Lt Cmdr Quentin Beck - Naval Gazing, or Firmament Finding?
Quentin Beck
((The Fishbowl, Celestial Tide Sanctuary, Logali IV))
Quentin had been spoiled for choices when it came to resorts to visit. The list that had been forwarded to each member of the crew had been extensive and more than one had caught his eye, but as he was unfortunately quite alone for this shore leave visit (that's karma for you), he'd opted to do something that he knew he would enjoy that could actually maybe serve as a proper distraction. The Celestial Tide Sanctuary had been it.
He'd always been a fan of looking up at the stars. While much of his life had been busy drafting holofilms or writing scripts before he'd joined Starfleet, he'd always managed to find the time to just… stop for a while and look up at the sky before heading off to bed. Some nights, he'd even stayed up until dawn just studying them, writing down notes and observations before allowing himself to look up whatever was already known about the stars that drew his attention.
Dark eyes focused on a soft, orange circle far, far in the distance, in the direction that he roughly guessed was the location of Sol. The distance from Logali IV to Earth was not miniscule, though, and he knew the odds were better the orange dot belonged to a different solar system, but it was a little bit nice to think about his old home, even if he didn't particularly care to go back to it anytime soon.
The retractable dome that would normally surround the private observatory was only half-closed, and anyone looking from the exterior might think he was nestled in the middle of a giant glass bowl. The decor inside happened to be sea-themed, and oddly enough included even a fake treasure chest filled with the equivalent of chocolate coins. That was actually part of the reason this particular observatory was unofficially called 'The Fishbowl' - if any of the dome was exposed to the open air, that was very much what it resembled.
His gaze flicked vaguely in the direction of the Par'tha Expanse. Impossible as it was to see the Earth's sun from his location, the odds were even more impossible that he could make out the Valkyrie, even if he'd had the galaxy's most powerful telescope available… but he looked anyway, his chest swelling as he considered the ship's First Officer and their last conversation. They had both been quite busy since his return to the Ronin, so they hadn't really had a chance to talk for real, and he found himself longing to see her face.
Her promotion to the XO position had been unexpected, though in his opinion, she'd certainly earned her stripes by now. It had, in some ways, made him think more about his own career; so had his work with Division 14. While he enjoyed being the Ronin's CMO, he was starting to wonder if, maybe, he was allowing himself to be pigeonholed by not considering his options. Admittedly, losing Syrex had been a major blow; he'd put a lot of time into training her and had hoped she'd take the spot, or at least put herself in a position to take the spot on another ship. He couldn't begrudge her for taking the job with Division 14, though - looking out for kids was what she had trained to do, after all.
Even so.
He looked up at the stars for a moment, narrowing his gaze. Then he tapped the combadge hidden beneath a flap of his shirt.
Beck: =/\= Beck to Niac. You busy, Cap? =/\=
Niac: =/\= Response =/\=
Beck: =/\= Oh, everything's good here. I just… wanted to talk with you a little about the future. Unofficially, off the books, all that jazz. I've just been thinking about things. =/\=
Niac: =/\= Response =/\=
Beck: =/\= No rush. We've got plenty of time here, but you're welcome to join me. I'm at the Celestial Tide Sanctuary - front desk should be able to direct you to me, if you've got the time. =/\=
Niac: =/\= Response =/\=
Quentin tapped his combadge again.
Beck: =/\= Beck to Kel. You got a few minutes to chat, Doc? =/\=
Kel: =/\= Response =/\=
Beck: =/\= I've been thinking about the future and wanted to get some feedback from you again. You were helpful last time. I also asked Karrod if he had a little time. =/\=
Kel: =/\= Response =/\=
Beck: =/\= Like I said to him, no rush - but you can find me at the Celestial Tide Sanctuary if you're available. =/\=
Kel: =/\= Response =/\=
[Tags/TBC!]
Lieutenant Commander Quentin Beck, MD, FASFS
Chief Medical Officer
USS Ronin NCC-34523
A238810SA0