Temptation

Month 10 Day 26

0758 Hours

Bugalu

Wishing desperately that this had been one of his days off, Bugalu hung back in the back of the crew when the lift arrived at the bridge. He was not in any hurry to leave the crowded transport, and waited as long as he possibly could before following the others. Space, this is going to be so hard. I always say something to her at shift change. Always! Only now I can’t! Eventually - far sooner than he was ready for it - everybody else had gotten off. Steeling himself, he walked off the lift and started for his station.

“Bugs!” He heard her quiet call and abruptly ceased walking, but stopped himself from turning to face her. “I need to talk to you,” she added.

People were trying to get past him, headed for the lift. He grabbed one at random. “Firoz, would you please remind Mac that I am not allowed to talk to her?”

Firoz stared at him as if he was insane. “Why not?”

“No, Bugs, that’s not-- At least I think it’s...” Her voice trailed off on a note of general confusion.

That was when Bugs saw Smythe at the engineering console. A cold draft went down the helmsman’s back as he realized how close he had come to disobeying an order. Even this—giving her a message through someone else—might be too much for the old man to bear.

Bugalu was surprised, then, by the look of mild confusion on Smythe’s face as the engineer gazed at him and then shifted his attention to Mac. “Oh,” the older man grunted. “I should have told you at breakfast; Lt MacDowell’s confinement has been canceled. Therefore, that stipulation is no longer in effect, either.”

Bugalu could only stare at him in puzzled shock. From her chair, the captain asked, “What made you change your mind, Smitty?” You were quite irate last night.”

Yes, I’d like to know, too. He absolutely was not going to listen to anybody last night. But this morning he’s cool as can be.

The engineer’s face went a little pink. “Yes, well, Lt Wilson informed me that Co-MacDowell didn’t make those items, that she - Wilson - did.”

“So you confined Wilson?” Evans asked with a gloating grin.

Smythe turned a cold look on the helmsman. “No, I did not.”

Evans looked surprised, but didn’t say anything else, and turned back to his station, pausing only to send an impatient glare at Bugalu. Tough. He can wait. I have to be sure...

Smythe went on. “I never told Wilson not to make any such items, so I can’t punish her for having done so.”

“But are you sure MacDowell did not tell her how to do it?” Captain Burke asked, and quickly held up her hand to stop Mac from answering.

What’s she probing for? Although, actually, she’s asking all the same questions I would, if I were her. If I weren’t already sure of the answers.

Smythe shook his head, his face going even redder. “No, she had nothing to do with it.” He cleared his throat. “Turns out I... asked a question that got Wilson thinking along those lines. Meanwhile, I forgot I’d even asked her.”

“I see,” the captain stated. “Well, everything ends well, then. Mr Bugalu, you have 1 minute to exchange pleasantries with Lt MacDowell.”

“Yes, sir,” he acknowledged, and finally turned to face his adopted sister, a big grin on his face. “Then you’ll join me for supper this evening, right, Mac?”

“No, Bugs, I can’t. Not for a few days. I just can’t deal with that mistletoe any more.”

“Oh.” Should have seen that coming. She did give it a good try. If it had just been Tall Bear, she might have been willing to risk it again tonight. But I don’t want to drive her right back to Pa’s brainwashing. “Okay, tell you what. I’ll bring supper to you, and we’ll spend the night in.”

She sighed in relief, one hand nervously clutching the lower front of her uniform tunic. “Thanks, Bugs.”

The captain cleared her throat. “Excuse me for intruding. The mistletoe was only approved for 24 hours. By now they should be in storage, awaiting dismantling by the evening shift.”

Approved by whom? Did she know about them all along? Come to think of it, I didn’t see any of them at breakfast.

Mac’s face lit up in relief with a big grin. “That’s even better. Thank you for the information, captain. Supper as usual, Bugs.” She left the bridge.

Bugalu was humming when he finally relieved Evans. “Wasn’t that a touching scene,” Evans muttered. “She’s not yours exclusively, you know.”

“As usual, you don’t know what you’re talking about.”

The shift-change procedure finished, Evans leaned closer, his voice went even lower. “She picked up a new boy friend last night.”

Idiot. “Did she? Good for her.” The best way to drive him crazy is to be completely unconcerned, no matter what he says. Gnashing his teeth, the other man turned angrily and left.

With the bridge emptied of midnighters, the captain asked, “Mr Smythe, I could have sworn this was your day off. Is there a reason for you being here, or did you merely forget that?”

Smitty slowly turned from watching the engineering console. “Actually, captain, I’d like a few words with you.”

“Sounds serious,” she half joked. “How is our course, Mr Bugalu?”

It was her standard query at the start of each shift, and after a quick glance at his controls, he gave her his standard response. “We’re on course and at speed, Captain.”

“Very well. Smitty, come into my office.”