Posted Aug. 13, 2020, midnight by Lieutenant Icarus Remington (Chief Intelligence Officer) (Terry Sullivan)
Posted by Captain Zachariah Cobb (Commanding Officer) in Pre-sim-meeting the Captain
Posted by Lieutenant Icarus Remington (Chief Intelligence Officer) in Pre-sim-meeting the Captain
Posted by Captain Zachariah Cobb (Commanding Officer) in Pre-sim-meeting the Captain
Posted by… suppressed (3) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Icarus stood outside the CO’s ready room and pulled a loose strand of lint from his tunic He was finally ready to meet Zachariah Cobb. When he was younger, Icarus had studied Cobb’s military career and had an admiration for the man. Unfortunately, Cobb had fallen on hard times and reports were that he was a shadow of the former captain he once was.The CIO had mentioned to Adm. Roebuck that in his current state, Cobb was hardly the best choice to captain the Leviathon, but with his fingers crossed and hoping for the best, he rang the chime and waited to be invited in. . . .
Remington (CIO)
For a man who felt as if his feet had barely touched the ground these past few weeks, Zachariah Cobb had been indulging in a rare moment of calm. Or rather, he’d been standing at the large observation window and staring out blankly into the space beyond. So when the chime sounded it took a few moments to penetrate through the old man’s current awareness, like the irritation of an alarm bursting frantically into an otherwise pleasant dream.
“Ah…eh? Oh…” he muttered, then a little louder, he added, “Come!”
He made no effort, however, to extricate himself from his window view.
- Captain Zachariah Cobb
Icarus entered the ready room and silently studied Cobb for a few subtle moments. He remembered reading of the man’s exploits and successes, hoping there was still some of that same officer inside. The CIO moved forward, slowly.
“Captain Cobb, I’m Lt. Remington, your new Intel Chief. It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.”
Remington (CIO)
“Ah, Lieutenant Remington,” Zachariah chuckled, finally turning to face the other. “Admiral Roebuck told me to expect you.” He offered no further verbal details, but his expression confirmed that the Admiral had indeed told Cobb exactly who to expect.
“So,” the captain continued, crossing the room to his desk and, without seeking confirmation, filled two glasses with a green, Aldebaran whiskey, “you have a passion for anomalies, eh? Can’t say I’ve met too many who could make such a claim.”
He handed one glass to the CIO then settled into his chair and sipped at the other. “Mind telling me the history on that?”
- Captain Zachariah Cobb
Icarus accepted the glass and only took a sip after Cobb did. “Yes, sir. I wouldn’t exactly call it a passion for anomalies, more like a . . . . profound interest in them.”
He sat down opposite the captain. “I’ll give you the short version, sir. My father was the Chief Medical Officer of the USS Rogue. My mother was a Romulan scientist serving on the science vessel, Laeosanen. There was an accident, the Rogue rescued them and was planning to return the crew back to the Romulans. My mother requested political asylum. When it was discoveed she was pregnant, the Rogue’s XO set them up, and wanted them executed as spies for the Tal Shi’ar.”
Romulans. Cobb had served the Federation for long enough to know their reputation. Had fought alongside some of them in the war to know the truth. He sat back in his chair and steepled fingers under his chin, nodding.
He took another sip of the whiskey and continued. “Before they could be tried, they escaped and disappeared to the backwater planet of Dessica II. That’s where I was born. When I was 10 years old, a vortex, or a portal, or an anomaly appeared and pulled them both in. I never saw them again. For the next 8 years I survived on my own, doing whatever was needed. Just before I turned 18, my father’s former CO, now a commodore came looking for us. His XO had died but confessed to the set up before dying. My parents were exonerated, but . . . . .”
Another nod. Permission that was neither needed nor sought to swallow those words before speaking them. An acknowledgement of loss and of being left all alone.
“The commodore brought me back to Earth, got me into the Academy on the Intelligence track. In my spare time, I tried to find out everything I could about these spatial anomalies. Eventually, I discovered about the Leviathan and her new mission, so I went to Adm. Roebuck and requested to be assigned here.
He took a deep breath and finished off his glass. “And that’s where we are today, sir.”
Reminton (CIO)
“Aye, it is,” Zachariah raised his own glass and drank from it deeply, then wiped a hand across his mouth and beard. “I’ve spent the last few days reading up on these anomalies. Seen one or two that might resemble the one you seek. But, son,” he looked up and fixed eyes on Remington. “It won’t bring them back. You…do know that, don’t you.”
- Captain Zachariah Cobb
Icarus hesitated before answering. “I . . . I understand that, Captain, but it’s a big galaxy. There’s still a lot we don’t know, so I’m not giving up hope, even if the odds are infinitesimal. If for no other reason, to get some closure, one way or another.”
Remington (CIO)
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