Posted by Captain Aiden Voss (Commanding Officer) in I spy with my little eye [Open]

Posted by Lieutenant Saxon McCleary (Chief Intelligence Office) in I spy with my little eye [Open]

Posted by Captain Aiden Voss (Commanding Officer) in I spy with my little eye [Open]
Posted by… suppressed (2) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Aiden lay in his quarters, staring at the ceiling, the soft hum of the Memorial filling the room. Sleep, however, remained elusive. Nights like this weren’t uncommon—when the quiet hours of the ship gave his mind too much space to wander. There was something about command that made sleep feel like a luxury, not a necessity.

With a resigned sigh, Aiden rose from the bed and slipped into his uniform. A walk might help. It usually did. The Omega shift—the deepest hours of the night watch—had a certain stillness to it. It was when the ship felt most peaceful, the crew settled into a rhythm that required little intervention from command. Yet, Aiden found that these late hours often gave him a clearer perspective, something he needed now more than ever.

He stepped into the corridor, nodding to the few crew members he passed. The lighting was dimmer, the voices hushed. There was something calming about walking the ship at this hour, when everything seemed to slow down. The steady hum of the Memorial’s engines thrummed through the deck plates, a constant reminder that they were always in motion, always moving forward. Even when the ship seemed asleep, the pulse of its systems never stopped.

Aiden’s path took him through Deck 4, past the observation lounge.

Captain Aiden Voss
Commanding Officer
USS Memorial

As the CO walked past the lounge, his eye would catch his Intel chief sitting alone, watching the stars pass, contemplating only he knew what.

Saxon caught the motion of the captain from the corner of his eye, and turned to look at the Memorial’s commanding officer. He acknowledged Voss’s presence with a nod, then returned his gaze to the stars. . .

Lieutenant Saxon McCleary
Chief Intelligence Office USS Memorial

Aiden paused in the doorway of the observation lounge, watching Saxon for a moment. The stars beyond the viewport drifted by, countless points of light twinkling in the vast expanse. There was something about the way Saxon sat there, still and contemplative, that mirrored the captain’s restlessness. It wasn’t unusual to find the intelligence officer alone during these late hours, sifting through thoughts and ideas like Aiden often did.

With a quiet breath, Aiden stepped into the room, approaching slowly to avoid disturbing the peaceful atmosphere. As he neared, he couldn’t help but smirk to himself.

“Funny thing about stars, isn’t it?” Aiden said, standing beside Saxon and gazing out the viewport. “From here, they look so calm, peaceful. But we know better, don’t we? Up close, it’s all chaos—flares, explosions, gravity pulling at everything. Not so different from us.” He gave a light chuckle, the kind of dry humour captains tend to develop over years of command.

Captain Aiden Voss
Commanding Officer
USS Memorial

Saxon took in the captain’s word, but kept his gaze out the window. “You’re so right, sir. They are a dichotomy in so many ways, as you mentioned. Also, they can act in such a harsh, destructive way, but so benficial to various forms of life . . . . and we’ve traveled to and visited sooo many star systems, but barely made a dent to the millions. . .billions, that are out there. . . .”

Lieutenant Saxon McCleary
Chief Intelligence Office USS Memorial

“You could go mad just thinking about it,” he chuckled softly. The sheer reality of it all—the endless stars, the countless planets—each discovery only reminded him how many more were still out there. He wondered if this was how it must have felt for the first humans to discover new continents: the awe, the weight of realising just how vast and unexplored the world really was. After a pause, he glanced over and asked, “Can’t sleep?”

Captain Aiden Voss
Commanding Officer
USS Memorial

“No, that’s not it, sir. Intel training teaches you to sleep with one eye open, plus I’ve trained myself to go days with little to no rest at all. I know I should sleep while I have the chance, but when your body has adjusted to a specific schedule . . . sometimes it’s hard to change that.”

He turned his gaze to the CO and asked, But it seems you’re having that problem thoygh.”

Lieutenant Saxon McCleary
Chief Intelligence Office USS Memorial