Progenitor - Michael Jan Friedman [20]
“I don’t believe that for a minute,” he told Garrett, “and unless I’m mistaken, neither do you.” He leaned back in his chair and regarded his monitor screen, which the commander couldn’t see. “After all, this isn’t the first time you’ve demonstrated remarkable courage or inventiveness. In fact, you’ve pretty much made a habit of it.”
Garrett didn’t seem to know how to respond to that.
“You know,” said McAteer, approaching the real reason he had arranged to see her, “a woman with your extraordinary abilities should be moving up the chain of command. But I see that you’ve been a second officer for some time now.”
His guest shrugged. “I like it on the Excelsior. It’s a wonderful ship with a wonderful captain.”
“So I understand,” the admiral told her. “And I don’t doubt that he values your services. But your fleet would benefit more if you were to make a change.”
Garrett looked at him askance. “Such as?”
“Second officer on another ship.”
Her brow creased ever so slightly. “I don’t understand, sir. I’m already a second officer.”
“Of course you are,” said McAteer. “But on the Excelsior, there aren’t any opportunities for advancement. Whereas, if you were to make a lateral move to another ship... you might find such opportunities materializing before you know it.”
Garrett looked at him. “Is this a hypothetical question? Or did you have a ship in mind?”
“I have a ship in mind, all right. But for the moment, I prefer to conduct our conversation as if we were speaking hypothetically.”
“I see,” the commander said.
“So what would you do,” the admiral asked, “if I were to say that I could arrange a berth for you on another vessel... where you would be the recipient of a captaincy in a short amount of time?”
Garrett looked tempted—just as he had predicted. “A captaincy,” she said. “That would be quite a move.”
“Are you saying you don’t deserve it? Or that you’re not eminently capable of commanding a starship?”
“I’m saying it would be most unusual, sir. In fact, this entire conversation strikes me as most unusual. I find myself asking why a Starfleet admiral would go to the trouble of meeting me out here in the hinterlands, much less making the kind of assurances you’re making.” She paused. “Hypothetical or otherwise.”
McAteer smiled again. “You’re a shrewd woman, Commander. But then, that doesn’t surprise me in the least. If you were any less shrewd, I might be speaking with someone else.”
“Obviously,” said Garrett, “you want something. What is it?”
He continued smiling. “All I want is to help you help yourself—by supplying me with information on the officers with whom you’ll share your new ship. When we’ve accumulated enough of it, I’ll have them disciplined and stripped of their ranks. And you will move in to fill the breach created by their absence.”
“And if I don’t find anything objectionable?”
“You will,” he told her. “Believe me.”
Garrett seemed to consider the admiral’s offer for a moment. Then she frowned. “Permission to speak freely, sir?”
McAteer held his arms out in an expression of magnanimity. “By all means, Commander.”
His guest leaned forward. “I’ll be blunt, Admiral. I want to move up in the world as much as anyone in the fleet—but not at the expense of other qualified officers.”
“They’re not qualified,” he interjected.
Garrett chuckled. “Why don’t I believe that?”
“You need to trust me,” McAteer said.
“Sorry,” she replied. “I don’t. And just for the record, Admiral, I don’t ever plan on allowing myself to be used as a political pawn—yours or anyone else’s.”
McAteer had the distinct impression that his offer had been spurned. Imagine that, he thought.
“I don’t suppose it would make any difference if I sweetened the pot?” he said.
Garrett smiled stubbornly. “There’s nothing sweet enough in this galaxy to make me your puppet, Admiral.”
McAteer scowled. Obviously, this conversation wasn’t going anywhere. There was just one thing left to do.
“I’m sorry we couldn’t help each other, Commander. I think you’ll come to regret that in time. But in any case, what we’ve discussed here today is