The Admiral and the Pilgrim

Posted on Fri Jan 24th, 2025 @ 11:39am by Doctor Intharia T'Zor & Vice Admiral Lucas Gali

620 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: Masters of the Stars [2]
Location: USS Challenger, Captain's Ready Room
Timeline: MD03 - Morning

"Thank you for coming, Doctor. I'd like to once again emphasise that I could very easily have come to you." Gali said, surprised at how the woman had insisted to meet him in his own office. There was something climbing up the glass of his fish tank.

"I understand. But I've heard so much about the Galaxy-class ship, I had to have a look. I hear they're on the way out." Thari noted.

"Unfortunately, that's true. I don't know if you've heard, but our leaders made some pretty questionable decisions this last decade. Not least among them was calling for the worst damned refit I've ever seen. But I didn't call you here to talk about starships, and I won't waste your time." Gali said.

"I appreciate that, sir." T'Zor said with a quick smile.

"I'd like to know, officially, what your intentions are while you remain in our universe." Gali asked. The psychedelic starfish in the tank behind him chose that moment to start cycling through a particularly vibrant cycle of glowing colours. The Admiral seemed not to notice.

"I've taken great satisfaction in my work and relationships here. This anomaly is a scientific discovery beyond compare. I wish to continue to be of help, and continue to learn. This is perhaps a better place to do that than even my own universe." T'Zor said.

"But if we could send you home tomorrow, would you go?" Gali asked.

"For the first week or so, I thought so. Now I'm not so sure. Certainly I'm in a relationship here, now. But we both know what my being here means, and that it might not be permanent. I don't know, sir. But it'll be perhaps an even greater discovery if we learn how to direct the anomaly, or hop between universes at will." Thari said.

"Well, we're glad to have you. Based on your performance so far, Starfleet Command has agreed to offer you officer-level clearance, on the strength of the references from the command crew. You'd still be a civilian, but you'll have access to any of our systems and clearances a Lieutenant could access, and you'll have an official position in the chain of command, although you'll be pretty close to the bottom." Gali said.

"You are showing me a great deal of trust, Admiral. It is not lost on me and I appreciate it." Thari nodded in gratitude.

"To be completely honest, it's not the most professional circumstance that you're in a relationship with your department head. But Vulcan mind-melds are used as security screening in some circumstances. That you're already going through it voluntarily makes you particularly trustworthy." Gali said.

"It's strange to hear." Intharia said, trying to suppress a laugh. "My people have a similar technique, and it is closer to physical intimacy than anything that could be employed professionally. It is how we reproduce."

"Vulcans have a reputation as being generally more chaste and immune to passion than the average being." Gali said.

"Not a reputation I've found any basis for." Thari said with a clinical tone, and cheeky intent.

Gali laughed at that, finally looking to his starfish, before spinning a single rotation in his chair and facing T'Zor again as the laughter finally faded. "For what it's worth Doctor, I'm glad we have you here, and I hope you'll consider staying with us." Gali said with a smile.

"I just hope I don't have to make the decision any time soon, sir." Intharia smiled back.

"Well, thank you for your time." Gali said, standing. "And good luck with everything to follow." He extended a hand to her.

"Thank you, Admiral. Until then." Intharia said, shaking his hand. She also smiled to the starfish.

RSS Feed