Captain’s Log: Solo Command Mode Activated
Crew stabilized. Systems recovering. Morale improving. Recreational holodeck time approved.
It was time for a break today as soon as possible at 1600 hours — well deserved after the last three days spent captaining our starship by myself. You would think only a crew of three and seven small cats wouldn’t be too much to handle alone.
Oh, how very wrong I was.
This reminded me of my past not too long after I first acquired this starship. It was Stardate 2107.04 when I stripped my old Number 1 of his rank for severe insubordination. At the time, I didn’t know it, but later on I would recommission him for a short period of time like a fool. But that story is probably in an old log… or for another day.
When it came down to captaining the starship without a Number 1, my plate was extremely full. It made me a better Captain because I stopped participating in foolish activities — such as nightly consumption of toxic recreational beverages.
It’s hard to captain a starship by yourself, even if the crew is just one person and five small cats. A good Captain can’t risk losing a day of Officer-on-Duty status — even if it was weekly Shore Leave — due to toxic beverage overload. That time needed to be spent fixing the starship or running away missions to make sure I had enough supplies to sustain my crew.
Having my Number 1 out of commission for the past three days gave me a fresh reminder of that time. Even though the thought occasionally crosses my mind… I don’t think I would like it very much.
I technically did make an extra log two stardates ago because I recorded one in the early hours due to insomnia. I would like to think that counts toward my goal of recording a Captain’s Log every day in hopes it helps with the insomnia.
However, I was unable to record one last night due to complete exhaustion from unexpectedly captaining this starship alone.
If you’ve been following my Captain’s Logs, you know my Number 1 started a main project in the recreational and lavatory facilities of the starship three stardates ago in the early hours… and then unexpectedly threw out his back.
So I ordered him on mandatory medical leave in his crew quarters. If it didn’t improve by yesterday, we planned to take him to Deep Space Station Urgent Care for treatment.
I do have an Acting Ensign, but he’s only on board some of the time and is not even close to Starfleet Academy yet — which means not a whole lot of help and extra work on my part as Captain to show him the ropes.
Since I was already tied up with the replicators due to the tremendous amount of laundry the seven-cat crew leaves for me every week, I wasn’t thrilled about the additional workload. But as Captain, it’s my duty to make sure this starship keeps running.
The next stardate was spent cleaning up the large project Number 1 started in the recreational and lavatory facilities. This meant moving large items back into his Senior Officer Quarters so our Acting Ensign could use the lavatory for school.
I also had to pick up many more items off the floor so one of our cat crew — who we apparently cannot keep in the brig — wouldn’t mark his territory on Number 1’s personal belongings.
I keep telling him these material infatuations become less enticing as we age. I would much rather spend what little currency we have left — before some kind of revolution changes our world — creating memories, because those are the only things you can take out the airlock with you.
If I hadn’t already had back issues, I swear his back pain was spreading to me.
Unfortunately, for most of my life since Stardate 1304.15 — when I injured myself on duty during a daily away mission — I’ve had consistent back pain that no doctor on any space station has been able to properly treat.
For now, it’s mainly stretching and not overexerting my physical strength. It normally wouldn’t be this bad, but I’ve sadly lacked daily training for the last seven cycles… until recently.
If you’re interested in those types of logs, you can follow my Video Log:
TikTok.com/@leveling.up.life
Insomnia is not a fun trait when you’re captaining a starship alone. One of the many downfalls of being a female Captain.
Our doctors still haven’t found a safer or more efficient way to help with the hormonal changes that happen as our bodies age. So until they find a cure for menopause, we deal with the many side effects — like insomnia.
Especially if we prefer to avoid primitive pharmaceutical medicine full of harsh chemicals.
I try to keep our cargo bays stocked with as many pesticide-free and chemical-free supplies as we can scavenge. Even if Number 1 and the Acting Ensign don’t utilize them much… they’re there.
After the Acting Ensign returned from shore leave with his mother two stardates ago, since Number 1 was still confined to quarters, we decided I would take the Acting Ensign to school the next day.
Not a big deal — but since I’m trying to Level Up Life after going from Cadet to Captain, I’m doing my best to adhere to a strict schedule.
This meant waking up extra early to food prep in the Hydroponics Bay before training.
Training also meant a visit to the sonic shower before walking onto the Bridge, since I had to take the Acting Ensign to school early.
Since Deep Space Station Urgent Care would be in the same system, the plan was to take Number 1 in for possible trigger-point injections for his back pain — even if they are primitive compared to what the future will hopefully hold.
By the time I returned from taking the Acting Ensign to school, Number 1 was awake and decided he was feeling MUCH better and didn’t want to waste currency at the station.
Fair enough. Currency has been hard to come by these days. I really hope one day we won’t need it at all.
At that point, I had already decided to push back the Administrative Paperwork in my Ready Room — also known as The Cave — to the next day.
I also didn’t want Number 1 to think he was fully healed and injure himself further because large items were needed on away missions that day to restock the cargo bays.
One of the most important supplies?
The Acting Ensign’s weekly acceptable food source.
I was only able to adhere to part of my new strict schedule.
I spent the hour before my communications appointment with my psychiatrist working on corporation tax prep from the previous year.
Once both tasks were complete, since I was technically Off-Duty, I had a few hours of personal time. Before I knew it, it was time to begin away missions before grabbing the Acting Ensign from school.
At that point… I was exhausted.
There weren’t enough hyposprays in the galaxy to help me.
I survived the away missions with minimal damage and had an enjoyable return to Earth orbit chatting with the Acting Ensign.
But there were still no breaks for the Captain.
Since I had already cleaned the starship enough for both Number 1 and the Acting Ensign to move freely, I relieved Number 1 of duty and ordered him to rest so he could return to alert status as soon as possible.
I allowed him to delay his side mission:
Clean Starship Recreational Area and Align Personal Materials in Senior Officer Quarters.
Which, of course, meant more work for me — ensuring everyone had enough premium food rations gathered during my away missions.
The only saving grace of last night was the few hours we spent apart in our own holodecks. That’s a weekly ritual with friends for decompression time.
Today, I managed to adhere mostly to my strict schedule.
I completed my Hydroponics Bay duties before training. However, I had an early away mission with crewmember Chino to visit her vet in preparation for teeth cleaning.
That didn’t leave much time during Administrative Duties to prospect for new crew members.
Administrative work can be extremely tiring.
Which is why I was ready to pass the conn to AutoPilot right at 1600 hours and begin the well-deserved Recreational Holodeck time reserved for Number 1 and myself.
As I stated at the beginning of this Captain’s Log:
Crew stabilized.
Systems recovering.
Morale improving.
And I’m fairly certain the morale improvement might have something to do with the Reserved Holodeck Time.
For now, we’ll remain in Earth’s orbit for the remainder of this tour.
I’m looking forward to some duty rotation with Number 1 during this upcoming shore leave.
Captain’s Note:
Sometimes leadership isn’t about strength — it’s about endurance.
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