Insight

[Brian Graham 0]

Chief Security Officer’s Duty Log

Lieutenant Brian Graham Reporting

USS Excalibur

Stardate 200502.04

 

Brian took a quick moment to survey the bridge of the Excalibur, something hat he didn’t get to do as often as he liked. At almost every console a Starfleet officer was positioned and going through data, checking systems, making sure everything was working efficiently. Brian had been doing the same. Phaser emitters were standing by, waiting to unleash their deadly energy with the minor touch of his hand on the correct button. Torpedo casings were below deck, waiting to be injected with a small portion of anti-matter and then let fly at a target. Shields were fully charged, ready to repel attacks when activated. Security officers throughout the ship were ready to mobilize at the slightest hint of an unscheduled transport. Starfleet wasn’t a military organization, but it would stand and deliver when called. It was times like this when Brian wanted to be in an EV suit, just far enough so he could see Excalibur in flight. Starships had always been a passion for him as a child, and that was one of the things that convinced him to join Starfleet, to get the opportunity to be part of one, instead of just having models of them on a shelf. He’d had those too, dozens of them, different classes from different eras, most of them collected from childhood. He still had them actually; the shelves of his quarters were filled with them, but no one else on the ship knew about them. It was kind of odd, something so important to his character but never shared, just part of the line he walked between distance and association.

 

Everywhere else on the Bridge Brian could see other officer’s hunched over their respective consoles as well. Chen was just off to his right at science, looking at the sensor readouts, of course. Xavier was over near the ship’s main operations and status display, no doubt coordinating the power systems. Commander Neo, Yeoman Perfect, Admiral Day, all in their respective chairs, doing their duty. Professionals all around him, Brian hoped he functioned in that capacity too.

 

Right now the Excalibur was on her way to set up a listening post which would hopefully yield some clue as to the whereabouts of the Hundred. But to set the thing up, that meant Excalibur had to make her way to the operation area alone. The final frontier, nothing but your ship and whatever else might be out there watching you. It kind of sounded like a film they might play at a Starfleet enlistment station; they did that kind of stuff centuries ago, so maybe they still did. Irregardless, Brian was wired, anticipation mostly, but there was some fear there too. He always got like this, but he tried to hide it as best he could. You’re not supposed to be eager for a fight, but that was the feeling that Brian used to describe it. He wasn’t a violent person, with some score to settle with the universe, it was just the drama about it. That’s when true character presented itself, no time to second guess yourself, reflect, plan, hindsight, anything like that. You had an instinct, based on your training and experience, and you went with it, no middle ground, do or don’t. It was the plain black and white to it, no gray area, which fascinated Brian the most, he just couldn’t shake it, and it was part of him. Simplicity, but coordination, how everyone worked independently, but also together, to make the starship more than just a machine, but almost an entity that functioned, “lived” even.

 

Maybe that’s why officer’s got into fights, risking their records, sometimes their lives depending on who you picked a fight with, over the reputation of a mass of duranium and conduits.