Twas The Night Before Shuttle Launch

Posted on Sun Apr 14th, 2024 @ 9:44pm by Lieutenant Calliope Ito & Finley Walker

1,148 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Lacertae Mortis
Location: Various USS Arcadia
Timeline: Current

ON:


Calliope sat inside the dark shuttle on the floor looking around her. Tomorrow they would head out to Gorn territory and that was frightening…or at least it should be. Calliope felt nothing, no fear, no anticipation, just a blissful numbness, one that always came at the end of change, a lot of change.

She’d finally started to enjoy things, then back to Starfleet she goes. She was all set for being back on the Sakura…then off to the Arcadia she’s shipped, a ship that she’d ridiculously coveted but because of the up coming shuttle mission hadn’t fully enjoyed. All the new, all the change it truly did feel too much.

It was odd to her that during this time she wished for nothing more then to contact her counselor…who was back on Earth, but this ship had one now. She didn’t know the woman, it would take time to build that kind of trust. Calliope was facing a new start and there were times she doubted that she had the strength for yet another one.

Her life had been a series of fresh starts that came around quite often and left her feeling drained and alone.

She sighed and closed her eyes letting the shuttle atmosphere surround her trying to feel more grounded. It wasn’t long before the coms buzzed. “Lieutenant Ito please call bridge.”

She sighed and shook her head, her peace disturbed she stood and walked out of the shuttle and to the wall coms. “Lieutenant Ito reporting in.”

“Ma’am there is a call coming in for you.”

“From the Sakura?” She asked. There was a weariness to her question.

“No ma’am. From Vulcan. The Defense Academy.”

Calliope’s lips pressed together. “Please let them know that I am unable to take the call.”

There was a pause before the coms officer said, “They said it’s important.”

“Yes, thank you. I am not available.” She shut the coms down ending the exchange lest the well meaning officer try to convince her again.

She headed back into the shuttle and this time she shut the door. She had refused this particular call several times already and she had no intention of changing her mind.

Looking around the shuttle she suddenly felt as if its very walls were moving to suffocate her. She shook her head and gave up her weak attempt at meditation and headed out of the shuttle and out of the bay. She would get some food.

It didn’t take long for her to get to the empty mess hall. It was odd to see a place so big empty…or almost empty. There, across the mess sitting at a table with a cup of what looked like coffee, was the person with whom she’d had a rather interesting exchange at the book shop on the station.

Just as her thoughts turned to the encounter they locked eyes.

“Ah, Miss Ito if I remember.”

“No, I’m Ito.”

She watched an amused eyebrow raise. “Indeed that is what I said.”

Calliope closed her eyes. Of Course you did. “Yes, I…”

“Come, join me. I just brewed fresh coffee and there is freshly made cake if you are interested.”
“I…kay.” She walked over and plopped down.

Fin supressed a half smile as they got up and headed for the small kitchenette area. They reached into the fridge and pulled out a piece of cake slicing a generous helping before filling a cup of coffee. They walked back and placed the cup and plate in front of Ito. “Now, to respond to your unasked question I am the ships chef.”

“I didn’t ask.”

“That is why I pointed out it was your unasked question.”

“Ugh.”

Fin’s lip twitched.

“I thought you owned the restaurant on the station.”

“I do but I missed being on a ship. I was once a sailor of stars you know.”

“Oh my Gods, did you just use a colourful descriptive? You do realize you have pointy ears.”

That lip twitched again. Perhaps this assignment would not be as difficult as they had originally thought. “I am only part Vulcan. While I certainly have picked up the best attributes of my Vulcan forefathers and foremothers I have picked up a few attributes from my human foremothers and forefathers.”

“The best ones?”

“That is dependant upon whom one asks.”

“Who says whom?”

“Tis I, that is whom.”

“It’s too late in the night for this.”

“Perhaps,” Fin shook their head slightly. “Now then, you seem to have things in your mind.”

“Isn’t the expression ‘on your mind’.”

Fin sighed. “Yes but one’s skull bone is on one’s mind thoughts are within the mind.”

“Well aren’t you the situational Vulcan.”

Fin chuckled at that. “You, Ms. Ito are a fascinating creature.”

“Depend on who you ask.”

Fin’s lip twitched. “What troubles you?”

She sighed. “Just the everyday troubles of an engineer.”

Fin was silent. Perhaps this would be as big a challenge as Fin had originally thought. The admiral’s assessment of Ito had been quite right. She didn’t open up easily. “Well, I find that when my mind is cluttered with questions or worries something meditative is often helpful.”

“I try. Sitting like a pretzel humming is not within my ability.”

Fin shrugged slightly. “That is not what meditating is, at least not all it is. What do you like to do besides reading.”

“How’d you…right store station. Sorry.” She rubbed her forehead in a staving off headache kind of way and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Um…I guess I like swimming.”

“That is perfect for meditation. When you swim do you not focus on your breathing and the water and your body movements.”

“Yes.” She said digging into the cake finally.

“What is meditation to. Why not take a swim.”

“Can’t. I have an errand to run.”

“Oh?”

“Long story.”

“This long story has you stressed?”

“No. That will end one way or another,” She shrugged. “Change has me stressed. I hate change.”

“Yes,” Fin said. “I myself am not particularly fond of it yet it is inevitable. One must adapt or fall apart.”

Calliope swallowed her cake and took an unhealthy swallow of coffee. “I take the second one.”

Fin shook their head again. “Well that is not good. Perhaps I can help.”

Calliope sighed and wolfed down the rest of the cake. “No it’s fine. Thanks. Chocolate is always appreciated. I have to go.”

Fin would have said something but Ito was fast. She got up downed the rest of the coffee, hot coffee, and hurried away.

Fin sighed and sat back. When the doors closed they shook their head. “Admiral Higgens you owe me more then you know.”

OFF:

 

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