Plot Twist

Posted on Fri Apr 14th, 2023 @ 9:40am by Petty Officer 2nd Class Halla Dezom (*) & Major Levi Drake

Mission: Cosmos
Location: USS Cosmos
Timeline: 2398
2312 words - 4.6 OF Standard Post Measure

Despite the lateness of the hour Halla was still bent over the desk working on what she had been for weeks - the cube. It had been brought from the planet to the Cosmos. It was locked behind glass and a forcefield but even so it was being treated as a safety hazard due to what it had done to Halla first taking her eye sight for over a week and for changing Christopher Mitchell into something he was not and making his disappear off the ship. He was currently declared AWOL by diminishing circumstances but even then it was not something that the commodore had wanted to do but it gave them options to find him but it meant that they needed to get to the bottom of the cube and what it was.

A cup of steaming hot coffee appeared on the desk next to her. Placed there by a weathered hand. Levi hadn't said a word on entry. He'd learned by this point not to even attempt to make conversation until she'd decided she was ready to. Besides, he understood her feelings of guilt at the Commander's disappearance. So he brought her the coffee and sat down on the other side of the room. She would notice him when she was ready to.

It took Halla another ten minutes to realise that the mug next to her was steaming and looked up to see Levi sat there waiting patiently for her to come out of her thoughts. She offered a sleepy smile and picked up the metal mug savouring the familiar taste as she took a ship. “How long have you been there?” She asked really needing to get out of the habit of zoning out. It was becoming a habit of theres over the last couple of nights.

He indicated the level of his own mug, which had dropped to nearly a third full, by way of explanation. "You're busy. It's important to you." If it were one of his own, he'd have likely been just as preoccupied. "Finish what you're doing."

Halla sighed and rubbed her eyes but offered a smile to him. It was patient of him and she quickly returned to the PADD she had been looking over. It was a lot easier with a cup of tea in her hand.

He watched her go back to work with the faintest smile sneaking its way onto his face. Her commitment and determination were character traits he admired. She'd have made a fine Marine, with the right training. Then again, that probably wouldn't have been a compliment in her mind.

Nearly an hour later, she sighed and put the lukewarm mug of tea down and looked at him. “I just can’t figure this thing out.” She said rising from the chair and wandering to the glass looking down at the item, they rescued from the planet. It felt like it was her nemesis trying to figure out what it was, where it come from.

"Need some help?" Levi asked, stirring from the semi-slumber he had lapsed into himself.

The woman glanced over at the man and shook her head. "Not really. We should get to bed really. Fancy a walk first?" She wanted to clear her head a little first before bed to allow her to hopefully sleep and to stop her brain going through options. No one else seemed to be interested in it as a research to find out what had caused it all.

He stretched, having dozed off in a less-than-ideal position. "I think that we could both use it," he agreed, forcing himself to his feet and offering her his hand. "Clear our heads. Maybe help you think straight."

She watched him stretch and smiled at how he had stayed when he had not needed to at all. She took his hand and brushed a kiss over his knuckles. “I am thinking it will help me sleep.” It was common knowledge she had not slept well in weeks since the event.

Levi shoved the arm around her shoulder, giving her a little squeeze. "Walk first," he said. "Decompress. It's better for the mind." He was so used to giving orders that it came across as one.

"Yes, Major. Major Sir." She answered throwing a ridiculous salute in his direction as she did moving the mugs into the replicator on the way. She grinned in his direction and practically skipped out the door.

His normal reaction to Halla's jovial nature was to roll his eyes. But in this case he accepted that maybe he was being a little bossier than usual. But he was looking out for her; sometimes she needed the nudge to get out of the lab. "Slow down," he said, his voice softer this time. "This old man has been running drills with the men all morning."

The woman glanced back and slowed down allowing him to catch up to loop her arm through his again. “So that is why you disappeared so early this morning.” She mused thinking back to him having disappeared whilst she was in the shower.

"I have a job to do, too," he said, by way of explanation. It wasn't an excuse but in his mind just a statement of fact. "Can't all drive a desk."

“Oh touché. I was just thinking I missed having coffee with you this morning was all as well as breakfast.” She assured wishing something she did more than drive a desk. Lab work even with whatever was going on with the cube was still very monotonous compared to what he did.

"But not enough to break away from your work." He held up a quick hand. "I'm not calling you out on missing our morning together. I understand the work is important, but even soldiers don't go into battle without proper preparation and the right tools." He squeezed her shoulder. "Including rest."

The woman narrowed her eyes as they stepped in the lift turning to look up at him as his hands rested on his shoulders. "I am fine. I am resting." She winced at the squeeze on her shoulders. It caught just the right place where she was feeling the strain of the last few months.

Seeing the look on her face, he stepped around behind her, hands still over her shoulders as he applied some gentle pressure to her tender knotted muscles. "You're tense as hell, Halla. Tell me again how much you're resting?" he challenged.

“Ow…” she squirmed under his touch on her shoulders and frowned. “Less than you.” She answered his challenge gazing back at her. “But I am fine. I just hurt a bit in some places.”

"But not enough to go to sickbay, right?" he said knowingly. If he was truthful, he avoided the doctors too. But that felt more like a Marine thing. "Can't just ignore it."

The woman moved away from him and rubbed her shoulder. “No. It’s just muscle ache from overworking and not resting. Like you after a few long days in the field or at the gym.” The trill threw at him as the turbo lift opened straight onto the Arboretum.

"If you say so," the Marine grunted, leading the way out of the turbolift into the open space beyond. Levi wasn't, particularly a 'flowers and nature' type, but he humoured the young woman with her own tastes. "I'll stop bothering you about it then," he continued, glancing around and waiting for her. "If you promise you'll get some proper sleep."

"I will when you do." She challenged him quietly knowing full well he would not. Neither of them was getting much sleep thanks to the turn of events recently, there was just to much on which was why close to midnight and they were wandering around to decompress. She stepped out of the turbo lift and just breathed in the fresh air and enjoyed the night setting of the arboretum. It was cooler than the rest of the ship at that moment but the starlight view that was highlight by the view of the ship was worth it.

Levi just grunted something unintelligible and followed as she sought out their favourite spot; a bench that sat under some Betharian lillies and looked over the forward section of the main hull. "Quiet here tonight. Just the two of us," he said, taking a seat and offering an arm for her to snuggle into.

The woman smiled at the grunt and just carried on not even acknowledging it as she knew it would do not good at that time of night to just continue that argument. They both knew that they were pushing themselves to much, they were both knackered but it was a normal state this close to shore leave. The woman did not hesitate to take the invitation and snuggled against his laying her head against his shoulder. "It is pretty late." She pointed out quietly as she looked out the huge window and watched a shuttle pass by.

"You keep saying that. But here we are," he observed. "Am I going to be carrying a comatose Petty Officer back to her quarters tonight?"

“You said a walk would do me good.” She advised moving a little to look up at him. “Are you staying in the quarters with me?” It was not always that they were together but the last week or so it had been more.

He wasn't sure at first whether it was a question or an invitation. He hoped for the latter, despite them both feeling exhausted. "Right now I'm staying out here with you," he said, giving her a little peck on the forehead. "My quarters have more space, you know." It was one of the perks of being a senior officer on board.

“I do know.” She assured smiling up at him. “You know you don’t need to ask or wait for an invitation to come into my quarters or whatever. I like you being there.” She said seeing a look flicker over his face.

"Wouldn't want my men to think I'm just some Petty Officer's booty call..." he smirked. "Like I said: it's a practical thing. We'd have more space in my quarters. If you wanted, I could put in for a more permanent arrangement with the quartermaster?"

The trill raised an eyebrow at him surprised at him suggesting that of the pair of them. “More permanent? Booty call? What have you done with my Levi?” She demanded teasing him to cover for her confusion and surprise.

"Like I said, it's a practical thing," he said, overlooking the teasing for a moment. "Your quarters are small, mine are larger. More than enough room for two."

"I see..." The woman said her eyebrow lowering as her surprise faded into more confusion. "I would like that." She finally admitted.

"All right then." He stared out at the stars for a few moments. "I guess that means we're serious about this thing then..."

“Seems so.” Halla slowly pulled away to look at him properly. “Levi… I have been serious about you for a while since before Maxun came on board.” She did not dare mention that she had fancied the pants off of him since they had met. It had been a plot twist tonight that she had not been expecting.

"I know." Levi allowed himself a little smile of amusement. For a normally very closed-off old Marine, it was a rare instance of emotion coming to the fore. "I'm not bad at the whole situational assessment thing. Observe and report. We Marines can be very astute when it comes to people." He leaned back. "On the contrary, I think it took me a little while to realise that I was serious about you as well."

Halla felt like smacking him at that comment but stopped herself by wrapping her arms around herself. "I am fully aware it took you a while." The woman commented with a roll of her eyes. She was very aware that it had taken him longer, it had been something that had felt like a chasm between them at some points. Maxum coming on board had only firmed up just how sure she was about her feelings for him and them.

"Not for your lack of trying," he noted, agreeing with her. Making joint decisions wasn't something he found came easy, having been used to just giving orders. "With that said, maybe we should get you back to our quarters for some rest..."

"I guess so." She said rising from the bench, her arms still wrapped around herself thinking about it all. It had been a strange night that she would be thinking about for a while as she thought that every push forward would be from her and her alone. His sudden shift had shocked her and she was still in free fall over it. She turned as he rose and lay her hand over his heart and looked at him. "I love you deeply."

Levi frowned, processing the strong emotional statement with surprise. As someone not accustomed to those sorts of outbursts, he nodded and touched her hand with his. "Yeah." An uncomfortable thought entered his mind; the natural response was to repeat the sentiment back to her. And in his heart, he knew that he would mean it. But speaking it out wasn't his way. The soldier in him blocked out such emotions. "I...love you too." The words didn't sound right, or even earnest, coming from his mouth despite him meaning them.

Halla looked at him dumbstruck for a moment before she laughed at how ridiculous tense his words sounded there. “We are going to work on that.” The trill assured tapping his chest turning to lead the way. There was time to work on it on after all.