Hakuna Matata

Posted on Sun Jun 21st, 2020 @ 9:03am by Emilie Temple & Ignatius
Edited on on Tue Jul 7th, 2020 @ 2:00pm

Mission: Into the Wild
Location: Senior Crew Quarters, Deck 2

A Mission Post by Emilie Temple & Ignatius
Mission: Into The Wild
Location: Senior Crew Quarters, Deck 2
Timeline:
Sat Feb 17th, 2018 @ 7:11am


ON:

Emilie Temple was sitting on the very of edge of the couch as she could feel the various shudders of the Pandora. As per regulations, she had closed the blinds across the quarter's bay windows but not seeing what was happening only made her more nervous. She hoped the ship was not travelling through the dark matter again; that was the last thing she felt like doing at this moment. From outside in the corridor she could hear officers running up and down the Pandora's passageways, so obviously something serious was happening whether she liked it not.

In her hands she held a PADD, there was one sentence flashing across the screen repeatedly but Emilie couldn't bare to look at it any longer.

Meanwhile, sitting on the floor of the quarters watching her favourite movie, Katrine's cares were nowhere to be found. She began to wriggle and dance in her spot as the animated movie hit her favourite song, though she regrettably could only sing the one line, "Hakuna Matata", over and over again. Emilie could only watch her daughter's resilience with a calm smile.

"I want to be a warthog!" Katrine cried and began crawling around the floor wiggling her backside high in air. "And eat all the bugs."

Emilie gave a laugh, and she wondered if perhaps Katrine could sense her mother's nerves and was deliberately trying to be entertaining as a distraction. As she considered that possibility, her thoughts were interrupted by a chime at the door. Katrine had managed to settle back down to watching again and Emilie jumped up to answer the door quickly - hoping it was Nyx to give them good news.

As she opened the door, she was greeted instead by the exasperated smile of the Pandora's clothier, Ignatius. Despite the smile, he was clearly just as concerned about current events as Emilie was. His tan suit and white shirt were noticeably crinkled and he didn't appear his usually cool self.

"Honey, it's too tense out here." He exclaimed right away and handed her a small bottle of wine. Emilie stuffed the PADD in her pocket and received the bottle.

Emilie laughed and nodded, "It's not much better in here." As two officers appeared around the corner, running to their stations, Emilie pulled Ignatius inside her quarters so they would be out of the way. They both watched as the two Yellow-shirts quickly jogged past and Ignatius sighed loudly.

"Do you know what's happening?" He asked as the door closed behind him. "What's that husband of yours up to?"

Katrine jumped up from the floor and ran over to Ignatius, immediately wrapping her little arms around his legs. "IGGY!"

"Darling." Ignatius replied warmly as he returned the hug. "How are you?"

"I'm a warthog!" She replied enthusiastically, before showing off her warthog dance.

"That's... good to know." Ignatius laughed.

"Keep watching your movie darling," Emilie told her gently and Katrine ran off to the living area again. Meanwhile, Ignatius sat down at the dining table while Emilie retrieved two glasses from the kitchen. "I haven't heard from Nyx." She said softly.

"There was a ship-wide message after the red alert." Ignatius nodded, "But it was from Lieutenant Griffin."

Emilie paused while she was pouring the wine, trying her hardest to suppress the thoughts down in her mind. "If he was injured, they would tell me."

"Oh!" Ignatius suddenly cried, realising the implication of his comment. "Of course they would. I'm sure it's just protocol."

Emilie nodded and walked over to the dining table, handed Ig's his glass and sat down with a heavy sigh. "The last message I got from the crew was a reminder on the evacuation points. I'm sure they were just being cautious, it doesn't feel like the ship is in dire trouble."

As if on queue, the Pandora shook again and there was the clear sound of phaser fire in the distance.

"This girl is tough." Ignatius replied, placing his hand gently on Emilie's and giving her a smile, "I'm sure the crew has it under control."

"The crew." Emilie repeated softly. 'Not Nyx' She thought.

"You do realise we've just said 'I'm sure' three times in the last minute?" He commented.

"I picked up on that." Emilie nodded, taking a long drink of that wine. "So is that why you came to see me? My proximity to the nearest evacuation pod?"

Emilie knew she could joke like this with her old friend, even if the comment was steeped in the reality that they could very well need to use those escape pods at any time. The shuddering and phasers weren't going away and the red alert bar still hung over a nearby console like a constant reminder. She wanted to shut it down, turn up the volume of Katrine's movie and ignore that PADD in her pocket, but something made her keep watching in anticipation.

"No." Ignatius was replying with a wry smile, "Oh Ems, I could lie and say I came to keep you company, given your precious cargo, but truthfully I was hoping you'd keep me calm. I'm used to nice solid ground that doesn't shake and turn, and we're not firing phasers at something."

Emilie managed a laugh, "I don't think I'd be any good at that! I'm still getting used to living on a Starfleet ship just like you are!"

"Oh." Iggy drooped. "But you've been through moments like this before, yes?"

"A few." Emilie responded, "A few too many if you ask me. But it's what this crew does every day, that's how Nyx always put it. The crew know their jobs, and they do it very well. We have to trust that whatever's happening, they will handle it."

"Smart man that husband of yours." Ignatius smiled.

At this, Emilie's eyes burst into tears and she quickly buried her hands into her face so that Katrine wouldn't see. Ignatius moved to sit next to her and placed a comforting arm around her shoulders.

"Sssh, oh honey, he's fine." Ignatius whispered. "He's a tough S.O.B."

With her hands to her face, Emilie nodded. Slowly she took them away and wiped her eyes, "I... I can't find him."

The clothier looked to the Captain's spouse with a confused stare and Emilie retrieved the PADD she had been holding earlier, with the message she couldn't bare to look away from. The single line was still flashing on the PADD's screen in simple but heavy words:

"Captain Temple is not currently on the USS Pandora."

"I didn't want to say it out loud in case Katrine heard," Emilie whispered, "I have the computer running on a constant search on this but it's been showing me that message for hours. Nyx and I had an odd conversation earlier today, he was in the Cargo Bay wearing something ridiculous. I knew something was wrong but I couldn't bring myself to ask what. Now he's missing, Griffin has command, and we're firing at god know's what. I just know it's bad, Igs I know it."

Ignatius looked at the PADD and breathed heavily, "This could mean anything." He offered slowly. "He could have just damaged his Comms Badge."

Emilie shook her head, "He had that look in his eyes. The same look when the pirates began to attack Lucis, when he knew he would be leaving on the Pandora. Something was wrong."

As Emilie tried her hardest not to cry, her friend Ignatius could only hug her tightly as the two continued to stare at the PADD and the Pandora shook once more. In the background, Katrine was rewinding her movie so that she could sing her favourite song again. It sure was easy to have "no worries" when you were four years old.

OFF