Starship Armstrong - Season 1

Part 62 - Dragon Slayers (XI)

"I still can't get the short-range sensors to penetrate the debris field," said Ensign Marceaux "Every time I get a lock it gets scrambled. The data is all garbage."

"What about the long-range sensors?" asked the Captain.

"Absolutely nothing," admitted Marceaux "But that at least tells us something. I'd be able to detect the lander if it was still operational. It must have lost power, at a minimum. I'd also be able to tell if whatever attacked them isn't still firing. I am now almost positive, by the way, that this was the dragon. The data we have so far matches that theory, at the very least."

"It's reasonable to assume this is the case unless and until we get evidence that suggests otherwise," agreed the Captain "Captain Armstrong to the Science Department."

The Armstrong's internal communication system chirped.

"This is Ensign Wagner at the Science Department," came Wagner's voice over the comms "Dr. Kang isn't here, can I take a message?"

"I'm aware of that, Ensign," said the Captain "I need you to report to the bridge."

"Me?" asked Wagner.

"Yes," said the Captain "Captain Armstrong out."

Wagner arrived ten standard minutes later, looking pale.

"There you are, Ensign," said Littlecrow "We're having trouble getting out short-ranged sensors to detect anything through the debris field around the planet. I want you and Ensign Marceaux to try and see if there's anything you can do to work around that."

"Isn't this something you'd rather have McAfree do?" asked Wagner.

"I'm aware of Dr. Kang's... preferences but he doesn't get to circumvent the chain of command on my ship," said the Captain "You're the ranking science officer at the moment, what do you recommend?"

"Permission to speak freely Captain?" asked Wagner.

"Of course," said the Captain.

"I recommend you call McAfree," said Wagner "While I appreciate the note of confidence, Captain, the things that go on around here are well beyond the ken of any ordinary science department. Usually we do astrometry, analyze soil compositions on alien worlds, tell whether an atmosphere is breathable, stuff like that. All this jury-rigged, spontaneous unified field theory, conjuring a miracle from the aether stuff is all Dr. Kang and to a lesser extent McAfree. I'm almost positive they're both R&D Super Elites."

"Dr. Kang is, as a matter of fact," said the Captain "That's how he ended up here without a formal rank in Exploration Fleet. But McAfree?"

"I spend almost every day with her, and I'd believe it," said Wagner "Why do you think Dr. Kang keeps her around?"

"I had assumed he had his own reasons for wanting a young female assistant," said the Captain.

"That's not it. To be perfectly frank, Captain, I think the two of them are up to something. Dr. Kang has an ulterior motive for being here, and McAfree is involved. He's grooming her for something that neither of them wants to talk about."

"I appreciate your candor in all this," said Littlecrow.

"This is all pure conjecture. All I know for certain is that what you're asking is beyond my capabilities, but it might not be beyond the capabilities of McAfree. She's like a miniature Dr. Kang in terms of how skilled she is and how much you should trust her."

"Thank you, Ensign," said the Captain "Captain Armstrong to the Science Department."

There was no reply.

"Captain Armstrong to the Science Department."

There was no reply.

"Captain Armstrong to McAfree," snapped Littlecrow, her patience wearing out.

"Oh were you buzzing me?" came McAfree's voice in reply "Dr. Kang's away for a few hours and now suddenly I'm a member of the science department."

By all the stars in the sky, thought Littlecrow, I have two of them.