Just Another Day on Mars

Posted on Sun Jun 21st, 2020 @ 3:16am by Lieutenant Kalin Brennan-Griffin PhD & Cailus Griffin & Eva Griffin
Edited on on Wed Jun 24th, 2020 @ 5:42am

Mission: New Moon Rising
Location: Watney Colony, Mars
Timeline: Long before reaching the Pandora...

Despite being the third largest colony on Mars, Watney was...modest. Oh, it was big enough in size; anyone could see that. The city could be comfortably seen from orbit, after all. It was the colony itself that tended to be, as one Federation politician had once termed it, "rustic."

The Watney Arrivals Terminal was a perfect example of this. While such facilities were common on Earth and Mars to receive incoming travellers by transporter beam, they also tended to fit the description of a "facility". Watney's WAT, one of the colony's oldest and most beloved jokes, was simply a large transporter pad jammed inbetween a somewhat basic Indian restaurant and a replimat. A busy pedestrian thoroughfare surged with activity directly ahead, while there was a simple grey wall behind it with a cramped control booth built in. Both the wall and the booth had splotches that looked suspiciously orange on the bland, grey metal.

It was this cheerful place that Cailus, Shae and Aoife beamed down to, having bade their farewells to Rrareths on the shuttlecraft. After they finished materialising, Cailus took a deep breath, inhaling the smells and the unmistakable roar of a city centre at the height of activity, thousands of people doing a thousand different things.

"Home," he whispered, staring out into the street and the various businesses beyond. Cailus allowed his gaze to travel upward, regarding the roof of the dome and the Martian sky with naked awe.

"Oh my, you weren't kidding when you described this place," Shae said as she looked around. Her experiences with the Mars colonies had been limited to Utopia Planitia and the Daystrom Annex, both of which were quite spectacular, so to see the charmingly cluttered Watney was a bit of a surprise. She adjusted her hold on Aoife, settling the toddler on her hip. "Are, uh, you ready?" she asked.

Shae's question jerked Cailus out of his trance and he nodded at her in apology. "Sorry. Just...seeing this place. It looks just like it did. They never changed it." Pausing for a moment, he frowned. "Well, maybe not the smell. It's...too clean. Not enough grease. I guess the Mr Deep's restaurant...whoever owns it now...don't cook like they used to."

As he talked, a woman approached them through the crowd, having apparently been waiting on the opposite side of the street. She looked relatively young, in her early forties perhaps, with her long raven hair loose. The woman was clad in a comfortable black shirt and pants but despite that, her posture and purposeful steps were unmistakable. She was someone not just in authority, but used to it.

Cailus' reaction was unavoidable, if a smidge embarrassing; he immediately stood to attention, despite wearing a red jumper of his own in lieu of the uniform. "Admiral, sir," he said automatically.

The admiral in question raised an incredulous eyebrow, an amused smile just beginning to form. "Cailus, that is-"

"Not necessary, sir," Cailus interrupted hurriedly. "Uh...sorry. Habit." He found himself stumbling over his words, clearly uncomfortable. "This is Lieutenant Kalin Brennan, sir. My shipmate on the Tornado."

Shae didn't exactly snap to attention, but she did straighten up to greet this new person with the respect she so clearly was accustomed to. "Admiral," she intoned softly with a slight nod of her head. "Although I prefer to go by Shae, if that's alright. And this is my daughter, Aoife," she shyly introduced in return.

Sophia smiled warmly at Aoife for a moment before looking up at Shae. "While we're out of uniform, I'm just Sophia," she said with a soft laugh. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Shae. Your daughter is beautiful. I know my girls will absolutely adore you both. Kirishima in particular is wonderful with other children."

With that, she glanced at Cailus, her smile still pleasant if more serious. "I'm sorry that my husband couldn't come, but he wishes you his best. You're all quite welcome to eat with us tonight, of course, and we can talk about everything. I've prepared a couple of rooms for you both for tonight."

"Ah...thank you, adm...Sophia." Cailus forced himself to relax. She was very friendly, almost aggressively so, but she seemed okay. Glancing apologetically at Shae, he explained "Sophia's husband is Harriet's great nephew. He...I mean, they're the only family I have left. Sorry, I really should've explained to you before we beamed down."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, uh, Sophia," Shae replied, having to stop herself from saying 'Admiral' again. "And Aoife doesn't really understand how to play just yet, but I know exposure to other children will be good," she continued, smiling in return. Then when Cailus explained the situation, Shae nodded knowingly. "It's alright, I understand. I guess I can give my brother a call and tell him we won't need to stay with him tonight," she offered in return, smiling brightly.

Sophia watched the byplay between them, her eyes all too observant. She then glanced meaningfully at Cailus, her smile vanishing and her eyes growing momentarily solemn. "There is more than our familial connection. I'll explain fully when we get to the house. We can beam directly there if you wish."

Shrugging, Cailus looked to Shae. "Whatever's best for Aoife. We can walk if you'd like to show her the colony." He glanced at Sophia. "Where-?"

"We live outside the city," Sophia offered, smiling again warmly. "An hour's walk at most."

"Normally, I'm not opposed to a good walk, but Aoife isn't used to being around so many people and I think she's getting a bit anxious," Shae said. She didn't look it, but Aoife was quite rigid in Shae's arms as she looked around at all the people, though the little death grip she had on Shae's clothing was a bit telling.

"Transporter, then," Sophia said with a sympathetic nod. She made an odd hand gesture to the booth behind Shae and Cailus, prompting the bored man at the console to work his console. Within moments, the four of them rematerialised in a small entrance hall, with stairs leading up and a door leading to large living room. A small garden was evident out the window, the grass flourishing beneath the red sky.

"Welcome to our home," Sophia said after giving them a moment to catch their bearings. "My daughters are out right now with my brother and his children, but they'll be back soon. Before then, I'd like to talk to you about something." Her question was aimed directly at Cailus, and he raised his eyebrows in surprise. "It's personal. And it...may prove painful."

Cailus caught her meaning and, to his own surprise, actually chuckled as he looked for a moment into Shae's now familiar eyes before glancing back at Sophia. "Admiral, I trust Shae more than...well, anyone. Whatever you want to say, you can tell us both."

Shae's ears perked up curiously as Sophia brought up this abrupt change in subject, though she smiled softly when she heard that Cailus trusted her so much.

Nodding, Sophia replied "Very well. And Cailus, it's Sophia. I refuse to take my work home with me. You can leave your things in the hall." Leading them to the living room, she gestured at a comfortable violet couch. "Please, take a seat." Glancing at Shae, she added "I have a replicator in the kitchen if Aoife needs anything. We still have the programs for when my girls were that age."

"Oh we're good, she ate on the shuttle just before we reached Mars," Shae assured Sophia as she took a seat, settling Aoife in her lap. Aoife was definitely curious about the new setting, and she was relaxing now that she was not surrounded by so many people.

Sitting down in a chair opposite them, Sophia took a moment to take a deep breath before meeting his expectant gaze. "Cailus, it's true that Tatsuo is your wife's great nephew. However, I knew your family before I ever met my husband. You are aware, I'm assuming, that your daughter joined Starfleet?"

A familiar and painful knot began to form in Cailus' stomach. He instinctively reached for Shae's hand with his left, simply nodding in reply.

"Victoire," Sophia explained to them both, "was one of Starfleet's finest. She was a security officer, following the example of her father, and was decorated several times for valour and excellent performance. She eventually became captain of the USS Dauntless, and I served as her Chief Science Officer. The captain saved my life on Umbra during one of our early skirmishes with the Cardassians."

At Sophia's pause, Cailus looked between her and Shae, as if a bomb had been set but hadn't detonated. "That's a good thing," he interrupted cautiously. He paused himself at that point, privately trying to connect the concepts of his wonderful little girl with a Starfleet war hero, and failing. "Isn't it?"

Sophia nodded, leaning and forward and placing his hands together on her knees. It was an odd image for such a powerful woman. "It is. You deserve to know who your daughter became. She was a fantastic captain, the best I ever served with. I eventually served as her first officer on the old Audacity." She smiled then, but it was bittersweet. "Captain Griffin taught me most of what I know about being a senior officer, on top of saving my life another couple of times. She was a legend in the service by the time I got my own starship command. She had a talent for always finding a peaceful solution, even when it seemed impossible. A lot of captains are...cold. Professional. But Victoire was warm."

At this, Cailus smiled as well. "Victoire," he said quietly with pride, "was always like that. She just gave everything of herself to others, all the time. Whenever Harriet was tired after a long day at work, she'd do everything she could to help. Even her teachers said she always wanted to volunteer at school, help the other kids. The one time Harriet and I argued, when Victoire was eight, she just came downstairs, hugged us both, told us she loved us and went straight back to bed. Stopped the argument right in its tracks."

Meeting Cailus' eyes, Sophia nodded, smiling. "That sounds like the captain, alright. She did mention you a couple of times during the time I knew her. You deserve to know she loved you very much, even then, and you were her inspiration for joining Starfleet. Not just to follow in your footsteps, but also to find out what happened to you."

Cailus' face to stone, and his grip on Shae's hand tightened. Sophia looked between them, her own pleasant demeanour fading once more. The hard part was imminent.

"Cailus," Sophia asked hesitantly, "do you...know what happened to Harriet and Victoire?"

"Not the details," Cailus said with a suspicious frown. "Just that they died during an invasion by an alien species called the Borg. Didn't read much else. Didn't want to."

Sophia accepted this with visible sadness. "The captain told me, more than once, that she'd have given anything to know what happened to her father, even if the truth would hurt. Now that the situation is reversed, I believe you have the right to know exactly what happened to them."

Shae gasped when she heard 'Borg'. She looked to Sophia, silently praying that what she knew of the Borg had not come to pass in regards to Cailus' wife and daughter. Even still, she reached out to take his hand and give it a comforting squeeze, because if what she suspected this news would be was in fact true, then he was going to need the emotional support.

Sophia offered Shae a silent apology with her eyes. Of course Shae would know. Pretty much everyone in the Federation knew...except someone like Cailus, who hadn't lived during those times. "The Borg," Sophia explained quietly, "are a race of cyborgs. They are utterly unlike any alien species we have encountered before or since. They exist only to consume other species and their technology through a process called 'assimilation'. That is their sole purpose for being. That is what brought them to our borders. They 'assimilate'...directly. By capturing people and...subordinating their will to the Borg." She continued to meet Cailus' eyes throughout, her tone relentless. "In 2367, Harriet had retired to a small colony on the border. It was the Borg's first target. By the time the Enterprise arrived, the colony was...gone."

She didn't explain the implication, nor did she have to. Unbidden and unnoticed, tears begin to flow silently from Cailus' eyes.

"Captain Griffin was in command of the Firebrand back then, in refit at Andoria," Sophia continued. Her voice betrayed her composure. "When she heard about New Providence, the captain did everything she could to get ship ready for battle. She was part of Admiral Hansen's fleet when they engaged the Borg. Forty ships against one."

"Forty!?" Cailus hissed, his mouth open in shock. "But how-?"

"The Borg captured and assimilated Captain Picard of the Enterprise," Sophia explained hurriedly. She finally broke eye contact, staring down at the floor. "They used his knowledge and experience against us, and the Borg's technology...Starfleet was overwhelmed. The fleet fought as hard as they could, but it...wasn't enough. The Firebrand was one of the last ships to be eliminated. The captain covered the escape pods for as long as she could, but in the end..."

Cailus' demanding question was immediate. "Was she captured?" he asked, putting desperate emphasis on the word.

Sophia nodded, meeting his pained eyes once more. "We don't know for sure, but...the Firebrand was only crippled, not destroyed. The bridge was intact. She wasn't there." Preempting his next question, she explained, "That ship, and all the drones onboard, were destroyed above Earth not long after the battle. If she was taken, then there wasn't really time..."

"But there was for Harriet," came the choked reply. The tears were flowing freely, gripping Shae's hand like a lifeline. "They...they both...and I was...they..."

"Cailus? Cailus, listen to me, you can't start blaming yourself," Shae said softly. That one little 'I was...' and she knew what was going through his mind, all the 'what if's. What if he hadn't been frozen in stasis, what he had been there, could he have made a difference? "The Borg came with little warning we had no idea the devastation they would cause. There was nothing we could do to prepare ourselves, and then when they had Picard, they had all our knowledge, all our tactics. It's true that we managed to beat them back, but there was no way for Starfleet to foresee all the damage they would do in the meantime. You are not responsible for what happened, you cannot blame yourself simply because you could not be there to help."

Shae scooted a little bit closer to Cailus on the couch, freeing her hand from his so that she could envelop him in her arms and let him sob into her shoulder. Little Aoife didn't really understand what was going on, but even she understood that it was not good and leaned in to rest her head against Cailus' chest as he cried, an innocent effort to try to cheer him up.

The three of them stayed like that for what felt like an eternity, Sophia having long since left. There were no cries of pain, no wracking sobs; even the tears were silent. It was too much for that, too much for anything, only a long denied pain that ripped Cailus' heart asunder again and again, each time worse than the last. His breathing was rapid and hoarse, his entire body shaking as Cailus buried his eyes in Shae's shoulder.

They're dead they're dead they're dead they're dead they're dead they're dead they're dead...

"...They're dead." Cailus' voice was hoarse as he finally pulled himself up, still clutching Shae's hand, his control slowly reasserting itself. He hurriedly wiped his eyes then, noticing Aoife's head on his chest, smiled weakly as he stroked her hair.

"I'm...I'll...be okay," he whispered, as much to himself as to Shae. "I'll alright. Just need a moment." Looking down at Aoife, he added in a soft, rhythmic voice, still smiling that broken smile, "Thank you little one."

Shae knew it was a kindness to let him believe his girls were only dead and not assimilated, as was a very real possibility, but there would be no way to know either way, and if he was very lucky, he'd never have to see his wife or daughter as a Borg drone even if they had been taken.

When he said he would be okay, Shae nodded with a small smile. "Take your time, there's no need to rush," Shae assured him softly. "This can't be easy to take in, so take all the time you need."

And when Cailus stroked Aoife's hair, the child looked up at him, her face as expressionless and passive as ever, but her little tail started wiggling, a happy little gesture, and she leaned into him once again. "She really likes you," Shae said, her smile brightening.

"Hmph." With a bemused shake of his head, Cailus looked between the two. He still felt incredibly fragile, as if only Shae and Aoife were holding him together, and looked up in the ceiling in bewilderment. "I don't know what a broken old man like me did to deserve you," he said quietly, looking down at Shae. Then, without thinking, he kissed Shae lightly on the forehead. "But I'm going to do everything to be what you deserve."

Without giving Shae time to think, or even react, Cailus then stood. It took more effort than he wanted to admit. "In the meantime, there is one thing." Taking a breath, he asked "You're worried about the ship. What'll happen without the captain's protection. What about a deep space assignment? Far from the Federation and all of it?"

When he kissed her on the forehead, she blushed slightly. It was such a simple gesture of affection, it didn't even have to be romantic, but it still made her feel all kinds of warm and fuzzy feelings she hadn't expected to feel. "Oh, uh..." Shae said, trying to recollect her wits when he suddenly shifted topic. "Are... are you suggesting I leave the Tornado?" she asked. She couldn't lie, the thought had crossed her mind a time or two, but she never really seriously considered it. "I... who would approve such a transfer? A starship tour usually lasts between four to six years, I would need a lot of pull to get a transfer so soon, and there is no good will between me and Starfleet Command after they found out about my past associations. And anyway, I... I would miss certain people I've grown close to on the Tornado," she admitted timidly, then her blush deepened. "I would miss you."

"Your safety is more important," Cailus responded firmly. It was just like always: action, protecting someone, focused him like a laser. He seized that frame of mind eagerly, forcing his thoughts towards sheer practicality. It didn't erase the pain or that sudden, aching fatigue, but it was at least a distraction. "It's just...an idea. All of the people who might to do you harm are in the Federation, so leave the Federation. They can't do a thing if you're on a starship five hundred lightyears beyond the border. As for how you get the transfer: we'll just be honest with the admiral. Not with all of it. Just the important bit. You're in danger and need to get into deep space. If Victoire trusted her-" (there wasn't even a quiver in his voice at that name) "-then that's all we need."

"You're talking about calling in a personal favor... Cailus, I can't ask you to do that for me," Shae replied.

"You aren't," he corrected softly. "I'm volunteering. Besides, you're an astrometrics specialist, an explorer. It's a waste of Starfleet resources having you on the Klingon border when you can be out there. One look at your qualifications should be all the admiral needs to make it happen." Sensing Shae's reluctance, he crouched down in front of her and Aoife, holding out a hand in invitation. "It's your decision. I'll support you either way, but I absolutely believe you'd be safer-and happier-on a deep space explorer."

Shae looked so conflicted; he was absolutely right, she would be safer and happier on a deep space explorer, but on the other hand, she felt she owed Captain Takato so much for rescuing Aoife, she couldn't leave the Tornado while Takato was out there somewhere needing their help! But then Shae looked down at Aoife; whatever her loyalties to Takato were, her ultimate responsibility was to Aoife, and this move wasn't just in her own best interests, but rather Aoife's best interests. Eventually, Shae took Cailus' hand and nodded in acceptance of his offer. "Do... do you think she would... I mean... I would miss you a-and..." she stammered as she danced around the topic of asking him to come with her. The faint dusting of color on her cheeks from earlier began to intensify once again.

"Not as much as you think," Cailus assured her, although Shae's blush made him wonder. The idea of Shae being infatuated with him was bizarre, bordering on ludicrous. Better, he swiftly concluded, to nip it in the bud. "Come on. Let's talk to her and at least see if it's feasible."

"Okay..." Shae replied nervously, then rose to follow him as he went to find Sophia. "Are you sure you're okay to do this right now?" she asked; after all, just minutes ago he was in pieces with grief, and while she knew that having something to do was probably helping to keep him focus, she certainly didn't want him to feel like he had to do this right now if he would rather be alone with his thoughts.

"Especially now." Standing up, Cailus closed his eyes briefly and looked away. "I just need to be doing something, anything. I'll deal with...that...later. This first."

"As long as you're sure," Shae replied, giving his hand a comforting squeeze.

Without another word, he stepped over to the door leading further into the house. The smell of fresh vegetables was vaguely identifiable, and as Cailus opened the door, he and Shae saw Sophia expertly peeling some onions. As she turned, they saw (somewhat ironically) that the admiral was wearing an apron with a menacing looking little green alien printed on it.

"I apologise for putting you through that," Sophia said, her expression crestfallen upon seeing them.

Cailus self-consciously wiped his eyes, realising evidence of his distress was still visible. "It's alright," he replied gruffly. "Had to be done. Been avoiding it for too damned long. In the meantime, we'd like to ask a professional favour."

At those words, Sophia frowned. In an instant, Sophia the Mother was replaced by Sophia the Admiral. "Go on."

Glancing back at Shae, Cailus pursed his lips. It took a visible effort to ask the question, to do something that so clearly violated Starfleet regulations. "Admiral, are you aware of Shae's circumstances?"

Sophia glanced between the two of them, sensing what was coming next. "For the most part, yes. I know that Captain Takato is protecting you, although I don't pretend to know from whom."

"Yes, Captain Takato is- was protecting me," Shae said softly. "If you've looked into me, you'll know there was recently a classified debrief with Starfleet Intelligence, and such I'm being held to a strict confidentiality agreement; I can't explain what Captain Takato was protecting me from without violating that agreement. All I can say is that I got caught up in something that was out of my control, and I admit I made mistakes, but I'm not a bad person. Ma'am, I was in an impossible situation and I just want a chance to get away from all that, but I'm afraid that now that Captain Takato is missing, without her protection that I'll..." Shae paused, uncertain how to explain what she was afraid of without going into too many details. "I don't want to get caught up in that mess again, and I don't want to get punished for it either."

Disappointment flashed in Sophia's eyes. "So you want my protection instead?"

"No, Admiral," Cailus swiftly interrupted. "We wouldn't want you to put your career in jepoardy. Instead, I was wondering whether it might be possible to reassign Shae somewhere else. A deep space mission, far beyond the border, where the people who tried to hurt Shae can't do anything. It's a logical assignment for an astrometrics specialist."

This gave Sophia pause. Her eyes narrowed, slightly out of focus, hinting at ferocious mental calculation beneath. "That may be feasible. The Tornado isn't under my direct command, but it is adjacent." Looking to Cailus, she added "Getting you on such an assignment would be more complicated, Cailus, but it may be possible. Wasn't the Churchill exploring uncharted space when it was attacked?"

That surprised him. "Uh...yes, sir. All data from the mission was lost besides what I remember. Starfleet Science debriefed me in detail after my recovery."

"Good, then it's settled," Sophia said with an uncharacteristically wide smile. Her eyes had shifted from calculating to mischievious; the admiral, older and wiser than she looked, knew precisely what she was doing. "Your experience as a department head in such an assignment is a serviceable qualification. Assuming you want to go?"

Cailus' eyes narrowed, suddenly catching on. He opened his mouth to say no, glanced at Shae, then hesitated. The idea of not seeing her every day, not having their lunches, not seeing Aoife again...

Oh bloody hell.

"Yes, admiral," he finally affirmed. An odd feeling squirmed in his stomach at the belated realisation.

"Good." Glancing at the chrono, Sophia sighed. "I need to see to the girls when they come in. In the meantime, you two can finish peeling the onions and get started on the soup. The cooking instructions are on the home system if you need them."

As she began to walk away, Cailus added "Admiral...Sophia...thank you. Not just for this, but for...telling me." The words came with difficulty, but he forced them out. "I needed that. To face it."

Sophia's smile dimmed slightly. "You're part of the family, now. Consider yourself an honorary uncle, Cailus, and do your best over dinner to get to know my daughters, especially Isoroku. He needs to have a clear understanding of what Starfleet service entails. I would like you to do so as well, dear, if you can," she added to Shae.

"Yes, of course Admiral- Sophia! Sophia, thank you, thank you very much," Shae said in jumbled rush, relief and joy flashing on her face. As Sophia left to go see to her girls, Shae smiled brightly at Cailus. "I can't thank you enough either for doing that for me. I don't know if I would have had the courage to ask for help if you hadn't insisted," she said softly. She glanced around for their bags which were still buy the main entrance; she quickly popped over to their bags and pulled out a long colorful scarf looking thing and wound it around herself and under Aoife' little bum to make a sling, tying the two ends over her shoulder. Once it was adjusted and secured, both of Shae's hands were free to work, so she looked up the recipe that Sophia had been working from to help cook. "Can you finish the onions?" she asked Cailus as she started finding ingredients with Aoife watching attentively from her hip.

"Of course," Cailus said with bemusement, and he promptly got to work. There was a lot of hard thinking to be done, but that could wait. From the other end of the house, they heard Sophia greeting her children. One of them sounded ecstatic at having guests, while the others seemed spectacularly uninterested. "Should be an interesting evening."