Redshirts

foot locker,” he said, to Duvall.
    “And you didn’t know?” Duvall asked.
    “He told me they were candies, and that if the other crew knew he had them, they’d sneak into his foot locker to take them.”
    “They would have,” Finn said. “And in my defense, everything was candied.”
    “You also said they were for your mother,” Hester said.
    “Yes, well,” Finn said. “I did lie about that part.”
    “I tried to tell that to the captain and the XO, but they didn’t care,” Hester said. “As far as they were concerned I was an accomplice. I don’t even like him.”
    “Then why did you agree to hold his … candies?” Duvall said. Hester mumbled something inaudible and broke eye contact.
    “He did it because I was being nice to him, and he doesn’t have friends,” Finn said.
    “So you took advantage of him,” Hanson said.
    “I don’t dislike him,” Finn said. “And it’s not like I meant for him to get in trouble. He shouldn’t have gotten in trouble. Nothing in the stash was illegal. But then our XO went nuts and tried to rearrange my bone structure.”
    “You probably should have known your product line better,” Dahl said.
    “The next time I get something, I’ll run it by you first,” Finn said sarcastically, and then motioned toward the window, where the shuttle could be seen approaching the berth. “But it’s going to have to wait. Looks like our ride is here.”

CHAPTER TWO
    The Intrepid ’s four other new crew members were met on the ship by a petty officer named Del Sol, who quickly marched them off to their stations. Dahl was met by the Intrepid ’s chief science officer, Q’eeng.
    “Sir,” Dahl said, saluting.
    Q’eeng returned the salute. “Ensign Junior Rank Dahl,” he said. “A pleasure to meet you. I do not always greet my department’s new arrivals in this manner, but I have just come off duty and I thought I would show you your station. Do you have any personal items you need to stow?”
    “No, sir,” Dahl said. His and the others’ foot lockers were going through ship’s security for inspection and would be delivered to their quarters, the locations of which would be uploaded to their phones.
    “I understand you spent several years on Forshan, and that you speak the language,” Q’eeng said. “All four dialects.”
    “Yes, sir,” Dahl said.
    “I studied it briefly at the Academy,” Q’eeng said, and then cleared his throat. “Aaachka faaachklalhach ghalall chkalalal.”
    Dahl kept his face very still. Q’eeng had just attempted in the third dialect the traditional rightward schism greeting of “I offer you the bread of life,” but his phrasing and accent had transmuted the statement into “Let us violate cakes together.” Leaving aside the fact it would be highly unusual for a member of the rightward schism to voluntarily speak the third dialect, it being the native dialect of the founder of the leftward schism and therefore traditionally eschewed, mutual cake violating was not an accepted practice anywhere on Forshan.
    “Aaachkla faaachklalhalu faadalalu chkalalal,” Dahl sad, returning the correct traditional response of “I break the bread of life with you” in the third dialect.
    “Did I say that correctly?” Q’eeng asked.
    “Your accent is very unusual, sir,” Dahl said.
    “Indeed,” Q’eeng said. “Then perhaps I will leave any necessary Forshan speaking to you.”
    “Yes, sir,” Dahl said.
    “Follow me, Ensign,” Q’eeng said, and strode forward. Dahl raced to keep up.
    Around Q’eeng the Intrepid was a hive of activity; crew members and officers moved purposefully through the halls, each appearing to have someplace very important to get to. Q’eeng strode through them as if he had his own bow wave; they would magically part for him as he came close and close behind him as he walked past.
    “It’s like rush hour in here,” Dahl said, looking around.
    “You’ll find this crew to be quite efficient and effective,” Q’eeng said. “As the flagship of the Universal Union, the Intrepid has its pick of crew.”
    “I don’t doubt that, sir,” Dahl said, and looked briefly behind him. The crew members behind him had slowed down considerably and were staring at him and Q’eeng. Dahl couldn’t read their expressions.
    “I understand you requested at the Academy to be stationed on the Intrepid, ” Q’eeng said.
    “Yes, sir,” Dahl said, returning his attention to his superior officer. “Your