You've Been Keeping Something From Us Part II
Posted on Sat Sep 26th, 2026 @ 5:42am by Lieutenant Colonel Cornelius Tremble & Ensign Connor Turner & Ensign Millicent Ambrose & Staff Warrant Officer Rommie
Edited on on Sat Sep 26th, 2026 @ 5:43am
1,895 words; about a 9 minute read
Mission:
Episode 18 - The Edge of Darkness
Location: Main Engineering - Deck 11 - USS Pioneer
Timeline: MD001 1445 hrs
What in the world is wrong with me? he wondered as his feet hit the floor. "But, yes, um, Colonel. I understand your instructions. Millie and I will run Engineering and we will contact Commander Maren or Lieutenant Kolok if something goes awry."
"Connor it was just how you had stated it and yes you are not a pervert its just how it came out," having turned her attention back to Connor.
She also found it interesting that Connor actually stated confidently as to how he felt his skills in computers was. And yes he was rather good.
Connor told Millie, a pout in his voice, "Well, then you should have known whatever I said was not meant that way."
Neil looked back and forth between the two and sighed. Then he said, "Warrant Officer Rommie. Front and Center."
The hologram, immediately streamed from a console to one side, forming into her customary parade rest stance. "Sir?" Her uniform skant was charcoal grey trimmed in marine green with twists of gold worked through.
"At ease, Neil said gesturing to the two ensigns. "What happened in engineering?"
Rommie glanced at Millie and Connor, then said, "They had questions about the proposed Suiting up of a pair of Engineers." She processed for a few seconds then said, "Before they got that far. Glitch 2727 triggered."
Neil supressed a grin and his eyebrow twitched upwards. "That's not supposed to happen except when I'm around. I take it you filed a bug report?"
"Yessir," Rommie affirmed. "Per SOP's. I expect it has something to do with the Ensigns though."
"Right," Neil said. He caught a flicker across his HUD and said, "Alright then. Ensigns. What about it?"
"What about what?" Connor asked. He further protested, "We did nothing to Rommie. I would never do anything to Rommie to harm her."
~"Rommie,"~ Neil subvocalized, ~"Play back the incident. Briefly."~ He watched it within his HUD, the engineers perhaps seeing the video play in his left eye. After it finished, he said, "I believe the issue came up when you asked to see her programming, Mr. Turner. That's rather personal, don't you think. It could be like me asking to take a first hand look at your brain bit by bit. Perhaps using a spoon to do it." While his tone didn't change, Neil's words were picked carefully.
"That's not accurate," Connor insisted. "Millie, er, Ensign Ambrose and I were discussing having met Rommie and she was astonished that I had. I, likewise, had no idea she had. I warned her that Rommie could likely hear us and then she appeared in what could only be described as, um...." Connor started to blush furiously. "You know...."
"Out of uniform, Ensign," Neil suggested mildly. He bit at his cheek slightly to keep from grinning and said, "And since it was an obvious glitch, you decided all of the glitch needed to be removed and you could help with that?"
Millie was listening to the conversation between Tremble and Connor along with Rommie. She saw the small image displayed in his eye of what happened. She looked with concern at Connor, wondering if she should say anything but held her tongue, This right now was something that needed to be dealt with between Tremble and Connor.
Her eyes though traveled towards Rommie, an unspoken apology for what had transpired. She considered her a friend.
"I did not do anything but I would be remiss in not offering my services. After all, that's, well, what I do.... Computers. I fix glitches. Also, well, Rommie is my friend."
"Right, but I believe you missed my point," Neil said. He shifted through the engineers latest medical/counseling updates and highlighted a few notes before saying, "Rommie is a Warrant officer with all protections, permissions and duties that go with it. She is not machinery, Mr. Turner. Because she does have special status within the Corp. Aboard this ship. And is my aide. Only recently did the Captain allow her to have more freedom to be in most areas. The glitch that you encountered is... peculiar to the person who developed her."
"Now," he continued. "If you happen to notice glitches, bring them to my attention. She cannot give you permission to look at her programming. Nor is doing so covertly to help out your friend a good idea. She has safeguards to prevent it that, should you take a step too far can get her into protect mode. " Running fingers through his hair, Neil continued. "And, if something goes wrong with her, the Commodore will likely want her removed. I would like to avoid that."
"I would never look at anything inside her without permission!" Connor replied aghast. "She is a person and that, well, would be, well, criminal!" He could not bring himself to suggest that this would be the equivalent of rape or some forcible assault. What was it with people suggesting that he would do such horrible things, today?
"I appreciate your view," Neil said keeping his sigh from escaping. "I like Rommie. I treat her a member of the team. But from the Corps and the Pioneer's perspective, she is a FMC asset. She understands that. You need to as well."
"She's programmed to understand that. I'm not," Connor answered with a small huff. "She's sentient and no sentient being belongs to anyone. We've seen how that ends. Even so, that's not germane to this discussion. As I said before, I would never force myself upon her or do anything against her wishes."
"And that goes with making unwanted suggestions, Mr. Turner," Neil remarked. "Your intent may have been pure but she did not perceive it that way. Perhaps you should be mindful that beings will ask if they want help or medical professionals will seek them out. You may argue that in regards to the Warrant that you are. But I am here to tell you that you are not. If you want to treat her like a friend, be my guest. That will be up to her. But I don't want complaints about you trying to do something for her own good. Further. If you attempt to take a look at FMC data and she decides that you are a threat. You will end up in the brig. Am I being clear?"
Millie blanched at what Neil had said, his words hit hard. She didn't want anything like that happening to Connor.
Looking towards Connor, Millie hoped that her friend understood just what Neil was saying.
Also she was taking what he said to Connor as being directed to her as well.
Millie also was getting the feeling that any sort of chance in working with the Marines on the suits was drifting away as time passed.
This was the second time she'd been in a situation where Rommie was concerned. Millie's shoulders slumped slightly.
If only they had a chief engineer, too bad they didn't have someone like Kolok, who was the Chief of Operations in charge.
He hasn't disappeared.
Connor blinked at Neil and asked, "Exactly what sort of officer do you take me for? I'm an engineer. I always play by the rules. I simply do not understand why you think I need to be chastized like I'm a child in a pram."
"I don't think he is chastising you, Connor. It's more about making certain you understand the situation. Something like this is a bit tricky to navigate," Millie spoke up, wanting to find a way to get things simmered down.
"He's not outright accusing you of trying to violate Rommie. It's more about the wording you used. He's also setting clear boundaries that can't be crossed or ignored. Plus, there hasn't been anything put in your records suggesting you're anything other than a gentleman."
Millie glanced over towards Neil, then back to Connor. Perhaps she should stop, but there had to be some sort of middle ground to be found.
"Plus, Rommie hasn't been mistreated. She's been treated as a valued member of the Colonel's staff. I've seen evidence of that."
"Sometimes well-meaning words can come out wrong, or be interpreted differently than intended. And what I can see here is that both of you are very protective of her. It's just that Rommie is also like a member of his family."
Millie's eyes widened slightly as another thought occurred to her. Neil was protective of Rommie as if she were perhaps a daughter, or even a sister? Most definitely a valued family member.
"Perhaps this can be said, and agreed upon. Rommie's programming isn't to be looked at unless the proper security clearance has been given and it has been requested by the Colonel himself. There can't be any unsolicited offers to look at her programming anymore, period. This subject shouldn't be brought up again."
Millie looked pleadingly toward Connor. She knew he could get stubborn at times.
Then she looked towards Neil and Rommie.
"Once again, I wish to make a formal apology for this whole kerfuffle." She swallowed hard. "And nothing like this will happen again. Ever."
She glanced pointedly towards Connor.
Rommie's data stream activated and the AI formed next to the Colone's workstation. Glancing at the two ensigns as her typical uniform skant peeled over her form with knee boots and beret completing the uniform, she said, "Colonel. Sorry to interrupt, but you have a subspace call with Lt. General Tempico in four minutes."
Then she glanced at the Ensigns and said, "Apology accepted."
Neil nodded, and his office door opened. "Right. The General. Alright you two. Get out of my office. Dismissed."
Nodding, Millie touched Connor's elbow, "Let's go" she said quietly then headed out of Tremble's office with Connor in tow.
Her heart was racing, as Millie stood outside of the XO's officer, she looked at Connor and gave a weak smile.
She was feeling vastly relieved, but also, there was some trepidation. Either way Millie and Connor had work to do to keep the Pioneer moving.
"C'mon lets get back to work." Millie said quietly, then walked alongside Connor back to engineering.
Connor let himself be dragged away. He would have apologized, as well. He was British and that was something that they did almost as regularly as a Canadian. However, he also felt wronged. His emotions all twisted in a knot, he could not react, other than to let Millie do what she did best, interpret his inner turmoil and drag him to where he needed to be.
A Joint Post By
Lieutenant Colonel Cornelius Tremble
Executive Officer, USS Pioneer
Battalion Commander, The Cure
Ensign Millicent Ambrose
Engineering Officer, USS Pioneer
Ensign Connor Turner
Computer Systems Specialist, USS Pioneer
Staff Warrant Officer Rommie
Artificial Intelligence, The Cure
USS Pioneer
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