Strange Introductions

Posted on 03 May 2016 @ 3:00am by Lieutenant Colonel Cassandra Blackburn

829 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Errand of Mercy
Location: Starship Redemption
Timeline: ED2

Cassandra Blackburn found her quarters to be empty aside from a small box of personal effects that she had left on board when she has previously departed from the Redemption. The box sat in the corner, untouched, and she left it there and pretended it didn't exist. When she had entered the spacious living area, she was so angry that she ripped off her tunic, popping the buttons off. They remained where they had landed on the carpet. She paced up and down the room, snarling and breathing heavily. She felt the need to destroy something - there was nothing in the barren quarters to destroy.

She was furious about her encounter with Rhyan. She didn't care that she'd lost control in front of the crew - she'd be off the ship soon enough anyway. What right did he have to interfere in her life? Again!? What did he hope to achieve by forcing her back here? She couldn't understand it. Rightly or wrongly, she held him responsible for a lot of things. As far as Blackburn was concerned, if he'd been strong enough to deal with the ee-hybrid all that time ago then none of this would have happened. She would still be a whole human being. She felt aggrieved that Lucy Inverness wasn't on board - she would have been on of the few people Blackburn felt she could have talked to. Cass blamed Rhyan for that, too.

Eventually she sat down on the sofa. Her anger was giving way to exhaustion. The past six months had taken their physical as well as mental toll, and she felt permanently tired. She stared at the ceiling, wondering if she should just skip the ship. It would be easy enough. She then dismissed the idea; she had a way out which wouldn't lead to being wanted by Starfleet Security for the rest of her life, and having the threat of imprisonment hanging over her every waking moment - and it was guaranteed by the highest authority. One more mission, then she could disappear.

She got up and walked over the replicator. She asked it for a brand of Andorian Whiskey. As soon as she smelt it, it made her wretch. Starfleet medical's neurological cure at work, no doubt. She put it back in the replicator and recycled it without consuming a drop. She asked for apple juice instead.

"Guess I'm teetotal, then." She said to herself.

She sat down at the desk. One of her tunic buttons was sat on the closed terminal. She brushed it off with the back of hand and activated the terminal. She logged in for the first time in half a year.

"You have seven hundred and twenty-seven new communications" Said the computer, mechanical as ever. She rolled her eyes - to hell with that.

"Delete the lot." She ordered.

"Please confirm order. Would you like to delete seven hundred and -" Blackburn lost what little patience she had.

"I said get rid of it all!" She shouted at the screen. She sat back afterward, watching the lists disappear on the screen, regretting her lost of control again. Shouting at an inanimate terminal wasn't exactly sensible. She sat with her head in her hands for a few minutes, trying to forget who she was.

The terminal chirped again. She looked up and saw a new message. "PALLAS system requesting interface". She didn't know what it meant. Shrugging, she pressed the 'Accept' button.

A fuzz of energy appeared in the room taking Blackburn by surprise. A few moments later, a female stood in the room, dressed in white robes. Blackburn focused her eyes on her and scoffed. "What are you supposed to be?" She asked.

"Greetings, Major. I am Pallas. I am the ship's fully integrated artificial intelligence."

Blackburn sat back in her chair. "You have got to be joking. Do you always dress like that?" She paused. "Why am I talking to the ship?"

"My physical appearance was selected by my programmer. You are not talking to the ship - you are talking to me."

"But you are the ship. How - " Blackburn almost slipped into the curious person she used to be. She stopped herself and shook her head. "Forget it. I don't care. What do you want?"

"The Captain would like to see you. I can accompany you."

"Escort, you mean." Cassandra sighed. No trust here either, then. "I wondered when he would ask for me."

"It is normal protocol for a senior officer to report to the Captain upon arrival." Pallas stared directly at Blackburn as she spoke.

"I've not been very good with protocol recently." Replied Blackburn. "This is ridiculous, why am I talking to a projection?" She said to herself. Pallas remained unmoved. Blackburn hesitated for a moment. "Dammit, fine. I need to replicate a new tunic. Give me a minute. And be careful with those buttons on the floor; hate to see you slip in those sandals."

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