Here's Looking At You, Kid.

Posted on 05 Mar 2016 @ 12:25am by Petty Officer 1st Class Eric Anderson & Ensign Miraj Derani

2,216 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Episode 10 - Symposium
Location: USS Galileo: Callisto Bar
Timeline: MD90 0100

[ON]

As he plucked at each of the chords on his guitar, Eric closed his eyes as he sung the words to the song with he sang as part of the acoustic session that the bar was hosting.

I don't know if you can see
The changes that have come over me
In these last few days I've been afraid
That I might drift away
I've been telling old stories, singing songs
That make me think about where I've come from
That's the reason why I seem
So far away today

As his body swayed in time to the soft music of his guitar, Eric's fingers moved across each of the guitar stings as they raced to keep up with his words.

Let me tell you that I love you
That I think about you all the time
Caledonia, you're calling me, now I'm going home
But if I should become a stranger
Know that it would make me more than sad
Caledonia's been everything I've ever had


Miraj was still not acclimated to the time zone on the Galileo. As a result she was still awake at a late hour, and had come in search of something to distract her for half hour or so before she tried to go to sleep again.

There was only a few people in the bar, beyond the bar man and the young man who was playing his guitar, oblivious to anything around him. The others were quietly enjoying the performance, pretending not to notice, but obviously relaxed and listening quietly.

The man was swapt up in the song he sang and the music he preformed. His body language echoed the passion which his voice reflected as the melody carried across the room, silencing those who wanted to listen but yet allowing those who still conversed to still be able to speak.

This was the man's passion...his music is all that he had from his life back on Earth. No matter where he found himself, he always had his guitar in hand and his voice.

Now I'm sitting here before the fire
The empty room, the forest choir
The flames have cooled, don't get any higher
They've withered, now they've gone
But I'm steady thinking, my way is clear
And I know what I will do tomorrow
When hands have shaken, the kisses float
Then I will disappear

As the man's voice quietened, his fingers continued thier danced to play out the song. His eyes opened for the first time as he looked down at his hand with a smile on his lips and a distant look on his face. Even as the final chords echoed through the room, he still kept his head down for a moment more before looking up to the room at large and nodding his head in appreciation to the scattering of applause which some choose to join in with but others again just continued their own goings.

Miraj joined in, clapping politely, the book she had brought with her ignored. He did play very well.

The finishing of the song signaled the end of Eric's set, meaning he had to make room for the next person. Slinging the strap of his guitar around one shoulder, he shook the hand of his replacement before wishing him to break a leg with a wink and a smile.

Moving down off of the stage area, the nurse moved across to one particular girl who had caught his attention as he preformed. "Here's looking at you kid." The cringe worthy words were accompanied by a lopsided smile as he watched to see if she'd even respond.

She looked at him, and dredged her memory for a relevant response. She knew that film, another of her brother's favorites though she had found it crushingly dull. "Of all the gin joints in all the world...?" she quoted back to him.

Eric's eyes widened as one hand dramatically clutched his chest. "Be still my beating heart! I may have found my soul mate! She goes by the name..."

Miraj blushed pink as her hair. "Miraj. And you are?"

Holding out the hand that had clutched his chest, Eric dropped the act as he finally smiled; a twist to his lips that always managed to go a little lopsided. "Eric...Eric Anderson at your services. Can I get you a drink? A little something to show my appreciation at your interest in my set?"

Miraj beamed. "Thank you. Cuba Libre if thats okay with you?" He was quite cute close up, and closer to her age than most of the people she'd seen on board so far.

As a light glinted in his eye, Eric caught the eye of one of the female waitresses as he motioned her over. "Cecilia! What did I tell you about breaking my heart..."

As he quoted the line to a song, the waitress looked over at Miraj and rolled her eyes with a secretive smile, "Watch this one...if his lines get too cringe worthy just slip away when he's not looking...he's used to it by now."

"I'm sure I'll survive. He cant be any worse than my brother. I've seen all his tricks."

Eric just grinned, "Cecilia, one Cuba Libra and my usual if you don't mind?"

Turning back to the young girl as the waitress moved away, the grin on Eric's lips increased as he nodded his head back towards the woman. "Don't mind her...she doesn't like me since I stuck the needle of a hypo into her arm for blood samples. If you saw her last week she couldn't take her hands off of me."

Miraj flexed her orbital arch, the closest she could manage to raising an eyebrow. "I'll take your word for it." She paused, as the conversation slowed. "So, have you been on board long?"

Still standing, Eric shrugged his guitar off of his shoulders before indicating to the empty seat beside the young woman. "Well now...there's a question..." Sitting down as she indicated it was ok to do so, Eric tried to do the mental calulation, "...I've been here since before our last mission that that would make it...close on four months? I think...."

So not long then. "How are you finding it?" It was nice safe small talk, but she was hoping to get an idea of who was who before she made a complete fool of herself.

Twisting his body a little in his seat, the smile on Erics lips broadened as he pushed the fingers of one hand through his hair casually. "Time for me to ask you a question...are you intelligence or security?"

Miraj laughed. "Neither. I'm conn. I'm not big enough for security and I'm not clever enough for intelligence. I'm very good at flying though."

For the first time, surprise flashed in the man's eyes as he seemed to study the woman a little more closer. "Well now...I don't think I'd have ever guessed that you were a girl with wings. You can't be much older than me?"

"Uh," She tried to guess how old he was. He could be anything as far as she could tell. Her brother was thirty, but looked younger, so by that measure he could be anywhere from twenty to thirty. "I was 21 about six weeks ago."

Eric let out a low whistle as he leaned back a little to look at the girl from waist to eyes for just a brief moment. "You must have some moves to have been let loose so soon on this girl."

"Well yes," She admitted. "But I started flying way before most people, so, I got a headstart. I'm also really really good at it."

Leaning over, Eric picked his guitar back up and offered it to the girl. "Are you able to play? You need fast and skilled fingers to drive a ship out of danger, a sharp mind to anticipated what your foe will do next...lets see what you can manage."

Miraj looked at the Guitar like he was offering her a live targ for a cuddle, and shook her head "Noooo. No. I think its all yours. Besides, these hands are just for Galileo."

Eric hesitated for a moment before resting the guitar on his lap in order, strumming his fingers aross the strings lightly as he gave the waitress room to place their drinks down on the table. "What do you do for fun then?"

"I fly. I have, well had, my own waverider. Its gone into storage. I can't have it here, there's no space, and I've gutted most of its science stuff for flying enhancers. Nothing like it, especially when you switch off internal gravity. In space you can just throw yourself around, its the most free sensation you'll ever get, and when you jump into atmosphere, and you're pulling G's the rush is the most amazing thing. I can't imagine anything more intense." She paused for a moment. "Do you fly?"

Eric found himself struggling to keep up with the woman's fast paced talking but at the same time smiled as he got wrapped up in her passion for the subject. "The only G forces we've experienced around here is when the inertial dampeners decide that they can't hold up very well under a barrage of fire. Flying though...can't say I have done that. Us nursing staff find we get more done on the ground compared to up in the air."

She blinked at him, "You've never flown? Not even as co-pilot?." That was sacrilege. "Shuttles are so simple anyone can fly them."

"My dear...have you ever sutured a hole in an arm with such precision that no scar has been left behind." Eric picked up his drink with a twinkle in his eye as he watched his companions infectious joy at being a pilot. "You can teach me how to fly a shuttle and I'll teach you impeccable suturing techniques."

"i'd like that. Except the bit where I have to push a needle through other people's skin. When would you like to start?" She beamed at him.

He had to give it to her...the girl had guts. Most people would turn pale and make and excuse before running light years in the other direction but this girl...she had gumption. "Let me see if I can book us some holo deck time. I might have a better chance than you...time on holo decks is like gold dust but I've got a few contacts."

She laughed. "Don't be silly." Learning in a holodeck had its place, but it was nothing compared to the real thing. Far better to work at a real conn, with a real ship. "You can't learn to fly in the holodeck. Let me know when you're free, and I'll commandeer a shuttlecraft."

"Wait one second now...." Eric felt his white go slightly white as he grabbed his drink to take another gulp which he tried to process his thoughts, "...that alone isnt possible. how do you plan on getting the authority to take out a shuttle?"

She shrugged "Comes with the job. Shuttles belong to Flight Control. Kind of makes them mine. I want, I take, subject to mission demands."

It took a moment for Eric to process that information, too put two and two together and get four. "Shit...you never mentioned your the flights department head! Damn...what a way to make an older man feel insignificant." His words were said with a tease but honestly he was still reeling from the information. She was only in her early twenties. "I guess I've no excuse not to cooperate now...."

Her eyes went wide. "I didn't mean to make you feel bad. I'm sorry. I don't know what to say. You don't have to come if you don't want to. I'd never force anyone to fly. Its like like." she ffloundered for words, "a really horrible thing."

Eric laughed as he reached his hand out and patted the back of the woman's hand. "A promise is a promise...least I know I'll be in the bestest of hands ai?"

"I'm really good. I promise." she relaxed a bit now she saw he wasn't offended, "Give me a few days to get everything sorted out, and I'll schedule something. Does that sound okay?"

Eric nodded his head as his hand ran over the neck of his guitar, gebtly strumming the strings. "Gives me time to find a Guinea pig to test your suturing skills on. Also time to talk you into running your fingers over a guitar. If your good at a control panel you can be good with ole Betsie."

She shook her head. "I doubt it. The only thing I've ever been good with is flying. But if you're any good at flying, then I'll try your guitar."

Eric held out his hand with a broad smile on his lips, "I won't spit to seal the deal, we can settle on a handshake."

Miraj took it and gave a theatrically firm shake. "We have an accord!"

[OFF]

Petty Officer 1st Class Eric Anderson
Nurse
USS Galileo

&

Ensign Miraj Derani
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Galileo

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