The Ride Rises, The Tide Falls Part 1

Posted on Sun Sep 20, 2020 @ 6:10pm by Lieutenant Roden Serav

641 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: Et In Arcadia Ego
Location: USS Zambezi, Runabout
Timeline: MD09 08:00

[ON]

"Along the sea-sands damp and brown, the traveller hastens toward the town..." Roden sat in the comfortable passenger chair of the runabout, his daughter nestled in his lap. He was reading her a poem from ancient Earth, a quiet rhythm between them as she struggled to stay awake. They had roused early that morning, to quarters emptied of all personal effects. His wife, Anashe, sat across from them, editing a paper on her datapad. She had her hair wrapped in colourful fabric from the African continent of her ancestry. Roden looked down at his own Starfleet uniform, another human invention. He wore no adornments to suggest his own ancestry. It felt too distant. A planet consigned to isolation due to the subspace rift in the Hekaras Corridor. His daughter fidgeted, and Anashe reached over to squeeze her foot. "We're not far now, Mudiwa. Our new home." She said.

The ensign piloting their runabout tapped a few buttons on the console. The viewscreen flickered into life, displaying Deep Space Five. From this distance it looked small against the frigid expanse of space. The angle changed, to a closer magnification, and Roden studied the hull with a practiced eye. In his mind, he began making checklists for the upcoming refit. Seeing her husband lost in a world of shield emitters and sensor arrays, Anashe raised an eyebrow. "Looks like you're already at the station, Lieutenant." She said. Roden smiled, his rank was only ever used in the gentle mockery they exchanged. "I can't help it. It's going to be a lot of work." Mudiwa wriggled her way off his lap to get a closer look at the screen. Her hair was tied up in a single pouffe, like a vain attempt to add height to her tiny toddler frame. "Will there be other kids there?" She asked.
"Oh yes, many more children than on the USS Seshat." Roden answered.
"And more your own age, too." Anashe added, remembering the sight of their tiny girl lecturing kids twice her age on how best to play.

The family settled in to their quarters, unpacking the transport crates. Small mementos, beloved toys, family heirlooms. The bulkhead became home to several art projects, and the never-ending task of chronicling Mudiwa's growth. They sat together at the dining table for a first meal at the station. The conversation was all about the exciting new school, and all the things Mudiwa would learn. Anashe discussed her own work, having finished her doctorate on subspace radiation. "When can we see the station?" Mudiwa interrupted, unable to contain herself any longer. "I want to see everyone, I want to see-"

"Alright, my little diva!" Roden raised his hands, palms up in surrender. "You win. You two should go exploring the promenade, I need to report in." He stood and began clearing the plates.

"You'll join us soon?" Anashe asked.

"If I'm lucky. From the reports, we've missed a bit of excitement on the station, I'm sure there will be a lot to do." Roden responded. His wife gave him the half-shrug of the long-suffering spouse, but made no protest. How many hours had they spent burning the midnight oil during their research work on the USS Seshat?

Once the girls had left, Roden straightened his uniform and made his way out of their quarters. The long, broad corridors filled with activity, a new taste to the life support systems' air. The temperature was different, there was no hum of warp engines. From each viewport he could only see the tiniest sliver of the station. It filled him with excitement and dread. The anticipation of hours worked, and the satisfaction of a job well executed. Now it was time to report to the executive officer, and begin his duty.

To be continued...

A post by:
Lieutenant Roden Serav,
Chief Engineer
DS5

 

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