Mail Call II
Posted on Tue Nov 23, 2021 @ 2:43pm by Lieutenant Penelope Naroot & Lieutenant Nicole Anderson & Lieutenant JG Camille Lévesque PhD
2,195 words; about a 11 minute read
Mission: Archangel
Nicole walked into their quarters just as Camille was laying out the last dish for dinner. She shucked her uniform jacket and tossed it on their bed, putting her boots in the corner. "I knew this was a mistake," she said, sighing and shaking her head as she came back into the main room and sat at the table.
Camille was sitting down, by this point out of her uniform completely and into flannel pyjamas, not intending to go anywhere. “Many, mon amour, but what are you referring to right now?”
"Telling our families we were coming back so soon," Nicole said, holding up a padd. "We have enough dinner invitations to keep us fed for the next month." She tapped the padd, sitting down at the table. "My mother insists we come see her, and Harranipa has offered to cook for us as well. My Aunt and Uncle want to have us over, and have offered to give us their spare room until we're settled in. My grandparents want to meet us as well, as well as a half dozen cousins." She bobbed her eyebrows. "And that's just my side of the family."
“Ugh, I know what you mean,” Camille said. “My parents, my sisters, matante Amélie and mononcle Maxime. And those are just the ones I’ve had time to reply to.”
"Well, speaking of your parents....I got a letter from your father," Nicole said, slowly.
“Oh?” Camille was not sure which way that message would have gone. She and her father were in a good place, but she lacked confidence that it would remain that way.
Nicole looked down at the padd. "Evidently, he's been thinking about something I said," she said, gently. "He said...when we get to Alpha Centauri...he and your mother will be there to meet us. Evidently, if you can cross a galaxy to see them, they can, indeed, cross a sector to see you." She smiled at Camille.
And Camille return smile was beaming. “Their message to me didn’t specify. It just said that we should plan on seeing each other.” She chuckled. “They also offered to put me in touch with the bishop of the Alpha Centauri system.”
"I hope I haven't ruined a surprise," Nicole said. "I'll have to see if they have a resident Numerologist as well," Nicole said, smiling. "Or open up a shop myself."
She took the glass of wine Camille had poured and lifted it up, grinning. "Well, here's to our families, may their love not drive us completely crazy."
“That’s our job,” Camille replied, clinking Nicole’s glass.
As they finished dinner, Nicole sat back and crossed her legs. "There's another matter, I wanted to discuss," she said.
“What’s one more thing?” Camille joked. “What is it?”
"In addition to my mother and Harra, I got a letter from Doctor Hanopar." Nicole swallowed hard. "He wanted to tell me that he's retiring soon. He's letting me know, in case I want to return and take over his responsibilities at the hospital."
“You should!” Camille told her, a big smile on her face. “Nicole, this is perfect! You were thinking about this yesterday, non? Why does it trouble you now?”
"I said I'd be with you, support you on Alpha Centauri. I feel like I'd be going back on that if in a few months time, I leave," Nicole said.
Camille waved off Nicole’s concerns. “Do what you love in the place that you love. You won’t be far from the one you love.”
"That's a lovely saying," Nicole said, "but nevertheless--"
Camille held up a hand to interrupt Nicole. “Computer, travel time between Alpha Centauri VII and Beta Rigel V, all modalities.”
The computer chimed and replied. “Three days, ten hours, eleven minutes via direct transport traveling warp 8. Four days, five hours, twenty minutes on Proxima Lines 341, scheduled daily. Three days, twenty-one hours, five minutes on Rigelian Transit, scheduled three times weekly.”
“See? We’re not far apart. We can talk on subspace every day. Maybe install some of those holo-call units I keep hearing about. And we can see each other in person as often as we like. I’ll be allowed time off, and to work remotely.” She grinned. “I’ll be the boss. And it sounds like you will be too.” She reached across the table and held Nicole’s hand. “Think of the few months before you take over as a well deserved holiday, where you rest, help me get set up, and keep me warm at night.”
Nicole swallowed the lump in her throat. "All right," she said. "Just be prepared for me to be an absolute mess the day I have to leave. I've gotten far too accustomed to having you here."
“Me too, ashayam.”
Nicole's smile faltered. "We need to tell Penny."
Camille took a deep breath. “One. Two. Three. N—”
"Not it!" Nicole said quickly, realizing what Camille was attempting.
“Merde,” Camille swore. “All right. But you’ll need to be there with me.”
"Of course," Nicole said.
“When do we tell her?”
Nicole blew a lock of hair out her face and drummed her fingers on the table, then looked up. "Anderson to Naroot."
"Go ahead!" Penny said, brightly.
Nicole winced and took a breath. "Pen, c'mon over, would you? Need to talk to you about something."
"Okie dokie. I'll be there in five!" Penny said.
Nicole groaned as the channel closed. "She's too cheery."
“It’s why we love her,” Camille said, “and why this will hurt so much.”
A few minutes later, the chime rang and Nicole, freshly changed into bedclothes, steeled herself and opened it, one of her best friend staring back. "C'mon in Pen," she said.
Penny bounced over to their couch and jumped on, crossing her legs. "So, what's up?"
Nicole sat down on the love seat next to Camille and took her hand, giving it a squeeze. "Take it away, Cami," she said.
Camille took a deep breath. “I, euh, was offered a position with the Daystrom Institute Centre for Exobiology Studies on Alpha Centauri VII.” She took another deep breath. “I’ve accepted, and soon I’ll be leaving the ship. And Nicole is coming too.” She held her breath, awaiting the reaction, uncertain as to what shape it would take.
Penny's head tilted.
System error. Incompatible data received. Confirm input.
Input confirmed. Unstable quantification. System overload.
Nicole watched Penny stare off past them. "So...taking it well...."
Penny blinked. "You're....you're leaving?" she said, eyes getting wide. "But..." tears began leaking out of her big blue eyes and she looked back and forth between them. "I don't understand."
"This is an important opportunity for Camille, and I need to support her in that," Nicole said. "And, as much as we both love you, we need to explore this chapter in our lives."
Penny tilted her head again. "Okay...." she said after a moment. "I...I don't understand though. I miss you. You're still here. I love you both, but I'm angry, but I understand, but I'm sad....I don't understand."
“It’s a complicated set of feelings,” Camille agreed. She reached over and took Penny’s hand. “We’ll stay in touch, of course. All the time. And we’ll make a point to see you, or have you see us, every time you come back into Federation space.” She found her own eyes were watering. “I’m going to miss quite a few people here, but none more than you.”
Penny looked at Nicole. "That makes me the scarecrow, right?"
Nicole looked confused, then worried. "Please tell me that's a reference I don't understand, and not a fault in your programming."
"Reference," Penny said. "But it could be a fault. I shouldn't be missing you if you haven't left yet."
Nicole gave a small smile of relief. "That's a very normal feeling," she said. "I felt the same way about so many people when I left home. Camille and I are feeling the same way now."
"I feel....scared," she said. "I've never been alone before."
"You won't be alone," Nicole said. "You'll have an entire crew here to keep you company."
"Yeah...most of whom think I'm just the 'wacky human girl'," she said. "I'm not used to all of my crewmates not knowing about me."
"The Captain knows, and the Chief Engineer knows. You can tell anyone else you wish, if you wish," Nicole said.
“That’s right,” Camille said. “It’s your choice.”
Penny thought about it and shook her head. "No, I can't. I don't love them. The Captain isn't really a fan of my kind, and Commander Torres tends to keep his distance."
"To be fair, he does that with most of us," Nicole said.
Penny nodded and sniffed. "Thomas loved me. I loved him. But he left me, and he isn't coming back. I love both of you, and you two aren't going to come back..." She sniffed again.
Camille moved off the loveseat and gave Penny a big, tight hug. Nicole did the same on her other side, the two of them wrapping their arms around their best friend.
Penny hugged them back tightly. "I'll adapt," she said. "It's just not a set of parameters I thought I would have to account for."
"There's always going back to the Castel," Nicole said.
Penny shook her head. "No, that's not where I want to go. Amber would take me back, I'm sure, but I like what I'm doing, just scared to do it without you."
“And who says we aren’t coming back?” Camille asked.
Penny shrugged. "You'll be in AQ, really busy, and stuff. "You wouldn't want to come back here would you?"
“I won’t want to come back to the ship,” Camille admitted, “but I’m being given a lot of freedom in this new post. This includes an excursion craft, which I do plan to take into the Delta Quadrant sometimes. It’s getting easier for civilian craft to get out this far. And I’m sure Nicole will want to take a working holiday sometime and join me.” She grinned. “We’ll get the band back together.”
Penny paused, head slightly tilted. "We were in a band? What instrument did I play?"
Camille giggled. “You were the bassist. I was on drums. Nicole did guitar. Cassandra was the vocalist until she left and Nicole took over. But after people learned she just mind controls them to say they enjoyed our music, we stopped getting invited to play.”
Penny's head was tilted and her expression blank as she reviewed for missing memory engrams. She stopped as she felt Nicole poke her less than gently.
"Reference 'pulling your leg'," Nicole said.
Penny blinked, then looked at Camille and gave her a soft punch in the thigh. "Not funny," she said, but smiled.
Camille laughed again, her eyes now thoroughly wet with tears.
Penny leaned to the side and put her head on Camille's shoulder. "Today has to be Thursday," she sighed. "I never got the hang of Thursdays."
"Well, may I suggest that you weather the last few hours of the day with us," Nicole said. "We'll replicate some dessert, enjoy a movie together, and try not to remember that we have all this packing to do, for a few hours at least."
"I can help pack," Penny said. "It'll give me something constructive to focus on during the night hours while you two are asleep."
"Not tonight," Nicole said, rubbing her shoulder. "Tonight is about the three of us spending time together as a family. Tonight is about toasting some good times, making a few more, and putting our tears behind us." She smiled at them gently.
“That’s right,” Camille said. “Tonight is about us here and now.”
"Tomorrow, however," Nicole said, "yeah, absolutely going to need your help. We're swamped."
Penny laughed and flew back over and hugged Nicole. "I'll start replicating," she said, jumping back up and crossing the room.
“I’ve got some real drinks left,” Camille said. “Leftovers from my drink nights with T’Mira.” She went to dig out a handful of bottles from the back of the small refrigerator they kept in the room. “Excellent. Nicole, there’s a chocolate liqueur in here too! Tonight will be fun!”
"Chocolate liqueur?" Nicole said, raising an eyebrow. "Tonight will be so fun I won't remember it." She paused and her brows knit together. "And what was this 'drink nights' with T'Mira, exactly?" she said, standing up and crossing the room purposefully.
Penny grinned to herself, but felt a tear leak out anyway. She was still having trouble reconciling the fact that she was both happy, sad, and terrified at the same time, but she reallocated some other resources to ponder it, and made a mental note to compose another letter to Oscar when she had it resolved. For now, she kept her focus on the fun at hand.
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