If I knew you were coming...I'd have poured the scotch [2/2]

Posted on Thu Mar 6th, 2025 @ 7:50pm by Commander Cornelius 'Kit' Hanlon & Lieutenant Aristede Steele PsyD.

1,767 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: To Boldly Go
Location: USS Fenrir
Timeline: Day 10, after training

[ON - Continued]
"I don't know about that," Aristede shot back, his dark eyes alive with humor, "but there may be the occasional pop quiz. You know us Academy Instructors ..." He picked up a statue, Rodulan in origin, the stone worked through a telepathic process that served as both a meditation aid and a way to siphon off their abilities in a productive way. It was an interesting technique and one he was in the process of writing a paper about.

Kit sat back a little on the floor, as usual no real regard for what he did to his clothes once he was working. And in a way he was now. "Yeah, I remember four years of questioning my own sanity, yes Sir..." he said with a chuckle, looking at him. "Always amazed they managed to talk you into teaching. I couldn't get away from campus fast enough once the war ended."

"Well," Steele said as he took a seat on the sofa, "I was in the middle of writing a paper when Starfleet made the offer. Foolishly, I thought I would be happy on a world where I could go out to restaurants and to the theater whenever I pleased."

"How could you think such a thing," Kit smiled as he looked at him, a playful look on his face. "We all know you not just need theatre, you need some real life drama too...in small doses, of course." He sighed and shook his head, clearly thinking. "Although I miss seeing live performances. You know, the Chaplain here, he's very into the arts."

"I am not a performer at least not in the sense you're thinking of," Aristede said and then, after a slight shift, continued, "the Captain mentioned as how the Chaplain would be looking for people to participate." He arched an eyebrow, turning a side glance toward Kit. "And while I don't mind a bit of drama, I'm hardly theatrical."

"I mean..." Kit looked at him with a small, playful smile. "I would place bets you could do a decent Hamlet..." he winked before he looked around, clearly taking in the space. His own quarters still needed work. Not that he had much of...use. "You could rearrange the furniture."

"Now, you just stop that," Aristede said, waggling his finger as he spoke. "Don't be bandying that idea around. As for the furniture, I'm open to that ... what were you thinking?"

"Change it so the bed is facing the viewscreen," he said after a moment, watching Aristede. There was something special about seeing the stars when you woke up. Or went to sleep. "I think you can also change the general layout to work for you more. You could easily fit more bookcases if you move the couch away from the wall."

"That certainly works," Aristede said. "I have never liked the notion that furniture needs to shoved back against the wall. I much prefer them more to the center. And I do agree about the bed. Being able to look out the viewport at the starfield rushing by is ... peaceful." He chuckled as a memory surfaced. "Course there was that one time we were sleeping aboard while the ship was being repaired and ... there was a technician floating outside the window." He shook his head. "Quite the jolt."

Kit smiled fondly, watching him as he nodded. He liked the stories Aristede told. The small glimpses into what he had experienced. It was...warming. And interesting. He had always liked hearing of his life experiences. "I suppose it depends on what you were doing when the technician floated on by..."

"Mercifully," Aristede said, "I was alone though if he'd showed up a day earlier that would have been quite the embarrassment for me. Not for my companion of course. Deltans are somewhat ... shall we say ...ostentatious?" He smiled. "At any rate, it would have been quite a different experience."

He laughed at that, his eyes shining at it. "Now just how did you get a Deltan to your quarters? Wait! I don't want to know..." he held his hands up, a blush on his cheeks. "Too much information already."

Aristede grinned cheerfully. "What? You've never had overnight guests in your quarters? Though, come to think of it, Captain wanted to know the same thing. I told him a gentleman never tells."

"Well, Aristede, I haven't had overnight guests since I hit Commander," he admitted, watching him with a small smile. "Difficult to have that on a ship where...you have a lot of power over someone." The words were said carefully, and with a small smile of guilt. He would always question if they were with him for him, or for the position he held.

"That can be difficult," Aristede said quietly. "But you can take comfort from the fact that I've never been seduced by power. Quite the opposite. And, when you think about it, I've known you for a good while now. I respect your position, no question, but for me, I can still see the boy you once were."

"Ah, you don't count. You are one of the three people here who can shut me down if you need to," Kit said, the smile returning and genuine. "You, the Captain and the Chief Medical Officer. The holy trinity of making sure I stay sane, healthy and within Starfleet regulations," he winked, grateful that Aristede was there. It didn't feel as lonely, knowing that he had a family friend there. His friend. Who, like an uncle, saw him still as the boy eager to learn.

"Too right," Aristede said, "though its never going to get that far. Not so long as I'm here. Which reminds me. Once I get things set up here, I need a dinner guest so that I can try out a new recipe. Interested in a dinner and maybe a bit of history?"

Kit's face lit up at that. The chance to have some of Aristede's cooking? He knew better than to turn that down. "Yes, please," he said as he looked at him, with interest. "Is it an ancient recipe you've discovered, or something you wanted to test out?" the question was measured. There had been...attempts in the past. All delicious, but he liked knowing if he'd end up trying something from an ancient book. Mersu, that was it. A dessert. It had been delicious, yet simple.

"Going to try my hand at making gnocchi," Aristede said. "Got a family recipe book from an old friend. Maybe with a peas or a pumpkin sauce. Not sure as yet."

"My vote? Pumpkin," Kit said with a smile, nodding as he watched him. "Never had gnocci before, I think." And he assumed it was an Earth dish, since pea and pumpkin were...sort of very Earth based. "So. What do you think of the Fenrir so far? Think it has...potential?" Behind the easy question was...well, a want of approval from Aristede. He was proud of the ship and posting, but there was that...childlike want of wanting for his old friend to like it too.

"Pumpkin it is," Aristede said as he crouched, carefully unwrapping an original painting, "and as for the ship, I like it. The Fenrir is a good ship, I think, and frankly, I've always preferred smaller vessels. Much better chance to get to know the crew. Feels ... warmer ... somehow. On the larger ships, the enlisted barely know anything about the command staff. Ship's too big and they never get to the command deck. There's a lot less of that on a ship this size." He lifted the painting, a valley on El Auria, and set it carefully to one side. "You've got a good one here."

Kit smiled warmly, as if he had just said he had a good kid. "I'm trying to take advantage and meeting the enlisted. Even...offered some sort of mentorship for one of them," he said as he met his eyes before he shrugged. "I like working with people to improve their careers." And lives. It just sounded arrogant to say it so he didn't.

"Worthy ambition, Aristede said. "Especially since there are more than a few First Officers who set themselves as disciplinarians and don't treat the enlisted with the same respect they do the officers.If you ever need help with your efforts, I'm happy to provide a sounding board."

"That's great," Kit smiled with hope, nodding as he looked at him. "It might be helpful...he's...well, he's smart. Very smart. And sort of...I think he self sabotages himself too. Keeps getting transferred from ship to ship. I'm trying to give him some space...I think some of the issues have been that Starfleet has a way of trying to make everything...uniform. When people aren't carbon copies of each other. Anyway..." he looked down, almost embarrassed. "I'll tell you how it goes."

Aristede noticed, because he noticed a lot but said nothing. Early days and all. The embarrassment. The lack of confidence. He didn't remember that from the boy he'd known. "I'll be interested in hearing. I know there are some who prefer to have everything neatly labeled. Saves having to think about things individually. Then too, there are individuals who thrive in environments where they can push the limits or even, need to do so."

"Well...we will see what happens," Kit said with a smile, nodding as he met his eyes. "And I'll keep you posted. There's a lot to do with the ship and crew, but I am confident that we will...do well, as a crew."

"Remains to be seen, I suppose," Aristede said, largely became he seldom made such sweeping statements, "though I do like your confidence."

"You know me...I can be confident when I have to be," Kit laughed, knowing well that as a kid he could even have been over-confident. He met his eyes, searching them for a moment. "And I know I can come to you if I get stuck."

"Always," Aristede said. "I hope you know that you can count on me whatever the problem."

"I know," Kit said as he watched him before he reached out, to touch his shoulder. "And you can count on me too, Aristede. I promise." He wasn't the sort who turned his back on his friends, his family, no matter what.

"Good," Aristede said. "So let's get this all finished so that we can eat, eh?"

---

OFF:

Lieutenant Aristede Steele
Chief Counselor
USS Fenrir

&

Commander Kit Hanlon
First Officer
USS Fenrir

 

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