The Need to Focus
Posted on Mon Nov 30th, 2015 @ 10:25am by Commander Titus Livius Drusus PhD
Mission:
By Dawn's Early Light
Location: Science Labs
“Be careful with those samples, Duarte!” Titus’s voice boomed over the din in the primary biological lab. “If they get contaminated in any way, you’re going to be the one spending a long summer on Khartem VI waiting to harvest more.”
The young lab technician was clearly nervous, and Titus realised he was probably not helping the situation by shouting, but they were valuable samples and he didn’t have time to hold hands. The labs were being locked down, experiments suspended and samples moved to secure storage. And it all had to be done on the double.
Titus himself was scrambling to back up important data from four experiments to the strongbox. The science department had access to an ultra-secure server that was to be used only at times of crisis. It was locked away inside a cast rodinium container that could survive just about any explosion. The reasoning behind it being that even if the Starbase was destroyed, the data inside the strongbox at least had a chance to survive.
The status bar had almost reached ninety percent when his commbadge chirped. “Security to Commander Drusus.”
Without flinching he replied, “Drusus here.”
“Commander, I’ve got a problem in biochem lab Nine-C,” the security officer said. “A science officer is refusing to evacuate.”
Why can’t it ever be easy?
“I’ll be right there. Drusus out.” He grabbed a passing lab assistant, ordered them to complete the backup, and headed off to the next trouble that needed shooting.
The doors hushed open and Titus stormed into the little secondary lab, his jaw set and his entire countenance screaming that he would tolerate no dissention.
The young security officer looked almost visibly startled when the chief science officer entered the lab. She had been leaning against one of the work benches, looking forlorn and defeated, but quickly stood rod straight when the Magna Roman entered. She didn’t speak, simply gestured over to the lonely figure, hunched over a microscope in the far corner.
Titus nodded and gestured for the security officer to leave. She wasted no time in taking the opportunity.
“Ballo?” Titus asked once the door slid shut behind him.
“I can’t leave, sir,” Ensign Ballo said, not taking his eyes from the microscope. But it wasn’t determination or mulishness that flavoured his voice. No, it was something far worse and immediately Titus knew he would have to change tack.
He sighed and softened his expression as he crossed the lab. On the way, he grabbed a stool and planted it down next to the ensign. Sitting down – close, but not too close – he leaned in and, in the same voice he would use when his son had a bad day at school. “What’s the problem, Foday?” he asked, hoping he didn’t sound condescending.
“No problem, sir,” Ballo replied quickly. “I … I just can’t leave my experiment.”
“Why?”
“I need to focus on it.”
Titus had been in the service long enough to recognise what was going on. It wasn’t so much that Ballo needed to focus on the experiment, more than he needed to focus on anything but the situation in which he found himself. It was easier to focus on whatever was loaded onto the microscope, which was something he could control and explain, than to face the very real prospect of serious harm or death.
“Listen,” Titus began after allowing a moment of silence to linger between them, “I know you need to focus, but I need you to do a job for me.”
Ballo didn’t say anything at first and he didn’t raise his head from the microscope. Another moment of silence passed before finally, “Wh … what kind of job?”
Titus smiled, “Do you know those Evoran scientists that have been buzzing about these past few weeks?”
The ensign finally tore his eyes from the microscope and looked over at the chief science officer. “Yes, sir.”
“Well, right now they are scared witless and aren’t too wild about going with the other civilians in the shelters,” Titus said. “I need somebody to take charge of them. Make sure they don’t wander off and get into trouble down there. Can you help me out?”
Ballo seemed to consider it, tossing it over in his mind before finally nodding. “Yes, sir,” he said, sounding a little uplifted. “I can do that. The experiment isn’t time sensitive.”
The Magna Roman stood up and clasped his hand on Ballo’s shoulder. “Excellent,” he said, nodding in approval. “I’m counting on you Foday. Now get down to the marshalling area before those damn Evorans wander off again.”
“Aye aye, sir!” Ballo said, sounding a little sheepish but encouraged nonetheless.
After he’d trotted out of the lab, past a stunned-looking security officer, Titus reached up and tapped his commbadge. “Drusus to Prell.”
“Go ahead, Boss,”
“Tell M’Gora he’s off the hook with the Evorans,” he said as he walked. “Ballo is taking his place.”
Commander Titus Livius Drusus
Chief Science Officer
Starbase 332
