Redshirts

department is doing some real cutting-edge work. Some of the stuff you do on board is so out there we had a hard time re-creating it back at the Academy.”
    “I hope that’s not a suggestion that we’re doing sloppy work,” Q’eeng said, with a slight, tense edge to his voice.
    “Not at all, sir,” Dahl said. “Your reputation as a scientist is unimpeachable. And we know that in the kind of work your department does, initial conditions are both significant and difficult to re-create.”
    Q’eeng seemed to relax at this. “Space is vast,” he said. “The Intrepid ’s mission is to explore. Much of the science we do is front line—identify, describe, posit initial hypotheses. Then we move on, leaving it to others to follow our work.”
    “Yes, sir,” Dahl said. “It’s that front line science that appeals to me. The exploration.”
    “So,” Q’eeng said. “Do you see yourself participating in away team missions?”
    Directly in front of them, a crew member seemed to stumble over his own feet. Dahl caught him. “Whoa,” Dahl said, propping him back up. “Careful with those feet, now.” The crew member pulled away, his mumbled “Thanks” very nearly dopplered as he hastened off.
    “Agile and polite,” Dahl said, grinning, then stopped grinning when he noticed Q’eeng, also stopped, staring at him very intently. “Sir,” he said.
    “Away teams,” Q’eeng said again. “Do you see yourself participating in them?”
    “At the Academy I was known more as a lab rat,” Dahl said. Q’eeng seemed to frown at this. “But I realize that the Intrepid is a vessel of exploration. I’m looking forward to doing some of that exploration myself.”
    “Very good,” Q’eeng said, and started moving forward again. “Being a ‘lab rat’ is fine at the Academy and may be fine on other ships. But the reason that the Intrepid has made so many of the discoveries that interested you in the first place is because of its crew’s willingness to get into the field and get its hands dirty. I’d ask you to keep that in mind.”
    “Yes, sir,” Dahl said.
    “Good,” Q’eeng said, and stopped at a door marked “Xenobiology.” He opened it, showing the laboratory beyond, and stepped through. Dahl followed.
    It was empty.
    “Where is everybody, sir?” Dahl asked.
    “The Intrepid crew does a lot of cross-consultation with crew members in other departments, and often have secondary or supernumerary postings,” Q’eeng said. “You are supernumerary with the Linguistics Department for your facility in Forshan, for example. So people don’t always stay chained to their workstations.”
    “Got it, sir,” Dahl said.
    “Nevertheless,” Q’eeng said, pulled out his phone, and made a connection. “Lieutenant Collins. The newest member of your department is at your laboratory to present himself to you.” A pause. “Good. That is all.” Q’eeng put away his phone. “Lieutenant Collins will be along presently to welcome you.”
    “Thank you, sir,” Dahl said, and saluted. Q’eeng nodded, saluted in return and walked off into the hallway. Dahl went to the door and watched him go. Q’eeng’s bow wave preceded him until he turned a corner and went out of sight.
    *   *   *
    “Hey,” someone said behind Dahl. He turned. There was a crew member standing in the middle of the lab.
    Dahl looked back out the door, to where Q’eeng had turned, and then back to the new crew member. “Hi,” Dahl said. “You weren’t here two seconds ago.”
    “Yeah, we do that,” the crew member said, and walked over to Dahl and stretched out his hand. “Jake Cassaway.”
    “Andy Dahl.” Dahl took his hand and shook it. “And how exactly do you do that?”
    “Trade secret,” Cassaway said.
    A door opened from the other side of the lab and another crew member entered the room from it.
    “There goes the trade secret,” Cassaway said.
    “What’s in there?” Dahl asked, motioning to the door.
    “It’s a storage room,” Cassaway said.
    “You were hiding in the storage room?” Dahl said.
    “We weren’t hiding,” said the other crew member. “We were doing inventory.”
    “Andy Dahl, this is Fiona Mbeke,” Cassaway said.
    “Hello,” Dahl said.
    “You should be glad that we were doing inventory,” Mbeke said. “Because now that means that it won’t be assigned to you as the new guy.”
    “Well, then, thanks,” Dahl said.
    “We’ll still make you get coffee,” Mbeke said.
    “I