips to
sickbay?”
In
the background some officers enter the bridge and assume various vacant
stations.
Holcraft: “Negative, away team. The force field around the bridge is
still up. You’ll have to move him off the bridge.”
Reinard: “That might be a problem…”
Holcraft: “Explain…”
Reinard: “No time. Have the transporter chief stand by to beam Philips
directly to sickbay.”
Holcraft: “Understood. The chief and sickbay will be alerted. Carry on
and be careful. Greate Pier out.”
Reinard: “Away team, lay down fire, I’m going to get Philips.”
The
remaining away team members start shooting. Reinard
moves in to get his shot
down colleague. The aliens fire just a few random shots in response to the
continuous firing from the enemy. Reinard’s hip is grazed very lightly, but
he manages to drag Philips off the bridge, while the phaser fight continues
unrelentlessly.
Reinard: “Reinard to Greate Pier, beam Philips to sickbay.”
Philips
almost immediately dematerializes in front of the away team leader.
Marks: “I’ve got one!”
An
alien body can be seen hanging over a console in the distance.
Reinard: “Good job. Let’s fry that last one too, men. Move in, but
don’t take unnecessary risks.”
One
by one they move towards the last remaining alien, hiding behind consoles,
chairs and whatever is big enough. The alien responds with heavy fire. It is not
long before the alien, in another desperate attempt to shoot the 5 remaining
enemy giants, is shot by Kerr.
Kerr: “HAAAA!”
Reinard: “Well done! Away team to Greate Pier.
Before
Holcraft can answer, LT, who just returned to the bridge, answers for him:
LT: “Well done, gentlemen. Holcraft, I’ll take the bridge again...”
Holcraft: “Aye, sir.”
LT
sits down on his throne…
LT: “Reinard, sweep the entire ship, room by room. Make sure there’s
no one left onboard and all is safe. An engineering crew will beam aboard
shortly.”
Reinard: “We’re on it, sir.”
LT: “Captain to engineering.”
Serrag: “Serrag here, sir.”
LT: “I want an engineering crew on the alien ship a.s.a.p. Stop the
engines on that thing and tractor it into the shuttle bay as soon as security
clears that vessel.”
Serrag: “We’re on our way, sir.”
LT: “Holcraft, Pattison, K’Ehlen… Very well done.”
Holcraft: “Thank you, sir.”
LT: “Hmmm, you don’t look too happy, lieutenant.”
After
a short pause:
Holcraft: “We lost quite a few people, didn’t we, sir?”
LT: “14 Giles… 14 people…”
LT
stares into the distance and Holcraft drops his head slightly…
LT: “What do those aliens want anyway?”
In
a louder and prouder voice he continues after a few seconds of silence.
LT: “At least those bastards didn’t get my ship!”
Holcraft: “At least we killed all 33 of them too…”
LT: “It’s not about scores, Holcraft. If I could’ve captured them
instead of killing them, I would have. I don’t like to kill, Giles, but
they’ve left us no choice. Apparently a stun setting doesn’t influence them
so much and my people were dropping like flies…”
Again
a few seconds of silence…
LT: “Holcraft, the chair is yours again, I need to report to
Starfleet.”
Holcraft: “Aye, sir.”
The
captain walks into his ready room and hails Starfleet Command.
Mullins: “Ah, captain. How’s the progress? Have you arrived at MTRP
V?”
LT: “No… No, sir, we have not. We ran into a ship full of those
aliens, admiral. We took a heavy beating and we were boarded… We’ve lost 14
people.”
Mullins: “Dammit!...”
Mullins
falls silent, not quite sure what to say.
LT: “The Greate Pier suffered extensive hull damage, warp is down, as
well as shields.”
Mullins
looks and sounds annoyed as he replies…
Mullins: “And conveniently, you’ve got nothing more than a skeleton
engineering crew onboard.”
LT: “Minus the 2 we lost in the battle. More details on the attack
later, sir, I think we first need to establish what we’re going to do now. Get
to the nearest colony for repairs or continue on the Kaneda mission. Which seems
unlikely since we don’t have warp at the moment…”
Then
the com system connects engineering to the captain’s location:
Bynes: “Bynes to the captain.”
LT: “Go ahead.”
Bynes: “We’ve got the warp engines back online and should have
shields back within the hour. The damage seems to be remarkably minor.”
LT: “Thank you, keep me updated. LT out. Did you listen in, admiral?”
Mullins: “Yes, captain. And in the light of that knowledge I think
it’s wise to continue the mission as planned. If this latest incident proves
anything, it is that this mission is imperative.”
LT: “Agreed. Some more good news I failed to mention. We managed to
kill all the aliens and are currently trying to bring their vessel into our
shuttle bay.”
The
admiral seems half angry hearing that news…
Mullins: “All of them? You killed all of them?!”
LT: “Yes, sir. Unfortunately the stun setting had little to no effect
on them…”
Mullins: “Hmm, well, I can’t say I’m sorry… But I would have
liked a little chat with one of them.”
LT: “For some reason they don’t strike me as the diplomatic type…
Anyway, my guess is that the alien shuttle as well as the dead alien bodies will
also reveal a wealth of information…”
Mullins: “Let’s hope so. Make it the top priority of your sickbay
personnel and make sure the alien vessel does not pose a threat in any way
before you bring it into the shuttle bay and have it under 24 hour observation.
However, the priority of engineering should be with repairing the Greate Pier
first, since your engineering department is heavily understaffed. The alien
vessel can wait for now.”
LT: “Understood.”
Mullins: “Continue with your mission, LT… The value of these colonies
may not be so great on their own, but I don’t want to lose any more people…
And let’s also not forget that these colonies form a border of Federation
territory, we need to protect this border with all we have.”
LT: “We’ll leave for MTRP V as soon as the shuttle has been tractored
onboard, sir.”
Mullins: “Good luck… And stay in one piece, we need the Greate Pier
to complete this mission. Mullins out.”
|
SCENE 2:
Confiscation |
Eisinga
walks onto the bridge and relieves Holcraft.
Eisinga: “It seems I was right, Holcraft.”
Holcraft: “Sir?”
Eisinga: “About you getting another chance to be in command…”
Holcraft
can finally laugh.
Holcraft: “Haha, yes, sir.”
Eisinga
sits down in de big chair with a similar smile.
Eisinga: “What’s the status on the alien ship, lieutenant?”
Holcraft: “Security has cleared the ship and an engineering crew is
currently trying to stop the engines on that thing.”
Eisinga: “Alright. Eisinga to engineering away team. Any progress?”
Serrag: “We’re still figuring out how to stop the engines, the
indecipherable controls seem to give us the necessary difficulty.”
Eisinga: “I see…”
Serrag: “We’re attempting… Sir, we just came to a full stop.”
Eisinga: “Helm, all stop.”
Pattison: “All stop, sir.”
Eisinga: “Say, Pattison, weren’t you hurt in the skirmish? Have you
been to sickbay already?”
Pattison: “No, sir, not yet. I just have a bit of a sore knee, it’s
alright, sir…”
Eisinga: “I bet… Your reluctance to report to sickbay reminds me of
myself. Report to sickbay immediately.”
Pattison: “Yes, sir.”
Serrag: “Sir, shall we proceed to tractor the alien shuttle into the
shuttle bay?”
Eisinga: “Will that even fit, commander?”
Serrag: “Barely, sir.”
Eisinga: “Alright, proceed.”
Serrag: “Immediately, sir. Serrag out.”
Eisinga: “The bridge is yours again, I’ve had enough for one day.”
Holcraft
talks to himself while he moves to the preheated captain’s chair. Eisinga
leaves the bridge in the meantime.
Holcraft: “Must be my lucky day…”
Just
after Eisinga stepped on the turbo lift and the doors closed, Stilson, who took
over Holcraft’s ops position, calls out as he immediately realizes the
commander has just left.
Stilson: “Commander? Oh…”
Holcraft: “What is it, Stilson?”
Stilson: “There’s a large vessel ahead, sir.”
Holcraft: “Can you identify it?”
Stilson: “It’s similar in composition to the alien vessel we’ve
just captured.”
Holcraft
jumps up from the comfy chair…
Holcraft: “Is it moving towards us?”
Stilson: “Negative, sir. It’s not moving at all…”
Holcraft: “Is it the same type as the one we confiscated?”
Stilson: “No, sir, it’s bigger… It’s really, really
big.”
Holcraft: “…define big.”
Stilson: “It’s about… 1411 times the volume of the shuttle…”
Holcraft: “What the hell? Don’t take any scans, Stilson, you
might alert them to our presence. Visual observation only. Bridge to
Commander Serrag.”
Serrag: “Go ahead…”
Holcraft: “Is the shuttle onboard?”
Serrag: “We just closed the shuttle bay doors, the shuttle is
secured.”
Holcraft: “Thank you, bridge out.”
Stilson: “Shouldn’t we contact the captain, sir?”
Holcraft: “I will contact the captain shortly, but first we need to get
out of here, before they see us… Who knows what that monster ship can do…”
Stilson: “I won’t argue with that…”
Holcraft: “Helm, resume original course to MTRP V at warp 9.”
|
SCENE 3:
Casualties |
The
captain walks into sickbay and finds Doctor Shelley treating a patient with a
minor leg wound. The captain, looking very fatigued, asks:
LT: “What’s the current state of affairs, doctor?”
Shelley: “Still 14 fatalities, no patients in critical condition…
These 4 patients are the last ones, they all have minor injuries.”
LT: “Good, good...”
Shelley: “I’ve sent about 10 people to their quarters to get some
rest. They will report for duty again tomorrow. Two more will spend the night in
sickbay for observation. It seems everyone either suffered minor injuries or…
well… died…”
LT: “Coincidence or not, but that’s pretty much what happened to the
aliens as well. Only, they’re all dead by now.”
Shelley
almost seems annoyed.
Shelley: “I know. I had to cram 20 of them into just 5 stasis
units… The morgue could hold just 10 aliens. The Federation victims of the
Utis VIII attack and the boarding occupy a considerable part of my morgue.”
LT: “Well, prepare for more alien bodies… We’re in pursuit of the
alien vessel.”
Shelley: “Great!”
LT: “After you finished treating your patients, try to find out why we
couldn’t stun them… I want to know if there’s any way we can stop them
without having to kill them. And, by order of Admiral Mullins, try to find out anything
you can about these creatures, as your top priority…”
Shelley: “Yes, sir. And captain…”
LT: “Yes, doctor?”
Shelley: “Get some sleep…”
LT: “Believe me, you don’t have to make that an order…”
Before
he leaves, his stomach asks a question:
LT: “Oh, eh, doctor… About those aliens… Do they have… red meat
on their bones, or…?”
Shelley: “I haven’t examined the alien bodies yet… Why?”
LT: “Oh, never mind, I’ll eh… I’ll replicate something…”
LT
leaves and heads for his quarters, leaving a puzzled doctor…
|
SCENE 4: To
the limit |
Maresca: “Incoming message from Admiral Mullins, sir.”
Eisinga: “On screen, Maresca. Admiral, good morning.”
Mullins: “Good morning, commander. Where’s captain LT?”
Eisinga: “I think he involuntarily postponed his good morning,
sir. He had a rough day yesterday.”
Mullins: “Like all of you, no doubt. What’s your status,
commander?”
Eisinga: “We will arrive at MTRP V at approximately 1600 hours.”
Mullins: “I hope that’s soon enough… Stewart colony spotted another
alien shuttle, like the one in your shuttle bay. They observed it near their
moon about a half hour ago.”
Eisinga: “No attacks or threats?”
Mullins: “No, not yet anyway. But that’s not all… MTRP III and IV
also reported seeing the same type of craft in the last half hour.”
Eisinga: “Then I bet they’re looking for the shuttle we
captured…”
Mullins: “Yes, probably… And that’s why you need to be extra
careful, commander… If they find out we have their shuttle, there’s no
telling what deadly repercussions may follow…”
Eisinga: “Understood.”
Mullins: “And as they seem to be all around us, going where and as they
please, we need to speed up the project, commander.”
Eisinga: “Alright, sir. Helm, increase to warp 9.8.”
Pattison: “Yes, sir. Warp 9.8.”
Eisinga: “We can’t keep up 9.8 forever, but surely up to 12 hours or
so…”
Mullins: “Push that ship to the limit without breaking it… I’ve had
to contact way too many families with bad news in the past few days, so don’t
linger at the colonies and get the job done quickly.”
Eisinga: “We will, sir, I promise.”
Mullins: “Mullins out.”
|
SCENE 5:
Memorial |
In
cargo bay 3 there are 7 coffins parallel to each other. Next to them is a row of
7 torpedo caskets. All 14 of them covered by a large Federation flag. The
captain enters the cargo bay and faces a crowd of hundreds, barely fitting in
that space. Despite the large number of attending crew, it is eerily silent.
Captain LT breaks the silence:
LT: “Thank you everyone, for being here today. Seven will be given a
space burial, seven will be buried or cremated on Earth by their families. But
today we honor all 14 members of our crew who lost their lives defending this
ship and its crew during the boarding by the aliens. We won, but unfortunately,
at the cost of their lives.
We also honor the 136 colonists of Utis VIII. The remains of the few
colonists we were able to find will be examined first in the hope we can find
out more about the immensely powerful weapon that destroyed the colony.
We’ve all been aboard this ship for a relatively short time, but
despite that, we’ve managed to form a very good and efficient crew we can all
be proud of. I know I am. Undoubtedly these 14 men and women made friends
aboard this ship. Not only do they leave those friends behind, but also all the
other crew members whom they served with and who can also be proud of them.
We will all grieve in our way for this loss. But, also know this… We
can further honor them by continuing this mission with full force and renewed
vigor. Grieve for your friends and colleagues, but don’t bow your
heads. Let’s finish what we started, what they helped us start.”
LT
nods to ensign who now blows the boatswain’s whistle. The 7 torpedo caskets
are beamed into space, one after another, and are all sent on their way... Soon
after, the attending crew is leaving the cargo bay, creating quite a queue.
Mansfield, in the back of the queue, airs his opinion to a colleague.
His
colleague, already aware of Commander Eisinga standing right next to
Eisinga: “Don’t you think you should refrain from such comments in
public? Especially in a crowd that just attended the funeral of 14 of their
shipmates?”
Eisinga: “I think everyone may hear the truth, SIR.”
Eisinga: “Suuure, speak freely…”
Mansfield: “I
will. I think continuing this mission is madness!”
Eisinga: “And then what? Let the aliens destroy all colonies? Let all
the colonists die?”
Eisinga: “With what ship? The Greate Pier can’t evac over 11.000
people… And to where? Even you can see that that is impossible… And
besides, Starfleet does not tuck tail and leave…”
Medical
personnel are removing the 7 coffins in the background while the majority of the
people already managed to exit the cargo bay.
Eisinga: “And that’s why you’re a crewman.”
Eisinga: “That has nothing to do with it. I would have objected to
anyone ranting those negative words, which aren’t particularly motivating to
the many people who were within the reach of your voice…”
Eisinga: “No, you just say what you think without thinking, there’s a
difference. Discretion is the better part of valor. Whatever you discuss with
your friends when off duty is your own business, but as long as you’re on
duty, you stick to being a team player.”
Mansfield: “A team
player? Oh come on, there isn’t a rule in the book that limits my freedom of
speech.”
Eisinga: “You might be right. However, you are now under orders not to
engage in any discussion that might demotivate the crew, while on duty.”
Mansfield: “What?!
You can’t do that! That is ridiculous!”
Eisinga: “Permission to speak freely is hereby revoked. Dismissed,
crewman.”
Mansfield: “I’m
reporting this to the captain.”
Eisinga: “Please, make my day.”
Mansfield
leaves the cargo bay as nurse Halstead walks into the cargo bay, returning the
Clydesdale horse.
|
SCENE 6: The
not very helpful Vulcan |
Eisinga
sits behind the desk in his ready room working on something on the PADD
in his
hand. He suddenly hears the door chime. Without looking up from his PADD
he
answers.
Eisinga: “Come in.”
The
door opens to reveal Serrag. He approaches the desk.
Serrag: “Reporting as ordered, sir.”
Still
not looking up from his PADD:
Eisinga: “At ease, commander. Sit down.”
Serrag
parks himself in the chair. Eisinga still doesn’t move his head up from the PADD, but he does direct his look at Serrag.
Eisinga: “Commander, a complaint reached me today…”
He
drops the PADD
on the desk and folds his hands together.
Eisinga: “Apparently, Lieutenant Commander Selurtis is not too fond of
the way you seem to communicate with him. Among less suitable choices of words,
he described it as you having a superiority complex…”
Serrag: “Not a complex, sir, like I said to…”
Eisinga
interrupts:
Eisinga: “Yes, yes, I’m well aware of what you said about that.
Selurtis explained all of it to me… quite loudly.
After
a short pause he continues.
Eisinga: “Serrag, why did you talk like that to him? On several
occasions, I might add…”
Serrag: “It’s his leg, sir.”
Eisinga: “His leg? What’s with his leg?”
Serrag: “I’m pulling it, sir.”
Eisinga: “You’re… pulling his leg?”
Serrag: “Yes, sir. And with the truth, in fact.”
Eisinga: “So I see… Well, superior or not, it’s not the kind of
behavior I’ve come to expect from a Vulcan.”
Serrag: “Sir, please, do not base your expectations of me on the fact I
was born to a certain race. That would border on discrimination. Everyone is an
individual, regardless of race.”
Eisinga: “Hmm, yes…”
Serrag: “If I may speak freely, sir.”
Eisinga: “You may…”
Selurtis: “I think Lieutenant Commander Selurtis is unable to accept
the truth in this matter.”
Eisinga: “Well, I think it’s the fact that you confront him so
directly with your superiority that triggers his hostility.”
Serrag: “Hmmm, that’s more or less what the counselor said about
that.”
Eisinga
in stunned but also amused hearing that. He smiles a bit when he says:
Eisinga: “You… You went to see the counselor about this?”
Immediately
Eisinga put up big eyes, apparently shocked at his own brazen words…
Eisinga: “Sorry about that, commander…”
Serrag: “That’s alright, commander, that’s also more or less what
the counselor himself said.”
Eisinga: “And it’s none of my business either what you discuss with
the counselor. Anyway, I do agree, somewhat, with what you said. He might not
want to accept much negative stuff right now. And I’ll tell you why…”
Serrag: “I think I understand. He’s under a great deal of stress
because of the alien attacks. Security is the number one issue to address at the
moment and he’s in charge of it…”
Eisinga: “That too, of course…”
The
commander stands up from his chair and starts walking around…
Eisinga: “But there’s more, but you need to promise me not to tell
anyone else. Only the captain and I know about it and it’s a very personal
issue regarding Lieutenant Commander Selurtis.”
Serrag: “I promise.”
Eisinga: “Selurtis lost his wife and son in a shuttle accident almost a
year ago. So, you can understand that in combination with his duties here, that
unfortunate loss weighs heavy upon him.”
Serrag: “I understand, sir.”
Eisinga: “Alright, commander. That will be all, dismissed.”
Serrag
walks to the door and then turns around…
Serrag: “Sir, if I maybe so bold…”
Eisinga: “It seems to be your forté, go ahead.”
Eisinga
sits back down while Serrag speaks.
Serrag: “You seem awfully relaxed under these circumstances… We’ve
been attacked, suffered many dead and we’re nowhere close to making security
on the border colonies water tight…”
Eisinga: “Well, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried about this
whole situation with those damned aliens… And of course I’m sad for the
heavy loss of life and even the damage to the ship… But I’m a positive kind
of guy. And luckily, the captain is too… If the high ranked officers on this
ship locked themselves up in their quarters and cried for a week it wouldn’t
help anyone, though I’m sure the captain feels the loss of 14 of his crew the
most… Come to think of it, Serrag, perhaps that’s something you can help out
with... Be seen by your crew, be a positive influence… I’m sure there
are many people on your crew who also feel the loss of their friends and
shipmates and it’s easy to feel defeated… Though they have the right to feel
like crap and mourn, we also have to continue as a steadfast crew on an
important mission, like the captain said in the eulogy. In order to prevent more
attacks like the ones we suffered we need to continue with our mission.
For that we need a motivated crew…”
Serrag: “I understand, sir. I’m sure I can manage to get my crew to
function adequately under the present circumstances.”
Eisinga: “I trust you can, commander.”
Serrag: “I don’t have many crew left anyway…”
Eisinga: “All the more reason… This ship needs to be patched up badly
and with your skeleton engineering crew that might take a while, especially if
their not motivated…”
Serrag: “We’ll get it done, sir.”
Eisinga: “One more thing, Serrag. Selurtis also mentioned something
else to me. I agreed with it. He said that it’s a good thing that
Vulcans just mate and reproduce once every 7 years, or else the whole universe
would be 'Vulcanized' in no time.”
Serrag: "Even I agree, sir. Too many Vulcans is not a
good thing. Unfortunate as it may sound to Selurtis, I personally don't
agree with mating just every 7 years…"
Serrag leaves with a smirk on his face, copied by Eisinga as he shakes
his head and continues working on his PADD.
|
SCENE 7:
Headache |
Pattison: “E.T.A. in 3 minutes, sir.”
LT: “Thank you, helm. LT to shuttle bay.”
Elpek: “Shuttle bay. Elpek here, sir.”
Elpek
is an Edosian, a species easily recognizable because of the orange red skin, 3
arms,
3 legs
and 3 fingers on each hand…
LT: “Prepare to launch the Kaneda’s in 2 minutes.”
Elpek: “The Kaneda’s are already standing by for your order, sir.”
LT: “Good, good. LT out.”
Eisinga
enters the bridge and takes place next to his superior.
LT: “How did it go with Serrag?”
Eisinga: “Oh, pretty good. He understands Selurtis’ situation a
little better now. I don’t expect any more trouble from him, he was just out
for some fun. He’s a pretty weird kind of Vulcan, you know?”
LT: “Absolutely…”
Eisinga: “With a particularly confronting sense of humor. Sound
familiar?”
They
both laugh, the captain knows he’s begin referred to.
LT: “Absolutely…”
Eisinga: “Anyway, he’ll try to keep his ever decreasing crew as
motivated as he can. Unfortunately I can’t say the same for my best friend.”
LT: “Your best friend?”
Eisinga: “Yeah, my buddy Mansfield…”
LT: “
Eisinga: “So, he hasn’t reported me yet? Hahaha…”
LT: “Eh, no, guess not.”
Eisinga: “Hmmm, then I guess he chickened out. And it’s not a
particularly nice story for you…”
The
captain looks somewhat surprised.
LT: “Oh?”
Eisinga: “He apparently thinks you’re not making the right decisions
regarding this mission.”
LT: “Oh, well… I’m sure there are more people who don’t agree
with me on a lot of things…”
Eisinga: “Yes, well, he actually…”
LT
interrupts him, as if he wasn’t speaking at all…
LT: “This isn’t a democracy, you know… We don’t need to agree on
anything, my decisions are final. Besides, concerning this mission, most choices
are made by the admiral, not me…”
Eisinga: “Well, he also ehm…”
LT: “He what?”
Eisinga: “He ehm… actually went as far as saying you eh… well…”
LT: “Just say it, man! I won’t bite… much.”
Eisinga
replies with a firm voice while looking directly into the captain’s eyes:
Eisinga: “You need to have your head examined!”
LT: “Oh… Oh? I eh… I see… He did say that, huh?”
Eisinga
smiles and nods in the captain’s direction. LT sits up straight and adjusts
his waistcoat. Two seconds later he starts laughing…
Eisinga: “Haha, well, I know you can bare the insult… But that
insubordination wasn’t what bothered me at that time…”
LT: “Something else did, I gather?”
Eisinga: “He was loudly discussion this with another officer when the
attending crew were leaving after the memorial service today.”
LT: “Questionable timing indeed…”
Eisinga: “Especially since he apparently felt the necessity to exclaim
certain things like ‘A lot more people
will die anyway…’.
LT: “Hmmm, not good, not good…”
Eisinga: “We can’t have someone calling out demotivating stuff like
that with hundreds of people present. Especially just after a memorial
service… We need to stick together like a family…”
LT: “A family? I don’t agree… I’m very fond of my parents and my
brother, Eldert, but I couldn’t care less about the rest of my relatives…
Having relatives is a biological necessity and you can’t choose your
relatives. People shouldn’t presume on a close bond, just because you happen
to have a common ancestor.”
Eisinga: “Ok, ok, wrong choice of words, hahaha…”
LT’s
attention is diverted to the conn officer.
Pattison: “E.T.A. in 10 seconds, sir.”
LT: “Thank you, helm.”
LT
now faces Eisinga again.
LT: “But I do agree, Eldert. We can’t have some loony walking around,
shouting doomsday stories around the corridors. I’m leaving the choice whether
or not to impose disciplinary measures to you. Bear in mind that even
Eisinga: “I already did and I kept it mild for that very reason.”
The
Greate Pier drops out of warp and assumes an orbit around MTRP V.
LT: “Alright, send me a report of this incident. First, some more
immediate issues.”
LT
stands up from his chair.
LT: “Captain to shuttle bay, launch the Kaneda’s.”
Elpek: “Launching now in progress, sir.”
Eisinga
smiles and says:
Eisinga: “I retract my chicken statement.”
LT: “Go ahead, crewman.”
LT: “Well, ehm… actually, I don’t… I’m about to go to
sickbay… I’m eh… I’m having my head checked.”
The 2 Kaneda shuttles fly away from the Greate Pier, which soon after jumps to warp.