on Nov 3rd, 2008Gail McShane and the Brass Secret
She woke up to the sound of the computer.
Good morning officer McShane. Ship time is now Six Hundred Hours. You are scheduled to over see primary bridge renovations today, January 13th 9980.
To which Officer Gail McShane responded the same way she had for the last 7 years “I know what year it is!”
Gail got ready as she normally did while the computer showed details of the travel that occurred while she had slept. Gail McShane was someone unique aboard the ship in that she was sentimental. Most people who grow up in an environment were absolutely 100% of all materials are recycled, never get a change to be sentimental – especially about physical objects. McShane used her status as an officer to buy her a few exceptions. She was allowed to keep her journal with pen and paper, knowing full well of course that the computer was digitally archiving them as she wrote and that when she died they would be recycled. That is the luxury that an officer is afforded if they so desire. McShane though was unique, most officers had no items of personal value. Events and achievements were documented by the computer and could be called up at any time. McShane was sentimental and that was why that day of her life would be different from every other day she had known.
McShane was some what sentimental about her job of over seeing the primary bridge renovations. She had spent much of the last 4 years of her life working on that bridge. She knew though that every part of the ship was renovated from time to time – it wasn’t an option. Renovations had to be done for reliability and maintenance purposes. Over seeing the renovations didn’t involve much work except making sure nothing was damaged. Later in the day after coming back from a meal she saw one of the workers removing the brass plate from the one of the walls near the door. McShane wondered to herself how many hours she had spent looking into that simple brass plate. She asked the maintenance worker what he was going to do with it even though she knew full well that he was going to add it to the recycle. He also pointed out that he couldn’t imagine why the scratched up brass plate was ever used for a repair in the first place. McShane didn’t ask what he meant, the only explanation for its odd presence on the bridge was that it must have been used in some kind of repair. Flexing the little bit of extra authority she had for being an officer she told the technician to leave it. She wanted to keep it for herself. The young technician obliged, knowing her odd reputation for being sentimental.
Later that night when she had returned to her quarters and was lying awake in bed, curiosity got the best of her. She asked the computer, why a brass plate was ever used in a repair on the wall of the bridge. She was more shoecked to learn that it hadn’t. The computer explained that that brass plate had always been on the bridge. She asked why. The answer seemed so foreign to her. The plate was a commemorative plaque celebrating the ships launch. The computer also explained that plate had once been laser etched with information about the ship, information that must have been lost over years of cleaning and scratches. McShane got out of bed and asked the computer to show her if there was an image of what the plate had once said. The computer showed her an image of a very shiny brass plate that read as follows:
Multigeneration Ship Dorothy
launched this 20th day of April in the year of our lord 9008
May She find a home somewhere over the rainbow
She muttered rather quietly to her self… Dorothy…. (McShane suspected that no one aboard the ship at that moment except her knew that the ship had a name and that it was Dorothy).
The ship computer responded “Yes Ma’am.
McShane was shocked and then she said “The ships name is Dorothy?”
Yes Ma’am.
And we have been out her 972 years.
No Ma’am.
What, the image says the ship was launched in the year 9008, that was 972 years ago.
The computer responded “No Ma’am, this is ship date 9980.”
McShane responded “I have told you before I know what year it is.”
“Yes Ma’am and the ship date began at zero when the ship was launched. The Mutligeneration ship Dorothy has been traveling Nine Thousand Nine hundred eighty years and thirteen days.”
McShane fell back in her bad…
“I guess I didn’t know what year it was!”
I really like this.
Awwwwwwww.
This was great, It.
It truly was.
I would be like McShane if I lived in the 9000’s where there was no sentiment.
I would journal and I would be curious and I would have a weird reputation.
I would only use my supervisory power for good things like finding out about old brass plates.
Your ability to create this character in such a way that one can identify with her so very much is impeccable.
Wondrous, this was to read, It.
Simply wondrous.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.