Pursuit Course

Author: The Passionate Admiral

Rating: K+

Disclaimer: I own nothing in the Star Trek universe, but I own just about every character in this story, with the exception of Miral Paris. But I own this future version of her.

Author's Note: I would highly recommend that you read Humble Beginnings, Episode 1 of my Champion series, before you read this one if you have not read it already. You can find it on my profile page.

Lieutenant Commander Patrick Wood walked down a corridor on Deck 5. He was carrying a box full of PADDs, which he was supposed to deliver to the Captain. The box was so tall that it blinded his line of sight. People walking opposite him down the corridor had to move to the side to let him past.

"Commander, wait up!" he heard a voice behind him call out. Wood turned around and saw Dr. Rizux running towards him. The doctor was holding another PADD in his right hand.

"What can I do for you, Dr. Rizux?" Wood asking, looking over his shoulder at the Crenaran scientist.

"I've been meaning to address the Captain about transferring some new equipment to the science lab on Deck Fifteen." Rizux told the Second Officer. He held up the PADD in this hand and said "I was going to give this to him to present my request. But seeing as how you're on your way to visit him, do you suppose you could take it with you?"

Wood nodded and said "Put it in the box. I'll make sure he gets it."

Rizux grinned, reached up, and put the PADD in with the others. "Thank you, Mr. Wood."

"It's my pleasure, Doctor." Wood said with a mild note of sarcasm in his voice as he resumed walking for the turbolift. Rizux turned around and went back to the science lab.

As Wood approached the turbolift, he almost ran into Ensign Cheryl Hopkins.

"Oh, my apologies, Ensign." he told her.

"It's no problem, sir." Hopkins assured him. The two of them stepped into the turbolift and said simultaneously "Bridge."

As the turbolift ascended, Hopkins looked at Wood and the crate in his arms. She thought aloud "I assume you're delivering another round of requisitions to the Captain?"

"You know it." said Wood, not bothering to look at her. "I imagine he'll be less than thrilled to get many more of them."

Hopkins agreed with him; Captain Larson had been very busy keeping the ship in order recently. The last thing he needed was another boxful of requisitions from members of the crew.

A moment later, the turbolift arrived on the bridge. Wood moved aside to let Hopkins out first. She nodded her appreciation at him and walked over to her station. Wood stumbled onto the bridge with the box in his arms, just narrowly avoiding tripping over the Engineering station.

"Heavy box, Patrick?" asked Commander Ashley Sanderson.

"You could say that, Commander." Wood agreed.

"Do you suppose you've got room for one more PADD in that crate?" inquired Lieutenant Miral Paris, getting up from her station at Tactical and approaching Wood. "I was hoping to file a request to begin testing the phasers in action within the next few days."

"Go ahead, Miral." Wood held out the crate.

"How many PADDs do you have in that case, Patrick?" asked Paris as she placed her PADD in it.

"Including yours, thirty-eight." said Wood. "Based upon the feel of this box and assuming that the artificial gravity is not malfunctioning, I would say that this box and its contents weigh approximately 29.51 metric pounds. But in terms of crude exaggeration, one would say that it feels like it weighs a ton."

"That would sound about right." Sanderson joked.

"Can I give you a hand with that, Commander?" asked Lieutenant Tymar Halrinso from the Security station.

"No thank you, Tymar, I've got it." Wood looked over at the Bolian security guard and asked him "Is the Captain still in the ready room?"

"As far as I know, he hasn't left it for hours." said Halrinso.

"Alright then." Wood walked over to the ready room. As he walked over, he turned to the rest of the bridge crew and said "Let's hope he won't take it too badly."

"Patrick, you're about to walk into a wall!" Ensign Nobema alerted him.

"Thank you, Nobema." Wood thanked the Romulan officer. Wood watched where he was going, and finally reached the door to the ready room. He hit the beeper with his elbow. A moment later, he heard Captain Michael Larson call out "Come in!"

"Special delivery for Captain Michael Larson!" Wood proclaimed as he entered the ready room.

"Patrick, you don't have to say that every time you come in here." Captain Larson reminded his Second Officer.

"I know, sir." Wood walked over to the desk and told him "I've got another crate for you."

"Just put it with the others." said Larson. There was already another crate of PADDs on his desk. But it was only half full. Larson had been confirming or evaluating the PADDs in that crate.

Wood walked over to a table at the other end of the room. The table had three other crates on it, all of them full of PADDs. Wood found room for the crate in his arms and gently placed it down.

"More requisitions?" Larson assumed.

"Yes, sir."

"Wonderful." said Larson, who was clearly annoyed. "I've probably set the record for most requisitions received within the first month of a starship's commission."

"I would have to agree with you there, sir." Wood concurred. "What all are you receiving, anyway?"

"All sorts of things." Larson picked out some of the PADDs from the crate on his desk and held them up for Wood to see. While presenting them, he said: "'Cabin reassignment, equipment transfers, training programs, reorganization of duty shifts…" Larson sighed and leaned back in his chair. He covered his face with his hands and said "Oh, bother."

"Are you alright, Captain?" inquired Wood.

"I'm fine." said Larson. "I just had no idea there would be so much paperwork in our first month out of port."

"I'll bet that Starfleet Command neglected the amount of turmoil that would emerge when they put together a crew as quickly as possible." Wood speculated. "They almost randomly assigned every crewmember his or her station, post, and duty shifts, so naturally a great many people would be unsatisfied."

"I see the logic in your statement, Commander." said Larson. "I know how everything works. On a starship, when somebody is unsatisfied, they file either a complaint or a requisition. But it's a little early for complaints, so they all would resort to requisitions."

Wood just grinned at his Captain and folded his arms. He told him "If you need any help sir, I'd be glad to lend my assistance."

"First I'll see if I can handle this myself." Larson planned. "If I haven't finished at least two crates by the time you bring up another one, we'll work together then."

"That sounds reasonable, sir." Wood found Larson's plan to be very efficient. "May I leave now?"

"Dismissed, Commander." said Larson.

Wood turned around and exited the ready room, leaving Larson alone once again. He took a moment to focus closely on the crate on his desk. Then he went back to work looking over the requisitions and deciding if they were acceptable.

"It's going to be a long commission." he muttered to himself as he denied a request for a ship combat drill to be held once every third day.