A week had elapsed, and Jay had put Chang through about every test and trial he could think of. He even sent the guy over to do KP duty, which had been the original punishment on the other NX-01.
Chang finally confronted him. "What the hell are you doing, riding me so hard, Major?"
"You have a lot of potential, Private. I don't wanna see it wasted."
"There's something we aren't being told."
A slight flinch on Jay's part betrayed that. It was true. The executive staff had not shared the information about the crimes, punishments and everything in between. They still did not know what to do about all of that.
"Private," Jay finally said, "I will speak with the captain. Perhaps you can be reassigned. If you no longer wish to be a MACO, I'm sure some other provision could be made."
Chang left. Jay clicked on his PADD and punched up mail. He wrote to Captain Archer. "Sir, I think we need another meeting ASAP. We need to determine what to say about the crimes. The crew, I feel, have a right to know."
=/\=
There was a ding on Will's PADD. "Looks like there's a lunch meeting of the executive board. O'Day, you'll be serving. Willets, you'll need to cover the overall crew."
Craig blanched. "I've never done that before."
"Here, it's easy. I'll help you," Lili offered, "I've got leftover soup and we can set out bread for sandwiches. We'll put out cheeses and meats. Keep them both on fairly high table tops so that a certain curious beagle doesn't get it in his head that you're only serving lunch to him."
"Got it," Craig confirmed, "And I guess mustard and mayo, too?"
"Ketchup, too, and hummus. There are people who like different things. And you'll need a vegan option, so take last night's leftover salad and make sure you've got pita in with the other breads. That should all work, okay?"
"Thanks, Lili. Uh, can I tell you something?"
"Sure," she started to slice loaves of bread to help him.
"I looked at my personal logs and, uh, I ended up with an Ikaaran."
"Oh, well, that's kinda mixed, I guess."
"Yeah, well, I also apparently liked you. For a pretty long time there. I think that had something to do with some graffiti I wrote. I know, pretty bad, huh? There are log entries that say I was an Ensign for a while, and then I got demoted because I wrote the graffiti outside your door. But it was only done because I liked you and I guess I wanted to grab your attention in a really big way," Craig said.
"Me? Craig, I'm old enough to be your mother."
"I know," he said, reddening, "but if you were as nice to me then as you're being right now, I can kinda see why I was interested."
"Oh, you're a sweetheart," she said, impulsively giving him a hug.
Will looked over. "C'mon, we gotta get the meals set up! The exec's not gonna want sandwiches. Let's get a quick meatloaf together, O'Day, and a tofu stir-fry for Commander T'Pol."
"Right away," Lili replied.
=/\=
Phlox was in Sick Bay at the last minute, almost ready to go to the executive level meeting, when the doors opened. It was Crewman Sandra Sloane. "Something I can do for you?" he asked.
"Yeah," she said, "I've looked through my personal logs. And, well, you know I don't suffer fools gladly, but I was really horrible to people. It was enough that you were treating me for depression for a while there, and then it stopped working and you really stopped because I ended up pregnant. Doctor, I was selling myself for cheap."
He nodded. "I have looked at your medical file. And you're correct about the depression. Some people become overly aggressive, and that can, at times, manifest itself as increased sexual activity. That also explains your overall waspishness."
"I'm sure," she said, "Look, I can tell I'm losing patience with people. And it seems like the only way that things were really kicked out last time was when I was doing heavy physical labor. I eventually was made the head of the farming unit on a planet called Paradise. My logs, it shows, I really enjoyed the work. I'm not so sure why I went there, but I did. I had been in Communications, like I am now, and then I transferred to Tactical. But that was a disaster. I was pretty horrible to Lieutenant Reed. And then eventually I got to do farming."
"I don't know all the particulars," stated the Denobulan, trying to avoid talking about the trial and all that it had entailed. But it was true – he certainly didn't know all of the details.
"Well, that's what it all says. But in any event, I'm going to suggest that I get involved in any sort of heavy physical labor, whenever we start doing that. I guess we can't have that Paradise planet, but we should be able to get another one, right?"
"I suppose."
"And the other thing is, the reason I'm here, Doc, is because I want you to start treating me for depression."
"It seems rather early, Crewman. You are not manifesting any sort of serious symptomology."
"I know," she confirmed, "but I don't want it to start."
His PADD dinged. "Ah, that's my reminder! I need to go to a meeting of the executive staff. Come back tomorrow, and we'll get started, all right?"
"Great," she said, "and thanks."
=/\=
The meeting, as many of their meetings were, was held in the Observation Lounge. Jonathan Archer didn't wait for anyone to finish eating before he began. "We need to get that trial information out there," he said, "The crew deserves to know."
"Right," Will stated, "but if I were one of the people involved, I'd like to know in advance."
"To be sure," T'Pol added, "the trial is a matter of public record, or it should be. However, the manner in which the information is disseminated – that part remains under our control."
"Maybe not," Shelby added, "I mean, we've all got our personal logs, right? A trial is a big, big deal. I can't imagine that nobody logged about it."
"That's true," Tripp agreed, "so we better act quick, 'cause that cat is probably already outta the bag."
"Then why don't we do this?" Malcolm asked. He put a hand over his teacup, preventing Lili from pouring him seconds. "We can inform each of the individuals involved, separately. Today, I suppose, would be preferable. And then release the information publicly."
"That's a good idea," said the captain, "and we can also start to think about what to do about this."
"If I may," Phlox interjected, "I received a visit from Crewman Sloane today. Now, medical privacy regulations prevent me from revealing the details about our conversation, but there may be some solutions that present themselves without our having to do too much about them."
"Are you saying that people will take it upon themselves to just fix things?" Travis asked.
"Well, maybe they will," Jay speculated, "I mean, look at all of us. We've got all sorts of things sitting in our logs. But it doesn't mean we have to do them again," he looked at Lili as he said that, "and we could also be jumping to conclusions about things. Maybe our crew will surprise us, and do the right things."
"There were an awful lot of MACOs involved," Malcolm said, "it would be best for you if they all up and did the right thing, eh?"
"Security isn't exactly innocent, either," Jay shot back.
"Enough," said the captain, "let's just focus on the matter at hand. We'll do it in shifts. First will be Sloane. Hoshi, you and I will talk to her. Then we'll work on Security, so Malcolm, you'll be here with me. And we'll talk to Curtis and Haynem, in whichever order is most convenient. Last will be the MACOs, Jay."
"What about Craig Willets?" Lili asked, "Er, sorry to interrupt, sir. He knows about the graffiti. He mentioned it to me himself. But I don't think it's really public knowledge yet."
"Right," said the captain, "then I'll talk to Willets first. So you'll both be in on that – Will and Tripp. Then Sloane, then Security, and then the MACOs. Hoshi, contact Crewman Willets. Everyone else should be on call as needed."
"What about that riot?" Shelby asked.
"No one went on trial, and the punishments were minor," T'Pol stated, "perhaps the crew could be generally informed of the incident."
"Tomorrow, then," said the captain. "Dismissed."
=/\=
Craig was about as nervous as he'd ever been. He walked into the Observation Lounge, seeing the captain there with his boss and his former boss. "I'm in big trouble," he concluded.
"No," Tripp said, "and we know ya already know about this."
"It's the graffiti," Will explained, "we just wanted you to know that it will be a part of an announcement we'll be making tomorrow."
"We're going to explain to all about the most negative things we found in the database," said the captain, "and your graffiti was one of those things. But we also know that in the history of the other NX-01, you confessed, and you never did anything like that again."
"My personal logs mention something about a trial."
"We're gonna talk about that tomorrow, too," Tripp said, "but I think we're good here. Dismissed."
"Here, I'll walk you back to the galley," Will offered.
=/\=
Sandra stood in front of Captain Archer and Hoshi Sato. "Did you read my personal logs?" she asked.
"No," said the captain, "they are yours."
"Then why am I here?" Her tone was sharp and accusing, and she must have realized that, for the next sentence was dialed back several notches. "I mean, with all due respect, I wanna understand what's going on."
"Crewman Sloane," the captain stated, "ever since we initially opened up that database, we've known about some, well, there are plenty of negatives in it. It's not all weddings and births. There are disciplinary actions in it as well."
"But most of that's supposed to be confidential," she pointed out.
"Right," Hoshi stated, "but there was a trial. So of course that was a matter of public record. And we know of it being mentioned in at least one personal log. It's probably mentioned in most of them. The crew is going to begin to piece together what happened. We want to provide correct and complete information so that there isn't any wild speculation."
"What does that have to do with me?"
"Sloane," the captain told her, "you were one of the accused. And you lost your case, as did all of them. You were sentenced to six months of hard farming labor on a planet called Paradise."
Sandra thought for a moment. "So that's why I went there in the first place. That also explains why there was a big block of missing log entries. It's beginning to make sense now. Captain," she asked, "I have an idea from my logs, but I wanna hear it from you – why was I put on trial?"
"We're still trying to figure out the precise extent of your involvement," admitted the captain, "but there was an assault on one of the female crewmen. It was organized via an anonymous PADD message. You didn't send the message – we figure the ringleader did that, and that's what was decided at the trial. But the ringleader learned how to do that from someone, and the evidence apparently pointed to you."
Sandra swallowed hard. "There are, uh, other things in my logs. How public are they gonna get?"
Jonathan looked her in the eye. "You were in the Brig for a while, and before that, you were confined to quarters. You also had a child out of wedlock although you later married the father, Daniel Chang. But you divorced after you returned from your sentence. All of that is going to be a matter of public record. As for the reasons why you were in the Brig and confined to quarters, some of that will be public."
"Your confinement in the Brig," said Hoshi, "was due to your participation in a riot. You weren't the only person who was reprimanded, but you were hit most severely because of the earlier offence, which had to do with actively gossiping and eroding morale."
"Anything else?" asked Sandra anxiously.
"We, uh, we know about the rest of it," said the captain, "because of Captain's logs and the like. But you were never actually disciplined for it. It was seen as something of a morale enhancer, in some ways. I looked over the exec meeting records myself. Our thoughts about it – about you, well, selling your favors for privileges, if you want to be coy about it – they were divided, as you might expect. The exec will not mention it outright. But it may be peripherally located within other data items, such as the trial records."
"Not to mention," Hoshi said, "it might be in people's personal logs. It's going to come out, sooner or later. Sandra, you will probably have to confront it eventually."
"Yeah," she said, "I can't believe I did it. I talked to Phlox today, yanno? And I've got a right to medical privacy, and all that jazz, but I want you to know that he said he thought it had been a byproduct of depression. And I can feel I'm getting low and depressed now, so I asked him to start treating me." She sighed. "I would rather not be dealing with this at all. Could, uh, could you mention it when you release the trial records? I don't love this, but I think at least it would be done, and fast, kinda like ripping a bandage off, really fast."
"We can do that," offered the captain, "Oh, and Sloane? Thank you for recognizing the issue and taking the steps."
"Captain, the last thing I want is for history to repeat itself."
=/\=
Next were Curtis and Haynem. Malcolm and Jonathan sat there as the two Security crewmen nervously stood. The trial was explained.
"The two of you had rather different roles in the assault," Malcolm explained, "Mister Haynem, your involvement was more peripheral. You never actually touched the crewman. Instead, you were a part of the premeditation. For the assault, the lights were put out, so as to deter detection of the assailants. You were the one to do that. As a result, you were tried and convicted as a co-conspirator, but you received the lightest sentence. It was a half a year of hard farming labor on a planet called Paradise."
"I guess I liked the farming, sir," said Brooks Haynem, "Far as I can tell, I volunteered for it after that, and I managed work crews there and on a planet called Amity."
"You seem to have successfully turned your life around," Archer observed, "Dismissed."
After Haynem had departed, the captain and Malcolm looked at Tristan Curtis. "I take it I didn't have such a great outcome," he said, "My personal logs end pretty abruptly, in early 2040. Was I executed?"
"No," the captain told him. He then explained that Curtis had served time on both Paradise and Amity, eventually escaping custody on Amity.
"That's like a desperation move," Curtis said.
"It gets worse," Malcolm added, "for you were captured and enslaved by Imvari. They evidently sold you to Orion slavers. I have to assume you performed physical labor and that it was, shall we say, unpleasant. In 2052, you were brought back, to act as the bait in a trap set to lure more of us and ensnare and enslave us."
"Was anybody else caught?" Curtis asked.
"Not on that occasion," Malcolm explained, "but four of us met our end that day, as did you."
"You, sir?" he asked. Malcolm nodded. "My God. I was really horrible to you. And for what reason? What could possibly have been the reason? It was foolish, when you get right down to it. Tell them, sirs, tell them all what happened. And I'll dedicate my life to assuring that it doesn't happen again."
=/\=
The next ones to be talked to were Victor Brown, Neil Kemper and Gary Hodgkins. This time, Jay sat with Jonathan and, again, they went over the fact that there had been a trial, and what it was all about.
"Where do we fit into all of that?" asked Hodgkins.
"You all had different roles," said the captain, "Let's start with you. You were apparently an assailant, but the only thing we know about that is what you said to Frank Todd while you were dying."
"I was what?"
"It was a mission – to rescue Ensign O'Day and me, truth be told," said Jay, "And you were injured and dying so you confessed to Todd before, uh, well, before."
"I see," Gary Hodgkins thought for a moment. "So all three of us attacked this woman?"
"Yes," said the captain, "along with a few others. She was forced into a waste recycling room and, in darkness, her uni was taken down and, well, I'm thinking I don't need to draw you a diagram."
"What kind of monsters did we become?" asked Neil Kemper. "And I read my personal logs. I got married to Emily Andreiou. And we never divorced. So she stood by me, but God only knows why. Sirs, how insane were we? How frenzied? Did we have no sense of morals whatsoever?"
"We can't answer that," said Jay, "but we do know that things were out of hand in a lot of ways. People didn't know what, heh, the future would bring. I suppose they lashed out, in one way or another. I wish I could tell you that you were patient and moral and upstanding and all of that."
"But we weren't," Victor Brown finished the sentence for him. "And I, too, I was married to Cassie Lester. She also stayed with me. I guess I owe it to her to see if we could somehow be together. To, to try to do it right this time, I guess."
"I don't love this getting out," said Neil, "but it's going to. You're right; it's going to turn into public knowledge, and soon."
"You don't come out of it too badly, none of you," the captain stated, "you're attackers but you work off your debt to, well, I guess it's a debt to society. You never do anything like this again. You learn your lesson and you move on. You live out your lives and you're trusted members of the crew."
"Except for me," sighed Gary, "but I guess I turned it for you. I'm guessing I was your first real lead."
"It suggests that," confirmed Jay.
"I'm thinking the other attackers, they might not have come out of it so good," Victor said, "and I guess you won't tell us that until the whole thing gets announced. Uh, when will it be announced?"
"Tomorrow," said the captain.
"So I'll be talking to Emily today," Neil said.
=/\=
For Daniel Chang, the last one to be told, the meeting was hostile and uncomfortable. As soon as he heard what it was about, he hollered, "So that's why you've been riding me! Captain, the Major's been treating me as if I did it again! And I didn't!"
"We know this, Private," the captain confirmed, attempting to maintain a veneer of calm. "But you must admit the way things are currently going is eerily paralleling how they went the last time around. The Major is, understandably, concerned. We do not want history to repeat itself."
"I get that," Chang seethed, "but it hasn't. So lay off me, Major!"
"Private," Jay asked, "do you have a problem with the chain of command?"
The question hung in the air for a moment. "Complaining won't do me any good. There's nowhere I can go, right?"
"Maybe there's something," said Jonathan, "Maybe you could work for Security instead. We could talk to Lieutenant Reed. Would it be better to work under him, and get a fresh start?"
"Lemme think about it."
=/\=
By the time the evening rolled around, Jonathan Archer was exhausted. He refused dinner and just stumbled into his quarters. His beagle, Porthos, followed. "Oh, yeah, I guess you want dinner," the captain said absently. The dog did not reply as Jonathan tore open a dry kibble packet and poured it into the dog's bowl. Setting it down, he then filled the water dish as well. "Tell ya what, Porthos," he said, "let's you and me have a nice, quiet evening together. I have plenty to worry about tomorrow, but tonight, let's just enjoy some quiet time."
The dog snuffled a little as he ate, and Jonathan lay down on his bed. Before less than a minute had gone by, he was asleep.
=/\=
Daniel Chang's Personal Log, July twenty-third, 2037
They seem to think I'm a rapist. I don't know if I trust those logs and that database. But there is nothing I can do about it. No wonder I ended up with Sloane. There must've been nobody else left who was at all decent.
=/\=
Neil Kemper's Personal Log, July twenty-third, 2037
I talked to Emily today, and she was really nice. I mentioned what happened, and she said it was in her personal logs, so she already knew. But she was good about it, and I thanked her for not saying anything to anybody about it.
I never noticed her before. I should have.
=/\=
Sandra Sloane's Personal Log, July twenty-third, 2037
It's going to come out, and soon. I got a chance to talk to Brooks Haynem quickly; he and I ended up together after I was originally with Dan Chang. The thing with Dan did not work out although we did have a daughter, Kimberly. Tomorrow is not gonna be fun.
=/\=
Malcolm Reed's Personal Log, July twenty-third, 2037
I have received notification that Private Daniel Chang might wish to switch to Tactical. While I can always use a hand, and he is certainly more than bright enough, he is also, clearly, a problematic individual.
This may be most unpleasant; I am attempting to not color my perceptions unfairly. But that much is rather difficult, knowing what happened.