547: The Welcome Wagon

by Zander Blakeslee and Admiral Lassiter
80930.2300
Following Who is Here Now?

-=Transporter Room Three: USS Serendipity=-

A team of people dressed all in black appeared on the transporter pad.

They were only the first of several, Zander had been told, who would be beaming over from the USS Planck.

He cleared his throat, straightened his tunic, and tried to prepare himself for any possible outcome.

"Welcome aboard the USS Serendipity. Lt. Commander Zander Blakeslee, at your service..." he paused, noting that at the back of the transporter stood a woman with gray hair twisted into a bun on top of her head...and Admiral's bars on her collar.

He didn't know her so he couldn't be certain, but judging by the expression on her face it seemed that she was not having a good day.

She quickly analyzed he surroundings, folded her arms and gave an impatient sigh as she stepped down and to the front of her team. "Where is Captain Zanh?"

"I believe she's in Sickbay..."

"She hasn't been talking to anyone has she? I hope that you're following strict isolation protocols for all who were aboard the ships that interacted with the Sylph?"

"Yes, we are-" Zander tried to explain that Salvek had instituted the order awhile ago, but she wouldn't let him get a word in edgewise.

"And who, pray tell me, are you?"

“Lt. Commander Blakeslee.” Zander restated in the very best friendly voice he could muster.

She sized him up from head to toe. "Blakeslee, is it. Chief Tactical Officer?"

"...and Chief of Security, Sir. The departments were combined after..."

The Admiral scoffed and raised her hand. "Where the hell is Commander Salvek?"

Zander paused as he thought about the proper way to respond. Suddenly he wished he had stayed on the bridge and dispatched Lt. Dengar to handle this.

“Sir, The Commander is personally overseeing the 'strict isolation protocols’ that the Admiral herself has previously inquired about.” He smiled. “I have been assigned to liaison with you and your team until the Commander is available.”

“I hope that this is OK with you?” He added.

She snorted.

"Come along, Mister Blakeslee." She instructed, leaving him and the rest of the team in her wake as she marched out of the transporter room doors.

"I need to speak to Keiran O'Sullivan, right away." She seemed to know exactly where she wanted to go, even though Zander was pretty sure she had never been aboard the Serendipity before.

"I'm sorry...Admiral..." He hoped she'd fill in her name, but instead she just stared at him, her expression conveying annoyance as they waited for the turbolift.

"You're sorry what?"

“That you are not satisfied with the fact that I am the highest ranking officer that is available to you.” He stated plainly.

"Look, I don't know how things were done around here during the Vox Administration," she began, then she frowned and held an accusatory index finger up, poking Zander in the chest with it. "Actually, I do know how it was done and things will not be done that way any longer."

"Sir?"

"It's not going to be a secret for long, Commander Blakeslee and since you're Chief of Security and Tactical," she rolled her eyes as she spoke, "You may as well know it now. Admiral Vox is no longer going to maintain oversight of The Alchemy Project."

"He's...not...Sir?"

"No, he's not." She declared as the doors to the lift shut. "I am."

She nodded once emphatically, then commanded the lift to her desired destination.

"Bridge."

Zander stood in silence next the admiral and digested the news that had just been revealed to him. In most cases he would had taken it as a blessing to have Vox out of the picture. Having just met his successor, though, he was now to too sure if it was going to be a good thing.

As soon as the doors to the lift opened Zander allowed the Admiral to step onto the bridge before announcing her.

“Admiral on the bridge.” He called out.

Once again Rada practically leaped out of the command chair.

The Admiral looked at Rada sideways.

"Mr. Dengar, I shall need to speak with you shortly."

"Yes...Sir," Rada managed a pleasant smile even as his knees felt weak beneath him. He didn't even want to entertain what it was she wanted to speak to him about, but he was certain that a toffee would not bring him sufficient comfort between now and when he found out.

This situation had rapidly progressed far beyond the point of toffee.

"Would you like to wait in the Conference...Room..." Zander suggested, but still, the Admiral kept right on walking. Again, she seemed to know exactly where she was going.

"No." She replied curtly, omitting the customary 'thank you," which usually followed. "I'll wait in the Captain's Ready Room. Please arrange for me to meet with Zanh and O'Sullivan as soon as possible."

"If I may remind you, Sir, the Captain is..."

"In Sickbay. I heard you the first time. I am old, but I am not senile, Mister Blakeslee. Tell me, is the Captain dead?"

Zander blinked. "Not by last report, Admiral..."

"If she's not dead, I want her down here. If she can't get to her feet in the next half an hour then have them drag her. I am a busy woman, Blakeslee. I do not have time to waste."

"Aye, Sir," Zander answered, as Rada and Sue Tenney exchanged a glance.

"The rest of my teams will be dispersed among those affected by the...incident. Everyone should be prepared to give a report on the occurrences of the past twenty-four hours and perhaps even a deposition if a formal inquiry is needed later." The Admiral announced to the bridge staff in total.

"Is...someone in trouble?" Rada asked as casually as he possibly could.

"I don't know yet, Dengar. It's my job to figure that out."

She headed down the stairs and through the doors to the Ready Room.

"Who the hell was that?" Sue Tenney whispered, a bit too loudly.

"Gem Lassiter," the Admiral answered plainly, not looking back. "And until further notice, I am in charge around here."

Lt. CMDR Zander Blakeslee
Chief of Security/Tactical
USS Serendipity NCC-2012

and

Admiral Gem Lassiter
The Alchemy Project