Eli's Journal - Stardate 64003.41

Posted on Wed May 25th, 2011 @ 2:32pm by Cadet Senior Grade Eli Ziyad
Edited on Wed May 25th, 2011 @ 6:30pm

* * Eli's Journal, Stardate 64003.41 * *

As Jackson is so fond of saying, another day, another two dollars and fifty cents. I am not entirely sure how much that is worth since it's old Terran money, but I am certain it's a joke. I liken it to the old saying about it being another day in the Sakari gallicite mines. Of course, the Sakari never got their heads above ground, whereas Jackson is always in the spotlight.

Despite his jokes, he loves what he does, and the people around him seem to be greatly enamored with him as well. What you see is what you get with him, and it's rare to find someone with no fear of being genuine. He didn't hesitate to take me in, some lost kid without a world and one change of clothes to my name, give me a job and some hope for the future. And he didn't hesitate to step in the path of Seyla tonight. I think I'll take his advice to heart and steer clear of her as well.

Eli laid down his pen, flexed his wrist a moment, then moved over to the replicator in his quarters. "Water, ice." The frosty glass appeared instantly and he lifted it, drinking it down without a stop. He still was amazed at how freely water flowed here and couldn't seem to get enough of it. Deciding to bypass food, he returned to the sofa and took up his journal again. Janice had, as usual, appeared at some point during the night with dinner for him and insisted he eat his fill. A smile lit his face as he began to write once more.

I find it amazingly good fortune that I stumbled across Jackson and Janice. They own the Nexus Club here and have taken me under their wing. Jackson is in his early thirties, and still single. Janice I know nothing about aside from the fact that she is El-Aurian and three hundred years old. An unlikely pair to become de facto parental figures but I guess at Janice's age you can do whatever you damn well please. When I said as much she simply smiled, agreed, and patted me on the head.

Jackson gave me a name tonight of a woman I need to meet - Claudia Drake. She is the director of the Academy here. I've not seen her yet but I plan to track her down in the next day or two and see what I have to do to get into the Academy. Janice has also reminded me that I need to file some paperwork with the Admiral's office since I plan to be here for the foreseeable future. That's on my list for tomorrow too. Jackson told me to take what time I need tomorrow to see to things, and show up whenever I am done. It's not much, but it's a start.

He closed the journal, slipped the pen in a drawer of the coffee table and stored the journal on a shelf. That done, he carried his glass back to the replicator for recycling. Like all of his race, he was obsessively neat, and clean, a habit he'd been unable to shed when he gave up on his society's ideals.

Keep what works, lose the rest.

He'd given up nineteen years of what didn't work for him. He only hoped that what was to come would be a keeper.

***********
Eli Ziyad
The Eternal Optimist