Way Off Schedule
Posted on Mon Aug 14th, 2023 @ 1:57am by Fleet Captain Maxwell Culver & Lieutenant Rowena "Rena" Campbell
2,352 words; about a 12 minute read
Mission:
A Drastic Change
Location: Triton Seabase: Rena’s Office
Timeline: MD30: 1330 hours
Max had had Rena’s receptionist let him into her office just a few minutes early. It was one of his idiosyncrasies that drove other counselors absolutely mad or, in the rare case like Rena, it gave her a mild surprise.
Considering she had probably rewatched her lecture and jotted down notes without bothering to eat the warm peach cobbler from the chef’s specials and a cup of tea.
He was sat in his seat across from her with the slightest smile. Probably the same one he wore the first time he had met her. Slightly too assured of himself, ready to play cat and mouse.
She heard the door open, and startled a minute. One of these days, people would learn to use the chimes. She sighed. "Is it the Captain?" she asked, without turning around yet. She was still kind of annoyed at him, but she was also busy, finishing notes from her last session. Finally, she turned to face him. "Childers, you're excused, thank you," she said. She waited for the receptionist to leave and then looked at Max, settling in the seat across from him.
"It's been awhile," she said, simply. "What brings you in today?"
Max presented a peach cobbler for the pair to share. “I can’t help but feel a little aggravation from you?” he asked. “And there’s a lot to talk about. We haven’t really seen each other since that strange night in Mountain Home.”
Max got up and replicated the tea the chef recommended. He handed her a cup and settled back down on the chair. “Between being unconscious for a half a day, breaking up with Dani,” Max paused as he forced down the tension in his chest, “and a new Second Officer while Colonel s’Khev has basically disappeared…”
Max stopped and breathed. “I don’t really know what the fuck is going on. On top of that, there’s even more!”
She took the tea, and sipped it, smiling. She sighed, but manipulated the air to be more calm. "I am sorry. I am not aggravated at YOU, per se. Let's start with Dani. Tell me about that." She would explain herself later. It wasn't important, anyway-she still liked Max as a person and a Captain. "I have heard about Dr. Lorut via S'Tera...." She trailed off. They weren't officially anything yet, but it was still nice. "What happened with Daniel Martinez?"
Max shook his head, stopping from going down that road. “As much as I appreciate you wanting to know about Dani, it’s not why I’m here. I will tell you the break up was mutual and amicable, but that’s it.
“I’ve come to offer you another transfer offer, off of Triton Seabase, to come with me again. I haven’t been promoted, just transferred and offered a new command, the USS Intrepid, a Neo Constitution class.” He didn’t even try to hide his mixed feelings from her. “I’d like it if you and S’Tera came, and you can talk to each other about it, but no one else until we’re underway.”
Rena nodded. "I see." She felt...she wasn't certain. "Listen. You know I'd follow you anywhere-you need me, and I respect you, and like you. So yes, I'll do it. I'll talk to S'Tera. But...we were just making inroads with the Romulans. What happened?" she asked. "I know you probably can't tell me, but if you want to, you know I can't take it out of these four walls," she said.
“If I’m being honest, half of it is me…the other half is Kaitos, or if you prefer, new El-Auria,” Max explained. He wasn’t worried about Starfleet recording and in his pocket was a small scrambler, in case the Romulans had placed any bugs.
Rena nodded. "So they ask the El-Aurian Captain to go to El-Auria." She shrugged. Made sense, at least, which was a first for the Fleet. "What's the half that is you? What'd you do?" she asked.
Max looked at her as if she’d just grown a second head. “What did I do?” he asked rhetorically. “My sudden and escalating ability to use the El-Aurian ‘powers’. The exponential increase in those powers and the need to call in a Vulcan to separate me from Dani. Yeah, I’m fairly certain that’s the me part, Rena.”
She sighed, but smiled a little. "Oh, that. Well, I mean, you have to admit-it makes sense. A person just discovering their empathetic skills is a good choice to send "home," she made quotes in the air with her fingers. "You're easier to read, and easier to pick up others' thoughts," she said. "We can practice before we arrive," she offered. She didn't say more-it also made him a bit vulnerable-easier to control if the wrong person found out.
"Will Lorut be the CO here?" Rena would miss this place, as odd as that sounded. It had become her home.
“No,” Max said, having to use all his strength not to say through gritted teeth. “Colonel s’Khev will be taking command of the base under the supervision of Triton’s former commanding officer, Captain Hart, which just complicates things.” He could feel himself balling his fists and unballing them. Somehow Captain Hart and Colonel s’Khev had snapped him back like a freshman cadet.
Rena nodded. "That's an....interesting choice," she said. "I am picking up a bit of...chagrin, maybe?" she asked. "Want to share?" she said.
“Chagrin is a bit of an understatement, he admitted. “Pissed off would be a better term. I haven’t have anyone run around me that fast before. It completely disregards all the work we’ve done since we got here. That includes you. Our interactions with Senators and the entire Senate, just flushed down the tube like…well…” he paused and looked at her without saying a word, the tension building inside him, eating away at him.
"You okay with it?" She asked. She wouldn't prod him, but she was concerned about how he felt. She could feel mixed emotions.
Max couldn’t keep holding back anymore. Since that part had been explained, Max felt like an idiot to a cyborg Caitian and a human no older than him. “Do you have anything you’re not personally attached to?” he asked.
Rena handed him a granite ball. They could be found in any room where books were to be kept. Since Rena’s books filled the shelves, she had no need. It had sat on her desk since they arrived. Max looked at the sphere and poured all the anger, betrayal and pain he’d felt since getting the news. He activated the shield by tracing the specific line on his tattoo, closed his eyes and then poured out every ounce of those feelings into the orb.
The granite cracked, a great amount of strength was required to crack the granite, but Max wasn’t done as the ball exploded into dust.
Deactivating his personal shield, the air purifiers kicked into overdrive. Max took off his jacket, turned it inside out and then shoved his face and head near a ventilator. He used the jacket to wipe the dust off his face.
Walking to the replicator, he ordered a warm towel and had it recycled about five times before his face was clean enough. “That should answer your last questions, Rena,” he said matter-of-factly.
She handed him the granite ball that was meant to keep light objects, such as books or paper, on shelves instead of floating around from the lack of gravity. She watched as he pulverized it; indeed, it did answer her question.
“Do you feel better?” She asked, gently. “I imagine that it’s tough, but… remember this. YOU were the guy who made inroads. YOU are the CO that got the Senate to the table to begin with. YOU are the guy who won hearts and minds,” she said.
“I’m just the Counselor, but I’ve seen and heard from the locals who work here that YOU are a refreshing presence. They were expecting a… well. Someone more like the Colonel,” she said. “You want my opinion? Take command of this ship. And make it the best damn ship in the Fleet,” she said. “Make it THE posting everyone wants,” she stopped then, to allow him to reply.
Max paused as he returned to the chair. Standing in front of it, he used his mind to gather the dust mess he had made. For a moment the stone did nothing but return to his hand. When he was done, all the dust swirled mesmerizingly in his hand.
Finally, he chose an organism - a dolphin - to recognize the ocean planet they were leaving. Once chosen, the shape took form and the stone solidified into the shape of a playful dolphin jumping from the water. “It’s not a boring granite ball, but you can order a standard replacement from the replicator.
“This one,” he paused as he handed it to her. “This statue is a symbol of friendship, love, and a home we’re going to leave behind for a brand new adventure in one of the least mapped areas in two Quadrants. We could be there for a hundred years and still have plenty of places to boldly go.”
With a clean office and a new trinket, Max settled down again. “So should we talk about the next elephant in the room? Mister Daniel Martinez?”
She smiled. "Thank you, it's beautiful. I'll cherish it forever," she said. She carefully placed it where the granite ball had been, before returning to the chair.
"I am here to listen to whatever you wish to discuss," she said. "But yes. I DO admit I am interested in hearing about this...situation," she said. "I expected it, honestly, after that night in Mountain Home. YOU did all of that, didn't you?" Her tone was more surprised than accusing.
“Of course,” Max responded less from pride than embarrassment. “You see, all it takes is one night to ruin everything. These things I can do,” he paused as his eyes traveled over to the stone he had just pulverized. “It’s unnatural. It’s beyond anything my people could ever do. It scares me.”
For a moment he paused as he said it out loud. He didn’t think that Dani even knew that. “But I’m distracting us from the topic at heart. Mister Martinez…I love him,” Max told Rena.
She smiled sadly. "Yeah. Your powers are...strong. Stronger than any Betazoids I've ever heard of, even the Heirs," she said. "BUT!! You can be taught to control them, and to use them for benefit. Whatever the benefit may be," she said. Of course, it would be dependent on the situation. Some situations, he may choose to use them for good. Other times, it might require some bad stuff. She had been there herself.
"Love, huh? Well. Then...you need to tell him that. And then...you might have to make some tough choices. Bring him aboard, but there's the morals of that. Stay behind, and resign your Command..." She trailed off. "Or let it go. Love's labors lost," she said. "S'Tera and I are trying to make a go of things...this will probably toss a wrench into that, but...we'll all just...figure it out." She sighed. "Do you want to bring him in HERE?" She gestured around.
Max smiled at Rena, he was happy to hear she was making a go of things with S’Tera. “It might not be that big a wrench,” he mused. “But like me, you have some talking to do it seems. Maybe don’t cancel dinner tonight,” he suggested.
“As for bringing Dani to Triton, that would already put him at a disadvantage.” He shook his head again. “I’m not putting off today, but I’ll talk to him, on his own grounds. I expect maybe I ought to bring a dermal regenerator for when he punches me in the face. Maybe some Tylenol?” Max shrugged.
Rena chuckled a little. "It'll be fine," she said. "But yeah. I'll schedule you in with Gocx," she said. "But yes. We both have talking to do. I will. S'Tera and I need to discuss it, and other things..." She said. The other things was more or less the parameters of the relationship going forward-life on a Starship was much different than a base.
"I didn't mean Triton, exactly, I meant HERE, in my office. Did you want me to play middle-woman?" She clarified. "Now...next time you call me out to cover for your dumb ass to the Doc, please make sure I am not putting my OWN life in danger. Deal?" she said. She sighed.
“Yeah,” Max thought as he realized he had seen Dani in the seabase this morning. “Rena,” he exclaimed quickly, somewhat goofy. “Um, toss the cobbler, I can’t be sure there isn’t stone dust in it. If I’m not wrong, I’ve got to catch the last civilian transport back to Golden Towers.”
She nodded. "I don't like peaches anyway," she said. "Don't worry." She pressed a button to summon the receptionist.
Max looked at his chronometer. He’d better transfer command and run. “Thanks for the talk. I’ll let you know how things go soon!”
Max dashed out the door. “Thanks, Childers, that’s two points towards your next promotion!” He shouted, like a whirlwind blowing through reception.
Rena just shook her head, but stood up. She made a quick call down to S'Tera and then recycled everything, including the mugs. Just in case of dust.
“Captain Culver to Commander Lorut,” he said as he entered to turbolift and stabbed at his location. “You have the CONN. If you have a short shift, Lieutenant Armidale can relieve for the mid-shift.”
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