<USS Avalon> "The First Step"

The First Step
By Sr. Lieutenant Elissabeth Marksbury, Jr. Lieutenant James Monroe, Ensign 
Kyle Fenner, Ensign Ffej Harak, 
and Ensign Sussanna Jameson



 

"Every day you may make progress."

The murmur of conversation ceased the moment Lt. Marksbury stood in the doorway 
and began to speak. "Every step may be fruitful," she continued as, with a 
confident step that belied her soft-spoken manner, she took her place at the 
front of the room. From behind the podium she silently measured each team 
member with her gaze. "Yet there will stretch out before you an 
ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path."

Ensign Fenner felt the intensity of Lieutenant Marksbury's gaze as it lingered 
on him. He met her eyes, nodding almost imperceptibly towards her. She was 
obviously quoting someone, but he couldn't place the speaker. Stiffling a yawn, 
he jotted the opening phrase onto his PADD as she took a breath to continue.

"You know you will never get to the end of the journey." Her eyes continued to 
travel over the audience, silently hanging onto her words. Finally offering a 
small smile, she asked, "Who can finish this quote?"

Not expecting anyone to answer immediately, she intentionally made eye contact 
with each of the other people in the room, assessing their reactions. Just as 
she expected, most avoided her eyes, though a few held her gaze for several 
moments. Lt. Monroe didn't look away, but that wasn't exactly a surprise. 
Ensign Jameson was observing her companions and their reactions instead of 
looking at her. Ensign Fenner was busy looking up the answer on his PADD and it 
nearly made her smile. Resourceful.

Jameson, sitting in the back of the room, also noted Fenner working on his 
PADD. She took a closer look at the short ensign and realised it was the little 
man she'd passed outside Marksbury's office. 

"I know this!" Petty Officer Crossland bellowed out. "Who was that guy again?" 
Tapping the ensign next to him, he repeated, "I know this... I swear."

"Mr. Crossland?"

"Ooh! It's on the tip of my tongue, just? on the tip... It was Roosevelt, 
right? I can't remember the quote, but it was Roosevelt."

"Incorrect. Why don't you look it up on your PADD?" At her question, most of 
the people in the room reached for their PADDs, others looked around awkwardly.

Red-faced, Crossland answered after looking around the desk and floor, "Uh... 
it was here somewhere... I swear I brought it with me."

"Glad to see you came prepared."  Marksbury returned to scanning the room, 
waiting for someone to speak, when she felt the intrusion in her mind.  She 
made immediate eye contact with Ensign Harak.  He smiled and his gaze 
intensified. 

Ma'am, I'm afraid I would be denying the rest of the team a learning 
opportunity by answering.

She stared at him coolly as if she hadn't heard what he said, when her 
attention was drawn by another voice.

"But this, so far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the 
climb."

"Thank you, Lt. Matthews," she stated. "Mr. Monroe," she turned to address the 
other Lt., "who am I quoting?"

Looking up from his PADD, Lt. Monroe answered, "Sir Winston Churchill, circa 
1940s, Earth." He looked at the still blushing petty officer, then smiled, 
"Though Mr. Churchill and Roosevelt were friends, working closely together 
during World War II."

Fenner looked from Crossland, to Monroe, and finally to Marksbury. He'd seen 
this before, during the first week of Intel training. The lieutenant had used 
his resources, he'd defended Crossland, and he would be made a leader for it - 
a leader the others would willingly follow. Fenner's eyes scanned the room. 
Would Matthews be Monroe's counterpart?

"Mr. Fenner," she addressed, knowing he was watching and putting the group 
dynamics into perspective, "please read the quote in its entirety."

Ensign Fenner briefly scanned the first two lines before beginning to read from 
his PADD, acting out the words as if they were his own. "Every day you may make 
progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an 
ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path. You know you will never 
get to the end of the journey. But this, so far from discouraging, only adds to 
the joy and glory of the climb."

"Thank you, Ensign Fenner." Then addressing the entire room, Marksbury spoke 
quietly, but emphatically, "I suggest you take it to heart. I suggest you 
memorize it. I suggest you let it become your mantra." Pausing to let her words 
sink in, she continued, "Welcome to your ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, 
ever-improving path. Be here at oh-four-hundred hours. Tardiness will not be 
tolerated; no excuses, no exceptions. That gives you," she looked at her wrist 
chronometer, "approximately four hours sleep. Dismissed."

She watched the myriad of thoughts play across their faces as they gathered up 
their things and filtered out of the room. Elissabeth took a deep breath and 
let it out slowly once the last person exited. Before this was over, they were 
going to hate her. But with her as a common enemy, they would become a team. 

Walking to a console, she uploaded the names of the covert ops team. "Computer, 
over-ride the locks for the following quarters at oh-two-hundred hours, 
authorization Marksbury-delta-three-kappa." With her mouth set in 
determination, she sat at a table, looking over the roster and wondering who 
would overcome their first challenge.





                
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