Marine Captain's Personal Log - Stardate 74769.4

Posted on Mon Oct 9th, 2023 @ 11:00am by Captain Samuel Woolheater
Edited on on Tue Oct 10th, 2023 @ 11:30am

Mission: Season 6: Episode 3: Far From Home
Location: DECK THIRTY-TWO - Marine Country
Timeline: Today
1013 words - 2 OF Standard Post Measure

[ON:]

DECK THIRTY-TWO - MARINE COUNTRY

Marine country, everyday is looking more and more normal. Marines are seen back in uniform and drilling. There is a pickup game of basketball in one corner and there are several marines cleaning weapons and doing an inventory for the marine armory. Our view is accompanied by this voice-over track from Captain Woolheater.

(v.o.) “Marine captain’s personal log, Stardate 74769.4. Elysium is starting to feel like home again. Things are coming together and more of the ship’s systems are getting more reliable as the days go by. I wouldn’t start breaking out the champagne just yet. But I can see it in the faces of marines. Of course, there are the day-to-day worries. The thoughts and fears that we’re never going to see home again. I won’t lie to them, but I don’t have all the facts either. All I can tell them is the truth. That is we’re doing everything we can to repair the ship, find out where we are and how do we get back home. The answers to those questions are important to everyone. A return to ‘normalcy’ is what is needed. And as the last of the civilian families vacates deck thirty-two, now that they have housing among the ship’s naval crew, marines are feeling like this is their space again. Just for them. The offices are slowly starting to be functional again. And I have a desk again. Technically, it’s a field dining table, but it works for me and I try my hardest to just do with less and get on with the job.”


“Captain?” a marine said as he came alongside Samuel who was standing at coffee pot getting himself a cuppa. He looked up to see Sergeant Ortiz, “What’s up?” “Captain, I think you’d best take a look at this. That inventory you wanted? We’re missing two sidearms, a case of plasma grenades, kinetic ammo and a few phaser power packs.”

Sam tasted the coffee; it was terrible, and he made a face. But he swallowed it and walked with Ortiz, “Come on”. He set the mug down on the nearest table and muttered to himself, “How the hell is it we can’t make coffee anymore without a replicator?” Sergeant Ortiz heard him and agreed, “Yes captain.”

As they walked across the flat open part of the deck, they walked past marines in formation, doing exercises or cleaning weapons and inventorying them. It was the last bunch that was outside the armory that they stopped. Sam was handed the computer inventory and then a PaDD. Ortiz pointed to the PaDD, “That’s the physical inventory Cap. I’ve checked it myself and so have two other Sgt’s. We’re missing some gear.”

Sam was irritated, “Damn…when was the last time we accounted for the weapons?” Another marine answered by querying the system, “Stardate 74194, that was about…two months into our evac to the ice world.” Sam asked, “I thought that there was a daily count on the surface. For Colonel Sanders sake we had to check out every piece of gear we have. What happened to that data?” he asked. A few marines exchanged looks and then Ortiz answered, “It’s uh….we don’t know. It’s been lost. Sir.”

“What? How? Woolheater asked. “A week ago, it just disappeared. Remember, we had no uplink to the ship’s computer. Everything was being stored off-line on the MDT’s. When we got back to the ship the MDT’s were scheduled to be sync’d up with the ship’s primary LCARS.” Sam stroked his chin, “That didn’t happen?” Ortiz shook his head “No”. Sam was pissed but he just took a deep breath and let it out, “OOOOkaaay…welp. So…..FFS! So, we’re missing two sidearms, a case, that’s sixteen plasma grenades, a few power packs…is it two or three or more?” he asked. Ortiz answered, “It’s four. It’s four Cap.”

Sam continued, “…ok….four plasma grenades and what kind of ammo?”

Another marine answered him, “Athens Ammunitions…7.77MM 120 rounds” Sam looked up to see who it was. It was Griffin, the sapper. Sam asked him, “How do you know that?” Evan handed Sam two spent casings from a discharged firearm, “Found these embedded in a wall in our shared quarters. They weren’t there last week. I should know, they are over my bunk!”

Sam looked at the casing and confirmed. Of course, their fingerprints were all over the spent casings now. “Great. OK. Lock up the armory and lock it down. Everything, Ammunition Replication Suites, Small Arms Manufacturing Bay, Portable Combat Weapons Manufacturing Bay, Heavy Weapons Manufacturing Bay, Portable Weapon and Ammunition Replicators, Portable Combat Support Replicators, and all Weapons Lockers. Sergeant? I’m going to also need to know about any custom weapons out there. You know? The ones that aren’t on the inventory.” Ortiz looked at him and then nodded, “I understand. That’ll take some doing Captain?”

Sam took both PaDD’s and help replace allof the cleaned weapons back into the armory. As he worked he said, “Until we can account for the missing stock, we have a problem on our hands. Someone, a civilian is taking potshots in our own sleeping areas and we’re missing some rather explosive grenades. With the ship being held together with duck tape, gum and thirteen pairs of shoelaces, we have to find all that gear. Some civilians may have mistaken a plasma grenade for a party popper. And I don’t want to wait for the next birthday party to find out who borrowed our shit. This, I have to report up the chain. Including ships security and the skipper. I’m sure she’s gonna be fuckin’ thrilled.”

[OFF:]

Captain Samuel Woolheater
“Saepius Exertus, Semper Fidelis, Frater Infinitas”
Division VI, MARDET 62nd Company "Spartans", 1st Platoon CO
=/\= USS ELYSIUM - NCC-89000 =/\=

 

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