Six Months In

Posted on 27 Jan 2019 @ 12:51am by Commander Marisa Wyatt

503 words; about a 3 minute read

Marisa held on to the pole with her legs and bent backwards until she touched the floor. She stayed there for several seconds, then slowly straightened until she was upright again. The old exercises felt good after such a long gap. She went through her cool down exercises to finish the routine and then replicated a glass of hibiscus lemonade and took a long drink.

"Computer, open log."

When she heard the beep, she began. "Aquaponics had a few rough spots for the first few months with clogged filters and finding the right balance between fish and plants, but I think we have it now. I've turned the project over to Verity who is adding her own touches. The scientists who are working on their own research seem to be fine. The others are getting bored with the monotony. I've set up several programs for them to work on, but so far it has been hit or miss. They're reverting back to type, keeping to their labs and small social groups. Many don't go to the lounge when they're off duty. They aren't participating in the social groups the chaplain set up, either. I hope it doesn't take much longer to get to our destination.

"For myself, I've made advances with the runes. Between the scientists assigned to the pyramid and my own research, we're making progress. It's slow, but then Rome wasn't built in a day. On a personal note, I'm back to homeostasis. I've put Kreanus behind me, for the most part. And I'm dancing again." She glanced at the pole. "And exercising. And I'm spending a lot of time with Luke. Holodeck usage is down among the crew, so we've taken advantage of the opportunity. He found an amazing program set in Primeval Patagonia. Every time we use the program, we go somewhere else. It's been amazing. Spending time alone with Luke has also been amazing. With the increased stress levels on the ship due to the extended travel at warp I almost feel guilty for being so happy. Almost."

She padded over to the replicator and recycled her empty glass. "I don't see much of Petra. She keeps to herself a lot. I'm not sure if that's good or bad, taking her recent behavior into account. She appears to be fine when I see her, but there's an underlying stress that worries me. I wish she'd talk to me, or someone. I'll keep trying, but at this point, I think it's going to take someone else to get through to her."

She looked at her chronometer and stretched. Time to shower and get dressed. "serving on a science vessel is feast or famine. After nearly six months, I'm almost afraid we're in for some significant changes. I hope they're mostly positive. End log."

She stripped off her clothes and tossed them into her basket to wash later--she didn't like replicating all her clothes if she could wash them--and padded into the shower, humming.

Lieutenant Marisa Sandoval
Chief Science Officer

RSS Feed