Happiness Is...
Posted on Tue Jun 23rd, 2020 @ 12:49am by Lieutenant John Sandoval
Edited on on Fri Jul 10th, 2020 @ 5:20pm
Mission:
Death in Paradise
Location: Sandoval’s quarters
Timeline: Between "Lessons from Rubicun III" and "Subterfuge Most Helpful, Part 2"; 1200 hours
A Mission Post by Lieutenant John Sandoval
Mission: Death in Paradise
Location: Sandoval’s quarters
Timeline: Between "Lessons from Rubicun III" and "Subterfuge Most Helpful, Part 2"; 1200 hours
Mon Nov 5th, 2018 @ 1:53pm
ON
After a good, solid morning of hard work, John dismissed his staff for a midday break and returned to his quarters for a quick meal. It was a good opportunity to connect with home, download some files, and finally speak with his wife.
He sat down at the small dining table, onto which he’d moved a portable computer.
“Computer,” he said. The computer chimed in acknowledgement. “Open subspace channel to Earth. Connect to Sandoval home database, clearance code Sandoval-two-zero-gamma-tango.”
“Working,” the computer replied. “Connected.”
“Find folder marked ‘John Sandoval - for deployment’ and download.” The computer chimed an acknowledgement and began downloading a folder which contained a variety of John's personal documents and programs.
“Computer, once it becomes available, replicate ‘lunch #3',” he ordered. “And open a channel to Katherine Sandoval, Starfleet Academy, Stamets Building, Office 3-dash-187.”
A moment later, a beautiful face filled John’s monitor. Pale skin, reddish-blonde hair, and blue eyes. She was wearing a yellow button-up shirt and black suit jacket. She was seated at her desk in her office on the Starfleet Academy campus, where she taught exobiology at the Academy (though as a civilian expert and not a uniformed Starfleet officer).
“Hello, love,” said Katherine in her wonderful accent that marked her as coming from just outside London, UK, which always made John happy.
“Hello,” replied John with a smile. “I hope I’m not bothering you.”
“Nonsense,” she replied. “I've got office-hours from 1100 to 1400 hours today, and no one’s here. How are you settling in?”
“Very well. I’ve met my colleagues and I've made friends.” John noticed out of the corner of his eye a Montreal-smoked meat on rye materializing in the replicator. “One second.” He got up, grabbed the plate, and sat back down. “I’m retrieving my personal files as I sit down for lunch. Thought I’d say hi.”
Katherine looked closely at her husband and squinted a bit. She gave a wry smile. “What’s her name, John?”
He choked on his first bite of sandwich. “I’m sorry?” He asked.
“Don’t play coy with me, John Benjamin Sandoval,” she said, without the slightest bit of anger. Only dry humor. “I recognize that glint in your eye and the edge to your smile. You’ve been on board that ship two days and you’ve already made a ‘friend’. What’s her name? How did it happen?”
John smiled with genuine happiness. “Her name is Aeryn. She’s the ship’s Assistant Chief Medical Officer. I met her when I went for my arrival checkup. We bumped into each other at lunch at she showed me to one of the eateries. Then last night she took me to dinner at the ship’s fancy restaurant. We shared pleasantries—“
“I’m sure you did!” Katherine chimed in.
John laughed at that. “We told each other stories. She asked me about my most challenging assignment and I told her about the Edo.”
Katherine put her face in her palm. “And from there you night just got better and better, I suspect.” She shook her head, keeping her wry smile. Then her expression changed, losing the humour and replacing it with sincerity. “Well, I’m very glad you found someone that makes you happy and keeps you warm when I can’t.”
Katherine pushed a few buttons on a nearby console. On a separate monitor that John was able to see from his end, an image of Aeryn and some text -- Aeryn's Starfleet profile, John deduced -- appeared. "Oh, there she is! Lieutenant jg Aeryn Jameson, Assistant Chief Medical Officer." She gave her husband a side-glance. "You certainly do have a type, John Sandoval."
She took a bite of her own lunch, some sashimi from the looks of it. “Oh! I meant to tell you. My friend, Ryman, the Betazoid xenoanthropology instructor? He’s coming back to the Academy next term.”
“Good! I’m glad you’ll have someone there for you, too,” John replied. "Tell him I said hello." He touched the computer screen. “I miss you already,” he said.
“I miss you too, dear,” said Katherine, returning his touch. Her door chimed, which drew her attention. “That’s one of my students. Talk again soon! Love you!” She blew a kiss at John.
“Love you, too,” John said. With that, the image disappeared from his monitor.
“File download complete,” said the Computer. A list of everything he downloaded appeared. Pre-programmed specific preferences for virtually everything he enjoyed eating from the replicator, including bookmarks for his favourites. His academic papers, including drafts he’d been slowly working on. Bookmarks and subscription records so he could read textbooks and journal articles and continue his studies aboard Pandora. Holodeck programs, including re-enactments of famous battles and recreations of the galaxy’s best museums.
He was glad the conversation with Katherine went the way that it did. He was going to tell her about Aeryn at some point, though he assumed it wouldn't be for another night or two, or after the upcoming mission. That she divined it herself and accepted (if not encouraged) it was just proof of how well the woman knew and loved him. He missed her terribly, but was glad to find a kindred who shared his needs and wants, and his aversion to loneliness.
He looked forward to seeing Katherine again, in however many months it would be. But in the interim, they each knew the other was happy, and he looked forward to seeing Aeryn again.
OFF
