Captain's Concerns

Posted on 02/11/2012 @ 5:20am by Captain Kheren
Edited on 02/11/2012 @ 6:02am

Captain's Personal Log

Stardate: 87169.9

The Artemis has gone though work and ressupply for the upcoming major fleet operation regarding the Azimuth Horizon anomaly that, thankfully, did not seem to keep my name... at least in official scientific circles. Despite the award and commendation received for having it discovered under my command, I hope to leave a better mark on this universe with my name than that of the "Kheren anomaly."

It sounds too much like a reminder of my own birth to me.

My worries however are not about this, nor even the security concerns the probable interference by cultists, imperialists and conquerors on this operation might be; with the strict observance of Starfleet security protocols now in effect on board, not to mention the ones we added, the Artemis is now harder to infiltrate or sabotage than Starfleet Intelligence Central. And even with the remote possibility that it would, our new measures will take care of it faster and cleaner than a baryon sweep.

Fact is; my ship is now the perfect trap for anyone who would try.

No; my main concern is about my own senior officers.

Although they assume their duties with their usual diligence and proficiency, I sense... what... fatigue? Apprehension? Doubt? Oh they answer orders readily and promptly enough... But once they aknowledge, they seem to quickly lapse into silence, immobility, slide quietly into the shadows... No comments, no recommendations, no expressed thoughts, not even objections or grumbles... until I feel like I am all alone on the ship.

First Officer O'Conner has always been a man of few words and of quick, direct, simple acts so this is nothing new in his case; but Chief of Ops Brie is rather quiet nowadays, especially for a Bolian, a species so well known for its congeniality; Chief of Science Syntron has completely isolated himself since our return, typical for a Vulcan one might think... but not at all of him; acting Security Chief Tyvya, whom which I have known for the longest time among them all, seems strangely irritable and unusually introverted; with no assigned CMO, sickbay sounds like it's full of deactivated EMHs; as for chief engineer Scott... I barely got three words and glimpses of him since he came on board... it almost feels now like he has never been on board.

Is this what Humans mean when they say: "lonely at the top?"

If so, then indeed the captain's job is at the very top... and the loneliest of all.

But I can't help wonder: how can this be?

Or even... why ?