Posted by Lieutenant Commander Amelia Nolan (Executive Officer) in [Pre-sim] Meeting with the CTO

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Elmira O’Shea (Chief Tactical Officer) in [Pre-sim] Meeting with the CTO

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Amelia Nolan (Executive Officer) in [Pre-sim] Meeting with the CTO Posted by… suppressed (4) by the Post Ghost! 👻 Posted by Lt. Cmdr. Amelia Manning (Executive Officer) in [Pre-sim] Meeting with the CTO : Posted by Lieut (j.g.) Elmira O'Shea (Chief Tactical Officer) in [Pre-sim] Meeting with the CTO : : Posted by Lt. Cmdr. Amelia Manning (Executive Officer) in [Pre-sim] Meeting with the CTO : : : Posted by Lieut (j.g.) Elmira O'Shea (Chief Tactical Officer) in [Pre-sim] Meeting with the CTO : : : : Posted by Lt. Cmdr. Amelia Manning (Executive Officer) in [Pre-sim] Meeting with the CTO : : : : : Posted by Lieut (j.g.) Elmira O'Shea (Chief Tactical Officer) in [Pre-sim] Meeting with the CTO : : : : : : Posted by Lt. Cmdr. Amelia Manning (Executive Officer) in [Pre-sim] Meeting with the CTO : : : : : : : Posted by Lieut (j.g.) Elmira O'Shea (Chief Tactical Officer) in [Pre-sim] Meeting with the CTO : : : : : : : : Posted by Lt. Cmdr. Amelia Manning (Executive Officer) in [Pre-sim] Meeting with the CTO : : : : : : : : : Posted by Lieut (j.g.) Elmira O'Shea (Chief Tactical Officer) in [Pre-sim] Meeting with the CTO : : : : : : : : : : Posted by Lt. Cmdr. Amelia Manning (Executive Officer) in [Pre-sim] Meeting with the CTO : : : : : : : : : : : Posted by Lieut (j.g.) Elmira O'Shea (Chief Tactical Officer) in [Pre-sim] Meeting with the CTO : : : : : : : : : : : : Posted by Lt. Cmdr. Amelia Manning (Executive Officer) in [Pre-sim] Meeting with the CTO : : : : : : : : : : : : One of the few people that she still hadn’t visited was the Chief Tactical Officer. The Dresden itself, didn’t have an officer for the Tactical Chief, but she was sure she Harris had given the officer somewhere to bunk in the security deck. Going through the multiple offices and rooms, she finally found one that seemed to be inhabited, and sticking her head in she asked. : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : “Excuse me, I’m Commander Manning. I am here to meet with the Chief Tactical Officer. Would you happen to know where I can find her?” : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : Lt. Cmdr. Manning, XO : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : “You are looking right at her,” Responded a voice laced with a fire that seemed to match the red tinge of her unnaturally coloured hair. Stepping from where she had been within the room, she inclined her head to the officer. Clasping her hands behind her back in a manner that resembled both a casual and respectful stance, she added: “What can I do for you, Madam?” : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : O’Shea : : : : : : : : : : : CTO : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : “Oh!” The look of surprise crossed Amelia’s eyes for a fleeting second. Smiling, she walked in, her hand out for the other woman to shake. “Lieutenant…” She checked her PaDD. “…O’Shea? Nice to meet you.” : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : “That would be my name.” O’Shea took her hand, shaking it in a firm manner (for someone of her size) before releasing it, and allowing her own to fall back to the table before her. : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : Amelia was slightly taller than O’Shea. To the trained eye, her light skin, dark brown curls and thin frame would give away her English ancestry. To someone without knowledge of the physical characteristics of the various indigenous people of Earth’s old Europe, her upbringing would be obvious the moment she opened her mouth. : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : “As the Dresden’s new Executive Officer I am trying to get to know the people I will be working with. So, I was wondering if you have a few minutes to chat? If it wouldn’t be too much trouble, of course…” Her tone carried the stereotypically British politeness and a heavily British accent. However, as Manning stared into the trademark dark eyes of the Betazoid, Elmira would be able to feel something looming in the background. It was not fear, but rather something akin to suspicion, or distrust. : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : Lt. Cmdr. Manning, XO : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : “You don’t have to be so suspicious of me, Commander. I’m not here because of any ill-mannered tendencies or treacherous ways,” She assured, deeming the peculiar emotion to be more along the lines of suspicion. Elmira had no issue with addressing such emotions, specifically when concerning the atmosphere of a room or the expression towards or against an opposing being in the other’s vicinity. As if to strengthen her reassurance, Elmira offered a faint grin. Simple. Bland. Trained. : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : Amelia’s eyes widened ever so slightly in surprise. She smiled back in an apologetic way but didn’t say a thing. Fear and embarrassment added to her emotions, but the truth was, after everything that had happened, Manning still struggled when in the presence of telepathic beings. And no matter how much she told herself that the officer in front of her would not be able to control her actions, she knew perfectly well there was nothing rational about what she felt. : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : “It would be rude to turn down a superior, yes?” Her words were sarcastic, but her tone still held an inkling of respect, as not to elicit any undesired responses from the outranking Officer. Motioning to the chair, she made her way over to the replicator. “Make yourself a home, ma’am. Do you want anything to drink, or eat?” : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : O’Shea : : : : : : : : : CTO : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : Manning chuckled at O’Shea’s words. Weirdly enough, she appreciated the sarcasm. Even though she was still trying to get acquainted with the ship, the crew, and her new job, sarcasm had always been Amelia’s weapon of choice. She wondered if the two of them were more alike than she had imagined. : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : “Thank you. I cup of tea would be lovely.” Sitting down on the designated chair, Amelia looked around the room and waited for O’Shea to return, asking casually. “How long have you been on board, Lieutenant?” : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : - Lt. Cmdr. Manning, XO : : : : : : : : : : : : : : The office was quaint. It was clear that O’Shea did not wear her life nor experiences on her sleeve, for all to see. The only indication to her person, beyond what was obvious to Manning, would be the pictures that rested behind her. The first depicted a small creature, whose smooth golden fur and amber eyes, mixed with its frame, was clearly a golden retriever. The second was of two people, both of which were female. The first was blonde haired, dark black eyes characteristic of her species. The opposing was black haired and darker skinned, yet held the same gaze. And the last, that was a picture of Elmira and some unnamed man. : : : : : : : : : : : : Amelia glanced at the pictures behind the desk but she didn’t ask. She was not there to know the details of O’Shea’s private life, nor she felt like it would be any of her business to mind. : : : : : : : : : : : : : “Here you go, Commander.” O’Shea set the beverage down before the XO, before moving around her desk and taking a seat. Bringing her water to her lips, she considered the question for a few moments. “Eight months, sir. Give or take a few moments of dumbfound and sleep.” : : : : : : : : : : : : : : O’Shea : : : : : : : CTO : : : : : : : : : : : : “Thank you.” Manning smiled. She took a mindless sip before continuing. “Almost a year. How has your stay on board the Dresden been? I know it’s quite a different ship than what I am used to be in… and especially for someone in your position it should be quite different than the regular exploratory vessel, I imagine.” : : : : : : : : : : : “Of course, Commander.” : : : : : : : : : : : What did she know, Amelia thought briefly. She had always been a mere Engineer. For a second, her mind wondered if it would be nice to know life outside of Main Engineering, but she quickly shook her head to dismiss the thought. In any case, this was Manning’s first assignment away from the comfort of the warp core’s peaceful rhythm, and she wondered if she would ever get used to the distance. : : : : : : : : : : : : - Lt. Cmdr. Manning, XO : : : : : : : : : : Elmira took a few seconds to response, crossing he really legs beneath the desk as she took a sip of her benverage to offer herself enough time to form some type of response for the Executive Officer. Within a moment or two, she managed to dull it down enough to make sense. “Being a CTO isn’t much different than any other office. I just handle the weaponry and make things blow up.” She rolled her eyes in a form of sarcasm, but there was no disrespect towards the Commander. : : : : : : : : Amelia raised an eyebrow and smiled politely. She had joined Starfleet because of her grandfather. She had never had any interest in weaponry of any kind, or any sort of combat. All she wanted was to fix things and learn about space while she did that, see what wonders were out there that no one had seen before. And now that she had been placed on board the Dresden she felt like the odd one out. : : : : : : : : : “In all seriousness,” She smiled, “It has been a rewarding experience. If anything, it has given me the ability to better understand my department and achieve more knowledge concerning its nature. After all, nobody truly stops learning; it is merely a matter of whether or not they choose to retain and utilize the information.” She submitted, “If I might ask, what department did you previously work for?” : : : : : : : : : : O’Shea : : : : : CTO : : : : : : : : The smile that settled in Manning’s lips was more genuine this time, and if anything, Elmira would be able to tell that the suspicion that she had felt earlier was slowly disappearing. With Amelia it was nothing personal, but O’Shea would have no way of knowing that. “I agree.” She finally said. “I was an Engineer. And I am still one at heart. I don’t think that part of me will ever go away. But life has a way of working around your expectations and putting you in places you never thought.” : : : : : : “Captains and Excutive Officers are all engineers, but instead of engineering new systems or making certain that the ship is in one piece, the make better officers and create a viable future for their ship. If it helps, at all, I’m sure you could apply your knowledge in Engineering, to your currently position, as the Executive Officer, Commander.” : : : : Amelia smiled at the analogy. Maybe that had been why Pete had nudged her to take the leap into Command… that man knew her better than herself. Manning mindlessly touched the small silicone band adorning her left ring finger. : : The attentive Betazoid caught this subconscious movement, but she could not bring herself to aks if she was married. For she was well aware that the placement of a ring there, didn’t always indicate marriage. Sometimes it was simple bondage, or even the memorial of a lost spouse. Choosing not to tackle that demon, she left it as it was. : : : : : : Amelia took another sip of her tea. “I am curious Lieutenant. What made you choose Tactical?” : : : : : : : : - Lt. Cmdr. Manning, XO : : : : : : O’Shea rose her eyebrows, lifting her gaze from where it had been previously focused on the beverage below her. Clasping her hands back upon the table, she chose to give the truthful answer. “As a kid, I was the harbinger of trouble. Each and everyday, I found a new way to near murder my future, with the trouble I got into. Neither of my moms were very pleased with this, so they tried to figure out ways to inhibit my menacing ways.” She shook her head, offering a faint chuckle. “It didn’t work. Let’s just say, their attempts at stopping me, taught me knew ways to get around the system. And when choosing a job, despite leaving such a reckless childhood behind, Tactical seemed only the most suitable.” It was a fairly boring story, in her opinion. : : : : : : “And you? Why Engineering?” : : : : : : O’Shea : : : CTO : : : : Amelia chuckled slightly at O’Shea’s story. It was refreshing to get to know the Dresden’s senior officers at this level. To Amelia, it helped them feel more like people and less like a blurry face in a crowd. : : : : “Me?” She asked between sips of her tea. “A somewhat similar story to yours, actually.” Manning paused for a second, her mind clearly wondering off to the past. “My mother…” She cleared her throat. “My mother comes from a… rich… family.” Amelia hesitated slightly. Rich was an understatement, but she didn’t go into details. Manning had left Earth for a reason, and the fact that Harris knew her personal history was already bad enough. “Let’s say that she is very… keen… on social status. I think that from the moment I was born, she already had her whole life planned out for me, only I insisted on being a kid… it drove her mad. And I think that made me enjoy it more.” Amelia shook her head and smiled. “My grandpa was a Starfleet Engineer. He was already retired by the time I was born. But he always keeps pet projects around. While I was growing up, it was Ada… our shuttle. My grandma calls her my grandpa’s other woman.” It was clear by the expression on Manning’s face her fondness for the memories she spoke of. And her family’s private shuttle was perhaps the biggest clue in the conversation as to the kind of family Manning had been born into. “He let me spend the afternoons after school in his workshop. My mom didn’t like it, so I loved it. And I think grandpa loved it too.” She paused to take another sip of her tea. “By the time I finished high school I could easily get around most of Ada’s systems and I knew I wanted to be a Starfleet Engineer… just like grandpa.” Manning chuckled. “Besides, I still get to drive my mother mad, so that’s a bonus.” She winked playfully as she finished her tea. : : “It seems, in your childhood, you also had the tendency for rebellion.” She chuckled, in attempt to lighten the mood from the clear inhibitions that Ameilia had placed upon her, in regards to her rigid mother. There wasn’t much that she could say towards the revelations of the XO’s mother, but she could, at least, offer a sense of consideration and sympathy for the nature of her life, when she had been nothing more than a young child, attempting to survive the already rigorous ways of a peculiar, developing planet. Shaking her head, she chose to continue, despite leaving the previous statement without a proper conclusion to the thought. This didn’t bother her, not right now, as the comment was merely insintuating amusement rather than notification or serious measures. She found herself visualizing the younger version of the XO, tinkering away at her grandfather’s side, while he worked to teach her about the mechanisms of the shuttle and what parts did what. The thought itself was room for amusement and entertainment. She had to shake her head to be physically rid of the visualization. “I have no doubt that your grandfather is undeniably proud of your placement as an engineer, or at least glad that someone continued his work.” Amelia smiled. Even though existing in a technologically rich world, some peerage families in England still somehow managed to live untouched by it. The Addingtons were one of those families. Even though her grandfather had been a Starfleet Engineer back in the day, her maternal grandparents could pass by someone born four centuries before. The only technology that had really made its way into the family were the engineering “gizmos” Manning’s grandfather needed to work on his shuttles. Other than that, most of the family’s correspondence was made by written letter, all the food was cooked with real naturally grown or hunted ingredients, and computers were a thing of the future. As such, communications were severely restricted, but still, Amelia received the occasional letter, to which she responded with glee. With her father away for most of her life, her grandfather was her main father figure. And he had never failed to tell her how proud he was of her. : : Amelia hadn’t gone home in four years, solely because of her mother. She resented her. And now that she had married Peter, she knew she could never go back. Isabella had already ruined that relationship once with her eagerness to get his title in the family and Amelia would not risk her ruining it again. Not going home, however, also came with a price. The price of not seeing her grandfather again. She wondered if she would even know if he passed away… Looking at her empty cup, Manning wondered if they should take the conversation to the lounge. She felt like she needed something stronger. O’Shea would be able to sense the black cloud hanging in Amelia’s thoughts. : : The dark look registered within the empathic sensors of her telepathic mind. She could not deny that she could sense this cloud, looming heavily over the thoughts of the opposing woman. Though, she was not certain if she had been comfortable with another creature being able to read her mind or emotions. It was simply due to respect, that she didn’t bring it up. Instead, she gave the woman a look of considerate sympathy. Whether or not Amelia could connect the dots wasn’t something that she remotely had any inference about. The Tactical Chief’s look was not lost on Amelia. And as she looked into her dark eyes, Manning reminded herself of Elmira’s telepathic nature. For a moment, she felt embarrassed. Amelia didn’t have a lot of experience with telepaths, but her first experience had left her with more trauma than she cared to admit. Clearing her throat she carried on. : : After a pause, Manning asked. “How long have you been away from home, Lieutenant? If you don’t mind me asking?” : : : : - Lt. Cmdr. Manning, XO : : “That depends on what you happen to classify as ‘home,’” She remarked, contemplating the questions for several moments. “I haven’t been back to Betazed, since I became a cadet, enlisted in the Academy for training. Considering that I’m over thirty, now, I would say about.. fourteen years?” She shrugged her should. O’Shea hadn’t had the time to go and visit her parents. She spent several hours talking to them, over transmission and communiques. However, she hadn’t actually be around them since she was eighteen years old. Her parents both lived on Earth, now, but they had moved to the United Nations of Africa, which meant they were fairly out of her reach, unless she could happen to find the time to visit them, if they were on shoreleave at the planet Earth. Shaking her head, as if dismissing the thought, she waved it away. “Don’t take that as a remark worthy of sympathy or regard. I simply haven’t the time, between work and additional schooling. One day, though, one day.” She mused, the faintest sense of sadness about her obsidian gaze. : : “How about you? When was the last time you went home?” : : O’Shea : CTO O’Shea’s words resonated with her. Amelia had barely been married for a year before she had been assigned to the Dresden, and before that she and Pete had jumped from place to place until they had finally found somewhere to settle. But somehow, even though she didn’t want to, Arley Hall still crept into her mind at the mention of the word ‘home’. “Well… as you said, it really depends of what you consider home to be… I’ve travelled all the way from California to come here a few weeks ago, so I guess that would have been the last time I was home. It’s been a weird couple of years… my husband finally got a job that suited him but before that we were all over the place, so there’s still not a place that feels like home to me besides my family’s home back in England.” It was as if she could hear Pete rolling his eyes at her all the way from Earth. Her family’s home was definitely not home to her. It had never felt that way. But it was the place she had grown up in and that she identified as being from. “I haven’t visited in four years. I wish I could say it was because I didn’t have the time!” Manning chuckled. “Though I can’t imagine… The most time I have spent away from Earth were the two years I served on board the Vanguard on my first assignment. I don’t think I could survive fourteen years away from my home planet. I envy your perseverance, Lieutenant.” She smiled. “How do you manage?”

• Lt. Cmdr. Manning, XO

“On happier notes, congratulations on your marriage, however long it has been for the two of you.” She began, contemplating it for several seconds. “Being away from home can be hard, for anyone. Regardless of what you consider home to be. Some people believe it is their job, others the place they were raised, and then there are those who note upon the home being exactly where the heart is.. I almost envy those people.” She smiled, “Maybe, in the future, you will be able to return home. There is no doubt in my mind that there would be apparent difficulty in doing so, specifically regarding the fact of your mother and the remainder of your family. But, maybe people will change. Well.. things might change. For a person does not, they only become more of who they truly are.” She remarked, considering that fact, before shaking it away. She assumed that Manning would either, eventually, head home, regardless of the natures surrounding it. Or, she would stay completely away from it, so long as her mother lived. That was generally the two options that most people went by, but she could say definitively, noting upon the XO. She did not appear like the general population, perhaps she would be different.

Amelia beamed. She clearly hadn’t expected O’Shea’s words. “Oh, thank you. It’s been a little over a year now… I hope I can drag him here in the near future.” Manning smiled and after a pensive moment, she continued. “To be honest… I don’t care too much about returning to England… I know that me and Peter will make our own home, wherever that may be. I think that’s what keeps me moving forward.”

“I’m sure you could, if you put your mind to it.” O’Shea winked, curious as to the type of mN that her husband happened to be. Judging by what she could tell of the XO, she could only assume that he was another person of rather blunt and headstrong nature. However, there wasn’t much that she could deduce, without knowing more about this indirectly enigmatic man. “That is a good way to keep on moving on,” Elmira hummed, tapping her fingers against the table, lightly. “Is Peter, stop me if I’m overstepping, is he in Starfleet, too?”

Oh… Amelia could talk about Pete for hours. Their journey had certainly been bumpy but in the end, it was as if they had been made for each other, and Manning couldn’t be happier with the man that had, for some reason, chosen to be by her side for the rest of his life.

“Not at all.” Amelia smiled. “He went through the training, but finally he found himself a nice position at Pomona College, in California. He’s an anthropologist, and always more of a scholar than a starship officer… I don’t think I’ll ever convince him to join Starfleet’s life again.” She chuckled.

“Well, at least he is content where he is.” Elmira grinned, understanding where Peter would have been coming from. Starfleet was not for everyone, it was for the vagabonds at heart and the vagabonds at Mind.. but some kind she of wanderers were physical, they were mental. Perhaps that was the thing for Peter, or perhaps there was some other reason. Elmira didn’t see the need in knowing.

“Do you guys have any pets or kids?” She asked, holding them to the same regard for animals were just the same as children, only they happened to be inhuman and quite furry. However, they were just as amusing and lovable.. and just as destructive.

For a second, Amelia seemed to freeze in place. Kids… the word hit her unexpectedly. She and Pete had never really talked about it but they both knew where they stood. Right now was not the time. However, her imagination toyed with the idea for a second before she finally shook her head to O’Shea.

“No pets or kids… it’s hard to have any when you’re jumping around the galaxy… and now that we’ve finally found a place to settle… well… I am here.” She smiled.

“Oh? Well, they can both be a bit difficult to maintain, regardless of your placement. With that being said, it is wonderful you two have been able to find a place to keep base.”

“There are days when it is hard to go to work, for the mere fact that the said time was likely specific to one of my mother’s or the anniversary of an event, back home. Other than that, however, it is not as difficult as one might assume.” She smiled, “Well.. not for me. I have spent my entire life popping from place to place, whether that was mentally, physically or simply regarding the state I happened to be in. I suppose, when you were born a vagabond, living as one isn’t that hard to do. Obviously, it isn’t easy all of the time, but it isn’t impossible to do. As simple as it gets, find something that you love and focus your energy there. Maybe then, or so I believed, it would be easier to stay away from home. Lo and behold, it did work, to an extent.” Elmira could not deny the fact that times were difficult, knowing she hadn’t been able to go home for so long. However, it was all of her own doing, which meant there was absolutely no use in pitying herself. In fact, it was pathetic, and the main reason she didn’t.

O’Shea
CTO

“What about close relationships?” Amelia asked. “I don’t mean to pry… and I don’t necessarily mean romantic relationships… but I find that homesickness is more tolerable when in the company of good friends.” Manning paused and then carried on. “Not to mention, it is also healthy to have a little break time… It is not difficult to go home if you make the time for it… I know how easy it is to put your energy in your work and forget about the rest, and you don’t strike me as someone who would take breaks very often… have you thought of taking a little time off to yourself and visit? You know I can convince the Captain to force you, right?” She said with a chuckle and a wink.

• Lt. Cmdr. Manning, XO

“Relationships? No. The only one I had was back in the Academy, romantically. And now, I have a good friend, but he happens to work in medical.. and on a completely different ship.” A soft chuckle escaped her, as she thought about Julio, a man she considered to be the most queer man alive. Not that she minded, oh no, with her biological parents being a female and male-to-female pair, not to mention being completely homosexual, she found that queer was just a wall of life, as she, too, danced within that realm. “Oh, Commander, I have no doubt. You seem to be quite the convincing and persuasive soul.” She joked, though that as well aware that the Commander could have easily convinced the Colonel of this. “You aren’t wrong, Missus Manning. It is just a bit difficult to decide where and when to take time off. With so much to see, how could one narrow it down to one?”

O’Shea
CTO

Amelia shook her head and smiled. “I meant to go home… see your family. Not worrying about a vacation destination.” Her smile widened slightly. She could relate to the feeling though. “I think most of us suffer from the same issue… we are all explorers at heart and want to see the next place we have never been to. I know I am guilty of the same…” Manning’s expression was warm. “But sometimes, it is good to put that aside and go to the place we’ve been to a thousand times…”

“Or only once,” Elmira chuckled, softly. She had never been a homebody, and home was something that she couldn’t really grasp. They moved so much in her life, from ships to apartments to houses and condos, it was always moving from one place to the next, for her. So, home was certainly where the heart was, especially for her family. “Maybe you’re right. I might just be fearful, you know?” She kept it at that, assuming the XO didn’t want to deal with that crap, for, neither did she.

“What about relationships on board the Dresden? Any close friends?”

Lt. Cmdr. Manning, XO

“Ah, no.” Elmira chuckled, a bit awkwardly. “I mean, I have spent some time with a few Ensigns, here and there, but mostly, no.” She shook her head, “What about you? Did you come here a complete stranger? Or do you have friends?”

O’Shea
CTO

“Ah, complete stranger!” Manning said cheerfully. “Actually you are probably the first person I actually had a more… social conversation with…” She chuckled. “Let’s just say Colonel Harris is not a very conversational man… or maybe not yet.” Amelia smiled.

“He is a very solider-like Officer, then again, with his background, it isn’t too far fetched that he would be.” Elmira chuckled, softly, understanding where the woman would be coming from. “Being his XO, hopefully you can get some kind of conversation with him.. beyond work, obviously.”

After a short pause, she continued. “I don’t mean to pry… but I need to ask… you mentioned being fearful… what are you so afraid of in visiting your family? I am no counselor, but… when it comes to avoiding family, you’re talking to an expert here. However, every time I went home I felt that the good parts of the journey outweighed the bad parts. Even if sometimes not by a lot.” She chuckled. “Immersing oneself in work is an known avoidance tactic, and I have the feeling that somehow that’s what you’re doing, if you don’t mind me saying so… so… what’s really keeping you?” Somehow, Amelia had the feeling she might be able to help.

Lt. Cmdr. Manning, XO

“You’re not wrong,” Elmira sighed, seeing no use in lying to the XO, when she was clearly right. Work was a form of avoidance, a way to ensure she had too much on her plate to ever bother requesting time off to visit her mothers. “You’re probably not too far off, for your own experiences when in regards to others’, as well.” She nodded, recognizing that Amelia did appear to have well versed knowledge on the whole predicament with being away from family and then visiting them, once she had the chance or the choice. For a second, Elmira seemed unsure of how to respond, the first time she had been, during the course of their entire conversation. How could she explain what she barely understood, herself? Tapping her fingers against the table, she thought for a few seconds.

“Acceptance, I suppose. My mothers were always on me for being so unruly and wild, when I was a child. They got used to that, so I suppose it is just an unconscious worry that they might see me differently, now that I’m actually doing something with my life? Or question my actions, perhaps about why I wasn’t this way, as a child. I don’t know, it is just a crockpot of several issues, melding into some kind of weird dish.” She shrugged, “Besides the point, it is just a matter of stupidity.” For as brave as she generally was, she seemed weak.

O’Shea
CTO