Like a wheel within a wheel

Posted on 02 Mar 2022 @ 7:29pm by Verity Thorne

598 words; about a 3 minute read

ON

"Tensions on the ship are just about as high as they have ever been," Verity spoke directly to the screen that recorded his log, pausing only briefly to sip the Ceylon tea that had a splash of milk added. "Everything about current events has become a perfect storm of anxiety.

"The crew were already feeling the strain, not only from the last rescue mission, but also from the grinding journey to the starbase and the promise of R&R. The sudden curtailment of shoreleave only ended with more stress for those crew members who were already under strain, expecting the chance to recover."

Verity considering for a long moment, shifting in the chair to make his back more comfortable, letting out a long breath with the slight, dull ache in it. "The nature of it has also added to the tension. Leaving in the middle of the night, no warning, clearly restricted or secretive in nature with how little is known on the decks. It rings unpleasant and alarming bells of what we might be heading into.

"Add to that a different commanding officer, and even the certainty of a known and trusted captain has been removed from the crew. Adjusting to a new commander can take time for a crew, and it seems likely it's time we don't have. But it also works the other way. It takes time for a commanding officer to get to know a crew too...their strengths and weaknesses. This estrangement between captain and crew and vice versa can only serve to make both sides on edge.

"I've been hearing dozens of rumours, and between those, the slow drip of dissatisfaction from Captain, to Officers, feeding down to all levels of crew. To make it worse, I'm sure it will have been warped by the amount of eavesdropping and retellings along the way. The unhappiness and dissatisfaction breeds mistrust. And mistrust only serves to heighten anxiety."

Verity sighed with his assessment of the current state of crew morale, sipping his tea carefully, taking comfort in the familiar warmth despite the subject matter. "I fear there is no easy answer. I would usually say that it just takes time to improve these types of problems and friction, but I don't think it's likely that we have that kind of time. If you try and force the brewing of tea by replacing time with aggressive agitation, you just end up with bitter tea..."

He shook his head, chuckling softly at the imagery he'd chosen, shrugging lightly as if in apology. "There's not much I can do. I'm not a counsellor, I'm not even a person of rank. All I can do is listen when people talk to me and keep my ear to the ground.

"On a personal and selfish level, I need to make sure I look after Oliver. He's in the thick of it, although he'd never admit it or complain. He's used to keeping his head down and just getting on with it, and while that helps him stay focussed, it also means he can get lost in it. And not see the dangers brewing around him. I love him too much to lose him over something as trivial as glorified office politics. If I can find a way to help, I will. But I think that might be easier said than done."

Verity shook his head with a soft sigh, frowning with concern as he set his now empty cup down. It might be too much to hope for, but it didn't mean he couldn't at least try.

OFF

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