Leap of Faith (Part 2)
Posted on Sat Oct 31, 2020 @ 9:35am by Lieutenant Cassandra Kennings
1,496 words; about a 7 minute read
Mission:
The Binary Suns
Location: Kansas, Earth
Timeline: 14ish years from now
“How did you already know his name?” Darla said. “Is that what you meant by the two of you being ‘destined’ to be together?” Her voice took on a lovey-dovey tone.
“Well, long ago, on my first assignment, I had an encounter. The details aren’t important right now, but suffice it to say, I met alternate versions of myself from other timelines. One was working at the Questor Group, married to a Richard Kennings, and eight months pregnant.”
Darla’s eyes immediately scanned the books around her, looking over the titles of the locked books. “Is that story in here?”
“Yes, but one story at a time, if you please” Cassandra chided.
“Sorry,” Darla said, wrapping her blanket tighter around her. “Continue.”
The next day came and Richard showed up and knocked on her office door. She smiled at him and invited him in. His plan was working perfectly. He’d get her to meet with him and ask her out on the second meeting; that way, it wouldn’t seem too rushed. “So,” he said, sitting down across from her, “what were your thoughts on the paper?”
“It was very sweet,” she said. “I think it’s nice that you keep in touch.”
“Thank you, I--what?” he said, completely thrown.
She handed him the padd with an apologetic smile. “You must have grabbed the wrong padd.”
Richard looked down and saw the letter he’d been writing to his mother instead. He blushed several shades and looked up. “I’m so sorry.”
“Not at all,” she said, giving him an amused smile. “And I didn’t read it, by the way, once I realized what it was.”
“Well...thank you, although there isn’t anything in there that’s very embarrassing,” he said, fumbling to save face. He let an awkward moment go by and cleared his throat. “So, I was thinking…”
“Did you put in overtime for it?” Cassandra said, grinning.
Richard smiled as the awkwardness left him a bit and sat up a little straighter. “Maybe we could get dinner some time?”
Cass’ smile faltered. “Richard...I’m sorry...I just got out of a relationship, and I don’t know if I’m ready for another.”
Richard’s face fell, but he held it together. “I see. I’m sorry, I don’t want you to feel pressured.”
“It’s all right,” she said, giving him a sweet smile that just made him feel worse. “For what it’s worth, I appreciate the offer. Just...timing.”
“I understand,” he said, sounding a bit dejected, but he understood her reasons. It wasn’t an outright refusal of him, and he took heart in that. Maybe in the future…
“I hope I haven’t hurt your feelings,” she said, looking concerned.
He looked at her and a smile crept over his face. “It’s all right,” he said. “You’ll have to make it up to me by reading my actual paper and discussing it tomorrow.”
She smiled warmly and nodded. “Absolutely.”
That interaction set the pattern for their professional relationship over the next several weeks. They’d frequently discuss papers, sometimes eat lunch at the same time, walk into the building together, et cetera. They developed a few in-jokes, some shorthand lingo between them and a natural give-and-take to their movements when they interacted. They were the cutest “not a couple” Richard’s coworkers had seen, and he was frequently teased good-naturedly about it. Occasionally he would try initiating something beyond work, or leave her a message at her home just to be sociable, but she’d always have an excuse, or say she couldn’t commit. After a month, he realized it might be a lost cause, but he still made an effort; and in the meantime, he was content to enjoy her company.
Then, one Thursday evening, everything changed.
“Honey, we’re home,” Tommy said, walking back into the Sanders’ house that evening.
“About time, too, wise ass,” Amber said, coming out of the kitchen. “I had to recycle dinner. What happened?”
“It’s my fault,” Cassandra said, coming in around Tommy. “I kept him late when he came to pick me up. We were toying with a new idea at the Group and I was on a tear with something and couldn’t get away from it.
“Well I’ll replicate another roast and you can tell us all about it,” Amber said.
“It’s been an amazing experience,” Cassandra said, putting her handbag down and following Amber and Tommy into the kitchen. “We’ve been toying with the idea of other methods of travel. Ways of moving a person across a distance but not the way we do with our ships now.”
“You mean like an internal transporter device?” Amber said. “Something that can beam a person some distance with a mental command?”
“Not exactly,” Cassandra said. “More like…what if you could think yourself some place?”
“You mean like the Q?” Amber said. “Click your heels together three times and there you are? Or matter-energy conversion like we do?”
“Sort of,” Cass said. “I’ve been reading some files on a being called, The Traveler; he’s someone the Enterprise-D encountered. We’re trying to see if we can determine which members of the group would be best mentally suited to try understanding and recreating The Traveler’s mental abilities. If we can, we could try propulsion methods that could propel us faster and further than we’ve ever thought possible!”
“Sounds exciting,” Amber said, programming the replicator and smiling.
“It is,” Cassandra said, grinning wide. As she caught the look on Amber’s face however, her smile slipped away. “What’s that look for?” she said.
“What look?” Amber said, a bit too innocently as she carried dinner to the table.
“That one you just had,” Cass said, following her, grabbing plates and utensils from the cupboard. “You were smiling a certain way. I know when you have a look, Amber.”
“It’s nothing,” Amber said, smiling wider.
“Richard left another message,” Tommy guessed, coming into the dining room.
“Thomas!” Amber scolded, swatting his arm. “You ruin all my fun, you know that?”
“My life’s goal,” Tommy said, grinning at her. He looked back at Cassandra and gave her a wink as he sat down. “That’s, what? The third time this week he’s called?”
“Second,” Cass said defensively, blushing hard and avoiding both their eyes as she set the table.
“Second,” Amber repeated. “And you haven’t once called back. Are you avoiding him at work too?”
“I wouldn’t say ‘avoiding’,” Cass said. She looked around for any kind of escape. “So, where are my parents?”
“At a concert at an opera house in Sydney,” Amber said, serving them. “They’ll be back tomorrow. So if you ‘wouldn’t say avoiding’, then what would you call it?”
Cassandra sighed and sat down at the table. “I’d call it being friendly at work, but conflicted about seeing him in the obviously social environment he’s hoping for.”
“Cass,” Amber said, sitting as well, “I know you’re waiting for Alan to return, but, honey, it’s been weeks now, coming up on months. I don’t mean to sound rude about it, but maybe it’s time you stopped carrying a torch for him, and move on.”
“She’s right,” Tommy said around a mouthful of food.
“Naturally,” Amber said, as if he’d stated the perfectly obvious.
Tommy swallowed, cast Amber a brief look, then turned back to Cass. “Last thing the Boss Man would want is you sittin’ here alone and unhappy. A dame like you deserves a man takin’ her out for a twirl now and then. It'll cheer you up. Look what it did for Amber's personality.”
"I hate you," Amber said.
“Can we please change the subject?” Cass said, pushing her half-eaten meal away. She was becoming so uncomfortable it had all but killed her appetite, and she wasn’t about to get sick over it again.
“All right,” Amber said. “I got a message from Tiffany today. She found a ship.”
Instantly both Tommy’s and Cass’ eyes were drilling into Amber, their full attention on her, peppering her with questions. “Where is she what did she find what class is it when will it get here what took so long will we be stuck with Starfleet proper will we be able to get the crew back?”
Amber held up her hands. “I don’t know much,” she said. “All I know is she sent me a message this afternoon saying she’d found something.” Her eyes sparkled, however, as she looked at them. “But regardless of what ship it is, it means we’re going back out. Things are finally getting back on track.”
That’s when the front door burst open, a green blur flew in and immediately slammed it shut.
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