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Mess Hall- Late Night Tinkering

Posted Feb. 14, 2019, 12:58 p.m. by Captain Alexander Cochrane (Commanding Officer) (James Sinclair)

Posted by Lieutenant Faye Calloway (Mission Specialist) in Mess Hall- Late Night Tinkering

Posted by Captain Alexander Cochrane (Commanding Officer) in Mess Hall- Late Night Tinkering

Posted by Lieutenant Faye Calloway (Mission Specialist) in Mess Hall- Late Night Tinkering
Posted by… suppressed (1) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

“You should.” and he laughed a bit as a memory came to him. “I knew a guy in Fleet Security a few years ago. Kepplers. Solid officer, knew his job backwards and forwards and was really good at it. But he worked almost twenty hours a day on average. Never took leave, never took time off. It got to the point the Station’s Old Man called him in and made him take two weeks on Risa. His two weeks came and went, and the only thing we got from him at the station was a letter of resignation. Everyone was just in shock. This guy was the most dedicated and hard-nosed Security officer we knew. And for him to just up and resign was… well, the rumor mill went into warp. I heard everything. He had been kidnapped by slavers. He had married a dancer. He was running a casino on some gambling planet. He found out he had a child on Earth. All of that and more for months and months until it kind of faded off.” and he paused and looked out the window a bit, a slight smile on his face.

“I can imagine…” Faye said with some amusement. It seemed weirdly improbably but she had to admit that she was curious what happened to the man “Did anyone ever figure out what happened to him?”

Looking back he continued. “I went to Risa probably… oh, two or three years later… on leave. I walked into a bar and before I could order the bartender looks at me and says ‘Hey there, Alex.’. I look up and I see this human behind the bar. Beard, shorts, sunglasses, floral shirt… and I’m thinking to myself ‘How the hell does this guy know my name?’ and then I recognize him. It’s Kepplers, but he is so different. I shake his hand and we start talking, catching up. Turns out nothing happened, really. He just got a break and realized he didn’t want to go back to the twenty hour days and walking through the same ship and breathing the same recycled air and eating the same recycled food. So he resigned, got a job at this bar, and has been slinging drinks for tourists for the past few years. He was married, had a few kids, and was really happy.” and he laughed softly and shook his head. “It just goes to show you, every now and then you need a break to refocus.” and a slightly odd look crossed Cochrane’s face. “I think his daughter is getting ready for Academy this year. I’ll have to send him a message and check.” he said more to himself than Calloway. Looking back at her directly, he said with a grin “If you ever get your high-speed-low-drag comms set up, that is.”

Cochrane, CO

Calloway chuckled slightly. “Hold your horses, won’t be that long. Certainly well before she reaches graduation,” she deadpanned before enjoying more of her stew.

“I had a moment where I thought about what a life outside of Starfleet might be like. It was on the Samurai and we were doing diplomatic work on this one planet that had a very strong agricultural industry. I was part of the science team that went down for a tour and I…” She shook her head. “It was different than life on Tracken, but it had that same sort of feel. You know, a real community. It was something tangible you could observe. And my mind just went nuts. It wanted to delve into some of their agricultural issues and I felt the urge to roll up my sleeves and jump in. We didn’t get a chance in the end, but I think about it now and again. I think in the long run I’d be bored on a place like that, but there was something compelling about it. So I think I get what Kepplers experienced.”

~Faye Calloway, Data Specialist

Cochrane smiled a sort of melancholy smile. “Oh… I do, too. Sometimes I wonder if I went the right route, joining Star Fleet.” and he looked out the window again. “But then I see this…” and he gestured toward space, the countless points of light and the vast blackness. “I see this and I know I did the only thing that would work for me. I have the utmost respect for Kepplers…” and he turned and looked at Faye with a wickedly mischievous grin “… but I think he was a fool of the highest order.” and he laughed.

Cochrane, CO

Faye couldn’t help but laugh, especially at the way he was grinning. It lit up his face in a particular way that was… well… Stop it Calloway. Don’t be an idiot.

“I don’t disagree. I told you before I could have walked away if I had wanted to. In fact I could have walked away twice. But I didn’t. I think I’ve always known that I not only needed the enforced discipline in my life, but there is something almost magical about being in space and encountering the unexpected. As much as the agrarian life has its appeal, I’m where I’m supposed to be,” she said softly , gazing at him thoughtfully.

~Faye Calloway, Data Specialist

“And for that I am quite thankful, Lieutenant. I really did not relish the idea of the being the only new face on the Manhattan.” and he laughed. taking a breathe, he stretched and said “Ok. It is officially way past time we were both asleep. While I hate to halt such a discussion, I’m afraid that we both have a very long few days ahead of us, and for that I need to be on point. So I am going to head out, if you don’t mind.” and he stood up. Looking towards the kitchen, he spoke loudly enough that his voice would carry. “Thank you, Chef. It was delicious.” and was answered with a muffled “No problem, Captain. Thank you very much!” from beyond the door. Cochrane looked back at Calloway and said “You need to get some sleep too, Calloway. That’s an order.” with a slight smile and started heading to the door.

Cochrane, CO


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