Decisions

Posted on Tue Oct 27th, 2020 @ 8:39am by Captain Rueben Gregnol & Executive Officer Jake Ford

Mission: Mission 12 - Railway
Location: Gregnol's Office
Timeline: MD02 09:30
1322 words - 2.6 OF Standard Post Measure

It was, as ever, strange to be walking into Gregnol's office with 'Eden'. Normally it would be an odd place for them to meet with each other, except at that moment it was actually Reuben that he was standing with and Jake himself was a smaller but athletic Romulan woman.

"Okay, I hope this is freaking you out as much as it is me, Captain," he began. "We're approaching things a little blind here, without resources or a giant organisation like Starfleet backing us. And to make matters more complicated, we're due to meet up with these Rangers in a couple of hours. What are we going to tell them?"

Gregnol slumped into his chair and winced at how it just did not feel like it normally did. How did Eden every get comfortable with breasts and wider hips, he really was going to see women differently after this. He had taken far to many for granted over the years but this was really opening his eyes. He wiggled until he got comfortable and finally looked at Liha. "It is always complicated." Gregnol could not remember a day where it was not complicated or something going wrong.

"Seems that way," Jake agreed.

"But yes, the Fenris Rangers will think us trying to trick them or cause issues. We just have to hope that Liha and Eden can pull off being us." He said really wishing he had more time to brief Eden or at least try and get her to sound tougher.

"What about us being them?" Jake asked. "They'll be expecting to talk to their contact Liha, which right now is me. Damned if I know how to improvise being a sulky Romulan woman."

The Captain nodded. He had been thinking about that and was really not sure how that was going to go down. He was not going to comment on the sulky Romulan as he liked Liha, she was honest. "Do you not have sisters? Hey, think yourself lucky Jake. I have to fly us." Gregnol hissed back thinking that he was just going to get Dixoho to drive even in Cami's body she would be able to do what was required.

"Just a brother," he shook his head. Not exactly the same, though Jack could be a real piece of work sometimes. "Surely a ship like this basically flies itself? Must be pretty hard to fly into a planet. They're really big."

"Then you are at a disadvantage on trying to act like a woman." Maybe they really should stick to their bodies like glue. "Still takes a lot more skill than I have on a good day. I was security and Executive Officer in Starfleet before I took this venture on." Reuben reminded with a shrug. When things had been so simple and he had to worry about nothing more than his coffee going cold or duty roster being forgotten.

"I barely made it out of the Academy," Jake shrugged. "I don't think there was much training to be had in this sort of thing."

Gregnol shrugged. He wanted to say but you did make it or something just as empowering but it was really hard to say something like that when you were in a body that was not your own and you sounded so unlike yourself. Those type of speeches would have to wait until they were back in there own bodies. "Okay, so we have these issues. Any thoughts on how to fix it because you are right they do not prepare you for this at all?"

"I don't know." Jake recalled his conversation with Eden. How he'd mentioned that all of this could be permanent. There was no way of knowing. "I think you were right about keeping it as quiet as possible, especially around the Rangers. In the meantime, maybe we have to trust the medical and science people can work out what's happened and how to fix it."

"It would only create panic. Can you imagine what the passengers would say let alone what the rangers are going to say." Gregnol leaned back to chuck his feet up on the desk in a defiant manner but frowned as one the momentum was not right and secondly, his legs did not feet. Just how short was Eden? It more than likely looked hilarious to Jake but it was frustrating him, he felt weak and like he was missing something important.

Noticing Gregnol's awkward attempts to adapt in Eden's body, Jake failed to suppress a light chuckle, which came out a bit more like an effeminate giggle. "Have you, uh...you know..." he motioned to his own body suggestively. "Looked?"

Gregnol resisted the urge to throw something at Jake as he laughed at his clumsiness in trying to do his usual routine. This was just all wrong, nothing felt right at all and now the man was asking him a question he was either going to have to outright lie about or just be honest. “Well, I did have to dress.” He finally admitted with a shrug. “hard not to look to make sure a bra is on correct even with Liha assisting with advice.” He muttered shaking his head before laughing at just how ridiculous it had been.

"Tell me about it. I'm just relieved Liha's wardrobe is practical rather than flashy. If all I'd had to wear was some sort of lace-and-flowers thing..." Jake shook his head with a wry grin. "Maybe I'll do that just to annoy Liha, to be honest."

"Your funeral will be well attended if you do," Gregnol assured thinking already of the bloodshed that would happen. It was the silence after the laughter it really hit him just what was going on. "Toska." Gregnol muttered shaking his head knowing the word would not be translated even after this many years of translators. It was still a word that defied it, Starfleet Standard. Not one word in English could transmit all the emotional pain of toska. It was a feeling of spiritual suffering without any particular reason, he knew he was safe but it was just not right. It was the unclear pain of the soul nostalgia, he suddenly missed his body.

Jake thought about reassuring Gregnol that things would work out okay, but neither of them likely felt remotely optimistic about their current circumstances. Even Jake's normal affable go-with-the-flow approach was being sorely tested. Or maybe it was a chemical thing from his now Romulan physiology, refusing to let him relax or be hopeful. "Eden said she still wanted us to be together. If this was, y'know, permanent. Maybe you should check in with Jea?"

Gregnol looked at the man and burst out laughing. That had not even crossed his mind but it seemed it had crossed everyone elses thoughts. "Jeassaho is fine whatever body I am in." He said with a bit of a laugh. His wife was a unique person who looked past bodies to the mine. "It was the first thing she said to me when she found me." He indicated his head to remind him of the fact she was telepathic.

Jake envied him, in some ways. The thought of being permanently bound to this body was almost constantly preying on his mind, to the point where he was doubting his relationship with Eden might survive should he remain trapped as he was. And that feeling hurt. "You're lucky," he remarked quietly.

"I am but it has taken a decade of pain and heartache for us to get there. Just because she is happy about it does not mean I am. I don't want breasts." The man said trying to add some levity to the conversation. "I am not giving up without a fight. We will find the source. If it has been done one it can be fixed." Gregnol had never been the type to back down especially something like this.