What Lay Ahead

Posted on Wed Jun 8th, 2016 @ 8:34am by
Edited on on Wed Jun 8th, 2016 @ 8:35am

1,119 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: New Faces and Terror Beyond
Location: Zan's Office

Zan had been clearing out the last of his effects from his office in to containers, a few of the pilots offered to help saddened to see him go but he declined. 'The final walk is always done alone' was something Zan used to say, mostly because for pilots the end was strapped into a chair in a fighter and only room for one.

He'd not heard from Amanda in a few days, he figured she was probably pissed at him for what happened, couldn't blame her on it though.

The last thing to collect was the name plate off the side of his fighter.

With everything packed he returned to his Quarters where he had several containers empty waiting. He thought about contacting Amanda but felt right now he was the last person she would want to speak to. What had transpired between Ayla and himself still rang loudly in his mind as he tried to put everything in a row at how she could say what she had.

Now to top it off the ship was getting a new CO, Admiral S'iraa was leaving the ship and from what Zan could tell everyone would miss him. The rumour mill had gone round the ship like wildfire about who might replace him, another Admiral or a straight up Captain. Zan doubted he would even be on board for this in any event.

A quick search revealed a list of possible positions outside of the service that he had the certifications and experience to do, a few of which were on the outer edges of Federation Space. He wondered if some distance was for the best, close this chapter of his life and start anew but he did wonder on that one.

When everything was packed he sat at his desk, wondering if he should contact Amanda, would she greet him?

Or shun him away?

A knock broke the lingering silence that was Zan's only company up to now. "It's open." He called out.

I walked in not sure what to expect, since Zan had stood down few had heard from him, the one thing he loved and because of Ayla he felt he had to walk away from it. I didin't know the exact details but if Zan was to go, then I wanted to at least say my goodbyes. Goodbyes...something that seemed to be a thing recently, with the CMO gone, Zan going and also Admiral S'iraa now.

The list of friends was growing thin. "Hey, how are you doing?"

Mark was probably the last person he expected to see, after the whirlwind hash out with his Wife Zan thought maybe Mark wanted to say his piece too. "Ok all things considered. Come in, make yourself at home."

"Just thought I'd drop by, would have done it sooner had I not been so busy trying to get the duty shifts back to normal from all that cargo." I replied taking a seat. "So what's the go with you then?"

"I dont know really." Zan shrugged. "Take it you heard about the blow up with your other half?"

"Yeah, I heard." I replied. "Bit of a leap to just resign though don't you think?"

"I can see how it may look that way and I don't mean to be offensive or rude towards your Wife, but." Zan paused. "When I have some pumped up newly promoted First Officer waving her power flag, stomping all over my department like she owns the joint and then have the audacity to accuse me of consiracy....yeah, she knows where an airlock is."

Wow Zan certainly wasn't pulling punches today. Suppose I couldn't blame him as there wasn't anything I could technically do about it anyway from a Security standpoint. As a Husband though I knew Ayla had been having troubles settling into her new role, she'd rubbed a few people up the wrong way and as a result we were looking at two staff walking. "She's had a rough time adjusting, S'iraa did kinda throw it at her unexpectedly and it's not exactly been a breeze for the home life either but you got to give her a chance, he means well."

"I'm sure she does Mark, but I don't come into your work place in front of all of your colleagues and stomp all hell out of your authority and then accuse you of conspiracy." Zan answered. "Not going to be a great First Officer is she pisses everyone off, I even heard what she did to poor Xavier forcing a promotion on the guy."

"Yeah, I heard." Who didn't by now. This ship was a community and as soon as one person speaks something worth noting it would spread throughout the ship with many twists and turns thrown in as it was passed down. "But you can't let that end your career though, after all you have been through?"

"You were a Marine right?" Zan asked.

"Yeah, before the kids." I replied.

"If I questioned the very core of you being one, doubted X and Y about you. Even though you have all the proof to back you up to counter. How would you feel?" Zan questioned.

"Everyone has an opinion Zan, we can't stop that. People question what we do every day and there are times when yeah sure I've questioned what I do. At the end of the day though here I am, I can't change the past, I can't predict the future but I can live for the now with the knowledge of knowing what is behind me has helped shape what I am today." I replied to him, I could see what he was getting at, Ayla had attacked him, not physically, but questioned his core reasons.

"Yeah, well that may work for you but not me. I'm a pilot and a good one and I wont have someone walk all over me busting my chops when I did nothing wrong. I can be a pilot elsewhere without that crap." Zan spoke.

"Where?"

"Outer colonies, they are always looking for pilots even planetary militias too." Zan replied.

It seemed like Zan had it all figured out, nothing I could do here. "Well I better get back to pick up the kids, I'm cooking tonight." I said standing up.

"What's on the menu?"

"Chicken, mixed greens and what ever else I can think of." I answered still unsure what exactly I was cooking. "Take care of yourself though ok."

"Sure thing,"

I left feel that things could have gone better but now it was too late, his mind made up, his course laid out ahead of him, I wished him well on it.

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