Fleet Captain Addison MacKenzie - The Captain Cackles

[Addison MacKenzie]

(( Holodeck 1 – Deck 2, USS Artemis-A )) 

 

The commanding officer of the Artemis had without question interrupted the opportunity for a tender moment between her Chief Tactical Officer and Chief Science Officer. It didn’t matter much to her – truthfully, the allocation of a significant amount of energy to the holodeck to power whatever this was mattered more – and she’d given up on the glacial pace at which their relationship seemed to be developing. MacKenzie was aware that Silveira had developed an infatuation with Shint-Jovenan (before Colonel MacKenzie killed her, that was), and the resulting emotional fallout for Vitor… and that the infatuation seemed to have translated to their universe’s Jovenan. The Edo scientist, however, seemed to be taking a long time to get on that boat.

 

MacKenzie: Mr. Silveira, just what is all ::gesturing wildly:: this?

 

Whatever good will or political capital MacKenzie built with Jovenan had leapt out of her body surely as fast as the blond scientist had escaped from Vitor’s embrace. Her voice practically squeaked in surprise.

 

Jovenan: Captain?!

 

Silveira started to turn red. Addison had the feeling it likely wasn’t because he was embarrassed. If it was possible for humans to get so warm steam came out their nose when they breathed, Silveira was there.

 

Silveira: It's a personal project.

 

Addison raised a skeptical eyebrow as her gaze shifted between the two of them. After a moment, she pointed at whatever was on Jovenan’s console.

 

MacKenzie: What’s that there??

 

Jovenan: This? ::looks and points at the console, then turns her head back to MacKenzie:: This is, uh…

 

Jovenan couldn’t remember. Addison’s eyes narrowed as Jovenan looked to Silveira for help, who took the lead and answered MacKenzie’s question with a somewhat sour expression.

 

Silveira: That game is called Puzzle Bubble, or Bust a Move, depending on where in Earth you played it. Those… ::he pointed to the dolls:: I have no idea, but likely the evidence that you're not the first intruder to enter… Captain

 

MacKenzie plastered on an fake amused smile and raised her eyebrows. The notion that she might be an intruder in a public space on her own ship was entertaining… for the moment.

 

MacKenzie: Forgive me, Lieutenant – I didn’t realize that investigating a power draw from one of the ship’s public spaces constitu-

 

Jovenan: Vitor, uh, Lieutenant Silveira was showing me his new project, sir. Uh, Earth… cultural… history…

 

Silveira took a step closer to Jovenan. MacKenzie couldn’t tell if he was trying to defend her, or why the Portugese man was behaving so strangely. The pair were about as awkward Plomeek soup and Kanar.

 

Silveira: I am building an old 20th century Earth Arcade, with games for the crew to enjoy.

 

MacKenzie: That sounds fascinating, Lieutenant – given your knowledge of the time period, I’m sure you’re curating quite the collection!

 

Jovenan: The Lieutenant had actually picked a game for you, too, sir. Maybe you would want to see it?

 

The attempted pivot was as obvious as these two were awkward. Amused, the captain decided it was to her advantage to play along. Silveira tipped his head at her and offered a grin.

 

Silveira: Well, since our joyride in Demes I was wondering if we could repeat that experience. So when I was picking up arcades, or games, yours popped up instantly. ::He gestured to the labyrinth of arcades:: Shall we?

 

MacKenzie: You have my attention.

 

She gestured for him to lead. As they walked, they passed by a group of dolls, one of which had a note on it. MacKenzie couldn’t make out the writing, but Vitor snatched it and put it in his pocket. She couldn’t help but notice that one of them bore a striking resemblance to her Chief Tactical Officer, though he was dressed quite funny…

 

Silveira: It looks like the other intruder had some fun, and beat my high scores. ::he pointed to the figurines:: I think we all know who that is.

 

MacKenzie: ::nodding:: It’s definitely you, but why is it dressed so funny?

 

Jovenan: Response

 

Were his cheeks now shifting from an angry red to a pink of embarrassment?

 

Silveira: That’s me in my Toga… I have one and Al… Ensign Lyara had seen me wearing it.

 

Vitor picked them up and as he pressed mini Alroyo she spoke, almost startling him.

 

Mini-Alroyo: Eat my dust!

 

MacKenzie’s brow furrowed slightly as Vitor simultaneously narrowed his eyes and raised an eyebrow. He pressed his own doll, and it spoke also.

 

Mini-Silveira: I’m not superstitious, it brings bad luck.

 

He turned to them and shrugged.

 

Silveira: Well, that’s actually true…

 

MacKenzie looked to Jovenan somewhat skeptically.

 

MacKenzie: Uh huh…

 

Jovenan: Response

 

Vitor put the dolls down and once again gestured for them to follow him.

Silveira: Looks like we have another player in town. Now, want to see that racing car of yours  Captain?

 

A little twinkle sparkled in her eye.

 

MacKenzie: Racing game, eh?

Jovenan/Silveira: Response 

 

Vitor led them to a console that had a bright display whose control interface consisted of a steering wheel, gear shift, and two foot pedals. The commanding officer of the Artemis knew instantly from where the inspiration for this game’s dedication came…

 

(( Begin Flashback ))

 

(( Argo Gawain – Outside the City of Jupe on Demes II – SD 239904.05))

  

  

 

With the shuttle landed, Addison rose with the others, donned her coat, and stuffed its pockets with essential equipment: a phaser, medical tricorder, and a hypospray filled with just enough Ambizine to knock Sister Tina-Mary on her ass if it became necessary. She watched as Niac packed several transporter tags, which would be useful if they needed to make a quick getaway.

Niac:  We've got unfinished business on this planet and I'm not leaving this time without the entire team.  So at the risk of breakfast foot tea for the rest of what will probably be a very short life, lets go get our Kuppasoup back.  


Vitor nodded, Addison taking note of the seriousness on his face as he turned to Commander Niac.

 

Silveira: How did you manage to track Tina, Commander.

 

Niac: Tina...or Mary...hailed the ship.  I think whatever her plan here was, it fell apart pretty quickly.  She sounded desperate...frantic...and exhausted.  

 

Addison listened as he recalled the story as he told it to her right before they embarked on this mission.

 

Silveira: Then maybe we can start with the vagrants and the homeless. And we better work fast. There's only one more thing for us to answer.

 

Addison sat stone-faced, waiting for the boys to start bickering.

 

Etan: The longer we spend down here, the more risk we run of being discovered. ::his eyes fell on the rugged vehicle.:: Also, I’m not driving that.

 

Niac: It's tempting but I'm not sure it's worth the risk.  We can't find Tina if we're upside down in a gulley we didn't see....

 

Silveira: Who's driving?

 

She resisted the urge to speak. Instead, her brow furrowed for a moment, as though appearing deep in thought as she slowly pointed at each of them in turn.

 

MacKenzie: I appear to be the ranking officer, so that would be me.

 

She grinned and wiggled her eyebrows.

 

Niac: It's tempting but I'm not sure it's worth the risk.  We can't find Tina if we're upside down in a gulley we didn't see....

 

Addison keyed the control to lower the hatch while the others piled into the buggy. As soon as the seal was broken, a burst of cold air hit her in the face, its sting brutal. If Tina was without shelter, she likely wouldn’t survive the night. They’d have to move fast.

 

She hopped behind the driver’s seat and fired up the buggy’s engine. As she looked over the vehicle’s console, the question of how often it had undergone regular service checks crossed her mind.

 

Shrugging it off, she slammed her foot on the accelerator and the buggy launched from the back of the Argo at full speed, MacKenzie cackling maniacally at the thrill. She looked next to her, undeterred by the sour face Commander Niac offered.

 

MacKenzie: Everyone thinks that you get promoted to XO and you never get to have any fun anymore. ::taking one hand off the controls to point at the approaching city:: I say you have to make your own fun – and there it is!

 

She cackled again as the brisk snow stung their faces.

 

Etan: Prophets save me. ::he muttered to himself, more sure than ever than Addison MacKenzie was going to get them all killed somehow.::

Niac:  I think you missed your calling, Commander.  There's a trans-continental rally on Nimbus III that's always looking for new drivers because the old ones keep getting killed.  

 

She rolled her eyes at the comments. This team was the sorriest bunch of Debbie-downers she’d ever seen.

 

MacKenzie: Which way do I go?

 

Silence.

 

She turned to face Niac.

 

MacKenzie: ::to Niac:: Don’t you have the map? You are sitting shotgun, after all…

 

Karrod scowled back at the verbal sparring and zoomed out the mapping display while disabling most of the alarm functions.  Over a dozen had cropped up already and apparently MacKenzie didn't need the distraction.  The terrain mapping had identified something that could've been a cart path off to their left which headed in the right direction.  

Niac: Twenty degrees left of your current heading, two hundred meters downrange, you'll link up with a...well, road's probably generous.  Doesn't look too full of rocks.   

 

The buggy continued to tear down the dirt road, and Addison occasionally swerved suddenly out of the way of various rocks or dead animals in their path. She wondered if Iljor was experiencing motion sickness - he hadn’t managed to say a whole lot since they hit the road.

 

Etan: Why does this thing not come with a built navigation aide? ::he yelled, looking across the rear compartment of the vehicle at Sil.::

Silveira: Because it's more fun this way. If only our driver could go faster.

 

Addison sighed.

 

MacKenzie: When we get there, we’ll need to find a place to park the buggy and complete the rest of the journey on foot. I don’t think it should be much longer… Can whoever has the map confirm?

 

 

 

(( End Flashback ))

 

Addison smiled at Sil as she slid down into the driver’s seat and cracked her knuckles.

 

MacKenzie: This might be the most thoughtful gift I’ve received in a long time. … How do you make it go?

 

Silveira/Jovenan: Response

 

 

 

Tag, and TBC!

 

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Fleet Captain Addison MacKenzie, M.D., Ph.D., FASFS
Commanding Officer
USS Artemis-A

Captains Council Member at Large

V239601AM0