Rura Penthe #55"
By: Teilani Dane, Chief Medical Officer, [PC]

Stardate: 58204.26 0000

Sickbay

Teilani had been working in the science lab for what seemed ages. She had taken care of the cloning of Cmdr Wrights arm. The process was still slow but progressed according to her calculation. She had added some new nutrients to the gel the cells were placed in and the first medical readings were promising.

She yawned when she went back to sick bay. It was quiet there, some of the medical staff had the night off . One of her last tasks of the day was checking on Mason. He was doing fine yet still remained unresponsive to external stimuli.

“Hey Mase, Teilani said softly. “You’r interested in a short story? I found something great in the ships data base. It is called the Great bell.”

Teilani pulled up a chair close to the bio bed and made herself comfortable. “ You know this story would work well for Chief Silvio too. O.k. here it goes.”.

With a soft and clear voice Teilani began to read out loud.

+++

The king of the short-sighted and stunted people, a wise old man, acting on the wishes of his people, had ordered that a giant bell designed to strike hourly be built. The engineers of the land, labouring hard and long, have duly produced a bell, gigantic in all proportions, and it is now hoisted on a huge platform at the centre of the country. The bell, however, fails to strike at the required times. To resolve this problem, the king calls a general assembly.

"My people," the king begins when the people have gathered, "We greet you!"

"Great king of ours we greet you!" the people respond.

"My loyal and beloved people, we greet you!"

"Great king, we greet you! We greet you!! We greet you!!!"

His brow deeply creased, the king acknowledges the cheers of his subjects with grave nods and settles into his throne.

"The Great Bell has been finished," he proclaims.

"Yeeaah!!!" the people cheer. "Long live the king!"

"But," he cautions, "the bell is not yet working properly."

Well-disposed to their king, the short-sighted and stunted people are quick in offering suggestions.

"Set more engineers on it!"

"Hire some foreign engineers!"

"No! Consult the Oracle!"

"Yes! Consult the Oracle!"

"That's it! The Oracle!"

The cries go on and on until the old king raises his hand.

"My loyal and beloved people," His Majesty says, "We appreciate your concern and interest in our Great Bell. However, we doubt if this is a matter for the Oracle. Besides, the engineers know what the problem is. But they have not been able to solve it. That is why we are gathered here today"

The people can barely wait for His Majesty to finish.

"What is the problem?"

"Why can't the engineers solve it?"

"What sort of engineers are they, fake ones?"

"They shouldn't be paid!"

"They should be caned!"

"I say they should be hanged!"

"Yes, hang them!"

"Hang the engineers!"

The passionate short-sighted and stunted people rail on until the royal hand goes up again. "My loyal people," His Majesty coaxes, "We doubt if this is a hanging matter. The engineers have done a great job. Why should we hang them for a problem they can't solve? Remember they are a part of us too. Indeed, we think they should be highly rewarded for their work!"

"Yes, I agree. Let's reward them!"

"A cow with a bell for each!"

"Yes, one man; one cow!"

"Fair enough, one man; one cow!"

"No! A white bicycle is better!"

"But that is the king's official vehicle!"

"A black one then. A black bicycle for each man!"

"That's better, one man; one bicycle!"

"Agreed. One man; One bicycle!"

"But the Great Bell is not yet working properly!"

"I wanted to say that."

"Well, now someone else has said it."

The king smiles and strokes his curly grey beard as he muses over his subjects. One minute they want a hanging, the next they want to hand out rewards. He is still smiling as his hand goes up.

"My beloved people, we believe the first thing we should do is find out what the problem is. Why is the Great Bell not working properly?"

"Yes, yes, yes," the people agree, "why?"

"The answer to that," His Majesty declares, "can best be provided by the Chief of Engineers."

"Summon the Chief of Engineers!"

"Let him come before us!"

"People!" His Majesty proclaims and the arena quickly acquires a major attribute of cemeteries: the silence of the dead. "My beloved people," His Majesty says, his voice softening, "we give you the Chief of Engineers. He will tell you what is wrong with our Great Bell."

A lanky monocled man with wire-brush grey beards appears on the dais where the king sits with his entourage. He presses his monocle lightly as he executes a slight bow before the king. Then he whips a sheaf of papers out of his pocket.

"Great king I salute you. With your kind permission, Your Majesty..."

The Monarch acknowledges the salutation and motions for the Chief of Engineers to proceed. The latter faces the people. "Great people I greet you!"

"Chief of Engineers we greet you!"

"The problem with the Great Bell is that it fails to strike at hourly intervals as it had been designed to do."

The short-sighted and stunted people, a great talkative lot if there has ever been one, display their vaunted mettle of the tongue.

"Did you hear that man?!"

"Hey you! Don't we know that already?"

"Did they say this man is the Chief of Engineers?"

"I greatly fear for that Great Bell!"

"Look, why won't the Great Bell strike at hourly intervals?"

"Tell us why not what!"

"Speak, man speak!"

"He is speaking! But until you shut up you will never hear him!"

"You too shut up!"

"After this, meet me at the well, you'll see yourself!"

"Hey you two, shut up!"

His Majesty's hand goes up. "People, people, control yourselves. Chief of Engineers, please continue."

The Chief of Engineers plunges in. "The Great Bell won't strike because a big spring restrains the hammerhead."

The people are incensed.

"Well then, take the damned spring off!"

"I can't believe my ears!"

"This man should be caned, I say!"

"Is this the Chief of Engineers?"

"Incredible!"

"I doubt if he can engineer a pot of soup!"

"That will be too much for him! Can he engineer food into his stomach?!"

"I bet he couldn't engineer his wife into pregnancy!"

"Oh, what a shame!"

Again, His Majesty's hand institutes silence.

"My beloved people," he teases, "stop heaping abuse on the Chief of Engineers. Allow him to explain things to you. After all, he is the Chief of Engineers."

The Chief of Engineers thanks His Majesty and directs a gaze of long-suffering at the people. "The spring holding back the hammerhead cannot be removed because it's removal will cause the hammerhead to fall and wreck the Great Bell. We can not allow that to happen. It will be a grave calamity."

"So what is the solution?" comes the retort from the people.

His Majesty gives a royal throat-clearing. "My beloved people, it is you who must offer suggestions to be considered by the engineers."

Elated at the chance to show their problem-solving prowess, the short-sighted and stunted people fall over themselves.

"Put a screw through the hammerhead to hold it in place then remove the spring."

"Nonsense! Add more steel to the hammerhead to--"

"Rubbish! Place the hammerhead in a vice-like grip so--"

"You're dumb! That hammerhead is not strong enough--"

"And you need to hang a bell around your neck so people will know a cow is coming!

The hammerhead is not the problem! The problem is the spring--"

"Are you the only one here? Please let me say something--"

"No it's my turn--"

"It's mine--"

"Mine I say!"

The wise old king raises his hand. "People, people, control yourselves! Everyone shall have a say. But first let's hear what the Chief of Engineers think of the ideas we have heard so far." +++

Teilani smiled. “ Well Mase, I think you have heard enough today. I will continue another time. Sleep well and be safe."

Tbc