Chapter III

Chapter III.

As Proudhawk followed Kirk out of the Officer's Lounge, he immediately exclaimed, "Why were you chastising me in the Lounge? It was bad enough that I made a stupid mistake but you didn't have to come down on me so hard, Jim."

"Just what gives you the right to walk into a room, and immediately start probing someone else's mind, whether they're suspect or not?"

"I noticed that he was wearing insignia from Computers and Engineering, and I hadn't seen him aboard Saratoga before and I was checking to see who he was, and he blocked me out."

"If you were in the same situation, wouldn't you block somebody out, if that's possible?"

"Not a light scan. Like I had started to do."

"How can you tell if it's actually a light scan, or if somebody's actually attacking you?"

"There's a difference. A light scan does not push, and an attack is usually full force!"

"How do you know that he knew the difference?"

"I was only reading surface thoughts, if I went deeper, he would have known, but as soon as that wall of his went up, I tried to probe deeper."

"So, you were pushing?"

"Yes."

"Enough said?"

"Yes, sir." said Proudhawk as they entered Kirk's quarters.

"Now what you did was right in principle, but not in theory. You should have approached through a different manner, after all, I could have just as easily had access to Engineering and the Computer core as he did."

"But, you are an Admiral, no one..."

"That makes no difference."

"You are known on this ship, no one knew who he was."

"But you saw him sitting with Spock, McCoy and myself. You think we'll just let anybody sit with us?"

"No."

"Well, since Lt. Christenson has been on this ship now, less than an hour, there is no way he could be familiar with it."

"But, there is no difference between the Saratoga and any other Enterprise class ship. He would not have had to be on Saratoga to know where to go, or what to do."

"Did you bother to check with Heather about the possibility of him being an intruder or new personnel?"

"No..."

"I then repeat my question that I stated earlier. By what right?"

"I guess I wasn't thinking."

"I think that sums it up."

"But, Jim, he attacked Heather, she didn't do anything to him."

"I cannot give you an answer to that right now. I will have to speak to Lt. Christenson myself." as he reaches to his communications panel and calls Sickbay. "Sickbay."

"McCoy here, sir."

"Send Lt. Christenson to my quarters as soon as you are done with him. Kirk out."

"Yes, sir."

"Now that this is taken care of, you are dismissed, and I will inform you of my conclusions after I speak to Heather and Lt. Christenson."

"Yes, sir." Proudhawk turns to leave, then pauses. "Jim, I did what I thought was right. And when I heard and felt Heather's scream..."

"I understand, Proudhawk. Just take this as a lesson of life and learn from it and hope that everything comes out for the better."

"Thank you, Jim." Proudhawk leaves Kirk's quarters.

Part 4