Up for Debate

Posted on 10 Jul 2018 @ 4:33am by Captain Gabriel Barron M.D. & Lieutenant Commander Magdalena "Maggie" Doyl

1,447 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Empty Creche
Location: Bridge
Timeline: ED 1: 0130

ON:

Barron went to the bridge as he always did after taking command of a ship. He wanted to take a look at how the crew worked and see where improvements might be made. The ships time was 0130 and night shift was on duty. He wondered if he would see any of the senior staff or if they were all on day shift. As he entered the bridge he took in the site and turned to head towards where he knew the ready room would be located. He entered the room just enough so that the doors closed behind him and he looked. It was still decorated in the unique style that Ashcart had settled upon, various status from several worlds, a tapestry along one wall and a couch with an afghan. He moved to the desk there were several small picture frames all of which held images of a silver-haired woman and a silver-haired child, the same he had seen the Admiral carrying when he entered the shuttle. Gabe would have to box up all of the mementos and deliver them to the Admiral's wife who he learned was still on board and serving as the CMO.

He sat down behind the desk and mused "That's a meeting I'm not relishing. First I take her husbands position then I kick her out of her quarters I'm sure she'll have no love for me." he said to no one in particular as he picked up the picture frame and looked at the image. There was a pang in his heart the Admiral had a career and had found time to have a family. A happy one by the look of the images on the desk and that brought to bright contrast the hole in Gabe's life. He had relationships but never anything serious, except for his first love. He sighed, the sound rumbling around the office as he put the image down and pushed himself up out of the chair. He didn't feel right sitting behind another man's desk looking at the faces of another man's family. He would have to box it all up before he could make use of the ready room and make it his.

The door to the ready room opened and a dark-haired woman in security yellow stood in the doorway. "A bit late to be redecorating, isn't it?" the woman asked coolly.

Gabe turned to look at her and raised an eyebrow "Not redecorating yet, but I do think a little marine green would go a long way to living the place up."

Maggie wasn't sure what she expected when she got word that a stranger had entered the Captain's Ready Room, but another Captain who looked like he was moving in was not it. There was definitely something she was missing, and she didn't have the luxury of going back to her office at this point. Indeed, she hadn't been in her office for several days. Or her quarters, either. She'd been hyper-focused on updating the security system after the recent incursion. "I'm Maggie Doyl. I don't believe we've met." She was still standing in the doorway, watching him.

The klingon grinned "Ah, the Chief of Security, Admiral Ashcart gave you glowing reviews in your dossier." he moved towards her and extended a hand "I'm Captain Gabriel Bannon, the new commanding officer of the Redemption."

She watched him for another moment, then shook his hand and smiled. "I have a former assistant who will be doing brig duty for the foreseeable future. I've been busy on another project and was not informed of your arrival. I apologize for my...unconventional arrival."

He nodded knowingly "I understand it can get hectic. Though in your assistant's defense the Admiral only had about an hour's notice before he departed for Earth."

She smiled wryly. "True, but you'd think when I was notified of an intruder in the Ready Room someone would have mentioned a new CO."

His laugh was booming "Or they wanted to see if you'd take out the new CO. So your my security and tactical Chief. How stands the ship? How well will she withstand an attack? Anything I need to know about?"

His laugh was contagious and she laughed along with him. "If we were on alert, I might have tried taking you out first, but I think this is better for both our sake." She walked farther into the room before continuing. "We're ready for most attacks, but the last one was more effective than I would have liked." She cocked her head to one side. "How much were you told by PALLAS?"

Barron shook his head "I haven't, I've read some reports on her efficacy as a ship-wide assistant and defensive asset. Is there more to the program than that?"

She once again mentally castigated her team for not informing her of the change. But she wasn't sure how much she could tell him. So far, she liked him, but she felt passing this particular task on to someone with higher authority was prudent. "PALLAS?" she called.

The goddess avatar that represented the ships ai shimmered into existence in her gauzy toga-like dress.

"Commander." She said musically then turned to Gabriel "Captain, welcome to the Redemption."

Gabe raised his right eyebrow "Interesting, PALLAS has a holographic interface? Isn't that a little extravagant for a defensive program?"

Maggie laughed at the thought of PALLAS being just a defensive program. "Not for this one. She's pretty amazing. I've been working with PALLAS and Operations to improve security on the ship." She smiled at the hologram. "We did well with our last little adventure, but not well enough. I've been working on ways to improve on what we have and to add more mazes and false passageways into the ship's systems. PALLAS is instrumental in keeping the ship and its crew as safe from the Ee and Sixth Fleet as we can."

Gabe looked at the two women disbelievingly "So you're saying she's," then he paused and redirected his attention to the hologram, realizing he had been rude "Your a fully sentient AI?" he asked simply trying to take in the ramifications of that revelation.

PALLAS shrugged "Yes and no, while I am not autonomous as Lieutenant Commander Data was, I am self-aware and designed to observe, learn and extrapolate from the data at hand and my own previous experiences."

He blinked "That is impressive, to say the least, and you say that she has been instrumental in updating the defensive protocols for the Redemption?" Gabe asked Doyl "How so?"

"Since we have enemies who know the Redemption and its crew as well as we do, I decided the best way to protect her was to use unconventional methods. Captain Ashcroft approved. So, I talked to several people and came up with a basic plan. PALLAS helped me refine it, then when it was implemented, she checked it for flaws. She knows the ship better than anyone. She employed a buffer I installed to fake her own death."

Gabe blinked and turned to Doyl "I expect a full report on the upgraded security systems at your earliest convenience, but I'm impressed. What other functions do you serve on the ship?" He asked moving his head to look at PALLAS.

"I was originally designed to allow a skeleton crew to operate the Redemption. In times of emergency, and only under command of the Commanding Officer, I am capable of controlling the ship. Though during those periods my attention is split between so many systems that my efficiency drops dramatically. In normal operations, I am most efficient when running at most three preferably two departments or assisting any." PALLAS replied, "Though I have enjoyed greatly the cooperation and collaboration between myself and Commander Doyl."

"And I like working with PALLAS. She can read you in on what's been going on better than anyone." Maggie smiled. "As soon as I believe the changes are ready to be implemented, I'll let you know. Sorry to dump all this on you at once."

He grinned "My Dear Lieutenant Commander that is naught compared to what the higher-ups dumped on us as you say. Adapt and overcome."

"Improvise, adapt, overcome," she replied with a grin of her own. "Aye, sir. Although I believe I owe you a drink after this-for interrupting your evening."

Gabe grinned and drawled, allowing his very Texan twang to resonate in his voice "Well, as a good southern boy I dare say I wouldn't turn down some fine Tennessee whiskey should it appear."

OFF

Gabriel Barron
Captain
Commanding Officer
USS Redemption

&

Lieutenant Commander Magdalena "Maggie" Doyl
Chief Security/Tactical Officer

 

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