Truths and Sympathy

Posted on Sun Mar 14th, 2021 @ 2:47pm by Ka'see 'Cassie' Anderson (*) & Chief Engineer Michael Burnstein

Mission: Mission 12 - Railway
Location: Refugee Ship
Timeline: MD04 20:00
2013 words - 4 OF Standard Post Measure

The engines would take a while to fix but now they were back in their bodies and the refugees were all safe they had time to talk and reflect on things. Cassie was still wanting to go back to the ship now that she knew who the person was who they have picked up was with a burning passion that was scary and new for her. She was not sure her storming into sickbay demanding answers for where her husband was or her crazy dreams that was making sleep impossible.

She pulled herself out from underneath a very old and smelly console almost wanting to hug the familiarness but resisted as Michael was still close by and she had to regain some of her modesty after the experience they had shared. “How are you doing?” She wondered finally. They had not celebrated the moment earlier with the need to get the ship in some semblance of stability but now they had time to talk and decompress right?

Burnie looked over from where he was rewiring a sensor panel. "It's both great to be back in my own body, and oddly a little weird..." He looked down at his own hands and flexed his fingers, then splayed them out, turning his hands over and back. "Like coming back to your own place after a long vacation, you know?"

Cassie knew exactly what he meant; it was nice to be back but her body felt different to what she had been used to the last few days. It was like it had been that morning when they had woken up hungover and confused. She had not thought it would feel like that but it did. "I have never had a long vacation other than my sabbatical for my marriage.” It had not been a vacation so to speak but it was the only time she had not been in Starfleet or on Rosie for the last decade, “I get it especially as I cleaned you up better. Nollel will like it." Cassie tried to tease a little surprised at herself.

"Yeah," Burnie smoothed a hand over hair that was usually a tussled mess, "I may have to take some lessons if she does. Providing she forgives me..." It was not something he wanted to think about right now. There was still work to do and being distracted by that worry wouldn't help. "You haven't been on a vacation since your honeymoon? Seriously?? Wow. Next shore leave we are finding a spa or something for you to go to."

“What will be will be my friend.” Cassie smirked as he saw him run a hand through his hair. She had been proud of getting his hair in order, she had not been about to let something like that defeat her. “And I do not mean Nath even. I was married before… I was bonded.” She admitted ducking her head into a console not knowing why she was telling him that. Some people knew of her near death experience due to wanting to ignore her Pon Farr on the ship whilst others just knew her and Johnathan as a thing.

Wow, you live in someone's skin but still don't really know them. As he thought about it though, he realized he shouldn't be surprised. Half Vulcan usually meant those kind of arrangements were made, especially in the era she was from. He wondered if that bond had been broken because of her appearing to have died more than a century ago, but it seemed rude to pry, especially as it was something she'd kept so private. "If that's the case, then you are even more overdue for a vacation, I'd say."

Cassie ventured a glance back at the man and she could see the shocked expression on his face. She knew that no one really knew her story any more of the crew changes that happened just over a year ago in that instant. She shrugged a little as an apology, she was not embarrassed but she did not want people thinking badly of her. “It is the case. I left Starfleet in 2241 just after I graduated and things went a little crazy so I would love a proper holiday.” She murmured softly. It would be nice to just relax and not have to think about anything. “What are you going to do with your next vacation?”

"Definitely would be worth it," Burnie agreed. "As for I'd plan... well, I'd love to show Nollel around earth, but if we aren't anywhere near enough for the trip, maybe Catulla. They're known for their art, and I'd love to tour the Harrell Hullworks there..." he pulled at the back of his neck, "...but that depends on how things go when I try to explain things to her."

Cassie offered him a bit of a sad smile before shaking her head. She hated looking false even when she meant it. She was slowly getting used to her human side but people were not used to it yet, they would given some time but not right now. Moving across the compartment she put a hand on his shoulder.

“Very lovely locations. I am sure we shall get to Earth one day.” She wanted to go there herself. “I am sure she will forgive and forget. Blame Gregnol?” She offered knowing that Nollel and Gregnol had a testing relationship sometimes. It was fractured with saving each other’s lives and the awkwardness of neither wanting to thank the other thanks to the attempt to blow the ship up.

"I hope so..." Burnie sighed. "Otherwise you may be picking me up off a bar floor again. But I'm not blaming Gregnol. Bad enough having to explain why I was keeping secrets - I don't need to add 'coward' to 'dishonest jerk'."

Cassie put the hypo spanner she was carrying down and frowned. Michael was not going to find the secretary with such a negative downer on him. “Gregnol ordered us and just like the good Starfleet Officers, we are we followed. I do not believe dishonest jerk is in Nollel’s vocabulary, Michael.” She mused. “I will always pick you up off the floor but I do not want to nor do I believe you will be drowning your sorrows.” She let go of his shoulder and stepped back a little.

She was a lot more optimistic than he was - for which Burnie was very grateful. "Thanks," he replied with a half-smile. "For being willing to pick me off the floor, and for the encouragement. I hope you're right, but I suppose if she doesn't understand that I can't put personal needs ahead of the mission, it wouldn't work out anyway."

"Well time will tell but I am confident." Cassie smiled. He was an honourable type, a lot nicer than the majority of people on Rosie. She had not mentioned anything to anyone else but she needed to tell someone before it burst out at the wrong time towards the wrong person. “You might need to pick me up though Roberston is back. No one has mentioned Nath.” She said spilling out what had been bothering her for the last two hours since Cami had mentioned.

His brows rose. He knew Nath was her husband but he didn't know anything about Robertson except that he'd once been on Rosie and that his ship had popped into normal space practically in pieces. But he could guess there must be a connection there. "I'm sorry, I didn't know," he said sympathetically. "Hey, if you need to get smashed, I definitely owe you designated sober friend time."

Cassie snorted. Starfleet ideas were rolling around her head as she thought about how she could reply. No one knew and she was not sure anyone else really knew even now. Gregnol's head must be spinning from all the plates that he had to have been handling the last few days - Fenris Rangers, swapping, his wife, Roberston appearing and Nath not.

"Seems our Captain believes in can't put personal needs ahead of the mission more than us. The phrase is ... is going around a lot at the moment. No one knows really but Nath isn’t with him. I would know and I think something horrible has happened to him. When you were me did you have any weird dream? " She wondered.

"I take it Nath should have been with him..." He knew probably less than a lot of the people who had been on the ship longer, but he was starting to piece things together. "It doesn't mean anything horrible has happened though. They might have just gotten separated," he suggested. If she could offer him some optimism, he could at least try to do the same for her. "I'm not sure what that has to do with dreams, but my weird dream lately has been along the lines of finding myself naked in public, except I'm in your body... which is somehow worse because I feel embarrassed and guilty about exposing you."

The woman nodded trying to feel a bit positive thanks to his attempts to cheer her up but it was hard when she was just feeling how human she was at the moment. She found herself slipping more and more into more emotions as the days went on. “Yeah, he was and supposedly he turned up in a bad way.” She shrugged a bit. Maybe he was right and they just got separated but she just could not shake the dreams off even if he was trying to cheer her up. “We are bonded sometimes I can feel him in my head or I did when I meditated but it just seems to be in my dreams now.” She shook her head at his dream. It was such a familiar dream to have for humans. They had so much stigma when it came to bodies compared to other species. “Well do not feel guilt for my body. I do not really feel shame and we have both seen each other naked. You are still my friend or maybe I have been around Jeassaho too much.”

"I suppose the bond is more tied to your ...spirit, consciousness... whatever swapped is what's more tied to him," Burnie mused. It made sense, though he could see why it could be tied to bodies too. "But maybe now that you're back in your own body you'll be able to feel him by mediating," he offered hopefully and gave a smile. "And with any luck, I won't have that dream anymore. Though at least I won't have too bad about covering you properly. I guess I'm just used to how Liha is about that. Romulans are a lot more ...I guess 'modest' isn't really the right word, but they don't like having too much exposed."

"I do not meditate anymore. Liha is Liha. Would not change her for all the world as I appreciate her friendship as well as yours." She murmured quietly before shrugging. Romulans she could understand being more modest, it would not very good to be caught naked if you needed to fight but maybe it was just Liha. Cassie could not claim to have met many Romulans before the refugees. "Come on let's concentrate on all of this. You are going to need to sleep soon as I've not slept much." She quickly changed the conversation back to the task at hand.

Sensing she did not want to talk about it anymore, Burnie nodded. "Yeah, job at hand first," he agreed. "I am planning to sleep well now that I'm in my own body." He wasn't going to say more than that, but honestly, how women managed to get comfortable with hips and breasts in the way of every comfortable position, he'd never know.

Cassie just smiled at him and nodded turning back to her console. If they got this console working everything else would fall into place hopefully. She just had to try and remain positive best she could for her.