Hi folks, thanks for the comments. However, one revision to make: The rough draft of the Aubrey / Adol scene was put up by mistake.
I'm posting the correct version below. Ad Astra will be updated within a day or two.
***
Captain’s Log USS Intrepid, supplemental entry. Thanks largely to the extra help from Gibraltar’s staff, we have all critical systems operational, including our warp core. Injector tests and warp field calibration trials will commence over the next three hours. Based on current simulations, we expect the mains online no later than 0700.
We’ve discovered that the Gambis’ attack on Velkohn had one unintended benefit, if I dare use the word: the Velk civil war has abated into minor skirmishes and the new government factions---which hadn’t existed prior to the temporal incursion----are more stable than those in the previous timeline. Nor do any of the new factions appear to harbor animosity towards the Federation. Because of this, we have been able to re open new relations with the current governing bodies. It’s too soon to know where this will lead, or what obstacles will come from the inevitable discrepancies and outright paradoxes now present within Velk history.
I’ve requested a hospital ship to meet us upon reentering the Alpha Quadrant so our injured can be transported to Starbase 219. It’s my fervent hope that all of them survive the journey. We’ll get underway the second I get the all clear from Engineering.
End recording.
The agony that been slowly gaining territory while Aubrey was recording his log, finally planted its flag within his skull and declared victory.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Each heartbeat brought a new hammer strike to his brain. As a stocking stuffer, nausea was on the way back in as well.
The concussion he received during the attack on Intrepid had never left, only the symptoms had been relieved. Dr. Kella had warned him that only time would remedy the situation. If he persisted on constant activity, he would likely be returning home on his back.
The lights in his ready room were turned down, and for the moment he was alone. He slid down in his chair, and closed his eyes.
He was running on borrowed time. If he didn’t take the rest his body was demanding, his body would soon force the issue, just as Dr. Kella had warned him.
Well, his body would damn well have to a wait, then.
His ship still needed him. There were still so many broken shards to sweep up.
He pulled a hypo from his desk compartment and pressed it against his neck. It was the last dose allowed him per doctor’s orders. He was now cut off until he agreed to kiss a pillow for no less than five hours.
Yes, he would be sure to do that.
Absolutely.
Aubrey removed a tiny cylinder from his pocket, shook out three capsules into his palm and dry-swallowed the powerful stimulants.
By the time he answered his door chime, the excruciating pain had died off to a petulant murmur.
Lt. Commander Adol entered the room, PADD in hand. Aubrey noted that the Andorian’s snow-white hair was unkempt and his tunic was blotted with dark stains. Like most of the crew, grooming and heigine loitered near the bottom of the priority list.
Now that the immediate threats were behind them, Commander Shantok had removed herself from duty to focus on meditative healing. Adol was the acting XO, a duty he’d performed admirably over the last three years when needed and often under far worse circumstances than today’s.
“Commander. What can I do for you?”
Adol remained on his feet. He fingered the PADD, looking decidedly uncomfortable. But unlike a human, he didn’t bother with a preamble. He just plowed through his malaise and got straight to the point. “Well sir, Assistant Chief Mistu first brought this to my attention. It seems that when he reviewed our security logs before transmitting them to me for approval, he found some gaps in our surveillance data.”
Aubrey was strangely nonplussed. “Really? Anything vital?”
He assuaged his CO studiously. “Yes, sir. Specifically, the visual records from detention cell B---the ones depicting Captain Sandurst’s interaction with the child Carris. All recordings of that event have been deleted.”
Aubrey leaned back in his chair. “’Deleted? You know the EPS grid has surged more than once since the collision. Security wouldn’t be the only department that’s suffered a loss.”
Adol closed his eyes for a moment, shook his head, and then opened them. His cranial appendages bent towards Aubrey as though trying to grab him. “Permission to speak candidly, sir?”
“Be my guest,” Aubrey agreed reluctantly.
“Sir, with all respect, I know the visual records were deleted because I viewed them recently. And I’ve verified since then that my data network is compartmentalized and properly isolated from power spikes or structural damage.”
“Interesting.”
“Yes, sir.” He agreed dryly. There was a telling pause. “Also worth noting is that besides me, only two other people aboard have the skills to circumvent the encrypted security locks embedded within the surveillance files. That would be you and Commander Shantok.”
“You’re implying one of us erased the records?”
For the moment, Adol dodged the question. “Captain, I’m sure you know what happened in there. You know what happened to Carris.”
Aubrey’s head teetered in a gentle nod. “I know that Captain Sandhurst liberated him from the Changeling’s control.”
“Yes, by shooting him repeatedly with a phaser.”
Aubrey held up a placating hand. “Alright. Let’s say I’m happy with end result, if not the methodology that was employed. At least Carris appears to be physically healthy now, aside from the emotional trauma. I’ve been told that with proper therapy---”
“He would have burned that kid to ashes.”
“Commander---”
“If the Changeling hadn’t submitted, he would have burned that kid to ashes and I would have entered the room just in time to see it.”
Aubrey’s tolerance began to waiver. “That’s a serious charge to level at a command officer.” He warned solemnly. “Has it occurred to you that the man was bluffing?”
“Begging your pardon sir, but you didn’t look into his eyes.” The Andorian finally placed himself in a chair in a belated effort to look less confrontational. As it turned out, he didn’t stay in it for long. “Sir, I understand camaraderie among ranks----“
“Be very careful with your innuendos, Commander.” Aubrey broke in acidly. “Free speech not withstanding, you’re heading into treacherous waters, here.”
Adol was again reminded of just how formidable the captain’s personality could be when he undid his restraints. All at once, Aubrey’s presence seemed to envelope the room, snuffing out most of the oxygen in the process.
“If you think this has to do with some frat boy code of loyalty, think again.” Aubrey rose like a wraith from behind his desk, causing the other man to snap back to his feet. “Given the enormity of what’s happened out here----including some facts to which you’re not privy----we’re going to be under intense examination when we get back. In short, Starfleet will be crawling up our proverbial backsides with a quantum resolver.”
Adol squinted at the metaphor but held his tongue.
“It stands to reason then, that one could draw the wrong conclusions from certain events…if said events aren’t evaluated within the proper context. Would you agree with that, Commander?”
“More than you realize, sir.”
Aubrey gave him a leery sideways stare, missing the significance of Adol’s response. “I know you, Commander. I’ve no doubt you’ll challenge this. Feel free to file a protest in your log. And when we get home, you can run this up the flagpole of your choice. All I ask is that you don’t make my job harder in the meantime.”
The caustic defiance that Aubrey had expected in return was absent from his security chief’s face. He simply stared back in bewilderment, as if considering whether his captain was under the Changeling’s insidious control like Carris had been.
“Maybe you don’t know me as well as you thought, sir.” He said into the the electric silence that followed. Then he handed his PADD over and without waiting for permission, slowly turned and walked away from his captain’s desk.
Aubrey’s blurry eyes focused on the small screen, and he finally saw what he should have seen from the start:
Lt. Commander Adol had already signed off on the missing surveillance recordings, attributing the loss to an EPS surge.
His signature was over two hours old.
Adol stopped near the exit. “And sir, if I may; the next time you need a security log erased, you really should ask me to do it. No offense, but you did some sloppy work.”
Maybe it was the stimulants or the medication, but Aubrey’s throat felt like dry leather all of a sudden. “Is that so?”
“Yes sir. You left data orphans all over the place. A junior NCO could have recompiled those records without even trying, you know.”
“I’ll bear that in mind.” He promised contritely.
Adol gave him a jovial sneer. “Please do. It took me almost an hour to clean up your mess.”
The doors closed, leaving Jason Aubrey alone within the twilight shades of his ready room.
can expect a new chapter sometime within the next week or so...
