USS Dark Fire (IC)

[sereneotter00]

◅ XIANA MARLOWE ▻​

While she was listening attentively, she was having a hard time holding L’Sa’s gaze. Nodding along to every few words, she mainly absorbed the information. She was flattered, maybe a little jealous at the mention of Skye, but she’d be lying if she said it didn’t sound intriguing. Both of them were remarkable people with looks to match; being with one of them would be a privilege as it was, especially knowing how unique the situation was. She hadn’t been in a serious relationship with someone in over a decade herself, and here she was being asked to be with two. Her neck felt warm again.

“I’ve never been in that sort of dynamic. Granted, neither have you two. I mean, less than a month ago I swore I was heterosexual, and here I am.”

Right, she hadn’t mentioned her other adventure. “I hadn’t really talked about this,” she didn’t think she had anyone to say it to. Well, K’alena, but she also hadn’t seen her in a minute. She made a mental note to do a check-in later. “I did sleep with the captain, and it was for therapeutic purposes. I truly am still not sure if it worked, but I wanted to be honest. I doubt it’ll happen in the future. I’m still rather upset with her.”

“You have a right to not be attracted to one person or the other, but personally, I don’t think her being more sexually active is inherently bad if it stays within reason.” The reason in question being positions of power, of course. “She did make an effort to cater to me that time, prior to anything. I thought it was kind. A bit stereotypical, but nothing actually offensive.”

“Anyhow,” Xiana continued, “I am flattered, and I’m not saying no either; I suppose I’m just nervous. If it isn’t strictly sex, if it’s commitment, that’s an entirely new layer. It’s having to be worried about you two’s well-beings more intimately, or wondering what a future would look like, or facing criticism from coworkers. What if someone accused us of being biased? What if word got out and they used that as an excuse to reject your request?”

She froze immediately when L’Sa began discussing love but sighed with relief otherwise. “No, that’s okay. If you’d said yes, I would’ve bolted. Not because love is bad, of course; it’s just tragically too soon.”

She laid back down, fully turning to the Vulcan. “I just need you to be sure of this, both of you. I don’t think it will be easy for any of us. I can be jealous or anxious and I’m still learning more and more of Vulcans, I’ll need a lot of patience, and in a worst-case scenario end in disaster. But if that’s a risk you’re willing to take…” Xiana trailed off, waiting for a response

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870605.1700

L’Sa:​

“You are accurate in your assessment that if this is not just sexual relations it alters and changes things. Any relationship is complicated. A Human-Vulcan one more so. A homosexual one more so. A triad even more-so. When it becomes all of them the complications are exceedingly significant and there is no need to rush anything. After-all you may find Jordan offensive or unmanageable.”

“Often I find the logic of prearranged pair bonding logical for Vulcan children. It removes the emotional and psychological aspects and reduces it to purely logical and efficient patterns.”

“As for jealousy, you have yet to see Vulcan’s undergo Pon Farr. Males and females both can kill for their bond-mate.”

“You would also need to learn much more about Vulcan’s. Psychologically, emotionally, biologically, and culturally. Becoming part of a relationship, either in a duality or triad, relationship you would need to understand what is happening and why. And no you would not need to be perfect. Jordan has been learning for over a decade and has not mastered it. Speaking the language at least enough to be semi-conversational would be important. And if you choose to attempt this it could not pass beyond the sexual stage until after Pon Farr.”

“This is not meant as an insult, but you are not ready to be a part of such an event. Though you would be allowed to be present – potentially - as long as Jordan and I are allowed to have the time together off from our duties to ‘copulate’ as often as I need.”

“But I am willing, Jordan will have to be consulted in case he has altered his opinion or mindset on such a relationship. It’s not many humans that are willing to share a partner, or be shared. A poly-amorous, or triad, is... complicated.”​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ XIANA MARLOWE ▻​

If merely hearing of all the Vulcan requirements for something as simple as a relationship made Xiana privately overwhelmed, she couldn’t help but second-guess herself. What if she couldn’t adapt, or failed, or caused complications between the two?

She got on her feet cautiously, starting to dress herself. “But I care about the emotional and psychological aspects. I want romance and—and tension and all that cliché stuff humans go on and on about. I also would hate to put you in a situation you are not happy with.”

“How about this?” Xiana said, giving a hop or two as she pulled her leggings back up to her waist. “Maybe you should talk to Jordan, see what he wants, and then we can all talk this out. You two could come have dinner with me; we’ll discuss our preferences, limits, and conclusions, and collectively decide on what this… thing is.”

She finished dressing herself and pushed her hair behind her shoulders. “That way, we are fully open and honest and can take an informed decision that would work for all of us, whether it be proceeding or stopping while we’re ahead. I propose during work hours, we act as usual. In private, well… that’s our business.”

“But we make a deal right now,” the woman spoke, sitting on the bed beside the Vulcan and pushing some hair behind her sharp ear, then traced her finger down to her jaw, “this will only work if we’re all happy with our terms. No taking one for the team, no settling, no offers or exchanges. Balance, respect, and honesty. Deal?”

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870605.1705

L’Sa:​

“Of course, to do otherwise is illogical, and potentially damaging to one’s mental stability and emotional balance. This is why I said what I said. It cannot be something lightly done. Careful and moderate consideration must be taken. What would harm one, would harm all.”

“Before you make a decision, you should learn all you can about the Vulcan Psychological profile, and when you are ready, invite us to dinner.”

“Jordan and I will communicate about this, this evening. But I see no complication from him or myself.”​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ XIANA MARLOWE ▻​

All she could say was a half-hearted ‘we’ll see’. Deep down, Xiana knew didn’t want to do the work, or have them do it, because then the bubble she was starting to surround herself in would burst. It was fast and intense, but it was precisely why she knew she needed answers, whether from them or herself.

“Can I kiss you goodbye or would that be too out of place?”

 

[milkmaiden38]

Hora
“You are a great XO,” Hora remarked with a smile, her tone carrying both sincerity and amusement. “Even when you’re threatening to relieve me of command.”

She exhaled, glancing at the completion percentage displayed before her—96%. “That said, if I may offer a small suggestion, it might have been helpful to warn me that the mines were a bad idea before we were nearly finished deploying them.”

Despite the predicament, her mind was already racing ahead. “Still, I have a few ideas that might help us navigate this situation. But before I lay them out, I’d like to point out that Admiral Volgu fully supported the minefield deployment before we left the region. We’re not legal scholars, and with the Federation’s survival at stake, that might serve as a mitigating factor.”

She leaned forward, her voice thoughtful. “That said, I think we can take some precautions to minimize risks to neutral vessels. First, we deploy universal warning beacons on both sides of the wormhole—making it unequivocally clear that the area is off-limits for the next four days due to the minefield. Second, we rig the mines to trigger only in response to the unique metal signature we've detected in the silver parasite. And third—this is the option I’m most intrigued by—we don’t activate the mines at all.” Her eyes gleamed at the prospect. “Think about it: it will look like a fully operational minefield, complete with warning beacons, but in reality, when a ship approaches, the mines will swarm… yet never detonate upon impact. If I were a captain encountering that scenario, I’d instinctively retreat or fire at the nearest mines. Those would explode, get replicated, and replaced—an illusion of danger. In other words, a well-crafted bluff.

“Meanwhile, as we push deeper into the Andromeda Galaxy, long-range sensors can monitor any incoming vessels near the wormhole. If anyone approaches, we return before they figure out that the mines are harmless.”

Hora paused, her expression shifting to something more somber. “That brings me to two more matters. First—Second Lieutenant Araiza. As you probably already know, I failed to persuade him to withdraw his resignation request. I may have mishandled the conversation. I believed he was rational enough to engage in a discussion about his concerns—the mission, the ship’s leadership, and the heart breaking concern we all have for combat losses. But when I countered his feelings with hard facts, he became defensive.”

She sighed. “I know you’re taking a different approach with him, but at this point, I no longer have confidence in him. I don’t feel comfortable with him having access to explosives or weapons. His irrational animosity toward this ship’s leadership makes him unsuitable for his current role. Frankly, I’d be more at ease if he were confined to the brig. I don’t fully understand human psychology, so I seek your counsel on this matter.”

After a brief pause, she shifted gears. “And lastly—you wanted to discuss the Astrometrics data from the probe?”

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870605.1615

Reeves:​

“I apologized Captain, I do not have a perfect memory and had to consult several pages of law to find what I was looking for. Otherwise I would have advised you earlier, and I only remembered the passage existed when I was speak with Mr. Araiza.”

“If the mines were attacked by an innocent party, even though they did no damage, once the innocent party starts firing what’s to prevent the mines from self-activating and vaporizing the innocent vessel?” Reeves countered. “Second, we don’t yet have the metallurgical analysis of the silver parasites complete.”

“Third, what if the innocent, or hostile, ships encountering the beacons don’t understand the message and think it’s an invitation?”

“And to repeat, Mr. Araiza is on emergency medical leave, if when he returns to duty, after a psych eval from the counselor he should be safe to return to his former duties. Unless after a week you still believe he’s unfit for duty, and then he can be medically discharged from service, though it would leave a dark stain on his record, which would cause him extreme complications for finding a new position anywhere.”

And raising an eyebrow in a very Vulcan like manner he said, “Incorrect Captain. Astrometrics wants to see both of us. I do not know why.”

Stardate 29870605.1710

L’Sa:​

With a human finger sliding down her cheek and jawline, L’Sa would not argue. Sliding her naked body closer to Xiana she slid her finger along the humans cheek and into her blonde hair, cradling her in one hand as she leaned in and kissed her.

Her opposite hand slid along Xiana’s waist to pull her closer, tasting and smelling that perfect scent.

When they finally released each other she asked, “Is that a sufficient answer?” She wasn’t smiling, but she did seem pleased. Even during the sex/love-making she never giggled or laughed. But she did moan…

...a lot.​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ XIANA MARLOWE ▻​

A small smile grew on the human’s lips. “The perfect one, actually,” she said soothingly, She carefully got back on her feet and finally left the bedroom, eventually finding herself back in the hallways.

The light of the corridors on her way back to her quarters were bringing her back to reality, the very one she had wished she could avoid. She didn’t want to end her night on a worried note, but she wondered if it was inevitable. She was nervous, both for her sakes and the sakes of her friends. Her focus elsewhere, she paced calmly, her eyes empty while her concerns occupied her mind.

 

[milkmaiden38]

Hora
"Alright, we’ll proceed with the non-functioning minefield," Hora decided. "The replicated mines will match the state of any destroyed or displaced ones, ie. not active. We’ll still deploy the warning beacons, and since the universal translator works 99% of the time, that should be enough to get the message across. To drive the point home, we'll add a holographic projection—a ship entering the field, instantly detonating. That ought to make them think twice."

Hora smirked. "And, technically, we’re following the admiral’s orders. He told me to lay a minefield—never said it had to be active."

With a satisfied nod, Hora turned. "Now, let’s get to Astrometrics."

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870605.1630

As they entered the astrometrics division. Those poor squints that did nothing but squint at star charts all the time, they saw two holo projections side by side, both were the Andromeda galaxy.

Walking over to the group as they kept looking at both holo images Reeves raised an eyebrow and coughed. “Captain on DECK!”

The group just looked over as most of them were scientist, not starfleet. Several did come to attention and salute the officers though. More out of habit than respect.

“What’s the issue?” Reeves asked.

“What don’t you see the issue?” One of the scientists almost screamed. As he seemed extremely agitate Reeves didn’t give him a tongue lashing.

“Calmly explain to the non-scientists and non-astrometric skilled individuals in the room, please.”

He almost never looked at maps on this scale usually just star systems prior too or during a conflict.

“Oh, sorry,” Another said as he ushered everyone else to go away while he tried to explain in layman terms the issue.

“The maps don’t match. Not the way they should anyways.” He started. “So, the Andromeda Galaxy is roughly 2.5 million light years from Earth.”

“But the maps should be different if you to take into account galactic drift. As the galaxy spins solar systems shift in the galaxy. But they aren’t not different enough.” Pulling up a third holo display he labeled them as ‘Earth Map’, ‘New Map’, and ‘should be map’.

“So this is the Andromeda Galaxy as seen from earth,” he said pointing at the ‘Earth Map’ “This is a map made from data that came from Andromeda 2.5 million years ago.”

Point at the ‘should be map’ he said. “This is what Andromeda should look like ‘roughly’ accounting for galactic spin or drift. But it doesn’t, not even close.”

Point at ‘New Map’ he started pointing at different spots. “This is Commander Reeves new data, based on video imaging and computational analysis. The ‘New Map’ is about 1.6 million years ago. We need more data to confirm, but from what we can tell with the maps we have. The wormhole goes back in time as well…”

Looking at the two senior officers he was sweating bullets. “If we go through… we could disrupt the past and the future. Unless we’re supposed to go into the past and already did and our actions back then is what we see now on the Earth Maps.”​

 

[sereneotter00]

“As a human, I didn’t think your office would be so stiff.”

“I’ve already rejected a client due to rudeness. I’ll happily do it again.”

“Fair enough,” Araiza grumbled, sitting across from Xiana in the two seats she had arranged in her office, exclusive for her sessions. They were more comfortable than the ones by her desk, which came in handy in emotional moments.

Araiza didn’t seem to have a preference. Dressed out of uniform in a simple pair of black trousers and a t-shirt, he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He had some time to kill prior to seeing the commander, and he had caught the counselor on her way back to her quarters. Her clothing was unorthodox, but he assumed she was coming back from working out. The flush on her face fit the idea. “So…”

“Lieutenant—“

“Araiza is fine.”

Xiana resisted the urge to rub her forehead. “Lieutenant Araiza, you decided to come by on short notice, particularly after hours. Please don’t waste my time.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be a little nicer?”

“I plan to be if you plan to be respectful moving forward. Can we agree on that?”

Araiza closed his eyes, his arms crossed, and took a deep breath. “Fine. I’m sorry. I’m not used to this stuff. I find it hard to believe that talking can fix anything.”

She had certainly noticed from the continuous cancellations. Xiana had thought he had quite some nerve asking for an impromptu chat after wasting her time so repetitively, but something about the troubled look he sported made her curious. “And what drove you to come, then?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m not working right now, and until we stop somewhere or I get killed in my sleep or something, I’m stuck doing nothing.”

“So you’re here out of boredom?”

“I guess.”

Xiana would’ve sighed if she didn’t see through the man. “What else do you do for boredom?”

“I like baking.”

“Where did you learn how to bake?”

“Learned from my family. The American and other stuff I got off the internet.”

“You’re not American?”

“Argentine.” Araiza noted the counselor’s slight look of curiosity. “Have you been there?”

“No, but my mother was Mexican.”

“She gave up her citizenship?”

“She passed away.”

An ‘oh shit’ escaped the man’s lips. “Sorry, I meant I’m sorry for your loss.”

She didn’t look bothered. “It’s been long enough to where I’ve made peace with it.”

Araiza nodded, then let his eyes wander the room in silence. He took a few seconds before he reluctantly asked, “At what point does it get easier? To deal with it, I mean?”

“I wouldn’t call it easier. I can’t sit here and pretend that mourning ever comes to a conclusion. We just adjust to our new lives. We don’t have a choice but to move on.”

“How do you even move on from something like that?”

“Carefully.”

Araiza chuckled, but it seemed to get him to crack into conversation. For the next hour, he shared some of his personal anecdotes with the counselor—his family, his wife, and purely vague stories he held dear. He had enough seriousness for a session, leading Xiana to not push too much into an analytical talk. By the time he left her alone in her office and went to freshen up, his shoulders felt lighter than they had in a while.

 

[milkmaiden38]

Hora

"Time travel—UGH!" Hora groaned. "I can’t stand all the paradoxes and alternate timeline nonsense. It’s all relative anyway. That reminds me of some human’s quote... How does it go again? Oh—'Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it feels like an hour. Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it feels like a minute.' Ha! Guess he never met an Orion courtesan—one minute would feel like mere seconds!" She smirked.

Turning to the astrometrics team, Hora nodded in appreciation. "You’ve done excellent work. This information is vital."

She turned to the XO. "Commander, let’s get back to the bridge," she said, leading the way out of the lab.

As they strode toward the turbolift, Hora mused aloud. "Federation regulations are clear—we need to minimize any interference with our timeline. But the silver parasite has already disrupted it. If we cloak the ship, we reduce our impact... but the safest course of action is to close that wormhole entirely. I don’t know. What’s your take on this?"

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870605.1645

Reeves:​

“As my professional Starfleet opinion, I would Close the wormhole and hence prevent any temporal complications. But what if we were supposed to go back in time to another Galaxy? What if we already did, and did something several million years ago?”

“I do know that if I was in charge, I’d close the wormhole. But I’m not in charge.”

“As such, I would advise you that we should keep our effect on the Andromeda Galaxy to a minimum.”

Yito:​

Standing in the observation lounge Yito watched the wormhole through the ships shielding. The energy skittering across the shielding was beautiful. If only the others could see it.

Shifting onto tiptoe she began to move through the forms, a silent ballet. With her eyes closed she moved flawlessly she knew exactly where she was at every given second. And since no one ever came here at this time she knew she wouldn’t be observed.​

 

[milkmaiden38]

Hora
The turbolift doors slid open, revealing the bridge team busy with activities. Officers were checking all systems for their imminent entry into the wormhole. Hora’s gaze swept across the room, immediately noting the completed minefield through the tactical display.

The Officer of the Deck approached, ready to brief her and Commander Reeves, but Hora dismissed him with a quick wave. She turned to Reeves, her expression firm.

“I hate to shut down that wormhole,” she admitted, tension in her voice. “But the temporal instability is too great. I agree with your assessment. I’ll call the admiral and give him a status report.”

Reeves gave her a nod.

“In the meantime, don’t activate the minefield,” Hora continued. “If we’re ordered back, we’ll need a strategy to dismantle it without complications. I’ll check in shortly.”

With that, she pivoted and strode toward her quarters, her mind already thinking about what the Admiral was going to say.

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870605.1925

Walking into ten-forward minutes before he was supposed to Commander Reeves looked around and approached Lieutenant Araiza.

He was still in uniform, and some crew often speculated that he slept and showered in uniform, always ready to be on the bridge.

“Greetings Mr. Araiza, I trust that your taking time and relaxing?” he said as he waved a server over to take the drink order. He wasn’t on duty but he still had to maintain his readiness status so he ordered a Scotch with double soda.​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ ALFREDO ARAIZA ▻​

As much as Araiza frequented the bars on board, he had never gotten intoxicated enough to the point of losing sense. He hated that feeling, especially with the risk of his subordinates seeing him. For the special occasion, one which he wasn’t sure where it was headed, he had already downed four fingers of liquor. For now, he calmly sipped on a glass of water.

The male looked up at the man. “Araiza is fine. Just Araiza,” he answered. He understood formality, but it made him feel a hundred years old.

He didn’t want to disclose his chat with the counselor, so he gave a simple nod in response. “You could say that. Still on the clock?” he asked, eyeing the other man’s outfit up and down.

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870605.1930

“Officially off duty, but as the second in Command I have to maintain a battle readiness. Just in case something happens. In my quarters I relax, but once outside those doors I stay ready.” Reeves replied.

He never wore any decorations or awards, just his rank, but even that was missing. Probably in one of his pockets, just in case.

“I disagree with some of the regulations myself. Transitioning from MACO to Starfleet was… complicated.” He added taking a slug of his drink. Dark Fire was one of the few ships in the fleet that had actual alcohol on board. Most had synthahol, an artificial blend of chemical to taste like alcohol, but without the burn or intoxication. He never could stand the stuff fake stuff, and didn’t drink often.​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ ALFREDO ARAIZA ▻​

Deciding against teasing him on how alert he was, Araiza leaned back on his chair, relaxed. “You’re gonna get a head full of white hair by next year if you don’t breathe a bit, man.”

He could go days about disliking regulations, but instead he leaned forward. “Complicated how?” he asked, swallowing some of his own beverage.

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870605.1935

“It’s not white yet, so it shouldn’t turn anytime soon.” Reeves commented. “As a M.A.C.O. I was I combat most of my time in service. When I wasn’t in a war zone, or a battlefield, I was in cryosleep transporting to somewhere else. Until I got injured and had to spend time in hospital recovering. But as a MACO I was always on edge, wondering when the next orbital bombardment was coming in. When the next morter would hit. Was this enemy using cloaking tech or just sheer numbers?”

“It took me time to get over it, to relax. My first Captain said I was a herd of cats ready to jump.” He admitted finishing his scotch and ordering a straight coke.​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ ALFREDO ARAIZA ▻​

“It’s also a joke, Reeves. Not everything’s literal,” Araiza answered. He listened patiently to the other man’s anecdote, quietly ruminating on his own military experiences. More of a constructor than a fighter, his career had led him away from conflict more than into it. He had plenty of comrades that did experience it firsthand, and it fueled his protective attitude. He knew death came with the job—he just wished it was more of a risk than a guarantee.

And I’m the one who needs to see the counselor? Araiza thought to himself, although he didn’t mean it critically. It was new, but he felt empathy. He hoped his demeanor didn’t reflect it.

“Herd of cats, huh?” the man asked, waving an employee over and asking for a cocktail. Masculine enough in appearance, fruity enough for his taste buds. “Guess you’ve come a long way with learning how to deal with that.”

“Although I guess there’s an upside to always being worried,” he suggested, lifting a shoulder. “Yeah, the whole fucking up our blood pressure and getting eye bags isn’t fun, but at least it means we try as much as we can. Can’t imagine being on this corner of the universe and not giving a shit.”

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870605.1940

“I was fortunate enough to find another path, and my wife has helped me as well.” Reeves told the other man. “Half of me was regrown after a conflict. We lost half the crew. I lost a lot of friends that day. I stopped making friends after that. At least close ones.”

“Mind Melds helped me through the worst of it. Taught me to purge the pain. To let it slide away like a surf board on water. That plus Starfleet counselor’s. But meeting L’Sa helped the most. She listened. She stayed during the night terror’s. Holodecks worked as well. I was able to see what happened. To recognize that what happened, happened, and there was nothing I could have done to change it.”

“Dozen’s of conflict, and more friends dying changes a person, no matter the gender or species. Through Mind Melding I was able to find a calm in the storm of horror.”

“I still have my run of sleepless nights, but at least they’re further apart than they used to be.”

Sighing he took a sip of his soda. “I still give a shit about everyone on this ship. And their families. I’m the one that writes the letters home. It sucks but someone has to do it.”​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ ALFREDO ARAIZA ▻​

He took quiet sips as he continued listening, although they became less attentive at the mention of the man’s wife. His own spouse had been incredibly supportive as well, and as much as he tried not to think of what she would do or say in personally difficult moments like the one he currently found himself in, it was threatening.

He didn’t like thinking of that. It was the last thing he wanted to think of, ever. Hypotheticals got him nowhere. He forced himself to push the topic aside and came back to reality. “Yeah, it’s unfair. All of it. I guess it’s why I get so intense about running everything right. I want to prevent those letters as much as I can.”

“Since I got you here, though,” Araiza started, practically begging to change the subject, “what the hell is going on with this wormhole thing? Were you the one who sent the Cap to the Red Section? That was unpleasant.”

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870605.1945

“No, I did not send the Captain to the red section. Or to find you. A situation was reported I brought the Captains Attention to it as she oversee’s the Officer’s and I oversee the enlisted. Major K’alena oversee’s the M.A.C.O.”

“If I had known her intent, I would have advised her to give you time to calm down.”

“The Captain does not often ask my thoughts or opinions of matters unless it effects the entire ship. As for the worm hole the last I heard was she was going to speak with the Admiral. I’m sure that I’ll be informed of their decision either this evening or tomorrow morning.”

“We have mined this end of it, but they haven’t been activated yet, though they can be within a minute or so.”

“Back to you. Do you wish to file a formal incident report against Ensign Seja?”​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ ALFREDO ARAIZA ▻​

“Actually, I was calm until she decided to show up and imply a death of yours’ is more of a loss than ours’, but to each their own,” he answered, taking the last drops of his glass in his mouth.

He carefully put down the glass. “Weird, I would’ve figured most of you would be all buddy-buddy. I mean Marcus was pretty active, may he rest in peace.”

Araiza made a sour face at the mention of the ensign. “I do, but can we leave it for another day? I’m already trying to adjust to all…” He raised a palm and motioned it to the commander. “…this.”

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870605.1950

“I’m sure most of the command structure is more amenable to being ‘buddy-buddy’ but I’m not. She’s also made several overt comments of a nature that indicates she has a sexual interest in me. I told her I don’t find her attractive.”

“Captain Marcus was a good man. Writing the letter to his parents was difficult. The Formal report was easier.”

“When you’re ready to make the report, just type it up and send it. It doesn’t need to be hand delivered. If I had known about a building issue I would have resolved it earlier.” Reeves said, apologizing for his inaction.​