=/\= Bridge =/\= The mission was remarkably placid, compared to the wild rides the Chimera had over the past several months ... simple border patrol. More or less just chewing up time in the three days prior to reporting to SB 20 to let the engineers make minor adjustments and repairs, and letting the crew enjoy a week of R&R. Not too shabby, thought Andy ... ten days, essentially, of doing nothing. They were cruising along at a comparatively liesurely pace of warp 7, patrolling one peacful sector after after another ... all was quiet. ... that is until a series of lights on his panel started flashing wildly at him. Uh-oh. Something's going wrong in engineering ... seriously wrong. He looked up from his console and got Cmdr. Guzman's attention. "Sir, our warp field is collapsing," he said, unable to mask the astonishment in his voice. Sure enough, Andy felt the familiar, subtle lurch of the ship dropping out of warp, and saw the starfield on the main viewer change from streaks of light to stationary pinpoints of brightness. He looked down at his panel, brought up an engineering window, and confirmed the core was on standby. What on earth was Rogers thinking? He stared dumbfounded at the report. "We have dropped out of warp" he said, finally, stating what had by now become obvious to the entire bridge crew. Guzman, wearing a simlarly puzzled expression, turned to him. "What happened?" Andy continued to tap away at his screen, and quickly determined that the warp field wasn't actually turned off, but actually failed. But no explaination. "I dont know sir," he sighed. "Our warp field suddenly started to collapse, but I dont see a reason for that". Engineering had no current explaination, and Cmdr. Palmer's report from the helm didn't seem to indicate that there were any unusual anomalies mapped in this sector. The one strange item was from Ens. Dexter, at Tactical. A space station ... ... after Guzman's conversation with the Hotel Manager, Andy had to admit to himself that he was of mixed feelings about the Commander's decision to dock at the hotel. On one hand, who were these people? Would they have anything to do with the Chimera's warp field collapse? On the other, it appeared to be a far cry from any standard starbase accomodations ... if Guzman said the crew could start shoreleave early, then, hey, who was Andy to complain? Then again, what did Andy have to celebrate about? More often than not, Andy spent shore leave assigned to restocking provisions, and being among the skeleton crew who remained aboard the ship to run things. He sighed and sunk back into his chair, even as Palmer laid in a docking course with the hotel. Andy made the announcement regarding impending shore leave and R&R (at least I get to be the bearer of good news, if not the recipient), and Guzman excused himself to his ready room, leaving the bridge to Andy. It wasn't the first time Andy had sat in the big chair, but he did find it surprising that Guzman would have him take the conn over Cmdr. Palmer. He stared uneasily at the back of the former SSF agent's form, trying to balance the physical attraction against the unpleasant experience at the party. Again, he wondered why she'd react so negatively to him offering her a new drink. It defied logic. It defied propriety. Andy was completely befuddled, and had yet to confront Samantha on the event, intimidated simultaneously by her rank, her beauty, and probably most of all, her obvious volitility. Time passed, and Guzman had him call first Richard Cortez, then Samantha Palmer herself afterwards, into his ready room. Soon enough, as his shift wound to a close, Guzman emerged from his ready room, and Andersen stood, turning the conn back over to the Commander. Guzman nodded his thanks, and reviewed the brief report on the PADD Andy had left for him. "Looks good, Lieutenant," he said, before turning a glance toward him. "You be sure to enjoy some time at the hotel, Mr. Foster," said Guzman with an easy smile. "I prepared the bridge crew duty roster for the next three days, and you have the first two off." Andy perked. Two days?? He was getting shore leave?! At a luxury hotel! Hot comets! "Thank you, sir!" cried Andy in surprise. Guzman laughed. "Don't mention it, Lieutenant. I took a look at the last several shore leave reports, and it looks like you've gotten short shrift on most of them. High time you had some vacation for yourself." "Yes, sir! Thank you sir!" Andy's head was in a whirlwind of possibility. He quickly tapped on the ops panel, logging off, noting that his Gamma shift relief had arrived, and briskly turned to leave. "Oh, and Lieutenant," said Guzman over his shoulder, with a hint of steel in his voice. Andy stopped dead in his tracks. "Aye, sir?" "It wouldn't hurt if you continued to arrive to your shift early, as you did this morning, as opposed to the reverse," said the commander, still studying the PADD Andy had given him. Andy coughed, embarrassed and relived. "Aye, sir." Lt. Andersen Foster Operations Officer USS Chimera-A