Meeting the New Chief Security Officer

Posted on Tue Jul 14th, 2020 @ 8:30am by Captain Kelly O'Connor & Lieutenant JG John Adams

1,225 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Mission 8 - A Blast from the Past
Location: Captain's Ready Room
Timeline: 2296/03/02 1800

O'Connor looked up and down her manifest. She knew exactly what she was looking for. She had a new Chief Security Officer coming on board her ship. As a former Chief Security Officer, herself, she did not like the idea of someone completely unknown to her coming on and being responsible for the safety of herself and everyone else on board. When she found the name, "John Adams," she furrowed her eyebrows. "Either you're some stuck up American who wants to harken back to rebellious days or you're a bad old American beer. Either way, that's strike two, Mr. Adams," she told the empty room.

Scowling, she called on the shipwide comm, =^= If Lieutenant John Adams is on board, immediately report to my ready room. =^=

John was in his quarters. Earlier he had exercised in the ship's gym, which was part of his daily routine. After showering, he put on his new duty uniform, checked himself in the mirror, when he heard the shipwide comm. He walked to his desk and pressed the comm button. "Lieutenant Adams responding, captain. On my way." He again checked his uniform, didn't want to make a bad first impression, then left his room and moved towards the nearest turbolift.

He arrived at the captain's office(?) and pressed the door chime and waited.

O'Connor called out, "Come in!"

Adams walked in and stood at attention in front of the captain. "Lieuteant John Adams reporting as ordered, captain."

Once Adams arrived, the petite redhead walked straight up to him and growled, "You have one chance. Use it wisely. Why are you on this ship?" Despite being a mere five feet tall, O'Connor's demeanor made her feel much taller and more powerful than her diminutive frame would otherwise suggest.

He stayed at attention. He didn't flinch when she came towards him. He stared straight ahead, and in a clear, loud voice, responded. "I am here to serve Starfleet, this ship, this crew, captain!"

O'Connor circled Adams, sizing him up. "Don't give me such pat answers. Why this ship? Who sent you to this ship?"

"I don't consider them pat answers, captain...they are the truth." He responded, continuing to look ahead. "No one sent me here, I asked for this assignment, captain. The ship needed a security chief, and I was ready to take on more responsibilities, so I put in my request. As captain, you would have seem the request, and if you felt I wasn't ready, you could have denied the request, captain." Adams always had an issue with telling the truth, and while some captain's weren't happy about this, most of them appreciated that a junior officer had the "balls" to speak his mind.

The petite woman gave a verbal, "Hmm," while she thought the matter over. "Who knows? I still might," she told him, a grin slipping into her voice. "Why do you think you're right for this job?"

"I started as an ensign, captain, and I worked my way up to JG. I studied and worked hard. I received numerous commendations for my work. My last posting I was the assistant to the security chief. Even he said I was ready for more. When this posting came up, he recommended to me that I apply." He looked at her. "I am good at my job, ma'am. I know what I'm doing. This ship has the reputation of being one of the best in the fleet. And it's captain has the a reputation of being a good captain. And if I'm allowed to stay, I will work hard to live up to this ship's and captain's reputation."

"A reputation for being one of the best in the fleet? Either you're a liar or you're a suck up and I don't like either," O'Connor scoffed.

"With all due respect, captain, I am neither." It was taking every ounce of his strength not to start arguing with her...but she was the captain...doing something like that isn't allowed. "If I don't meet your standards, captain, I can gather my belongings and return to the base, where I can request a new assignment, captain."

"If this is the stuff that security officers are now made of, then that is what you should do." O'Connor gave Adams a fierce grin, daring him to do just that.

"Captain. If you're looking for a "yes man", that's not me. I will, when appropriate, give my opinions on some of your orders...I will never disobey an order. For example, if you're leading a landing party, count on me and a security team, waiting in the transporter room, to beam down before you, to make sure it is safe for you. When we are at battlestations, I will station 2 security officers on the bridge." He looked at her. "If you want a real security chief, one who will always have your safety as his top priority, then let me stay and do my job. But if you want to be captain and the chief of security, then I am the wrong choice."

"Ah, you do have a spine in there," O'Connor replied, as pleased as a cat with a mouse in its mouth. "You can do your job but never forget, as the Captain, I am the Chief of Security, as well. My job specifically is the safety and welfare of this crew, including you. And, as a former security officer, I'm not half as stupid as most Captains."

"Understood captain, but you being the security chief will undermine my authority with the department. I will gladly work with you in most matters, but the people under my command must know that I am their boss. You run the ship, let me run security." He looked at her. "And no one would ever think you're stupid, captain."

"I won't undermine your authority as long as you can take care of this ship's security. But never forget, Mr. Adams, safety and welfare of this ship is MY primary duty. IF I even sniff of you screwing up, you will be on the next shuttle to some station so remote that nobody will remember that you exist. Got it?"

"Got it, captain."

O'Connor walked around Adams again slowly. He was young for a Chief but O'Connor had to admit that she was more than a little young for a Captain. Beggars could not be choosers. She decided that she would whip him into shape. Perhaps he would develop more of a backbone. If not, he was not going to last long, especially with her demands. "Very well, Lieutenant. I'll keep you for now. Anything else that you wish to say?"

"Only one thing, ma'am....I will be in need of an assistant in security, do you have any recommendations?" He was starting to feel like he was being circled by a shark.

"Yes," she told him with a crooked smile and a slightly wicked tone in her voice. "That you figure it out on your own. You're in charge of security, remember?" she threw back at Adams.

Adams still stared straight ahead. Her response to the assistant question was expected. "Of course, captain. Permission to leave, captain." He asked for her advice as a simple matter of courtesy.

"Dismissed," O'Connor replied, as she circled back to her desk, wondering if Adams really had what it took.

 

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