Personal Log, Lt. Jen Lee

Stardate 9905.14

Another talk with Ying-Ying

Jen sits in her office, cup of coffee by her side, and mounds of PADDs all about her. The ship time is 0030, and she is the only one left in Science. Her uniform jacket is unzipped, and her hair unbound. She is reading Ensign Silberman's report on her latest Botany experiment, when her console beeps. She absently reaches over and hits the button to begin communication, assuming it is Alex, wondering when she's going to be getting off work. After she finishes reading the sentence she was on when the beep sounded, she glances up at the console.

Peering out at her was her friend Ying-Ying, looking bright and cheerful. Doing a quick mental calculation, she realized that it was more like 1000 on her part of Earth. Ying's day was just beginning. "I knew you'd be there! I told Lien not to worry about you like that ... you were fine. I would have known immediately had you not been."

Wearily, Jen looked into her friend's eyes, not comprehending a thing. "Huh?"

Ying sighed heavily. "I know you were involved in the fighting at Betazed. And, I also knew you personally made it through the skirmish, since I couldn't feel a break in our link. Lien of course, pessimist that he is, thought you were just too far away for me to feel such things. Men. They just don't get the special link between best friends do they?"

Smiling, Jen replied, "Oh, I think they do ... but they just don't like to show it. But, yes, we made it through the battle at Betazed. We're in orbit around Tunis making repairs though. We did lose some people, but thankfully, the Federation survived."

"I was watching the vid ... the Fed was moving a bit jerkily there ... it was almost comical to see ... did you have a child at the helm or something?"

Turning a bright shade of red, Jen replies, "Um ... no, we didn't have a kid at the helm. They put the Chief Science Officer there instead. A kid might have done better."

Looking shocked, "Oh my Goddess ... that was you? I'm so sorry ... maybe that's why they didn't say who was at the helm of the Fed as they did with the others there."

Hanging her head in her hands, "Why? Why me?"

Trying to bolster her friend's mood, Ying tries to change the subject. "So, what are you doing working now? I would have thought you'd be home ... getting ready for bed."

Looking back up at her friend, "I've been working crazy hours lately. I've been taking a few hours off in the evening, then having to come back here at night to catch up. I haven't been sleeping much either for that matter."

With a raised eyebrow, "Oh? What ever could drag you away from your work? The last time I knew of you forgoing work for something else was ..." Ying fades out as she thinks, then turns to the screen with a wide grin, "So, who is he? You've gotta tell me all about it."

Not believing Ying could know her so well, she replies quite perturbed, "What is it with you? Are you certain you aren't a full Betazoid?" But, thinking about her new friend, she couldn't stay upset for long, and a smile grew on her face as time went by. "His name is Alex Hunter. He just transferred over to our Security department. Things are still in the beginning stages, so I'm not going to jinx myself by saying anything more."

Nodding, Ying replies, "Well, you know the ritual. I need pictures, biography, vids if possible, and then I want to meet him ... on here if need be, but preferably here on Earth." Once she's done, Ying looks too much like her mother for Jen not to notice.

"Yes, mom. But it'll take awhile." She shakes her head, and looks at the chronometer. "Oh gosh, I've gotta run, Ying. It's 0100 ... I need some sleep!"

As Jen reaches for the button to stop the communication, Ying calls out, "Remember I need the info!"

Trying to hold back a huge yawn but failing, Jen gathers up the more important PADDs, and leaves her office. "Computer, lights out." The lab goes black, emergency lighting the only illumination.

� ��

� � � �