Lieutenant jg Connor Dewitt - Piece of Mind

[Tim]

((Starboard Bow, USS Arrow))

Connor had found the crab nebula. It looked different from out here, a
slightly different angle than when he had observed it from Earth so many
years ago. And he was glad to not be alone.

Dewitt: Take a look!

The Marine stepped over to carefully look through the eyepiece.

V.Jones: Now that is incredible.

Connor stayed quiet, to let him enjoy the moment. He knew the magic of
observing with an optical telescope too well. And although he did not
know Vincent, it looked like the Marine knew it too.

Dewitt: Isn't it? I observed the stars quite a bit as a child. It is
quite an experience. Almost to the degree that I sometimes regret that
we use buttons and screens to do this. ::pause, thin smile:: It also
calms me down, like a little retreat.

As he looked at Vincent, the Marine nodded and turned his gaze back to
the stars. Connor did the same, and they stayed quiet for a couple of
seconds, just enjoying the view. Although the two men didn't know each
other well, the moment had a certain familiar comfort.

V.Jones: I think maybe you should permanently mount that in here.

Surprised, the engineer looked at Vincent again.

Dewitt: That's actually a really good idea... ::smiling:: I always
suspected this was an obsession of me, but maybe the Starboard Bow could
be the place for more people to observe from time to time.

V.Jones: I think there are quite a few of us that would love to see what
I just did.

There was a moment of silence again as the men stared at the stars
outside the enormous windows of the bar again. Connor made a mental note
to talk to Commander Serinus about the telescope addition before letting
his thoughts go where they wanted again. After some time, which could
have been seconds or minutes, he started to share his thoughts.

Dewitt: I came here to look at the stars as I did with my sister as a
child. And to experience all those hard feelings of melancholy and
sorrow. I don't even know why. To feel closer to her? To distract me
from the tyranny of my own thoughts? To feel at home? ::he paused::
Thanks for pulling me out of that.

V.Jones: Response

Dewitt: Then, I could use a piece of your mind every now and then. We
should make this regular. ::thin smile:: Every week, another celestial
object. Maybe we could convince the Captain to drop out of warp for half
an hour.
V.Jones: Response

Dewitt: I guess we all carry our share. I have a tendency to share mine.
::bashful smile:: The moments we can take to step back are getting rarer
and rarer when stationed on a ship. It's something Academy did not
prepare me for. I guess that's different for a Marine?

V.Jones: Response

TAG/TBC/END?

--
Lt.jg. Connor Dewitt
Engineer
USS Arrow
A239901CD3