Apollonia’s mind was not on her macaroni and cheese as she sat down at the dining table.
Poking at a noodle and watching it slide away from her spork, she frowned. This had been one of the staple non-algae based foods she’d eaten on Hellrock, and the stuff on the Craton was better than any she’d ever tasted.
But right now she was still just confused as hell, her mind trying to figure out some words. Time felt like it was slipping away, and sending a message off to Squats on Sand’s family a month after his death felt horrible, like she’d be ripping open a wound that was just closing.
She didn’t even notice as Jaya approached, until she sat down across from her.
“Oh!” she said, jumping, her motion jerking the noodle she’d been poking until it flew off her plate onto the table.
Jaya looked at the macaroni with an arched eyebrow.
“I shall take that as a sign that you are having difficulty with your letter.”
“Yeah,” Apollonia agreed, wiping up her spilled food.
“I imagine you know that ranking officers typically write such letters to family after someone has died. While there are many things that are the same in all of them, they remain the hardest part of the job,” Jaya told her.
“Have you . . . ?”
“I’ve written them before, yes,” Jaya replied, but did not elaborate.
Apollonia couldn’t think of what to say; it was a difficult topic, and there was no easy method, no way out. Yet she wanted to do it. It was important, right?
If she had had family, she knew she’d hold them close, and if they had died, well . . . She’d want a letter, no matter how much it hurt to read.
“After a battle I have a tradition that I hold to, and being on Gohhi makes it even easier,” Jaya said.
Caught in her own thoughts, Apollonia took a few moments to register Jaya’s words. “What’s that?”
“I am going for a drink,” Jaya replied.
“You drink?” Apollonia asked.
“Of course, at times. And sometimes I even get drunk. Do you?”
“I . . . not really,” Apollonia admitted. “I mean, I have had alcohol, just not often.”
“That surprises me,” Jaya replied.
“And that’s my line about you! I thought you’d be the responsible type who never touched the stuff. I can’t even imagine you letting your hair down – literally, do you always keep it in a bun?”
Jaya chuckled. “Yes, well even I’m human,” she replied, sounding like it was only somewhat a joke. “And it is not healthy or wise. But sometimes we need something to break the monotony, to help us release the tension.”
Apollonia considered. “I guess it can’t hurt, can it?”
Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.
“Only a little,” Jaya replied. “We won’t be the only ones, several other officers will be going, though they’ll be drinking apart from us. Response have their own traditions, after all.”
Apollonia nodded, feeling both cautiously excited and nervous. “Thanks for inviting me. When are we going?”
“Right now,” Jaya said. “Or did you wish to continue playing with your macaroni?”
----------------------------------------
Brooks’s return trip to the Craton had been in solitude, after Dr. Y had elected to stay for a bit longer on the medical station to lend what aid he could to their other patients.
Brooks had no issues allowing that, and took the trip back planning out some of his own moves. The work ahead of him was important, perhaps most of all to him. To find Hoc Rem would help answer not just many questions and perhaps provide new leads, but would also be a personal victory. It was bad enough Rem had assassinated Nec Tede in front of him, but he’d also tried to kill multiple members of his crew. Brooks would not let that stand.
Which meant he would not be sending out a Response Team.
While he had confidence in them in many things, covert operations were not one of them. Pirra was very recognizable, and she had little practical experience in covert ops.
He’d go himself.
The loss of Iago’s personal skills panged, and Brooks thought again of the man, vowing to check on him as soon as he could.
Though he was not even sure if the man would still be here when he got back to the Craton.
Iago had experience in covert operations and could blend. He would have made a good partner.
He’d considered the other officers, even Kai herself, but the former were too inexperienced in this, and Kai had old injuries that kept her from field work.
It would just be him, then.
Still with a few minutes left to wait, he checked on Ambassador Kell, but found that the Shoggoth was still unavailable.
It annoyed him, but there was little he could do about it.
“Send a message to the Ambassador,” he said. “Invite him to a showing of Ussa and Usser when it premieres on the ship.”
The computer produced a message, and he checked it before approving it and sending it off.
He did not know if Shoggoths enjoyed plays, or were even capable of enjoying plays. But if it was as good as people said, then surely it might have some interest, to learn more about humankind.
The shuttle docked, and he exited, finding Cutter waiting patiently.
“Chief Engineer,” he said.
“Captain. I have completed negotiations with Hull-man. His crews will begin in one hour.”
Brooks arched an eyebrow. “That is quick. I thought we’d have to wait another day at least.”
“I negotiated,” Cutter replied.
Brooks smiled. “I hope Hullman didn’t walk away hating us too badly.”
“Hate? No. I allowed a certain margin of ‘graft’ within my budgeting. I believe that Hull-man is quite pleased. His suppliers, however? Not so much.”
“And the workers . . . ?”
“Well-compensated. Their Guilds will likewise be pleased. But the laborers themselves will receive very generous pay.”
“Good,” Brooks said. “Cutter, as of now, Jaya, Urle, and myself are taking some of our leave time.”
Cutter’s head twitched, and Brooks knew that the Beetle-Slug was severely disapproving.
Not because of the three commanding officers going off-duty at once – Brooks had no real concerns that there would be an attack on the Craton, and anyway Jaya and Urle should both be reachable in an emergency, even if he would briefly not be.
But he knew that Beetle-Slugs truly, deeply did not understand the concept of taking vacations.
They simply lived their work, and even when not on-duty were frequently doing other tasks related to work. Their concept of a hobby was doing things that made you more skilled in your labor, and they took extreme, almost religious pride in doing work well.
It would have made them extremely popular on less developed places like Gohhi as wage-slaves, if not for the fact that they also had no cultural concept of private property.
So Brooks knew that Cutter was alarmed, offended, and in some ways disappointed that the other officers might be taking some time off.
He would, however, have to simply deal with it, and he was a professional officer who could certainly manage that.
“Very well, Captain,” Cutter replied. “Who acts in your stead?”
“You will,” Brooks said. “Since you are also in charge of repairs.”
“Understood.” The Beetle-Slug saluted, and Brooks returned it.
Brooks then turned and headed off into the ship, seeking first the armory, then the printer rooms and finally the medical section. It was time to get into costume for his trip onto the station.