Star Trek Stargazer - 06 - Maker by Star Trek

Author:Star Trek
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Science Fiction
ISBN: 9780743448581
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Published: 2003-01-02T08:00:00+00:00

“G’day,” said Tricia Cadwallader, placing her food tray on the table already surrounded by four of her friends.

“You know,” said Refsland, the ship’s transporter chief, “I love that Aussie accent. Have I told you that?”

“Not since late yesterday,” said Cadwallader, pulling out a chair and plunking herself down in it. “And don’t think I haven’t missed hearing it.”

“I said I liked your accent maybe fifteen minutes ago,” recalled Iulus, who had started out on the Stargazer in security but had transferred to engineering. “Of course, I said it beneath my breath, so no one heard it.”

“I didn’t say it,” admitted Kirby, a big, ruddy-faced ensign assigned to the science section. “But I definitely thought it. Several times, in fact.”

Refsland looked at him askance. “You did not.”

“I did,” said Kirby. “I swear it.”

“If I were still in security,” said Iulus, “I’d see you in the brig for lying to an officer.”

“If you were still in security,” said Urajel, one of Iulus’s fellow engineers, “the Ubarrak would have taken over the ship a long time ago.”

“Yes,” said Refsland, “and Cadwallader would be speaking Ubarrak with an Aussie accent.”

Iulus winced. “Now that’s something I’d rather not hear.”

Cadwallader was glad to hear Iulus join in the fun. He had been on the away team that explored the Iktoj’ni, and what he saw there had dampened his spirits for a while. But from all indications, he was back to his old self.

“You’re all too kind,” she said, taking them all in with a glance. “At least, I think you are.”

Cadwallader had served on another ship—the Goddard—for a little more than a year, but she hadn’t liked it as much as she liked serving on the Stargazer. Of course, the Goddard was a Korolev-class monster with a huge crew, and she had always felt comfortable in more intimate surroundings.

But her affinity for the Stargazer went beyond that. On the Goddard, she had felt like everyone’s kid sister—one of the hazards of being a nineteen-year-old whiz kid. The worst of it was when she had to speak with Captain Muirchinko, who was going on one hundred and five. He never seemed to know whether to give her an assignment or a lollipop.

Then Cadwallader had heard about Jean-Luc Picard, the fleet’s first twenty-eight-year-old captain. Some of her colleagues had expressed doubt that someone so young could do the job. She, on the other hand, had requested a transfer the same day.

And she hadn’t looked back. Part of that was due to the gentle touch of her superior, Lieutenant Paxton. Part of it was due to the friends she had made.

And part of it…Cadwallader couldn’t put her finger on it. She just wanted to be there.

Unlike the bulky behemoth sitting in the corner of the mess hall, watched from a discreet distance by Lieutenant Joseph. Foremost Elder Dojjaron had opted to eat in public instead of in his quarters, but his body language still declared unequivocally that he wanted to be left alone.

And the crew seemed happy enough to oblige him.

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