Basic Fallout, Part 1

[Col. C.E. Harper 0]

Day had just finished a long meditation session--she'd been really out of sorts a bit in the last few days and needed to calm herself-especially after the mind-meld. No sooner than she had finished, however, than the computer informed her that there had been a violation of her lockdown order. Well, so much for calm! Day threw something across her quarters, as she exited. A moment later, stepping into the turbolift, she spoke in a low growl, "Location of Colonel Harper."

 

"Colonel Harper is in the Ready Room," the computer's perpetually pleasant voice replied.

 

"Then Bridge, you..." The turbolift engaged, and deposited her at the bridge a few moments later. A quick glance from one of the crewmen on duty had that person quickly devoting his FULL attention to his duty. Day crossed the bridge, hitting the chime on the RR, and nearly determining to pry the doors open if Harper took too long to answer.

 

"Enter," Harper called, blanking her terminal. She had a good idea who was on the other side, and had in fact been expecting them since a certain report had popped up on her screen earlier.

 

Day entered, the fury on her face going before her. "I'm going to keel-haul BOTH OF THEM."

 

"Keel-hauling loses it's impact without the water," Harper replied grimly, "or I'd help. In the meantime..." She sighed. "I've smacked them and sent them to their rooms where they can't -- I hope! -- do any more damage until we've dealt with the latest."

 

"The latest? They done something ELSE? And I beg to differ... going to warp would give a good impact."

 

"The "latest" is the hacking they engaged in to gain brig access, and subsequent report on what little intel it gained them." Harper looked up at Day. "Which is what brought you here, I assume, since I don't THINK they've done anything else recently."

 

Day took to pacing, "Yes. Do you know that JoNs ordered medical up there, too? Which defeats the ENTIRE purpose of the lockdown, really. And Condacin... she's a fine one to cry 'insubordination'.. and then commits it herself. The difference is that Driscol's wasn't premeditated."

 

"I didn't know that," Harper said, frowning. "I suppose it's too late to countermand it. And yes. Pot. Kettle."

 

"If we countermand it, they'll wonder why. Though perhaps we can .. it would be too much to ask to hope that they send Troll. I think he'd be willing to look the other way more than Levy. She strikes me as a little more rule-bound. But what are we going to do about those two? This is not the first time they have shown flagrant disregard for the Command Staff." Day was still pacing... in fact, was that smoke coming out of her pointed ears?

 

She answered without hesitation; clearly she'd been thinking about it already. "There's not much we can do, out here. Can't court-martial them, can't throw them in the brig -- we need them on-duty. Can't take their departments away; as much trouble as they can be, they're the best for their jobs. So we're limited to less extreme measures."

 

With a forced exhalation, Day nodded, then finally sat down. "However, we have to find a way to make sure they understand the seriousness. As I said, this is not the first time. They're acting like they're from the bloody mirror-universe. And you can add that we can't demote Condacin--it'd be a reward for her."

 

"True," Harper agreed ruefully. "Maybe we should promote her?" As an attempt as humor, it fell flat. She rubbed her forehead wearily. "It doesn't leave us many options. Confinement to quarters, extra work, unpleasant work... I've put them on report, but we both know exactly how much good that does."

 

Day held one hand pressing lightly against the side of her head, "Can we cause them the same headaches they've give us?" She signed, then continued, "Well, with JoNs, we can demote her. Perhaps that would give her a clue. With Condacin... perhaps if she has to start peace-tying her knife again, and is confined to quarters when not on-duty?"

 

Harper glanced out the viewport. "Her knife's broken," she said quietly. "The rest has merit, though."

 

Day raised an eyebrow, "I see. Well, then any other she might acquire, or simply do not allow her to carry except on away missions. I doubt she has the ability to repair it here, so limiting her access to repair facilities isn't even an option."

 

"Agreed," Harper said. "And agreed on confining her to quarters, though I still think it lets her off lightly." She leaned back in her chair, wearily. "I wonder if we could forbid them to associate? Individually they don't get into half so much trouble."

 

"If they are confined to quarters off-duty, that will limit their association. And we can tell them that one will be transferred once we get back to the Federation if anything similar happens again.. and they may be referred for court-martial as well." Taking a deep breath, Day continued, "Marines are so much easier."

 

"Well, we weed out the troublemakers earlier." She smiled ruefully, then it took on an edge. "We could put them through Marine basic."

 

Day grinned broadly, "Oh, let's! Troll's been a drill sergeant. I'm sure he could handle it. We can temporarily assign them quarters in the barracks... Which would make the confinement to quarters all the harsher.”

 

Harper started to grin. "The battalion would eat them alive, Paradox."

 

Day grinned even bigger, "I know. Can you see them? All bluster... " She smothered a guffaw. "Shall I call Troll up here?"

 

"Let's." A wicked light entered her eyes.

 

Day tapped her commbadge, "Paradox to Troll. Please report to the Ready Room as soon as possible."

 

Troll, in the armory, with the laser torch. Upon hearing the call from Paradox, "On my way, duty uniform is a touch scruffy right now. Shall I change first?"

 

Paradox almost giggled, "Oh, no, that's fine. You'd best hurry while we're in a good mood."

 

Troll raised an eyebrow at the odd tone to her voice. Interesting, he thought. "On my way!" Troll deactivated the torch but decided to keep it on his tool pouch, as he headed out of the armory on his way to the ready room.

 

Closing the channel, she laughed outloud, "Oh, this is going to be GOOD."

 

Harper was grinning broadly. "We'll have to record it."

 

Day chuckled again, "Which part? Telling him? Or telling THEM?"

 

"The whole training. For later blackmail or entertainment purposes."

 

"Ahh... Yes, definitely. And as a deterrent for the little uppity Fleeters that think we don't have claws."

 

"Their mistake," Harper replied grimly. Day nodded.

 

She's plotting something, again, Troll thought to himself as he stepped off of the lift, heading to the ready room doorway, and ringing the chime.

 

"Enter!" Harper called, laughter in her voice.

 

Day's expression was one of suppressed laughter and wicked amusement as she motioned him in. On the bridge, she caught a glimpse of the same crewman, who once again took one look then decided duty was much more interesting.

 

As he entered the room, he glanced at Harper, "Medusa, you are in on whatever this is too?"

 

Day wiggled her eyebrows, "Of course she is. Have a seat... Sarge."

 

Her grin flashed out again. "Oh, yes. Troll, we have a little assignment for you..."

 

Troll tensed at the reference to his past, then began wondering at the grins he was seeing, as he sat himself down.

 

Day turned to face him, "As the marine commander on this ship, I have a few new duties for you. Which entail you picking up an old title... We need you to put a couple of officers through Marine Basic." Harper watched, unable to stop grinning. This was going to be very good.

 

Troll was surprised! "Marine Basic, or OCS?"

 

"For our purposes, it'll be a blend of both. Your 'candidates' are Fleeter Officers, who need to learn a little discipline." Day was nearly shaking with suppressed laughter.

 

Troll grinned, then stopped in thought. "Man, I hope a certain general doesn't hear about this." he commented somewhat sourly. "He'd never let me live it down."

 

"How's that?" Harper asked, intrigued.

 

"Don't worry, David. We won't let him steal you away. Please arrange for quarters for two female candidates in the barracks, and standard issue equipment." Day paused to look at Harper, "I suppose that means we have to allow her to carry."

 

"Only during training," Harper replied. "Under supervision. That'll bite her." Day nodded agreement, liking the provision. The ribbing she'd get for not being allowed them off-duty would be quite a… deterrent as well. Troll asked them who the miscreants were.

 

"Oh... didn't we mention?" Harper replied.

 

Day grinned even bigger, "Lt. Commander JoNs, and Lt. sg. O'd'yl Condacin."

 

Trolls voice rose slightly, indicating his great surprise. "Say what?" He paused, then added, “"Well, this should be interesting. Ah, yes sirs. Right away sirs?"

 

Harper nodded. "Soonest begun, and all that."

 

"I don't know that you need to know the details of the incident, Captain. But if you can get yourself assigned to be the one sent to check on the prisoner, I'd be grateful." Day hoped he didn't immediately connect it back to her.

 

"I can arrange that,” he said, then added, "One last question, how long do I get them and do they get to return to normal duties and rooms between sessions?"

 

"Normal duties, yes. rooms? no. hence the need for space in the barracks. They will fulfill their usual shifts. After that, they belong to you,” Day told him.

 

"So I get them for the other two shifts each rotation?" Merril asked.

 

Day nodded, still grinning. "That's correct. You are welcome to pull in other personnel if you need them."

 

"How hard and or impersonal do you want me to be?" he inquired.

 

"Very, on both counts," Harper said. "Don't go easy on them."

 

“To help in training, that is. And as hard and impersonal as you were as a DI, of course. It wouldn’t be basic otherwise," Day added.

 

"So treat them as marine newly entered?" Troll asked, to which Day answered in the affirmative.

 

"Understood, anything else?" he asked again.

 

Day glanced at Harper then shook her head, "Oh, no, I think that's quite sufficient.. Oh, wait.. program their replicators for standard marine basic fare, will you?"

 

"Heh only for starters! after that its survival rations!" he responded.

 

Harper made a face. "Paradox, that's cruel."

 

Day grinned, "Yes, Medusa, it is. Isn't that the point?"

 

"Medusa, you've been away from basic too long," Troll commented.

 

"Well, yes, but we want them trained, not mutinying." Harper leveled a look at Troll. "Once was enough, thank you."

 

Day grinned again, "You're dismissed. You have preparations to make, Captain." Troll got up and exited the ready room, with plenty on his mind.