Countdown to Liftoff ((Kent))

[Samantha_Kent 0]

Sam stood in the science lab, condensing as much as she could of the external sensor data on the nebula clouds into portable forms. PADDs, tricorders, whatever came to hand -- she wasn't sure what kind of boat they were getting, or whether it would have sensors worth a damn, or whether it would have reasonable computer storage space, so she figured it was best to have as much info going in as possible.

 

The dark-eyed half-Bajoran glanced over the data as it downloaded into the tricorder she was holding, going once more through what little they had of the cloud and its inhabitants. It was a fascinating example of biological adaptation to harsh conditions and she would be lying if she said she wasn't extraordinarily excited to go into it. The circumstances could be better, but she was beginning to figure that would probably always be the case, given their last couple of missions (not counting their recent astrophysical survey, of course, a month of very enjoyable peace and quiet).

 

It would be an interesting mission -- she and Daena and Oliver Gault would be pulling together information that no Federation scientists had yet been able to compile. She didn't know much of the other two on the blue team...Lieutenant Phoenix she had seen maybe once on the bridge, and Commander Alces...well, he seemed interesting, in an off-kilter sort of way. She certainly had no problems with either of them. No, it would be a good mission.

 

Which, really, was what was bothering her at the moment. Despite her excitement and interest in their goals (and the fact that, really, their mission held its own risks which she was doing her best to determinedly ignore) she couldn't help feeling like she was taking the easy road out. Almost every other officer she knew was headed for New Atlantis, directly into the danger zones -- Malik, Katherine Swan, Jordan Black, Sam SemaJ, Lieutenant Eagle, Commander Marx, Daena's boyfriend Tom...they were all heading where the risk was greatest.

 

And Brian...Brian was heading directly into someplace he himself had claimed could quite possibly be a death trap for him.

 

And during all this, where am I? Sailing around in the darkness, looking at big snakes in the sky.

 

The fear that was hanging heavily in the pit of her stomach tightened slightly. She wanted to go find Brian again in the few minutes they had before everyone departed, but there was no time, and he would have more on his mind than her now, with the mission so near at hand. They had, she supposed, said everything that needed to be said during those brief moments on the bridge.

 

A smile involuntarily brightened on her face and she brushed her fingers across her lips gently where he had kissed her. They had been interrupted by Lieutenant Eagle almost too soon for her to realize what had happened up there, but now, given a few moments to reflect, she found herself grinning widely in spite of herself. In the midst of all the madness, all the worry...she couldn't help a burst of happiness at the memory.

 

She hoped desperately that it would not end as soon as it had begun, or as suddenly. He had promised her that he would come back, and while she knew intellectually that there was no way either of them could know what would happen, that there was no reason to accept his words as more than a platitude designed to calm her fears...still she knew he had meant it, and no matter how scared she was for him, she had to believe it -- it was not a question of forcing herself, but a foregone conclusion. It had to be the truth, because the alternative did not bear thinking about. Naive, yes, but it would get her through this, maybe.

 

The tricorder beeped, jolting her from her thoughts as the data download finished. She snapped it shut firmly. It was time to go, and wait, and hope, and do her job. Everything else...well, she'd meet that when it came.