Chapter Text
The Star Beagle Adventures
Episode 16: And You And I Part I - Cord of Life
Scene 11: Coins and Crosses
Coins and crosses never know their fruitless worth …
16.11
Coins and Crosses
In the year he had been assigned to the U.S.S. Beagle, Private First Class Guz Maxwell had never set foot on the bridge. Being called to the Captain’s office was something akin to being called to the principal’s office, only far more nerve-wracking. Maxwell felt a certain kinship with the Beagle’s oddly ostentatious captain. At the same time, he had always felt intimidated by the man. There was some steel and a lot of authority behind that smile. Captain Ronald Howard, XIV was the scariest friendly guy Maxwell had ever met.
As he stepped onto the bridge, Guz Maxwell found himself in a room laid out in an equilateral triangle with no doors. He turned to look at the wall from which he had just entered. The entire wall was a viewscreen with no hint of a door. As were the other two. He turned back to see the recently reassigned Lieutenant Commander Gregg Clark sitting just a bit too regally on the ornate captain’s throne. Maxwell only knew Clark by reputation – that being that the man was unusually smart. A fitting first officer for the man who was rumored to be the smartest captain in the fleet.
All that just made Maxwell even more apprehensive. Clark had turned his chair toward the young marine and was just looking at him.
Fortunately, there was a formula for this kind of interaction. PFC Maxwell came to attention and saluted. “Private First Class Guz Maxwell, reporting as ordered, sir.”
Lt. Commander Clark smiled, turned his chair to face the starboard port monitor and gestured with his right hand to the forward corner directly opposite the wall through which Maxwell had entered.
Maxwell waited a heartbeat, then, aware that saluting was not customary with Star Fleet, first returned to parade rest. “Thank you, sir.” He walked forward under the new first officer’s watchful eye. Then stopped at the corner, where there was no hint of a door. He turned to look at Clark.
Gregg Clark smiled. “Well, go on then.”
Guz Maxwell turned toward the corner in question and had to deliberately refrain from closing his eyes as he marched into the corner. The walls receded seamlessly, revealing the captain’s office beyond. Captain Howard was sitting at his desk, flipping a large coin over and over in his fingers.
“Have a seat, Private.”
Skip Howard got up from his seat and took the chair across from Maxwell. Part of what made Skip Howard so intimidating was the tremendous sense of self-confidence that he projected. A self-confidence backed by enormous and evident intellect.
“Do you know what this is?” Captain Howard handed the coin to PFC Maxwell.
Maxwell turned the coin over, and then back over. It was an inch and a half in diameter and was a work of art. The center of the coin was silver, ringed with a thick band of gold and edged with platinum. On one side of the coin was a beautifully designed, full color depiction of an embarrassingly cute beagle, surrounded by the inscription “U.S.S. BEAGLE – Voyage of Discovery.” On the other side was the Star Fleet emblem, also in full color, surrounded by the inscription: “AUDACTER IRE QUO NEMO ANTECESSIT.”
“You designed this coin, sir,” Maxwell observed.
“How do you know?” Skip Howard was amused.
“You named this ship after the ship that carried Charles Darwin on his voyage of discovery and you asked specifically for the Space Hounds to serve in the place of Star Fleet enlisted crew.” Maxwell was pointing first to the inscription on the face side of the coin. “The design of the beagle is similar to the beagle patch worn by the U.S. Marine Space Hounds.” Maxwell patted the beagle patch on the right shoulder of his uniform jacket. “But this isn’t just any beagle. It’s designed after Porthos, Captain Jonathan Archer’s dog, who accompanied him on the first U.S.S. Enterprise.” Maxwell turned the coin to the Star Fleet emblem side and traced the inscription. “And only you would translate Dr. Cochran’s motto into Latin. I didn’t know that Star Fleet kept this tradition, but this is a Captain’s Coin.”
Skip Howard laughed. “No one had to tell me that you are a very clever man, Private. I had seven of those struck. Officers and department directors are ineligible to receive these. Those people perform at my pleasure, and I expect them to regularly surprise me with their excellence. These coins are reserved for the Nakamura Enterprises line engineers and enlisted marines whose performance goes beyond excellence. I have never awarded one of these before today. This coin is for you.”
Guz Maxwell was, for the first time he could remember, thunderstruck. “Sir?”
“This ceremony you are putting together. None of my officers or department directors thought of such a thing. I’m somewhat embarrassed that I didn’t think of it. And it is exactly what we need. This ceremony of yours may end up saving a lot of lives and solving a lot of problems.” Skip Howard leaned forward and sharply tapped Maxwell’s knee with a highly polished, glossy black fingernail. “We’re inviting the holy landers. They are a very ceremonious, ritualistic society and this ceremony of yours will provide us the best chance of a positive cultural outcome.”
“How are you going to protect us from their song?” Maxwell asked.
“We have already disseminated a program to all the personal communicators throughout the task force. In default mode, when your communicator detects an attempt to affect you using subsonic frequencies, it will produce similar frequencies that will cancel out the attacking sound. It is one of many innovations that you can thank Akri Dexx for.”
“That trill oceanographer who seduces everybody?” Maxwell asked. “Well, everybody except you and me…”
“And Gregg Clark,” Howard added.
Maxwell registered surprise. “I can’t believe I didn’t see that in him…”
“Yeah. Me neither,” Howard admitted.
“So maybe Dexx should receive this coin.”
“The coin is for you, Private. Dexx doesn’t qualify. She’s a department director. Brilliant ideas and inventions are just her way of earning her keep.” Captain Howard stood up, indicating this interview was at an end.
Maxwell stood up, came to attention and saluted. “Thank you, sir.”
Captain Howard held out his hand. Maxwell ended his salute and shook his captain’s hand. Skip Howard gripped the young marine’s hand firmly: “I want you to frame that coin, display it in your quarters, and show it to your friends. Tell them why you got it and what it means. I still have six more of these to give away before we make it back home.”
Guz Maxwell smiled, then turned to leave. The door to the bridge was evident on this side. He stopped just short of the door and turned to see Captain Howard taking his seat at his desk. “Sir, may I ask a question?”
The Beagle’s captain looked up at the young marine and made a welcoming gesture with both hands.
“Sergeant Tommy Richards… I just remember you praising him during a meeting for risking his life in some insane way to carry out your orders and how that saved the ship. You didn’t give him a coin?”
There was something just a little brittle in Howard’s smile. “Tommy risked his life for this ship and crew. Was absolutely certain he wasn’t going to survive. It was an act worthy of praise. But laying your life on the line for this ship and crew is expected behavior for a United States Marine, especially under orders. I don’t hand out a Captain’s Coin to reward a man for simply doing his job.” Howard returned his attention to something he had been working on.
Private First Class Guz Maxwell felt Captain Skip Howard’s words causing a seismic shift in his thinking. He suddenly felt 20 years older… or more. He caught his breath and noticed the Captain’s Coin in his hand. He carefully put it in the breast pocket of his uniform jacket and fastened the button. “Thank you, sir.” He turned and exited the captain’s office a different man from the young marine who had walked in only minutes earlier.
16.11