private meeting

Posted on Fri May 5th, 2023 @ 5:15am by Lieutenant Julius Mack

Mission: Naming Conventions
Location: bridge ready room

ON:

mack: (to andrews) "sir, requesting a private conference with yourself and the captain".

andrews: "right now I believe the captain is busy."

mack: "you will find him in his ready room, alone."

andrews::chimes the ready room door:

sprague:" who is it?"

andrews: "andrews. mister mack is requesting a private meeting with both of us."

sprague: "don't you know I'm busy?"

mack::overhearing:: "these issues are very urgent sirs".

andrews:"you have not even reported about the status of your latest order".

mack:"the conference will involve that topic."

andrews::(to sprague's door chime) "mister mack seems to regard his issues as urgent, sir. "

sprague: (sighing) "Okay, both of you come in and have a seat. I'll talk with you when I'm done here."

::mack and andrews enter the ready room, the door closes behind them. Andrews sits and Mack stands.::

sprague::eventually looks up from his monitor and notices that mack is still standing.::"you're making me nervous
mister mack."

mack:" permission to speak freely captain."

sprague:: eyes mack and his expression changes. Mack still has not sat and obviously is not planning to follow that
directive.::" About what?"

mack: "multiple topics. all related to my most recent orders."

sprague:"what orders would those be?"

mack: "really sir, I would expect you to already know that."

sprague: "are you challenging my authority?"

mack: "no sir, but I am strongly implying that someone else appears to be in the habit of doing that."

sprague:"that is a serious charge, mister mack. who are you accusing of this violation?"

mack: "frankly sir, if I knew who it was, the activity would already have been reported to Fleet."

sprague:" are you threatening to go over my head?"

mack: "with all due respect sir, obviously someone already has. It wasn't me, that much I can tell you.
I do find it disturbing for example, that you apparently do not know what my current away team orders are.
That lack of awareness, really makes me wonder who actually issued those orders since you have pretty much
implied that you did not.
May I remind both of you sirs, that fleet regulations require orders given to officers,
especially those assigned to bridge duty, to clearly document WHO issued them and upon what authority, all of
which MUST include credentials establishing the line of command.
None of that protocol has been observed for
my latest orders as they appear to have been implied from what appears to have been a conversation in this
room during my absence. Despite which, somehow it is apparently expected to amount to orders that were never
properly issued to me.
I have reason to suspect, but cannot immediately prove, that similar gross irregularities have taken place with
other crew, at least to their professional detriment if not to their mortal danger.
So among other things, I must insist that I be presented with proper form of formal orders and the origin of same
be identified, here and now."

andrews: "mister mack, are you refusing to follow an order?"

mack: "commander, I do not recall having received an order, especially one anytime recently from yourself. So if you were
factually the origin of the away team 'alleged order' I have some further questions that I must insist you answer here
and now."

sprague:: (eyes becoming as big as constellation-class saucer-sections):: "wait a minute. what orders are we talking about?"

andrews::"I am not answerable to you mister mack."

mack::(to sprague)::" captain, perhaps you might direct your question more deliberately to commander andrews. and as for myself sir, you
have not yet granted my request to speak freely. I do expect you to either grant or refuse that, but I will wait until the
commander answers whatever questions you might choose to ask him at this moment."

andrews::(glares at mack but says nothing)

sprague:"commander, I do think that mister mack has a reasonable question. if you decline to answer it, based upon his
rank, I will ask it instead. You are ordered to answer the question."

andrews::(to Sprague):"I ordered three away teams to the planet surface, according to the fleet orders to assist the diplomatic mission
associated with the classified operation on gamma hydra three. Lieutenant JG Mack was supposed to lead one of those
teams."

mack::(to sprague):"captain, there are a number of issues I would recommend you consider, related to what the commander just
said.
First, was it he who factually issued those orders? If so why were mine never formally issued, and there remains no log record of
them?
Second, why is the commander apparently expecting me to lead an away team with only myself as a member. I gather through
possibly unreliable channels, that misters varley and glass are among the crew who are oddly indicated as having been transferred
to another vessel command. I vaguely gather that list also includes Mister Hadden, who supposedly was one of
the bridge crew most eligible for away team assignment, and whose leadership among the crew, seems exemplary.
Third, why are these away teams still expected to carry out unpublished orders when apparently at least one of the team members
never made it to the planet surface but instead appears "lost" to some kind of transporter mishap where she was re-materialized
in space vacuum.
Fourth, so far my attempts to confirm that humanoid remains exist at the supposed transporter coordinates, have not confirmed
that mister tryon's remains are factually there.
..."::then mack hesitates::

andrews: "where did you get that information mister mack?"

mack::(directly to andrews, but facing sprague):
"commander, you were notified that I installed enhanced sensor equipment in my quarters and you did imply approval
of their connection to the ship's sensor array. That effort was undertaken as due course of my science offer duties, which include
evaluating advanced technology which could be of significant value in improving the capabilities of the FSS Albion as well as
contribute to the safety and effectiveness of the crew. I also have already implied such capabilities in prior reports per my log.
So if you are somehow unaware of this, I really wonder what else you have apparently overlooked in the performance of your
duties."

andrews::again glares at mack::

sprague:"these are serious charges mister mack. you are implying that the commander here, has at least been negligent and
has repeately violated fleet regulations."

andrews:"may I remind you captain, this is a classified mission. Secrecy is required."

mack::(obviously speaking freely no matter whether granted or not):" the commander's statement may be true captain, but
secrecy does not automatically mean that basic regulations no longer apply. Those procedures and regulations exist for good
reasons and the current situation may in fact illustrate why they must be observed. Our away teams are, in my estimation,
in mortal danger and should immedately be returned to the ship.
Really I have to emphasize that on this ship I
Have noted quite a lot of sloppy conformance to good order, and quite a lot of it seems to be permitted for reasons that
remain unclear. For example, the commander continually refers to me as 'Lieutenant JG' but proper address is LIEUTENANT
and I must insist that from now on he conform to that or I will report him to fleet for that and various other protocol
violations.
Including the ones where he appears to honor diplomatic status of individuals whose credentials are not only
unestablished, but may actually be entirely unknown to Fleet Command altogether. Which I further note, would be a breach
of security which could lose him the status of commander."

andrews::(face visibly ashen)::"captain..."::(then he rethinks his response and stops speaking)::

sprague::(stands, turns away from both officers, and stares into a ready-room window out into space)::"commander
andrews, please remain here. Mister mack, you are dismissed. Please return to your bridge station and resume your
primary crew assignment. Meanwhile regard the away team 'order' as belayed."


mack::"one more thing sir, before I leave. All of the above is already in my log. And I do have more to say, once you
are done with whatever you see fit to undertake per these issues, if any. I will note whatever results appear to
result from this conversation."

sprague:: nods as mack leaves the ready room.::

OFF