"Grim Reality"

[FredM 0]

"Grim Reality"

Personal Log - Stardate 0406.15

Rear Admiral Frederic Meve

 

It had been one of the only reasons Meve had been reluctant to proceed with the idea. The concept had terrified him, simply terrified him. It was quite a feet for the Andorian who had been born on Mars within the confines of the small Levic Colony in the northern hemisphere of the planet. Even when he had made the decision to forgo an assignment in the fleet following graduation from the Academy, and instead head to Moscow on Earth to start graduate work at the Starfleet Corp. of Engineers Academy facility there, he had never been so...uncertain.

 

His career had been something of a typical one for someone of his supposed talents. Well, that's what he'd told himself but Meve knew full well that was not the case. It had taken him almost eight years before he submitted himself for graduation from Starfleet Academy. He become sick at the end of his first year, causing a long run of medical treatments which had taken away three years of his life. Allowing him only to take no more than a class or two per semester, following the treatment's second successful application he had walked away with a memory gap of three and a half years. Twenty-one years of age, his memory since he had gone on the treatment resembled Terran Swiss cheese.

 

He had completed his studies and decided to take advantage of a situation which presented itself, heading to Moscow on Earth to further his engineering studies. By the time he had completed the course load at the age of twenty-six, he left at the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade. A promotion to Lieutenant would follow a year later during his first assignment aboard the U.S.S. Richmond. His posting to this ship would be one of the few deep space assignments he would ever have. Upon completion of his orders there, he would relocate to the U.S.S. Bonestell for two tours. At the age of thirty-one, he would be have worked his way thru the ranks to that of Commander. It wasn't as uncommon as many would think, especially given the fact the Bonestell was an engineering support vessel who spent most of her time during the war making repairs on critically damaged ships. The expression "under fire" had come to have a whole new meaning.

 

Then there had been Aegis. I reality, it had been an assignment he did not want. The concept of leaving the confines of a starship for a...station...it was almost unbearable. On top of it all, he would be sitting in a political and diplomatic soup. At first, Meve had thought the command offer was a joke by a friend he had known at the Moscow. Back then, the Lieutenant Commander and Meve had gotten into more than their fair share of trouble. Now, one of the more senior Admirals within Starfleet Command, somehow the Andorian had been seen as a "safe" bet to assume the position. As Meve would later ask, "How the hell is an engineer a safe bet for command of a space station?"

 

In theory, it made some distant sense. Up to that stage, station's named Aegis had been under the command of two Humans, one Vulcan and even one Klingon. The symbolic representation of yet another founding member of the Federation was appealing to some. The idea of tossing in someone who was not on the radar screen for alien intelligence services helped. A rumor existed that when Starfleet had announced their decision, a Romulan representative was heard asking an assistant "Merve who?"

 

On top of it all, Aegis was tasked with attempting to help rebuild Cardassia Prime at that stage. Previous commander's had failed to fulfill this goal to the fullest extent of what some thought possible. Why, an engineer would certainly be able to do it. Meve's antenna dropped just at the thought.

 

Regardless, he had accepted the responsibility and now been aboard Aegis for two years. A promotion later, he found himself deeper in the political whirlwind than he could have possibly imagined. What was worse, he had made a decision which would essentially end his life as a field officer and turn him completely into an administrator. As someone had said to him long ago, "The worst thing they can do to you is take away your hypospanner." Meve was beginning to agree with that statement.

 

It was a grim reality to acknowledge you were moving further and further away from what you had always aspired to be. Some of the change had been by choice, some by an act of the Great One. Meve had partially hoped to use Aegis as a spring board to get command of an engineering vessel at some stage. Yet now, such a dream seemed like nothing more than fantasy.

 

Ah well, at least he had ensured the station would be in good hands...even if the two love birds would need to come to terms with their relationship. Yet for all this, Meve chuckled at a note that one time Lieutenant Commander on Moscow had sent him.

 

"You get to keep your office."