Tinges of grey cloud perception

Posted on Mon Nov 28th, 2016 @ 5:10pm by Captain Rueben Gregnol
Edited on on Mon Nov 28th, 2016 @ 5:17pm

Mission: Mission 2 - Contagion
Location: Deck 3 - Ward room
Timeline: MD 03 22:00
1412 words - 2.8 OF Standard Post Measure

Rueben frowned as Keera moved in front of him and plopped herself onto the chair opposite of him. He had been purposely ignoring her presence for the last few days since Jeassaho had told them to stop arguing over her and to get to there required duty stations.

“Can I help you?” He demanded finally as it just got plan awkward staring at each other.

“I want to tell you a story.” She finally murmured. He raised an eyebrow as he prepared to listen to her.

A month ago

Keera had been giving a lot of thought to the situation that arose between her and Kea. There was no conflict, but there was plenty of potential. She tried to argue that if Jeassaho knew the truth about Reuben, it would only cause her more pain. But when she tried to view things from her own perspective, Keera would want to know the truth. No matter how painful. Then she would go and kill the man putting her through that grief. So, by not telling her, was Keera actually protecting her friend?

Keera came to the point where she had made up her mind. She needed to contact her surrogate father, Admiral Robertsson. "Computer!" She awaited the tone that signified the computer understood the command. "Open a secure subspace channel to Admiral Johann Robertson on Terra." Keera turned the screen, awaiting for the Admiral's face to appear. When the channel was finally connected, the Admiral's smiling face appeared before her.

"Keera, child," to him she would always be that scared thirteen-year-old that stowed away on his personal runabout to escape Kark and Risa. "To what do I owe the pleasure? Anika and I were just speaking of you, wondering how your new post has been going."

"It's been going well, Father," her name for him. She would never refer to Kark again as Father. "Pass on my love to Mother."

"I will child, I will." He hadn't heard from her since she had left the Philadelphia. He had arranged for her transfer. He wanted her to be a part of the new top secret high tech runabout the ship had, among other things. "Tell me about your new posting."

"It's great, Father!" Keera exclaimed. "I'm doing double duty as the Assistant Chief of Security."

The Admiral wasn't aware of that, which showed when he wrinkled up his nose. "Just remember, your true loyalty is to Intel." Keera was surprised by that. True, she was an Intel officer. As such, she would be privy to certain information she wouldn't be able to share with Security. But she had always thought her loyalties was to the Federation.

"The runabout was a success on its first mission," she replied, attempting to appease him.

"So I've heard," Admiral Robertson responded in delight. "I'm so glad you got to be a part of the initial mission." Her face grew sober as she thought of Jeass. It was time, time to mention Kea and Keera's request.

"Father," she began, "do you remember the man I met at your house three years ago?"

The Admiral knew where this line of questioning was leading. It was one of the reasons he made sure she was where she was. He feigned an uncertain look. "What man, child?"

"The Russian," Keera pressed on. "You introduced him as Alexander Gregory."

"Why yes," Robertsson recollected. "I believe I do remember that event."

"I've befriended the Chief Engineer on board," Keera confessed. He didn't need to know that she was also a lover. "Her name is Lieutenant Jeassaho Kea. She refers to this man as Reuben Gregnol. Her former fiancée until he supposedly died."

"Obviously, she is wrong in connecting the two," the Admiral reasoned. Keera wished she could read him through subspace. But there was no such luck. She couldn't tell if he was holding anything back. He was an expert at not showing it in his facial expressions.

"It was I that made the connection, Father," Keera countered. "She gave the account of the attack on their ship, gave me a description of him. It all lines up with the timeline of him appearing at our home. The fact that tells me a body wasn't found tells me he's the same man."

"You always were good at piecing things together," Robertson proudly boasted.

"So he is alive?" Keera probed.

"For all intents and purposes, he is dead, Keera," the use of her name meant the Admiral was serious. "We're not so certain if Kea doesn't know he's alive."

Inside, Keera's jaw dropped. Outside, her face was stone. "Why? What do you mean?" Keera felt Kea's emotions; they were genuine.

"We know that Gregnol was on Vulcan at the same time you were," the Admiral confessed. "For all we know, contact was made. There was a point we lost surveillance. This man can be very slick. Plus, Kea's own brother is on board the Mary Rose, the ship Gregnol serves as First Officer."

Both were news to Keera. Jeass had never mentioned a sibling. Still, her emotions were genuine. "No," she confirmed the truth. "She doesn't know he's alive. Her emotions told me." Sometimes, it was difficult for Admiral Robertson to see Keera as anything but human. He and Anika saw to it that the child had a proper upbringing. This brought such joy to Anika because the couple couldn't have children.

"Okay, so she doesn't know," the Admiral agreed, "and it must stay so."

"Why?" Keera probed.

"You're Intelligence, Keera," the Admiral reasoned. "You know why. If Kea knew the man was alive, she'd seek him out and blow his cover, putting both their lives," at this Robertson leaned forward to emphasize his next words, "and anyone else's helping her in grave danger." Keera wanted to come back at him with something like, Danger is my middle name, but this wasn't the time for levity.

She smiled at the man she knew as Father. "I understand, Father. I'm glad I was able to reach you. Don't forget to give my love to mother."

"I won't, child!" Robertsson expressed. "One more thing. I want you to keep me apprised about Kea."

What? Try as she might, Keera couldn't hide the puzzled expression upon her face. Had she opened a can of worms? "You want me to spy on my friend?"

"As I said earlier, Keera," the Admiral sternly explained, "your loyalties lie with Intel."

"I have always been faithful to you and mo...," Keera began to defend before being interrupted.

"This is not a family matter, Keera!" The Admiral exclaimed. "If you want me to go so far as order you, I hereby order you to report back to me on Jeassaho Kea. All of her actions, thoughts and emotions. Do you understand, Lieutenant?"

For the first time in the conversation, Keera lowered her eyes from the screen. The Admiral had never pulled rank on her before. Softly, she replied, "Yes, Father."

"Good!" Robertson stated. "Hopefully, you can visit Earth soon."

"That would be nice," Keera softly expressed, licking her wounds from the Admiral pulling rank. "I love you," she added. "Computer...end transmission."

Keera didn't know what to do. She sat with tears streaming down her face. He commanded her, actually commanded the girl he knew as a daughter. Kea was her friend and because of their empathic connection with each other, the best friend Keera had ever had. After hours, Keera came up with a decision. Could an Intel Admiral give her an order if she were no longer Intel?

Present

Rueben sighed softly and nodded. “And that was when you realized you couldn’t stay on that ship?” He finally said as she came to the end of her story. She nodded softly hoping he now understood what was going on and what had happened.

“Yes can you understand now. What I have done… what I had to do?” Keera murmured as more people started to come into the Ward Room interrupting the quietness that surrounded the two waring fractions.

“I think I understand you a little more now Keera.” Rueben finally spoke up. It was easy to see that things weren’t just black and white now, there was tinges of grey starting to appear around the edges of this triangle.

OFF::


Keera
Data Broker
SS Mary Rose

Rueben Gregnol
Captain
SS Mary Rose