Captain Addison MacKenzie - Properly Vetted
Addison MacKenzie
(( Captain’s Ready Room – Deck 1, USS Artemis-A ))
Addison sat behind the heavy mahogany desk in her ready
room, tapping a stylus on the wood’s surface in a quick staccato pattern akin
to a woodpecker on a maple tree. She’d chosen to duck out of the awards ceremony
early – it wasn’t normally something she’d do, preferring to take the time for
camaraderie and celebration with the rest of the crew – but she continued to be
perturbed at the requirement to report to Sector 001 for Frontier Day, and was
desperate to search for any possible excuse to duck out of the assignment.
Unfortunately, she was coming up dry.
Trying to skip out on assignments was very much not her style. Addison MacKenzie
had crafted a career, both as a surgeon and a Starfleet officer, by following
the book. Someone issue an order? Follow it. Need to perform a routine surgery?
Follow the procedural guide.
Report to Earth for a parade?
…what?
The whole thing seemed peculiar.
She put the stylus down, taking momentary refuge in the silence, closed her
eyes, and rubbed her forehead before finally stopping to pinch the bridge of
her nose. When she blinked her eyes open, she swiveled in her chair to look out
her window at the massive pylons of the Cardassian station that have been the
familiar backdrop for the duration of their shore leave. Leaning back in her
chair, she shook her head slowly, using her toes to slowly rock herself back
and forth. Despite racking her brain (and Talos’s), it didn’t seem as though
there was a cosmic event of any significance that might delay their departure
for Earth. DS9’s maintenance report on the Artemis had been filed (and
was no doubt on Command’s desk), which meant they no longer had the possibility
of any mechanical problems that might delay their departure, either.
She shook her head, turned back around, and once again started tapping the
stylus on her desktop.
…and the whole business of the Fleet Formation Mode had gotten under her skin
too. She realized the practical aspects and the efficiency that came with such
a system, but certainly Starfleet Command also understood all the problems
that came with it as well…
…right?
She wasn’t so sure.
Either way, it wasn’t her call.
It wasn’t her order.
Admiral Shelby seemed quite proud to announce the project, and so invested and
excited at the prospect of its launch during the celebration that it had
to mean the program had been properly vetted. With the best minds in Starfleet
working on the project, she was sure it had been put through the ringer...
Well, mostly sure.
At any rate, their repairs were complete, there were no delays on the horizon,
and they had a deadline to meet. They’d be setting course for Earth in the
morning.
One big, happy fleet.
---
Captain Addison
MacKenzie, M.D., Ph.D., FASFS
Commanding Officer
USS Artemis-A
Captains Council Member at Large
V239601AM0