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// Written by Jonathan Lau
Chapter 1
Joseph Randall walked onto the bridge of the USS Geneva and took a seat at his console. He could hardly believe he was given the assignment of cataloguing the numerous amounts of data they had gathered at the Bilna Star System. Most notably a pair of planets caught in each other’s gravitational forces, orbiting the Bilna star. It was quite the opportunity. Randall pressed a few buttons on his console and let out a soft sigh. He had forgotten to submit his department’s duty roster for the month. Even though he wasn’t the Chief Science Officer aboard the Geneva, all tasks fell to him while the Command Staff were evaluating possible candidates to fill that role.
He looked around the bridge at the other officers manning their consoles. At tactical he saw the intimidating Andorian, Lieutenant Kizlev, monitoring his console. Kizlev was always alert and ready for anything the universe threw at them. He looked over his right shoulder and noticed his friend, Jonathan Lashbrook, pointing something out on a dataPADD to a Bolian crewman. They had been friends ever since they shared the shuttle that transported them for assignment on board the Geneva. At the conn he spotted the radiant Susan Goldberg. He had asked her out on numerous occasions only to be turned down each time. He had asked her so many times, he had lost count. Secretly he believed that she enjoyed his advances.
He smiled to himself and cleared his throat, “Good morning, Susan. You’re looking lovely today. Did you do something with your hair?”
Goldberg spun in her chair and crossed her arms. “Shouldn’t you be giving up or something? Don’t you have more important work to be doing? I hear Commander Taal is looking for you.”
“Really? Is that so? Perhaps we can discuss this over dinner. Tonight perhaps?” answered Randall with a polite smile.
“In your dreams, Randall,” replied Goldberg as she chuckled to herself.
“Recently his dreams are as good as it gets for Joe,” piped in Lashbrook.
Randall looked over his shoulder and glared at Lashbrook, he turned around to look at Goldberg only to see her shaking her head as she turned back to the conn. Kizlev was trying to look busy, but from his vantage point Randall was sure that Kizlev was grinning. He turned back to face Lashbrook, “Jon! What’s with the knife in my back?”
“Sorry, Joe. But you know it’s true,” he said with a nervous laugh “I mean, it’s been what? Eight months since your last date?”
“Yeah, I suppose,” Randall spoke firmly, “and it’s been nine months.”
“Nine months? Let me guess. We’re talking about Mr. Randall’s lack of dating streak?”
Randall looked up and saw the Counselor, Zach Bauer, entering the bridge from the turbolift. Bauer sat down in the chair to the right of the Captain’s chair and looked at Randall inquisitively.
“Does everyone on the ship know about this?” asked Randall.
“It is a small ship, Ensign,” replied Bauer matter-of-factly.
Randall looked back down at his console and continued to work on the department duty roster. He was halfway finished when Captain Shras emerged from his ready room and walked up the steps onto the bridge. Shras was an Andorian much like Kizlev. Randall wasn’t used to seeing the antennae that the Andorians were famous for. It reminded him of the characters in children’s programming he saw when he was a child back on Earth. However, Shras’ voice and stern demeanor left no doubt who was in charge. Randall sat up straight in his seat.
“Status, Ms. Goldberg?” asked Shras as he sat down in the command chair.
“We are approaching Starbase 245, Captain,” answered Goldberg as she tapped a few buttons on her console. “Our ETA is ten minutes.”
“Thank you, Ensign. Mr. Lashbrook, open a channel to the Starbase and request permission to dock. I look forward to some much needed time off and I’m sure the majority of the crew is as well.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Mr. Randall, I understand you have been left in charge of cataloguing the sensor data gathered from the Bilna Star System. You have the fortune of possibly discovering something new and unique. I’m sure there are many scientists who’d want to be in your position.”
“Yes, sir,” responded Randall with a smile. “Thank you, sir.”
Shras continued, “Although, I doubt many scientists would want to be in your position considering your recent dating record. What has it been? Eight months?”
“Nine months, sir,” muttered Randall as his smile disappeared from his face.
As Randall responded to Shras’ inquiry, he heard the others on the bridge attempt to hold back their laughter. Randall let out a sigh and continued to work on the department duty roster.
The momentary silence was broken by Lashbrook. “Captain, we have permission to dock. Also, Admiral Crenshaw wishes to speak with you once the Geneva docks. It is apparently urgent.”
The captain looked somber as he stood up from his command chair. “Inform the Admiral I will greet him at the main airlock and ask Commander Taal to meet us there in five minutes. Counselor, you’re with me.”
Shras exited the bridge and stepped onto the turbolift, followed closely behind by Bauer. When the turbolift doors closed, Randall looked up from his console. “I don’t suppose we’ll be getting our time off then?”
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