On Day 30 I Repented

Posted on Thu May 21st, 2020 @ 5:13pm by Ensign Duncan McManus

Mission: Mission 3 - 100
Location: Deck E - Mess Hall
Timeline: Day 31, Month 2, Year 0 07:00
1758 words - 3.5 OF Standard Post Measure

Duncan was up early. His shift would not start for about hours, and already he was shaved, his hair was semi-plastered down and he had a fresh uniform that gleamed like the hull of the ship or at least it would if the ship didn't have pox marks thanks to the attacks. This was as gussied up as he ever got.

It had taken longer for the last of his whiskey to wear of last night than he would ever admit, even now the dim ache of a hangover rippled behind his senses like a slow-rolling fog. Working on a fitful kip he was finding it just a tad difficult to hide the fatigue and the discomfort grappling his body. Rest couldn't help him, sleep only plunged him into dreams that exhausted him more than staying up most the night did. All these things he could deal with later, right now he had to try and eat something to get him through the shift. It was how he found himself staring at his tray trying to find somewhere to sit in the mess hall.

Darcy was picking at her breakfast. She supposed she should be grateful for what they had after everything they had been through but it just wasn't that appetizing this morning. Maybe if she ate it fast . . . . She glanced up, her mouth full of food and saw another officer that she didn't know very well looking lost. She swallowed, wrongly, coughed, sputtered and finally managed to get it down without choking and pointed to the empty chair next to her. "There's a spot here," she said in a now raspy voice.

Duncan looked at the woman and raised an eyebrow at her for helping to attempt him look a little less lost. "Looking a bit full this morning." He muttered sitting down in front of her watching as she attempted to eat what was in her mouth. "Thank you you for helping despite nearly choking."

"Sorry," she mumbled. "And you're welcome. I don't think we've ever met officially, I'm Darcy," she didn't offer her hand though as she didn't think it would be appreciated as they were both eating.

"Duncan." The man replied picking up his fork to start eating the eggs that he had chosen. It wasn't perfect but it was the best that they could do at the moment. it would give substance to him and allow him to carry out his duty despite the thought that he now had no booze left to drown out it all out. He liked to work hard and then play even harder.

"And you're an engineer?" Darcy said, trying to keep the conversation going about where she'd seen him on the ship.

The man paused in shovelling his food into his mouth and looked at her trying to make conversation. Quickly, he searched his brain for those pieces of picked up decorum and slices of half-learned etiquette and gulped what was in his mouth down sitting up. "Yes, I am. Just a glorified maintenance man really." He knew as well as her there was so much more to it.

"Well I'm pretty sure you have one of the most important jobs now. I mean keeping this bucket of bolts space worthy so it will someday make it home is on everyone's mind." Darcy said softly, speaking about the elephant in the room.

Duncan could appreciate anyone who was willing and wanting to start a conversation about the question that was on everyone's lips at the moment. It was hard to not think about it so why no one was discussing it, it was beyond him. Talking was the best thing for mental health and processing things, it was one of the reasons why Engineering had after-action reports or incidents. "I hope to do your faith in my role in our machine of cogs justice."

"Do I have a choice?" She snorted with a bit of laughter. "But seriously, I'm sure you'll be fine, it's just like putting faith in me that I'll figure out what's edible to eat or if one race poses a danger to us over another. Sciency stuff." She sighed. "Can I ask a personal question?"

Ah, he realised mentally that the woman was science after all. He had considered medical but now looking at her properly science was more like it. They normally had that wild look around them. "Well, we have faith in each other now so why not." Duncan coincided going back to shovelling his food into his mouth for a moment to allow her to carry on talking. He was not being rude just practical that he did not want his food going cold.

"Is there anyone back home that you miss? Family I mean, friends?" Darcy couldn't help but bring up the subject. It was like a knife had come down cutting them off from everyone they had once loved.

"Earth was not my home. I grew up on a cargo vessel." The man revealed. People always assumed that he grew up on a planet and it was always fun to drop that into a conversation. Normally it would be fun but now it was not so much when he had just realised that he had swapped one ship for another.

"Oh. Well . . . . that doesn't really matter. Not if someone you loved is still alive somewhere. Sorry, it's not really any of my business. I just thought someone else might want to talk about it sometime." She pushed back her chair. "I should probably be doing something constructive."

"Sit Ensign." The man remarked shaking his head. Why did women get so almost uppity over a man not wanting to share his feelings straight away? He was trying to be delicate and not shove all his foot into his mouth straight away. "I do but I am trying to eat and not shovel food into my mouth." He said his accent thick and heavy as he spoke trying to stop the woman from leaving in haste over something daft.

She did stop though it was more the way he'd said Ensign rather than her name. They were of the same rank and it seemed rather bossy. "I didn't want to pry," she said simply, but Darcy sat again.

"Nothing to say really. I forged my lonely path a long time ago. No husband or wife, no children but I do have a million other relatives on a cargo vessel that would be nice to see again but we have not been close for years. What about yourself?" He offered feeling that perhaps it was her that needed to talk and get things of her chest.

"My parents, the most. I didn't have a spouse or a boyfriend either. But aunts, uncles, cousins . . . . all on Earth. Well, they are still there and I'm assuming fine. But I won't ever see them again, nor them me. Bit more of an adventure than I bargained for."

"Adventure of a lifetime..." he paused remembering just how long it was expected to take them to get home and sighed. "Several lifetimes if I am being that person." The man mused picking up the mug of black coffee washing down the eggs. "I do not think this situation was ever considered even a pipe dream by the maddest mind."

"Yeah." Darcy agreed. "I'm not that brave," she answered honestly. "How am I going to survive this?"

"One step at a time. Day by day, minute by minute, second by second. You must have a spark of something to come out here though. Space is not for the faint-hearted." The man commented on. No one came out into the darkness unless they were an adventurer.

She thought about it. She had wanted to come. She'd wanted to see part of the universe but also, she had wanted to go home. Now that was impossible. Darcy shrugged. "What about you? Are you adventurous?"

"Completely. Grew up on a cargo ship heading out into the universe." Duncan was possibly one of the few people who had experience in the current situation that the ship was suddenly finding themselves in. He had lived on a ship his whole life, it was possible to survive like that but a lot of them had never grown up with limited resources and stuff.

She was beginning to wonder how someone like her ended up on a starship. She had always pushed herself, that was true. And she had liked the idea of seeing a little bit of the universe. Perhaps she'd seen it as a bit of daredevil challenge and that excited her. "Hmm," then Darcy let out a sigh and drooped onto the table, her forehead touching. "Distract me," she said popping back up. "Talk about anything you want."

"Oh no. Don't put your head there," He muttered but saw that she missed the mark by mere centimetres. "Um... I have a hangover?" He offered unsure what to say and it was the first thing that came to his mind, very much like the headache that was threatening him.

Darcy began to giggle. It was stupid really and probably not that funny that he was hungover but it did explain his quiet attitude and slow responses on occasion. She managed to get a hold of herself. "Why do you have a hangover? I mean, I know what causes them but was there a special occasion or were you drowning your sorrows?"

Duncan smiled just a little and shrugged. "I promised myself thirty days to grieve and get angry at all of this. Last night was the end of that 30 days and I drank the last of my booze." He mumbled looking at his fork as he played with the rest of the food on his place.

"Ah." That sobered her right up. "Well . . . . I have a bottle of wine that my friend gave me before I left. Did you want to join me? We can drink to this new . . . . life. See it in properly. Tonight, 20:00 Hours?"

Duncan looked at her confused but quickly nodded. "Um, perfect time. My quarters or yours?" He wondered quickly not sure what this was but it looked like she could use a friend as much as he could use a friend.

"Mine I guess." Darcy stood up. "I'll see you later, better get some work done first." She wandered off without another word.

OFF::

Ensign Duncan McManus
Chief Engineer
NX Atlantis
(PNPC Leroux)

Ensign Darcy Blair
Science Officer
NX-Atlantis
PNPC by Davis