Trust and Protocol
Posted on Tue Apr 22nd, 2025 @ 9:50am by Lieutenant Commander Steve Ryan
699 words; about a 3 minute read
Mission:
Maintaining the Status Quo
Location: XO Office
Timeline: Few hours later
The soft hiss of the door sliding shut behind her broke the silence in the XO’s office.
Ensign Deborah O’Donnel stepped in, a datapad tucked under one arm and a furrow creasing her brow.
“You wanted to see me?” She paused, then added with slight hesitation, “...Sir?”
Lieutenant Commander Steve Ryan looked up from the cluttered chaos on his desk. His eyes were tired, but sharp.
“Deb. Don’t just stand there like a stockfish—sit down.”
She dropped into the chair opposite his, one boot casually finding its way to the edge of his desk—a move that, not so long ago, would’ve earned her a reprimand. Now, it earned her a faint, amused smile.
“You look like you’ve been doing math without a computer,” she said, eyeing the scattered notes and mission logs.
“I wish it was math,” Steve muttered, rubbing his temples. “Just trying to make sense of all this.”
Deb leaned forward, the sarcasm slipping away. “The Klingons? Or the part where Vanderberg was smuggling pergium under our noses with help from a rogue Starfleet officer?”
“All of it,” he admitted. “But mostly… what happens next.”
“You think they’ll come back, don’t you?” she asked, voice low.
“I think it’s naïve to believe they won’t,” Steve replied, folding his arms. “Even if Vanderberg was telling the truth during questioning and this really was a one-off, the Klingons now know what’s down there—pergium, and a workforce of Horta who mine better than any drill we’ve ever built.”
Deb exhaled slowly. “It’s a perfect storm. Corrupt leadership, valuable resources, and a species with no voice of its own. That mine’s a magnet for bad actors.”
Steve nodded. “And we’re just sitting in orbit, pretending we’re not already involved.”
He stood and moved to the viewport. Outside, Janus VI loomed—its surface scarred with tunnels and mining pits. His gaze fixed on the planet below.
“Command still hasn’t answered,” he murmured. “We’re expecting a reply any moment, but that place is a powder keg. And we’re holding the matchbook a little too close.”
For a moment, silence stretched between them.
Deborah rose and approached him. Without a word, she gently placed a hand on his back.
“That’s not all that’s weighing on you, is it?”
Steve didn’t reply at first. He just shrugged, then turned to her with a tired smile.
“Can’t hide anything from you.”
He pulled her into a brief, firm embrace.
After a few seconds, he stepped back and looked her in the eye. “How much do you know about what’s going on in engineering?”
Deb narrowed her eyes. “Depends on what you’re asking.”
“I need you to do something for me,” he said. “And I need your absolute discretion. Don’t tell anyone.”
Her brow furrowed, but she nodded. “Go on.”
“I want a full list of every device and tool in engineering. And I mean everything—with their functions. No exceptions.”
She frowned. “We already have a complete inventory.”
Steve shook his head. “I don’t trust our current logs. Just do it. I’ll explain later if I have to.”
She studied his face, sensing this wasn’t just paranoia. With a solemn nod, she said, “Understood. I’ll take care of it.”
Then, her expression shifted—playful again, one brow arched. “You’re giving me a strategic, top-secret assignment? That sounds dangerously like trusting me with responsibility.”
Steve smirked. “Terrifying, isn’t it?”
She stood and mock-saluted. “I’ll get on it, sir.”
But as she turned to go, Steve called out, “Deb…”
She paused, hand on the door panel.
“There’s one more assignment,” he said, stepping toward her.
She turned, curiosity in her eyes. He reached her, wrapped his arms around her, and whispered with a small smile,
“Just kiss me.”
She did.
When they finally parted, she smiled faintly and slipped out without another word.
Steve returned to his desk, sat down, and opened a new log entry.
--------------------------------------------------
Lt. Cmdr. Steve Ryan
XO, USS Montana
Ens. Deborah O'Donnel
Engineering Officer
RSS Feed