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Kari
| | Posted on Monday, June 09, 2003 - 09:50 pm: | |
"Why me?" Carl Steller would later often joke with his squad leaders that he had been chosen by the female commander simply for of his ravishing good looks and muscular build.
"I've seen your record. You’re exactly the kind of person I need for this job." An entirely true statement, if perhaps a little deceptive. Those were her favorite type.
"I still don't see why you'd want a marine in this position." He actually did have a few good guesses, though it probably wasn't the best time to reveal them.
"Remember, this is only temporary while I'm getting the ship back in order. I need a disciplinarian, someone to keep things running smooth and fast. I have a lot ridding on this and I need the best. You're the first person I've come to." She hoped she wasn't being too histrionic.
"You flatter me. Supposing I except, what's in it for me?" The marine master sergeant was quickly losing his patience.
"Anything. Whatever you want." Again, melodramatic, but it does get her point across.
"Supposing I don't want anything?" All he really wanted was to get out of this meeting, though he doubted that was what she meant.
"I'd owe you one." She was losing him, that was obvious. "Sergeant, I've seen your recent activities, you haven't done anything interesting in months. Running tail on 50 odd fleeties would make the perfect vacation for the man who has it all."
"That does sound fun. Sure it's only temporary?" She DID have a point, there was absolutely no action planetside since the last Pfhor was killed off.
"One month top." Maybe two, but it'll be much easier to talk him into another once he's aboard.
"Alright, what the hell. When do I start?"
-=-
Kari Ma`Aru surveyed the bridge following rematerialization. From behind, one of the engineers let out a low whistle. The Cerberus' former crew were all there, each surrounded by the mysterious translucent filament she'd read about in the survey team's reports. Through the fibrous material the faces of the dead were visible, their expressions all in spectral poses.
The helmswoman, though, wasn't in her normal chair, she now lay sprawled in the narrow aisle behind the science station. An engineering torch sitting next to her told how the ferry team had removed her from the console while they were piloting the craft back to Reorsa from Xanadu.
After a few moments inspection Kari had seen enough. She turned to face the Reorsan orbital construction platform's Chief Foreman. "I'd like to see a complete damage assessment as soon as you have it available, along with estimated completion times."
The foreman, a tall Bolian with an unusually dark complexion, nodded deeply. "It is a travesty to see such a fine vessel coming home so soon, and in such a condition. I will have her operational as soon as possible, don't fret. Hopefully you and your type will be more considering in the future, though, as we here cannot be homesteaders, hmm?"
Kari starred at him for a moment, only offering a fazed smile when she realized that he expected her to respond.
Thankfully, the foreman didn't seem to notice. By the time she'd realized she had been disconcerted he was already rounding up his small group of engineers, herding them away from the frozen bodies and back towards the turbolift.
Steller was at her side when she turned back towards the bow of the ship. "Do you want me to have him terminated?"
The comment was made with such conviction that she couldn't help but giggle. Only for a moment, though. She had a reputation to uphold. "Get these bodies cleared up and shipped out to the Reorsan Medical Academy. I don't want anyone transporting over who isn't directly involved in the clean-up. The fewer people who have to see this, the better."
"Reasonable enough. 50 bodies, should take maybe three hours to get them all unglued and shipped out."
Extreme professionalism, if she had any lingering doubts about her choice she didn't anymore. "Very good. I'll be in my ready-room when you're done," she started towards the door. By the time she reached it he was already organizing the cleanup crew to start shipping down the corpses on the bridge.
-=-
Four and a half hours later Steller was standing over Kari, who hadn't bothered to get up from her reclining position on the ready-room's couch. "They're all gone, but that filament is tough stuff. I had to ship part of the deck platting on deck three down, too. Some scientist was having a fit about disturbing the connection between the bodies and whatever they were touching so I made a compromise."
She smiled, "Good thinking. Heard anything from our Bolian?"
"He was up here about twenty minutes ago, worse than before. All he had to say was that major repairs needed to be done. Most system could be ready in two weeks, but he wants four to make it thorough. There's a report." He handed her the PADD, which she placed on the top of the stack on the end-table. "I told him you were busy but could probably get back to him sometime later today."
"I was thinking about asking him to dinner. You interested in attending?" She smirked up at him.
He didn't seem to catch the joke, or was simply horrified by the thought of it. "I'll be overseeing the repair to deck three if you need me."
"Sure, and think over that dinner offer. Entertainment with a meal makes for a really lovely evening." |
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