[snip]

Feeling relieved, Cameron sat back in his chair. He found these situations awkward and loathed to deal with them. They were in his opinion, a major downside of heading a department.
“Well, like I say, I run a tight, but fair department…” McDuff said. “I’ve never lost anybody on my teams over the years and I don’t plan on that changing anytime soon,” He said with assuredness. “However, If you two have any desire to carry this issue further, you will you my full co-operation.”
He turned to Fleegman.
“Crewman, with your agreement, I would still like to have a meeting with you at some point in the near future though. After all, you are on my staff, so your thoughts and feelings are important to me… besides, it would be a good opportunity to get to know one another.”

“Of course! …I mean, Yes Sir!” Guy replied. He been told to keep stumm by Roger Deanne but running his mouth was so natural to Guy it would be difficult for him to stay silent. He didn’t think it was worth taking it further because he knew that all those senior officers were so tight together that noting would happen.

Guy was a little encouraged by what McDuff had said about never losing anyone on his teams, although Guy found that hard to believe. On the Merrimack, the previous COS, Lieutenant Lance Del Wolf, had never made it back to the ship from planet EP 19. And no one had seen Crewman Richard Sharp since he went to visit the main shuttle bay, some months ago. And they had almost lost previous COS, Joe Milligan, when he was infected by the alien bacterium, but then he did have to retire from Starfleet to become the bartender in the Fantail Lounge. In fact, Guy couldn’t recall any security officer that had been around longer than himself!

Unbeknown to Guy , Richard was very much alive and was just about to turn the corner while juggling about half a dozen padds on his way to the COS ‘s office, as he saw the other security Richard smiled ‘’ Hi Guy ..long time no see ‘’ he spoke in a friendly manner ‘’Do you know if Lt McDuff is in his office? ‘’.

“Woah!” Guy exclaimed. “You know that thing, where you think of someone and they suddenly appear? I can’t believe it! I was just in the COS’s office, just now, and I thought of you. I come outside, and here you are. Amazing! I thought you must have been eaten by the Space Whale they might keep down in the Main Shuttle Bay, since you never returned from being sent there. …er, yes, McDuff is in there. He seems in a really good mood!”

The good nature ensign laughed ‘’Glad to know someone was thinking about me , most of the time I start to think I’m invisible ‘’ he replied in a now sober tone .

‘’Eh what Space Whale ? Oh you’re just pulling my leg , I just helped move some stuff that’s all, though had been at the Cargo bay entrance while the ship was docked and the only thing there is a cargo bay full of cargo for each dept, actually these Padds I’m holding are what was in ours , tedious work to say the least had to jot down every item.”

“Of course, I was only pulling your leg,” Guy replied “…but there was this old Operations redshirt in the Fantail Lounge, who used to tell this creepy story about something that only appeared in the Main Shuttle Bay once every month …but another time. I can see you are busy with those now.”

”…no time to even to see the shops, as no one was sent to me give me a break .Oh well I did say I think I’m invisible ‘’.

“Tell me about it!” Guy replied, “This timeline sucks!”

Well now Richard Sharp was about to meet his new D’H and was quiet enthusiastic about it.

“The COS told me that our thoughts and feelings are important to him,” Guy told Richard, “So, you can go right in there and tell him exactly how it is!”

• Guy, Sec