Extra Duty

Posted on Wed May 7th, 2025 @ 7:33am by Staff Sergeant Lacey Burkett & 1st Lieutenant Gus Viat

1,193 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Mission 9: When the Stars Went Silent
Location: Current location and Marine CO's Office
Timeline: Two days after the Battle of Vulcan

The whirlwind of losing his former homeworld affected everyone, and Gus was no exception. The difference was that Gus knew the universe somehow refused to stop because he said so. Meetings, debriefing, and even a very odd interview with two temporal agents.

The backlog was catching up. Looking over a few candidates from a short list, he tapped the comms. "Staff Sergeant Burkett, report to the Marine CO's office. Viat out."

As he waited for her to arrive, Gus shed the load-bearing harness he wore over the tough Marine duty uniform, hanging it within arm's reach on a nearby peg. Getting up, he replicated a vegetarian pizza, made with pesto sauce, marinated artichoke hearts, and sundried tomatoes.

In another part of the ship, the red-headed Staff-Sergeant in question was face down and dribbling in her bunk. Lacey had been on duty for days. She'd lost count of how long it'd been but this was the first sleep she'd had since coming aboard Denver after being rescued in a life pod with a collection of officers and crew from another ship. Straight to work, she'd been guarding key areas of the ship, dealing with a makeshift chain of command until everyone got back on their feet, figuratively and literally.

"Staff Sergeant Burkett, report to the Marine CO's office. Viat out."

"Muh?" Lacey's eyes opened and registered that there was in fact an existence outside of slumber. Her brain kicked up a ratio after a moment and she managed to comprehend that whatever had woken her up had been a tinny voice and wanted her to do something.

"Ah hell..."

Lacey shot out of her bunk, shaking the sleep from her head and grabbed the com badge that was by her bed.

"Computer, replay last message," she instructed the badge in her thick Ozarks accent.

"Staff Sergeant Burkett, report to the Marine CO's office. Viat out."

Fortunately, whether through cynicism or common sense Lacey had showered and gotten a new uniform before sleeping in the eventuality something happened and she needed to respond quickly.

"Shit shit shit shit shit..."

Planted on her bunk she pulled her boots on and standing again threaded her arms into her uniform jacket, the rest of the uniform already in place. All that remained was to brush her hair and wind it into a bun in the manner she had done many hundreds of times before. Auburn locks secured she headed out, reporting to Gus' office a few minutes after she was called.

Once let in, Lacey stood to attention in front of the First Lieutenant.

"Reportin' as ordered, sir."

Being Vulcan meant you weren't supposed to have emotions. Though being able to read them was usually easy enough.

Addressing Lacey, Gus offered, “As you were, Sgt Burkett. Please sit.” Gus said, with a slice of pizza in one hand. “I apologize for eating in front of you. It is the first time I have been able to have anything to eat in several hours. A victim of a fast metabolism. Would you like anything before we continue?" Gus asked. Lacey shook her head, feeling the weight of her hair bun wiggle as she did.

"No sir, thank you sir." Lacey sat as she was requested. "Don't worry bout nothin', crazy round here, anit."

Then he added, "I need help, and your name came up.”

Lacey wished she wasn't so damned tired, she was just acting on instinct. She was feeling like she might be forgetting something, but responded anyway.

"Anything you need, sir."

"Good," Gus said, then continued with an explanation: “What I need is someone watching the computer subroutines filtering the reports. A.I. can do some of the management, but oversight is always needed. The position would be Yeoman. Important items are yours. Things only I can do, get past you to me. Clear enough so far? Records keeping, clerical work, but necessary items.” Gus offered.

Lacey scrunched up her nose and considered this for a moment, staring at Gus' desk while she did, and then looked back up again to the somewhat unorthodox ginger-haired Vulcan sitting opposite.

"So what you're sayin' is you're gettin' a full-on assault from all this craziness we got goin' on here and you need reinforcements to mount a distraction while you get the orbital strike called in. Speaking metaphorically, o' course. That sound about right?"

Gus chuckled once, then spoke, "While I am one of the few people in the universe who actually understood what you meant by that, paperwork syntax and communication skills are paramount. Twang won't come across the console. As one of my few designated marksmen, I know what you are capable. Otherwise, we would be at the range instead. " Gus offered, picking up the last slice of pizza and recycling the remains.

"Well alright," Lacey replied looking thoughtful. "I kept an armoury pretty good, guess I can keep reports too. Organise an' stuff. Hell, ain't nobody I'm gonna be shootin' at up here in space. Ain't none of these varmints gonna get past me sir, well, 'cept the ones that needs to o'course. 'Tween you an' me? It'll be nice to have some proper orders. Somethin' to get my teeth into."

"Good." Getting up, Gus separated a few panels on a nearby wall to open the space up. "You'll need a space to work, of course." It was in the same room, but enough room between them that they weren't too close to each other. "Make the space your own." Gus added.

"Questions, comments, concerns, emotional outbursts?" Gus asked Lacey.

Outbursts? Lacey thought. Not likely. Those had been drilled out of her in basic. She was there to do a job and now the shit had hit the fan if the O.I.C. needed her to do something she was going to do it. Maybe it was a Vulcan thing. He was a Vulcan.... wasn't he?

"Uhhhhhhh, you need me to start right away sir? Or can I finish my rack time first? I ain't no nancy or nothin' but was the first sleep I gotten in oh... four days o' so. Would be awfully grateful if I could finish 'er up, there. Be able to think my thoughts straight too, y'know? 'Tween you an' me? They ain't workin' so good right now."

“You and I both know you should have racked out long ago. Don't make me write you up for taking liberties with Starfleet equipment.” Gus teased while maintaining a straight face. Then he let Lacey off the hook a bit. “It's funny, because it is true. Go rack out, Burkett. Be back rested and ready twenty hours from now. Dismissed.” Gus said with finality.

Lacey rose and stood at attention.

"Yes sir, thank you sir," she said before departing. Twenty hours! Lacey thought as she headed off back down the corridor to see if she could find a spare bunk. She had been expecting four or something in that area. Finally she had something to do that wasn't guarding stuff and patrolling decks. It'd help keep her mind off the doubts and demons.

 

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