by Travis Sande
"This is serious, Hank, I would appreciate if you treated it as such." Lorn kept his gaze on Hank, waiting to be acknowledged. Hank nodded in respect to his request.
"Is there anything we can do?" Kim sat forward at the table, engaged by the troubling news.
Lorn turned his attention away from Hank and onto Kim "This is just an update on the current situation, daily activities will be unchanged. There is a collaborative effort being made to find solutions to the issue. I would like all of you to remain focused on your own priorities and leave this to the medical experts"
"This seems like a rather large oversight, was there no vulnerability testing done on the Vryl organic technologies?" Yanna asked. "I am utilizing several Vryl technologies in my lab, I would like to have them tested and cleared. Otherwise I will be requesting a change to my experimentation schedule to omit those technologies."
"The membrane was put through rigorous testing. The priority was given to pathogens more dangerous to human physiology. Like we said, this is not a threat to us or our mission." Lorn tried to reassure the crew. "Sian will accompany you to your lab and test the equipment to your satisfaction. Sian if you could handle that."
"I will join you on your next trip to the lab, Yanna." Sian confirmed the order.
"Thank you." Yanna shook her head in frustration at the new development.
Derrick had noticed Yanna's increasing impatience with the Vryl technologies over the last two weeks. She was losing confidence rapidly.
"You mentioned that we don't have the equipment to remove the infected piece of membrane. I am certain I could access and remove it, it just wouldn't be pretty, and ventilation in the rec area would suffer permanent damage. I have been discussing it with Eilik and he believes we could patch the removed section with a normal vent. It would basically act as a shunt between two active membrane sections. Depending on the size of the infected section it would reduce the filtration efficiency to a certain degree. We also run the risk of the living membrane rejecting the vent. Do you know what amount of the membrane is currently infected?" Luke asked.
"Roughly three percent of the membrane is at risk on the aft portion. I could give you an exact location if we want to attempt this." Ben seemed to jump at the suggestion.
"In order to limit the possibility of rejection I would suggest we remove a healthy section at the same time. We can shut down ventilation in the area and test materials on the healthy section before implementing a permanent solution inside." Sian suggested.
"I would like the three of you to submit a report on this. It was conveyed to me that any attempt to remove the membrane would be disastrous. Lay out your plan for me so I can approve it through Lest." Lorn said. "If there are no other questions I suggest we get back on schedule. I know this isn’t something you all wanted to hear but I felt it necessary to update you. I understand that this was abrupt and brief. The topic is open for discussion, any thoughts, ideas, or concerns should be directed to me. I would like our team to be as unencumbered as possible during this time. Dismissed."
As the room emptied, Derrick sat still in his chair. He was dwelling on Yanna's comment about the oversight. How could an infection make it onboard the ship, especially one so easily detectable? A simple breath test immediately diagnosed and treated Derrick for it. Something wasn't adding up.
Yanna and Sian were the last to leave the room, having agreed to address her lab, Yanna wanted to go up immediately following the meeting. Derrick hoped to have a word with her but decided it could wait until a little later in the day.
Opening his CCD to check her availability, Derrick noticed an unread request. It was from commander Lorn scheduling a meeting. It was a request and not an order to meet with him in his office. It was strange to have a request for a meeting immediately following a meeting, but Derrick accepted and got up to leave the conference room. Any more information he could gather on the subject would be a bonus. He exited the conference room and went to Lorn's quarters.
Derrick arrived at the door to the commander’s quarters and paused. It was a strange feeling to have a request issued through his CCD. The commander could have easily asked for the meeting in person moments ago. The covert nature of this meeting was suddenly evident as Derrick reached out to activate the entry request panel. A small chime rang out and after a moment, Lorn let him in.
"Have a seat please, Derrick." The commander motioned to the chair in front of his desk. This was his first time seeing the commander's office and Derrick noticed the considerable size difference from his own quarters. The entrance was a formal office with a desk and guest seating. A door behind the desk led through to more personal amenities. Taking a seat in the chair across from Lorn, Derrick addressed him.
"You requested a meeting, sir?" Derrick wanted to know the reason behind this second, more personal meeting.
"Yes, the superiors back on earth along with myself have some concerns. The bacteria that was found onboard should not have gone undetected through pre-launch checks. Some suspicions have been going around that this wasn't entirely accidental." Lorn’s words caught Derrick off-guard, was the commander implying malicious intent?
Derrick was surprised to hear the commander speculating about this as similar thoughts raced around in his own mind. Hearing the commander say it gave those thoughts credibility. The meeting with the commander took on a new purpose as Derrick realized he might have been a suspect. The infection did manifest in him and he was alone in the rec area the day of the discovery. Although he knew he had nothing to do with it, he had no concrete way of proving it. All these thoughts confronted him as he sat, facing the commander.
"We are still operating under the impression that this was an oversight." The commander continued, "I just wanted you to be aware that other options are being explored and increased scrutiny will be placed on members of the crew. I am sure I don't have to explain why you are of increased interest in that line of thought.".
"I understand." Derrick knew exactly what he was implying, and he couldn't blame him. "I can't blame anyone for thinking like that. I am sure the increased scrutiny will help clear me of any wrong doing."
"I just want to be clear here, this isn't an accusation of any kind and I don't believe for a second that you or anyone on this ship had anything to do with this. Out of respect, I wanted to make you aware of the situation." Lorn always stood up for any crew under his command and Derrick was glad to see this was no exception.
"This entire situation has felt odd to me if I can be completely honest." Derrick wanted to express his frustrations.
"Of course, speak your mind." Lorn sat back in his chair ready to listen to Derrick.
"So many last-minute changes to fundamental technology and oversights of this magnitude on arguably the most important endeavour ever undertaken by mankind? It just seems too convenient to me.” Derrick paused for a moment then went on. “I can't blame anyone for suspecting wrongdoing, or even me. I am starting to have my own concerns."
Lorn interrupted Derrick. "We are a team, and this isn't a witch hunt. We are two weeks into a yearlong journey, I don't have the patience to deal with my crew questioning each other's loyalty."
"Understood." Derrick knew he was right. Suspicion was one thing but losing trust in his companions was a dangerous proposition. "I don’t suspect anyone onboard, I trust everyone completely. Something just feels off about the mission. Let's just hope Luke's method is successful and we get back on track."
"Agreed. I would like you to keep the content of this meeting between us." Lorn leaned forward onto the desk, approaching Derrick.
"I don't mind raising this issue with the crew, they must have similar concerns." Derrick wanted to get everything in the open and put as much of this strange situation behind them.
"For the members of the crew that have concerns, a meeting about this might only fan the flames. For those who are oblivious it might plant the seed of doubt. It will be business as usual until a solution is found." Lorn shu
t down the idea of an open discussion.
Derrick could see what he meant but had more respect for the crew's ability to handle it. He disagreed but planned to follow his orders. "Yes, sir." Derrick replied.
"Get back to work." Lorn concluded the meeting.
With that, Derrick left the commander's office. He was hoping that their meeting would calm his nerves, but it only added to it. Now he was going to be under additional scrutiny. Not only that, but the Triumvirate considered him a potential bio-terrorist. He appreciated the commander's candid approach to it, but felt the added pressure immediately.
Derrick meandered down the corridor and back into the galley. "I guess it's better to know" He said to himself as he shook his head.
"What's wrong?" Nik asked him, she must have noticed him shaking his head. She was seated at the nearest table in the galley and looking up at him.
"Oh, nothing just worried about the ship." He respected the commander's request. "I’m going to skip dinner and head to my quarters."
“Okay, I will talk to you tomorrow sometime then I’m sure.” Nik forced a smile onto her face as Derrick moved by.
The entire situation had really stressed Derrick out. As he looked at Nik’s forced smile, he realized that he hadn’t considered the effect this was having on the rest of the crew. As much as he wanted to sit down and reassure Nik, his priority was to be alone. Kim could handle the well-being of the rest of the crew.
Derrick moved past Nik and down the opposite corridor to his room. Once inside, he sat down at the desk. His mind refused to settle, racing out of control; mindless distractions seemed to be futile. As he had done many times during training, he decided to make an appointment with Kim. Back on earth she would usually need a few days’ notice, but here it would only be a few minutes. Derrick was relieved when she accepted his appointment request.
He got up and left his room for her office. Kim always left her office open to anyone unless she was with someone. Unlike the commander, Derrick was able to walk straight inside. He found Kim at her desk and it looked like she had been here awhile.
"Come in, sit." Kim said as she tidied up her desk.
"Busy?" Derrick asked as he came in and took a seat.
"I just have to do evaluations at the beginning of each week." Kim said. "What's on your mind?"
“Shouldn’t that be handled within your interface, why the mess?” Derrick motioned to the scattered data pads that Kim was cleaning up.
“Ken always taught me that having tangible representations of each crew member made it easier to separate them. I subscribed to that method and now keep an individual data pad on each of you. It might add a little extra tidying at the end of the day, but I think the pros outweigh the cons. Enough about me, tell me what’s on your mind.” Kim slid the last pad into a drawer in her desk and out of sight.
Derrick told Kim everything that was weighing on him. With each passing sentence he could feel the pressure slowly starting to leave his chest. Their sessions on earth would usually be an hour but here he felt comfortable after only a few moments. The simple act of sharing the burden of stress seemed to always lift the constriction around Derrick’s shoulders.
Revealing everything to her, Kim suggested that he occupy his mind elsewhere. “Additional responsibility or a hobby to pass the time might help.” She said.
The things he was worrying about were beyond his control and allowing himself to stress about it didn't help anything. She recommended he sit in with Eilik and Luke during his downtime to possibly learn about the rift matrix.
"I will request that be added to my schedule tonight before I head to bed." Derrick agreed with the idea. If he could occupy his mind on something productive it might leave less opportunity to stress.
"That's great, and it doesn't just have to be work. There are many things you could do. I understand it's difficult to sit when you're stressing but maybe if I schedule you some entertainment time you will allow yourself that relaxation. It's unhealthy to constantly let your mind race like this. Do you have any shows you enjoy in the library?" Kim began working on her desktop interface.
"There's a few but I was trying that before I messaged you. It just seems futile and I find myself staring at the screen instead of watching." Derrick appreciated the idea but was skeptical at his ability to enjoy that time.
"Sometimes when you're restless, or have something important on your mind, it's difficult to convince yourself that you're entitled to a break. I am going to schedule you two hours of relaxation a day. Maybe if you're ordered to accept it you will be able to have that escape. I will set an appointment for three days where we can re-evaluate the situation. If you still aren't relaxing I will investigate other options. For now, go back to your room, pick your favourite show, and relax.” Kim faced Derrick to sincerely address him. “Doctor’s orders.”
"Ok, I will reschedule the time with Luke and Eilik on the way back." Derrick accepted the idea. He wanted to at least give it a shot before allowing his skepticism to overtake him.
"I’ve already done it for you. There. You’re scheduled to check in with Eilik tomorrow.” Kim finished working on the computer and turned back to Derrick. “I will see you around tomorrow, and I will see you back here in three days. Okay?" Kim crossed her hands on the desk and looked at Derrick.
"Got it, have a good night. Thanks, Kim." Derrick braced his hands on the arms of the chair, preparing to stand.
"It’s my pleasure, I want you to have a good night, go relax. Watch something stupid and loud." Kim smirked. “Don’t hesitate to contact me with any other concerns.”
Derrick took a deep breath in through his nose and exhaled loudly with a deep sigh. Kim’s smirk broke into concern as Derrick got up to leave the room. Talking to Kim had lifted the stress but he could still feel it swirling in the back of his mind.
“Derrick.” Kim got his attention once more. “I know this is easier said than done, but you have to relax. Everything is going to be fine. You have a prescription to go back to your room and turn on the dumbest, action packed movie you can find. That’s a rare treatment to hand out, make use of it.” Kim’s face returned to a peaceful smile.
Derrick appreciated her effort and returned the smile. Her presence alone was worth the visit. Seeing her smile back at him gave a sense of warmth that overrode any anxiety relating to the bacteria. Ever since that moment on the bridge during take-off he thought about her in a different way. Even now, just looking at her sitting there, he was captivated. Suddenly realizing he may have been lingering a little longer than intended, he broke the silence. “I will go find something dumb, I promise.”
Derrick turned and left the office. He was grateful for the time she devoted to everyone onboard the ship. The thoughts were still there, lingering, but they had been relegated to a more appropriate place in his mind. No longer pushing their way around like an aggressive salesman, they were subdued.
"Hey, Derrick, can I talk to you for a second?" A voice suddenly interrupted Derrick’s thoughts; it was Hank.
"Uh, yeah, sure." Derrick said, unsure of Hank's intentions. It seemed like everyone wanted to speak with him. He felt thrust into fame, or infamy as the case may be.
Following Hank to a table in the galley, Derrick felt a tension that disturbed him. Hank was usually the most light-hearted person onboard and when he became serious it bothered Derrick. Hank sat down at the table dedicated to games and pushed the mess to one side. Hank held his large hand out and motioned for Derrick to sit down with him.
"Ok, listen carefully." Hank leaned in close to Derrick and began to whisper. "I think what we have to do is... PLAY A GAME!" Hank shouted the end of the sentence and almost knocked Derrick out of his chair. "I mean seriously, everyone is so uptight over something so small. It's under control, it's not a threat, and we have a possible solution in the works. Get over it, kid. You looked like you just left a funeral when you came out of Kim's office. I am the security officer… we are secure. I have had this
talk with everyone onboard. We need to lighten up if we are going to survive this trip. So, deal the cards." Hank surprised Derrick and made him laugh. “If this is the attitude after two weeks, we are doomed.”
"Thanks, Hank, I actually really needed that. The mood has felt somber lately." Derrick could feel his heart beating quicker after the jolt of shock Hank had just served. Letting loose a loud laugh, Derrick grabbed the cards.
"Ya think?" Hank mocked him "It's time to get things back to normal and make this mission a success. The commander's meeting was important and needed, but it's time for my meeting. I sent schedule requests to everyone and they are all meeting us here in fifteen minutes. The only one that hasn't replied is Eilik." Hank was becoming very animated, clearly frustrated with the darker mood of late.
"I'm in." Derrick agreed, happy for the distraction.
After a few moments, everyone came to the dining area prepared for a night of games hosted by Hank. Eilik remained on the bridge to monitor communications as they came in. He apologized for his absence but deemed it a priority and wished everyone well. It was the first time since the bacteria first emerged that the entire crew came together like this.
"I’m glad everyone could make it." Hank said. "With all due respect, commander, I understand that we have a problem but it's under control. We have three of the best minds man has to offer working on it and one giant alien brain. Sian, Luke, Ben, and Eilik. We couldn't possibly be in better hands here. Worst-case scenario we lose the rec area. Look around; we are in our rec area. Guys, it's us, we will figure this out. Can we quit walking around like we've never met each other?”
"Ok, ok, hank. I didn't think they allowed alcohol onboard." Luke joked. “You aren’t fermenting gel in your quarters, are you?”
"I am serious here, Luke. This room is filled with the same people we trained all those hours with on Earth. Can we please just not lose our heads over the smallest hiccup? That's all I have to say, I just wanted to try and restore some sanity." Hank sat down.