Tag, You're It
Posted on Wed Oct 29th, 2025 @ 4:24am by Commander Grace Vetur & Lieutenant Commander Aaron Marcus
2,014 words; about a 10 minute read
Mission:
Preservation Instinct
Location: Bridge
Timeline: After the away team's departure
Once the away team left the ship, Grace tapped the communicator. "Doctor Marcus to the bridge." He wasn't going to like it, but certain protocols had to be followed.
Aaron sat in his office with the smuggest smile that he could muster upon his face. He had achieved his goal which was not to go on this ridiculous mission. The bonus was that the annoying nurse that Starfleet said could not be transferred was gone because they were ordered on said mission. The icing on the cake there was literally nothing to do. His cane rested next to him and a glass of scotch sat on his desk. All was right with the world.
Suddenly, with literally no warning the Lady in Charge summoned him. "What the living hell could she want. No one was hurt, the ship was not under attack. Frak..." He snatched his cane and hobbled from sick bay. Aaron Marcus rarely ventured from Sick Bay. But when he did he rather enjoyed harassing the crew due to the strange looks he got. At the moment he would lash out with his cane and strike others as he walked by. "Oops it has a mind of its own you know."
In due time the turbolift doors opened and Aaron arrived on the Bridge. "You summoned me oh great lady in charge. How may I be of service."
"I'm afraid I have some bad news, doctor." Although, by the expression on Grace's face, it didn't seem to be that bad. "With the away team gone, I'm afraid that you are now the acting first officer. Please have a seat. At least the chair is comfortable."
"I am sorry you have reached the answering service of Doctor Aaron Marcus. He is not here right now, as he is never on the Bridge. Had this been a real Aaron Marcus he would have told you off by now. But since is not he will simply retreat to the nearest bar and or Sick Bay. Thank You." Aaron said as he tipped his cane back toward the turbolift door and it swished open. He was about to leave when the Captain stopped his hurried exit.
"He is going to take the seat beside me, doctor," Grace replied. Her voice was calm, with a hint of amusement, but the expression in her eyes told her he'd better sit. "I do not require that you like it."
"You seem to have mistaken me for someone who cares. Besides doesn't Mustache Man spend most of his time checking with the crew. He only sits that will groomed face of his in the seat here when you are not here." Aaron added by way of protest.
"Actually, he sits here more often than I do, so that I can spend my time filling out reports." Grace couldn't help smiling at Aaron. "But you can rest assured I won't make you sit here alone." If he wanted to sit in silence, she was okay with that, too. She expected it after making him come up here.
Aaron had no intention of sitting as the XO. However, a trial for insubordination would be worse, although that would get him off this blasted ship. Decisions, decisions he thought. "Computer please note in the ship's log my contention with this order."
"So noted." the gentle voice of the ship's computer responded.
Aaron took the seat that would normally be for the XO and placed his cane up against his leg as his legs stretched out. "So, rather than look gorgeous in your seat here. What the hell do you all do?"
His comment made her smile. She was getting used to his grumpiness. "We basically make sure everything runs smoothly. When it doesn't, we give appropriate orders to make things run smoothly again." It was overly simplistic, but Aaron knew the basics from his time in the Academy. "Right now, our job is to be vigilant and respond appropriately when needed." It was vague and simplistic, but it covered the subject. "Basically, we just try to pay attention."
"The one thing that I know you all do is keep me in business, and I wish you would stop that. Rushing head first into the void and getting yourself hurt and killed is the stupidest way to spend a life if you ask me." Aaron began as he rubbed his leg. It hurt and he wanted a pill more than breathing at the moment. However, he knew better than to take a pill in front of the Captain. "Well then I guess my next questions are what are the current orders? Where is a good book? When can I leave?"
"Current orders are to keep an eye on the away team and the system in general in case we need to intervene." It wasn't the most glamorous of assignments, but it was necessary. "If you have a PADD, you can use that. Or my ready room has a replicator and extra PADDs. And for your final question, you leave when your shift is over. Or there's a need for you in sickbay."
Aaron adjusted his position in the chair so that his legs were draped over the arms of the chair. He began to spin his cane above his head in the manner of a helicopter. "Computer give me vital sign readouts on the away team. Complete readouts every 45 minutes, unless there is an extreme change in their life signs." There was a slight pause as the computer processed the request, and then it began to speak. "Lieutenant Amanda Rose. Species Human. Pulse 62 beats per minute. Blood pressure 131 over 58. Respiratory rate 18 beats per minute. There is a slight elevation in her adrenaline levels. Staff Warrant Officer Madelyn Steele. Species Human. Pulse 58 beats per minute. Blood pressure 118 over fifty. Respiratory rate 14..." The computer continued to read out every member of the away team.
Aaron turned to the Captain with a look that said your move. "Well, it seems that everyone is healthy as an ox at the moment. The computer will inform me if any if that changes in the next forty five minutes."
So, he was going to take her comment literally. She had to bite her lip to keep from smiling. "Good to see you're taking this assignment seriously." She smiled placidly. "Make yourself comfortable. Now, we wait."
Aaron looked at the Captain a bit sideways. He thought for sure that the reports would have gotten the best of her and she would have sent him back to the Sick Bay from whence he came. No matter perhaps in the next go around. The time passed interminably slow in silence. "God this is boring."
"It's the one thing they don't tell you during your command courses. It can be incredibly boring. And, when I'm not sitting here, I'm in my ready room, reading reports or writing them. In addition, I'm strongly encouraged to let my first officer lead away teams because they're more expendable." She glanced at the doctor. "I look forward to having something to scan for variety." It wasn't always boring, but there was a lot of repetition in her job. "Speaking of which, it's time for another scan of the planet and system." Since most of the bridge crew was away, she ran the scans herself, then waited for the results to scroll across the viewscreen.
Aaron sat in silence and deep in thought. He began to recall his command courses at the Academy. The fact was there was no protocol that stated an XO had to be on the Bridge. Yet, the Captain swore by this. He glanced in her direction as he wondered if this was simply a way to keep him close. Either she wanted to keep an eye on him, or she wanted to be close to him. At the moment he had to learn which it was. He decided to test the waters. "You know I do not believe there is a protocol that states the XO must be on the Bridge at all times. So, there is no reason that I cannot go XO from Sick Bay."
"No, there is not such a protocol. It was my choice to have the first officer on the bridge in case of trouble," she replied. He was right, but she wasn't going to let him go smugly back to his office, either. She hoped he might be interested enough to want to look into the problem as his medical knowledge might be an asset. "We have a conundrum, doctor. A colony and research station that should be thriving. Instead, we find no one and no sign of how or why they left. Holmes would find this curious, don't you think?"
"Elementary my dear Lady in Charge. They left for the same reason we left Earth. They wanted to. Elementary." Aaron replied flatly. The question that should be asked is why they cared. "Tell me. Are there signs of struggle? Emergency medical treatment? Foul play of any kind?"
"No, there aren't. But there are also no signs of a mass evacuation. They simply...disappeared, leaving everything behind," she replied.
"So, there is no evidence of a mass evacuation. That simply means that they did not leave in a hurry. If you are totally honest with yourself, you would realize that there is no way you can know if they left everything. It is quite possible that the people here left, took what they wanted, and left all the rest. The big question is why do we even care. Nothing here is threatening the Federation or anyone for that matter." Aaron lived to solve the mystery. It was why he went into diagnostic medicine. However, there simply was not a mystery here.
"This is true," Grace said. He was right. There was no evidence. Yet. "However, we are here because we were asked to deliver needed supplies. If they left voluntarily, why did they not cancel the order or at least postpone it?"
"So, they left no forwarding address. Big deal." Even Aaron knew that was a bit of a reach. However, he still felt this was all a waste of time despite this new point about the supplies. "In the absence of any hard evidence you must accept the improbable. 'When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth'" Aaron quoted his favorite author, it also had the benefit of being true in this situation.
"Sherlock Holmes," Grace said, recognizing the quote. "A wise man. However, we haven't eliminated anything--except the colonists and researchers. So, there are still things to eliminate. We'll know more when the team returns."
As if responding to her comment, the Ontario received a message that the shuttle was on its way back to the ship. "Well, doctor, it looks like your time in purgatory has come to an end. Thank you for a most delightful shift." She smiled politely, knowing he would rather be anywhere but on the bridge with her. "You can consider yourself relieved."
"I will return to where I am of the most use. Oh great and powerful lady in charge..." Aaron's voice trailed off as he stepped into the turbolift. Just before the doors closed he spoke again. "I hope to never see this gods forsaken room again. No offense." With that doors closed and Aaron returned to his beloved Sick Bay.
Grace waited until the door closed and she was sure Aaron was too far away to hear her. Then she laughed softly. She'd never met as big a curmudgeon as the doctor. In spite of his frequent attempts to irritate her enough to kick him off the bridge, she'd taken a perverse pleasure in making him stay. This time. She doubted he let her do so again. But if she was right in her assumptions, he might yet be needed to help solve this current mystery.
A Post by
Lieutenant Commander Aaron Marcus
Chief Medical Officer
USS Ontario
Commander Grace Vetur
Commanding Officer
USS Ontario
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