Lt. JG Ollie Bergmen - Call from upstairs
CPT Arianus
(( LTJG Ollie Bergmen’s Quarters, Deck 3, USS Artemis-A ))
Ollie looked at the PADD and the list of names that was slowly dwindling. There were so many people they both knew. So many years. With many memories...
It has been two days now. Didn't know why they came to him, for whom, but he saw in almost seventeen years too many casualty notification officers not to recognize the attitude, their posture, the gazes. It has been two days now —14 years since he last saw her —and he still can't get his head around why him. Why she wrote him in as one of her NOK.
His eyes shifted to the holophoto on his table, next to the computer screen. She smiled on that holophoto, they all did. So young, so naive…
He had only a few names left to contact. There was no reason to delay it any further. His fingers moved quickly over the keyboard, confirming the connection request. After a while, the Federation logo was replaced by a familiar face.
oO Oh my, he has grown so old… Oo
Donegan: If this isn't Ollie Bergmen. And an officer, hm? Someone had tried hard, yea... Oh man, how are you, man? It’s what, six years? You haven't aged at all…
Bergmen: More like eight, Marco. (beat) Listen, sorry, this isn’t a social call. I just wanted to let you know that… Hannah, she’s dead.
The room fell silent. They stared at each other, the words hanging in the air—so cruelly honest, leaving no room for hope, yet so difficult to grasp.
Donegan: How did it happen?
Ollie shrugged, sighed.
Bergmen: They didn’t say much. Accident in Argolis Cluster. But they have her. And I spoke with her parents, they wanna to bury her at home. Thidia, Alpha Leonis system. I don’t know the date…
The combadge on Ollie’s desk beeped, and his eyes shifted to buzzing delta.
Bergmen: I… I'll let you know when and…sorry, I need to go. Call you later, ok?
The face changed back to the Federation logo before Bergmen pushed the combadge.
K’Wara: =/\= Lieutenant Bergmen? Please stop by my office when you have time. =/\=
Bergmen: =/\= Aye, Chief. I’ll be there in five. =/\=
(( CoO Office - Operations Center, Deck 5, USS Artemis-A ))
The OPS Centre was unusually packed, but that was the case in the first days of any shore leave. Requisitions, personnel rotations, materials going in and out. Deadlines everyone as much wanted as needed to close, so they could just shut the books and leave the ship.
But Ollie Bergmen wasn’t there for any of it. Not with the summons to the principal office. Quick in and out. And preferably with his head on his shoulders when he leaves. The bell on the chief’s door chirped, and Bergmen’s time had come.
Bergmen: JG Bergmen, lieutenant.
K’Wara: Come on in!
The doors opened, and Ollie entered the well-known office, which surprisingly didn’t change much, if at all. Except the fact now he was welcomed with a disarming smile instead of the gaze that made Bergmen always want to be airlocked by Captain MacKenzie right there, right now, rather than talk to Vailani or Vel again.
K’Wara: Good to see you again, Olliver. Come in, take a seat. ::gestures to the chair on the other side of the desk::
Ollie pushed the chair back slightly and settled in comfortably as he glanced the office.
Bergmen: I have to admit, I didn't expect you to be a functionalist minimalist, Lieutenant.
Tamio looked around the office. They probably had their own plans for the space, but if Ollie were to guess, they hadn't started yet because of the impressive stack of PADDs that piled up like a skyscraper on their table.
K’Wara: Not quite yet. These things ::waves the PADD in their hand:: are keeping me busy. ::smiles:: I heard you did good work organizing the evacuation efforts on the Cityship. Evacuating an active conflict zone is never the easiest job.
Bergmen: Just did my job as they trained me to. But if you ask my professional opinion, if we had more bodies down there, we could do better. But I guess you already read that in my after-action report, so that isn’t why you called me, I’m right, Chief?
Bergmen tilted his head and pointed at one of the PADDs on the pile, with a yellow outline marker on the side.
Bergmen: Yeah, and guessing where my OPS Centre refit proposal I gave lieutenant Vailani months ago ended on that pile, it’s not that proposal either. So, how can I help, Chief?
K’Wara: Response
Bergmen: I will be happy to help with that, Chief. Just send me the names, and papers, and I make the presentation and instruct those who fall under necessary.
K’Wara: Response
Bergmen took a deep breath and looked at Tamio, as if he was weighing his next words, judging by the tension in his shoulders. But then his shoulders relaxed, and he nodded his head slightly.
Bergmen: If I may, Chief, I’m not sure whether this falls under your or the captain’s purview for approval, but I would like to request permission to travel off the system for a few days, up to a week, maximum; of course after I finish those instructions. (beat) I was informed two days ago about the death of Chief Petty Officer Hannah Marks. We served together at Vancouver, and we were close back then. I would like to take the honor of escorting her home.
K’Wara: Response
TAG/TBC
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Lieutenant JG Ollie Bergmen
Operations Officer
U.S.S. Artemis-A
A240009JC1