Anniversary

Posted on 241601.23 @ 9:53am by Cadet Sh'eik

Mission: Agua Mala
Location: USS Enterprise-F

-=/\=- Stardate 241501.22 -=/\=-

=/\= Holodeck 2 =/\=

The runabout touched down, with a gentle thud, and Sh'eik sat back with a gentle growl, running down the shutdown checklist. A head popped up over the console as he tapped. It smiled at him and the simulation froze.
"Good work Sh'eik, as always. Congratulations! You've earned your class three type certification. I'll update your records immediately and pass your results on to Ensign Zhang and your CO." The head said, with a look of pride.
Sh'eik nodded, smiling back, his elongated canines showing, "Thank you, Commanderrr. My pleasurrre. I'll send a communique when I'm rrready for Class fourrr testing."
The head nodded "Good evening Sh'eik, we'll see you soon." and then it vanished.

Sh'eik stood from the velour chair, stretching his back out as he did, "Computerrr, end prrrogrrram."
The world shimmered out to become the hologrid. Sh'eik felt a sense of emptiness for some reason, as he made his way over to the holodeck control panel. He glanced over the report, making notes of where he could improve for his class four test, and then moved to sign it. It's when his eyes caught the stardate that he understood why he was feeling so down.

"Two fourrr one five oh one..." His voice was subdued as he read "marrrk two two... Six yearrrs today..."
His ears perked and he started thumbing through available programs... he still had 15 minutes left with the holodeck.
He growled in frustration, the list was too long, "Computerrr, can you rrrecreate the brrridge of a specific starrrship for me?"

~~ CHIRP ~~ "Default bridge layouts for all current and previous class starships are available on request. Specific ship layouts are only available if filed in the archive. Please state desired ship registry."

Sh'eik thought for a moment, left ear flicking a few times, never having had to call the ship by her numbers, he didn't know them.
"I'm not surrre of the rrregistry number. I'd like to see the brrridge of starship Perrrsephone, Oberrrth class."

~~ CHIRP... BLORG... CHIRP ~~ "U.S.S. Persephone. Oberth Class. Registered to Federation Science Academy: Exploration Division. Registration Number: NAR-92901. Commanding Officer: Captain Webb. Listed as 'Missing'"

Sh'eik nodded assertion, "Yes that's it. Please rrrecreate the brrridge and rrrun simluation."

~~ CHIRP ~~

The world shifted around him and Sh'eik tensed reflexively, until it resolved.
He was impressed with the accuracy of the recreation. Very little was off, it even had the extra science stations along the back wall. He slowly toured the bridge... almost exactly as it had been 6 years ago, before the accident. His left ear flicked a few times as he ran his hand paws over the banister and looked out the viewscreen. It all seemed so much smaller than it did 6 years ago... and so empty.

Sh'eik yowled and almost jumped out of his skin when a big blue hand came to rest on his shoulder.
"Easy Kitten! Just a friend." Balman smiled down at Sh'eik, "So is this your old ship?"
Sh'eik's left ear flicked a few times and he smiled sadly, "Yes... I take it you'rrre next in line forrr time afterrr me?"
Balman nodded "No worries Kitten, I'm early."

Sh'eik nodded slowly, "This used to be home... I mean, I didn't spend much time on the brrridge, rrreally. But you take my meaning?"
Balman nodded in turn, "The brain of every ship is it's bridge, and engineering it's heart. Both are usually quite busy places." The Bolian engineering moved over to the OPS station and started tapping, "Let's see if we can flesh her out a little?"

Sh'eik gasped, eyes widening, as into the Captain's chair shimmered Captain Webb, and then standing to his left, Commander Sarah Findlay. Others popped in at this console or that. They were facsimiles, of course, all them looking significantly younger than Sh'eik remembered. That made sense, they were probably from before the ship set off from starbase, before he was even born.

Balman looked back over his shoulder at the Cait/Kzinti youngling, smiling. "Better?"
Sh'eik nodded, a lump in his throat, "Perrrfect..." He stepped down to the bridge, and slipped in behind the helm. He tapped his login into the console. It was all very much like the runabout but more technical, and more information.

Sh'eik looked over to Balman, left ear flicking a few more times, "The ship's brrridge... I'll believe that being on file... but the officerrrs..."
Balman blushed slightly, "Why do you think I booked my time right after yours?"
Sh'eik's ears tipped back as he looked back to the helm, "You didn't have to do this..."
Balman reached over, his big blue hand resting on Sh'eik's shoulder once more, "Closure is important Sh'eik, or this day will forever be pain for you."

Sh'eik nodded, eyes tearing up just a little, "I just want... forrr it to feel norrrmal. Just forrr a minute."
"Well then Mr. Sh'eik, let's be on our way! Set course for Demetrius Seven. Warp factor 5." Sh'eik's blood ran cold as the bridge suddenly animated around him. He started inputting the course into the helm, hands a little shakey. It was strange to hear Captain Webb's voice again.
"Courrrse plotted and laid in, sirrr."
"Execute"

Sh'eik tapped the button and felt the thrum of older warp engines surging to life. The stars leapt at the screen and in a quick flash they were hurtling through space.
Sh'eik turned then to smile at Captain Webb, but instead met with a wall of fur. 'No... Nononono'
The wall knelt beside him, and still had to look down to look into his eyes.

Balman had long since retreated to the rear of the bridge and was chatting with one of the prettier scientists. Webb was just sitting smiling at them. Sh'eik's eyes went anywhere but up, until finally a handpaw, larger than even Balman's gripped his chin and focused his attention by forcing him to look. He looked up, tears starting to stain his fur, "Fatherrr..."

K'Tal leaned down and embraced his son. Sh'eik clung to the moment, burying his face into fur of his father's chest. One of K'Tal's quirks had always been a habit of wearing clothing only on his lower half, and being civilian meant he didn't have any uniform constraints. Sh'eik was glad for it now, as he sobbed openly, K'Tal just held him, stroking the back of his head.

"I'm sorrry... so sorrry." Sh'eik blubbered despite himself, he'd spent so long surviving, he'd never stopped to think about how guilty he felt for being the only one that made it. Everyone had protected and trained him, supported him and held him up. One by one they'd been stripped from him, until he was all that was left.
"Shhh, it's alrrright little one," K'Tal crooned, rubbing Sh'eik's head "It was not yourrr fault. You werrre only a boy..."

* * *

Time wore on, Sh'eik's mother had joined them and Balman as well. Webb's suggestion had been to have dinner, so they'd ended up in Persephone's lounge. Conversation had been light with Sh'eik doing most of the talking. He'd only just finished his Cranberry and Cashew Caesar (and old favourite from his days on the Persephone), when the timer beeped that their holodeck time was nearing it's end.

Sh'eik was standing in the arch with Balman, looking back at the holograms of his parents.
"How do you feel Sh'eik?" Balman asked casually.
"It's not rrreally them... They feel like fosterrr parrrents... but still somehow, I've gotten a weight off my chest." Sh'eik returned the wave of the images of his parents.
Balman nodded, head down somberly, "I'm sorry I couldn't do better for you Sh'eik, but I thought if I could help, even just this much..."
Sh'eik hugged the engineer, "It helped. Morrre than you can know. But it's time to leave now."

Sh'eik thumbed the arch's panel, and the people and world around them dissolved once more.
For a moment he just stared at the spot where his parents had been, then whispered "Goodbye."
Turning, Balman and Sh'eik exited together, heading home.

=/\= End Log =/\=

Ensign Balman - APB Kitty
Junior Engineering Officer
USS Enterprise-F

Cadet Sh'eik
Yeoman
USS Enterprise-F

-=/\=- United Confederation of Interstellar Planets -=/\=-