Not the Time or Place

Month 16 Day 4

1503 Hours

Smythe

The shuttle had room for 14 passengers, and there were only 11 passengers for this first foray to the St Elmo. So when Smitty got on at the end of the group, he sat alone in the very back. Good. I've got space and time to work up some ire to deal with Lt Baker. If nobody wants to make small talk during the trip.

He was surprised to see Colleen sitting in the co-pilot's chair next to Bugalu, and wondered for a moment what was going on. But then he saw Bugalu shake his head and say, "No, you can't drive."

"How am I supposed to learn?"

Bugalu gave her a brief, evil grin. "Sign up for the training, like everybody else that wants to know."

"You're taking all the fun out of this excursion," she returned.

"You'll have plenty of fun putting Baker in his place."

"If it comes to that."

"Knowing Baker, it will," Bugalu responded.

What's this? Colleen knows Baker? He remembered her reaction to the name during their briefing. Come to think of it, Bugalu and Baker didn't get along while Baker was on the Fireball. Something about bad feeling from the Academy, Baker said. So it's likely Colleen knew Baker at the Academy, too. And Baker often rubs women the wrong way, from what I've seen.

Smitty looked up from his ruminations and noticed that Colleen had turned to face the interior and was staring at him, a tiny frown line on her forehead. Now what have I done? No, Smitty, get yourself on track. You were going to get yourself ready to deal with Baker. Set your mind to that task. He closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat, going over what he would say to his friend's protégé.

Someone sat down next to him. Their knees touched, sending a wave of warmth through their trousers and up his leg. He almost barked at them before his eyes popped open and he realized it was Colleen. He could smell her perfume, and the warmth tripled or quadrupled in heat. No, don't sit here, Colleen. I was just getting a good bit of anger in my mood, and I can't hold that in place with you sitting so close and looking so beautiful.

"Smit," she whispered hoarsely. "We need to talk."

Her hands were folded together on her knees, and he could see them trembling, despite being tightly entwined. Poor thing's nervous. Even she knows she's mighty green to have this kind of responsibility thrust upon her. He reached out and placed his hand around hers. "You'll do fine, Colleen," he whispered back. "Just keep your wits about you, and don't get distracted."

She gave him a quick glance of confusion, and shook her head. "No, not that," she muttered. "I mean, yes, I'll do my best. I don't want to embarass you."

"You won't," he returned. "I have faith in you."

She briefly gave him a searching look, then shook her head again, and leaned toward him, lowered her voice even more. "I meant we need to talk on a personal note. About us."

Us? She wants to talk about us, as in... a couple? She'd been avoiding talking to me on a personal level since she postponed the wedding. What's changed now? No, I don't care what's changed. If she wants to talk, we'll talk. It's not very private here, but...

As if on cue, Bugalu called out, "Mr Smythe, I think you need to see this."

And there I'm reminded that we're both on duty, and that has to come first. No matter how much I wish it wasn't so. He patted the hands he still held. "Unfortunately, my dear, this is neither the time nor the place. But as soon as we can, we will," he promised, and stood up to walk to the front of the shuttle.

He caught a glimpse of what Bugalu had spotted before he slipped into the co-pilot's chair. There was a long jagged rip in the starboard warp engine nacelle, which was occasionally lit up when a burst of uncontrolled electricity jumped from item to item like lightning. "That blasted fool," he muttered, and called for, "Colleen, come take a look."

"What has Baker been doing all this time?" she asked from directly behind him, and her hand rested on his shoulder.

"Probably been concerned only with the damage he can see from the engine room," Smitty responded. "A blasted rookie mistake."

"Surely you've got to shut off damaged areas like that so that they don't cause more damage," Colleen stated.

"Would make sense," Bugalu agreed.

"Take us around the port nacelle so we can get a look at it," Smitty requested.

The shuttle smoothly moved away from the open gap and toward the next nacelle, which it traveled around, revealing a similar but smaller tear. Without any further instructions from Smitty, Bugalu then flew a loop around the north nacelle as well, where a section of the wall was deformed, but not ripped.

Smitty didn't have any trouble finding anger to direct at Lt Greg Baker now. He gave Bugalu a nod to let him know he could head for a landing in the shuttle bay. He became aware of Colleen's musical voice murmuring confidently, and saw her using a communications headset.

She signed off and put the headset away. "I told both ships we were looking at the extent of the external damage to the nacelles, but that we'd be landing shortly."

Smitty gave a curt nod. "Good." He started to gnash his teeth, forced himself to stop. "Now I hardly know where to begin."

"Don't let Baker change your plans," Colleen told him softly. "Go and say hello to your friend. Meanwhile, I will go to engineering, and make them stop working."

"I wanted to introduce you to Stinky," Smitty told her.

She seemed surprised, but came back with, "There'll be time later."

"Yes, you're right," he agreed. "Okay, go and tell them work is to cease, and they can all take a half hour break. By that time, I'll be there, and they can report to me."

"Okay, I'd better sit down before we land."

Smitty grabbed her arm to stop her, although they only had a moment or two before the shuttle would enter the shuttle bay. "You studied those regs I had you look up, didn't you?"

She gave him a dazzling smile. "I know them forwards, backwards and sideways, Mr Smythe." Then she was gone, walking back to the far end of the shuttle to find a seat.

"I want to thank you for having her study those regs," Bugalu said. "I've never seen her look so confident going in a new situation."

I wanted her ready to deal with Baker, in case he tried to run over her when I wasn't around. I didn't think I'd be turning her loose to take charge of the entire St Elmo engineering crew on her own.