Lt Alex Storm - Not Like This

[Karen Morris]

(( Quarters 1418 - Deck 3 - USS Artemis-A ))

The room was full - more than full.  All the seats were taken, and the sides of the room were lined two or three people deep.  Alex’s breath nearly buckled at the pressure she felt from all of those people opening up their minds.  And as a siren calls to a sailor, they seemed to be calling to her to open hers as well, to share her grief, to hallow the dead.  

Her eyes flickered—just for a moment—before she slipped into the back of the room, hiding behind a particularly tall and broad-shouldered woman.  If she alone had arrived clothed, it would have called undue attention to herself.  So, playing the part of just another mourner, she was nude.  Elsine stood up front by Kyre’s casket, looking almost the same as when Alex had seen her last, at her and Kona's wedding seven years prior.  Her regal stance left no room for grief, but what Alex knew, that the rest may not have, was that the woman had loved her husband with every fiber of her being.  Her quiet stoicism was nothing more than a mask she was wearing, which, given the fact that she too was naked, was quite a paradox.

But the pressure inside her head kept mounting.  Afraid that her closed mind - like arriving clothed - would be more of a giveaway, she opened up, trying to keep her thoughts neutral.  But as soon as she did, she immediately heard one voice above the others.  Kona knew she was there.  A dark brown, olive skinned man on the front row craned his head around.  Alex caught sight of him, and slipped back behind the woman until she felt Kona turn back around. Only then, did she adjust her position to look for their daughter, who was nowhere to be found.

Antares: ~ Alexandra? ~

Storm:  ~ Where’s our daughter? ~

Antares:  ~ Not here. ~

Storm:  ~ I see that. I want to see her.~

Antares:  ~ And I want to see you - first. ~

Alex’s hands fell from her keyboard as the chime went off at her door, breaking her mental rehearsal of their upcoming trip.

Okay.  That’s not how this is going to go down.

The chime went off again, and Alex stood from the computer terminal, checking two things.  First - that she did indeed have clothes on.  She did.  Second - she checked the time. Less than ten minutes since she messaged Nat and Jira.   She couldn’t imagine them getting there quite so quickly.  

Storm:  Enter.

She started across the room only to come to an abrupt halt when she didn’t see Nat, and she didn’t see Jira. 

Bergmen: JG Bergmen, ma’am. I’m following up on the timeslot you reserved for the shuttle flight?

Instead, Lieutenant Bergman stood before her looking a little too happy for either of their good.

Bergmen: May we sit down, ma’am? Unfortunately, it will take a while, but don’t worry, we have time.

Storm: I’d prefer to stand.  I’m in a bit of a hurry.

But he waited.  And waited.  Alex’s eyebrows raised as if to ask what he needed, but he wouldn’t speak.   

Fine. 

Alex walked over to one of the seats and slipped into it, gesturing to another chair for Bergman.

Storm:  How can I help you, Lieutenant?

Bergmen: So, ma’am, the issue is that you filled out the request for a takeoff slot for your planned shuttle flight, but you didn’t actually fill the requisition for the shuttle itself or the paperwork for hangar services, so… that’s why I’m here. You need to fill out all five forms on the PADD first, attach them to a copy of your original request, which I saved there as well, and then resubmit the entire stack again. ::smiles:: But don’t worry, we’ve reserved the timeslot for you, so you can still catch your flight on time if you fill it out today, preferably immediately, because I have a moment to go over it with you now. Questions?

An emptiness fell across Alex’s eyes like a veil.  Her mind continued drifting back to a set of dark, masculine eyes searching for her in a crowded room.

She blinked … three times.  What had he said?  But she couldn’t remember.

Storm: I --I’m sorry?  I need to do what?

Bergmen: Response

Storm:  I plan to leave in less than half an hour, and you’re telling me that I need to fill out five forms?

Bergmen: Response

Storm: And attach an original request.  Right.

Bergmen:  Response

Alex plastered on her most disarming smile.

Storm:  I don’t suppose there’s any way we can expedite this?

Bergmen: Response

~*~

Tags / TBC!

~*~

Lt Alex Storm

Tactical Officer

USS Artemis

O240103SK2