Filling the Void

Posted on 20 Feb 2016 @ 5:51am by Lieutenant Commander Camila Di Pasquale & Commodore Harvey Geisler

1,829 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Outbreak
Location: Holodeck 1

It didn't take long for Harvey Geisler, liberated from sickbay no more than ten minutes ago, to again don a uniform. Rather than accept the full ensemble, Harvey did elect to wear a vest instead of the jacket, as if it was his way of saying this was him on relaxed duty.

Technically, he was under doctor's orders to remain off duty, but he couldn't stay down. The damage to the ship had been done, and this time, it was not something engineers could repair. He'd take care of a short list of tasks and then retire to his quarters for the rest of the evening.

"Computer," he called out, ready to leave his quarters, "locate Lieutenant Di Pasquale."

"Lieutenant di Pasquale is currently in the holodeck," the computer responded.

Harvey immediately frowned, instinctively reaching for his side where the nerves still possessed a perfect memory of a phaser burn. "Please don't be something athletic..." he mumbled as he exited his quarters.

===[Holodeck 1]===

Camila stood in the middle of a fountain dressed like a pirate with several men and women also dressed as pirates dancing around her as she played an electric violin. With each stroke of the bow, she dances and steps through the water as huge holographic tentacles rise behind her and one of the men shoots flames skyward from a trident.

Harvey entered the holodeck, quickly pausing just inside the entrance as he beheld the spectacle. Just as I feared. As much as his visual senses were overwhelmed, he found the music pleasing. Not wanting to interrupt the Lieutenant's performance, the Captain took a couple more steps inside, allowing the door to close and the arch to disappear.

He didn't fix his eyes on Camila, rather watched her surroundings as the backup dancers continued to interact with the holographic set. Harvey did, however, have the courtesy of taking a few steps to his left, taking himself out of Camila's potential view of the front of the stage.

Caught up in the music, Camila didn't notice the Captain as she swung her hips and pranced through the water in sync with playing her violin. Her hair swung free under the hat and a smile filled with pure joy was on he face as the holographic dancers around her performed acrobatics. Finally, she finished and stepped to the edge of the fountain and bowed to an imaginary audience. "Thank you. Thank you so much," she said. "Computer, save program Di Pasquale Four."

It wasn't enthusiastic, but Harvey hoped the frequency of his clapping would suffice as he was the only other biological being in the room. He took a couple steps towards Di Pasquale, continuing to clap for a few moments more. "Bravo," the Captain offered in a tone he hoped seemed enthusiastic.

Camila flushed when she realized the clapping wasn't part of the program and flushed when she saw the Captain in uniform standing there. She took a bow and smiled. "I hope that I didn't cut into your holodeck time, Captain," she said. "I got caught up playing and didn't realize how long I'd been in here."

Harvey shook his head, standing still. "Oh no," he replied. "I've got the suite booked tomorrow morning. Doctor Kij insists I get some rest."

She stepped down from the fountain and put her violin in its case lovingly. "How can I help you, Sir?"

"I wanted to get your take on the last few days," he said, watching her care for her instrument. "del Rosario. Bast. Et Cetera."

Camila sighed as play time ended and took a moment to clear her thoughts. "To be honest, Captain, it hurts knowing that our own can be so easily compromised. It makes me wonder about the ones we don't know about. It makes me paranoid enough to want to institute major changes in Security. I wish we had more Betazoid officers, but even they may be subject to Consortium methods. To learn that Commander del Rosario was Consortium was a shock, but it was more of a shock when I had to stun Lieutenant Bast when he was firing upon me and my personnel. I really wish that it didn't have to be like it is, Sir, but at the moment, I'd recommend heavy screening protocols and set up special access codes for critical systems."

"Seems extreme," Harvey commented, taking a look at their surroundings. "Computer," he said. "Generate background characters." With a beep, the computer obliged. In a heartbeat, they were surrounded by on-lookers, shoppers, tourists and more. "Let's take a walk, Lieutenant."

"Extreme times call for extreme measures, Sir," Camila said before picking up her violin case. She wondered what the Captain had on his mind but knew better than to probe him. The man had been through a lot recently and she didn't want to upset him when he was still technically recovering from several shocks and betrayals of his own crew.

Harvey began walking against the flow of traffic. Even though he knew every person save Camila was a holographic projection, he wanted to be somewhat ready if one of them had a mindset similar to del Rosario. "I lived once before in a time where that was a motto. Extreme times. Extreme measures. I can't say I'm ready for a second round."

"There shouldn't even be a first round," Camila said as she walked beside of him. "We're supposed to be enlightened and past the barbarism of the past. Didn't Captain Picard have to prove that to that Q being on his first trip out as the Captain of the USS Enterprise?"

"And he did," Harvey replied, glancing over to the costumed woman. "And that enlightenment has been challenged by the Borg, the Dominion, and now this. The real question is, how far are we willing to go? How much of our progress are we willing to sacrifice for survival, just in the name of victory?"

"We don't sacrifice. Period." The young woman seemed adamant about that. "We root out trouble wherever it ferments and trace it to the roots. We make it realize that while we are a peaceful people intent on exploration and broadening our galactic horizons, we will not bow down to those who would oppress and deny others who seek the same goals."

Harvey certainly admired Camila's passion, something that was clearly on par with her musical talents. "I agree completely," he told her. "And, as you said, it does hurt knowing that those around us are capable of turncoat deeds. Especially when they resort to subterfuge to achieve their goals. Two men turned this ship upside down. I cannot allow that to happen again."

"I know it's extreme, Captain, but I am firm in my stance that special access codes be set up," Camila said. "Look what del Rosario did to set up Commander Kos with just the access he had to ship systems. Any critical system should have to require a department head and a member of Command to access it."

"And that right there is the problem," Harvey said, coming to a stop outside what appeared to be some sort of dessert parlor. "Care for a dessert?" he asked the woman beside him.

"A strawberry tart would be nice, Sir," Camila said. "I don't see how that would be a problem. Starfleet has taken more extreme measures to protect certain aspects of the Federation."

Harvey approached the counter. "One strawberry tart, and..." Harvey's eyes quickly scanned what was shielded by a glass barrier. "And I'll try the raspberry gelato." As the clerk began to fill the order, Harvey turned to Camila. "That's not the problem. You're not a senior officer."

"Whoever the senior officer is, Captain," she said. "It will be their duty to ensure that something like this doesn't happen again. I'll make the same suggestions to whoever Starfleet assigns to be the Chief of Security, to the Executive Officer, or whoever else will listen if it means protecting the crew."

"Starfleet's not assigning replacement crew," Harvey said, just before thanking the clerk for their desserts. "Here," he said, extending the tart to Camila. "Until we know for sure what's going on, I intend to make sure this ship is secure. And I want you to be the one to see it through."

Camila accepted the tart and nearly dropped it when she registered what he said. "Me? she asked, wanting to be certain her mind wasn't taunting her with dreams of rising up through the ranks. At twenty-six years old and on her second assignment, she was being offered a department head spot? "But...but I'm not even a full Lieutenant, Captain," she managed after a minute.

"You," he confirmed, placing a spoonful of the gelato in his mouth, letting it soften before swallowing. "You were forced to make some hard decisions, Miss Di Pasquale. Confronting Lieutenant Bast aboard the T'Pring. Leapfrogging over the chain of command to make sure I heard critical information quickly. Actions I would expect of anyone bearing the title of Chief of Security."

The strawberry tart forgotten, Camila had to wonder if someone had programmed a version of the Captain into her scenario to mess with her head. "I did what had to be done as a Starfleet officer, Sir. Nothing more, nothing less. I would have gone to Commander del Rosario with the information, but it was time critical that I got it directly to you."

Harvey smiled. It was a pleasure to know there was at least one person around him who knew what the uniform stood for. "The paperwork's already been filed," he told her, once again sampling his gelato. "As of a half hour ago, under the authority granted by my position, you've been installed as Chief Security and Tactical. And, promoted to lieutenant."

"T-thank you, Sir," Camila stuttered before she drew herself up as formally as she could while wearing a pirate costume with a violin in one hand and a strawberry tart in the other. "I won't let you, the crew or the ship down."

He nodded, again sampling the raspberry dessert. "I know you won't." With a smile, he looked towards the exit. "Well, I've probably derailed your evening enough. And, I should get back to my quarters before Doctor Kij catches me." He nodded to the newly minted Lieutenant in front of him. "Good evening, Lieutenant."

Camila raised the hand with the forgotten strawberry tart in it in a salute and ended up getting some of it on her face. "Sir, thank...ugh...you, Sir."

Harvey smiled, reaching to the napkin dispenser on the counter beside him and handed her a napkin. Keeping his smile, he took another bite and headed for the exit.

She took the napkin and wiped her face, then shook her head; this promotion would be one for the record books.

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