Trust, it is a Weird Thing

Posted on 28 Aug 2020 @ 1:35pm by Commander Kristiana Petrova & Lieutenant Sovok & Lieutenant Madalene Sabine & Lieutenant Callisi Veera & Ensign Cydwenn Sov

1,547 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Ab Intra
Location: Quarters & Bridge

=/= Begin Log =/=

A caged Madalene paced her quarters, periodically stopping to at the cloned ops console to see what was going on the bridge.

Trust, it is a weird thing.

Madalene did trust her follow officers, or did she. Was that why she didn't let everyone in on the plan? Or, was it not trusting them monitoring the plan right, hence the cloned ops console. Biting her nails, she wandered back over to her console as she monitored the ops console. Everything was looking good, "right?" Madalene muttered to herself, as she continued to fight the urge to send message after message to her bridge counterpart to make sure everything was within the parameters she had set.

The smart thing to do would be just apologize to the Vulcan, and somehow act normal, or at least less erratic , {do you think you can act normal?} A nagging voice in the back of her head asked.

"Yeah, of course I can, right?" Madalene said, talking to herself but not realizing that she was. "Yes, that's what I'll do just go and apologize, that simple. Like everything is!"

"Yes yes, everything should remain simple," Madalene said, as she went to biting her fingernails and then to drumming her fingers on her legs. Her mind was racing, hell her whole body was racing and without a second thought she left her quarters. Heading for the bridge. To apologize, yes apologize. Like always the lift was fast and it didn't take long to get to the bridge, "lieutenant Sovok, do you have a minute?" Madalene said, her fingers drumming her fingers against her thigh.

To say that Callisi was surprised to see Madelene on the bridge was an understatement, but Ts'usugi hid their surprise well. The resident rabbitess was at her post, monitoring the variance parameters of all things. Incoming data from the sensors was routed through the science panel first, before it made its way to her panel to update the system. Storm intensity, storm strength, even things like geomagnetic interference or barometric projections were being fed into the system.

Cydwenn was still on the bridge keeping an close eye on the storm as well, but she also noticed the weird tension or, truth be told she wasn't sure what it was. Madalene fought to not look around the bridge, as it felt that every single set of eyes were on her.

Sovok was seated in the Captain's chair poised with near perfect posture. Even in his state, his muscle memory forced him to act in the way in which he had conducted himself as an officer for longer than most of Starfleet's officers had been alive. The Chief Helmsman, now acting Captain, worked on a PADD as Madelene approached him. When she first spoke, Sovok quickly turned off his PADD and faced her. He did not wish the content of his work to be inspected, but as the ranking man in the room, it was his prerogative to disseminate information to his bridge crew; a right he used to his advantage. In truth, the PADD held tactical data for the now deactivated Kat Walker, but thanks to expertly swift fingers, the PADD did not reveal the information to the approaching officer.

"Of course, Lieutenant Sabine." He said in a dry, formal tone. Not unusual for a Vulcan, but even a bit formal for Sovok. "How what is on your mind or do you wish to talk in the Ready Room?"

"Here well work just fine," Madalene said, there was still some agitation in her voice but not what it was earlier, "I am here to formally apologize to my acting commander for my behavior," there was a slight hint of bervado in her voice, but there was a sincerity to her apology, and that she did want to be back on the bridge, well someone did.

Sovok nodded towards her. He was a bit surprised by her shift of attitude. He took a moment to observe the Lieutenant. His trained eyes beheld her posture and body language. His superior vulcan ears noted the cadence of her voice. Something was beneath the surface here; something the restrained mind of Sovok would not indulge his captors in. They may possess his body but not his expertise.

"Apology accepted, Lieutenant. In the future, you would do well to remember that we are senior Starfleet officers. The crew look to us and those above us for guidance and place faith in our abilities. To disrupt that faith can lead to a drop in performance and even death. If you have a problem with an officer, especially a superior, in the future, discuss it in private."

"Yes, of course," Madalene said with a simple nod, "so where are we with everything," Madalene said almost back to her normal tone, while giving a quick look back to her subordinate before looking back to Sovok.

Said subordinate, the rabbitess Callisi, was at her post. Ears perked and attentive. No doubt that she heard the entire exchange, considering it wasn't meant to be private. Indeed that was perhaps one of the lessons to be instilled. Were they to take the matter to the Ready Room, even the Daughter of Ts'usu's ears couldn't hear them, but their proverbial dirty laundry was out. An apology, a disagreement, a potential grievance, a lesson, a soft reprimand, and nothing further.

At the moment, it was still Sovok's call to bring Madalene up to speed on the current situation, be it under his own capacity or by calling upon a station to do so. Until then, Callisi monitored the storm, monitored the specifications and variances, and tried to ignore the dull pulse behind her eye that hadn't let up since yesterday. Today she'd see sickbay about it.

With a wince of her left eye, she relented. She'd see sickbay about it after this shift. Either that, or she'd deal with it herself, either via a hypospray or a scalpel.

Cydwenn tried not to listen, but it was tough as it was happening right in the middle of the bridge, doing exactly what the rabbit was doing, keeping an eye on the storm. But, she was also learning valuable lessons, mostly that keeping ones mouth shut may be the best way to survive in Starfleet, but then that might bring too much attention. So, the new question was what does one to, talk too much and potentially get into trouble or keep your mouth shut and bring unwanted attention of a different kind.

Sovok faced the viewing screen with a passive expression, speaking aloud to those behind him in ops and science and to those in front at the helm. "The situation is well within parameters. All safety guidelines are being observed. The storm has caused some sensor errors but nothing too drastic. We are on standby to assist the away team and to handle any problems that occur. You have performed admirably during this situation, crew. Maintain this level of excellence and we shall bring our people home safe and sound. Soon, the task will be done."

While Sovok spoke in his normal, calm, collected tone, his words had an undeniable undertone for those knowing where to look. He did not mean the actual crew but his people stuck on the planet, and surely, the task he spoke of was not the away team's research, but whatever the inhabitants had planned for the crew and ship of the Odin.

Madalene nodded, as she turned and walked over to the ops console, "alright lieutenant I can step in, if you wouldn't mind taking the auxiliary ops console," Madalene added, knowing that it wouldn't hurt having a pair of ops officers on the bridge during this point of the mission.

Callisi gave a nod, "Of course ma'am." and yielded the Ops console after logging herself off. She stepped towards the aux Ops console, logged in, and continued her observation of the scene unfolding below. The storm, and the variances there of. She brought up the scans of the storm from the past hour, to see about building a projection of the storm's effect to come. Idly engaging her brain in some recreational mathematics.

"Hmm..." something caught Callisi's attention, "Sir, there's a shuttle on approach to the surface, their heading and approach vector put them at a portion of the storm less volatile than the rest of the storm." a pause, "I don't see them on the launch schedule."

Madalene also noticed it as well, tapping a few buttons Madalene pulled up who activated the shuttle and then who opened the bay doors, "lieutenant Sovok, it was petty officer Romanov that opened the bay doors," Madalene said feeling in the back of her mind this wasn't right but, unfortunately Madalene wasn't listening to that part of her brain, so when she reported it it was very nonchalant reporting.

Sovok considered a moment, furrowing his brows. An unscheduled shuttle was a noteworthy thing, certain to draw attention. Yet he thought he knew what was happening - at least, the being inhabiting him did. Although Sovok himself had a good idea as to what was going on as well. "Very well, Lieutenant. Continue to monitor the shuttle," was his only reply, leaning back in the center seat.

 

RSS Feed