Commander

Chapter 2: A Simple Test

Around ten minutes later, Rev exited her room. She now wore a Starfleet uniform; black ironed pants, a blue science shirt with the Starfleet insignia, black polished boots, the wrists of her shirt wringed with the Lieutenant Commander's tag: a squiggly line and dashes. Her sleek black hair was now braided into two long plaits down her back, which was one of four standard hairsyles for women with long hair that Starfleet would allow.

Zhi'Rev refused to wear the standard women's uniforms. She hated short dresses, especially the standard ones that basically showed your underwear, and she expressed this explicitly to her Starfleet officer when she'd been a Cadet. Either get her some dresses that fell past her butt, or some pants. He, in turn, found a man who would make her several special uniforms, hand-tailored to fit her body. They looked like the men's standard uniforms, except they weren't. Rev appreciated it.

Rev looked both ways, before noticing small plaques on the walls that pointed the way towards the different divisions of the ship. Conference rooms, dining rooms, the bridge. Rev began following the signs, before she felt a noticeable jerk in the ship's speed, as if they suddenly stopped.

"Lieutenant Commander Zhi'Rev, to the bridge please."

Turning to look at the plaque for a moment, Rev sprinted towards the bridge.

After rushing out of the lift, Rev suddenly skidded to a stop and stared at the screen.

"Ah, Rev, glad you could join the party," Kirk said sarcastically from his chair. Rev (missing the sarcasm because of her awe), slowly descended the steps.

"I'd hardly consider this a party, Captain. What is that?"

"That's what I need you to tell me. Go on. Spock is attending to something urgent in the Science department, so tell me: what is that?"

Slowly, Rev crossed the bridge and sat down in Spock's usual seat, and began reading the board. After a moment, Rev leaned forwards and began to swirl the knob, looking into the readings box. Then she turned in her chair.

"I do not know, Captain."

"Well make a guess."

"I have no idea, sir."

"Lieutenant Commander, the safety of the ship is at risk, if you are not sure, make an educated guess!"

Rev had shut her eyes tightly.

"I am not able to--"

"I have worked with your brother long enough to know that your family and species is highly intelligent. I am positive that you can make an educated guess on what that thing might be, so make a guess, Lieutenant!"

Suddenly, Rev stood up, and stared daggers into the Captain's skull.

"If I had to guess, sir, I would guess that it is some sort of gaseous living being that can somehow live without an atmosphere or solid body, and that it is currently surrounding an asteroid in attempts to possibly consume it, but as you are the Captain of this ship and I am your temporary crewmember, I do not have the authority to guess, and as I am Vulcan, my genes to not give me the liberty to do so. Sir."

The entire bridge had fallen silent, and Kirk had a sudden look of satisfied fascination.

"And what would you propose we do, Lieutenant Commander?"

Rev internally gaped at him. She yelled at her Captain, and he was asking her to help him defeat a ship-threatening unknown species? Then something dawned on her, a realization. She knew what to do.