Orderly

Posted on 22 Oct 2015 @ 6:54pm by Lieutenant Commander Roget del Rosario & Commodore Harvey Geisler

580 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: Rude Awakening
Location: Briefing Room

As soon as they were alone in the briefing room, Harvey leaned against the headrest of the chair at the head of the table and asked, "What's on your mind, Commander?"

Roget, as usual, used a direct approach. "Captain, you need a Second Officer," he said bluntly.

Harvey paused, though he had nothing to pause. "I do?" Harvey replied, almost shocked and offended at the blunt statement. "We've actually done well so far without one. I don't see how that's a concern of yours."

"A lack of clear chain of command is a security concern. As Chief of Security, I am, perhaps more than anyone, aware of what can go wrong. If something happens to you, Commander Kos can assume command. The chain of command."

He took a couple of steps towards Geisler. "As Chief of Security, I need to think about worse case scenarios. What happens if both you and Commander Kos are incapacitated? There is no chain of command for this."

"I cannot allow this ship to continue without a Second Officer in place."

The captain cared little for worse case scenarios, nor did he believe that such things were possible with the upcoming mission. Still, the Security chief had made a good point. "I don't suppose you have a recommendation."

"Yes. Given the pool of eligible candidates, I am the most likely choice. Commander Walsh is likely to be otherwise engaged with the fighter squadron. Doctor Kij does not appear to be interested."

Harvey could not blame Jayla for not expressing interest. He'd never openly sought a Second Officer, and if he didn't talk about it, why would people show interest? Still, despite Roget's blatant honesty, Harvey did not yet know the man. The Second Officer should be someone Harvey trusted. At this point, the only individual with said qualifications was the Chief Medical Officer.

"I'll take that under advisement, Commander," Harvey simply replied to the Security Chief.

"Thank you sir," Roget responded. "If I may be candid?" he inquired, hoping to be given the latitude to impress upon Geisler the importance of the issue.

"And you mean you haven't been candid thus far?" Harvey asked in a serious tone, though a hint of sarcasm was certainly present.

Roget ignored the Captain's snark. "I am an outsider here. I know that. You have no reason to trust me, beyond my status as a fellow officer. There is always a pull to surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals, with friends. In 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected President of the United States. He selected his cabinet, not only from his allies, but also from his detractors. He sought to surround himself with the people who would best provide him with the sounding board, and opinions, that he needed while governing the country."

"I don't know that I would always agree with you Captain, but I took an oath to Starfleet and the Federation. I believe strongly in the chain of command and following orders. And, given the likelihood for belligerence during this mission, I am a very good candidate."

He stood silently in front of Geisler for a moment. "Thank you sir."

Harvey stood still, considering the argument. He slowly nodded and told the shorter man, "I'll consider it, Commander. I'm sure you appreciate me not making a critical command decision lightly."

"Of course sir. I expect nothing less."

"Good." Harvey straightened his posture, hoping they were done. "Anything else?"

"No, Captain," Roget said before turning and leaving the Briefing Room.

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