Eight, Nine, and 0.0032

[Joy 0]

A cool melodious feminine voice with an archaic but curiously pleasing Earth accent broke the long silence. “Aegis Tower, this is MMS Harcourt Fenton Mudd, inbound with diplomatic personnel, requesting clearance to dock.”

 

As unique as that voice ought to have been, an identical voice answered. “MMS Mudd, this is Aegis Tower, please set bearing 172.428 mark 0.338 and come to 0.0032 c. Contact again when you reach the perimeter.”

 

The woman sitting in the courier’s command chair narrowed her over sized eyes. She was slender, with short brown hair, fair skin, and thick eyebrows. She was wearing a simple yet elegant skirt and blouse set, and sat looking into the video pickup with tense poise. She did not seem entirely pleased. “Lieutenant Nine?”

 

The woman in Aegis Tower looked equally young, with equally short brown hair, equally fair skin, equally thick eyebrows, and even an equally and improbably long neck. There were two differences. Lieutenant Joy Nine in Aegis was wearing a starfleet uniform, and her smile was entirely sincere. It was almost as if she knew the punch line to the joke, while her sister did not. “May I help you, Captain Eight?”

 

“Point zero zero three two cee?” Eight was beginning to suspect she was the punch line to the joke.

 

The lieutenant made a show of double checking her calculations. “Affirmative, Captain. Point zero zero three two cee.”

 

“Would a report on just how much antimatter we burned getting here in a hurry sway your calculations, any?"

 

“Well... no.” Nine had seen the flight plan. She knew just how much Eight had pushed the Makers' rather formidable engines.

 

“How about a report of how much mayhem resulted in a few select corners of the Presidio upon arrival of a certain flash message sent recently by a certain... Lieutenant Nine?”

 

“No.” Nine had been able to judge the political explosiveness of her note from the Mudd's antimatter expenditure. It was rather a simple and well known equation. E=MCC.

 

“Maybe a lecture on how Starfleet personnel should in no way hinder or restrict the movement of diplomatic couriers?” Nine’s voice went dry. “Do you want Ambassador Two filing a formal diplomatic protest? She just might, you know.”

 

“I know.” Nine's voice was equally dry, considering how unconstructive Two’s last protest on such matters had proved. “However, I have been pondering an abstract theoretical question. It isn’t really my concern, you know. It’s political. It really should be handled by my older and wiser sisters, selected to serve in the diplomatic corps, unlike my poor humble self.”

 

“Yes?” Eight looked dubious. The higher numbered member of a Mudd android class traditionally claimed they had come off the assembly line minutes later, and were therefore less worn out and obsolete.

 

“Under what circumstances is it proper and wise for the legislative branch to apply political pressure on the workings of a judicial process?”

 

Eight blinked. “Ah... An interesting question." She considered. "Two and I will ponder it.”

 

“Take your time. It's just abstract theoretical question. I'm in no hurry for an answer.”

 

In her usual graceful elegant and dignified manner, Eight stuck out her tongue at her younger sister. “Eight, out.”

 

“Nine.”

Edited January 30, 2008 by Joy

[Joy 0]

"MMS Mudd, this is Aegis Tower. You are go for half impulse approach and dock at pylon 1 bay 5."

 

"Aegis Tower, pylon 1, bay 5, aye. Do we have a verdict?"

 

"We have... deliberation... and confusion. Something happened in a classified session. There are rumors of security storming the courtroom, and images in the media of not so happy faces."

 

"Now, you want us in the picture?"

 

"What are diplomats for?"

 

"Very well. Noted. Eight, out."

 

"Nine."

 

Nine sat back, and considered, reviewing the protocols. No, not every ship's docking was announced. One didn't bother the station CO lightly. Still, diplomatic ships were often met at the docking bay. Someone might at least want to know. She suspected that just now very few were paying much attention to the list of incoming flight plans. She keyed the internal comm system.

 

"Commander Brown, this is Lieutenant Joy, on the tower. I have just cleared courier MMS Mudd for docking."