The Lunar Schooner

Posted on Sat Mar 30th, 2013 @ 8:51am by Ensign David Brody

791 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Mission 82 - The Aggressor
Location: USS Durga/Epsilon VII/New Berlin
Timeline: Two Hours After 'Arriving at Earth'

The corridors of the Durga were an exercise in organized chaos. Most of the ship's crew were making their way to one of the available transporter rooms to be beamed to various Earth locations. Ensign Brody had other plans for his shore leave. Like a salmon swimming upstream, Brody made his way to the shuttle bay. After a serious of incidental contacts, exchanged niceties and apologetic glances, Brody found himself in a near empty hangar bay.

"Can I help you, Sir?", asked a Crewman at the Flight Ops station. "Do you require directions to a transporter room?" The Crewman had never seen Brody before and assumed his presence in the hangar bay was an accident as everyone else was looking to be beamed planet side.

"No, Crewman, I'm actually looking to secure shuttle transport to New Berlin."

The Crewman smiled, "Ah, a Lunar Schooner?"

Brody could barely hide his annoyance. "Do Earthers really still call us that?" Recognizing his place, the Crewman resumed his dutiful posture. "So, can I get a lift or not."

"Aye, Sir." The Crewman ran his fingers across his console briefly before finding a solution. "If you can wait a few minutes, I have a Cadet arriving shortly in shuttlecraft Epsilon VII. He's logging hours for his shuttlecraft aviation course and his flight path has him passing Luna. He'll be in Luna's orbit for an hour, so we can arrange alternate transportation once you've concluded your leave."

"That won't be necessary. I don't plan on staying long. I'll return with the Cadet once I've concluded my business." Just then, as if on cue, the Epsilon VII lumbered through the shuttle bay force field. It was apparent that the Cadet pilot still had plenty of practice ahead of him. Brody began to rethink his trip.

*****

"Five minutes until Lunar orbit, Sir." Despite his awkward docking, Cadet Landon had actually managed a smooth trip from the Durga. Brody began to feel a sense of dread wash over him. He hadn't been back home in nearly 17 years. It had been nearly that long since he'd seen his brother and sisters. They'd exchanged occasional subspace transmissions, but it had been over a year since the last communique.

"Thank you, Cadet. I've entered site coordinates into the computer. I'll beam down, conduct my business and beam back in time to have you return me to the Durga and have you on your way."

There was a brief lull in the conversation before Landon chimed in, "Are you planning on visiting Earth as well?"

"I have duties at Starfleet Command in the morning, but nothing aside from that."

"No time for sightseeing?" Landon was either making polite conversation or was genuinely interested. Brody couldn't tell.

"I just have no interest in Earth. Aside from my time in the Academy, I've never been to Earth. We 'Lunar Schooners' are accustomed to the artificial gravity and synthetic light. We're more at home aboard starships than on Earth. For many of us, Earth is just as foreign and unexplored as the Gamma Quadrant."

"I see," said Landon, unsure if he should be insulted. A chime from his console indicated he had achieved Lunar orbit. "We're here, Mr. Brody."

Brody stepped on to the shuttlecraft's transported pad. "I'm ready."

*****

The silence of the New Berlin Starfleet Cemetary had been briefly interrupted by the familiar sound of transporter materialization. Brody quickly found his bearings and made his way up an adjacent path. After a short walk, he was at the resting place of his parents, Anthony and Sara Brody. He spotted a nearby replicator, sighed, and shuffled to it. He tapped the console, bringing it to life. "Computer. Roses. Red. One dozen."

Brody returned to his parents' plot. He activated the tombstone's holoprojector and stood back as the image of his parents formed in front of him. In the distance, Brody could hear and smell the preparations for the Mazurka Festival which would be taking place in several weeks. An overwhelming sense of nostalgia came over Brody and he immediately regretted coming home.

Brody stared at the projection of his parents, intermittently losing resolution. There were so many things he wanted to tell his parents; that he failed in saving them, that he failed in healing himself and his family after they were slaughtered, that he failed in living up to the image of his father. So many things left unsaid. His lips parted, but words failed to escape. He realized how ridiculous it is to talk to bent light. He tossed the replicated roses on to the tombstone. "Computer. Terminate projection." His parents were still smiling as the image vanished. Yes, this visit was certainly a mistake.

Brody tapped his comm badge. "Epsilon, one to beam up."

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