CHAPTER
1
L ense focused.
The sickbay of the
da Vinci
was quiet, with Vance Hawkins the only patient in, being treated for a fractured ulna and torn ligament injury sustained during a security drill. Dr. Elizabeth Lense was ignoring him. She continued to sit in her office and stare at the computer screen on her desk.
Emmett, the Emergency Medical Hologram treating the injury, closed the tricorder. âYou are free to go, Mr. Hawkins. Your injury will be fine by the end of the week. May I suggest that you be more careful next time?â
âSorry. Occupational hazard.â
âYes, well, perhaps a change of occupation might be better for you. Youâve visited sickbay more than any other member of security. You may wish to consider a less hazardous line of work.â
âWhat? And give up show business?â
âIâm sorry, I donât quite get the reference.â
âNever mind. Doctor, is there anything else I should do?â
âNo,â Emmett said. âAvoid overuse of the arm, and general rest should be fine.â
âDoctor?â He looked past Emmett and addressed Dr. Lense.
âHmm?â Dr. Lense looked up, distracted.
âIs there anything else I should be doing for my arm?â
âNo, what Emmett said is just fine.â
âOkay. Thanks. And thank you, Emmett.â
âYouâre more than welcome. Always happy to see you. Not happy to see you hurt, of course, butââ
âI know what you meant, you big lug. Donât use too much electricity.â
Emmett watched him leave, then said, âDr. Lense, Iâve filed a full report. Is there anything else you need me for?â
âNo, Emmett. Switch off, but reactivate if anybody else comes in. Is that clear?â
âYes, Doctor.â Emmett vanished.
âGood boy,â she said to the empty air.
She went back to her terminal, tapping occasionally at different places on the screen. Eleven minutes later, her communicator beeped.
âGold to Lense.â
âGo ahead, Captain.â
âDoctor, Iâd like to see you in my ready room.â
âCertainly. I can be up by the end of theââ
âNow, Doctor, if you donât mind.â
Lense hesitated. âAll right. Iâll be there in five minutes.â
âThank you. Gold out.â
Resigned, Dr. Lense got up to leaveâabandoning the problem she had been working on and was so close to solving.
She didnât see that by moving the red nine to the black ten, she would free up the ace of clubs.
Captainâs Personal Log, Stardate 53661.9.
Iâve just summoned Dr. Lense to my office. Actually, âorderedâ is probably the correct word.
I hate to actually pull rank on my crew. The fact that I have just done so merely indicates to me that my course of action is an appropriate one.
Because of the nature of that action, I am going to record the transcript of our upcoming conversation here. Should it be necessary later, I will transfer it to an official log entry, although itâs my hope that can be avoided.
Times like this, I wish Rachel was here. She always reads people better than I do. It was good to see her, Daniel, Esther, and the twinsânot to mention Estherâs new beau, Khor, son of Lantar.
That
meeting went off without aâ
The doorchime just rang. Starting transcript now.
TRANSCRIPT STARTS
G: Come.
L: Sir.
G: Come in, Doctor. Have a seat.
L: Thank you.
G: A drink?
L: Nothing for me, thanks.
G: Congratulations, Doctor. Youâre the first officer on board the
da Vinci
Iâve actually had to call in for a performance review.
L: Really, sir.
G: Yes. And would you like to know why? [Pause.] Itâs because I know almost nothing new about youânothing that isnât already in your official file.
L: I see.
G: I never see you outside of meetings that I call. I donât see you in the mess hall. I donât see you interacting with the crew,
Olivia Jaymes
Susan Elaine Mac Nicol
Elmore Leonard
Brian J. Jarrett
Simon Spurrier
Meredith Wild
Lisa Wingate
Ishmael Reed
Brenda Joyce
Mariella Starr