Trying To Rest

[John Randall 0]

OFFICIAL LOG

LIEUTENANT JOHN RANDALL

USS CHALLENGER

 

(Personal Log Stardate 11308.11)

 

John finished up working at his station, then reached over and punched

the 'comm. "Randall to Davis," he said. The ensign answered almost

immediately. "Davis here," he said. "Steve, I'm leaving you in control of

engineering; I've put in 12 hours, and am going to catch some sleep.

Randall out." "You got it, Lieutenant," replied the ensign. "Davis out."

 

John logged off duty, and got up from his chair. He strode toward the

engineering doors, acknowledging hails from various crewmembers.

He reached the doors, they swooshed open, and he went out into the

corridor, heading for the turbolift. "Deck 3," he said, as he stepped inside

the car, the lift door closed, and sped off.

 

A few minutes later, the lift deposited him onto deck three. He stepped out

of the car, and strode down the corridor toward his cabin, again acknowledging

hails from various crewmembers. The cabin door slid open as he approached,

and he went inside. He let out an exhausted sigh, took off his uniform, and

strode into the bedroom, where he put on a pair of pajamas, and tumbled

into bed. He was asleep almost immediately.

 

What seemed to be only minutes later, he was awakened by the computer,

which informed him he had an urgent incoming transmission. Groaning,

he sat up in bed, and rubbed his eyes. He slowly got out of bed, and tottered

to the computer terminal. He sat down in the chair, and punched the 'comm.

In a voice still thick with sleep, he said, "Randall here, go ahead."

 

"Uh, Lieutenant, Davis here," said the ensign. "Um, Commander Rinax has called

a meeting of all department heads in about five minutes, sir." John sleepily

regarded his monitor for a few seconds, then said, "All right, Steve. You better

call the bridge, and tell them I'll be late." "Will do, Lieutenant; sorry about this,

sir," said the ensign. "Davis out." John sat there a few seconds, his head in

his hands, then, muttering under his breath, stood up, stripped off his pajamas,

and strode to the head to take a shower.

 

About 10 minutes later, he stepped out of the shower, toweled off, and went

back to the bedroom to put on a fresh uniform. As he checked himself in the

holomirror, he suddenly became angry. 'Getting to where you can't even get a good

rest on this ship,' he thought darkly. 'And where the hell is the chief, anyway?'

He strode back to the head, and splashed some cold water on his face. It did

little to refresh him, or better his mood. He dried off his face, and again looked

at himself in the holomirror. He was getting angrier by the second, and that was

what was bringing him up from the depths of slumber.

 

He whirled abruptly, and strode to the door of his cabin; it slid open, and he

stalked angrily down the corridor to the turbolift. Crewmembers watched him

pass by them, and they could tell he was not in a good mood. He reached the

turbolift, and stepped into the car as it arrived. "Deck 1," he snapped, and the

lift sped off. A few minurtes later, the lift arrived; he stepped out of the car, and

made his way down the corridor to the briefing room door. It swooshed open as

he approached, and he strode in, his eyes straight ahead, and his face set in

stone.

 

His eyes were chips of ice-blue as he sat ramrod-straight in the chair, staring

straight ahead. The others in the room apparently picked up on his mood in a

hurry, for no one bothered him as he sat there. He heard Rinax's voice saying

something about someone filling him in afterwards, but he wasn't really paying

attention. All he could think about was waiting until the meeting was over, and

then going back to bed.

 

No questions or comments were directed at him, or anything having to do with

anything related to engineering, and he sat there wondering what the hell he

was doing there in the first place. To his relief, a few minutes later, the XO

dismissed the meeting; he got up, and marched straight out of the room,

heading for the turbolift. The car arrived, he stepped in, and snapped, "Deck

3." The lift whisked him away, and deposited him a few minutes later at his

requested destination.

 

He strode out of the lift, and went down the hall toward his cabin. A couple

of crewmembers greeted him along the way, and he nodded curtly. He

reached his cabin door, it slid open, and he strode inside. He stripped off

his uniform, and went to the bedroom to put on his pajamas. As he was

about to climb into bed, he suddenly paused, and said, "Computer."

"Working," answered the metallic voice. "I am not to be awakened for

anything less than the ship about to be blown up," snapped Randall.

"Understood," answered the computer, and John climbed into bed.

He was again asleep only moments later.

 

 

END LOG