"Commander Landry," Georgiou's face appeared on the screen. "Captain Lorca has been taken in the field of action."
Landry stiffened.
"What happened?" Landry asked.
"Klingons got to him," Georgiou said. "The Shenzhou is holding onto the shuttle craft for the time being until you can come and get it. . . The coordinates are attached to the file I have just sent you," Landry looked down toward her padd. "there were no survivors," Landry closed her eyes then reopened them with a nod. "which is consistent with Klingons. I doubt they killed him."
"I will ready the ship for a rescue," Landry said.
"You don't," Georgiou said. "Lorca can take of himself. You have a better mission."
"Enlighten me, Admiral," Landry said.
"Do you have planets in your solar system, Captain?" Burnham asked, walking down the corridor.
"We do," Lurecca said.
"Have you explored them?" Burnham asked.
Lurecca had a small laugh.
"Not yet," Lurecca said, with a shake of her head freed her blonde hair to her shoulders. "we left the job for the robots."
"Perhaps it would be best that you either confine yourself to your solar system and continue progress on your technology," Burnham said. "Your height may come at a advantage but The United Federation of Planets, I am afraid as members you will be squashed."
"How tall are most members?" Lurecca asked.
"They range in height," Burnham said. "Three feet, four feet, five feet, and six feet and sometimes taller than that."
"So you would be capable of speaking with me was I three feet and not have to worry about killing me accidentally," Lurecca commented.
"Yes," Burnham said. "As helpful as it would be to have borrowers it would not be logical."
"You are implying we should make ourselves taller," Lurecca said.
"Should I be less subtle?" Burnham asked.
"You are not being subtle," Lurecca said. "That is blunt. What you are asking is impossible."
"Someone once said that flying in space, let alone using warp drive, was impossible," Burnham said. "In space, anything is possible." she came to the shuttle bay but came to a stop on the elevated staircase.
Burnham raised a eyebrow. There was a small replica of a early 21st century cruise ship laid in front of the steps. She slowly approached the small space craft. It was golden and white with a back end that had rings. Two of them in total. She looked down toward the decks to see hundreds of five inches tall humanoid like beings staring up at her. They had small spikes protruding from the sides of their faces that trailed up toward their heads becoming part of their hair. There was different ethnicity gazing back up at her. They were in a one piece uniform that was purple with secondary colors being blue, red, and green similar to the one that Lurecca was in except the secondary color was green. Burnham looked over toward Lurecca.
"Genetically altered?" Burnham asked.
Lurecca nodded in return.
"Starfleet is most comfortable speaking with people who look like them," Lurecca said. "According to reports."
"That is not exactly true," Burnham said. "we do not care what they look like only who they are inside."
"So most of Starfleet there must be humans in command," Lurecca said, as Burnham held her hand up to Lurecca's level.
"Mostly," Burnham said, as she looked back at the times the Shenzhou made contact with other federation ships with male and female captains in charge. Burham guided the woman down to a deck. "Make sure you stay out of the war."
Lurecca slid down Burnham's finger coming to a rest onto the wooden floor. The officers had stepped back from Lurecca as they looked on Burnham with intrigue and awe in their eyes. Curious explorers. It reminded Burnham of the Shenzhou crew before the war had begun. They were so young, bright, and helpful against what they had lost in part to the war with the Klingons taking lives away. In a way the burrowers reminded Burnham of Starfleet before the war had begun.
Lurecca turned toward Burnham.
"There are hundreds of us out there," Lurecca said. "When we want to help you and your ship. . . it's not going to be a request, it will be a statement."
Burnham nodded.
"Understood," Burnham said. Burnham held the ta'al up. "Live long and prosper, Captain."
"Have a peaceful and long life, sir," Lurecca said, with a sort salute. Lurecca's hand was flat set against her brow then her hand flew off.
Burnham stepped back, slowly, giving the starship space to depart. She came to the third stair step watching the be coated in what was a thin shield of some sort encompassing it. Burnham looked at intrigue and fascination. It turned then flew out of the shuttle bay leaving Burnham behind. Burnham exited the shuttle bay into the corridor. Landry came to a stop in front of the second officer with a heavy sigh.
"Burnham," Landry said. "we are going on a . . . little field trip."
"What kind of field trip, Commander?" Burnham asked.
"A trip where we are taking small jumps rather than big ones than we have lately," Landry said. "as of this moment, I am acting captain of this ship," the camera turned on Burnham who wore her stoic mask. "And you are the acting first officer."
"I do not understand what you mean by little jumps," Burnham said.
"We can't do big jumps without hitting disaster if Ephraim is not plugged in," Landry said. "little jumps are do-able," Burnham nodded in understanding. "Figure out a way to stand in for him in the next twenty four hours. This fieldtrip is taking us out of Federation Space."
"See what we can do, captain," Burnham said.
"Good," Landry said. Then Landry nodded back. "As you were, Number One."
Landry walked past Burnham who shifted toward the woman with a raised eyebrow.
Tyler was shoved into the room and the door closed behind him. He landed to the floor with a thud feeling a sharp pain in his clavicle. Voq had done more than his fair share today. Too bad the Klingon didn't ask how his shoulder felt. L'Rell came to his side. He placed a hand along his shoulder, familiar pain, that made getting hurt during the Yeager's sacrifice. Two hundred seven days spent surviving, not living.
"Another eight weeks out of commission," Tyler said. "Damn."
"Where did he hurt you now?" L'Rell asked.
"Shoulder," Tyler winced.
"He is never going to hurt you again," came a voice from over L'Rell's shoulder.
Tyler winced looking up toward the source of the voice.
"Captain Lorca insists that he can save us," L'Rell said.
"I doubt that," Tyler said.
Lorca came to the other side of Tyler.
"Well," Lorca said. "about time I met someone who felt the same way as I do about this plan getting off the table."
Tyler looked over in the direction of Lorca then noticed his gold somewhat torn shirt the his eyes looked toward the sleeves. Tyler's attention went directly toward the captain then looked over toward L'Rell then back at him in a state of shock. Lorca raised his eyebrows in return at the young man. Tyler didn't know what to say as he stared back at Lorca.
"And here I thought he would be happy to see a starship captain," L'rell said.
"It has been seven months," Lorca said. "Any crewmember would be shocked to see a captain again after so long." he turned his attention back onto the young man. Then he jokingly added, "Were you expecting a admiral with a fleet behind her?"
"Yes," the two said at once.
"I got something better than that," Lorca said.
"What is that?" Tyler asked.
"It depends if you can trust that I know what I am doing," Lorca said.
The two cellmates exchanged a glance then back toward Lorca.
"We do," the two said at once.
"But Tyler is going to stand by," Lorca said.
"No, I don't," Tyler said. "I can still serve."
"I highly doubt that from a victim," Lorca said. "you're compromised against Klingons."
"Serving in the line of duty when you can face your rapist and instead of letting him be taken in: you will take his Klingon disruptor and kill him on sight," L'Rell said, glaring toward the man. "I understand your anger, the hurt, and resentment you must feel toward him."
"What would you have me do?" Tyler said. "Doing nothing when he tries to kill one of us?"
"Firing a Romulan issued disruptor rather than a Klingon one," L'Rell said. "There are few who do have these."
"I need you alive not consumed by revenge," Lorca said. "soldier."
Tyler stiffened.
"Is that a order?" Tyler asked.
"That is a order," Lorca said, then observed the two. "Now that we have some of Starfleet in one room. . . Let's start digging a pond for the ducks."
Tyler and L'Rell shared concerned looks.
It wasn't what Stamets had expected being taken to private with his partner Culber to meet with the recently acting first officer. Burnham hadn't changed to the familiar yellow shirt. It was though she was holding off. They were in a empty corridor when she reappeared coming toward the two men. Paul turned in the direction of the woman. Standing in the corridor felt different. Felt like something was wrong. Being approached in a lone corner of the ship that not many officers went down. Odd that they were not discussing in the second officers office room rather than the open space.
"So, what is up?" Paul asked.
Burnham came to a stop in front of the two then folded her arms
"Prior to coming to this conclusion, I have only come down to humans are compatible with the DNA of Mr Ephraim," Burnham said. "Humans and mushroom share a common ancestry." Culber grabbed Paul's arm as it slowly sunk in what was meaning. "We need a human to pilot the ship in the large jumps."
"You want us to do genetic alterations during a time of war?"
Burnham briefly closed her eyes then reopened them.
"Yes," Burnham said. "You two must make the decision of who goes in there for a month."
"Does Starfleet know?" Culber asked.
"Starfleet has given its okay on this," Burnham said.
"Starfleet wants to turn my invention into a human experiment," Stamets said. "No, no, no," he shook his hands. "You don't understand. We could pollute it or get killed by it if we put a human in there."
"We have no choice," Burnham said. "the most likely candidate is classified and out there in deep space," she unfolded her arms linking behind her back. "and they will provide a lifetimes worth of medical care for the rest of their natural life should the side effects become life altering. Even a retirement should they want it after the war."
"Earth bound, not being around there, that'll be torture to them," Stamets said. "How about I do it?"
Burnham titled her head.
"Mr Stamets, you are the chief astromycologist who made the spore drive possible," Burnham said. "It would not be logical to waste you on the spore drive."
"By the sounds, the spore drive has no chances of working full time after the war," Stamets said. "there won't be use for me after the war."
Burnham turned her attention onto Culber.
"No," Culber said. "one of his interns."
"They're too scared to say yes," Stamets said. "it's not a decision that can be made lightly." Culber looked over, with a glare, toward Stamets.
"Nor is letting my partner sacrifice his brain to a war," Culber said.
"Give us one minute," Stamets said.
"Five," Culber said.
Burnham walked away and waited from the adjoining corridor with her back against the wall. She had her arms folded staring at the ceiling. She waited and waited, and waited, until the two men had came over toward her. She leaned her back off the ceiling observing the two partners wearing a happy facade. Their looks betraying their mixed feelings that were not all bright about the issue. Burnham had seen this kind of reaction not once but many times in her career when tough decisions were made.
"Have you decided?" Burnham asked.
"Uh huh," Culber said. "I may not like it but Lieutenant Stamets has assured me that he will be under my care." he looked over toward the blonde.
Burnham turned her attention onto Stamets.
"Is this correct?" Burnham asked.
"Yes," Stamets said. "It's decided."
"I will give you five hours and re-approach me with this decision," Burnham said. "Until then, I have coding to finish."
Burnham turned away then walked down the hall.
"My dear doctor, I will be fine," Stamets said, reassuringly. "We get to be stationed on Earth after the war."
"What if we don't get stationed on Earth?" Culber asked. "What if Starfleet still wants you out there in space?"
Stamets softly looked back at Culber.
"Then I will bare it with you," Stamets said. "and so will you."
Culber placed a hand on Stamets shoulder.
"Just don't die on me," Culber said. "okay, Paul?" Culber raised his eyebrows. "That's a order from your doctor."
"I always listen to your doctor's orders," Stamets said, pinching the man's cheeks with his fingers then walked off leaving Culber blushing.