These Are The Days Of Our Lives!

Posted on Tue Jul 12th, 2011 @ 8:32am by Major Maxim Kamarov
Edited on Tue Jul 12th, 2011 @ 8:33am

MARINE COMMAND CENTER
STARBASE 900

MCPT Amanda Fulton studied the report submitted by Captain Lorenz and scowled. So the half-breed managed to get his company situated, did he? I should have gone on this mission instead of him! The stupid bastard probably had to take an injection to keep the voices in his head from telling him to whack off!

Amanda made no secret of her contempt for Lorenz and what Betazoids termed as his 'disability". As a half Betazoid, it was expected that his telepathic ability would be diluted by his human half, but his father was a human and a latent telepath himself, so David was born with his telepathy fully active. As a small child he experienced agony until his maternal grandmother concocted an herbal formula that helped to dampen the boy's ability. As he grew older, other compounds were added to the formula to make it more potent, but David's resistance to the compound finally reached a critical point. The young Marine elected to have his telepathic ability surgically dampened permanently. The surgery was aver seven hours long and was performed by Dr Abdar and Dr. Setok, the Federation's experts in telepathy. Even this drastic step failed to rid the young officer of his ability as he was still able to telepathically communicate with other Betazoids, even though to do so caused him great pain.

Fulton regarded David as a retard and made no secret of her contempt for him. More than once, both officers had come to blows in the past, the fight being instigated by Amanda. Now things were different. Fulton's respect of Lorenz had grown after he had survived three periods of captivity in war time. But she still didn't like him.

Major Kamarov came over to stand by Amanda. "What's their status, captain?"

"The Marine detachment is on board the Takei, all present that were selected, all platoon commanders and sergeants briefed. According to Lorenz, the Divitians are providing our guys with ground vehicles, single-man and multi-occupant variants." Amanda read the report Lorenz had filed.

Kamarov arched his eyebrow. "Anything else?

Amanda turned to face Maxim. "I should be in command of this mission, major! Lorenz doesn't know what in the hell he is doing and his mental disability is a liability to the mission!"

"What disability would that be, captain?" Maxc asked, his eyes snapping, his voice low. SGMJ Woodard suddenly appeared by Maxim's side, but the Russian waved him back.

"It's well-known that Captain Lorenz has undergone brain surgery to dampen his telepathic ability, sir. My concern is that the surgery...."

"As you were, captain!" Maxim barked. "Mr. Lorenz's surgery was a landmark operation and it has affected none of his other faculties, thus giving him a sense of peace you and I take for granted. You would do well to remember that deprivation of one or more of your senses would serve to sharpen your remaining senses. I seem to recall reading in your file you were blinded by subduing spray at age seventeen in a brothel raid."

Amanda's face flushed at being reminded of her past as a courtesan. Her eyes narrowed and her jaw clenched. "Permission to leave the Command Center, sir?"

"Denied. You are watch commander until 2300 hours." Kamarov turned and made his way to the exits, followed closely by the sergeant-major.

"That girl is more stubborn than a herd of mules!" Woodard observed dryly.

"I think she wants to fuck Lorenz," Maxim grinned. "Come on, Natalya has some soup cooking!"

CAPTAIN HOLBRIDGE'S QUARTERS

Jim was feverishly reading the datapadd in his hand, making judicious notes as he read along. McCaskey should lead a.... The door chime interrupted his thoughts. "Come on in!" he called not looking up from his reading.

"Hello, James!" said a female voice that made his blood run cold. Holbridge dropped the padd and came face-to-face with Patricia Holbridge, his ex-wife, and their three children. "I bet you thought you'd never see us again!"

"How in the hell did you get here? I'm sure Floyd didn't spring for this little sojurn into the Delta Quadrant!" Holbridge demanded, referring to Floyd Lerxst, a mineralogist on Gault colony with who his ex-wife had been living with for nearly three years. "How did you get MARCOM to approve this?"

"We arrived here on the Constantinople yesterday evening. Floyd and I are no longer together. We haven't been for some time now. We were living on Earth with my mother for a time, but she passed away and the house went to my older brother. He didn't want me there so I came here." Tricia's eyes were moist. "Had I known you didn't want me, I would have just sent the children."

Jim sighed. "Shut that noise off, Tricia. You know goddamned well you are welcome here. I'll have Master Chief Brooke set you up with living quarters and speak to Jackson Banning about a job for you..."

"What about you, Jim?" Tricia asked, motioning her kids inside. "Do you want us? I mean really want us?"

Jim looked at his family, they had been traveling for a month on a starship and looked like they needed a break. "I must be crazy to say this; yes, I do want you guys here!" He held his arms open

The kids broke and ran to their father, sniffling and hugging him just as hard as he hugged them. "I missed you guys!" he said softly.

"We missed you, Pa!" Kim said, a smile on her tear-streaked face.

Jim looked at his ex-wife, who simply nodded. Jim returned his attention to his kids who were weeping onto his uniform. "Okay, okay, enough of the water works! I bet you guys are hungry! I know the perfect place to get some monster burgers!"

Taking his daughters' hands and handing his son to the kids' mother, the Holbridge family made their way down the gangway, chattering like blue-jays.

A POST BY:

Major Maxim Kamarov
Marine Kommandant

&

MCPT Jim Holbridge
Newly Reunited With His Family.