Duty Log - LT(jg) Roswell - "The Monkey and the Cookies"

Posted on Sun Aug 10th, 2014 @ 4:54am by Lieutenant JG Saia Roswell

610 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: In the Dark
Location: Science Office
Timeline: Current

Saia's coffee had gone cold as she looked over the data. The two specialists she had in her office kept looking at each other and then her. She just stared at it with a furrow in her brow. Ensign Marly smiled knowingly to the other officer. Marly had been there since the new refit while this new ensign was fairly new. It was his first assignment in his area of expertise, even.

Marly gave a sad smile toward her chief, "I think we're going to have to call it, Lieutenant. There's no work around. We all thought and did the math. Maybe later on, but..." She nodded to Clemens to chime in.

Clemens blinked and stared at her confused. Then cleared his throat and shifted in his chair as he sat up straight, "I'm sorry, Lieutenant, but if there's anything to do, it's going to take a longer time. The energy fields will have to be harnessed, and ... well, it's in the report."

Saia pursed her lips, "But it looks like such a promising source."

Clemens shook his head, "It would be if we could find it, let alone get to it alive."

Marly sighed, "And the people seem to want to keep it hidden. They're pretty tight lipped about it, but my guess is it's sacred."

"Or they're cruel bastards." Saia dropped the report as Marly and Clemens exchanged looks. She was taking this rather hard.

"Ma'am... if I may..." Clemens bit his lip as he looked at her with sympathy. Marly just sat back and wished for popcorn.

"What?" Saia looked dead into his eyes. Marly knew when to just let her chief stew in disappointment. Eventually some new shiny problem would come along to solve and the Trill would forget all about it. Clemens would learn soon enough.

He froze a moment. The little woman was intimidating when she was pissed, but he always avoided it. He managed to spit out his words, "The Federation is hardly lacking resources. It would have been nice to have this, but we're not bad off without it."

"That doesn't give those people the right to say 'sure come check it out' and giving us up but with no intention of letting us have it." It was obvious she wanted to yell, but managed to keep her volume level.

Marly rolled her eyes seeing Clemens about to pee himself. She smiled at Saia, "I think it might be two sides here... Like... that Sakaria you told me about?"

Saia's face softened at the mention of Sakaria, "That makes sense, but still. Half of that planet is full of bastards."

Marly chuckled, "Agreed." She elbowed Clemens, "Are we excused?"

Saia's face shadowed over with memories as she nodded, "Go ahead." She picked up the report and stood to go deliver the review of the data. The first report was simple fact. this one would be her recommendation. She began to enter in the words:

"After looking over the data and accessing the physical and technical risks, I recommend not looking farther into using the resources of the Noturan planet until further, more focused research can be done. It is not safe to do such research on the surface with the intense weather patterns and the technical interference. I recommend farther data analysis and research at the Science Headquarters to determine ways to circumvent the dangerous obstacles that are in our way to this resource. The only thing that outweighs it's value is life, which would be in danger if we continue as the crew of the Vindicator had."

After that final statement, she signed off on it and went to deliver it.

 

RSS Feed