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Captain's Quarters

Posted Jan. 9, 2021, 6:45 a.m. by Lieutenant Junior Grade Amber Josen (Communications Officer) (Melissa Aragon)

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Amber Josen (Communications Officer) in Captain’s Quarters

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Amber Josen (Communications Officer) in Captain’s Quarters

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Amber Josen (Communications Officer) in Captain’s Quarters
Posted by… suppressed (1) by the Post Ghost! 👻

[snip]

She had almost swallowed her morsel when then comment made her laugh. Her hand went to her mouth to cover her finishing the bite. “Oh gracious. Poor guy. Though I imagine he’s right. There’s probably far more out here than can hurt us than help us.” She took another sip of the drink. It was starting to grow on her. “So what made you come out here, then? I mean, I know you started to tell me about liking being out here, when we spoke on the deck that first day before the others arrived.” She blushed slightly remembering the ear piece gift he had given her. “But I’d like to hear the rest of it. If you’ll tell me.”

Amber Comm

“It might sound silly…” He began, antennae subtly moving back and forth, “but I grew up in an underground city. I didn’t see the surface until I was six years old and we traveled to another continent to visit… family. That was the first time I ever saw the stars, and I knew at that moment I wanted to go out among them. My mothers basically had to frog-march me into the shuttle, otherwise, I’d have stood there gaping at the night sky for an hour.” He smiled at the memory. It also brought to mind something one of his fathers had said during the moment. ‘Great… we’ve lost another one.’ He pondered that for a few seconds, using another bite of food as a pretense. “I suppose I was destined. At least that’s how I’ve always thought about it.”

“Why did you go?”

-Zarath, CO

She smiled. “I can’t imagine growing up underground. But then, I imagine most of your family and friends can’t imagine being on the surface their entire lives.” Taking her last bite of food, she leaned back. “I guess I’m out here because I always planned to be. I originally wanted to be a First Contact Ambassador. But after…” she paused and took a deep breath as pain and something else crossed her eyes a moment, “Well, anyway, I’m on comms now and I want to see how many new languages and locations I can learn and discover before I retire, I guess.” Her hand absently went up to her neck where scar tissue peaked out from under her hairline. Realizing the motion, she quickly dropped her hand again and smiled. “I think being out here, in the dark and depths away from Earth, gives me a good chance of doing perhaps more than merely being an Ambassador would.”

Amber Comm

“I think maybe none of us knows why we come out here at first, only why we stay out here…” He smiled over a sip of tea and a bite of bread. “It’s never been how I thought it would be when I was a kid, but it’s always been more, way more than I ever expected it to be.”

Zarath, CO

“Well, I, for one, have to say I am glad you were curious beyond measure. And even ‘more’ glad your parents didn’t frog march was it?” She smiled, “Didn’t frog march you back underground and shackle you to the ice.” She nodded and laughed. “I know of a few friends, growing up, whose parents tried to do exactly that. Best they could do were support positions on Earth with the promise never to join Fleet. Cause that meant a chance to get called out here. Glad my folks didn’t, either.”

She finished her food and leaned back, one leg absently curling up under her. “So have you picked up a hobby or pastime while out here? I mean, you can’t spend ‘all’ your time on the bridge. Or at least, you shouldn’t.”

Amber Comm

He took a sip of tea and considered. “I’ve always been a fan of Poetry and Literature.” The Andordian smiled. “I’ve been trying to get through the works of Shakespeare this voyage. Do you enjoy the arts?”

-Zarath, CO

“Shakespeare. Impressive. Iambic Pentameter always eluded me in school. The teacher wanted us to write a dozen stanza sonnet using it. I failed, utterly and miserably.” She laughed. “I do enjoy reading. Actually, I like reading things not from Earth. It seems I can get those anytime. So when the opportunity presents itself, I prefer reading literature from other races and cultures. Did you know Klingon’s have opera?” She smiled. “I never would have guessed. I think poems from other places are the best for insight into another culture because it’s not restricted by the topic on the cover or the reason it was written. It’s from a place of passion. Be it love or hate or loss or gain.” She blushed, “Sorry… I get carried away sometimes. It seems most folks want historical information about other races. I tend to want the more emotional stuff.” She bit her lip then hid herself behind her drink as she tried to will the redness out of her cheeks.

Amber Comm

Th’elin found himself a little surprised at the idea of Klingon Opera. Though from what he knew of the warrior race, perhaps it made sense in it’s own strange way… “I think I agree with you there. History is interesting, and must be considered… However, I find it fascinating to see how people choose to express themselves. Humans seem to have a lot to say about emotions, if your people’s literature is any indication.” He winked.

-Zarath, CO

Amber laughed. “Yes, we humans are a bit on the dramatic side, on occasion. So if a lot of what we do is emotion heavy, what, if I am not being rude, is Andorian literature’s favorite topic?” She found herself wanting to know more. More about Andorians, and more about Th’elin, himself. And the intrigue wasn’t all academically driven.

Amber
Comm

“Probably killing the other guy before he kills you, historically…” Th’elin chuckled. “Though my people would probably want me to say Honor and Sacrifice. We’re probably just as dramatic in our own fashion. Just less flowery words.” He took a sip of tea and winced as it had cooled off a good bit, then set it aside. “In fact, that’s what I enjoy about human literature. You’re so very much more individualized than the Average Andorian. We’re a group-centered culture. All for the Family, All for the Clan… I find a lot of similarities in certain human subcultures. I once read a quote that to me sounded very Andorian: ‘I against my Brother. My Brother and I against my Neighbor. My Brother, My Neighbor, and I against the World.’” He finished thoughtfully.

-Zarath, CO

Amber caught the wince. “Too cold? The trick, with the replicator, is to get it one step hotter than you want to drink it. It lasts longer.” She rose and got him another cup of tea as he spoke of the saying. Coming back, she smiled. “Sounds a lot like ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend’. It could work very well for all those steps. Your own enemy becomes a friend when a larger foe appears before you both.”

She set the hot tea before him and settled back in her seat. “I’ll have to find the quote you spoke of, though. Definitely sounds like something worth reading.”

Amber
Comms

“I probably have a bad habit of letting my hot drinks go cold…” He laughed. “It’s probably a bit deeper than that, but that’s not a bad analogy.” Th’elin replied to the comment about the quote. “More like we’ll all be finding reasons to bicker unless we have a common enemy. Peace is a difficult thing to grasp.”

-Zarath, CO

Amber laughed. “Then I’ll remember to bring you hot tea every chance I get.” Listening to him talk about his world made her realize how much they had in common. And that the differences were just as amazing. “I’d like to visit Andoria, sometime. Sounds like an amazing place.” Sipping her own drink, once more, she nodded at the peace comment. “It seems every race and species has that in common. Though it never ceases to amaze me how we all deal with it in different ways.”

She relaxed once more, not wanting the evening to end quite yet. “So what else is there to know about you, Captain? Any indulgences you love, or secret passions like chocolate ice cream or some kind of alien tapioca?” She laughed thinking that humans would be the only ones to come up with something as bizarre as tapioca.

Amber
Comm

1.8.21


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