Just Smile and Nod

Posted on Tue Jul 12th, 2022 @ 5:35am by Lieutenant JG Calanthe 'Cal' Diaz & Ensign Alexandra 'Lexi' O'Connery

Mission: Mission 6 - Memory
Location: Mess Hall
Timeline: Day 301 11:00
1922 words - 3.8 OF Standard Post Measure

Lexi was deep in thought thinking about everything that had happened over the last couple of days with William. Were they together? Were they over? It was all up in the air and she had no idea what to do about it all. He seemed so intent to protect someone who was giving off such strange vibes. He normally trusted her without hesitation so what had changed?

“Excuse me, Alexandra.” Lexi was surprised as Benjamin Jamesson walked past her and used her full name as she hopped into the mess hall and saw Calanthe sitting there. She had not expected there to be anyone let alone Cal with Jamesson of all people. She walked over and flopped into the seat that the man had left and looked at her. “What is up?” She demanded quietly.

"Well, hello to you too, cascarrabias." Cal, who was busy spooning the last remnants of hot chocolate from the bottom of her mug, fixed her friend with a look of wry amusement. "I already got interrogated recently, is this round two?"

"No?" Lexi said leaning her crutches against the wall as she glanced to the door and where the man had disappeared off to and then back to her. "Why have you been interrogated and I would not interrogate." She added watching the woman intently relieved that the subject was not Lexi but Cal for once. "I'd forgotten how... big he was," Lexi said aloud.

"Yes..."

The comment had dragged Cal's eyes in the direction of the doorway, which had long since closed behind Ben. That didn't stop her from staring vacantly for a tad longer than was possible to deny, though she snapped back with a retort that also left not a lot of room for questioning. "What, you didn't get the standard 'explain your movements' script from he-who-shall-not-be-tolerated?" Technically speaking, Calanthe quite liked Gerhard but she was also very happy to be the first to front up to him and tell him he was being an idiot. In fact, it probably didn't matter that it was him in that case.

Lexi frowned at the mention of William before she rolled eyes. “He did not do my interview he sent someone else. I can’t blame him, left things quite open on our relationship after our last discussion and even when I saw him last night he was still unwilling to listen.” Lexi shrugged. “I was on the bridge.” She added so there was an explanation as they had not seen each other since before the escape pod people had come onboard.

"I was pulling double-shift in the office," Cal replied, being overly generous with her description of their hole in the wall, "Scouring the communication logs that he needed analysing in such a hurry. So much for checking with Security first, I don't know why I bothered submitting updates."

The brunette frowned at her friend, having dealt with the mediocre to create space for the far more pertinent. "He's still pulling the 'need more evidence' card on you?" Calanthe rolled her eyes. "I don't know how you put up with it. Any man tried to treat me like a child, and I'd..." The rest of her sentence was muttered under her breath, in French, because it got her point across best.

“He thinks it is my memory acting up still.” She said simply. It was s sad imply in her mind what he was thinking was happening. “Everyone thinks the same. No one else sees anything wrong.” Lexi pointed out half wondering now if she was in the wrong g and it truly was her memory acting up still. It was coming back and she was able to remember more of the last year now.

"Hey, don't put me in the same category as all of them." Cal held her hands up in defense. "I already told you, Smith is way too nice for my liking." The morale officer had made the mistake of trying to get on Cal's good side by being overtly flattering, which was a rookie's mistake because the feisty brunette had a tendency of flirting simply as a means of weeding out the overly-eager.

“But even you said you have known him being onboard since we left Earth a year ago.” Lexi argued before frowning and slammed her hand on her table frustrated. She hated how it sounded but it all made sense. “Everyone is nice to you though.” She added trying to get less annoyed at William.

Calanthe grinned at that. She certainly cultivated relationships intentionally, which was a nice way of saying that she didn't give people a whole lot of choice about putting up with her. "Well, he tries too hard. And," she pointed out, "so what if I do? If people can step sideways through dimensions," she gestured towards Ben's exit, "then it has to be at least possible that everything you're saying is weird enough to look into. Will is just thinking too much about himself," she pointed out, clearly not on any crusade to help matters. "Come on, Lexi, what's the worst that would happen if he did a little looking into your concerns? Apparently, in his eyes, finding nothing and then having everyone think he's too easily swayed by his girlfriend. That's less a problem with the situation and more an over-polishing of his ego, I'd say."

Lexi stayed quiet as she spoke and eventually shrugged as she stopped talking and left an almost uncomfortable silence between them. It was not wrong but she was not right either. “Is what it is.” Lexi said finally. “No one other than you or Captain Stenn believe me so…” she shrugged again.

"Shouldn't we be talking to him then?"

It wasn't unusual for Calanthe to favour action over words, though there was an eagerness to her now that was typically the case when she was trying to distract herself from something.

“I did a few days ago but I haven’t caught up with him yet. Been other things happen onboard since then though.” She said looking more glum by the moment as she thought back to William’s words last night about the fact she had gone to him to teach her to fight. It was painful and why she had not spoken anymore to him.

Reference to 'other things' wasn't helping. "Well, other people are worrying about those things," Cal protested. "I think finding explanations for inter-dimensional travel is beyond my pay grade, at least. Why don't we go find Stenn now?"

“He will probably be busy.” Lexi looked defeated for a moment before she sighed. “Fine okay. Let’s go talk to him.” She said as the person they had been discussing came into the room - John Smith.

Ever the subtle one, Cal glanced at Smith's arrival and then fixed her friend with a stare, a subtle jerk of her head in the man's direction attempting to warn without the need for spoken acknowledgement.

Lexi turned to look at the man who came in a smile plastered on his face as he saw the two together. “Good morning… well closer to afternoon but the point is made.” He chuckled through his own awkwardness.

“Yeah, I suppose they will be setting up for lunch soon,” Lexi admitted looking around.

If there was one thing Cal was utterly renown for, it was that she was a shocking liar. Any attempt not to look guilty only seemed to make her appear more furtive and it was the kick under the table by her friend's good foot that snapped the linguist back into some semblance of normalcy. In this case, it meant fixing John with an unimpressed deadpan.

"Keeping busy? Or did you sleep in?"

"Hmmm... No just lost track of time." John assured seeing the pair looking slightly odd. "You two look full of secrets as usual."

"Well, you know us. Lots to be discussed and planned. We have another karaoke night to plan." Lexi said brightly. "Come on Cal. We need to catch the Marines as they wanted to come next time." The woman said moving to reach for her crutches and stood awkwardly. She did not want to stay there any longer than she needed to with the man that was giving her the creeps.

The brunette gestured towards her friend, an open-faced, hunched-shoulder shrug of apology aimed at Smith that was completely insincere. "Can't argue with a singing Marine. Definitely a morale booster." Catching Lexi under the elbow in an effort to appear helpful, Cal did her best not to rush her friend but hissed beneath her breath, "If he compliments me again, I will throw up."

“Morale is my job. Maybe I should come and help.” He said moving to help Lexi as well in a move that caused Lexi to yelp as she as too many people were in her space.

“Too helpful folks. I am good.” She said hoping the gap to the crutches and retrieving them thinking they might be a good weapon against John Smith now. “Nah we have this in hand though. You know I need stuff to occupy me.”

"You don't want to mess with her and those things," Cal remarked, having managed to get herself on the door-side of their imminent escape route. "She's ruthless and very, very accurate."

“Mmmhmm.” John said looking at the pair with an unnaturally wide smile on his face. “Well I will let you go but let me know how it goes would love to keep our morale boosting events going.”

Lexi stared at him and nodded. “Of course.” Lexi said brightly and led the way out of the mess hall. It was not until they were in the turbo lift that Lexi let out the breath that she had not realised she had been holding in. “Gees…” she whispered leaning against the wall.

"He is such a..." Cal shuddered visibly. It wasn't that she didn't understand why most of the crew seemed to have been sucked in by Smith's behaviour; he was charismatic. But his body language was off and there was something about his inflection at times that had set the linguist on edge from the start. That, and he'd seemed to misread her very early on and had been far too heavy-handed with the flowery compliments. Calanthe might have appeared to be the type who craved attention but sincerity was everything to the woman whose job it was to analyse language and behaviour. "I feel like I need a shower."

“Yeah.” It was all Lexi had in response to what the woman said. She had a feeling of dread filling her that for a moment they had been in extreme danger alone with him as she had thought he was not going to let them go. She glanced at Cal and gathered herself. “Let’s find Captain Stenn.” She said quickly reminding them of where they needed to go. The man was already in the loop and believed them so it was logical.

"You think he'll assign us an escort?"

Cal's expression as she stepped from the turbolift was suddenly very recognisably calculating.

"Maybe a couple. Big, broad, intimidating." She smiled slyly. "Actually useful instead of worried about their own reputation."

The brunette watched as her friend swung away, outstretching both hands as she caught the look in Lexi's eye.

"What?"