CHAPTER TWENTY
Ben was still sore from his healed wounds. Doctor Howl reminded him that, although they had repaired all the damage, he had to take it easy. Since being discharged from medical two days ago, Ben had remained in his quarters. He was bored, but the thought of meeting with his legal team did not appeal to him. He was tasked with ensuring that the Cresorians lived peacefully on PHOENIX until a permanent home could be found for them. The results? One was dead, and the remaining gone in disgrace. All efforts Ben put in to cement good relations between them and the crew was for nothing. How could he walk into the legal office and expect them to accept him as their leader? He couldn’t resign. PHOENIX wasn’t about to return to the solar system if he did. He was stuck on this ship. It seemed that the best scenario was to demote himself to legal aid and let someone else take over the department.
The door chime rang as Ben poured himself some diet soda. “Who is it?”
“It’s John Roberts.”
Ben wasn’t up to see the captain. “I’m not feeling up for visitors.”
“I can stand here all day if I have to,” John replied.
He was certainly persistent. “Come in.” As soon as John came in, Ben spoke. “If you’re here to give me a pep talk, save your breath.”
“I ran out of wine, so I’m here to borrow some from you.”
The captain’s attempt at humor wasn’t appreciated. “I’m not laughing.”
“Your staff has tried to get ahold of you,” John said. “You planning to go back to work anytime soon? You have a lot of things to work on.”
“Then I suggest you appoint one of my staff members to take over legal,” Ben suggested.
John folded his arms. “I see how it is. You blame yourself for the Cresorians leaving, so now you’re questioning your abilities as an attorney.”
Ben got angry. “I told you from the start I wasn’t qualified for this, but you insisted I work as their liaison. Because of me, the Cresorians are gone, and I have the blood of one on my hands.”
“So, you failed at something and are ready to throw your life away because of it? I’ve got news for you, everyone fails at least one time in their lives.”
Ben was getting angrier from the lack of sympathy the captain was showing. “You’ve got a crappy way of trying to make someone feel better.”
“Let me give you a little perspective then,” John replied. “During the Screen mission, I relinquished command of PHOENIX. For several months I wasn’t her captain.”
Ben rolled his eyes. “Now you’re just feeding me a line…”
John interrupted him. “I’m not kidding.”
The seriousness in the captain’s tone and the look on his face made Ben realize he wasn’t lying. “Nothing has ever been said publicly…”
“TERRA elected to keep that bit of information suppressed,” John replied. “If you don’t believe me, you can ask Julie or any of the countless crewmembers still here from the Screen mission. You can even check the ship’s database.”
“What…what happened?” Ben asked.
“I did something horrible.” Already the image of the Screen he tortured popped in his head, and he did what he could to put it out of his mind. “I won’t go into specifics, but what I did was…I came to believe I was no longer capable of commanding this ship. And for a while, I couldn’t. It took some time for me to realize I could still lead the crew and continue our mission.”
“How did you get through it?” Ben asked.
“I couldn’t have gotten through it alone. I was lucky to be surrounded by people who cared about me. They helped me through that difficult time.” John sat down next to Ben. “That’s why I’m here. I understand what you’re going through. There’s nothing you could have done to change the outcome. I think the Cresorians were doomed from the beginning. They’re too damaged from the loss of their world and isolation in space. No one’s going to be able to help them. They’re going to need to figure things out for themselves.”
Ben considered the captain’s words. “So, what do I do?”
“It’s going to take time to work through your feelings of failure. Take that time, but don’t do it alone. You have a lot of people on this ship, including me, who’ll help you through this. Just promise me one thing. When you’re ready, you’ll go back to being head of legal. That’s where you belong.”
Ben didn’t reply right away. He took his time thinking on the captain’s words. “I never had anyone have such faith in me.”
“From the moment I first met you I saw your potential. You’ve got a lot going for you, Ben. If you don’t realize that, then it’s up to the crew and me to remind you until you believe it yourself.”
The words of encouragement triggered something within Ben. It’s what he needed to hear. “Then I’ll continue as your head of legal.”
********
Korifluxinina had the day off. Instead of spending it in her quarters reading or working on a project in her lab, the Quix elected to spend it in Central. She didn’t realize how much she enjoyed the human activity of shopping until spending a few hours engaging in it with some of the female crewmembers.
By early afternoon, she left her friends and headed to The Lounge. There was something she wanted to do for someone. There weren’t a lot of people in The Lounge this time of day. Behind the bar, she saw Max, the person she wanted to see.”
“Good afternoon, M,” Korifluxinina said as she took a seat at the bar.
Max chuckled. “M?”
“You told me it is a common custom among humans to create nicknames for their friends. As we are friends, and you have bestowed a nickname upon me, I thought it only right to do the same.”
Max thought about it for a moment. “M, huh? I could get used to it. Okay, K, M it is. What can I get you to drink?”
“Rudov has suggested an Onixin breblo,” Korifluxinina said.
“Vish, any issues with a Quix drinking a breblo?” Max asked.
“There would be no adverse effects on Quix physiology.”
“A breblo for K,” Max told one of his waiter bots. “So,” he said as he turned back to Korifluxinina. “How are things going?”
“There has been something on my mind that I need to remedy with you.” Korifluxinina pulled a DAT out from her pocket and handed it to Max. “You will find I have accounted for everything.”
“What’s this?” Max said as he looked at the information on the DAT. After quickly reviewing it, he looked up at Korifluxinina in surprise. “K, this is a catalog of all my liquor stock and glasses.”
“This will cover the costs of you replacing everything that I destroyed during my attempted performance. I also calculated lost wages to you for time loss having to replace everything.”
Max was perplexed by this offer. “Why would you think you need to pay me for all this? I never asked you for any compensation.”
“You were not aware of what Quix singing could do in a human environment. I neglected to apprise you so that you could take appropriate precautions. As your friend, it is my duty to make you and your business whole again.”
“If you think you need to do this, then you have a lot to learn about humans,” Max said as he slid the DAT back to her. “What you did that night was great.”
Korifluxinina was confused by his statement. “I do not understand why you would say such a thing. I caused significant destruction to your establishment.”
“And no one got hurt,” Max pointed out. “What you did was unexpected. People loved it. We all learned something new about Quix culture. Not only that, you’ve given us something that people will talk about for years.”
“What about the loss of your property?” Korifluxinina asked.
“It’s just stuff, and it’s already been replaced. The cost is worth the stories that will come out of what you did,” Max said. “People will come in here and remember the night K tried karaoke.”
“I thought I was beginning to understand you humans, then yo
u continue to exhibit unexpected behavior. You are certainly an unknown variable in the protectorate.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Max smiled as he took the drinking glass of breblo from his waiter bot and handed it to Korifluxinina.
“So, we are still friends?” the Quix asked.
“We’ll always be friends,” Max promised as he poured himself a shot of tequila and toasted her. As he drank it, he spotted the last person he’d expect to come into The Lounge enter through the front doors. “Excuse me, I’ll be right back.”
Max came around the bar and approached his unexpected visitor. “I would ask if you’re lost, but somehow I think you know where you’re at.”
“I was hoping you’d have a few minutes to talk,” Esther asked in an unusually somber tone. She wasn’t displaying any of her vivacious flare.
“We can talk over here,” Max said and motioned her to a table in the corner. They took a seat and Max waited for Esther to speak.
“I’m sorry, darling, I’m not sure how to start.”
“How about the beginning,” Max suggested.
Esther realized she wasn’t going to get any sympathy by trying to bullshit him. “Fair enough. Max, I’m old.”
Max was surprised by such a blunt admission. “But you look good for you age.”
Esther shook her head. “You don’t understand. I always prided myself on my youth and ability to think ahead. The last couple of years on Earth was sobering for me. Guests commenting on how my agency was always reliable because it stayed the same, my employees remarking how I was predictable. They were trying to compliment me, but I took it as me getting old and set in my ways. Then newer agencies, started by younger business owners, started cropping up and taking business away from me.
“I felt I’d lost my edge and needed to do something unexpected to get myself back on track. That’s why I came to this ship. I thought I could operate my business in the same manner I did on Earth but still come across as fresh and innovative. I quickly realized how things are different here, and it scared me. I still believed I could adapt when I needed to. But for the first time in my life, I felt obsolete. I got scared when that alien attacked me. I needed to prove to myself that I could still take care of myself, despite my age.”
Tears started streaming down her face. Max slowly wiped them away. “Esther…”
Esther held her hand up. “You warned me, and I didn’t listen to you. I thought I did something to cause that alien to attack me. Maybe I should have read up on their customs. If I did, perhaps I could have defused the situation differently.”
“If you would have talked to any of the crew, you would have known the Cresorians were a problem,” Max pointed out. “Instead, you kept yourself isolated. You’re not old, you’re seasoned. You’re in a new place, which is brave for you. There’s nothing wrong with asking for some help.”
“I’ve never had to do that,” Esther admitted.
“You’re also never too old to learn something new,” Max smiled. “I’m willing to help you.”
“I would like that,” Esther said. “I taught you well on Earth. I know you’ll be a good teacher for me here.”
“Then let’s start by me introducing you to a good friend of mine,” Max said as he got up.
Esther looked over at the large slug creature sitting at the bar. “Please don’t tell me it’s that thing.”
“Her name is K, and you’re going to love her,” Max promised as he extended his hand out.
Esther took a deep breath before taking his hand. Before they went over to the bar, Esther whispered in his ear. “I’m sorry for what I said that night. Thank you for not turning away from me.”
Max kissed her on the cheek. “You’re my friend. I’ll always be there for you.”
********
John was sitting on the balcony at his apartment, sipping some red wine as he enjoyed the view of Central. X was seated by him, its ocular sensors rotating around as it also took in the view.
“You have been quiet for most of this evening,” X observed.
“Different things on my mind,” John replied. “Cresorians, the alliance, Andre, Alex’sis…”
“This unit is always ready to listen to you,” X offered.
John reached his hand out, took ahold of X’s mechanical claw and gently squeezed it. “I know, but just sitting here with you is comforting to me.”
Just then, X’s ocular sensor spotted something in the distance. “A Palmroid is heading towards our location.”
John looked around until he spotted the small insectoid creature coming towards them. It perched itself on the balcony and looked at the human and bot.
“Good evening,” John greeted. “And you are?”
“Goi.”
The captain smiled. “Good to see you again. How’s your evening going?”
“I have taken the time to explore this area of the ship you call Central. It is quite remarkable.”
“One of our more impressive achievements,” John said with pride. “I hope you and the other Palmroids are settling in.”
“I will tell you that this ship is a much better home than our underground caverns,” Goi revealed. “We are...happy here.”
“Happy,” John reiterated. A former ally had turned against the alliance, and a planet had been destroyed. Despite such huge setbacks, hearing that a small race of a few thousand were happy in their new home lifted his spirits. He couldn’t help but smile. It was a small victory, but he would take it.
John lifted his glass. “To a prosperous beginning for you and yours, Goi. Welcome aboard.” Just then, the doorbell rang. X immediately went to see who it was. A few moments later, Doctor Roth came out on the balcony.
“Sorry I’m late,” Amie said as she sat down.
“Would you like red or white?” X asked.
“I’ll do red tonight,” Amie replied. As the bot went to get her a drink, the doctor looked around. “I see we have another visitor.”
“This is Goi,” John introduced. “Goi, this is the ship’s chief medical officer, Amie Roth.”
“I remember interacting with you,” Goi recounted. “You stroked my body with your hand. It was very comforting.”
John couldn’t help but laugh. He knew the comment was innocent, but the image of Amie serenading a Palmroid while rubbing its body was too humorous.
“Has Julie told you lately you still need to grow up?” Amie asked.
“No, not lately,” John said as he regained his composure. The doorbell rang again. John knew X would answer it.
“I need to talk to her to keep you in line,” Amie muttered.
“Why does Captain Roberts need to grow up?” Goi asked as it flew up and nestled on the captain’s shoulder. The Palmroid enjoyed the warm body heat emanating from the larger human.
“It’s a long story,” Amie remarked.
“I’m up for a long story,” Ben said as he stepped out on the balcony. He handed Amie her glass of wine before sitting down. “Sorry I’m late.”
“You’re right on time,” John replied. “I’ve got a great story to share. It’s about Andre and when he first started dating Adriana.”
“I am not familiar with those individuals,” Goi said.
“You will be after you hear this,” Amie promised.
“Go on,” Ben encouraged. “Let’s hear it.”
“Andre and Adrianna were from different parts of Earth. He was born in France, she grew up in Peru…” John continued the story of how Andre and Adriana met. He never missed a detail. He told the story exactly as Andre had relayed it to him. As he told the tale, several more Palmroids showed up and seated themselves on the balcony handrail to hear the captain’s story.
EPILOGUE
OUTGOING MESSAGE
FROM: CAPTAIN JOHN ROBERTS, TFS PHOENIX
TO: MIKAL PARIS, EARTH, UNITED STATES TERRITORY, STATE OF
ARIZONA, CITY OF PHOENIX
To Mikal Paris,
I’m writi
ng to you to inform you of the death of your father, Andre. I had the privilege of not only meeting your dad but also getting to know him. I count him as a close friend and, as I write this letter, continue to mourn his loss.
Andre shared with me his entire life. His upbringing, meeting your mother, raising you. Yes, he told me about your struggles and the strained relationship between you and him. I want you to know that, despite how upset he was at how things turned out between you two, he always smiled when he recounted the days of your childhood. He beamed with delight talking about coaching you in soccer and baseball, the trips up to Northern California, teaching you how to fish. He also talked about your troubles in school, but never in anger. He only wanted you to find your place in the world and be happy.
I lost both my parents when I was an infant. I never had the opportunity to know them, so I can’t understand how a child can turn his back on his mother or father. From my experience, most parents want the best for their kids. Your dad was one of those. I’m sure he wasn’t perfect, but it was clear from everything he told me what he did was out of love for you. I can’t tell you the countless times he cried over guilt over not having a relationship with you. All he wanted was for you to be happy and to be a part of your life. He didn’t care if you became a scientist or a waiter.
I’m sure you have your side of the story, and it doesn’t matter to me what it is. Your dad had such a profound positive impact on me. He’s an example of someone who built a wonderful life with the love of his life. I feel sorry for you for choosing to exclude him. Whatever things were left unsaid will remain that way. You will never have that opportunity to reconcile with him, to resolve any of those unresolved issues. That’s something you’ll have to live with for the rest of your life. My consolation is your dad died with not just one, but several people here who came to admire and love him.
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