Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Hercules Kahuna (Weapons Officer) in Main Sim - Bridge
[snip]

“Of course I’m on it.” She hailed the ship. “Unidentified vessel this is the federation starship Merrimack please respond.” As she hailed the unidentified vessel. “Sir. I’ve got them.” She said to Kahuna. “If you’d like I can put them on.” She added.

“You’ve only hailed them, Lieutenant” Kahuna said, “Let’s see if they will respond first!”

“According to the logs I just received, we’ve also had a shuttle arrive and a passenger disembark… A Doctor Wong, apparently! The Captain hasn’t told me to expect anyone else arriving since your own arrival. Could you contact Sickbay and find out what his business is please, so that I can also relay that to the Captain. Thanks McKenzie!”

“Copy that.” She said. “Bridge to Sickbay. Doctor. The Weapons officer up here on the bridge is wondering who this Doctor Stanley Wong is. Who is this person? Did he ever check in after me or something? The problem is doctor the captain wasn’t really expecting anyone else other then me.” She asked the doctor.

=/\= Hunter from sickbay, apparently Dr Wong is a psychiatrist with a PH.D.I happen to meet him by accident =/\= a pause followed =/\= From what I understood he is not part of the crew and responds to no one what ever that means ,maybe that is why the Captain was not informed. He told me he’ll be working from an office in sickbay, somehow I have this gut feeling that someone decided that we as a crew are to be guinea pigs =/\= .

The doctor was about to end the conversation then remembered =/\= And who ever has taken the Captain’s chair, may I remind him to keep sickbay informed, I had to hear it from another source that a trade ship is on its way towards us =/\= he’s voice was held at a neutral dead level.

“Ask him what this other mysterious source was that he heard it from?” Kahuna told McKenzie. “NE Barns only just picked it up on long-range sensors and we aren’t entirely sure that it is even heading here yet until they answer our hail.”

Kahuna was finding this Doctor Hunter irritating now, throwing around his slight seniority and poking his nose in where it wasn’t needed. However, he only needed to get through a couple more hours of this Bridge duty and he could take the Command Exam. if he could ignore the irritation just a little longer and get through this morning.

Lt Lovejoy would hear the Comm shut down from Hunter’s side.

“I guess that we’ll never find out then!” Kahuna told McKenzie.

Apparently, lots of time passed by here, during which Security Officers changed shifts, and one of them who was secretly spying about everything that occurred on the Bridge, even during a really quiet downtime, went down to Sickbay and reported to Hunter, the spymaster. All very odd indeed, but at least the guy is off the Bridge now and as he get’s exposed by Hunter in a few minutes time, he won’t be able to record what happens when everything actually kicks off.

Some time later the bridge door opened and in stepped the doctor, he looked at no one but rather just walked to the front of the Captain’s seat .
Now standing in front of Kahuna and in the most self controlled manner said ‘’I need a word with you in private, perhaps the Captain’s office would be ideal’‘.

Meanwhile Hunter kept his hands behind his back in the hope of resisting picking the man up from his throat.

“We don’t have permission to use the Ready Room, so the Computer won’t open the door to us,” Kahuna told Hunter. “Anyway, if you want to say something to me, I’d like it on the record. I’ve been placed in charge of the Bridge while the senior crew are away, and I have strict instructions not to leave this spot. I just want to get through this morning uneventfully. You’ve been placed in charge of Sickbay, yet this is the second time you’ve been up here, and I don’t appreciate your aggressive manner when you have spoken to me or sent messages to me. If it continues then I will make an official complaint of bullying. Now, please can I get on with my job and inform the Captain about this Psychiatrist, and also find out if this vessel is a trade ship or not?”

‘’Very well if that’s want you want ‘’ Hunter replied lowering his voice ‘’May I remind you that the chair you are sitting on require immense responsibility and obligations ,I as acting CMO have mine. You did not even bother to let me know that another ship, who according to Dol is a trade ship ,which I happen to find out when a security came to change the one who’s shift ended in sickbay ‘’ the doctor kept eye contact with Kahuna ‘’Lt has it occurred to you that things may change for the worst in a matter of minutes ? My duties require to know what is going on, so sickbay would be fully prepared ‘’ .

Hunter now whispered in the man’s ear ‘’Remember you are not alone on the bridge, you played games and then dozed off, so I suggest not to make things worse for yourself ‘’.

Kahuna felt it not worth the bother to respond to this. Security Officers spying on me for Hunter? thought Kahuna. *Who would authorise that?”

Now the doctor stood up and moved a few paces backwards ‘’I knew nothing of how the away team was faring or progressing thus my first visit here, I don’t trust Dol one bit ,knowing he puts children in pods and throw them in that abyss ‘’ he pointed at the screen as he went on ‘’Not caring what could happen to them and the last thing, this psychiatrist Major Wong suggested we get to know each other better and when I have more information I’ll definitely let you know .That’s true leadership ‘’.

“But who, for Fingal’s sake, is Doctor Wong, and why is he even aboard the Merrimack?” Kahuna asked.

Hunter was now moving away ‘’And please, making an official complaint of bullying....... we are not in kinder-garden’‘.

Kahuna hoped that Hunter was leaving, but just then the turbolift doors opened up again just to add to this circus…

Yet one more thing Stanley didn’t appreciate about star ships were the lifts. Too fast, too slow and the stops never seemed to be…well appropriate. As he had gotten into this particular lift, he stood in the back corner with the palm of his left hand pressed back into one corner and the palm of the other hand on the other corner behind him. He stared at the ceiling of the lift as if praying, took a deep breath and then boldly murmured, “Bridge “Oddly enough the lift started smoothly and continued on in the same fashion. The stop was much the same.

Stanley so glad that the lift worked so wonderfully stepped off with a big broad grin on his face as he rubbed his hands together and looked around. He was now dressed in what appeared to be a set of green scrubs and white tennis shoes. He frowned quickly as he heard some of the exchange between Hunter and the crewman. As soon as the frown appeared it seemed to disappear as he walked further onto the bridge a big grin on his face as if someone had just made his wildest dreams come true. “Ahhhhh so this is the bridge, eh?” he said as he looked around. He looked to Hunter then and said,” Oh! Doctor Hunter there you are again! And how are things going? Is there someone here who is ill? Perhaps I can help!”

Kahuna would hear the doctor saying ‘’Speaking of the devil ‘’ under his breath.

Hunter shook his head ‘’No, no. doctor Wong everyone’s is fine, I just came by to check on our away team and to be honest was concerned about the suppose trade ship on its way towards us but Lt Kahuna assured me that from what the Captain said there was nothing to worry about’‘ .

The doctor not only made his voice sound professional but also took care of the non verbal communication which all psychiatrist were taught to look out for .

Kahuna thought, Very strange indeed! Whoever Doctor Wong is, he has certainly got Doctor Hunter worked up!

“Hello Doctor, ” replied Lt Lovejoy. “As we were talking to each other something clicked off on us. Oh my apologies. Dr. Wong is it?” The Lt turned around.

Wong stood only a few steps into the bridge from the doors of the lift. He heard a rather stressed voice and looked across the Bridge at Doctor Hunter. He was quite fascinating as he strove to speak in such a calm professional fashion after his previous display. And… What was he doing there as he spoke? His eyes moving about and was that some sort of twitch? Maybe he was trying to send someone on the bridge some secret signal? The entire charade by Dr. Hunter seemed very odd indeed. Then as he finished up by giving him Lt. Kahuna’s report Wong said in a calm voice. “Ahhhh then it must be so. We should leave such matters to people with many years of experience in such things . I know I would never trust a helmsman to remove my appendix, nor myself to judge such weighty matters as the ones that the captain and Lt. Kahuna must deal with daily.

Then hearing the lovely voice off to his right Stanley turned to see the lovely communications officer. He smiled and nodded saying ,”Ah you must be the lovely Lt. Lovejoy. You can call me Dr. Wong or Stanley whichever you wish.” …Stanley looked across the bridge for a moment and then returned his gaze to Lovejoy saying ,”Yes, stress tends to bring out some of a person’s worst traits sometimes. It is just one of those small human things we should endeavor to overcome.”

It was then that the communication from the alien ship came through which Wong found fascinating. He nodded and smiled at Hunter as he left the bridge. before he turned back to Lovejoy then as they waited for Lt. Kahuna to respond to the alien craft asking her ,”Is that a Russian accent I hear?”

“Yes it is, doctor.” She said with a smile.

After another few minutes while the crew on the bridge went back and forth talking, finally though the comm’s officer could interrupt and patch the return hail through on audio only.

“With all due respect, please could all the officers and medics who are not required on my Bridge, please leave and allow us to do our jobs here?” Kahuna asked. “I have a First Contact here that, as you well know, are often delicate and require careful handling!”

=/\= We are the Sybl! From the Sybl Trade Consortium! We bring goods to the local habitat in the system you’re in! We do not know of your Federation. You new to this area of space? =/\= Came a chittering like hyper-active toned male like voice.

“Thank you Lt. Lovejoy,” said Kahuna. “I’ll speak to them as soon as I get a little silence.”

“Yes sir. Right away sir.” She smiled to the Kahuna.

The doctor excused himself ‘’Now that I have a more clear picture ‘’ he coughed clearing his throat ‘’I must get back to sickbay ,so do excuse me gentlemen’‘’ with a curt nod to the psychiatrist and Lt Kahuna and a smile to Lovejoy the man made his way towards the lift.

=/\= Good day, Sybl from the Sybl Trade Consortium. We ate guests of the Dol at the local Habitat in this system and we come from many systems away. Yes, indeed, we are very new to this region of space but keen to make new friends. =/\=

Stanley was perhaps the only one on the bridge with his blood pressure within a tolerable limit. He’d seen quite enough and made a mental note to expand the horizons of his initial inquiry. The people on this ship seemed to be far too stressed to do their jobs. He merely nodded to Lt. Lovejoy then and turned to walk into the lift wishing that there might be found a nice stairway.

Kahuna waited for the Sybl to reply and then added =/\= We look forward to meeting you when you arrive here. Merrimack out. =/\=

Short but sweet, Kahuna thought to himself.

Kahuna immediately messaged the Captain back. =/\= Captain, this is just to report back that the approaching vessel checks out. It is the trading vessel from the Sybyl that was expected. We also have a guest from Starfleet; a Psychiatrist called Doctor Wong. I don’t know why he is here but he’s been wandering all over the ship unescorted.=/\=

=/\= Ah! Good about that ship. No idea about Doctor Wong. If he’s from Starfleet, then i don’t really have a problem unless he’s getting in the way. How is your Bridge training going? =/\=

=/\= Captain, if I’m honest, Sir, I’m having a hard time actually. The Bridge Officer Command exam makes no reference to any regulation that Sickbay to be kept informed with minute by minute updates from the Bridge. Is that just a USS Merrimack thing because I wasn’t told? Secondly, did Lieutenant De Wolf authorise Security personnel to report directly to Doctor Hunter in Sickbay with updates and assessments from the Bridge? Thirdly, can you confirm if am I under some kind of special observation here? I have Security Officers, Doctors and Psychiatrists all checking on me and my actions, and it makes it difficult to do my job, especially as I have only recently been promoted.
I expected to fail the Kobayashi Maru test, but I thought sitting in the Chair while orbiting a peaceful, low-tech, First Contact world, would have been a bit of a doddle! Turns out, it’s extremely hard work! =/\=

=/\= I’m not aware of any of that. I’ll have to deal with it when I return. There are no special Merrimack regulations and you aren’t under investigation so I’d have to ask Lt. De Wolf about his Security Officers actions. I also need to ask Starfleet about this Doctor Wong as that is quite unusual too. Sorry, you have had to experience that. Glen Out! =/\=

She walked up to the lt. And said. “Listen. You’re doing well just don’t let anyone let you down alright.” She said.

Lt. Lovejoy