Dinner

Posted on Mon Nov 25th, 2019 @ 10:20pm by Lieutenant Commander Nicholas Kincaid & Lieutenant JG Serenity Hayes
Edited on on Fri Mar 27th, 2020 @ 7:56pm

2,104 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Mission 1 - Leaving Sigma Iotia II
Location: XO Office
Timeline: 2168/07/26 1913

A day had passed since the Horizon was lost. One day since they had all lost everything they held dear. One day since they were told they may never go home again.

To say the crew was distraught was an understatement. In between his work in engineering and his watch shifts on the bridge, Nick was starting to spend a lot of time being there for upset crewmembers. They were his responsibility, after all.

Finally having a bit of time to himself, he invited Serenity to dinner. They usually dined together once a week in his office, and while the regularly scheduled meal wasn’t for a few days, in engineering they agreed to move it forward. So he’d gone to the mess hall, collected two meal plates and some water, and brought them back to his office.

As a telepath, Serenity had an advantage though it came with a hefty price. To traverse the corridors of the ship, she let down her shields just enough so that were she to 'bump' up against thoughts that could prove problematic, she could turn down a different corridor or jump into a Jeffries tube. Avoidance worked. At least so far and since she anticipated these delays, she always allowed for a bit of extra time.

She arrived about two minutes early. Still in uniform, because these dinners had never gotten to the casual clothes stage, she had let her hair hang long down her back and brought with her a small gift, as she often did. This time, enough of the tea blend her mothers had sent her to make one pot. She pressed the chime on his door and waited.

Hearing the chime, Nick stood and looked to the door. “Come in.” He smiled as the door opened and permitted Ser access. “Thanks for coming.”

"My pleasure," she said as she offered up the small packet of tea leaves. "The mothers sent me a large supply before I left. Ridiculously large and I thought you might like a taste. It's a special blend."

“Well, thank you!” Nick took the packet and walked around his desk. “I have a kettle in here, somewhere. And I think an infuser and some cups, unless they were damaged when we were pulled through that anomaly. We can have it after we eat?” He set the tea leaves down on the desk and gestured to the chair across from him. In front of it was a place setting with the food from the mess hall. A fairly simple plate of chicken thighs with roasted potatoes and carrots, but the chef always did a fantastic job making simple meals taste amazing. “Please, take a seat. How have you been holding up?”

Serenity slid into a seat and shook out her napkin. Using the act of smoothing it out on her lap as a way of bringing her thoughts into a semblance of order. She filled her water glass from the carafe on the table and filled the Commander's as well then settled back. "Well, she said. She took a sip of water, set the glass down, and nodded almost to herself. "I did promise to fill you in."

"Have you ever heard of my father, Jubilation Hayes? For a while his named seemed to be everywhere. Every newsvid. Ever set of lips I passed."

Nick sat in his own chair and began getting his napkin and utensils ready as he considered her question. “Jubilation Hayes. The name is familiar, though only just. Like, I’ve heard it before meeting you, but I can’t figure out why or when or where.”

"I have four mothers," Serenity said. "But another way to say that is that Jubilation had four wives." She shrugged slightly. "To me, it wasn't remarkable. It was just how it was. There was a schedule and on her day, one of the mothers would just disappear behind closed doors with Jubilation, sometimes for hours on end. Jubilation was a part-time parent at best because his focus, every single day, was on his wives."

"Course, then came Aeylia. Jubilation had been away from the ship for a few days and came back with a fifth wife. Full Deltan. To their credit, I don't think either one of them knew what would happen." Her expression turned bleak as she looked at Nick. "Thing is, I'm a telepath. I don't go looking ... ever ... but sometimes, when I'm not prepared, strong thoughts blast through my shields. It was much ... much ... worse when I was a child. No protection. So ... I knew ... I knew how his thoughts ran. What ... preoccupied his mind. I couldn't help but know. My ... my mother ... well, she knew too. It robbed her of joy sometimes."

Nick wasn’t sure what to say to that. He had no frame of reference. He wasn’t a telepath, and while he knew his parents had an active sex life, they didn’t flaunt it, didn’t prioritize it over their kids, and none of them understood it until they were mature enough to know that it was a good thing. He imagined the little girl whose daddy prioritized self pleasure with a harem of wives, indifferent to how it affected his children.

The comparison to what life must be like on Horizon for her suddenly came to him. “And now, you’re on a ship commanded by Gary Alexander, who seems to be intent on bedding every woman on board. His lust probably wafts off him in a way I’m blind to but you can’t help but feel as he looks over your shoulder to your console on the bridge.” It was something Nick noticed. The Captain would stand behind his crewmembers and lean forward, pressing his upper body to their backs as he looked at data on their monitors. Close enough to smell their hair, or look down their uniform cleavage, and something of a power move. And he only did it to the women. Jenn told me about this a year ago. I’ve been paying attention, but is it worse than I thought?

Serenity nodded, picking at her food a bit as she thought about what to say next. "Yes, that's true. The Captain is a predator and its ... difficult ... to be anywhere near him. But it's not just that you know. It's ... how do I say this? ... infectious? Other males among the crew are following his lead."

“Oh?” Nick had been picking at her food, and stopped when he realized what she meant. That many more men aboard the ship were being as aggressive as the Captain. People looked up to the senior staff, and if they behaved badly, so too would the subordinates. Wait. Does she mean me too? But I haven’t even... Better ask. He paused to think through what he would say. “May I ask...have I done anything that you consider...inappropriate? Whether to you or anyone else?” He was sincere in his request. He wanted to know if he’d done something untoward. In their new situation, he needed to be a shining example, and if he wasn’t, he needed to know. He hoped she picked up his sincerity.

Serenity took a long sip of water, more as a way to organize her thoughts than anything else, then set the glass down deliberately. "You're developing a bit of a reputation," she said after a moment. "But then, you're not alone in that either."

“I...I am?” Nick wondered. “May I ask what it is? I’m not trying to defend myself, but it would help me to know how the crew sees me.”

"You know," she said, cocking her head slightly to one side as she regarded him, "you go out with one woman or two ... no one says much. Once you pass six, the women themselves start to talk. Here's how it is. You flirt .. a lot." She folded her hands on the table. Honesty was a bit of a two-edged sword and had its risks but she was no coward. "Word spreads and before long, you have a reputation for being a nice first date. Not much more usually but that at least. I think the number that's being circulated is around 12 at this point ... the ones that actually made it to spending an evening with you, that is." She leaned forward slightly and added, "scuttlebutt is that you're auditioning for your own harem. Like the Captain's, you know?"

Nick sipped his water as he listened, and he blushed as he heard what she said. “I...I had no idea.” He set his glass down. “The number is right, I think. I’ve gone on a few dates. But...they think I’m harem building? Ser, it’s not like that at all. I don’t want casual sex with tons of women. I want something special, something monogamous with someone I can build a life with. I’ve taken women to dinner, but when it didn’t work it was because I didn’t see a long term future. I thought they understood. But I’ve been giving that bad an impression?” He suddenly lost his appetite. It was crucial to him that he had the respect of the crew. It was important to him that they knew they could turn to him with anything. But his flirting and his dating was received that badly?

Serenity listened to his explanation and understood, even sympathized to a degree. Finding a person you could build a life with was never easy; finding that person when you worked on Captain Alexander's ship was nearly impossible. "Probably," she said, her fingers curled around the base of the water glass, "it's the whole one date thing and that they're comparing notes. Rejection and the feeling that it was an interview they didn't pass. When you couple that with the Captain's behavior, well ... yes. I'm sorry. I don't want to hurt you but sometimes blunt is best. Yes, you're giving that impression."

Nick took a deep breath and then sank into his chair. “Ser...I want to thank you for being honest with me. You’ve been here for me all this time we’ve been aboard together. Everything you said, well, stung, but I imagine it needed to. What can I do to make it right?” He chuckled. “I imagine a memo to the female crew is inappropriate. But I need people to know that they can come to me with anything. Especially if they’re facing unwanted attention, including from the Captain. I can’t be there for them if this is the impression. What can I do, aside from stop flirting and dating, which given our situation is tantamount to a vow of celibacy?”

"You might try dating a girl more than once," Serenity said wryly. "You might also pay more attention to the way that people are behaving and you could start with your own department. There's a petty officer in engineering that's developing quite the reputation."

Nick nodded. “Mister Hawkins. He thinks he’s God’s gift to women, and thought that even before the Captain’s behaviour — and apparently mine — gave him justification. I’ll talk to him. And I’ll check my behaviour. I’ll take a break before asking anyone out again, and the next one will really matter. I’ll know if I want more than one date before I even ask.” He smiled. “Thanks for the advice. As my Assistant Chief, you’re hereby ordered to call out bad behaviour I might display. For the good of the department and the crew as a whole.”

"This might just be the first time I've felt ... right ... about this ship since I've come aboard. As though I'm actually aboard a Starfleet vessel." Serenity nodded, absentmindedly twisting her water glass as she spoke. "Okay. I will do this. Tell you, I mean, when I see a problem. And maybe then I won't need to convince some security officer to give me self-defense lessons. Better ones, I mean. I'm getting tired of going the long way round, you know?"

"I do," Nick replied with a nod. "And for what it's worth, I'm so sorry that I ever made you feel this way. Made anyone feel this way. It isn't who I am, I swear. Tomorrow morning I'll find the various women I've dated and clear the air. I'll make this right. Because right now, it isn't."

"It will be," Serenity said. "I think that will make all the difference."

 

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