Journal of Asher Landerson: Excerpt 2

Among his other qualities, the captain is a wuss.  The engineers go behind his back to disobey his standing orders, and what does he do?  He tells me to tell them why he doesn’t want them in the FTL room.

He doesn’t need to explain himself.  He’s the captain.  This is his ship.  There is no higher authority than him in a hundred light years.  Now, I can understand him delegating to me to enforce his orders, since a Captain ought not to dirty his hands, but there’s a difference between enforcement and explanation.  And he was very explicit that he wanted me to explain his orders.

Well, I did, that’s my duty.  That’s the way it works – he’s wrong, damn him, but his orders are orders.  So I explained to them why he won’t allow anyone in that room.

I also took it upon myself to explain that the captain was being merciful and unreasonably nice, and that if I were in his shoes, I would have them both locked in rooms—separate rooms—save for when their skills are directly needed.  No going around the ship and inciting mutiny.  If they aren’t responsible with their privileges, then those privileges are taken away.

That’s the way the ship should be run.  And the captain shouldn’t wuss around with explanations for his orders.  If people obey your orders only because you convince them that you’re right, then they are going to question your every order, you’re going to have to take the time to explain every order, and then they will still disobey any order if they find some flaw in it.  He’s just inviting people to question his authority!

I’m going to go talk to the damn captain.  See if he’ll give me permission to speak freely, so I can explain to him his own stinking role on this lousy ship.