Finding the Proof & Aftereffects

Finding the Proof

Month 11 Day 3

1020 Hours

Lt Tall Bear

There were 2 guards outside Quarters 42 of deck 4; one at each door. Tall Bear carried a large kit, which he sat down outside the bedroom door, where the captain had stopped. “Document everything,” the captain instructed him. “This could easily become a case of ‘he said, she said,’ so we need to be able to reconstruct what happened when. The fact that a book was under a computer screen may be important. So document everything before you move anything, and again every time you move some thing.”

“Yes, captain,” he agreed. “That’s how we were taught to do it.”

She hesitated and then sighed. “Look at me, trying to tell you how to do your job. Do we know which side of the bedroom is MacDowell’s?”

“I can figure it out,” he returned. “She’s the only person with variable gravity on her bed.”

“That’s right, she is. Well, as soon as you get the bedroom documented, send a fresh uniform down to the brig for her. And then, as soon as you get the living room thoroughly documented, inform fabrication so they can get in and fix things.”

“Yes, Captain.”

She hesitated half a moment. “I haven’t seen the living room. Any of it, really. But I get the idea that all sorts of things were tossed about, knocked to the floor and so on. Would that include the computers?”

“The computers were smashed up pretty badly.”

“Then when you are done, also inform Oakhurst. It’s my understanding MacDowell had several projects she had her computer working on, and I haven’t heard that she had finished any of them. See what Oakhurst can save for her.”

“She’ll appreciate that, captain.”

“Well, you know what you need to do, so I’ll let you do it.” She started to turn away, then turned back again. “Let me know when you’re done, too. So I know if I need to find temporary quarters for MacDowell’s roommate.”

“Captain, you’ll be the first to know,” he promised. As the captain moved away, he opened the kit and pulled out the hologram recorder and its tripod.

Ingersol opened the bedroom door, and they looked inside. Both beds were made, everything looked to be in place. “Doesn’t look like the fight got this far,” Ingersol stated.

“I agree, it doesn’t look like it.” Tall Bear stepped to the middle of the room and set up the recorder, then stepped back out of the room and gave the command for the machine to record. Afterwards, he took a careful look around, to make sure nothing had actually been tossed around. It still didn’t look like any part of the fight had progressed to this room. “Okay, I guess we can take a fresh uniform to Mac. Computer,” he started, but Ingersol stepped over to one of the closets and took out a uniform without hesitation. “How do you know that’s Mac’s uniform?”

“Because I know which side of the bedroom is Della’s.” Ingersol grinned.

Tall Bear grunted, then opened a couple drawers, found underwear for Mac, which he handed the other man. “I’m surprised you didn’t notice, she’s going to need a full set of clothes.” He found a pair of pantyhose and added those to what the man held. “Okay, go ahead. Give those to one of the ladies to give to Mac. Mac is still plenty upset.”

“One of the-- Zhang is still active? She works C shift.”

“That’s right. Relieve her when you get there. Tell her I may need her to work a 12-hour shift when she reports this evening. Depends how long we hold Mac. Now, get going.”

As Ingersol left, Tall Bear took the hologram recorder into the living room and set it up. This room was a complete mess, with broken shards of computer screens, broken chairs and desks. Even the sofa was out of place. If it were up to me, I’d let her go as soon as she calmed down. On the other hand, after what she’s been through, and considering her upbringing, that could take a while.

 

 

Aftereffects

Month 11 Day 3

1030 Hours

Capt Jane Burke

 Jane entered her office from the hallway and paused next to Blossom’s tiny desk. “Blossom, I need to talk to the ship’s tailor, fabrication, and Smitty in engineering.”

“Yes, captain.”

Jane proceeded to her desk and sat down. This is where other captains would probably turn the details over to someone else, perhaps their yeoman. Why do I feel the need to handle things myself? Is it just because I’m a woman, and I think I can imagine what MacDowell is going through? Or do I feel some guilt for not having found some way to get rid of Winthrop long before this? Maybe some of both. I’ve been afraid something like this would happen eventually, and I didn’t even know he was using a black market drug.

“Captain, the ship’s tailor is on line 1,” Blossom announced.

Jane hit the button, and Lt Postern’s face appeared on her computer screen. “Lieutenant, I need a rush job on a Class C and a Class D uniform for Lt MacDowell.”

The older man frowned and mumbled the name a couple times before he could recognize who that was. “Captain, I haven’t started the new uniforms for lieutenants yet.” That much was obvious, because he wasn’t wearing a new uniform himself.

“I don’t care. Do these uniforms for this lieutenant, and put a rush on it. When you get them done, track her down and give them to her directly. Any questions?”

“She’ll look out of place. And she hasn’t got the seniority to be the first lieutenant in new uniforms.”

“Never-the-less, one of her C uniforms has been damaged beyond repair, and it doesn’t make sense for you to make her a replacement of the old design.”

“Beyond repair?” Postern sighed. “Very well, I’ll get right on it.”

“Fabrication on line 2,” Blossom said.

Jane punched the button, and Lt Eckleson replaced Postern on her computer screen. “Yes, captain?”

“Deck 4, Quarters 42 has sustained substantial damage,” she told him. “As soon as Security is done gathering evidence, you’ll need to get in there and put it back together. But I want it to look different.”

“Different, captain?”

“Yes, different. It seems one of the occupants was attacked in that quarters, and I don’t want her to have to come back to something that looks the same. Move the furniture, use a different color scheme, put some kind of pattern on the sofa. Make it so she isn’t reminded of that attack every time she enters. Understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Mr Smythe is on line one.”

“Smitty, I need a variable gravity field placed on the bed in one of the brig cells.”

“What in space for?” Must have caught him by surprise.

“Well, as best I can figure, this the time she would normally be sleeping.”

All the color drained from Smitty’s face. “Oh, no.” he shook his head sadly. “I told her to keep that temper in check.”

Yes, he immediately assumes she’s guilty. “We don’t know that she initiated the altercation,” Jane told him. “But the other party is in sick bay, so she’s in the brig at least until all the evidence is gathered.”

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “All right, Captain. I’ll get on it right away.”

“Send the Harris woman,” Jane suggested. “MacDowell might appreciate seeing a friendly face. Burke out.” She broke the connection and sat back. Is that all? Is there anything else to be done? I can’t think of anything else. 4 hours to get that drug out of Winthrop’s blood. And then I shouldn’t intrude into the interview. That’s up to Tall Bear.

Dealing with a problem

Month 10 Day 26

0803 Hours

Captain Jane Burke

Jane took her seat behind her desk, indicated the facing chair for Smitty. “Well, what is this about?” This had better be good, to explain why he ‘forgot’ his day off. Again.

“As soon as I learned that I had been wrong in my assumption about who built those mistletoe units, I came to the bridge to apologize and inform Co-MacDowell that her punishment was cancelled. Before I could get a word in, before I could even step off the lift, I heard some of the worst sexual harassment I’ve ever heard.”

Jane’s mood fell. Sounds like Evans is at it again. Some people never take a hint. “Evans?”

“Not just him. Adams was there instead of in engineering, and he was just as involved as Evans. I’ve come to file a complaint against both of them.”

“On her behalf,” Jane ended for him. “Good. I’ve wondered when she’d get fed up enough to do that.”

Smitty frowned. “She hasn’t. Or rather, she’s afraid that if she files charges, either she won’t be believed, or they’ll twist it around to seem that she’s having an affair with whomever she consults to file those charges.”

“I don’t understand. You just said she filed charges.”

“No, sir. I tried my best to convince her to, especially after I debriefed Firoz on the situation, but she utterly refused. I’m here to file charges myself, on her behalf, but without her approval.”

That’s unusual. But if anybody did it, I would expect it was Smitty. Still, it’s entirely possible he’d be named by the perpetrators as not a disinterested party. I don’t want her to think she isn’t believed, but we have to be careful with ‘this situation’. “I‘m not surprised, but you’re putting me in a bit of a spot.”

Smitty looked surprised. “What do you mean?” And then he got a little angry. “Captain, if you had any idea what she has to put up, night after night—”

“But I don’t,” she pointed out. “Not really, although I have a clue or two. That’s why Evans is now on D shift. It only gives him 2 nights a week to pester her. If he hasn’t taken the hint and is still up to his old behavior, I’m willing to take further action. But if she isn’t willing to file charges--or at the very least to back up your filing of charges--then he can easily twist that into you having some... interest in her yourself.”

“Captain!”

He’s appalled by the insinuation, and yet those red spots on his cheeks say something else. She motioned him into silence. “So we have to go about this carefully. Make sure we have plenty of evidence to back up the charges. Did you record Firoz’s debriefing?”

Smitty’s demeanor deflated. “No, I never thought to. I certainly never expected a woman who endures that kind of treatment to refuse to file charges!”

“So, we need to gather proof before we file charges. If she won’t, can’t or doesn’t want to cooperate, we have to gather that proof despite her. I can ‘debrief’ other members of the midnight bridge and make sure I record what they say. But there’s a chance one of them might tell someone, and before you know it, the pair of miscreants would hear about it and be warned. So before I do that, we should try to record what happens on the midnight shift on the bridge.”

Smitty nodded. “Right. Record the nights he’s on duty. But I don’t think she’d agree to doing that.”

“No, I meant every night she’s on duty, not just the nights Evans is on duty. We don’t want him claiming that his duty shifts are no different from the rest of them.”

Smitty’s brow furrowed. “True, he would be the type to make that claim. Still, I don’t think she’d do it. She seems pretty determined not to take any action against them. She’s afraid of the rumors they would spread if she did do something.”

“We’ll consult with Abdulla, make sure the recordings are without MacDowell’s knowledge. We certainly don’t want the victim to spill the beans about what we’re doing. If she had knowledge like that, it might slip out in a moment of unthinking anger.”

He looked thoughtful. “That... seems like a good idea,” he agreed.

“We should also take a look at how well they’ve been doing their jobs while they’ve been harassing her, compare it to nights when they haven’t been harassing her. That will open stricter forms of discipline, if their job performance has suffered from their intrapersonal pursuits.”

“That sounds good. There’s no way Adams can be doing his job properly when he isn’t even in engineering.”

Jane reached forward and pushed a button. “Lt Abdulla, would you come to my office, please?”

It only took a moment for Abdulla to make her appearance. “Yes, captain?”

“We want to audio record what happens on A shift every night that MacDowell is on duty, but not have her realize it’s happening. I assume you can arrange that.”

There was a hint of a smile on Abdulla’s face. “I’ve tried to get her to file charges, but she’s a stubborn girl, with some strange ideas in her head. As for recording, yes, I can set it up, but if I do it, I can’t guarantee she won’t notice. I suggest asking Rags—um, Lt Oakhurst to set it up. He can do it and cut out the telltale ‘recording’ light from the system so that she doesn’t realize it’s being done. Would you like me to talk to him?”

“Mr Smythe will,” Jane decided. “Thank you, Abdulla. Needless to say, if we don’t want MacDowell to know things are being recorded, we don’t want anyone else to know, either.” When the young woman nodded, Jane told her, “Dismissed.” After she had left, Jane turned to her Chief Engineer. “Do you understand all the recordings and reports we need Oakhurst to gather for us? Is there anything we’ve forgotten?”

“I remember,” he stated. “I’ve got another report I’ll have one of my people put together. Will you be informing Nichols?”

“Not until we’re ready to file charges. I don’t want any hint of what we’re doing to get back to Evans and Adams. Make sure your people understand that. And don’t tell anybody anything about this that you don’t have to. If they don’t know anything, they can’t let it slip.” She turned her head. “Is that understood, Blossum?”

“Yes, sir. I haven’t heard a word.”

“Good. Okay, Smitty, go consult with your people. I don’t know what shift Oakhurst is on today, but track him down at your earliest opportunity. I’ll send him a message that you are acting on my behalf, and if he has any questions about that, he can contact me directly. Consult with whoever you assign your report to. And then... get out of uniform and enjoy the rest of your day off!”

Smitty sighed at her final instruction. “Yes, sir.”

A Theory

Month 6, Day 1

Capt Jane Burke

0756 Hrs

Jane was a little surprised to see Takor on the bridge when she arrived. However, she had already received a snarled ‘no’ when she asked Smythe over breakfast whether MacDowell had passed last night. Takor had been sure she would, so perhaps it was trying to ascertain what it was about the chief engineer that kept the girl from remembering what everybody else said she knew. After seeing Smythe’s mood that morning, Jane hadn’t asked for details, but perhaps Takor could fill her in before it went to bed.

Jane sat in her command chair and slowly rotated, watching all the various shift change procedures taking place. Abdulla looked abnormally pale, and it was the redhead who seemed to be actually doing the shift-change procedure for communications as the women talked, but Jane didn’t give it much thought until she heard Abdulla demand, “How can you be so stubborn?” And then, “Mr Smythe! Would you please tell Mac- Dowell that I am here for my shift - as much of it as I can manage - so she can leave?”

Smythe had not been coming to the bridge in the mornings, so Jane was surprised to hear his name used. A glance toward the lift revealed Smitty staring at the communications officers, his own face white except for two bright red flags on his cheeks. He stepped toward them on wooden legs.

Abdulla said something, but Jane couldn’t tell if Smitty heard her. Then the redhead opened her mouth, but only got out 3 words before the engineer help up a hand to stop her. “Not another word,” he said. “Is the change of shift procedure completed?”

“Yes,” Abdulla stated, while the redhead-

Takor suddenly bolted away from the communications console. The lizoid didn’t even hesitate as it grabbed Jane’s arm, and hurried her toward her ready room. “I must speak with you!” it exclaimed, its voice thick and labored.

“But-“ Jane started to protest, then marveled at the alien’s strength, to force-march her across the bridge with hardly any effort.

They entered her office and Takor released her arm as the door closed behind them. She watched as the alien staggered across the room to lean against the bulkhead and breathe deeply. Blossom sat at her desk in the corner, her eyes wide as she stared at the Sciss. Jane sat at her desk, remained silent until Takor began to regain its composure. “What is this about?”

Takor’s head fins - normally kept folded along its skull - fluttered for a moment in embarrassment. “You asked me once if anyone aboard could... arouse me. Sexually.”

Okay, not something we would discuss on the bridge. Nor do we need witnesses. “Blossom, take a break,” Jane instructed.

“Captain?” her yeoman protested.

Jane turned to face her. “This is a personal discussion, yeoman. I would not let anybody listen if you wanted to discuss this type of subject. I won’t treat Mr Takor any differently.”

Blossom frowned, but stood up. “Yes, captain.” She paused at the door for a quick look back, as Takor staggered to a chair. Its uncertain footing seemed to reassure the younger woman, and she left.

Jane turned back to the Sciss. “It seems an unusual question for me to ask you, but if you say I did, then I must have.”

Takor riffled its upper lip, then changed its response to a slow human-like nod. “At the time, I did not believe it possible. I have been assigned here a good amount of time, and there had never been any indication...” It paused to smooth down its head fins with both hands, something Jane hadn’t seen it do since it had first arrived. “It now appears I may have been... mistaken.”

Jane leaned forward. “Are you saying that someone has-“

“Not one somebody,” it interrupted. “However, the combination of two... of a particular two somebodies... appears to produce pheromones sufficiently close to those of my own species so as to-“ Takor took another deep breath and its head fins fluttered restlessly.

Jane knew what pheromones were. Supposedly, humans produced them, but she had never personally been aware of them. A piece of her had doubted their existence, at least in humans. “Let me see if I understand. No one human has the ability to arouse you. But when a particular pair of humans is in your vicinity, you do become aroused. Is that correct?”

“Yes.”

There’s been plenty of reports about Sciss pheromones, so I guess humans have them, too. “Even if they are not aroused?”

Takor hesitated. “I am not a good judge of human arousal.”

No, I don’t imagine so. “Okay, which-“ Do I really want to ask? There are a lot of possible answers that I do not want to hear. Of course, I wouldn’t have any proof; there’s nothing in Fleet regulations about a couple producing sexual pheromones. Still, I hate being blind-sided. “Which pair?”

“Lt Cmdr Smythe and Lt MacDowell.”

Jane winced. I should have known. Her behavior when she came aboard, his behavior during our review of new crew members... I didn’t want it to happen, so I turned a blind eye. This can only spell trouble for one or both of them. “I can’t imagine what it’s been like for you, to have to endure that olfactory assault during her tests.”

“I have not endured it well,” Takor responded. “Both times I attended the test, I cut it short by ordering the females out, to remove the mixed pheromones. But I was not sure which pair of humans was the source of my... response until this morning. It would have been unseemly to order anyone off the bridge, yet I had a most urgent need to remove myself from the... stimuli. Therefore, I left.”

And drug me across the bridge like so much baggage. I can’t really blame it. The alternative of staying there would have been... a big mess. Would it have attacked one of them? And if so, which one? “Do the Sciss have a word for rape? Do you know what it means?”

“I have had the word explained to me. It was a difficult concept. We do not have it on Sciss, since each responds to the other equally.”

So, no answers to that question. “Never mind. Are you recovered? Calm?”

Takor’s head canted to one side and a blunt claw manipulated a fin to get it to cover the ear flap. “Yes. The pheromones are not present here.”

“Good. Thank you for your report. Do not plan to attend any more testing sessions of Ms MacDowell.”

“She has not passed,” it stated.

Which might be because it prematurely ended the tests, twice. “I know. I will have to find some answers, but finding them will not involve you.”

“Very well. I will return to my normal routine tomorrow.” The lizoid rose and left.

Jane headed back for the bridge, stopped when she saw Smitty talking to the day bridge engineer. “Smitty, this is your day off. What are you doing here?” And why did it take me so long to remember that this is his day off?

Startled, the man looked up. “I... lost several of my crew to this... illness, captain. I thought it best to be sure all the necessary positions are covered.”

“Very well. You can have half an hour to do that. After that, get out of uniform and have some fun.”

The engineer frowned. “Yes, captain.”

Changing her mind, Jane returned to her ready room. I have a lot of thinking to do. Something I had hoped wouldn’t happen is on the verge of boiling over. How do I nip it in- well, it’s no longer in the bud stage.

Do I let her fail, get busted in rank and sent back to- probably back to tugs, if not dismissed altogether. That’s not fair.

Black space, other senior officers have spouses! How did they manage it? Got married when they were younger, I suspect. And what makes me think these two have any such intentions? Maybe all they have between them is lust!

I hate these kinds of problems.

Personal Investigation

Personal Investigation

Month 4, Day 2

Jane Burke

0755 Hrs

The lift doors opened, and 3 blue shirts got off, leaving Jane and Lt Abdulla alone in the small enclosure. As soon as the door closed, Jane instructed, “Halt lift.”

“Captain?” the lieutenant asked uncertainly.

“I have a question,” Jane explained. “At Lt MacDowell’s latest exam, did Purvis units come up?”

“Yes,” Abdulla stated. “They frequently do.”

“I imagine so, there’s so many of them. What I should have asked is if engineering Purvis units came up.” Abdulla’s mouth stiffened, and she hesitated for a long moment. “It must seem a strange question, since MacDowell is communications, like you. But when Lt Cmdr Smythe came to the bridge yesterday morning, he said the topic of Purvis unit differences had come up, and he had neglected to explain it before her test ended.”

The brown woman’s dark eyes flashed. “Did he-“ She stopped short. “Never mind.”

She seems... protective of the girl. From Smitty? That’s odd. “He was so surprised to find her trying to figure out the difference herself.”

Abdullah sighed. “That sounds like Mac. She can get so distracted by something like that. And once a question gets in her mind, she’s just got to find the answer.”

Which can be either good or bad, depending on the circumstances. “Well, he explained the differences in that succinct, no-nonsense manner he has when he thinks you should already know what he’s explaining, which I found surprising. Still, when he asked if she understood, she promptly said yes. Which brings us to my next question, lieutenant. Do you understand the difference between the two types of Purvis units?”

Abdulla blushed. “I’m afraid not. Mr Smythe encourages us to cross-train, but I’ve been so busy lately, I’ve fallen behind.”

I knew he expected his engineers to know the entire ship, but I didn’t realize he expected it of the specialists as well. “I see. Thank you, lieutenant. Lift continue.”

“If I might ask a question, captain?” the younger woman asked.

“By all means.”

“Since Mac - MacDowell has been aboard for 3 months, I assume Mr Smythe has made a preliminary report on her prospects of staying. Is there any chance you might share that report with me?”

Jane smiled. “I won’t bore you with the details, but in the end, he stated he didn’t know, at this point. You’ve been working more closely with her than he has, so what’s your opinion?”

The underling blinked in surprise. “Mac has a mind like a sponge, but her confidence is shaky. Nonexistent, around Mr Smythe. The more he talks, tries to give options he would accept, the more she hears disapproval. I can see it in her eyes, her face. Every time she fails, she pushes herself harder, but I think she could answer the questions in her sleep. If she bothered to sleep, and if Mr Smythe wasn’t the one asking.” The lift door opened to the bridge. “But that’s just my opinion.”

“And Mr Smythe thinks highly of your opinion, Ms Abdulla.” They stepped forward, onto the bridge, the dusky woman looking gratified. “That’s why I asked for it. Please have Ms MacDowell wait for a moment. I have a question for her, as well.”

“Yes, captain.” Abdulla stepped away.

Jane considered the man at the engineering console, but it took her a moment to remember anything about him. Xylander. How could I forget a name like that? Because he hasn’t caused any problems that required my attention in all the time he’s been here. And he’s midnight bridge, so we’re only in the same room for about 2 minutes on any given day. She walked over to him. “Mr Xylander.”

“Good morning, Captain.”

She lowered her voice, hoping he took the hint that she wanted this conversation to be as private as possible. “Mr Xylander, since I know Mr Smythe’s requirements of engineering personnel assigned to the bridge, I assume you know the various types of Purvis units?”

He matched her tone. “Yes, sir.”

There’s a question mark at the end of that answer. He wonders what’s going on. “Would you please join us in my office this morning? There’s something I’m curious about.”

“As soon as I’m relieved, captain.”

“Thank you.” She turned, smiled as Lt Zaire approached. MacDowell stood to the side of the lift, waiting. I keep hearing people mention her sleeping habits, and she does look tired. I’ll have Duck figure that out. Looks like Smitty’s gone to his own office this morning. Good. No need to make him wonder what’s going on. She walked over, and the redhead made an effort to stand up straight. “May I ask you a question, Lieutenant?”

“Sure. I mean, yes, sir.”

“Come with me,” Jane instructed, and led her to her office. “Please have a seat,” she told the younger woman, and sat behind her desk. “Lt Xylander will be joining us shortly. Would you like some refreshment? My yeoman generally keeps coffee, tea and water available.”

MacDowell’s blink revealed her uncertainty at this unaccounted friendliness from the ship’s captain. “I never developed a taste for coffee, but water would be nice.”

“Coffee for me, Alyce,” Jane told Yeoman Blossom, who sat at her own tiny desk in the corner. “You know how I like it.”

“Of course,” the young lady stated as she stood. “Mac, would you like your water iced or room temperature?”

“Iced.” Blossom disappeared into the tiny closet where such things were kept.

“When you came aboard, MacDowell, I told you life on the Fireball would be different than life on a tug. You’ve been here 3 months. Have you found it to be different?”

“Oh, yes. The types of stress are much more diverse.”

“I spoke with Lt Abdulla. She has a glowing opinion of you.”

The redhead covered a yawn she could not stifle. “Unfortunately, the only opinion that counts is that of Mr Smythe,” she stated calmly.

No, she is definitely not stupid. The door to the bridge opened and Lt Xylander hesitantly stepped inside. “Thank you for joining us. Please have a seat. I won’t keep either of you long; I probably only have a single question for each of you, and then I’ll let you get on with your day.” She paused as Blossom silently set a mug of coffee in its usual place on her desk. “Thank you, Alyce. Please serve Mr Xylander and then leave for about 10 minutes.”

“Yes, captain. Here’s your water, Mac. You drink your coffee black, don’t you, Xylander?”

“No cream, 2 sugars.”

“Coming right up.”

“How long have you been with us, Mr Xylander?” Jane asked.

“A little over 6 years, captain.”

“MacDowell and I were just discussing the differences between being on the Fireball and an assignment to a different class of ship. Even different ships of the same class have a different... feel to them. Would you care to comment?”

Alyce handed him a mug, and they exchanged fleeting smiles before she headed for the doorway. “I can’t, captain. I was assigned here directly from the Academy.”

Jane felt a piece of ice in her craw. I should have picked my assistant more carefully. I certainly did not want to add to the girl’s feeling of inadequacy. She sipped her coffee as she watched her yeoman leave, then put her mug down. “Okay, let’s get to business. MacDowell, explain to Xylander the difference between a communications and an engineering Purvis unit.”

The redhead’s eyes grew round and she turned to the engineer. “Don’t you know?”

“Of course I do.”

“But Evans-“

“Is an idiot,” Xylander broke in, and blushed. “Sorry, captain. I shouldn’t have-“

“Quite all right. I’ve known a few idiots during my career.” Every ship has at least one. “MacDowell, humor me and explain the difference to him.”

“Yes, captain.” MacDowell took a swallow of water and began.

She’s not just parroting what Smitty said yesterday. That wouldn’t be a good sign. Abdulla said she had a mind like a sponge; soaks everything in and keeps it. But she only needed one hurried explanation to understand it? That’s hard to believe.

“But it seems to me,” the girl summed up, “that with that internal configuration, the engineering Purvis unit would need more power than a communications Purvis.”

“Twice as much,” Xylander confirmed.

“Oh. So you’d definitely have to turn off the power before you tried to work on an engineering Purvis.”

Xylander blinked in surprise. “You should turn off the power before you work on a communications Purvis.”

MacDowell’s voice lowered. “Well, of course, those are the guidelines, but I haven’t always been afforded that... luxury.”

Jane tried not to reveal the sudden tension in her back. Is she implying that- Can’t do anything about it, if it’s true. Have to deal with the here and now. She turned her gaze to the engineer. “Did she get it right?”

He nodded. “Better than some engineers I could name. Even figured out it takes more power. But Mac, I don’t understand why you’re studying engineering Purvis units when you can’t pass your communications probational.”

The girl’s face turned so red, it almost matched her hair, and thus her uniform. Her voice was very small. “Oh, it accidentally came up, and it was different from what I’ve been studying. It just, kind of, caught my attention.”

Jane sipped her coffee and leaned forward, clasping her hands together. “MacDowell, Lt Abdulla told me you know your field inside out. Yet you haven’t passed your probational, as Lt Xylander just mentioned. Is there a problem that needs to be addressed?”

“I... don’t know what’s wrong, captain. I always think I’m ready, but as soon as the test starts... I can’t think.”

Not a word about Smitty. Could she be intimidated by him and not realize it? They usually recognize fear. And she said as much, as soon as she arrived. Well, these 2 have answered the question I had. “Thank you, lieutenants, for your assistance - and patience. Dismissed.”

“Thank you, captain.” Xylander stood up. “My boy friend will be wondering where I am.”

“Boy friend?” Mac muttered. “Guess that explains why you’ve never asked me for a date.”

“It does,” he confirmed as they headed for the door.

“Oh, Alyce,” Mac greeted as the door opened. “Can you help me study this evening?”

“Sure. 2000, deck 7?”

“Sounds good.”

The door closed, and Alyce started picking up after the visitors. “Alyce, I didn’t realize you knew communications,” Jane stated.

“I don’t. But the way Abdulla has the files set up, it’s a matter of reading randomly-generated questions. I don’t even have to listen to the answer, because the computer grades it.”

That’s exactly like she was taking the probational, except it isn’t Smitty asking the questions. “Does she have a lot of difficulty answering the questions?”

“Not usually. I’ve helped her 3 times, and twice, she had perfect scores.”

“And the other time?”

“Oh.” Her mouth twitched in confusion. “Last time, she fell asleep half-way through, so she didn’t do well.”

I expect not. So, sleeping does seem to be a problem for her. How does she stay awake for her shift? She realized her yeoman had said something. “I’m sorry, Alyce, I was wool-gathering. What did you say?”

“I just said I hope Mac gets to stay. She’s a lot of fun.”

“You don’t... resent the attention she gets from the men?”

“She doesn’t want their attention. I think some of them are starting to get the idea, now that she gave Tall Bear a black eye.” She suddenly stiffened and looked up. “Oh, I wasn’t going to mention that. It wasn’t-“

“Relax, Alyce. I’ve already heard about it. And if Tall Bear wanted it in the record, he certainly knows how to fill out the paperwork.”

“Yes, captain. I’ll... get back to my paperwork.”

So, the redhead is fitting in somewhat better than Smitty indicated. I’ll talk to Duck about her sleeping. Or lack of it. Don’t have enough information to figure out if she has any other problems, but I do know this; that girl has got a brain.