Authors Note: This is the third story in what will hopefully be a long line of stories. This story continues the adventures of the Lieutenant Simon Hartstone. While not necessary to read the two stories "Punishment" and "Captured!" it would be advisable to set up why this new character is aboard Voyager. If you read "Training" I should let you know I have decided to take that down considering I don't know where to take the story as well as the fact of the matter is I wasn't too happy with the first chapter I wrote and the second chapter wasn't going so well either. I wanted to write a story that included the whole Hazard Team and not just about Lieutenant Hartstone and I obviously wanted to write a kick ass story as well. Also I don't know how to work out stardates, I have looked on the star trek website to try and discern a pattern for them but their doesn't seem to be one they just seem to be a load of random numbers, I have set this in season 6 after the episode "One Small Step." I wanted log entries to feature more as I think they were a primary way of story setting on most of the Star Trek episodes.
Happiness
Read Chapter 1 for disclaimers and some other junk.
Chapter 3: A Command DecisionThe Doctor and Seven strode out of the turbolift they had been summoned onto the bridge. Simon turned around to face them.
"Thank you for coming Doctor, Seven, can you join me in the Captain's ready room there is something that I would like to discuss with both of you"
Lieutenant Hartstone got out of the Captain's Chair and walked into the ready room, frankly he did not like being in here at this time, and it felt like he was intruding on the Captains privacy. This was her own private work sanctuary and he saw the antique tea set she kept on the table in the lounge area and he did not know what to say, think or do. Right now though he pushed on and sat behind the desk with the Doctor and Seven looking on intently.
"Seven good to see you on your feet"
"Thank you Mr Hartstone, thanks to the Doctor's exemplary care." The Doctor looked at Seven and smiled warmly taking the compliment.
"Right then I have called you here to discuss exactly who is in charge until we recover the Captain and the rest of the crew" The Doctor looked at Seven and vice versa before looking back at Simon. "Now I have read the protocol on this and frankly if we were to go by the book, Starfleet says, I'm in charge until we recover the Captain and the rest of the crew and restore the chain of command. However you two are both senior officers and technically I am supposed to follow your orders but unfortunately you are the only senior officers that don't actually carry any rank." He looked at the Doctor and Seven
"If either of you feel it is necessary I will defer to your leadership and I will keep my priorities firmly fixed with the Hazard Team."
The Doctor and Seven looked at each other again before the Doctor decided to speak
"Mr Hartstone I think the Captain would want us to go by Starfleet protocol, plus neither myself or Seven have any command experience we wouldn't know what to do in your position" The Doctor finished and Seven stepped forward
"Thank you for the offer Mr Hartstone but I believe that right now, myself and the Doctor will best serve Voyager at our posts, I need to be in Astrometrics to find the crew and when we do we do not know what medical state they will be in so the Doctor will have his hands full. Neither of us can fill the command chair at this time except you, over the last two months you have earned the respect and the admiration of this crew, they will follow you, like they would follow the Captain and they know you will recover the rest of the crew safe and sound" Simon and the Doctor looked genuinely surprised at this outburst of confidence from Seven, Simon just smiled and shook his head.
"Seven have you ever considered putting in an application form to become ships counsellor because that was quite a pep talk there."
"I do not believe so, but I believe my talents are best suited in Astrometrics" Simon could only laugh and he nodded
"Indeed they are" he calmed down before the rest "Right then I will enter that I have taken on the Acting Captain's role in the log, you are both dismissed" Both of them left the room and Simon just chuckled and he sat down behind the desk. He tapped a few controls on the Captains workstation
"Computer begin log recording" the computer bleeped in return prompting Simon to go ahead. "Acting Captain's log Stardate 53301.2, Lieutenant Simon D. Hartstone recording, a week has passed since we found Voyager, repairs are progressing albeit slowly due to the depleted man power, after discussing this with the only two senior officers on board, it has been decided that I am in command until this whole thing is resolved. I find myself apprehensive though about taking on such a duty that places the lives of potentially 140 people on my shoulders. I am finally feeling what the Captain must feel every day, but one thing I have learned from Captain Janeway and indeed Captain Picard is that a good Captain never second-guesses themselves about any decision that they make, either before or after the decision is made because that is how people get hurt. I must also mention the death of a Crewman Graham Bell, while not knowing him personally, I am sure that he served this ship and her Captain with distinction and honour and he will be missed. Computer End Log"
Lieutenant Hartstone stood in the briefing room looking out of the windows at the starfield ahead, look at each individual star trying to guess which one the crew was on, praying he was right. The doors suddenly swung open and Ensign Munro walked in swiftly followed by Crewman Chell, Murphy, Chang, Biessman and Jurot. Finally the Doctor and Seven of Nine also entered and took their seats. Lieutenant Hartstone finally turned and took the seat that the Captain would normally fill at the head of the table.
"Right, first things first, after discussing this with the Doctor and Seven we have decided to play this by the book so therefore I have taken the Acting Captain's role until we recover Captain Janeway and the rest of the crew" He looked around at the faces in front of him before he continued "I am not going to try to be Captain Janeway, a lot of the decisions I have already made have come with the precursor of 'what would Captain Janeway do' and frankly I don't know, so all I can do is ask myself what would I do. Ensign Munro as the second highest ranking crew member on board you have inherited the title of first officer" Munro simply nodded "Right Seven and the Doctor will remain at their regular posts while, Crewman Chell you're our Acting Chief Engineer how are repairs coming"
"Well, Lieutenant, I mean Captain, I mean Sir."
"One title would have been adequate Mr Chell but continue" Simon said
"Sorry Sir, we have had to prioritise the repairs into what we feel was necessary, we have managed to restore full shields and phaser banks but the torpedo bays remain offline. We have minor Warp power nothing past Warp 3 at the moment and we have restored thrusters and impulse power. With Seven of Nine's help we have restored Astrometric sensors to allow her to look for the crew, but we could use her in helping to restore other systems more quickly"
"I would love to Mr Chell, but unfortunately I would like Seven in Astrometrics, if you say that the sensors are online then I would like to start the search as soon as possible"
"Yes Sir, sorry sir, we will make do sir"
"Don't worry about it Mr Chell, Mr Biessman you're our new chief tactical officer, Ms Murphy you're at the helm, Mr Chang you have the ops station. Crewman Jurot I want you down in Sickbay helping the Doctor when we find the crew, and we will find the crew, we don't know what kind of state they are going to be in and the Doctor might need your help."
"Yes Sir." She simply responded.
"Alright there is no sense in sitting round here we have a crew to find and potentially rescue, go to it people" The officers filed out of the room and back to their posts leaving Lieutenant Hartstone alone again, he turned around in the chair and looked out into the starfield and he continued his guessing game, trying to find one hundred and twenty people in the sparkling sea called space.