LtJG Jovenan – Nobody trusts a panicking leader
Jovenan
((Primary Sickbay, Deck 7, USS Artemis))
Sadar: L-L-L-Lieutenant?
Jovenan released her grasp of the Doctor’s hand. She had brought her away from the Sickbay’s main room, away from the earshot of other medical officers working in that area. The Doctor was visibly nervous and uncomfortable, but Jovenan resumed anyway.
Jovenan: A while ago, Commander Dakora and the other intel crew discovered a message I helped decode. We believe the alternate crew might be planning to attack the Artemis.
Sadar: A-A-An attack!? ::slight whimper:: B-But, surely, Doctor Adea isn’t-
Jovenan: Doctor Adea hasn’t had reason to visit the other ship right now. I need you to think very carefully, is there a way we could…
The sentence was cut short, when the lights in the sickbay dimmed. Doctor Sadar seemed like she could panic at that moment, but when the change in colour of the lights wasn’t accompanied by the familiar alarm klaxon, she relaxed. Jovenan wasn’t as certain that the unexpected dip in power levels was a matter of calming down.
Sadar: Could what, Sir?
Jovenan: Uh, do you think we could find more evidence that Doctor Adea is… who he usually is? Something like past location data, transporter logs, sickbay shift logs, anything.
The lights turned back to normal. Jovenan was still convinced the attack was likely coming, but the theory of Adea being replaced by his counterpart felt more unrealistic the more she thought about it. It was entirely possible Doctor Adea was actually given a special assignment she didn’t know about and that could take him away from work. It didn’t explain the other unusual behaviour Doctor Sadar and the other medical personnel had noticed, but it wasn’t Jovenan’s place to question how people acted like day to day. She probably wasn’t precisely consistent with her behaviour every day either. Maybe she should just give up on this investigation.
Sadar: I’m sorry, but I don’t think we have the clearance-
Before Doctor Sadar could finish and Jovenan could give up and apologise, the klaxon they had expected earlier began ringing across the room. Jovenan’s stomach made a turn as the ship entered the red alert, likely an indication that the attack against the ship had begun. She considered if she should continue here with Doctor Sadar, rush to the bridge for assistance, or run to her quarters and hide under her blankets until it was over.
Sadar: On the other hand…
The Doctor walked to the closest console and accessed it while Jovenan walked behind. Watching her read through some logs, Jovenan did her best to hide how uncertain and nervous she was herself. The Ensign was the sole reason she tried to control herself so hard. She remembered how many times she had been surrounded by calm and determined officers and how much she would have panicked if they hadn’t been there. Lt Seta in the Medical lab with tacos, Kawarda in the Astrometrics, Lt Silveira with a sword through his shoulder, the Captain on the bridge during the pirate attack. Jovenan considered herself a bad mimicry of these skilled officers while pretending to be calm.
Sadar: It almost directly coincides with when the Desdemona’s crew was cleared for recreational activities aboard the Artemis, following quarantine procedures. ::to Jovenan:: You don’t think that Doctor Adea is… He’s fine, right?
Jovenan closed her eyes for a few seconds. It was still possible they were wrong, she even wished they were, but the cumulative coincidences were growing unlikely. She didn’t know yet what had happened to him, if anything, but she already felt like she had lost him. No, concentrate!
If they were right and his counterpart had replaced him, the real Doctor Adea must still be somewhere… in some form. If he had been taken to the Desdemona, there was nothing they could do. The same applied if he had been vaporised or otherwise, uh, eliminated. Those two options were possible, but if they were what had happened, there was little they could do, hence it was logical they concentrated on the other options. Where do you hide a body, dead or alive? Jefferies tube? No, there’s people in there. Cargo bay? The same problem. Where else…
Ignoring Sadar’s question for now, Jovenan instead posed her own to her.
Jovenan: In cases of medical emergencies, you have permission to open locked doors, right?
Sadar: Y-Yes Sir. Senior medical personnel have access to emergency override procedures of most doors - barring restricted areas - in case we suspect an individual is incapacitated or otherwise incapable of opening doors for us. ::beat:: Y-You’re not suggesting-
Jovenan: If he is still alive and on this ship, they must be keeping him where other people wouldn’t find him but where the imposter has access to him.
Sadar: Response
Jovenan: Yes! I think. Uh, we need to go find him, so, uh, take a medical kit and come with me!
That was a far cry from a proper order from a confident leader, but Jovenan was also not one. Investigating the disappearance came relatively easily to her, but it was no longer the time for discussions but for action, and making anyone actually do something was difficult when Jovenan barely knew what she should do herself either.
Sadar: Response
They left the Sickbay and rushed to the closest turbolift.
Jovenan: Deck 3, Section, uh, 12.
The lift began to steadily hurl upwards, and for a few moments Jovenan had the time to try and calm her nerves. Looking at the always nervous colleague of hers, she couldn’t help but to address a matter she had realised earlier in the Sickbay.
Jovenan: Umm… Doctor, I wanted to say I’m sorry… Sorry, that I touched your hand. I made you uncomfortable, I didn’t mean to do that.
Sadar: Response
The turbolift stopped and the doors to the Deck 3 opened. Before exiting, Jovenan turned to Doctor Sadar one more time.
Jovenan: And I’m sorry that I made you uncomfortable in other ways as well. I’m… I’m not good at this. This whole leading thing. But, uh, let’s focus on saving Doctor Adea for now, okay?
Sadar: Response
TAG/TBC
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Lieutenant JG Jovenan
Assistant Chief Science Officer
USS Artemis-A
E239911J11