LTCmdr. Quentin Collins - Presents, Past & Future

[Justin Partridge]

((Interior. U.S.S. Arrow, INTEL Suite "The Closet".))

MacKenna: Everything is new at some point. 

Quentin Collins couldn't help smiling at his oh, so, serious ginger headed friend. Even sweeter? She was right. As per usual, but her high batting average did nothing to lessen the impact of her point. 

But still...the usual darkened voices of the equally darkened doors of Quentin's mind still braced. Even within the orbit and convectional warmth of Ash MacKenna's salient retort. 

Collins: Believe me, I GET IT. I KNOW you do. But like...::he turns a mournful eye to the center of the room.:: Tamping a lid over something like this and just filing it away for someone else at Daystrom. I dunno, Ash, it's sittin' really bad with me.

Sweet humming silence followed in the wake of Quentin burbles and babbles. Lucky for him, silence was where Ash MacKenna worked best and even from his distance from her (not to mention his slightly odd perspective on her; him standing and her sitting, giving them the look of oddly blocked one-act scene partners) She put her feet down and resettled in the chair. Quentin crossed his arms and waited patiently.

MacKenna: You're framing it wrong.

Quentin blinked. Blinked again. His face screwed up in thought.

Collins: Am I?

Ash gestured towards the still active screens, even despite the ongoing data exchange between the two cores. 

MacKenna: We're not filing it away and we're not putting a lid on it and getting rid of it. We've discovered something that we do not have the capacity to fully provide for. We owe it a chance to be whatever it is to become, and to do that, we need to enlist help in the form of Daystrom.

Quentin opened his mouth, but his brain caught up to him before he could say anything. A bashful, almost disappointed smile and accompanying crimson to his cheeks dominated the map of his face. 

Quentin Collins counted himself as pretty smart. He could tell you a lot of things about a lot of things and was relatively pretty good in a pinch. But for the life of him, stuff like this? Never occurred to him. Sara would have seen this. Dead away, she would have. She was always so good at seeing those tiny layers of human understanding and the oceans of pathos that would roil under certain situations.

It was what made her the lawyer she was. She could defend her clients because she took the time to see her clients beyond what the system would sometimes allow. Quentin had never really picked up that knack. Once again, however, Quentin was lucky. Because he had people like Ash in Sara's place. He nodded contritely.

Collins: You're right. Of course, you're right. It's why I asked you. Still...I don't like leaving work half done. 

MacKenna: I'm sure they would loop you in on things if you made the request. You are the Chief Science Officer on a frontier Starfleet vessel.

Quentin blinked again. This time in a slightly more dumb manner. 

Yet another thing that hadn't occurred to him. He had to laugh at himself, because if he didn't...he would resign his commission in shame.

Collins: Again, you are absolutely right. I think you should be charging for this.

MacKenna: RESPONSE

He smiled ruefully and started the work to make the transfer from the Janus into the new encrypted housing. 

Collins: You can bill me later. But, I will say, just having you around is nice enough. I'm happy you are up and around. Well, up and around for the most part. ::he said with a wink.::

MacKenna: RESPONSE

Collins: I'll even return the favor, kinda! I don't have advice, but I do have something for you and Cap. 

MacKenna: RESPONSE

Collins: Call it an early engagement gift. It came in with the rest of the restock supplies and correspondence when we stopped at DS33.

MacKenna: RESPONSE

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TAG/TBC

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Lieutenant Commander 

Quentin Collins III

Chief Science Officer

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U.S.S. ARROW NCC-69829

ID: E239512QC0

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