Klarth's Recruit

Posted on Wed Mar 30th, 2022 @ 4:31am by Captain Devin Hadenbeer & Lieutenant Commander Klarth

1,819 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Into The Void
Location: mess hall

Dare entered the mess hall, stack of PADDs in hand, and took a moment to orient herself. Her soulless task masters back at the Academy seemed to have missed the memo that she was on a starship doing half shift duty rotations and said space faring vessel was commanded by her crazy aunt who did not seem to sleep. She spotted an empty table in the corner and after ordering up a caesar's salad and iced tea she made for it. She laid out the PADDs and wondered where to start first but Doctor Klarth's request made it difficult to focus.

Maybe he wants me transferred down to Sickbay, she thought idly as she opened up the stellar cartography assignment...

Klarth comes in looking around at who is in the mess hall even after he sees Dare he continues looking like he is looking for someone else. Finally he sits down right next to Dare but looks over his shoulder at anyone that walk past them too closely.

Dare eyed Klarth out of the corner of her eye and thought he was acting...strangely. She decided perhaps she should just keep quiet and see what he wanted to say.

Klarth looks at all the PADDs on the table and says "Thank you for coming. I''m afraid I have another one for your pile." Klarth threw the PADD in his hands so in lands on top of some of the others. "I'm reluctant to share this information with you as learning about it has been disturbing to me. But I need to find the author and look them in the eyes and ask them why they have done me such a dishonor. And if I do not like their answer I am not sure if I can keep my rage in check...or if I want to."

Dare eyed the PADD suspiciously, then turned and regarded the doctor. She was about to speak, when-

Klarth comes out of his self reflection and looks into Dare's eyes. "What is it like just starting your life? The possibilities for you are still endless. Youth is the greatest resource the universe has better even then dilithium."

Dare blinked, "What-"

Klarth look at the PADD he had tossed and picked it back up "Were you aware that you have been made the subject of some YA adventure novels?" Klarth manipulates the screen and reveals the book advertisements which show a human teenage girl with red hair and a pretty freckled face, in her arms was a blue cat. "The protagonist is Venture Jones and her telepathic mutant blue cat, Malla. She travels through space on a star ship named the Manticore captained by her aunt, D'Arcy Dwyer. They are written by Tina Loehr" he manipulates the screen and reveals the face of a handsome woman of late middle age, an almost impish smile upon her face. "Though I believe this to be an alias as the author has also written about me and S'Lace, which leads me to think it is someone that has very intimate knowledge of the goings on of this ship. Do you know who wrote it? Or has anyone ever hinted that they were writing a book or asked you one too many questions?"

Dare hesitated.

Then she laughed.

"What?" she exclaimed, then realized she might have said that too loudly, "Are you..." she took in Klarth's sober expression, hers became more serious as well, "Oh. You are being serious."

She gently took the PADD from Klarth's hands and scanned the contents, her expression going from curious to incredulous as she scanned a few of the paragraphs. Her eyebrows widened.

"I...no," she finally said, shaking her head, "I have never seen this before. And no one has ever approached me to make me the inspiration for this character, which..." she shrugged, "Yes, all right, I can see how I bear some superficial resemblance to her. And the captain...and the ship name...and I can see where the inspiration where Malla came from, obviously."

She frowned and turned back to Klarth, "I have never heard of Tina Loehr. And no one ever asked any probing questions like that so I don't know whom the author or collaborator might be."

A slight smile crossed her lips, "This does feel a bit like a mystery, uncovering the author or her collaborator. I would rule out the captain: setting aside my personal attachment, all her creative energies the past three years were directed at earning her Phd so she simply would not have the time," she cocked her head and regarded Klarth, "So...Tina Loehr wrote a book about you? What was the subject, Doctor?"

The Doctor hesitated looked over his shoulder to see if anyone was listening and said "Well, it is highly embarrassing for me to talk about, and I really don't want the crew hearing about it and reading it, but it has to do with why I was off the ship for sometime, but it is highly sensationalized. The ad for it in there on the datapad, but I'm trusting you not to tell anyone about it."

Klarth gives Dare a chance to look at it.

Dare stared at the image, her eyebrows rising in surprise. After a pregnant moment she allowed Klarth to take the PADD back and quietly, soberly replied, "I...can see why you and lieutenant S'Lace would be upset."

"The other thing I'd like to ask is, how do you think the Captain would take the news about these books? I feel obligated to tell her, but I'm sure she already has enough on her plate."

The acting ensign winced and sat back. She crossed her arms and frowned, and gave the matter some thought.

"We need to either find the author's collaborator or the author herself, sir," she finally said, "It has to be someone who was on board when you were here, and then later when lieutenant Mell'a was assigned. That should narrow it down somewhat I would think. So if it wasn't the captain and it isn't me," she smiled slightly, "And I can't be because you know how much work the academy assigns second year cadets."

Her smile morphed into a frown, "But seriously, we can't tell the Captain, at least not yet. She will be obligated to tell my parents, and Doctor you have no idea how much my mother dislikes Devin. Bad enough I am on board now when I am supposed to be safely at school, which is causing her fits; if Ma gets wind of this there is no telling what she will do!"

"I can't make any promises, she is after all the Captain," said Klarth. "But there is no need to tell her now when all we have are questions and very little answers.

Dare nodded gratefully. Her fork teased her salad as she chewed her lip.

"She has changed," she reluctantly admitted, not looking up at the doctor, "Something is bothering her. It is not something recent, either," she looked up and it seemed she was unloading some great weight, "Years ago, when I first came on board. I remember it was just a week or so. She had learned something, I could tell. She was...almost ecstatic. We were alone and she seemed ready to tell me."

Dare set her fork down, she clutched the edge of the table, "Then her face...the smile faded and she asked me if there was the remotest possibility I might join Starfleet. I remember honestly telling her yes, i suppose I was," Dare smiled slightly, "I remember you giving me a tour of Sickbay and I was...overwhelmed. Excited."

Dare's smile faded, she looked away, "Devin wanted to tell me something, then. She was almost desperate. Like someone...admitting they had gotten engaged or discovered they were pregnant, something. But because there was even a slight chance I might become a Starfleet officer she did not think she could tell me. Even now, sometimes, when we are alone I get this feeling she has some secret she is desperate to let out and sometimes I am afraid it is driving her mad..."

Klarth stared at Dare and seemed to be trying to work out what the Captain's secret could be, but he had no idea. He sighed and said, "I don't know what this secret could be, but I do know that the life of a Captain is not an easy one. You must show your crew a brave face and project strength at the cost of a more rounded life. Friendships are difficult to maintain and romantic relationships nearly impossible...She is very lucky to have you, a family member, here. And I know it must be a great comfort to her, even if she can't always show it, even to you."

At the word 'romantic' Dare involuntarily smiled and managed to keep what she was thinking to herself. She poked at her salad a bit and then said, "She considers you a friend, Doctor. And I am glad you are here for her. There are so many new faces about. Except for Mell, of course. But everyone else is new."

"Yes, the captain is a very good friend indeed and I am glad to be back," said Klarth. "It was as though my life was on hold for sometime, so it makes me appreciate what I have here all the more."

"Yes, you know Mell as well, sometime I will tell you of the exciting adventure we shared," said Klarth

She sighed, "Anyway, if you like I can see if I can find a little time to poke through that book."

"Yes, if you want to look at the Venture Jones books, there are several, and see if there are any clues as to the author, that would be most helpful," said Klarth.

Dare gave a nod. She quickly finished lunch and with a smile she said, "Thank you for trusting me, Doctor. I..."

She hesitated, then finished, "I think Devin considers you one of her best friends. If she hasn't told you what is going on I don't think it's because she doesn't trust you; it must be because she thinks you knowing might, well, hurt you? Anyway, I'll let you know what I find out."

"Any secrets the Captain has I trust her to tell me when I need to know them," said Klarth.

Later, as Dare departed the galley she did the math in her head, attempting to see if she had any time at all to read these books. The results were...depressing. The books had to be read, but she could not read them. Not without failing a class or two. So...

She smiled as inspiration struck her. A key to leadership was knowing when to delegate authority, right? Well, maybe it was time to do just that...!

 

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