Getting Permission (Part 1)

Month 10 Day

0759 Hours

Jane Burke

Jane glanced around the bridge as she stepped off the lift. Everything seemed in order; Chun was being relieved by Abdulla. Jane led Smitty to her office. How much longer is Smitty going to shun that redhead? I hope he’s got somebody over-seeing her cross-training now, or we’ll have words about that again. She sat down at her desk, but didn’t wait for him to speak, even though he had been the one to initiate this meeting. “I saw you had an engineering meeting scheduled in room 4C last night. How did it go?”

“Mmm, kind of a mixed bag, if you know what I mean.

No specifics. Not good. “I’m not sure I do. It doesn’t sound too good. What was the meeting about?”

“Three of my subordinates wanted to discuss the Kolla/Colleen Contraption, as they call it.”

“I thought you decided you couldn’t make much headway understanding that unless Kolla was here to explain it.”

“Well, Colleen was there.”

He said that almost as if there’s no difference between the ladies. I didn’t find them that much alike. “So you stayed away from the meeting? Because if you’d been there, I imagine she couldn’t have talked.”

He adjusted his position in his chair. “She had no difficulties talking. But she came to the conclusion that explaining that piece of machinery in any detail was... irrelevant. It had been a desperate attempt to reproduce a specific piece of Yukosk technology using nothing but human technology. And as she said, if we really want to understand Yukosk technology, then the logical thing would be to build a transportation beam machine, using the translation of the manual S’thyme gave me.”

Well, I’ve pretty much been expecting this request since MacDowell finished that translation. Was starting to wonder what was taking him so long to make it. “And that’s what you want to discuss with me this morning,” she concluded. “Have you selected your team?”

“I have. I’m keeping the team small, for now, at least. If we can’t make heads or tails of it, I don’t want to confuse all of engineering.”

“I take it you’ve read the manual, then, and it doesn’t seem to be an impossible process, this transportation beam.”

“I’m sure it’s just a matter of seeing things in action, so to speak. How things are actually put together and such.”

“I’m not in the habit of discouraging people from seeking new knowledge. However, in this case, there’s another matter that I don’t want you to lose track of.” Don’t stop now, spit it out and get it said. “MacDowell’s cross-training.”

“That’s well in hand,” he answered at once. “Both Abdulla and Wilson have agreed to help her with her studies.”

“Help her with... Wait, you have her studying on her own?”

“It seems to be the way she likes it.”

“How often will they check on what she’s learned?” It’s not completely unusual for him to let others assist in the teaching, but to let someone be totally on their own is.

Smitty had hesitated, and now gave her an overly-jolly smile. “I didn’t ask for details. I trust Abdulla and Wilson to do what’s needed.”

Trust? Now he has trust? “A few months ago, you didn’t trust Abdulla to give MacDowell her probational exam. What’s changed since then?” Hopefully, he’ll say he’s seen what the redhead can do.

Smitty’s grin faded. “Well... That was different.”

Wrong answer. “What was different about it? It’s still a matter of ascertaining her level of knowledge.”

“But a probational exam is about her chosen field, which she studied at the academy and - in Colleen’s case - had been working in for 4 or 5 years.”

“That makes it sound like you don’t care how much she learns about engineering. I’m sure any other communications officer we’ve ever had under your command will be shocked to hear that.”

“That isn’t what I meant, captain. You, of all people, should know that.”

“I should hope it isn’t what you meant! Smitty, there may come a time, in the middle of some emergency, when she may have to help with repairs under your direction, possibly even at your side. She won’t be any good to you if she can’t think around you.”

“I told you, she didn’t have any difficulty thinking last night.”

“You were actually there? Not hiding in the next room, listening over the intercom?” 2 pink flags appeared on his cheeks, and Jane’s stomach fell. No, he’s not above a little subterfuge. Did he pull it on her or on me? Or both of us?

Perhaps his guilty embarrassment brought on a touch of anger. “I was there,” he stated measuredly. “I didn’t say anything, I only listened, but I was there. And she knew I was there!”

“Good. She’s learned to talk even when you are present. But working with you could be another matter. Not to mention that you usually have some involvement in the cross-training of communications officers. When is that going to happen with this one?”

“She’ll get used to working with me; she’s on my team for this project.”