Scientific Clashes

Posted on Sun Jun 23rd, 2024 @ 3:16pm by Commander Eva Grey & Commander Alesia Harrington

706 words; about a 4 minute read

Eva stood at the airlock that currently connected the Eclipse to the orbital shipyard facility. Normally, she would have been looking forward to greeting a colleague but the scientific community was close knit, even in a vast organization such as Starfleet. Naturally, Eva had asked about the Eclipse's newest science officer, and what she had been told hadn't been very comforting. Words, when used in a certain tone of voice, often had more meaning than the entire sentence those words were used in. And the words that had been used to describe Alesia Harrington hadn't been with endearment or fondness. That alone made Eva worry, but what she had been told had made her worry more. She had tried to convince herself that perhaps with had been because of workplace conflict, since those were command in the sciences departments of Starfleet. Either way, she was soon to find out the truth.

Alesia Harrington stepped aboard the Eclipse and tried not to look annoyed. The security measures she had endured were required, she knew, but no less of a bother than the efforts she had undertaken to get her project up and running. She instantly spied a full commander wearing the teal uniform collar of medical and sciences. Stepping up to the other woman, Alesia nodded.

"I presume you're Commander Grey. I'm Commander Harrington. My research team has been assigned to the Eclipse," she said.

Eva forced a smile, despite the fact that the woman before her clearly had manners that assaulted her every nerve. "I'm Commander Eva Grey, chief science officer on board the Eclipse. I was informed that you and your team would be joining the science department, so I wanted to personally welcome you aboard," she said, keeping her voice pleasant.

"That's nice," Alesia said, all but waving off Grey's welcome. "I require full command access to the multi purpose lab on deck three. I'll need the security control commands as well as an armed security officer present outside at all times. My research is extremely important, and I have the authorization from Starfleet Command here," she added, handing Commander Grey a Padd with simple, yet direct, orders.

Eva felt her smile freeze as she took the Padd and read the orders. Once she had read to the end, she felt her entire body stiffen and a dark chill creep down her spine. Looking back to the other commander, she tucked the Padd under her arm. "I was informed by the captain that you were joining the science department, not that you would be leading a separate division in the science department," she said.

"Well, then you were informed incorrectly," Alesia said. "My team and I are the only ones who will have access to our lab, and that is clearly stated in the orders I just gave you. Any complaints are to be directed to Admiral Shaw's office. I expect you and the rest of this crew to follow these orders, or I will be forced to contact Starfleet Command and file a grievance with Admiral Shaw's office. I believe we would like to avoid all of that."

"I'll be sure to relay all of that to the captain," Eva said, feeling a cold anger rising in the back of her mind. "I'm sure, since you're familiar with the Eclipse, that you can find your own way to both your quarters and the lab you've demanded?"

"I certainly can. You may go now," Alesia said with a dismissive tone to her voice before she pushed past the commander.

Eva watched the research officer as she headed off down the corridor for a moment before she closed her eyes and forced herself to take a deep breath and slowly release it. She had always tried to maintain control over her emotions, and not let the actions and words of others draw out the darker and more vile emotions such as anger. However, this woman who had just boarded had managed to do precisely that in the span of a single, short conversation. Swallowing the growl that threatened to escape from the back of her throat, Eva turned and walked off towards the nearest turbo lift. She needed to speak to the captain, and immediately.

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