Souvenirs of Star Base 1123

[Annabelle O'Halloran 0]

There was nothing for her to do on the Bridge once the diagnostics on the sensors were complete and so she'd retreated to the Main lab. The new equipment had all been installed, and there'd been some upgrades. Part of her was eager to leave the base, to get on with whatever was next for the crew, but the other part wished they could stay, wait for Captain Michaels. The problem was...no one knew how long a wait that might be. The refit and repairs were complete and they'd be pulling out very soon, according to Commander Ridire. Under the command of Captain Patrick McQueen. Anna picked up a long glass rod and poked a stubborn piece of moss down in the corner of the terrarium she was putting together. She was taking a piece of the beautiful arboretum from the base with her.

 

Jon enters the lab carrying some sort of package. The expression on his face is obvious; he wants to talk. “Hello Anna, I was wondering if you had some free time to talk about the current situation. I want to make sure I’m not the only one who thinks that there’s something weird going on.” What he means by weird is of course the sudden change in command as well as the assigned patrol to the Neutral Zone.

 

Anna smiled over her shoulder as Jon approached, but it faded slightly at his words. "Sure, I've got time-nothing but at the moment, and what do you mean, 'weird'?" She hooked her ankle around a stool and pulled it over next to her. "Go ahead, take a seat. I just want to get these plants in before they dry out." She looked from his face to the package he was carrying and then back, wondering what it was.

 

He sets the package on a table then has a seat. “What I mean by weird is with everything that happened, we get our CO switched, and then get sent back to the Neutral Zone for patrol. Call me paranoid but I don’t like the situation. As for our replacement CO; his record is clean with plenty of years of service, but I guess we’ll have to wait and see what happens when he is in command.”

 

Jon's concern was clear in his expression and tone. She looked back into the terrarium, and reached in to continue arranging. She wanted to get the drainage right. The person who'd given her the samples had been very clear on the importance of drainage. "I've been thinking about it, too. Captain Michaels suffered that head injury during one of the battles and did it seem to you that he'd never quite come back from that?" She shot Jon a sideways glance and then turned her attention back to what she was working on.

 

“You might have a point, but Captain Michaels knows this ship and crew very well. You’d be surprised how many times he proved his worth, regardless of what he suffered at that time.” Just by how Jon described the Captain, he had tones of great respect. “I’ll follow the new CO for now as long as he does his best to keep this crew safe.” He then looks at the plants. “What kind of project are you working on?”

 

"I'm putting together a terrarium using mosses I was able to get samples of from that arboretum on the base I showed you." Unruffled by Jon's quick leap to the Captain's defense, Anna stepped back and crouched down so that her eyes were at counter level to see if things were laying right. "I wouldn't be at all surprised by anything Captain Michaels was able to do, Jon." Looking up from her lower vantage point, she met his azure blue gaze and smiled, gently reminding him, "You saw the logs from the alternate time reality. I watched both of you sacrifice yourself to make sure the Reaent didn't fall into Romulan hands." She stood and turned to face him, leaning one hip against the counter. "All I'm suggesting is that no doubt he's been subjected to a battery of tests and perhaps he's not fully recovered from the head injury he suffered."

 

“You have a point; in any case I hope this change in command is temporary.” He has a slightly confused look on his face, “So I died in the alternate timeline. At least I was doing what I knew was right. Helping save lives at the risk of my own.” He watches Anna work on the plant, “So what do you think about the patrol assignment?”

 

She was leaning over the clear aluminum tank, her hair falling forward to hide her expression, so Jon didn't see her smile in response to his remark. She had no doubt that he could always be found doing what he knew was right. She'd learned that much about him early on. "I think..." she began slowly, " That it might be one of two things." She stood up and flipping her hair back, turned only her head to look at him. "Either it's punishment for the waltz across Romulan space in a less than stealthy fashion or it's just what it appears to be--a routine assignment for a crew that's been through hell."

 

“I hope it’s just routine; the majority of the crew went through enough as it is. I hope that morale will improve during that time.”

 

"Morale is already dealt a blow with Michaels not returning," Anna answered matter-of-factly. "I only served the one mission under him, but I feel as the rest of the crew does--I miss him." Now satisfied that the terrarium had been given a proper start, Anna took the lid from the counter and set it on top. "I only caught a glimpse of Captain McQueen as he went in to meet with Commander Ridire, not enough to form any kind of impression, but at the staff meeting, Commander Ridire said he's served on ships of the line before. We probably don't have anything to worry about."

 

Jon nods at Anna’s comment “I guess I should stop worrying so much.” He glances over at the package he brought in.

 

"Well, then you wouldn't be you," she teased him, missing his glance to the table with the package on it. "OK, now then, I am going to send you the care and feeding instructions later on today, but you can take this back to your quarters now...oh wait! I almost forgot!" Muttering under her breath, Anna carefully slid the lid back on a vented box, and gently lifted a two-inch beetle with a shiny teal colored carapace out of the container. Opening the lid to the terrarium, she set the beetle down inside, and smiled fondly at it. "Isn't he gorgeous? He eats the rot and nourishes the plants. He's a Jupiter beetle. He's not venomous," she added reassuringly.

 

Gazing upon the plants, “It’s quite lovely, thank you very much.” He smiled in a grateful manner. “I suppose I could show you what’s inside the package. Do you remember that time you were in sickbay?”

 

Pleased that Jon liked it, Anna added, "I'm making one for Debbie and T'Kar also." And then she paused, puzzled for a moment. "Do you mean when I visited you after you were injured on the Bridge?"

 

He shakes his head, a grin on his face; “I was referring to the time the crew was brought aboard from the escape pods. You said something about sharing some fudge, but I guess I missed that opportunity.”

 

"Ahh...that's right." Anna smiled back, looking from Jon to the package and back again. "As a matter of fact, I never got any fudge. I settled for a replicated brownie and feeling sorry for myself for an hour."

 

“Just a replicated brownie? That just won’t do.” Jon proceeds to open the package, which contains not only fudge but also a wide assortment of sweets and treats. “Just so you know, all this was made when I was still on the starbase. Help yourself.”

 

"Jon, you're pure evil. I am powerless before my sweet tooth!" Anna dragged another stool over and let her fingers hover over the brightly colored pile for a moment before picking up a piece of soft caramel in hand rolled wax paper. "OK, ignore me while I experience a moment." Unwrapping the candy, Anna closed her eyes and bit into the caramel. "Oh five suns, but that is wonderful," she murmured.

 

He smiles at Anna’s enjoyment “I’m glad you like it. I do have one question, why did you make the plants?”

 

Still blissfully savoring the chewy caramel, Anna swallowed and sighed. "I have to have another one." Picking up another piece she slowly untwisted it from its wrapping as she answered him. "Debbie and I found the arboretum to be a refuge and you seemed to enjoy it also when I brought you there. And T'Kar left me a Vulcan harp and instructions for how to play it when we got back from the base. Obviously, she is an incurable optimist--I told her I was tone deaf, but it means a lot to me that she remembered that we talked about it on Ha'Vorante." Anna shrugged, a little shyly, adding, "I went looking for the caretaker of the arboretum and I found her. She let me have the moss plants and also gave me the beetles to round out the ecosystem. Now, we'll always have a piece of that place."

 

Nodding with approval; “Our own little piece of heaven, that would definitely help with morale. That’s very thoughtful of you. As for those sweets; let’s just say you’re not the only person who can create something wonderful.”

 

"Well, whoever you found on the base that made these, is an artiste." Having assuaged her need for caramel, Anna cleansed her palate with a piece of the fudge. "There's no way you're leaving all this candy here, Jon. I'll be found comatose, surrounded by wrappers."

 

Raising his brow while smiling, “I didn’t find anyone.” He proceeds to sneak a piece of fudge, “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you don’t over-indulge.”

 

She was actually surprised enough to pause before eating another piece. "Oh come on...are you telling me you made all this candy?" And then his last comment registered and she started to laugh. "You may have reflexes faster than the human eye can register Jon, but it'd be worth your life to try and get between me and the fudge if I've got my mind made up."

 

“You don’t believe I made these?” He’s surprised that she doesn’t believe him. “What can I do to show you I can cook?”

 

"It's not that I don't believe you--I'm just surprised is all. I just assumed you bought it on the base." Anna grinned and held up one hand. "And I know what happens to people who assume." She looked from him and to all the different kinds of candy. "Where the heck did you make it anyway?"

 

“You know that place we ate at that one time? Well they had a kitchen and I asked for a favor.”

 

"Thank you, Jon. It's a wonderfully thoughtful surprise." Anna smiled at him, as she leaned back on her stool, letting it tilt precariously against the counter. "I don't know about everyone else's morale but I'm sitting in the middle of a shiny rebuilt lab eating candy, hand made by my favorite security officer. At this moment in time, I'm not going to worry about the Romulan Neutral Zone."

 

Jon smiles at Anna’s compliment. “I’m glad you feel better, I know I do.”

 

Anna thought of how concerned he'd looked when he came into the lab and compared that to the expression on his face now. "I'm glad, Jon," she answered sincerely, but then her eyes sparkled as she deadpanned, "By the way, on the terrarium? Just in case it isn't all smooth sailing ahead? The base of the terrarium is fitted with a device that will lock it to whatever furniture you set it on." Anna sat forward, the stool coming back on all four legs with a thump. "I tried to Reaent-proof it." She was smiling but she meant it.