From: Jamie LeBlanc (plainsimplegarak_at_yahoo.com)
Date: Fri May 02 2008 - 22:29:05 PDT
"Silence" (Continued from "Music of the Nocturians
Part II")
~*~*~*~*~
Location: USS STONEHENGE
Stardate: 2.80503.0123
Scene: Medical Offices
Time Index: Several days ago
~*~*~*~*~*~
And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more.
People talking without speaking,
People hearing without listening,
People writing songs that voices never share
And no one deared
Disturb the sound of silence.
~”Sounds of Silence” Simon and Garfunkel
~*~*~*~*~*~
He poked his head into the spare office to find
its occupant in a blur of repacking. The Andorian CMO
blinked a little and perked both brows before he found
the words to speak.
“What the hell are you doing, Cade?”
The older man jumped, nearly a foot into the air
and turned around slowly, perfecting his glare on the
way. “Thanks, you could have given me a heart attack,
you know.”
“Your heart is artificial, it can’t spasm from an
emotional reaction.” Came the blunt reply. Slowly the
blue man grinned.
Cade rolled his eyes. “Great. And you’re a
smart ass today, too.”
Aerdan leaned languidly on the doorframe. “You
didn’t answer my question.”
“I’m packing.” The human replied, as if that
answer made everything as clear as day.”
The blue man nodded slowly. “Uh huh. I see
that.” He paused, cattily. “Why?”
Despite his desire to look as unconcerned as
humanly possible, Cade could feel heat pouring into
his cheeks. “I need to go.”
That caught the CMO by surprise. “Go? Go
where?”
Cade look up, sealing his ‘I’m cool, I have no
cares in the world’ smirk on his face and opened his
mouth. No words came out. He took a short breath in,
closed his mouth, sighed and then opened it again.
This time the words came tumbling out, smashed
together, as if he needed to toss them away or they
would remain bottled up inside forever. “She died and
was brought back to life and I won’t sit around and
let her recover without a decent surgeon there who
actually knows what he’s doing so I
askedforatransferandwasapprovedtogotoGatewayStation.”
He finally took in a long breath.
Aerdan perked a brow, waiting a few moments to
sort through all of that before speaking. “So you’re
jumping ship to go save Daisy?”
“No.” Cade replied stubbornly. “I’m going to go
study a medical miracle.” He folded his arms across
his chest, as the Andorian laughed.
“Bullshit. You’re going there to go save Daisy.”
“I am no—“ He trailed off, noting the CMO’s
dubious expression and betting that there was nothing
he could say that would change make him believe
otherwise. “OK, I am.” He paused, putting the last
of his personal belongings into the box. “IF you had
any sense you’d come with me.”
Aerdan perked a snowy brow. “Unlike you, Cade, I
am not a retired civilian. I have a duty here.”
“Duty, shmuty. You’re a kid. Trust me, when you
get to be my age, you’ll understand and you’ll see
that sticking to your damn duty will only leave you
lonely.” The elder man shook a finger at the smaller
blue one.
Dr. Jos rolled his eyes a little. “You don’t
even like Kate. Why bring it up, now?”
Cade shrugged, lazily. “It was funny to watch
you two… you were ‘cute’” He gave a sarcastic little
smile to the word ‘cute.’ Somewhere, deep down
inside, where he wouldn’t admit it, he longed to bring
part of the STONEHENGE with him. He wouldn’t mind his
friends tagging along.
“Cute doesn’t cut it when a woman run away from
you screaming.” The Andorian snapped back. “You’re
just afraid you’re going to be bored.” He gave a
smirk back. “I’m sure you’ll find someone new to
annoy.”
Cade rolled his eyes a bit. “Stop being
melodramatic. Trust me, when you get to be my age,
you’ll understand. And you’ll stop being so devoted
to some ideal.”
“Eh.” Aerdan waved him off. “Get out of here
before you get mushy on us, you old coot.”
“You jerk.” Cade spat back. “Don’t tell me you
won’t miss me.”
Aerdan rolled his eyes a bit. “I won’t miss the
constant arguing. The noise, the stress, the time in
the brig…”
“Oh, come on, we had fun in the brig.”
The blue skinned alien gave a sigh. “Right.”
Cade grinned, sardonically. “Well, *I* had fun
watching *you* in the brig.”
The CMO turned away, ready to walk out of the
room, and Cade chuckled a bit, going back to his
packing as a silence settled in the air. The older
man looked up, longingly for a second, and finally the
younger man rewarded him with a pause and a turn at
the doorway.
“In truth? Yeah… we’ll miss you, Cade.” He
murmured softly.
The older man blinked a little bit. “You
serious?”
Aerdan paused, and blinked, “Yes.”
“You could still come with me, you know…”
The Andorian shook his head a bit. “Someone had
to stay and break in the new doctor they’re sending
us.”
“They’re sending you a new kid??” Cade asked,
suddenly curious.
The CMO nodded slightly. “With all the civilians
staying here, my brother is taking Ishe and helping
with the Andaran casualties.” He paused and sucked in
a breath, “and Lt. Sef has requested permission to
stay as well.”
Cade chuckled merrily. “I *knew* those two were
getting hot for each other.”
The Andorian sighed a bit at that. “I had hoped
it wasn’t that serious.”
“See? I’m telling you, you need to chase more
skirts.”
Aerdan shook his head a bit. “Anyways, the
relief ships are bringing a new doctor to fill the
hole left by you three. He’s not a cadet… he’s old.
And he’s Vulcan.”
The retired doctor grinned, “may he cause you as
many headaches as you caused me.” He paused and
before the blue man exited, he added, “get him locked
in the brig for me, why don’cha.”
“I’ll see you around, Cade.” Aerdan winked
once, and gave a wistful smile before exiting.
~*~*~*~*~
Scene: Transporter Bay 3
Time Index: Several days later, before Peter’s post
“Worry Wart” and After “music of the Nocturians Part
II”
Aerdan scooped his daughter up into his arms and
gave her a big hug. She sniffled a bit.
“Are you sure I can’t come with, Daddy?” she
asked, looking down at him. Despite the fact that she
was getting rapidly too big to pick up, he didn’t want
to put her down.
He gave a small nod. “None of the children are
coming with. You can play with the Ford’s and Uncle
Arjan will take good care of you.” He smiled brightly
for her, fighting back tears.
“I’ll miss you, Daddy.”
“I’ll miss you, too, sweetie.” He squeezed her
one more time before setting her back down. The CMO’s
gaze traveled to his brother. “You be good… both of
you.”
Arjan gave a lopsided grin. “I’m always good.
How about you?” He leaned forward, gripping his
younger brother’s shoulder. “You be careful out
there. Come back safe.” He paused, and after a
second he pulled the smaller man into a hug before
letting him go.
Aerdan smiled back. After five years of not
talking to one another, they had fallen back into
their old familiarity well in the months they had been
together. Now parting was difficult, and the CMO
longed for his family to be with him. “I will. It’s
not a long mission.” He paused and grinned for show.
“I’ll be fine.”
Arjan wagged a finger at him. “You had better
be. The welcoming committee will be ready and waiting
for your return.”
The younger Jos gave a mock-salute. “Yes, sir!”
He stepped back and waved as the transporter beam
enveloped them both, sighing as he was left alone in
the transporter room.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Scene: Hallways between Counseling and Medical
Phia paced.
She didn’t mean to pace, but she kept walking up
and down the hallways between the reception areas for
the medical and counseling departments with a scowl on
her face.
Something was wrong.
Something was very wrong and she couldn’t put her
finger on it.
At first she had thought the environmental
controls were on the fritz. But rechecking everything
told her that no, in fact they were A-OK. Then she
had thought there was a problem in sickbay. But
things were calm; sedate even. Counseling was the
same way. Dr. Crumby was sitting in the lounge,
brewing itself a bowlful of raktajino, and Siggy was
arguing the finer points of publishing with Lt.
Peoples. Their voices were hushed, as if they were
trying not to disturb the general silence about the
place.
That’s when it hit her.
It was silent.
Too silent.
With the loss of Izhlana Vort, Cade Foster, Arjan
Jos and Sef Yelena, the normal overflow of
conversation, arguments, bubbly interruptions,
practical jokes and pranks had died to a near
nothingness. And it had made everyone else hunker
down and shush up. The Bolian hybrid felt like she
was walking in a library.
Or a mausoleum.
“This is going to drive me nuts.” The counselor
muttered to herself, turning back down the opposite
direction. She was headed back for the medical
offices, to see if she could stir up any trouble, when
she rounded a corner and nearly smacked headlong into
a thin man in a medical blue uniform. The hybrid
blinked and took a few steps back. “Be careful.” She
snapped at him.
The man gazed over at her, perking a slender
black brow. “I assure you, Lieutenant Commander, I
always walk with the utmost caution.” He paused,
gazing over her form analytically. “Perhaps it is you
who should take more care”
Phia frowned, getting a good look at the
newcomer. Vulcan, and a very cold one at that. He
had the typical Vulcan haircut, and a handsome,
chiseled face that was marred by an expression of
absolute emotionless nonchalance. He had the usual
Vulcan agelessness about him, but a careful eye noted
the first sings of age about his eyes. He stared back
at her as if she were some sort of impudent child.
“Well excuse me, but who the hell are you?”
“I am Doctor Suvek.” He replied flatly.
Phia perked a brow. She remembered reading
something, somewhere that they would get another aCMO
to help back up Dr. Kagiso. Somehow she doubted that
this jerk would be much fun. “If you’re new you will
need to schedule an appointment with one of the
counselors for your psychiatric screening.”
“That is already done, Commander. I am on my way
there now.” Suvek replied academically.
“Dr. Crumby should be free.” The blue woman
smirked.
Another brow perk. “Speaking to a Horta is
illogical.”
“Logic is illogical.” Phia snapped back.
Suvek didn’t give her the dignity of a response
as he pushed on past.
~*~*~*~*~
Scene: Captain’s Ready Room
Commander Aspinall slid into a seat across from
his Captain and took a sip from his mug. “How are you
feeling, Captain?” he asked in a quiet voice.
Rharn gave a small nod, smelling the air, nothing
that the XO has been kind enough to not order coffee.
“Well, Commander. And yourself?” She gave the
slightest smirk as she slid a plate of cookies over to
him, to go with his drink. Peter groaned, reading the
words ‘XO Biscuit’ emblazoned on the top.
“I’m never going to get away from these, am I?”
He picked one up and munched it. At least they were
mighty tasty.
“Well, them you had better come up with more jobs
to keep our chief medical officer busy. I fear he’s
bored, because he keeps baking new batches of these.”
She indulged in a light chuckle – it might be the last
chance for mirth before the were underway.
“We’re only a few hours away from the
co-ordinates Starfleet gave us, so I think, at least
for awhile, I will be off the hook.” The Brit replied,
clearing his throat a bit. “Engineering has given me
several plots on how to approach this vessel, though
Lieutenant Zanders suggests keeping a safe distance.
I think she would greatly prefer is we could use a
shuttle to get over there.”
“A shuttle is at far greater risk with the
gravitational interference of the black hole.” The
Nocturian mused.
“As I told her. But she did have a good
suggestion – if we board and set up beam enhancers, we
can move the STONEHENGE to a safe distance, and still
keep an effective transport for the away team.” He
replied, eating his second biscuit.
Rharn frowned a bit. “I’m not sure, from the
information we have, that we will want to board right
away. But a lot of it will depend on the time we
have. If there is one thing I have learned from
experience, there is no such thing as a stable orbit –
or a stable anything when a black hole is involved.”
“Agreed.” The Brit nodded lightly. The two sat
in silence for a few moments, watching as the stars
slid lazily by the window. Their reverie was
interrupted by a chirp from the comm. panel.
[[Captain]] Ens. Korla, the science officer on
the bridge called [[We are starting to receive our
first long range sensor readings from the derelict
vessel.]]
Rharn nodded a bit. “Thank you ensign” She
paused and looked up to Commander Aspinall. “Lets go
see what we’re facing, shall we?”
~*~*~*~*~*~
NRPG: I know, I’m late in posting! Apologies!!
Margie: loved the posts on Rharn!
Sarah: where are you?! Miss you!
I decided that playing around with cutting the medical
staff to a minimum might be fun. I created Suvek as
someone to be a pain in Phia and Aerdan’s butts (since
Cade is gone and all). I’ll make an NPC bio for him
before Tuesday.
~*~*~*~*~
Jamie LeBlanc
Lieutenant Commander Aerdan Jos
Chief Medical Officer
USS STONEHENGE
"Why do we fly? Because we have dreamt of it for so long that we must"
~Julian Beck
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