"Do you know why I called you here today Ensign?" he asked looking up from the PADD and directly at Thomas.
In the interests of making it past at least one question without the Lieutenant having to pull rank and/or do Thomas in for insubordination pending either which one of the quips he intended on using and the lieutenant's disposition to said comment. Instead he stopped tapping his hand and looked back to Nathanial.
"I think this has to do with my decision to release the probes and abandon the Magazine." He replied looking back to Nathanial trying to glean any sort of sign from his reaction.
If Nathanial had a reaction he did not show it. He lost himself in protocol.
"Think? What were your orders Ensign?"
Nathanial looked at Thomas, waiting for a reply. Even though he was just a few feet away Nathanial began to feel a gap growing, like vertigo Thomas appeared to be further and further away, his vision waved slightly. Nathanial blinked his eyes a few times until the scene infront of him returned to normal, just in time to hear Thomas reply.
"My orders were to protect the probes, Sir" He paused before electing to finish the orders as he remembered them sitting upright as did. "…at all costs, even if it meant my life." The last bit he had failed to do that was certain, he had known that as he programmed the probes the launch as much as he knew it now, he was never going to stay there for the sake of dying.
He wanted to continue on to explain his actions further however at this stage in the proceedings he felt he would just get cut off, for now he still maintained his composure to simply answer the questions delivered.
"Protect, that is correct Ensign. With your life, may be a bit extreme" He said showing the faintest of smiles.
"But you were meant to protect the probes.... not launch them!"
"And for what? They didn't do anything to help us, tactical were not ready to launch at the sight of a glowing warbird, heck, I wonder if one starfeet crew member actually got to see the light show? You've wasted Starfleet equipment, and for what? A tactical retreat I can understand, but..." Nathanial stopped, as if he was arguing something over in his head, a few seconds passed and he looked over to Thomas, as if expecting an answer.
The Ensign had tried to find any results relating to the probes, he had reviewed the data the sensors had taken during those minutes. More for his own his own personal conviction than anything else... That at least a decision with even mediocre results could feel a little more substantial. He had been met with minimal success in his search.
"With the launchers lost to the intruders how would we have even been able to fire them? At least with the probes out in space they had a chance in fulfilling their role." Thomas's voice filled the gap the Lieutenant's pause allowed.
He continued. "By abandoning that post I decided to abandon our capacity to launch those probes on our terms. I made the judgment that they were better launched then, rather than potentially never."
Nathanial wanted to have this end with both of them smiling and laughing off the situation, but he had a job to uphold as well. "With the launchers lost? I as you know am always for forward thinking in our department, its what makes us so efficient and well a little crazy at times, but we are still Starfleet and we still have protocols, as such I am assigning you to two weeks of Deck 12 Clean up duty, I will not be putting this on your permanent record this time, as you have been exemplary in the past. But I expect this to never happen again. Am I understood Ensign?"
Thomas sat back in his seat. He had accepted responsibility for his actions and part of that was to accept the consequences of those actions, two weeks out of mind and out of sight was far from the worst he could have lugged on him.
They hadn't required the probe launch in the end, the interception of another Romulan Vessel and the Quantum Fury intercepted the situation and provided them with the assistance required to escape alive.
However what if they had needed them as per the original plan? An Ensign taking initiative and making the decision he had was simply not for him to make. How would they have explained that to the bridge? It wasn't the point that they would have been unable to comply with the launcher in Romulan hands, it would have been unavailable because he had acted on a whim.
Thomas's previous professions in life were not those based around a military lifestyle. In life he had never been in a serious situation where he had the want and capacity to make a decision, just not the authority. The Ensign had made many gables in his life, some paid off, others had negative consequences but those risks in his mind had always been warranted.
He was short for a quip; he was always left quiet when his principles were rationally compromised. Seconds ago he was ready to defend ideologies that had been forced to shift. He was lucky while no good had come from the Probe launch the negatives didn't happen either. Luck combined with a superior who had decided to not throw the book at him, in fact in his mind he was getting off with a slap on the wrist, he wasn't going to compromise this outcome with anything other than the correct Starfleet response.
"I understand Lieutenant, what of my current duties Sir?" Thomas responded to his superior.
Nathanial looked at the Ensign, He had taken up the responsibility for his actions, and Nathanial was content. He knew that the situation was one that had greatly put his department in an inexperienced situation, just like a fish out of water, and all of them, himself included had been faced with situations that had tested them both mentally and physically. He thought about Thomas, and how in the short time he had been on the Charon, he had made such an inpact on the department, the crew... on Nathanial.
"All normal duties will be required including your shifts on deck 12." Nathanial handed Thomas one of the four PADD's from the table, it contained his new roster for the upcoming weeks.
"Dismissed Ensign"
"Aye Sir" he responded as Thomas stood to attention placing the PADD under arm, doubting he would be able to both read what was on it and still maintain 'Starfleet protocol.' Best done where he wouldn't inspire a rebuke from the Chief of Science, two weeks could easily become four.
Nathanial didn't watch Thomas leave, instead he lost himself in his thoughts. The door closed, Nathanial barely acknowledging the sound as the thoughts of past and present flooded his mind...
In the interests of making it past at least one question without the Lieutenant having to pull rank and/or do Thomas in for insubordination pending either which one of the quips he intended on using and the lieutenant's disposition to said comment. Instead he stopped tapping his hand and looked back to Nathanial.
"I think this has to do with my decision to release the probes and abandon the Magazine." He replied looking back to Nathanial trying to glean any sort of sign from his reaction.
If Nathanial had a reaction he did not show it. He lost himself in protocol.
"Think? What were your orders Ensign?"
Nathanial looked at Thomas, waiting for a reply. Even though he was just a few feet away Nathanial began to feel a gap growing, like vertigo Thomas appeared to be further and further away, his vision waved slightly. Nathanial blinked his eyes a few times until the scene infront of him returned to normal, just in time to hear Thomas reply.
"My orders were to protect the probes, Sir" He paused before electing to finish the orders as he remembered them sitting upright as did. "…at all costs, even if it meant my life." The last bit he had failed to do that was certain, he had known that as he programmed the probes the launch as much as he knew it now, he was never going to stay there for the sake of dying.
He wanted to continue on to explain his actions further however at this stage in the proceedings he felt he would just get cut off, for now he still maintained his composure to simply answer the questions delivered.
"Protect, that is correct Ensign. With your life, may be a bit extreme" He said showing the faintest of smiles.
"But you were meant to protect the probes.... not launch them!"
"And for what? They didn't do anything to help us, tactical were not ready to launch at the sight of a glowing warbird, heck, I wonder if one starfeet crew member actually got to see the light show? You've wasted Starfleet equipment, and for what? A tactical retreat I can understand, but..." Nathanial stopped, as if he was arguing something over in his head, a few seconds passed and he looked over to Thomas, as if expecting an answer.
The Ensign had tried to find any results relating to the probes, he had reviewed the data the sensors had taken during those minutes. More for his own his own personal conviction than anything else... That at least a decision with even mediocre results could feel a little more substantial. He had been met with minimal success in his search.
"With the launchers lost to the intruders how would we have even been able to fire them? At least with the probes out in space they had a chance in fulfilling their role." Thomas's voice filled the gap the Lieutenant's pause allowed.
He continued. "By abandoning that post I decided to abandon our capacity to launch those probes on our terms. I made the judgment that they were better launched then, rather than potentially never."
Nathanial wanted to have this end with both of them smiling and laughing off the situation, but he had a job to uphold as well. "With the launchers lost? I as you know am always for forward thinking in our department, its what makes us so efficient and well a little crazy at times, but we are still Starfleet and we still have protocols, as such I am assigning you to two weeks of Deck 12 Clean up duty, I will not be putting this on your permanent record this time, as you have been exemplary in the past. But I expect this to never happen again. Am I understood Ensign?"
Thomas sat back in his seat. He had accepted responsibility for his actions and part of that was to accept the consequences of those actions, two weeks out of mind and out of sight was far from the worst he could have lugged on him.
They hadn't required the probe launch in the end, the interception of another Romulan Vessel and the Quantum Fury intercepted the situation and provided them with the assistance required to escape alive.
However what if they had needed them as per the original plan? An Ensign taking initiative and making the decision he had was simply not for him to make. How would they have explained that to the bridge? It wasn't the point that they would have been unable to comply with the launcher in Romulan hands, it would have been unavailable because he had acted on a whim.
Thomas's previous professions in life were not those based around a military lifestyle. In life he had never been in a serious situation where he had the want and capacity to make a decision, just not the authority. The Ensign had made many gables in his life, some paid off, others had negative consequences but those risks in his mind had always been warranted.
He was short for a quip; he was always left quiet when his principles were rationally compromised. Seconds ago he was ready to defend ideologies that had been forced to shift. He was lucky while no good had come from the Probe launch the negatives didn't happen either. Luck combined with a superior who had decided to not throw the book at him, in fact in his mind he was getting off with a slap on the wrist, he wasn't going to compromise this outcome with anything other than the correct Starfleet response.
"I understand Lieutenant, what of my current duties Sir?" Thomas responded to his superior.
Nathanial looked at the Ensign, He had taken up the responsibility for his actions, and Nathanial was content. He knew that the situation was one that had greatly put his department in an inexperienced situation, just like a fish out of water, and all of them, himself included had been faced with situations that had tested them both mentally and physically. He thought about Thomas, and how in the short time he had been on the Charon, he had made such an inpact on the department, the crew... on Nathanial.
"All normal duties will be required including your shifts on deck 12." Nathanial handed Thomas one of the four PADD's from the table, it contained his new roster for the upcoming weeks.
"Dismissed Ensign"
"Aye Sir" he responded as Thomas stood to attention placing the PADD under arm, doubting he would be able to both read what was on it and still maintain 'Starfleet protocol.' Best done where he wouldn't inspire a rebuke from the Chief of Science, two weeks could easily become four.
Nathanial didn't watch Thomas leave, instead he lost himself in his thoughts. The door closed, Nathanial barely acknowledging the sound as the thoughts of past and present flooded his mind...
Lieutenant Nathanial Doyle
Chief Science Officer
USS Charon
&
Ensign Thomas Clipper
Assistant Science Officer
USS Charon
Chief Science Officer
USS Charon
&
Ensign Thomas Clipper
Assistant Science Officer
USS Charon
