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The Star Beagle Adventures                                                
Episode 8: South Side of the Sky
Scene 8: Executive Consultant

8.8
Executive Consultant

“Oh no… This can’t be good…”

Pel stepped away from the door to allow her three visitors, Commodore Yui Song, Dean Sakura Nakamura Holland, and Lance Corporal Petra Spitze, to enter her quarters. The presence of so many people in her room emphasized just how small her studio accommodations were.

“You will recall that we did not include your room and board in our lease agreement for the U.S.S. Arizona,” Yui Song started. “We will need to come to a separate agreement about that…”

“I recall,” Pel replied. She wasn’t bitter about the commodore’s hard line on that particularly hotly negotiated point. In the end, Pel had to give in on it because the elderly Chinese woman was holding all the cards and she knew it. Pel had been somewhat impressed to watch a human driving such a hard bargain. 

“Part of this separate arrangement will require a change in your accommodations,” Yui continued.

Pel was instantly flustered. “But this is the smallest single accommodation on this ship. Do you seriously want me to bunk in with some of your crew?”

“Let’s take a walk,” Dean Nakamura Holland suggested.

Pel reflexively touched her ears.

“Not to worry,” Commodore Yui added. “I had my security detail clear a few corridors. So it will just be the four of us."

“Why do I get the feeling I’m about to be asked to walk the plank?” Pel muttered.

“Probably because you are,” Spike whispered, very quietly.

“I heard that!” Pel said to Spike.

“I know,” Spike replied, with a smile.

Pel was surprised when Commodore Yui ordered the turbo lift to carry them to Deck 3. She walked out onto a deck completely void of personnel except for the quartet of women exiting the lift.

“We haven’t used it much, due to the presence of the Beagle and its facilities,” Commodore Yui said. “But the Mako, like all second generation Intrepid class ships, has a conference center." She opened a door into a very large room. Portable tables and chairs were lashed to the walls, leaving a very large, open space, currently outfitted with exercise mats. 

“Well, we’ve been using it primarily as a fitness center, although there are other fitness facilities on this ship,” Yui continued. “One very large room that can, with movable walls, be sectioned into 5 separate rooms, 2 of them larger, 3 of them smaller. Commander Bates has kind of held this facility back from you. But after some discussion, we believe it would be helpful if you were to, along with your scheduling of the holodeck, add scheduling for these facilities to your portfolio. I would also like for you to continue your management of the marker exchange system…”

“I am going to need some office space to manage all of this,” Pel remarked.

“Funny you should mention that,” Sakura said. 

“The U.S.S. Mako has 9 consular quarters,” Yui continued. “Follow me…” She led the other women out of the conference center. “4 of those quarters, along with mine, are located on Deck 2 and are reserved for the executive officer, operations officer, ship’s counselor, and the coxswain. The 5 located on this deck are deliberately kept vacant for visitors. Admirals, ambassadors, visiting VIP in general.”

Yui Song opened a door into a large stateroom that included a breakfast nook, separate bedroom and a large living room with two couches. She walked to another door, which led to a separate office.

“This one is kind of a personal favorite. It has windows directly aft and also to aft port and starboard. All with rather stunning views. And, like all consular quarters, it has an office with a separate entrance so that you can conduct business without interrupting the privacy of your quarters.”

“My quarters?” Pel looked around. She had never had quarters like this anywhere. Not even her apartment on Ferenginar. “What’s the catch?”

“Scheduling facilities, the marker exchange,” said Yui Song.

“An economics curriculum and classes,” added Sakura.

“Representing the business interests of the task force with new trading partners,” Song added.

“And at least one major publication annually…” Sakura smiled.

“Trader Pel, Banker Pel, Teacher Pel, Booking Agent Pel, Writer Pel all rolled up in one?” asked Pel.

“How about executive consultant?” Commodore Yui Song asked. “We will make crew available to do a lot of the leg work on scheduling and tracking the exchange…”

“Students to help design the coursework and take on some of the teaching. Research assistants to help you with publications,” Sakura continued.

“Don’t get me wrong, it’s a lot of work,” Yui said. “But you’ve already been doing much of it on an unofficial and unreimbursed basis. It makes sense to turn it into a business arrangement and negotiate out the details and conditions.”

“Which would include this.” Pel spread her arms out, gesturing at the large, consular apartment.

“As I had indicated, our separate arrangement will require a change in your accommodations,” Yui concluded.

8.8