A Perplexing Few Days ((Marx/Kent))

[Samantha_Kent 0]

Will Marx was sitting in the comfy chair on the bridge. LoAmi was in his ready room and Alces...was probably with several bottle of vintage wines empty in his quarters.

 

Sam Kent sat at the rear science station on the bridge, en route to the Arcadia's next mission, trying hard to focus on her work and move on from dwelling about the events of Aether. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Commander Marx stand and walk about the stations, looking over the shoulders of the crewmen. As he paused by Sam's station, looking over her shoulder at the data on the screen, she glanced at him sidelong, looking a little nervous; she had not, unfortunately, forgotten being called out by him on the bridge regarding Archie. "Hello, sir."

 

"Lieutenant..." he said. "You seem...perplexed. Care to talk about it?"

 

Sam blinked at him, then smiled faintly. "It's been a perplexing few days, sir."

 

"That it has been, Lieutenant. And it was a situation that I wasn't comfortable being in the rear on." Will leaned against the console, his back to the display.

 

Sam chuckled softly. "Would gladly have traded places with you, sir." She looked down at her console and tapped it, calling up a composition analysis of a nearby nebula as the Arcadia slid smoothly past.

 

"That makes two of us."

 

Sam watched the analysis scroll along the screen. "I'm just glad it's over, really, and that we won...so to speak...the stars won't last long in their current state but they wouldn't have anyway."

 

Will chuckled darkly. "Use and abuse natural resources has been a motto for many a nation or company throughout the history of civilization, Lieutenant." He paused, then lowered his voice just loud enough for only her to hear. "There's something on your mind, Sam. And it isn't the binary system that made up Aether."

 

Sam looked at him again, then glanced around at the rest of the bridge, and seemed to be working something around in her mouth before saying it. "Nothing, sir...nothing in particular. I just looked awful dumb from start to finish on this thing, and probably acted it too. And that's not something I enjoy..."

 

"We were all thrown into a situation that snowballed out of our control. All because a certain engineer felt the need to snoop, coupled with certain...personal issues of his. Do you know how many times I wanted to go down to the core and plug HAL back into the ship's system? Just so we could defeat the AI on a level playing field..."

 

Sam didn't know what the HAL reference was all about, but she was too preoccupied to inquire. She shook her head slightly. "I could have defeated her. I could have shot her -- shot myself." She paused. "I almost did. That wasn't the problem...she knew things we didn't. Or that I thought we didn't."

 

"Sam, you weren't expecting to see your doppleganger. That, in itself, is reason to cause doubt. And it certainly didn't help that Archie programmed it to look like you. Nor did it help that it wound up with your intellect." Will's voice lowered still further. "I wonder how many other personnel files he's breached..."

 

Sam felt herself flush slightly. "I wouldn't know, sir. I didn't know he would have had reason to look at mine until...well, until you took pains to announce it. Sir." She felt bad for the slight bitter tone in her voice but it slipped out in spite of her.

 

"Sorry about that, Sam..." Will said. "It was, as we noticed, a helluva day."

 

Sam grunted. "That's putting it mildly." She puffed air out through her nose and looked at him sidelong with a determined half-grin. "Guess we're both glad to be moving on, huh?"

 

"Definitely, Sam. Quite frankly after our last mission, I wouldn't mind leading a task force headed for the Breen homeworld..."

 

Sam maked a face. "I'll pass on that if it's an option, sir." She paused, then laughed. "Could do with something nice and quiet but all empirical evidence seems to suggest that isn't particularly likely."

 

"Which is as usual for us. Of course, what I could use is a starbase with their Office of Special Investigations. Not that I don't lack faith in my own department, but additional manpower would be always appreciated."

 

There was a pause as Sam absorbed this. "Investigating...Archie?"

 

"He breached confidential personnel files. Who knows what else he's looked at? Considering there are several 'Eyes Only' files regarding a particular Weapon of Mass Destruction we built."

 

Sam's eyes opened a little bit with curiosity at that, and also a flash concern for Archie in spite of her anger with him. "Ah...yessir. Have you taken him in? To be questioned?"

 

"I sent Malik down to Sickbay with a couple of officers. He should be in the brig soon."

 

Sam nodded slowly, suddenly feeling very tired. "I don't know whether to be furious with him or sorry for him. I don't know what he was thinking."

 

"Honestly, Sam," Will said. "I don't know what he was thinking either. But that's what the questioning will focus on." He paused, then said quietly, "I'm just hoping he was curious about you as a person, and not looking for confidential materials. But, it doesn't matter. He's violated Starfleet regulations by snooping. And he'll need to pay the piper."

 

Sam nodded again. "I know. And I'd rather know for sure. I just can't help feeling responsible. Like you and Eagle said...I should have noticed. Maybe I could have headed this off."

 

"You wouldn't have known anyway, Sam. If anything, he should have been man enough to consider asking you out, or even just talking to you. He still has to take the penalties for his actions." He noted Sam's exhausted expression. "You should log off, and get some sleep, Sam. Your terminal will be here tomorrow."

 

Sam rubbed a hand at the back of her neck gently and grinned a little easier at the reassurance. "I know, sir. Just finishing up some analysis...few minutes more."

 

Will stood up from where he was leaning on the console. "Not too much longer, Sam. And don't worry about Archie. We'll take excellent care of him." He started to walk back to the command pit.

 

Sam sighed. "Alright, sir. Thank you." She waited until the analysis pinged its completion, then pushed herself to her feet and headed for the turbolift.