<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto">Henry stared at the screen sipping his coffee. The test they were running was stuck at 30% for what felt like a half hour. <div><br></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: garamond, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">"This is the slowest damn test I think I've ever run." Christopher said exasperated and tired. "I wouldn't be shocked if it took another 24 hours to just get to 40% completed."</span></div><div><font face="garamond, times new roman, serif" size="4"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><br></span></font></div><div><font face="garamond, times new roman, serif" size="4"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">“Yep.” Henry said taking another sip from his coffee.</span></font></div><div><font face="garamond, times new roman, serif" size="4"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><br></span></font></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: garamond, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">"I don't even know what test we are even running. Gamma shift started it about three hours ago and only because the survey team asked for it, yet nowhere did anyone even mention what the hell this test is. They just said 'make sure it gets to 100% without issue.' But no one has even briefed me on what the issue might be."</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: garamond, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><br></span></div><div><font face="garamond, times new roman, serif" size="4"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">“Yep.” Henry said, his eyes so fixed on the screen that all he saw was a blur.</span></font></div><div><font face="garamond, times new roman, serif" size="4"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><br></span></font></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: garamond, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">"And to top it all off, they send in this specialized team, like we aren't smart enough or something."</span></div><div><font face="garamond, times new roman, serif" size="4"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><br></span></font></div><div><font face="garamond, times new roman, serif" size="4"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">“Yep.” </span></font></div><div><font face="garamond, times new roman, serif" size="4"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><br></span></font></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: garamond, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">"Sorry Parks," Chris said with a sigh, "Woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning."</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: garamond, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: garamond, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">“No, you’re right.” Henry said, exasperated. “I didn’t join Starfleet to watch a process bar.”</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: garamond, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: garamond, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">(Reply Chris)</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: garamond, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: garamond, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">“What do you say we blow this popsicle stand? We can come back later when it gets to 40%, or 50, or even 90.”</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: garamond, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: garamond, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">(Reply Chris)</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: garamond, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: garamond, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">“Oh come on, what’s the worst that can happen? Let’s have some fun for a change.”</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: garamond, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: garamond, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">(Reply Chris)</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: garamond, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: garamond, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">(Posted by Tim)</span></div><div><font face="garamond, times new roman, serif" size="4"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><br></span></font></div><div><font face="garamond, times new roman, serif" size="4"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><br></span></font></div><div><font face="garamond, times new roman, serif" size="4"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><br></span></font><br><div dir="ltr">Sent from my iPad</div></div></body></html>