Past Prologue, Part 17
Posted on Fri Jul 5, 2019 @ 7:00am by Commander Caleb Ryan
1,327 words; about a 7 minute read
Mission:
Things Past
Location: USS Winchester
Timeline: FLASHBACK: 2375/Toward the End of the Dominion War
“Thank you for agreeing to help, Master Chief,” Artemis said as he walked along the corridor with his Chief of the Boat. “I am sorry to add to your regular duties.”
The tall, broad, muscular Vulcan with dark skin inclined his shaved head. “Your request for assistance was all that was needed, sir,” he told his captain.
“I am just not sure what to do. They put another crewman in Sickbay today. They refuse to listen to anyone but me, and I cannot keep running down to their quarters every time there is an incident. I have a ship to run, Melek.”
“I have read the files you retrieved from the research station, as you requested.”
“Good,” Artemis said. “So you have any ideas? I am not a father...”
“I would not be here if I did not,” Melek replied as they stopped outside of quarters. “You have taken them from what they know, a familiar routine. You assumed they would become normal little girls. They are scared, and they are lashing out.”
Artemis nodded to the two security officers stationed outside the door and entered his authorization code into the security seal on the door. It beeped and he pulled it off, handing it to one of the officers, then activated the door.
As the door swished open, Melek’s hand shot out, catching a ball that had been thrown. Artemis blinked in surprise and stared at the brown-haired little girl who had thrown it, now scowling with disappointment.
“Eve,” Artemis said disapprovingly. He looked around the room. They had provided the girls with a box of toys. Most of them were strewn about the room. Several looked to have been...weaponized.
Melek turned to the security officers. “Remove the toys.”
The two officers looked at each other with concern, and then back to the Vulcan. “We aren’t supposed to go in there…”
“Do as he says,” Artemis ordered.
With a bit of reluctance, the two officers headed inside and began to pick up toys, watching the girls closely.
The girls watched them right back. Artemis saw their eyes going to the phasers on the officer’s hips.
“Girls.” Pierce’s voice snapped their attention back to him. “This is Master Chief Petty Officer Melek. He will be helping me until it is decided what is to be done with you. You will listen to him as you would listen to me. Is that clear?” he asked, giving the three ten-year-old monsters a level stare.
They stared back at him, unresponsive.
One of the security officers picked up the now filled toy box and started to leave. The other officer was grabbing the dolls from the girls’ beds. Eden and Elisa’s eyes widened a bit in fear. That was when Eve attacked, lunging for the phaser at the hip of the officer carrying the toy box.
The girl was fast, but Melek was faster, obviously having anticipated something of this kind. Just as Eve’s small fingers brushed the handle of the phaser, the big Vulcan grabbed the front of her tunic. He lifted the ten-year-old bodily and slammed her down on her back on the deck, driving the wind from her and leaving her stunned.
Eden and Elisa gave howls of rage, launching themselves at the big Vulcan. He grabbed Elisa’s tunic and slammed her right down next to Eve. His foot lashed out, catching Eden in the chest and pinning her hard against the wall.
It was over in seconds, the security officers too surprised to even do anything.
“Leave the dolls.” Pierce’s voice cut through the silence.
The security officer nodded and gingerly replaced the dolls in the bunks. Then both hurried out.
Melek hadn’t moved from where his Vulcan strength pinned the girls in place. “Captain, if you would, please lock down the replicator so it will only dispense water and gruel.”
Pierce eyed the big Vulcan, but then nodded and went to do as he said, tapping a few controls. “Done.”
“Very good.” Melek looked down at Eve and Elisa, then over at Eden. “What have we learned, Elisa One?”
“To obey,” Elisa wheezed as her breath came back.
Artemis tapped his finger on his leg, worried. Melek had been his drill instructor at the Academy. But he was also a father, unlike Pierce. He knew what he was doing, right?
“Very good.” Melek looked up at Artemis. He released the three girls and stood up, looming over them. “Line up!” he barked.
The girls scrambled, falling into a perfectly straight line along some unseen seam in the carpet, backs stiff, heads high, at attention.
Melek straightened his uniform from the little scuffle. He paced along in front of the three girls. “This room is a disgrace,” he said, looking around at the scattered clothes. “You have five minutes to put it in order.” The girls didn’t move. “Now!”
The girls scrambled, picking up clothes, putting dirty ones into the replicator, clean ones into the closet, making their beds, tucking their dolls safely against the pillows, straightening everything into neat, orderly military discipline. As they worked, Melek went to the replicator and put in an override code. He replicated something small and then returned to his place beside Pierce, pressing it into his hand. Pierce looked down and raised an eyebrow.
At the exact chime of five minutes the three girls were in line at attention again.
“Very good. You are proficient at basic cleanliness,” Melek said. “Captain, you may give them a reward. Hold out your hand,” he instructed the girls.
Pierce stepped up and placed a small piece of chocolate in the hand of each girl. Their eyes widened with delight, and they nearly set to, but stopped and looked at Melek.
“You may eat.”
The girls quickly unwrapped the candy, as if expecting the order to be rescinded, and stuffed the chocolate into their mouths. They carefully disposed of the wrappers in the replicator and fell back in line.
“Obedience will be rewarded,” Melek told them. “Disobedience will result in the loss of privileges. Severe infractions will result in a time out in the brig and reduction to water and nutrient gruel. Is this understood?”
“Yes, Master Chief!” the three girls barked, eyes straight ahead.
“Very good. Your life of wild abandon is over. You are soldiers. You require order and discipline, and I mean to give it to you. Reveille will be called every morning at 0700. You will have one hour to use the facilities and have a breakfast of water and nutrient gruel. This room will be spotless and in pristine order when I arrive at 0800. You will then spend the morning in training. You will be given a half hour to clean up after and then you will have lunch with me in the crew mess. The afternoon will be spent in school with tutors. All instructors will be obeyed as if they were myself or Captain Pierce. Disrespect and slacking will be punished. Excellence will be rewarded. At 1730 you will dress for dinner and report to the captain’s quarters at 1800. Following dinner, your time will be free until 2100 when we will have meditation and then lights out at 2200. Is this understood?”
“Yes, Master Chief!” the girls called out.
“You have ten minutes to prepare for training. DIsmissed.”
The girls scrambled to change as Melek and Artemis walked out into the corridor, the door swishing closed behind them.
“That was amazing, Melek,” Pierce said, shaking his head and looking back at the door.
“They just require a firm hand, sir,” Melek said. “Not unlike a certain raw recruit I trained in the Academy.”
Artemis smirked. “I was that much of a handful, was I?”
The Vulcan just arched an eyebrow.
FIN
Captain Artemis Pierce
Commanding Officer
USS Winchester
Master Chief Melek
Chief of Boat
USS Winchester
Elisa One
Augment child
Eden Two
Augment child
Eve Three
Augment child
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