Runner Up 2 20403.14
Untitled - Lt[Jg] Krylor Katash
© 2004 by Federation Space and the author pen named Krylor Katash
Academy Commencement Council Session Log: Cadet Review 99-A7 Cadet Todd Lewis This council attempts to examine all merits and abilities of the graduating Cadets that pass under our consideration. Thousands of bright and qualified potential officers have fallen under our scrutiny. Yet, rarely have we examined a cadet so under-qualified or ill suited for graduation as Cadet Todd Lewis…
The air recyclers hummed quietly, echoing through the halls of Deep Space 9. Footsteps echoed softly down the metallic walkway of Storage Bay 3. Most of the station’s population had gone to bed long ago, and the only people awake were the night shift officers and a few stragglers in the bar. But down here in DS9’s storage areas, all was quiet.
Todd Lewis was young, only about 25 years old. His smooth, handsome face displayed an overwhelming aura of youthful innocence. In the Academy, his friends had teased his by calling him “baby face,” and gained constant amusement from his difficulty in producing facial hair.
Todd stepped from shadow to shadow, breathing softly and stroking the stolen phaser strapped to his waist. It had taken him weeks of practicing in the Holodeck to perfect the pick-pocketing skills he needed to swipe a Type II phaser off the belt of an unsuspecting Security officer. Todd had bought the training program from a Ferengi that passed through the station last month. The Ferengi had charged him twice as much as it was worth, since Todd only had Federation credits instead of Latinum.
Todd had run the simulation over and over again, perfecting his technique until he could swipe nearly anything without being detected. When he finally made his move, the officer he ripped off didn’t even flinch.
…Cadet Lewis shows very little initiative in training. He often refuses to participate in holodeck simulations that would expand his abilities and provide him with new information and experience. Todd has opted out of many opportunities to expand his skills through extended and enhanced training. Cadet Lewis lacks a work ethic and a desire to improve…
Todd crept silently through the storage bay and made his way to a Jeffries Tube access on the opposite side of the bay. It was a sealed access point and required a security code to override it. Todd pulled a PADD out of his hip pocket and dialed up a blueprint of the Storage Bay. The blueprint had taken him several days of hacking to acquire from the station’s computer core. Todd had been learning invasive programming from Lt. Davison who worked in engineering. Todd had never asked Davidson where he learned it, or much less what he used it for. He simply handed over his hard-earned credits in return for the valuable training. It had paid off. It only took him half as long as he expected to get the blueprint out of the main computer and clean up his data trail.
This thing better be up-to-date. Todd thought to himself. There was a definite possibility that he had accidentally hacked an old copy of the blueprint, and that things might have changed since it had been drawn up.
“Come on, baby. Come on,” Todd muttered as he ran his hands over the panels next to the Jeffries Tube. If he pulled the wrong panel, security would have him before he could blink. His fingers found a hold and he pulled.
A small square panel popped off the wall, revealing glowing blue conduits and shining computer equipment. Todd sucked in a breath and held it, waiting for the klaxon to sound … but it didn’t. He put down the panel and went to work. Pulling chips, rearranging wires. Todd worked fast and with graceful skill. Within minutes the Jeffries Tube door slid open, revealing a gaping black mouth leading back into the dark interior of DS9.
…Upon speaking with Cadet Lewis’ instructors, we have found that he lacks any discernible technical expertise. He finds great difficulty in performing even rudimentary computational or engineering tasks. Despite much encouragement, he seems to be unable to focus himself on learning and retaining the information presented to him.
Todd sat down inside the Jeffries Tube and rubbed his knees. Crawling through the tubes could be quite hard on your knees, and Todd was also going very slowly to avoid making excess noise. His chronometer said that he had about two more hours to accomplish his task.
“Should be plenty of time,” he said to himself. He spent a few minutes catching his breath, and then crawled onward. The tubes were dark and Todd carried only a small utility light. Finally he reached his destination. He performed a repeat of his technical operation to let himself into the tubes, and then spilled out onto the floor of the Shuttle Bay.
In his flight classes, Todd has proven to be an unsuitable pilot. He despises piloting and avoids opportunities to practice his flight skills. We would be surprised if he even remembers how to turn a shuttlecraft on.
It only took him 3 minutes to hotwire the shuttle and get it up and running. Todd’s instructors at the academy had always hated having him in their flight classes. They thought he was too stupid to pilot a ship. But it was just that he didn’t like flying. Todd’s father was killed in a piloting accident when he was young, and he had always been terrified of flying. But he wasn’t about to tell anyone that.
If only they could see me now, he thought. They would take it all back. Take back the ridicule and rebuke they had laid on him for four years. Telling him he couldn’t fly. We’ll just see who can’t fly.
Todd warmed up the shuttle’s engines and prepared for liftoff. So far he hadn’t been detected, but that would soon end. A force field stood between him and the black expanse of space. Only the duty officer could lower it. And the duty officer was asleep and not about to wake up and allow a civilian to fly out of the bay with a stolen shuttle. Todd was far from having clearance to fly out of the Shuttle Bay of Deep Space 9. Most people who flunk out of the academy aren’t exactly given high security codes.
Cadet Lewis has shown a distinct lack of ingenuity and creativity in his assignments. He puts little effort into creative solutions to daunting problems, a key attribute of a Star Fleet officer.
The console of the on-duty Shuttle Bay officer emitted a loud beep, indicating an incoming transmission. It woke the Lieutenant and nearly startled him out of his chair. He never got calls at this time of night. He pushed the button to reveal the inside of a shuttle. A young civilian male was sitting in the pilot’s seat. Next to him was a young woman whom he recognized as Lt. Commander Adams, the pretty young head of Astrometrics. The male was holding a phaser to her head.
"Open the forcefield,” the male said flatly.
“What?” the on-duty officer asked. He was truly confused at this sudden change of pace. The civilian rolled his eyes and pressed the phaser harder into the woman’s head. She looked terrified and her eyes were brimming with tears.
“Don’t move, don’t call anyone, just open the forcefield or I blow her head open!” the civilian yelled. The officer sat still for a second, not knowing what to do. He should call for help, for advice, but if he did the guy would likely shoot her. He shook with fear as he pressed the button to open the forcefield.
Todd saw the glowing forcefield drop, shimmering out of existence. He closed the comm channel and removed the phaser from the woman’s head.
“Computer, end program,” he said. The woman disappeared. The holographic emitter had been installed for tests onboard the shuttle a few weeks before, and Todd was eternally grateful for it. He smiled and laughed as he flew the shuttle out of the bay.
The black depths of space were truly mesmerizing. Billions of stars shone brightly as Todd maneuvered the shuttle away from the station. Main Control was hailing him and attempting to get tractor beam locks, but he had anticipated and put up a dampening field. Todd looked at his chronometer. He had timed everything perfectly. Right as he got into position, the Bajoran Wormhole opened up before him. It was a gaping mouth of shining energy. Todd stared in awe at its beauty. As he flew inside, he reveled in the glory of what he had accomplished.
Cadet Todd Lewis has taken several psychological exams and taken several simulation tests to determine his character and mental state. One prominent result that has presented itself is that Todd seems to lack any discernable amount of bravery. He is, by all counts, a coward.
Aboard the Dominion Space Station that guarded the Bajoran Wormhole, an officer glanced down at his console and frowned. An unknown ship was headed toward the station, and scans indicated that it was a Star Fleet signature. He turned to his commanding officer.
“Sir, there is a rouge ship on the scanners. It’s a Federation vessel. Headed straight for us.”
“Onscreen,” the commanding officer demanded. Their viewscreen showed a small shuttle, Federation model, headed for the station. The officer opened a channel to the ship.
“Federation vessel, come to a stop and state your intentions. Comply or you risk destruction.” The shuttle did not waver. It was speeding toward the station at nearly full impulse. However, it looked like the warp engines were glowing. And getting brighter.
Todd Lewis finished the warp power-up sequence and finalized his coordinates. The warp core was increasing in power, but Todd had locked the engine injectors so the power was not being transmitted to the nacelles. It was simply building in power. Breech warnings flashed across his console. According the computer calculations, the core would breech in 13 seconds, which was exactly his ETA to the Dominion Station.
They had said he would never amount to anything. They had told him he would never make a suitable officer. Not qualified. A coward they had said. When they kicked him out of the Academy and tossed his bags behind him, they told him he was unfit to be a member of Star Fleet.
I’ll show them unfit.
The catastrophic explosion rocked the Dominion station. Hull breeches occurred on every deck, and the explosion put the station in extreme danger of destruction. When the repairs were completed month later, and the death tolls finally counted, it was determined that the suicide pilot had killed almost a dozen Dominion soldiers. Whoever the crazy Federation pilot had been, he had caused an unbelievable amount of damage to the Dominion.
It is the determination of this council that Cadet Todd Lewis is unfit to be a member of Star Fleet. We do not anticipate that he will ever achieve anything beneficial to the Federation’s cause. He is a coward and an overall misfit for Star Fleet.
Cadet Todd Lewis - Graduation denied.
