The Road Ahead

Posted on Sun Aug 30th, 2026 @ 10:45am by Captain Marc Steyn & Lieutenant Commander Maximo (Max) Vero & Lieutenant Syvar MD & Lieutenant JG Charlie Johnson

2,318 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: Season 1 Episode 2: The Garden at the Edge of Night
Location: Deck 1 - Captains Ready Room

ON

Marc sat on the sofa beneath the large windows of the room, a PADD resting in one hand as he read through what little information Starfleet had been able to provide on the sector of space Genesis was bound for. It was sparse, to say the least. Charts were incomplete, reports were decades out of date, and much of what was known amounted to little more than scattered observations from passing vessels.

In his other hand was a cup of tea, still warm enough to send a faint curl of steam towards the windows. It was his attempt at starting the day properly, especially since he'd missed breakfast in the rush of everything else that needed doing.

The door chimed.

"Come in," he called, not bothering to look up. The computer recognised his instruction, and the doors slid smoothly apart to admit whoever was waiting outside.

"Captain, Buongiorno (Good morning), Max said walking in.

"Captain," Syvar greeted simply as he was close on the XO's heels.

Marc finally looked up, offering the two men a welcoming smile.

"Gentlemen, please, come in," he said, leaning forward to place the PADD on the small coffee table before carefully returning his cup to its saucer. He gestured towards the available seating.

"Take a seat."

The youthful Vulcan sat as instructed, smoothing out a few imaginary wrinkles in his uniform as he did so. The summons hadn't stated a reason so he wondered why exactly he'd been called in. His expression bordered on awe as he looked around the ready room and took in the grandeur of the space. It was certainly large than his own office.

“May I captain?” Max indicated the replicator. His sleep was still not brilliant and he didn’t like what the Counselor had prescribed him. An espresso would be very beneficial right now.

"Consider that standing orders for any meeting, Commander. And let the rest of the senior staff know as well. If something needs discussing, I'd rather we did it well fed and watered." Marc added, returning his attention to his tea, which had by now cooled considerably. He took a sip regardless, grimacing faintly at the temperature before setting the cup back down.

He regarded the Doctor for a moment, his expression becoming more thoughtful.

"So, the reason I asked you here is actually quite simple. You're one of the senior-ranking officers aboard Genesis, and, at least initially, we're going to be somewhat short on officers qualified for command duty." He leaned back slightly in his chair. "That means there may be occasions when I need someone outside the usual command structure to take the centre seat."

Marc held his gaze.

"How would you feel about undertaking the Bridge Officer's Examination? It would give you the qualification to assume command of Genesis when circumstances require it. I'm not asking you to become a full-time command officer, Doctor. Your priority will remain Medical. But if the ship needs someone to take command, I'd like you to be one of the people I know I can trust to do it."

The young doctor seemed to freeze in his seat, his eyes widening a fraction at the suggestion. "What?" He seemed let the request sink in a few seconds longer. "Uhm.. I'm not sure I'm the most qualified to do this sir," he finally managed, "but if you think I should..." He hesitated, feeling far from experienced enough to even try this.

"Neither the Commander nor I can make this decision for you, Doctor," Marc said, his tone matter-of-fact but without a hint of condescension. "This has to be your choice. If you're going to commit to it, then you need to do so because it's what you want—not because either of us told you to."

“If it helps in any way doctor,” Max said walking over with a tiny espresso and some sort of Italian brioche and cream filled pastry, “I think you would be very capable. Do not be daunted by how much there is to learn, if I can survive several weeks of rapid learning thrown at me by Starfleet command, you can if you want too learn command. You have plenty of time to work through things if you choose to. It can be as intense as you choose it to be. And if you need a mentor both myself and I’m sure the Captain would be available.”

He bit into his pastry, chewed thoughtfully and then sat down next to the Doc.

Syvar grimaced at the sight of the pastry; not in disapproval but more in line with it didn't look very appetising to him. "I'm not daunted, I just don't think I'm the right person but if you both think I should..." He clearly wasn't convinced, feeling way too new to even learning a medical facility. Much less way too young probably.

"In that case, sleep on it," Marc said, his tone sincere. "There's no need to make a decision today. Come back to Commander Vero or myself in the morning, once you've had some time to think about it properly."

He had no intention of forcing the examination on anyone. Command was too significant a responsibility to be accepted simply because a captain needed another name on a duty roster. If the Doctor agreed, Marc wanted it to be because he was willing to shoulder that responsibility, not because he felt pressured into it.

That said, the reality of Genesis' command structure weighed heavily on him. The four-shift rotation provided adequate coverage on paper, but the pool of officers qualified to assume command was thinner than he would have liked. If one or two senior officers were unavailable, their carefully balanced rotation could become precariously stretched.

For a ship about to embark on an extended mission into the unknown, Marc would have preferred a few more options than Starfleet had currently given him.

Max nodded in agreement swallowing his brioche.

“Has Lieutenant Talveren taken it sir?” Max asked he could see where this was going. They needed more hands. “She would be just as capable as doctor Syvar.”

"I'll think about it," Syvar promised, but it may take a few days." This wasn't a decision to be taken lightly.

"In answer, yes, she has already—because she is a bridge officer," Marc advised gently. "A few days would be fine, and if you agree to it, Commander Vero will conduct the examination himself."

Syvar nodded. "And who will guide the course? I have no command training whatsoever."

Marc set down his coffee with deliberate care, his expression thoughtful. "That responsibility will fall to Commander Vero as well. He'll guide you through every aspect of the course—the protocols, the theory, the practical applications. Everything you'll need to understand command structure and decision-making aboard Genesis."

He paused, choosing his words with the same precision he applied to all matters of significance. "Vero will also be the one to evaluate how thoroughly that knowledge has taken root. How well you can apply it. How you think under pressure."

There was a measured quality to Marc's tone that suggested he was being deliberately circumspect. The examination, his manner implied, was about far more than reciting regulations or demonstrating technical competency. It was a test of judgment, of character, of whether a man could bear the weight of command when circumstances demanded it.

"He's thorough," Marc continued, "and fair. If you decide to pursue this, you'll be in capable hands."

Syvar nodded slowly. "Alright," he answered, though it sounded more like 'ahrite' thanks to his heavy accent. "But I need all the help I can get. I have no command training whatsoever."

"Good on you, boet," Marc said, his own South African accent slipping through for a moment. "In that case, you can turn to myself, Lieutenant Reruk, or Lieutenant Talveren for guidance along the way — but I'll be officially handing you over to Commander Vero for the course itself."

"Boet?" Syvar knew slang of course but only Australian and somehow this word didn't translate.

"I'm not familiar either," Max said. He assumed it was a cultural thing.

"Roughly translated, it means friend," Marc explained with a smile, though he was already quietly chiding himself for allowing the less formal side of his personality to slip through in front of his crew.

He hesitated for a moment before adding, "My apologies."

A direct translation would probably only invite more questions, particularly given that Syvar was very clearly not his brother, nor was Marc about to start explaining the rather more casual Terran usage of the term bro. Some things were perhaps better left to the mysteries of cultural exchange.

Max was confused. He was not sure that was something that required an apology. Rather than look stupid and say anything further he took another bite of his pastry.

"Well, gentlemen," Marc began, turning towards the others, but whatever he had intended to say was abruptly obliterated by a sudden, ear-splitting eruption of music from the speakers overhead.

A full marching band thundered through the ready room, the brass section blaring out a rousing rendition of "The Imperial March" with enough force to make the deck plates vibrate beneath their feet. The sheer volume was staggering, the music reverberating through the room and rattling the windows as though Genesis herself had decided to announce the occasion.

"What in the world—" Marc's words were almost completely swallowed by the deafening music. He stared towards the ceiling, momentarily dumbfounded, before raising his voice in an attempt to make himself heard.

"What the hell is happening?!"

Max swallowed and hit his comm badge. "Engineering, we have music playing in the captain's ready room. Very loudly."

Syvar yelped, slapping his hands over his sensitive ears. "Turn it off!" He shouted, "oh this is painful...."

Charlie responded, "I'm sorry Commander, I can't quite hear you. There must be an issue with the comm system. There's some very loud music coming from somewhere. Hang on, I'm on my way up."

Max rolled his eyes slightly in amusement. He dearly she didn’t turn up with a manual.

A few moments passed, and then the door opened. Charlie entered and winced, her hands going to cover her ears. She had to shout to be heard. "I TRIED THE DOOR CHIME, BUT NO ONE ANSWERED. YOU KNOW YOU CAN HEAR THIS ON THE BRIDGE?

She removed the panel off the bulkhead and started tinkering at the circuitry behind. "I SEE THE PROBLEM, WON'T TAKE A..." The music suddenly stopped "MOMENT!" Charlie shouted over the sudden silence and then blushed and resumed speaking at a normal volume. "Sorry. All sorted, Captain. I think you'll find everything under control. All by the book."

And with that statement, the artificial gravity in the ready room suddenly failed, and Charlie found herself weightless along with the Captain, first officer and doctor, floating towards the ceiling.

"Thank you, Lieutenant," Marc replied, though the faintly mischievous look that accompanied the words suggested he was anything but reassured. He glanced down at the PADD in his hand before looking back up, a decidedly tongue-in-cheek tone creeping into his voice as he bounced from the ceiling lights.

"But I may have just found us a new problem."

Charlie tapped her Comm badge "Johnson to engineering, we seem to have an issue with the gravity in the Captain's ready room."

Ensign Peters responded. "Copy that, Lieutenant. We've got power spikes all through the life support subsystems. They seem to be coming from the warp drive."

Charlie frowned "That's not possible; the warp drive was fine when I left."

Ensign Peters' voice came back, "That's what I was trying to tell you. These power surges are a symptom of a larger problem. I think..."

Charlie's face was turning red. This was not exactly something she wanted the Captain and first officer overhearing, and she interrupted him "Ensign, I think that's a discussion for when I get back to engineering. Right now..."

Peters sighed. "Aye Lieutenant. Stand by."

The artificial gravity kicked back in, much stronger than usual, and Charlie and the others were dropped back to the floor with a thud. Charlie tried not to groan as she picked herself up, her backside bruised from the sudden impact but not as badly as her ego right now; also, she felt at least 5 kg heavier.

Max had not expected his breakfast to suddenly start floating nor his body to follow suit. When circumstances changed again he had not expected his breakfast to attack him. His cheek suddenly felt violated. Then it felt even worse when his half drunk coffee caught up with him. It took a lot of self control not to swear through the burning.

"Ow..." Syvar grunted as his body slammed into the deck, barely missing the desk. "Everyone alright?" He queried as he struggled to sit up, feeling as though he was fighting gravity.

She turned to the Captain and, summoning as much dignity as she could manage, asked: "Will there be anything else Sir?"

"Not at the moment, Lieutenant," Marc replied, knowing full well she would be needed in Engineering. He watched her disappear through the doors, waiting until she was safely out of earshot before shifting his weight and rubbing gingerly at his backside where he had landed rather unceremoniously against the coffee table.

The faint grimace quickly gave way to a more serious expression as he turned towards Max.

"Perhaps it's time we ran a full batch of systems diagnostics, Commander," he suggested, the humour draining from his voice. "Just to be safe. We're starting to accumulate rather too many little problems for a ship that's barely had her feet under her."

“Si Captain, I’m in full agreement,” he said rubbing his face and discarding the rest of his breakfast. He already knew he would be getting a bruise.

END

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