Security - Keith R. A. DeCandido [22]
“What can I do for you, Tev?”
“I am in need of counsel, and you are the only person on this ship I trust to provide it. I am having—difficulties with Commander Gomez.” He filled Bartholomew in on their recent conversation. “The poor woman is obsessed with me, and now, because I refuse to return her affections, she is sabotaging my career. I cannot go to Captain Gold—he would likely take her side.”
Bartholomew was frowning now, and scratching his chin. “Uh, Tev? I don’t know how to tell you this, but—” He sighed. “You’re wrong. Dead wrong.”
Tev found that impossible to believe. “About what?”
Shaking his head, “I honestly don’t know where to start. But the biggie is Commander Gomez’s alleged affection for you. Trust me—that is all in your head.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. She has gone from indecisive and hesitant to aggressive and hostile. Of course, she—”
“Tev, you’re thinking like a Tellarite.”
Confused, Tev asked, “How else would I think?”
“Well, if you’re gonna psychoanalyze a human, then you should think like one. Humans don’t court each other that way. Hostility isn’t a sign of respect—especially from her.”
“What is it a sign of then?”
“That she’s really really really pissed off, and if you don’t do something about it—and not what you think you should do about it—it’ll be more than your promotion prospects that you’ll have to worry about.” Bartholomew took a quick sip of his coffee. “Tev, you are an incredibly brilliant engineer, but you’re not perfect. And you’re not among Tellarites.”
“You have not said anything of which I wasn’t already aware.” Tev snuffled. This conversation was starting to annoy him. He supposed that Bartholomew’s insights were useful, since he, like the commander, was human, but still…
“Then you should probably start acting appropriately. You’re third in command, Tev, not first, and not second.”
“I am also aware of that. I suppose you will also tell me that I fear that others will steal my work.”
“Do you fear that?”
Tev snuffled angrily. “Of course not. I can’t imagine why anyone would believe that I would think the crew of this ship to be on a level with Eevraith.”
Bartholomew raised an eyebrow. “This is the same Eevraith who took your definitive work on that orbital ring around Kharzh’ulla and claimed it as his own, a brilliantly written monograph—I read it, remember—that made Eevraith’s entire career. That Eevraith?”
“I do not appreciate your sarcasm, Bartholomew.” Tev snuffled again, and made to get up from his chair. “The life Eevraith now has would not have been for me. I’m better off.”
“Sure, you know that now and feel that way now. But twenty years ago? When Eevraith first stole your work, Romulan puns and all?”
Tev stopped rising and remained seated, remembering that Bartholomew had been the one—at Commander Gomez’s instigation—to read the monograph Eevraith claimed as his own, and recognized the Romulan curses he’d worked in as puns to an audience that knew nothing of the language.
Bartholomew continued. “You were just a young student. The betrayal had to hurt, and I can imagine that you would’ve sworn to yourself—even subconsciously—that you wouldn’t let that happen to you again.”
Tev almost smiled. “You’re thinking like a human.”
“Maybe.” Bartholomew did smile. “That doesn’t necessarily mean I’m wrong.” He dropped the smile. “Look, whether you like it or not, this is a team, and a small one at that. I know you can work with people. You’ve come close more than once. But you’ve got to set aside your ego.”
“And my arrogance, too?”
“No, you need that.” Bartholomew chuckled. “I know Tellarite, remember? I know that the word for arrogance and the word for self are one and the same.”
Tev nodded. He remembered his surprise that the primary human tongue didn’t consider the concepts synonymous.
“But you can’t just barrel through on your own brilliance and hope everyone will catch up. Before you know it, you’re going to fall behind.”
“Senior staff and S.C.E. team, report to the bridge.”
Lieutenant Shabalala’s voice snapped Tev to attention. He stood up, as