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Hard Truths

Posted on Sun May 16th, 2021 @ 12:02am by Captain Henry Crow & Lieutenant Aemilia "Millie" Stepanova

Mission: Knock Knock
Location: The Ready Room
Timeline: Immediately following Too Close for Comfort

Henry hadn't even had a chance to sit in his chair when the door chimed. "Enter."

Millie entered the room, letting the door slide shut behind her. "You're not going to like what I'm going to tell you," she said with a quiet sigh.

"That usually goes with the territory when we have discussions. What's on your mind?"

"You need to begin preparations to abandon ship." Millie placed her hands on the back of one of the chairs opposite of his desk.

He looked at her as he sat. "Okay, let's say I'm actually going to take that seriously. Why?"

"Because if they can't get the pocket universe shrunk to a manageable size...I can't let you destroy it." Despite her firmness, Millie's face reflected her knowledge of how hard this conversation would be.

"There is no evidence it is any such thing. That is purely conjecture."

"This is the woman who hacked your daughter-in-law's personal logs to find the two of us. If she's smart enough to do that, I think she's smart enough to tell us what she's inadvertently created." The counselor sighed. "I know how hard this is for you to hear--"

"May I remind you Ensign Moro is a Computer Specialist, not a Quantum Physicist? She doesn't have the background, experience, or first hand knowledge to declare that the thing in her quarters is anything other than an unauthorized experiment gone haywire."

Millie's face softened, and a hint of a smile played at the corner of her lips. "The woman is brilliant, Captain."

"Counselor, if I get on a com line and ask Starfleet Command for their tie breaking opinion they're going to tell me two things. First, Ms. Moro is on the first shuttle out of here to be interrorgated and likely court martialed. Second, her designation of a universe is either invalid OR...if it's correct the fact it ate her couch had tainted the development of that universe and as such the Prime Directive doesn't come into play." He paused, thinking of how he wanted to say the next part. "I don't want to send her away, especially with..." he gestured to Millie.

Millie was able to read between the lines. "My personal relationship is not in question right now, Henry. My concern is for the rest of the crew, and that should be our priority right now."

"I agree, which is why she will end this little crisis and put this to rest."

As if on cue his com chimed. He tapped it.

"Captain," Evelyn's voice was anxious. "I believe I have found a solution. We are scheduled for another power disruption in two minutes. If I'm correct the energy will pass right back to the ship and we won't have another growth spurt."

"That's great Ensign but we can't carry this thing with us the rest of our days."

"Yes I know, I'm working on that next...if this works.....forty five seconds."

"Stay on the line, Ensign." He looked at Millie with a 'this better work' expression.

Millie instinctively reached for the chain that usually hung around her neck, momentarily forgetting that she had gifted it to Knn. Instead, she murmured softly in Russian, waiting for the next minute to pass.

Right as expected the lights in the room dimmed but only minimally and even then only for a second before returning to normal.

"Captain, I am seeing no further growth. I think it worked," Evelyn's mood was evident.

Henry let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. "Monitor it every eight hours and chart it. It if grows by an inch I want to know about it."

"Yes sir!"

He turned to Millie. "She's smart, I will absolutely grant you that. But keep her from doing this again, alright?"

"It's still there, Captain. You still need to prepare for the possibility that they can't keep it contained. I recommend we make arrangements for the transfer of all non-essential personnel from the ship." Millie squeezed the top of the chair in thought. "What's this cargo that we're supposed to deliver?"

He paused before speaking. "Right now you and I are in a counseling session...doctor and client. We're carrying a probe or...something, aimed at stopping a Gorn offshoot and a young Klingon from starting world war four."

"And how far are we from our destination?"

"About two days give or take."

Millie took a deep breath in. "I'm concerned, Captain. We'll know in another 8 hours how successful the attempt to slow the growth of this pocket universe is, but there are a considerable number of civilians and children on board, and I am recommending on the record that we reduce the number of personnel on board as soon as possible."

"If that thing keeps growing we'll cross that bridge and find them a safe world to sit tight until they can be rescued."

Millie slowly sat in the chair across from him. "You may lose your ship, Henry."

"That's a possibility every morning I open my eyes. We'll handle whatever is thrown at us."

Millie tucked a leg under her. "You may lose it within the next 72 hours."

He nodded. "I was getting tired of this paint job anyways." Slowly he sat in his chair and tapprd hud badge. "Senior staff report to the confetence room in one hour." He looked at Millie. "Let's hope they take it well."






Captain Henry Crow
Commanding Officer, USS Mercutio



Lieutenant Aemilia "Millie" Stepanova
Chief Counselor, USS Mercutio

 

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