Becoming Chosen

Advice on being Captain? I have none to offer. By the time you take this position you have seen or heard of all the possible situations you will encounter. If the answer is not in the Way of Maintenance, then it is the question that is at fault.

- Captain Colm Jager, 23rd Captain, Excerpt from his retirement speech, Tech Officers Archive

In the last few hours Ronan had heard the phrase, “This has never happened before,” at least fifty times. It was getting so bad that he was sure the next time someone uttered it he would burst into uncontrollable laughter.

The part of him that remembered being so tormented by doing everything exactly the same way it had been done since the Launch was having a great time, watching the consternation of his seniors.

But another, slightly more mature part of him noticed the wide round eyes of those same seniors. They had the habit of acting completely assured and in control, but a close look showed real fear in their eyes.

They really don’t know what to do with a new situation, Ronan thought. It was a revelation for him. All his life he had thought that the older Tech did things in their rigid way because they liked it that way. Now, though, he could see that they hated the idea of change because it terrified them. As long as they stayed inside the Way, their personal one or the overall one, then they were safe. They didn’t have to think through the consequences of an action, they knew what would be the outcome in all situations.

No wonder Tech like F.O. Nesbit, or the girls on the Surface Crew were so nasty to him. His very existence, his casual questions and suggestion had been rubbing their biggest fear in their faces, every day.

But not everyone was like that, not in the Tech and not in the Farmers, if the girl, Miri, was any indication. Someone from the Habitation Modules should have been frightened to death by all the strange and new things, but this girl wasn’t.

She had the assurance of a Crew Chief, as she sat in Medical. With every new person she met she announced two facts; that she had come to join the Tech, and that she would only speak with the Elders of the Tech, as she called the Officers.

And Ronan, apparently. At the start, she wouldn’t even answer the Med Tech’s question. It was only after one had asked Ronan to help that she started responding. But in a fit of pique Miri would only speak through Ronan, other than to make her demands. It was another situation no one who followed the Way was prepared for. Ronan filed it away for those times when he needed a smile at the Officers expense.

“Now, young lady,” said Tara Costello, the Chief Med Tech, “You must tell us how you got to this level.”

Miri didn’t even look at Costello. She turned to Ronan, “Am I goin’ to be allowed to stay?”

Ronan shrugged, “I told you before, I don’t have the final say,” or he started to anyway, Miri cut him off before he was halfway though.

“I know that, ask her,” Miri said in a tone that could have come straight from Daleen, complete with eye-rolling.

Ronan sighed, “Will Miri be allowed to stay if she answers your questions, Chief?” he asked as politely as he could.

Now it looked like Chief Costello wanted to roll her own eyes. They had been down this particular tunnel a few times.

“That is not my choice either, Miri.”

“Well, then, she should get someone who has that choice, shouldn’t she?” Miri asked Ronan brightly, completely ignoring a senior Chief.

Costello sighed and walked off, her back straight and tight with tension.

“Um, you probably don’t know, but no one talks to Chiefs or Officers like that,” Ronan said in a low voice. He didn’t like standing up for the Way, but he was afraid of what might happen to this strange girl. When he said no one talked to the higher-ups like that he meant no one, as in ever.

Miri looked him full in the eyes. He felt a moment of dizziness, as the bright blue eyes seemed to fill the world, leaving room for nothing else. She reached out and took his hand, breaking the odd moment.

“I’m sure no-one does, but I can’t settle for someone who isn’t in charge. Even if the,” she paused a second to remember the term Ronan had used, “Chief Med Tech said I could stay, if there is someone who is more Righteous than her, they can just say no. I have one chance to stay and be part o’ the Tech, and it’s only the Elders who can make a final say.”

Ronan couldn’t argue with her logic. She might have the wrong words, but if the Officers, especially the Captain, didn’t approve of her staying, she would be going back.

“Okay, but you might want to be a little friendlier, it cannot hurt in convincing them,” Ronan offered. Seeing his advice wasn’t making an impact, he changed topics. “Just how did you get up here?”

Miri’s eyes sparkled, just like Ami when she was being clever. For some reason the expression didn’t get up his nose nearly as much when Miri wore it.

“Oh, I might tell the only person who has been truly nice to me,” Miri lilted with a smile, “But I’d need to know for true that he wouldn’t share it with anyone else.”

Ronan might have said any number of things that would have landed him in deep trouble, but a commotion behind him made him turn.

F.O. Nesbit swept into the Medical, his steps fast and annoyed, his mouth pursed in a way that Ronan had always associated with trouble.

Nesbit stalked over to the bed where Miri was sitting. He took in the girl with a glance, then turned his attention to Ronan.

“Of course,” Nesbit sneered, “I should have known I’d find you at the middle of any disruption, Candemir.”

Even as he came to attention, Ronan could see Miri’s smile snap off like a switch had been thrown.

“Your name is Miri Blaylock?” Nesbit asked, his voice still hard.

Miri plastered a blank look on her face and obviously looked anywhere but at the officer in front of her. On any other day, Ronan would be on the floor holding his sides from laughing, but there was an evil glint in Nesbit’s eye, and a pulsing vein on the side of his bald head. Those were real danger signs.

“Did you hear me?” Nesbit asked.

Miri became apparently fascinated with the far wall. Ronan could see the officer gritting his teeth. Then Miri started humming absently.

It was a step too far. Nesbit reached out and grabbed the girl, hard, by the shoulder and pulled her around until she was facing him. Ronan did not even think before he was moving. It was one of the worst crimes possible, attacking an officer, but in that moment, he didn’t care.

All his bravery was wasted though; Miri took care of things herself, swinging up her arm and slamming Nesbit’s hand away from her shoulder.

“Touch me again, you shit-pile, and I’ll break every single one o’ your fingers for you, say true!” She shouted, right in the startled officers face.

Everyone in Medical turned to look. Physical confrontations between the Tech were so rare that when they happened people talked about them for years afterwards. To see the F.O. involved in one was without precedent!

In that frozen moment, Chief Costello moved in.

“Uh, First Officer? If I might have a word or two with you, alone?” she asked, moving slightly between Nesbit and Miri, and gesturing with her arm to the far side of the room.

Nesbit glared at Miri for a second, then turned those burning eyes at Ronan. After another beat, he turned and stomped away with the Chief Medical Tech.

As their culture demanded, none of the Tech looked anywhere near the corner where the two officers were talking. Privacy was too limited to stare, even if anyone wanted to take the chance of being noticed at this point.

“World around! Who does that little turd think he is, grabbin’ me like that?” Miri asked.

Ronan took a deep breath to steady himself; things had blown up so fast!

“That’s the First Officer, his name is Nesbit.”

Miri looked worried for a second, far too late in Ronan’s opinion, “So he’s one of the Elders?”

“Officers, we don’t call them Elders here,” Ronan corrected, again.

“First Officer. Is he the one in charge?”

“No, that would be the Captain. Nesbit is his second in command.”

“Well, First Officer or no, he shouldn’t have grabbed me like that!”

“No, he should not have,” Ronan agreed. “But you have not made a friend of him by knocking his hand away.”

Miri sat up straight and looked Ronan dead in the eyes again, “Well, then he shouldn’t have been such an ass to me or my new friend.”

Ronan felt warmth spreading from his stomach and a grin crossing his face at her words. Then cold water was poured over the whole thing as he heard Nesbit speaking loud enough for everyone to hear.

“So, you want to speak to the Captain, rude Hab-girl?” he asked.

Miri turned towards him, her look as cold as the Surface, “I do.”

“Very well, then that is what we’ll do,” Nesbit said his own tone not a degree warmer. He looked at Ronan, “You stay with her, Candemir, since that’s where you seem to want to be.” Then the F.O. turned and left Medical.

Ronan felt like putting his head in his hands. It had been less than five days since he had promised the Captain he would stay out of Nesbit’s way. Sometimes he thought his whole life was cursed.