Empty Hourglass

[Samantha Riker 0]

Empty Hourglass

SD 10305.23

 

Samantha could feel the hypospray Dr. Telano had applied to her neck beginning to work; a tingling warmth was spreading through her body, leaving the anesthesia of relaxation in its wake. Dr. Telano was still speaking to her, she could see his lips moving, but as the drug worked its magic, she began to care less and less. She closed her eyes, let the floaty feeling lift her up and carry her away--

 

An almost siren-like alarm shattered her peaceful repose. "Sounds like you've got some messages there that won't wait any longer," Ren smiled understandingly, nodding towards Samantha's computer console. "I suppose you should attend to them, but then I want you to let that hypospray do its work. I'll notify Commander Dacotah that I have not cleared you for duty yet, so you will not be reporting in for this search." He tidied away his hypospray and tricorder, and then stood.

 

Samantha also came to her feet. It was only polite to show the doctor to the door, but every second she delayed silencing that message alert seemed to add to the already unbearable tension fisting in her stomach. She had the sinking suspicion that she knew what that Priority message was going to say. It wasn't seeing Dr. Telano that would be responsible for revealing her attempt to hide; it would be the mere fact that she had come back alive, aboard a Starship.

 

"Contact me immediately if there is any discomfort in your throat, or if you begin to feel any other signs of injury," Dr. Telano was saying. "I hope you rest well." With a final nod, the physician's benediction, Ren Telano left her quarters.

 

The alert on the Priority message had dropped off to an intermittent tone; each new blast of sound flooded a wave of pain through Samantha's head. Moving like a condemned woman towards the scaffold, Sam went and sat in front of her terminal.

 

There were dozens of unread messages waiting for her. Since her return to the Arc, Sam had taken a sort of perverse pleasure in choosing to ignore her mail, instead of making any attempt to catch up on it. That luxury, though, had clearly come to a screeching halt.

 

The most recent message was the Priority message. It was from the Commander, Special Assignments, Starfleet Intelligence--about what she had suspected. She glanced at the names beneath "Adm. E. Fitzroy." There were five messages from her immediate SI commander, Captain Lakewood. There were two from her father, and one from her Aunt Deanna. Suddenly the idea of reading all these messages was overwhelming to her, as if each text was alive, and they were all vying for her attention at once.

 

She started with the earliest messages from Captain Lakewood. The first two were quite compassionate, actually. He didn't say how he knew, only that he was aware of the actions taken by the Arcadia and her crew, and of Samantha's release and return. He hoped that she was in sound physical and psychological condition, and was eagerly awaiting her preliminary report.

 

Thomas Lakewood's third message was considerably less friendly, more a terse reminder of her obligation to file at least her preliminary action report with SI, or at the least a request for an extension; this was to take priority over any assignment the CO of the Arcadia might give her.

 

Her father's message was text-only, but Samantha could sense her father's relief. "Understand you have returned to Federation space. Contact me immediately--need to know that you are well. Details can wait. Aunt Deanna and I send all our love."

 

Another message from Thomas Lakewood, similar to his third, but considerably harsher in tone. A second note from her father-also more terse, his 'request' for the affirmation of her health now reading like an order. Then Aunt Deanna's message, a tender counterpart to her father's stern demand.

 

The fifth from Lakewood, the final warning she had ignored. "Your silence thus far, your freedom from confinement in Sickbay, and your absence on the active-duty manifest of the Arcadia force me to conclude that you are simply evading the performance of your duties. As I have previously stated, such refusal to comply with your mission orders is usually considered insubordination and is dealt with accordingly. Because of the particularly... delicate nature of the mission you have just completed, Admiral Fitzroy has ordered that you judged with leniency.

 

"However, your grace period is now up. I am giving you a direct order, Lieutenant Commander Riker: I expect either your preliminary after-action report, or a statement from the Arcadia's captain and CMO attesting to your incapacity to complete that duty, to arrive within the next 12 hours. Unless I receive confirmation from you to the contrary, I shall assume that this order is clear. Lakewood out."

 

Distantly, Samantha noted her curious lack of emotion upon hearing the ultimatum she had ignored. As if she were standing outside herself, she watched as she brought the final message, from Admiral Fitzroy, to the screen.

 

"Lieutenant Commander Riker. The Chief Medical Officer of Starbase 36 is expecting you to present yourself for treatment upon your receipt of this message. Given the delicate and confidential nature of your recent assignment, you should be aware that this officer has been given need-to-know clearance to facilitate his care of you, in whatever capacity is required." The Admiral paused, then seemed to look right through the screen and into her eyes. "Lakewood is not happy. I know this was a damn hard assignment for you. I'm giving you an escape route, Samantha. Take it. Fitzroy out."

 

Samantha turned off her console; her time was up. She had to go, now, before she lost the nerve. Standing, she left her quarters, before she let herself think about what she was about to walk into.

 

LtCdr D Samantha Riker

aboard the USS Arcadia NCC-1742

TDY: Starfleet Intelligence