What am I waiting for?
Posted on Wed Sep 16th, 2020 @ 9:16am by
Edited on on Wed Sep 16th, 2020 @ 9:18am
1,182 words; about a 6 minute read
Mission:
Episode 10 - New Home, Same Pioneers
Location: Lt. JG Rockwells Quarters
Timeline: MD007 0900 hrs
Jayden wasn't working until later in the day. He had gotten up with Clarissa and ate breakfast and had decided to read a book when he got notification that he had a call coming in from a friend from his academy days. He turned to the computer and grinned when Talas Ruhrie came on the screen. They had been roommates and had some classes together. Talas had been in the engineering program.
“Talas!” Jayden grinned. “How have you been?” They hadn’t spoken in a while, probably the last time had been at graduation. He had been relieved when Talas had sent him a message to let him know he was okay after the attack at Empok Nor.
“I am good,” Talas smiled back at him. “I have been working hard to help get the station back to one hundred percent. It’s been busy but you know I hate being bored.” He paused to take a drink from the glass he held. "What's new with you?"
"I am doing good," Jayden replied. "I am working in Operations. We don't have a assistant so I am picking up some extra duties to help out." He grinned then. "I met someone." Back at the academy, Jayden had been all about his grades and making it through the program. It was what had made them good roommates as Talas hadn't been out partying either.
"Tell me about her," Talas replied. "And next time you come here, I have got to meet the woman who won my best friends heart."
"I'll let you see for yourself when you meet her," Jayden said with a smile. "She is smart, beautiful, funny and everything I could ever want. Clarissa is an engineer and she just got a promotion."
"Sounds like you found that special one," Talas said with a serious expression. "It is something to treasure and hang on to."
"We are," Jayden murmured. "I'm thinking of moving in with her." He sighed. "She asked me to I just haven't made the move yet."
“What’s stopping you?” Talas asked him. He had been a good roommate, so it wasn’t bad habits.
“I think too much,” Jayden said. “What I have with her is rare and I don’t want to lose it.” He smiled then. “Which is really dumb because I spend more time at her place than here.”
“I’ve always told you to go with your instincts,” Talas said seriously. “I see just from talking to you how much she means to you. Pack your things and go.”
Jayden grinned. “Just what I needed was for you to give me a verbal kick.” He paused. “What about you? Anyone in your life?”
Talas took a deep breath. “There is someone I really like but it’s in the early stages and I can’t really tell if she likes me or not.” He smiled. “I think I almost scared her off.”
“You need a strong woman,” Jayden replied with conviction .”If she is scared already then she isn’t for you.”
“No,” Talas shook his head with a laugh. “Not scared like that, more that I came on a little strong. I don’t think she is looking for a relationship but she can tell I am interested in her. Being subtle isn’t my best asset but I am working on just seeing how things turn out.”
“I can’t give you advice,” Jayden said with a smile. “Clarissa and I knew almost immediately that there was something between us and it has grown ever since.”
“I couldn’t be happier for you,” Talas said with a sincere smile. “What’s it like serving under Captain Malbrooke?”
“The command staff is great,” Jayden said with a smile. “I don’t see them except if we’re on the bridge together but any dealings I do have with them they have been fair.” He continued after a moment. “And my Chief is really good. She has been encouraging me to show the fleet my worth.”
“She is right,” Talas nodded in agreement. “I didn’t have a chance to breathe when I came on. It wasn’t long before all hell broke loose. Once we came back on board, it’s been long days of getting things back to one hundred percent.”
“They treating you fair?” Jayden asked him. “Most command staff were well liked but as in all things there are some that run right ships and have the crew fearing them.
“I haven’t had the opportunity to meet many,” Talas confessed. “Like I said it’s been all work. I did meet my chief when we were off the base and long enough to get orders these days.”
“Any news from your sister,” Jayden knew Talas worried about her and hoped he had some good news for him. He saw a concerned look on his friends face.
“I have some contacts back home,” Talas said after a moment. “Our messages have always been limited but the last I heard my sister was missing. I am hoping that means she just took off, having gotten tired of the tyranny living there.”
Jayden didn’t know what to say. Talas and him would spend many nights talking about growing up and life back home. He knew that Talas was worried that his sister would settle and marry someone just like their father. “She probably did just what you said.” He would only give his friend hope.
“No one knows better than me how hard it is to make that decision and go through with it,” Talas said quietly. “It would be much worse for her because our father would do whatever it took to keep her there. In his eyes he would look weak if a daughter left home and he couldn’t control her.”
“I think you’ll hear from her eventually,” Jayden said optimistically. “If she was unhappy then all she had to look forward to is what she sees your mother living with.
“That’s what I keep telling myself,” Talas nodded. He smiled then. “I am glad we had this few minutes to catch up. I am heading on shift in a few minutes.”
“It was good talking to you,” Jayden said with a grin.
“I’ll see you when I see you,” was said in unison and the screen went dark.
Jayden sat with a grin still on his face. They had watched an lot of old movies together and that had always been their sign off when they wouldn’t see each other for an while.
He got up and made the decision to pack up his things. Jayden has planned a date for later in the week and he would tell her then he was moving in with her. It was more than time.
A post by;
Ensign Jayden Robertson
Operations Officer, USS Pioneer
Ensign Talas Ruhrie
Communications Specialist, Empok Nor
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