Lieutenant JG Ollie Bergmen - Pick me if you need a guy within a hundred light years…
CPT Arianus
(( Conference Room - Deck 1 - USS Karnack ))
Ollie settled onto the tabletop in the light of the starlit space and set his glass down beside him. His gaze lifted to Imril's silhouette in the shadows of the room, watching them settle into the chair nearby, with a ragged sigh escaping their lips.
Bergmen: Here we are, you and me. (beat) You know, I was thinking a lot about what you said. Now… and before. I… I get what you say, I understand. (beat) I see you, Imril. (beat) And I’m not scared. Not running away. I’m here. I’m here for you.
Imril shook their head. Tired, beaten, exhausted they both were. Ollie felt it himself. The energy, as well as his consciousness, slipped away from him, now calling to collect debt as the adrenaline slowly drained from his veins.
Imril: We both know you didn’t run. I’m the one who asked for time, and you gave it to me. Thanks for that. I can see now, from how you looked at me back on the Bridge, how much that wait must have hurt. And I’m sorry.
Yet he smiled, pushing aside all those distant tiredness echoing in his mind, taking one more step forward as he focused on listening to Imril.
Bergmen: I was just glad to see you… ::gestures with the hand in the air as if that could express a proper word he couldn't find::
oO All Right? Alive? Not torn into a thousand little pieces? Oo
Nothing sounded right in his mind. None of those words captured how he felt when he saw them. Not that the word mattered. He knew how he felt.
Bergmen: …there. Sorry, I… ::tilts his head:: You asked for time. (beat) And I… I have no problem giving you more, if you want… or need. (beat) You know why you asked. And I believe you have a reason. And… (beat) I just wanna say, if you wanna share it, I will be happy to listen. If you don’t… not now, not ever, I… I will understand.
As he spoke more and more, trying to find footing in his words, he started to gesture with his hand more and more, to discharge the charge of energy that had accumulated within him. But suddenly, he realized that Imril is still quiet. He paused mid-motion, falling silent himself, allowing them the space to express their thoughts.
Imril: Back on the Artemis, I would have had more of a preamble about my background. But you’ve kind of lived it now. The major bullet points, anyway. ::Motions a checkmark in the air:: Trapped on a planet that only wanted to grind you down and wasn’t going to let you go without a fight? That was Bactrica. At least the part I knew. ::Motions another checkmark:: Surrounded by beings, by minds, trying to tear you down and make you into something else? That was the Borg. Federation Day.
Ollie was silent.
((( FLASHBACK: Starbase 1 – Earth – 2400 )))
Female voice: …there are too many of them!
Male voice: I said hold the line, Cadet! We’ll make it through this.
Another voice: They have us surrounded, Cadet Master! We need another plan…
Male voice: Our orders are to hold the line!
Female voice: We’re fighting a losing battle. We will die here, sir! We need to go!
Male voice: Don’t talk like that, Cadet. I’m not gonna lose more of you today!
Another voice: Incoming!
Female voice: ::whispers:: I’m not sure we’ll have a choice, sir…
((( End flashback )))
Ollie watched Imril's silhouette in the darkness, shocked, and for the first time, it dawned on him - that day, the thought he never ever considered... And with that, the understanding of what those words meant.
Imril was them.
Imril could be one who killed... one of whom he could kill, if only...
oO But they didn't. Oo
Bergmen: I… I think I get it. What you describe… (beat) It’s horrible…
Imril, watching him, let out a soft laugh.
Imril: It’s nothing you had to be ‘warned’ about! I’m not broken or anything, I don't see myself that way. But I will state that I have put in the work to protect myself against ever going through either of those things again. Some of that preparation helped me stay true to myself today.
Ollie silently nodded, thinking about what to answer. Imril took word from him before he could.
Imril: And I lost someone who might have been something more, too. Someone like Hannah was to you. His name was Khuban. ::A shiver:: I think… And I didn’t realize it until I really did make myself sit down and think about it… That I put up defenses there, too. Against getting that close in that way to someone again. Letting someone else come near the spot that he could have had in my heart.
He heard her chuckle as if she were in the room with him. He turned his head into the shadows for a moment, but she wasn’t there. She will never be there, not anymore. Hannah was gone. Ollie slowly nodded. Understood. He felt the same, endless abyss. Names differed, feelings... not.
Bergmen: Don’t worry. I get it. It just… ::gesture into air:: You…
Imril yet cut off Ollie before he could finish what he was saying.
Imril: All that said -- And I swear I came to this conclusion before I got sucked towards another hive mind -- I think I’m ready to try. With you.
He felt their gaze on him, watching him, his silhouette against the stars streaked on by, silently waiting for his answer.
He slid down from the tabletop, feet on the ground, and stepped closer, kneeling before Imril and taking his hand in his.
Bergmen: Lieutenant Junior Grade Imril, if you need a guy within a hundred light years, who likes raktajino, is a Taurus, has family in Gideon… and is free this Friday night and just might make you smile… I say yes.
Ollie looked into Imril’s eyes, then giggled and bowed his head in that moment.
Bergmen: Ah, sorry, I swear it sounded better in my head…
Imril: Response
He sank to the floor and rested his head on Imril, gazing at the stars twinkling outside the window.
Bergmen: Where do you think we will go after? You know, once we get back into the Federation…
Imril: Response
TAG/TBC
–
Lieutenant JG Ollie Bergmen
Operations Officer
U.S.S. Artemis-A
A240009JC1