Another Day, Another Listening Post

Posted on Wed 19th Sep, 2018 @ 1:02am by

482 words; about a 2 minute read

Mission: Oblivion
Location: Arrow 5, In the Shadow of SB109
Timeline: MD 14, 0800

Beck pulled the Arrow to hover mode in the shadow of the rings of Starbase 109. "And now we wait," she said to her former wingman. No one else was riding along this morning, leaving the entire small vessel to the two of them.

Nordstrom leaned back in her seat. "It's been a bit ... slow lately. Don't you miss the excitement of piloting something more challenging?"

Rebecca laughed and emphatically said, "No! Besides, the fighters are bored to tears lately. At least we have a little comfort, can get up and move around, have a snack if we'd like." She stared at the screen above her control panel. "I'm just fine with these slow days. I don't ever want to see another one like the one that almost took out Colonel Wellington."

"Well, yes, that was a little too much excitement, not to say fear and grief when we thought she was gone in that flash. Still, I'd like a little ..." she broke off and listened on her headphones, then relaxed again, shaking her head. "Just fighter chatter. I thought they were supposed to be running silently."

Beck frowned, "They are, but since when do fighter pilots think anyone else knows anything. What were they talking about?"

"Just a flash bit of trash talk before their control shut them up. Probably some of the new replacements who haven't felt the hand of God yet."

"Is that what we're calling the colonel these days?" the captain asked, distracted by following space debris across the screen, making sure it actually was space debris.

Helena smiled, "No, not generally. But it gets the point across. I'll be glad when she's back on duty. Have you heard anything about when that might be?"

"No," Beck shook her head. "But then, I'm usually the last to know anything. I suppose we could ask Rose, but they'll let us know what we need to know. They always do."

"I've never understood how you can be so philosophical about these things. Aren't you ever curious about anything?" Helena asked in exasperation.

Rebecca grinned. "Sure. How many stars are there in the universe? Where's my next meal coming from? Am I really Rachel, but my mother mixed us up when we were born? Did my father wish I'd been a boy? Is there anything Nordstrom isn't curious about?"

The warrant officer gave a snort of disgust and turned back to her console, silent for a few minutes, listening to the universe outside the starbase. Finally, she asked, "How do you know your mother didn't mix you up with Rachel?"

"Elementary, my dear Watson. Rachel flies for money. Rebecca flies for Starfleet."

"Yes, but ...." Helena trailed off. She wasn't likely to get a better answer. Beck was a very private person. But how did a mother keep from mixing up identical twins?

 

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