Lt. Cmdr. Josh Herrick: Recollections
Mark P
((Chief Engineer’s Office, Deck 11, USS Octavia E Butler))
Josh leaned back in his chair, staring out the window at the glow of the warp core, swirling with its blue hues. He’d finished the portion of his log recapping his perspective of the events back on Koreli IV. There’d been significant handwringing of how he’d paint Anton in the events that had transpired, but his log would be stacked against three others, so he felt transparency was key — not that he’d willingly hide material details.
Now, all that was left was adding his lessons’ learned and recommended next steps.
Herrick: Resume log.
I continue to wrestle with the events that transpired down on Maiton, partially due to what I perceive to be my inaction on multiple occasions that led to an escalation of tensions between the Danni folk, as well as letting Anton’s somewhat concerning behaviour continue. My leadership journey has not been easy, trying to find the fine line between giving officers room to lead while intuiting when to wrangle control of a situation before it spirals. Would anything I could have done have made a difference? I suppose only a parallel reality would hold that answer.
These events have given me a unique appreciation for my current and former commanding officers, as they handle these situations far more frequently than I do. I’ll be putting in a special commendation for Lieutenant Nesre Salo, who’s calm head helped de-escalate situations more than once. First Lieutenant Arturo Maxwell seems to have a penchant for entering dangerous situations at high-risk to his wellbeing, and I worry that one day, his quick-action mindset will end up costing his life — I can’t help but to feel a pattern is emerging here. Still, I can appreciate that my greenness might be colouring my perspective. I’ll forward my concerns to Commander Promontory and Lieutenant Colonel Graves for further consideration.
Anton… what to do about Anton? One isolated careless comment could have likely flown under the radar. Instead, he seemed to taunt and aggravate relations at multiple turns with Ualara, who could have easily removed us from the chessboard or destroyed the mine. Salo, who bore witness to this same behaviour, is a capable professional. I’ll connect with her to determine the next steps before my upcoming debriefing with our first officer.
I wouldn’t chalk this mission up as a win, nor a loss. Only time will show our impact on the Danni, Koreli IV, and the Zet. I can only strive to improve with my now-lived experience, and I hope that’s enough for the next challenge that awaits us.
End log.
The computer chirped, and he closed his eyes. He’d been tense from before they’d departed from DS9 but that was another matter altogether.
((Flashback, Time Index: After After Kimonzi’s Zhian’tara — Promenade, DS9))
It had been an unsettling affair, allowing another soul to inhabit his body and relinquish control to them. He’d been thankful at the end that Timorzin had willingly left as quickly as they’d entered. After the shuttle had dropped them off from Trill, Josh had waved goodbye to his fellow officers and made his way to the promenade.
Something was comforting in the anonymity large crowds provided. Where others felt uncomfortable with the hustle and bustle, he felt at peace. As he strolled by various shops and hawkers, a familiar voice caught his attention.
W. Herrick: Jay!
Josh spun around, the voice instantly recognizable. His eyes darted left and right until they landed on the silver-haired man who bore some resemblance to him.
Herrick: (perplexed) Dad?!... What are you doing here?
Usually the men exchanged letters, holovids, and books; they hadn’t met in person since Josh had graduated.
W. Herrick: ::with a warm smile:: I thought I’d surprise you; I caught wind that your ship was due back on the station and so… here I am. (beat) Surprise!
In all honesty, he’d preferred the usual surprises of his father, such as the latest unexpected gift of a replicator pattern for a significantly improved custom spanner. Traversing the quadrant was out of character for a man whose career had been exclusively in the Sol system. With his recent intelligence work, Josh realized he might be reading too much into the situation and tried his best to put on a good face.
Herrick: I’ll say… ::pulling the man into a big hug:: How long did it take you to get here?
W. Herrick: I hitched a ride on a ship, someone owed me a favour. Warp 8, so not bad at all.
Herrick: Warp 8 from Earth? ::brows furrowing, unconvinced:: That’s shy of three weeks travel... why are you really here?
He watched his father’s expression falter momentarily, followed by him extending a hand and resting it on his son’s shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze.
W. Herrick: Well, you should hear it from me. I’m retiring.
((End Flashback))
Josh had wished that was the only shocking revelation, but during their extended conversation, he’d also learned that his father had been on the Sequoia during Frontier Day.
Bound by several orders, the chief engineer held back that he’d too been there due to a temporal displacement but memories of his own time on the Sequoia rushed back. Even now, as he leaned back in his chair in his office, he could still see the panic, the chaos, the evil, that had invaded their way of life. It would take a toll on any man.
Other things were hinted at but not openly discussed, such as his mother's absence at his father’s side and the half-hearted agreement to get counseling. Letters between Josh and his mother were positive, but she steered clear of mentioning his father and he decided not to press the issue. He was not his parents’ keeper; they had decades on him, so he trusted they would find their way. Rubbing his face with his hands, he let out an exasperated sigh.
Opening his eyes, he saw several stacks of PADDs waiting for him, which would soon become someone else’s burden to bear. Picking one of the reports up, he hoped to lose himself in his work and get a small respite from all the other problems surrounding him. With Seytoxal around the corner, perhaps Josh could soon finally take a break.
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Lieutenant Commander Josh Herrick
Chief Engineer and Second Officer
USS Octavia E. Butler
O240005JH3
he/him/his (player/character)