A Meeting of the Minds

Posted on Mon Feb 16th, 2009 @ 11:24pm by Lieutenant Commander Wesley Kemmer

1,894 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Citadel Prime
Location: Office of the Executive Officer, USS Archimedes
Timeline: Current

Lieutenant Commander Rowena Arkham wished that she had known how unbelievably frustrating the world of the Executive Officer was before she'd taken the post -- otherwise, she would have stayed in Intelligence. In the past couple of days, amid leaving the Starbase and greeting all of her new crew, a savage Officer and a Senior NCO had tried to kill each other, leaving Arkham in the middle dealing with the problem. Pulling a bottle of scotch from the bottom drawer of her desk, the old officer poured herself a glass, sipping a little at it as she looked over the dossier on the new officers who had just come aboard.

Pausing a little at the PADD she picked up, she smirked as much as her ruined features would allow. Lieutenant Commander Wesley Kemmer, Chief Intelligence Officer. Arkham smirked a little as she read over the data--being a twenty year intelligence veteran, rumored Section 31 operative (it had been often implied, but Arkham had never confirmed or denied the rumors), and celebrated war hero throughout the Fleet Intelligence for activities so classified she knew Admirals who couldn't read the mission notes, Arkham loved to test the mettle of the younger intelligence officers.

There was more than one reason after all why they called the old officer "The Arkham Horror".

Summoning a Crewman to her office, she smirked a little as the young man stopped, taking in the old officer's ruined features. Arkham, as most knew had been greatly injured in the final months of the Dominion War (the exact details were classified, Level 5) leaving her with the artificial bones and muscle, crumpled grafts and dark scars that covered the left side of her face and framing her filmy, sightless left eye.

"Crewman," she said, smirking, her tone cold, "Fetch me Lieutenant Commander Kemmer."

"Aye aye, Commander," the Crewman said, turning on his heel and exiting the office, leaving Arkham to prepare mentally.


[USS Acheron, Guest Quarters, one hour previous]

“Commander Tel’pa to Commander Kemmer� the first officer’s voice came over the internal communication channels loud and clearly, almost waking Wes from a quick cat nap as from what he’d heard on the coming mission, he likely wouldn’t get much time for sleeping where he was going.

“Kemmer, go ahead sir.�

“We’re approaching the rendezvous point with the Archimedes, please report to transporter room two for transfer.�

“Understood.� He replied as sighed slightly and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. He rose, grabbed his somewhat small belongings case, he never had any reason to carry much around and generally preferred to travel light, and headed out the door. As the Galaxy class USS Acheron approached, it dwarfed the tiny Nova class starship that was already waiting for them to arrive. The Acheron wasn’t late; the Archimedes just seemed to be in a rush and got there a little earlier than anticipated. Kemmer joined a few other officers that were transferring to the other ship in the transporter room just in time for the call to come in that the transfer could take place.

As soon as they were on board the Archimedes zoomed off again on it’s original course for Citadel Prime, and Wes headed to his quarters and his temporary office, it was just a matter of how temporary the arrangement was; after all, space was at a premium on these small ships. He’d served a lot of places in the past, from huge stardock space stations to premises on vast open plains to a class two shuttle in the badlands, and looking around his quarters, it really did appear that his old boot closet was larger than his current residence. “Make yourself at home, sir� the chief petty officer said as he left the doors close to show the others to their own cupboard spaces. It was all Wes could think but 'Where?!'

He hardly had the time to put his bag on the bed when the door sounded announcing a visitor. “Yes, come in� and the doors parted to show a petty officer seemingly in some sort of rush. “Lieutenant Commander Kemmer?�

“Yes, what is it?� he asked.

“I’ve been asked to find you sir, and escort you to the first officer for,� he paused just for a second, “introductions.�

“I just got here…� Wes started before saying under his breath, “doesn’t waste any time does she?� as he followed the Petty Officer out of his quarters and down a myriad of corridors to the Executive Officer’s office. Wes had heard and read a lot about the Exec before he’d arrived, as he done with any of his postings before now reading up on who he was to be serving with; after all in his profession knowledge was power, something that Lieutenant Commander Arkham would also know only too well.

They approached the door and the Petty Officer paused before he pressed the button. “Did you want to ring the bell or should I?�

A muffled answer came from the other side to enter and the doors opened. “Lieutenant Commander Kemmer as you requested ma’am.�

Arkham rose, smirking as much as her ruined features would allow her to -- which wasn't much normally, considering the crumpled skin grafts and dark scars that covered her face, and it was even less since her most recent surgery -- a dark suture line ran across her face from where Dr. Halsey had reattached her artificial mandible to the remainder of her face.

"Excellent. Good to finally meet you, Mr. Kemmer--although, I must admit, I've heard quite a bit about you.�

“Oh really?� Wes interjected. “All good I hope.� He said lightly smiling taking in the features or virtual lack of same from Arkham’s face.

“Mostly good things." The Exec added.

“Mostly…� he replied in an almost hushed tone and then thought to the side for a split second as if remembering something that someone had once said to him, before turning his gaze back toward the first officer. “I think the best it’s been is fifty-fifty. You must have spoken to one of the better ones.� It was then he noticed the glass of the familiar coloured liquid on the Commander’s desk just behind some PADDs.

"As you might know, I'm Commander Rowena Arkham, used to be Intelligence myself, until I was offered this post. I spent many years in Intel -- twenty-six, I believe, if we don't count my medical LOA. So you will understand if I hold you to an entirely different standard. From what I was able to discern," --Arkham need not say how much clearance and leeway she had, anyone who'd been in Intel since the war had heard the stories of the exploits of old Rowena Arkham-- "you're good.�

“Thank you.� Wes light-heartedly said in the brief pause before…

“Don't you dare disappoint me." Arkham went on not really missing a beat.

Arkham’s war-torn features seemed to harden imperceptibly as she spoke the last part. If she had have been Intel, she no doubt knew a lot about Wesley Kemmer, either through his own reputation or from reports that were read to be reclassified. He of course had already read her profile and her exploits and reputation preceded her, and so far, disfigurements aside, it seemed that she had been mislabeled as the “Arkham Horror�, or perhaps that was just Wes’ first impression. “You probably already know a lot about me Commander,� Wes started in response, “but one thing you should know right now and straight off the bat, is that I take my work very seriously; and take pride in that work.� He paused slightly to let that sink in, thoroughly meaning the ‘matter-of-fact’ tone in which it was said. “As I’m sure you did, and in fact still do.�

Arkham nodded, leaning back in her chair and taking a sip of scotch. "I'm sorry. Where are my manners today? Might I offer you a drink, Mr. Kemmer?"

Wes took in the look that Arkham was giving him, and whether it was due to the Commander’s scarred face or not, for one of the first times in his career, he wasn’t entirely sure if she was serious about what she was saying, or taunting him; and if the latter, perhaps the name “Arkham Horror� was well deserved. He was well practiced at keeping his personal thoughts on the inside, however, and his reply came immediately, “It’s been a long trip here so thank you, but I try to leave the pleasures to special occasions.�

Arkham smirked as much as her ruined features would allow. So indeed, the stories she'd heard about the young officer's demons were true; how very, very interesting. "Indeed, Mr. Kemmer. Understandable. Perhaps you'll have to join me for a drink sometime."

“Yes, of course.� Wes said off-handedly, before a pause in speech came between the two officers. “Was there anything else? As I say it’s been a long trip so far and I have yet to even unpack.� He asked earnestly with a deadly serious expression.

Arkham smirked a little -- he was eager, which she supposed was good. "Well, Mr. Kemmer, I suppose there is. Are you going to need anything in particular for your work, or your own comfort?"

Kemmer thought over the question, and the first thing that came to mind was ‘sure, more space’ but neglected to voice those opinions. Instead he said, “In all my previous assignments, I’ve pretty much had to make do with what I came or went with, so I see no reason to break with tradition for now.� He paused a moment before going on, “But should anything come up, I’ll be sure to notify you of any requirements, thank you.�

Arkham's features hardened as she added, "We're currently en-route to the Citadel Sectors, where we will be taking over control of Citadel Prime from the Task Force Citadel flagship, the USS Nagasaki. I want as much Intel as you can bring me on the current situation. Be prepared to brief me in a couple of days. I waste no time, Mr. Kemmer. And neither will you."

Lieutenant Commander Arkham just like her profile said was straight-forward and to the point, and was something that Wes could both relate to and understand, as despite what others may have thought, he was not often one to mince words either. “Another tradition I have never had any intention of breaking. I’ll get onto it.�

Arkham nodded finally. "I'm glad we understand each other. If you have nothing to add, you're dismissed. Issues in the sickbay require my attention."

Wes nodded his goodbye’s not saying another word and exited Arkham’s office. Heading back to his quarters, he done what he often done after meetings and digested what was said, and what was done. He wasn’t altogether sure if he was going to like serving aboard the Archimedes, after all it was an assignment he was pushed into rather than one he requested. Given time, he and old horror Arkham, may come to trust and work well together, perhaps even like each other, although only time would tell – but by his reckoning, the first meeting of the minds went well.

 

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