NCO Gavin Jeffreys was soaked. When the sink in his quarters blew up he happened to be standing directly in front of it. Now, he was on the floor fixing the problem.
"The best thing about Earth is that we get REAL water. No mini-replicators ta deal with. The WORST thing about Earth is REAL water. Now, I'm not only an engineer, but a plumber as well," he said to himself.
He finished tightening the pipe fittings and stood up. He looked into the mirror. "Aye, just a touch a gray. Like ma grandfather always told me, 'Gray in a women means she's out ta pasture. Gray in a man means he's distinguished.'" He stopped smiling for a second as he ran his hand over his balding scalp. "Distinguished? About as distinguished as my..."
The door chimed.
"It never stops, does it," Gavin said as he headed for the door. It chimed again. "Yes, yes, I'm coming. Don't wear out the button!"
The door slip open and Jeffreys quickly stated, "It's ma day off. Give me a rest." He stopped when he saw who had come for a visit.
"Well," said Picard, "I'll just come back another time if you're too busy," he said watching water drip onto the carpet.
"SIR! I had no idea it was you! Come in, come in." He stepped aside to let the senior officer step in. Picard did so, graciously. "Have a seat and give me a second to change. Just had a bit of a run in with a mad sink."
Picard walked over to the replicater. "One cup of Earl Gray, hot, no caffeine." A steaming cup materialized. He took a sip, his lips had come accustomed to the high temperature many years ago.
"Was that, 'no caffeine,' I heard?" asked Gavin as he walked back out into the living area.
"Yes, well, I've changed my diet a bit. Must watch my health these days," he said, sitting down.
"Not that I don't enjoy your company, but what brings you here? Aren't you still in recovery?"
Picard smiled a bit. "Well, I probably should be, but that never stopped me. Answer me this question. Why did you leave the Enterprise after the crash on Veridian III?"
Gavin sat in a chair opposite his old captain, "I just came to realize that I wasn't really cut out for deep space. I was sittin on that ship, trying to keep calm as it hurdled to the planet's surface. We lost a few people on that mission. We lost a lot of people in our missions. Granted, it may have been one of the smallest in Starfleet, but the first man that died scared me.
"I prefer it here on Earth. No risk. The only time I've seen a man die was when he skipped precaution and vaporized himself messing with a high output conduit. That's his own fault, not the Romulans or the Klingons or the damned Cardassians."
Picard set his cup down. "I can understand you feelings. It take courage to admit that you're afraid as ironic as it sounds. But, sometimes a man has to give in to his fears for the sake of advancement."
Gavin wasn't sure where this was heading, but he had an idea.
"Have you ever heard of Supply Base 901?"
Gavin laughed. "I've heard of just about every damn thing around here. It doesn't mean that I remember a thing about any numbers."
Picard smiled, understanding. "Well, let me refresh your memory. You know about the Brian Patch I'm sure." Gavin nodded in agreement. "Well, Starfleet has come to the conclusion that in order to keep our ships safe, as well as traders and civilians in the area, that some sort of base needs to be placed on the opposite side of the Patch."
"Aye, we wouldn't want our resident legend to be kidnapped again."
"I personally don't want anyone hurt anymore. As you mentioned, I have a personal reason for wishing to be part of this assignment. I've been given the job of hand selecting the crew for this imperative base."
Gavin had heard enough. It was now obvious what Picard wanted. He stood up. "Now, Captain..."
"Admiral," Picard said, cutting him off. "They kicked me upstairs in my retirement."
"It dinna matter! I'm too old to go out and be a hero! I'm pushing half a century. I turn 47 in three weeks."
Picard sat back a bit. "You do realize that I'm 78 years old. I've got quite a few years on you."
Gavin calmed down a bit. He hadn't remembered how old the Admiral was. He didn't look a day over 60. Strange how he could keep so young. Now that I think of it, he seems to have grown some hair back, thought Jeffreys.
"Sir, I understand, but I'm just not up for it. I enjoy working here on Earth. I don't need to fly off into space to be a full time repair main on some supply base."
"Well, that's OK," said Picard. "I don't want you to be the Chief Engineer." Gavin looked confused for the moment. Picard stood up, Gavin followed suit. The admiral walked over to Gavin and put his left hand on the younger's shoulder. "Gavin Jeffreys, I'm proud to present you with this:" he pulled a set of three full pips out of his pocket, "I hereby promote you to the rank of Commander. Your new assignment is as the Commander of Supply Base 901."
Gavin stepped back. "Sir, ya must be joking! Ya may be right when ya say that I'm not to old ta be changin' assignments, but really! I kinna start being a Commander now! I've been an NCO fer my entire career!" His Scottish accent became stronger when he was excited.
"I was 58 when I took command of the Enterprise."
"Yes! But you also had been Captain of the Stargazer for about 20 years by that point! I've never done anything like command. With all due respect, I refuse."
"I understand your lack of confidence, but I have full confidence in you. As far as your refusal is concerned, it doesn't matter. I've already put through the transfer and promotion. The only way to get out of it now is resignation."
Gavin was quiet. He wasn't sure what to believe. But, he could see in Picard's eyes that he wasn't joking. "Sir, how were ya able to get through a transfer AND promote an NCO to Commander without MY approval?"
"You'd be surprised what you can do when you're Jean-Luc Picard. Now, I'll leave you to yourself for a while. You've got a lot to think about, a lot to read, and by the looks of things," he said as he looked around Gavin's home, "a lot to pack. You take command in two weeks." With that Picard left the room.
Gavin stood in awe for another ten minutes.