[snip]

=/\= Lt Mullins to all senior staff. We have an emergency staff meeting at 0015. I am sorry to interrupt but the captain has requested we do this prior to a call from Admiral Baker about the Federation Colonial Outreach program. We will be in the captain’s ready room. =/\=

Cross entered and was surprised no one was there yet ‘’Great’’ she mumbled to herself ‘’Not even the Captain!’‘, putting her Padd down the doctor decided to make herself a cup of coffee, after which Cross sat down and waited.

Faith appeared from the small galley kitchen. “Oh! Hi, Miriam!” After getting the Captain’s orders via Lt Mullins, she had immediately started to get the Ready Room in shape for a meeting. Why the Captain had decided to hold it here rather than in one of Conference Rooms, she had no idea, she was just a Yeoman. She’d had time to put coffee pot on, and to clean and disinfect the table and chairs, but that was all. “Do you mind if I just clean around you? The Captain has left dirty cups, crumbs and scattered documents everywhere!”

‘’Faith! ‘’ Cross exclaimed ‘’I thought you had stayed at the station cause when we last spoke you hinted about leaving to study nursing ‘’ drinking what was left in her cup the CMO got up ‘’ I’ll help you clean up.....men !At times I wonder if their brains are wired differently cause they never see the mess they leave behind and if you pointed at it they tell you’re being dramatic and making a fuss ‘’.

Some thing else crossed her mind but she made Joe promise her not to tell anyone ,she herself told the Captain,Kate knew and Hunter had his suspicions so it would only be a matter of time before her friend would hear from someone else and she didn’t want that to happen.

With a cloth in hand to wipe the surface of the table Cross cleared her voice ‘’Faith I’m with child....it was planned this time ‘’.

Before Faith could answer, someone else walked in, and Faith knew that Miriam didn’t want it to be common knowledge. (They have spoken about it before.)

McDuff strolled into the Ready Room, a PADD tucked under his arm. He was, as usual, well presented and smart looking, though the same look of tiredness was evident in his eyes.

“Doctor” He nodded. He spoke as brightly as he could manage by way of a greeting.

‘’Hi there Lt ,you do look a bit under the whether what’s up?’’ Cross asked ‘’Have some coffee and take a seat ,we’re just doing a bit of cleaning to make the room more presentable ..so don’t mind us’‘.

‘’Faith I’m with child....it was planned this time ‘’.

The doctor wondered if he had heard what she said , glancing at Faith she whispered ‘’Might as well put it on the comm for all to hear ‘’ .

“That’s great news, but you told me before,” Faith replied. “I told you that I was sorry that I wouldn’t be able to help you with babysitting as I’ll be leaving the Merri. I’ve taken my medical entrance exams now, but not had the results yet, and even if I pass, the admission process will still take time. I just have to wait… but great news anyway. It must be your hormones affecting your memory?”

‘’I did?’’ Cross asked confused ‘’Or perhaps I told you we were planning to have a baby? ‘’ Miriam couldn’t recall ‘’Anyway I hope you get the results soon ,after all you had a lot of experience while on the ship and I’m confident you’ll pass with flying colors’‘.

“I must have misunderstood,” replied Faith. “So, congratulations are in order!! …and thanks, I appreciate your confidence in me.”

By now the room was almost ready and the CMO sat down ‘’Could do with another cup of coffee ‘’ she murmured and on hearing the door swish open the doctor turned around.

Lance had been sat in his quarters it was still to early to sleep. He’d been trying to make sense of the endless reports that now came to him. What was important, what was actually important, and what was self important waffle. The call for senior officers to meet in the ready room had caused him to raise his hands in the air and yell Woo hoo.

He couldn’t have left his quarters quick enough just in case the reports tried to block the door and stop him leaving.

He entered the room and was heartened by two things he wasn’t the last there and he wasn’t late. “Good Evening… wait no Morning” it was easy to be full of energy when you hadn’t yet called it a night he mused.

This time Cross scratched her head for she knew Malone had been a science officer but now from his uniform she could tell he was the D’H of science.

‘’Hi there Lt ,did you get promoted? ‘’she asked ‘’In which case congratulations for you deserve it’‘.

In her own thoughts Cross did question why the Captain hadn’t shown up yet, cause usually he would be the first one present.........now concerned about the uncontrollable phenomenon that had inflicted Glen , wondering if it was happening again.

The Captain’s ready room was quickly filling up with the senior staff, the night NE’s on the bridge though said nothing about the oddity of having it there vs the far more spacious conference room a few decks below. But what did they know? They were just mindless and nameless Ensigns! Still with the brought in chairs there was enough to sit everyone on the senior staff it would just be a tight tight quarters and elbow bumping.

Max looked over to Ensign Schwartz and said, “Please take the comm. Notify the Captain in the ready room if you hear from the commodore again. We are expecting a call around 0015. If anything else happens, let us know. Thank you.” Max then stood up and walked into the Captain’s ready room. Max noticed all the officers who had already appeared. Max wanted to stand as he had been sitting for the last few hours. He was not use to sitting down being in Engineering. He only liked to sit a few minutes at a time as he would rather be up and moving around and looking at different things in engineering. He waited for the meeting to start.

‘’Ah Lt Mullins I think you have to squeeze in everyone is here except the boss,” Cross said.

“Well, this is so small, the Captain won’t have room to change his mind,” added Faith.

Dr. Cross then wondered if something had happened to Glen for this was so unlike him.
Truth was the CMO was worried about what no one else in the room had any knowledge off, with the exception of his niece’’ I think its best if I’ll go to the Captain’s quarters and check on him’’ and with those last words she stood up to leave.

Captain Glen didn’t think he was late (only everyone else was early) and he arrived with minutes to spare. Dr. Cross had had no need to worry; he wasn’t having one of his ‘turns’ but simply taking his time. As he door opened he found Dr. Cross there about to leave. “Have you forgotten something?” Glen asked her.

Captain Glen also wasn’t sure why the Lieutenant had organised it in his Ready Room either; not only were there no seats left, but there was barely any room left on the grass either. At least no one was ever going to complain that they hadn’t got to know each other at this briefing. He managed to squeeze himself into the room and made his way to front, wedging himself between the lectern and the wall.

“Thank you for attending, and sorry to have got you all out of your beds,” Glen told them. “I’ve called you here because we have a full formal briefing with Commodore Stone at 0100 hours about our next mission. Lt. Mullins will now fill you in on what he knows so far… Lt. Mullins can you explain again to everyone, what you told me about the Star-Fleet Federation Colonial Outreach program and the Unity, please?”

• Faith, yeoman