Pilot Episode, Act I

Avery is quite frankly dumbfounded at the presumptuousness of this individual. She blinks, letting their words settle for a second before really getting into it. "That's what happens when unidentified individuals take it upon themselves to invade others working quarters, and try to "fix" a problem thinking they're some unsung hero who will be praised for their actions. If something is truly the matter, you make a formal query just like everyone else, it's a simple procedure, but effective. When you don't, people start getting reported for insubordination!" Avery slaps the backside of her tablet to emphasize the point, clearly looking riled up.

The captain's face goes flat, stony-eyed as she stares back at Edison.

"And what happens when the superfluid coolant fails because a territorial pissing match is more important than doing your damned job?" replies McCurry in a quiet, intense voice. She jabs a finger at the display. "Someone told me you're a talented engineer, and I should be thankful we get to work together, and instead, all I'm seeing is a petulant child who's too insecure to look at a damned diagnostics screen." Her voice gets louder and louder as she goes on, biting each word off sharply as she speaks it.

As the two women glare at one another, standing nearly toe-to-toe in verbal combat, a tapping sound interjects into the momentary silence. Both women's heads turn toward the sound, and the camera follows their twin gazes to show Blakeney standing outside the chamber, tapping on the clear, glasslike material.

He looks like he's trying hard not to show how concerned he is. "Lieutenant Edison, I see you've met our new C.O., Captain Tabitha McCurry."

"And I would have been happy to introduce myself, given the chance," replies Captain McCurry, fixing the engineer with a look. It's not a glare, necessarily, simply an unblinking stare and a lack of facial expression. "Instead, you barreled in here like your hair was on fire, and didn't assess the situation rationally before reacting. Let me make something very clear to you, Lieutenant. I cannot accept officers under my command performing their duties in such a reckless, selfish fashion. Head of engineering is a vitally important role on any ship, but more so on this one," she says, gesturing at the enigmatic monstrosity behind her.

"But it is not a role that anyone can perform alone. If someone makes a suggestion, you listen first and then judge the validity of the issue and the individual providing it. Protocol be damned, Lieutenant Edison. You may have had time for formal queries that travel their circuitous route through proper channels in your last post, but this drive is all hands on deck at all times. If it fails, we all fail. And this post will be your last."

She pauses a moment, and then delivers the final slap to the face. "You are hereby relieved of duty, Lieutenant. Return to your quarters while I decide how to proceed."

Turning toward Blakeney outside the chamber, she says, "Who is next in line in engineering, Lieutenant Blakeney?"

Blakeney responds without hesitation or emotion. "Lieutenant Jason Chong, sir."

"Then please notify Lieutenant Chong that, until further notice, he is the head of engineering," says McCurry, not looking away from Lieutenant Edison.

"That will be all, Lieutenant Edison. You are dismissed."

Avery's anger dissipates with Blakeney's revelation, replaced by shock as the Captain administers her punishment, her nerves starting to falter. "I-I-yes." Thoroughly embarrassed she leaves, forced to endure the airlock and properly placing the coverall back in it's rightful spot before she can finally be free of their scrutinizing presence.

"Lt. Chong. Why wasn't he in charge to begin with?" Avery practically spits the words out, entering her room. The door closes behind her, leaving the camera outside in the silent hallway.

Blakeney taps a message into his tablet as Avery completes her humiliating airlock protocol and the captain does the same. When Avery has left engineering, he says to the captain, "I've informed Lt. Commander Hamilton of the personnel change, sir. She will see to it that Lt. Chong is reassigned immediately."

"Fine, Lieutenant. Protocol shouldn't always be damned," replies the captain, who looks at the door by which her erstwhile chief engineer has just left.

She straightens her uniform, even though it's already pretty straight. "To the bridge, then."

As she walks toward the door, she glances at Blakeney with trepidation. "Lt. Commander Hamilton. Is she..."

McCurry has barely gotten to "Is she..." before Blakeney has finished with, "The admiral's daughter, yes, sir." He leads the captain down the corridor to the turbolift."Fan Mail Awarded: 2
Budget Spent: 2
Budget Added to Pool: 5
Audience Pool: 5

As the doors of the turbolift shut on the engineering wing, doors open on the bridge. Lt. Commander Hamilton steps out of the Captain's ready room, brow furrowed, as she inspects a datapad.

"Have we had any luck yet contacting Captain McCurry?"

A young officer at the communications desk, who has been murmuring with a colleague, pipes up.

"Lieutenant Commander, our readings show she just left Engineering. That would explain it."

"Well, then, we have twenty-seven seconds until she arrives here."

She scans the room with a stony expression, tapping the back of her PADD. A flicker of anxiety hits her face, though she suppresses it, then glances at the chief of security as she makes her way around the room.

"Lt. Iron Eyes, we may need you in the ready room shortly. New orders just came in from The Admiral and Captain McCurry. But, best to introduce her to her ship..."

Hamilton walks around the room and zeroes in on the officer at communications.

"...before we try to dive into anything. Officer Leya, can you please explain to me why your badge is still crooked when I distinctly reminded you to fix it seven point six minutes ago?"

The officer barely has time to "eep" and fix the badge when the doors to the bridge "SSHK" open. Hamilton snaps to attention and flashes daggers at anyone who doesn't do likewise.

"Captain on the bridge! Welcome to the Hodgkin, Sir."

McCurry and Blakeney exit the turbolift.

"Thank you, Lieutenant. I appreciate your attention to detail on this," says the captain, then turns to look out over the bridge and the view beyond it. The hard set to her jaw, the flat look in her eyes, the tension in her posture, all seem to thaw as she does so.

Home. Finally, home. Finally, she can smile.

She does so, and it almost completely transforms her. The brittle mask she's been wearing almost continuously since stepping off the shuttle is gone. There's a sparkle to her eyes and delight in her face as she looks around from officer to officer, acknowledging each with a nod and a smile.

McCurry completes her circuit of studying new faces and inclines her head graciously to the First Officer. "Thank you, Lt. Commander. At ease. Please," she says, and even sounds sincere. Walking forward, head held proudly, she offers a hand to Hamilton. "It's a pleasure to be here, and a pleasure to meet you."

As the camera shows the transformation of Capt. McCurry's facial expression, we see Blakeney watching it and smiling slightly, possibly unconsciously betraying a sense of relief. With a nod to the first officer, he crosses to the Ops station, relieving the ensign who's been stationed there. He's seated by the time the captain has started shaking hands with Pleiades.

Lt. Commander Hamilton shakes the captain's hand politely and firmly. Even at ease, she doesn't seem capable of anything other than parade rest.

"We've greatly anticipated your arrival, Captain McCurry. This is Lt. Elizabeth Iron Eyes, our chief of security. And our helmsman, Lt. Icatha Davis."

She gestures to the strong-jawed woman from before, and a middle aged man with just enough angle in his face that he might not be fully human. Then she refers to the officer from before - a two-headed alien with pale lavender skin.

"And these are Officer Altok Leya, on communications."

The two heads smile sheepishly, but Hamilton moves on.

"Captain, I've received new orders from The Admiral, and I would like to debrief on your own recent assignments." She taps her PADD. "We can discuss in the ready room if you prefer."

McCurry makes a point of shaking hands with each individual as they're introduced, saying just a bit to each one as she does.

"Lieutenant Iron Eyes," she says with a smile. "Nothing personal, but hopefully you end up having a very boring job."

Turning to Davis, she shakes his hand perhaps a little more warmly. "A pleasure, Lieutenant Davis. I spent some time at the helm more years ago than I care to admit. Welcome to the crew."

Then, to Leya, she extends both her hands, crossing her forearms to shake both of Leya's hands. "It is an honor, Communications Officer Leya."

Introductions taken care of, she turns back to Hamilton and glances up and down at her, taking note of the lack of 'at ease' in her posture. "New orders already?" she replies, eyebrows lifting just slightly. "I suppose we'd better discuss them, then." It's obvious that despite whatever research she did before arriving on the Hodgkin, she's still a bit disoriented as to where things are. She glances about until she locates the door to the ready room, and gestures in that direction. "The ready room will be fine, Lt. Commander. Back to work, everyone," she says to the others, and moves toward the door.

The camera angle changes to show the women entering the ready room. Hamilton nods to Iron Eyes, and for the moment, the ranking officers are alone.

"Captain McCurry, I want to extend a warm welcome, again, to the Hodgkin. I wish we had more time for camaraderie, but I have received orders from The Admiral that you should know."

It's clear from her efficiency that she actually doesn't mind missing out on icebreakers. She locks her PADD into the main display and pulls up an image of a map that fills the side wall. Even though the Tangle is visible in the distance behind the captain's desk, a computer rendering appears on screen.

"As you know, the mission of the Hodgkin is to work on diplomatic relations, study the negative side effects of exposure to the entanglement field, and, ultimately, secure a steady supply of Priosium-6 to save the lives of those with Veseggian Syndrome. However..."

She waves her hand to zoom in on a section on the edge of the Tangle, a small outpost in space, not of Federation make or model.

"...Star Fleet has received reports of a potential Vruxil threat near this Inphirian colony. We have been given orders to investigate and provide aid if necessary. Now, I assure you, Captain, that those on this ship wish to fulfill our initial orders as soon as possible, but the Federation believes this could be an important olive branch, if you will, to the Inphirians. Not to mention, the last thing we need is a Vruxil threat making its way toward our own endeavors."

Not one to assume, she steps aside from the map, letting McCurry ask questions in her own time.

Given that the captain has only just arrived at Gaia Station and the Hodgkin, it's no surprise that the ready room remains completely generic. The necessary technology and default furnishings are present, but there's no personal touch. Not yet. Small shipping crates are stacked in one corner of the room out of the way, perhaps the captain's things.

McCurry stands before the map, manipulating the display to study the colony from all angles.

"Right up against the Tangle, isn't it? We'll want to have Counselor Mitsk on the bridge as we approach, and obviously Liaison Officer Oobadek. These orders have gone through all official channels, I assume. I would hate for our first mission to precipitate diplomatic issues," she says, glancing at Hamilton.