"Heavy Metal"

[Kansas_Jones 0]

Note: this character log picks up right after the 03.26.08 sim

 

03.29.08

USS Agincourt ICC-81762

“Heavy Metal”

 

Master Chief Petty Officer Keltex grumbled to himself as the sensor data from the Agincourt’s short trip through subspace -- or wherever the Soltan warp technology that was currently jerry rigged to the warp engines had taken the ship and crew -- scrolled again across the main tactical console.

 

An answering hiss of displeasure complemented his grumble. The silver haired Klingon called over to the auxiliary console station alcove that was located next to the tactical area. “I gather you are making no headway either Commander?”

 

A gold leonine face framed by a short mane of copper hair popped out from between the bridge station dividers. “Getting shot in the ass would probably be more fun at this point Master Chief, pardon my language.” Kansas moved so she could lean a shoulder against the partition, facing towards the tactical console where the big Klingon sat. “I’ve been over the sensor data twice now, and I really can’t locate any kind of pattern.”

 

“I am not having any luck either. The data is there, the imaging and number co ordinates are there … but it doesn’t explain why we detected that metallic field in the middle of subspace nowhere.”

 

Kansas flexed her left paw gingerly, sheathing and unsheathing her claws. “What we can explain is wherever the ‘Court went during the test run, it was in some sector of subspace. And, while we were zooming through our short trip, there was some sort of metal deposit, and we haven’t been able to find the corresponding deposit out here in real time. If there is anything to be found in the first place.”

 

Keltex nodded, his gaze fixating on a spot on the decking as he spoke. “… so in other words, unless the various departmental shifts working on this little problem can come up with some more results, we could go back into the subspace travel pocket that we had gone into, and run right into that field of metal, or another field. I wonder what in Grethor it is? Could it be the remains of a destroyed ship?”

 

The Caitian feline shrugged. “Well, there we go back to square one, taking shots in the dark. If that metal field in the subspace corridor is what remains of a ship … what ship? Whose ship? And if the damn metal fragments are in subspace, why in the frag can’t we find a trace of it out here in mother fragging real time?”

 

A bushy silver brow arched with much grace.

 

“My apologies Master Chief. My language has been … off lately.”

 

The two officers had been speaking in a low conversation tone anyway, but Keltex glanced about the bridge to make sure they had no unwelcome ears before he continued speaking to his superior line officer. “I know you’ve been tired. You haven’t been sleeping lately?”

 

If any other officer in the security department had been that bold, the feline lieutenant commander probably would have told them to stow it in a nice way. Well, okay, maybe not in a nice way, not with the way she had been feeling lately. But, Keltex was her senior enlisted man.

 

Just prior to his death, Kansas’s grandfather had told her “always trust the senior-most enlisted officer in your department. They get things done, know what they are doing, and take a lot of secrets to the grave with them”. Shortly after that, Shibo had sadly gone to his own grave, and Kansas, only being a little girl at the time, didn’t really comprehend the advice the old feline had given her.

 

Today though, as a line officer, she understood the advice perfectly, and benefited from it almost daily.

 

Kansas moved closer to the Klingon officer, leaning a hip against the lower console area, and pitched her purred voice. “I haven’t slept well since the prison planet mission, since having words with Colonel Harper.”

 

The master chief merely shrugged. “You aren’t the first officer to make a stupid mistake and get dressed down for it.”

 

“Thank you Counselor Keltex. Smooth. Very smooth. My well being is all happy again. Don’t quit your day job in security.” Her tone was deadpan.

 

Keltex let loose with his trademark booming laughter, and Kansas offered him a modest lopsided smile. A few heads of those on bridge duty swiveled at the unexpected sound, but everyone quickly went back to their duties.

 

When the Klingon enlisted officer had quieted again, the feline continued speaking. “The confrontation with Harper knocked me onto a different path you might say … change is on the wind for me, personally and career wise. As I mentioned to you before, there can’t be anymore – excuse me for the obvious – pussy footing around. I need to get my head into this command track game. Yet, I feel unsure, and this worries me.”

 

“I’d rather you be unsure then cocksure and stupid in your command decisions, Commander. There has been many an officer, across many years and civilizations, led to his or her death due to an inept squad leader or commander. If you stand behind the jackass who leads? Then it will be you who is kicked in the head.”

 

Kansas cocked her head to one side in curiosity. ”That sounds like something my grandfather would have told me.”

 

“My grandmother told me that many moon cycles ago. Good woman. And handled a batleth like a pro.”

 

The feline second officer sighed as some of the tension she had been carrying around in her shoulders and back eased due to the conversation. “Thank you Master Chief. I needed that. We’ve wasted enough time mucking about with my psych out moment. How about we get back to unraveling this metallic mystery?”

 

“Aye sir. I’ll go over what we have tactically one more time, maybe try another program to filter out some of the muddier readings.”

 

“Good. I’ll lurk over at the ops console and see if the sci-ops department has made any progress on their portion of the metallic readings -- I want to make sure we’ve hit all the tactical options. I don’t want this ship going back into subspace and then getting dinged by some piece of flotsam that could take out an entire section of the ship.” With a nod of respect to the old warrior, the young officer then started to walk over to the ops console with sure, predatory strides.

 

The Master Chief waited until JoNs had made it about halfway across the bridge before murmuring to himself in a pleased tone, “I think someone grew up a little more,” thinking that the feline could no longer pick up on the spoken tone.

 

Caitians however, had excellent hearing. Without turning around, but flipping an ear back and smiling a lopsided smile, Kansas responded to his personal comment with the same murmured tone to herself. “Thank you again, Master Chief.”