Keeping distance

Posted on Tuesday August 21st, 2018 @ 7:27am by Lieutenant Jordan Phillips & Commander Charlie Levittson & Lieutenant Commander Jack Pine

3,466 words; about a 17 minute read

Mission: Season 2: Mission 1: Day after Day
Location: DFS-Lavie/ crew lounge.
Timeline: In the evening

Seraphina sat at a table near the center of the lounge after.ordering a drink.  A pad in hand as she went over the paperwork for the things she had been doing lately. Despite work going well, she hadn't much time to.make friends. In all honesty, she was hoping for company.

*Charlie Levittson sits at the bar and asks for a hot cup of Assam tea.*

Jay was tired, but could not get some rest. His mind was going a million different directions. He needed to unwind, before he could find any rest. He strolled into the lounge on the Lavie. He plopped a seat at the bar, and ordered a private reserve henry winehards beer. As he took a small sip, he noticed the other two in the lounge. The night was early, and the bar had yet to draw its nightly crowed. 

Seraphina raised her eyes as the two men entered and took a seat at the bar. She went back to reading for a minute, but stopped. After.looking at the empty chairs at her table, she decided she might as well join them. 

She put the pad in her jacket pocket and took the short stroll to the bar. Coming up to a seat next to Jay, "Excuse me? Is this seat taken?"

*Charlie looking anxiously at the barkeep's hot water as it is being poured into the tea pot.*

Jay looked over to Sera and then over at Charlie. Who was she talking too, Jay wondered. He assumed the attractive, yet pretty lady must be talking to Charlie.  "I'll take my leave." Said Jay as he got up and got ready to leave. 

*Charlie finally gets his tea and takes it to his room.*

Seraphina looked.worried as if she had done something wrong, "Oh no, you don't have to leave. I was just asking if the seat next you was available. I was hoping for someone to talk to."

"Alright," said Jay as he turned to face the the lady. "Name is Liuetenant Jason Phillips, CAG for the Lavie, my friends call me Jay." Pridefully said Jay with a big grin. He was curious what the tall cute wanted to talk about.

"Seraphina Cerulius, I'm one of the science personnel aboard. It's a pleasure to meet you. Most people call me Sera though. I hope you don't mind, there really isn't anyone else here, and I prefer to have company.", she said as she sat in the seat, placing her drink on the counter.

"By all means, take a seat. If I wanted to be alone, deary, I would have stayed in my quarters watching an old flix on the tube." He said, hoping she got the cultural reference he was making. As he watched her, take a seat.

"TVs aren't very common anymore here. Are you someone who enjoys older films?", She asked smiling kindly. She had one back home, but that was a long ways away.

"Just before bed, typically it helps me unwind and get some sleep." He said, as he debated for a moment, what to watch tonight. But he quickly stopped himself from thinking about later tonight. At the moment, he had company. She approached him, and his did not want to be rude. 

"You mentioned your a scientist, assigned on the Lavie?"  Asked Jay, he knew a lot of people came and went from the Lavie on  regular basis. 

"Yes, I've been here three months now. Most of my time is spent looking for ways to.combat the swarm these days.", Seraphina answered, vaguely thinking of the pad that was in her pocket. She took a sip of her drink before adding, "I came here with the others who arrived with Commander Pine."

"I just got here. I am not familiar with everyone yet. Who is Commander Pine?" Asked Jay, curious. He was curious, who was who on the DFS Lavie. 

"Lt. Commander Jack Pine, he's one of the ranking officers aboard and my boss. He commands some of the troops stationed aboard. You'll probably meet him sooner, or later.", she said explaining, "So what did you do before you came to the Lavie?"

"I'm a fighter pilot dear. Last stationed on Earth, took part in the defense of Earth, during her last conflict a few weeks back. Was re assigned to Trinity Fleet." Jay said, trying not to let his pride show to much. He was happy to be alive, and proud of his skills. A lot of good pilots and mech pilots, lost their lives. 

"I know how to use a gun, but I'm not much of a soldier. I was onboard the ship when it happened. I'm glad we were able to save some, even if not all." Sera thought back to then for a moment, but quickly pushed it away. She wanted to not remember that, "So I'm sure you enjoy to fly? Sorry if that seems like a dumb question."

Jay smiled, as he thought about what she said. "At first I did, I guess deep down I still do. But I am tired of seeing my colleagues get blown up in front of me." He said, feeling a little guilty and remorseful that he was alive, and they were dead. 

"War does seem to take the fun out of the things we love. I used to fly a bit myself. It's a wonderful experience. I'm sorry about your friends, I hope they can find peace to wherever they go.", Sera says sympathetically as she gently places a hand on his shoulder.

"Sorry did not mean to un bag on ya, like that." Said Jay, as he took a big sip from his beer. He was stalling, he was trying to figure out what to say. He wanted to change the topic. "Any idea, were we off to next?" Asked Jay. He hoped that would change the topic. 

She looked little embarrassed by the question, "Oh um, I don't...actually know where..we are going. Sorry, I kind of get buried some times in my work and don't pay attention to the ship as a whole."

"I know what you mean, most of the time its me and Betsy and the open space around us." He said, as he started to think about his fighter. Betsy was ready to go, itching to get out in deep space once again.

"Who's Betsy? Is she your girlfriend?", Sera asked innocently, oblivious to what Betsy actually was.

Jay chuckled a little. That made his day. "Betsy is the name of my fighter. We have been through a lot, but were not dating." He said, with a big grin. Betsy, was probably the only gal he was close too. So he could see why Sera would think that. 

Seraphina looked more embarrassed now that she had jumped to such a conclusion, how could she have been so daft. "I'm uh unfamiliar with naming personal craft. I feel dumb for jumping to that now. I hope I haven't overstepped."

"It's okay, some cultural have their bizzare habits. This happens to be one of our habits. I would not doubt if the Captain of the Lavie, has not given the Lavie a pet name. Our cultural loves to become inanimate with our technolgy espcially ships." He said, hoping what he was saying was still making sense. It was silly that he was close to his fighter, but they had been through a lot together. 

"My culture has never taken this habit as far as I know. Most focused on perfection, which seems pointless to me. Flight is a common thing for us."

"Perfection?" Asked Jay, wondering what she was talking about. He had no idea, at one time she had wings. And she had them clip. He wondered if she was some spirtual zealot? Striving for perfection.

"Elysians are all about genetics and being a pure species. I never bought into, and that's why I left home. Well that and the war, but that matters little now. Sorry, I'm rambling.", she stopped looking nervous, hoping to the void she wasn't scaring him off. She was a rather socially awkward birb, "So where are you from exactly, on earth I mean?"

"I was born on Andor in the Federation Embassy, but I like to call Earth Home, my parents are from Hillsboro, Oregon. A Town in the state of Oregon in the nation of the United States of America." He said. 

"Whats it like there?"

"Crowded, honestly spent very little time there. My mother was an Ambassador. Travelled alot with her, she kept us away from the wars, as much as possible." Said Jay, thinking to himself, maybe this is why he likes to fly. He was always on the go as a child. 

"I didn't know my mother very well. I moved from family member to family member for a long time. When I got old enough I went to a school in Yamatai and received my education.", she said sharing own history a bit.

Jay took another sip from his beer, he was curious about where she cam from. "You said your race is called the Elysians  and your from Yamatai, whats that place like?" He asked. He was curious, his mother never travelled there. 

"Oh, Well it's no where around here, it's a different place entirely. The star army of Yamatai is very much like the federation here. Though their culture is more closer to that of Earth's Japan. Elysia Novus is my actual homeworld though, and they are quite different. It's hard to describe and I was very young when I left, So I don't remember much. Our race is kinda like what yours refer to....as angels.", She explained, hopefully not babbling again.

To be honest she felt a little nervous on the last part because of what it implied to some cultures, and even more so on her biology. She had specifically clipped her wings to fit in and her she was admitting she was supposed to stand out. 

She nervously took a drink from her glass as she waited for his response.

"Angels, well your pretty as one, that's for certain. Sorry if that was a little forward. But as a I pilot, I tend to be a little forward." He explained to her as he went on. "So we both have similiar backgrounds. We both barely remember home. I tend to think, there here and now is my home. Everything else, is a peice of my past." He said with a grin on his face. 

That response completely caught her by surprise and she hoped her face didn't show it. "Oh um, thank you, no it's no problem. Well I guess home for me is just wherever I have a bed. Not much else to really qualify a place home, or I just haven't found them yet."

"With this state of constant warefare, it may be years before any of us can find a new home. Glad to know, I am not alone in that aspect of my life." Jay said with a big cheesy grin on his face. Finally someone that understood him. 

"Yeah back where I'm from, wasn't any different in that regard. So we've been sitting here talking about the past, but what about the present? Who are we now? I'd like to know the man I'm talking more.", She said giving a kind smile after adjusting her long blonde hair. Her blue eyes looked at him curiously.

"I am trying to figure that out, to be honest." He said, still feeling guilty for living, while a lot of his fellow pilots died. It did not seem right to him. DFS decided to give me a knew home, so trying to adjust, but the ladies here seem nice." He said as he leaned in a little closer, and moved his body to show he was not so defensive. 

"Well I'll take that as an indirect compliment. I see a man before me who loves to fly, and is bold. I also see someone who is both sure and unsure of where their place is. Maybe they just need someone to help them find that.", Seraphina said with a slight giggle, before giving him a reassuring smile.

"You're trouble, you know that?" He asked, as she gave her a slight smirk of a smile. "How can you find yourself, if you allow someone to find it for you? But I will admit, you a fun type of trouble." He said, trying to be playful and humerous. 

Seraphina blushed slightly at the comment, "Oh thank you. I think? Well I hope you're enjoying your position here, flight commander must be an interesting job."

"It has it's moment. Can not complain. There are far worse jobs. Like waste management engineer, for example." He said with a small grin on his face. 

"I work in the more experimental fields of science. It's very rewarding, but also equally hazardous.", She says giving a smile.

"Why would a pretty girl like you choose a hazardous assignment. I can respect the fact that you want to be the first to explore the endless possibilities of scientific discovery. But shouldn't you leave the hazardous stuff to the low ranking officers or average looking folks. A treasure like you should not be placed in harms way." He said with a soft and charming voice. 

The ex-angel was getting rather nervous with such words, her cheeks growing more flush. "T-thats very kind of you. But you know.....nothing ventured, nothing gained. I don't think looks should exclude someone from doing work, besides I enjoy my work. To be honest it's what's kept me going all these years.", she said trying to remain calm and not stutter. She was not used to this much attention.

"Sounds like you had an interesting life, before you joined the Lavie, would love to hear some more about it." He said, as he took another drink. He waited to see what she was going to share, or if she was going to change to the topic on him. Moment of truth he thought. 

"I doubt you want to hear about my life, most people lose interest as soon as I get going.", Sera said seeming a bit worried on the topic 

"I'm not most people and clearly your not most girls." Jay started saying, as he paused to take a sip from his drink. He went on to say. "We all have a story, but if you prefer not to talk about it we can move on." He said, trying to be nice. He was a little dissapointed that she changed the topic. 

"I grew up not really knowing most of my family. My people were at war at the time. When I was old enough to go to school, the war was over and with it. Most of my family. The last few of those who had been too elderly to serve passed away shortly before I finished my advanced courses. I worked in labs all across the empire, able to choose anyone I wanted. But I chose to head out west to the frontier, where the real challenges were. So I signed up with S6 and became the team lead for the advanced R&D department. Few months later I'm here.......Not the story you wanted to hear huh.", she finished with a sad smile. She had to lose some of her energy as she finished, but trying to smile.

"Sad to think, there is not even a little peace of this galaxy that is not touched with the taste for war. I am wondering what is wrong with our universe. Almost ever race we come in contact with is either in a war, or starting a war with us." He started off, as he went on to say. "Sorry for your losses, but I can relate. We have been at war, the faces change but the war remains. It's a vicious cycle that never seems to end."

"To be honest the people of S6 have been like a family, and it was a place I was actually happy to be at. Having then here has made this place comfortable. Not many here are willing to talk to me for some reason.", She with aa somewhat renewed smile before sipping her drink. To be honestly it was partially her fault as she purposely buried her head in work.

"Find that hard to believe, an attractive lady like yourself, should be attracting all kinds of attention, Mostly bad sprinkled in with some good." He said, trying to be smooth in his approach. He was trying to build up her confidence. He was curious, why she thought no one wanted to talk to her. 

"Most people don't think highly of my race, and I don't blame them. We've always been perfectionists. Besides who wants to talk to a girl with wings, or someone who basically proves their religion false. It's why I had then removed. It's helped a little.", Sera admitted.

"I am starting to think that is part of the problem in this universe, every race thinks there's is the best and no other races matters! I am glad their are fleet's like this one. Were we can all come together in the spirit of cooperation. But I must say, altering your apperance for acceptance is wrong. Sorry you had to go through that." Said Jay, as he felt he was becoming a little preachy, and loosing touch with his flirtasous side. But sounded like Sera needed a friend, more than a guy hitting on her. 

"I mean I guess I could always have them grown back, but that would put me back at a distance from everyone. Also seems like even though we've been here three months, everyone started dating each other. It's made things awkward, and I just feel like a third wheel all the time now. Admittedly jealous too.", She said finishing her drink before ordering another. It was true the others had been more occupied with other things lately, mostly relationships.

"As you said earlier, our races have only known war, I am not sure about you. But aren't we fooling ourselves, if we think we can have a shot at happiness and hooking up? How many people died, killing Darius Maximus or taking out the senate or the countless other conflicts. How many loved ones, forced to morn then hook up with a new partner?" Asked Jay, not understanding why everyone wanted to date one another. He was afraid to let anyone get close, just to watch them die in this war. 

Seraphina froze before turning to him as he spoke. Her smile melting into a look of pure fright and sorrow as her eyes welled with tears, "Then why do we bother going on?", she said as she began to cry. She slowly got up to leave.

"Cause we all hope, that some day it will be over. We have hope. Do we not?" He asked, realizing he probably came off a little strong on this topic. It was not his intention. But he learned it was easier to have surface level friendships over deeper committed relationships. 

"You said yourself there is no hope. What is a life worth living without love, where peace is a lie we tell ourselves?", Seraphina said as she walked away, trying to contain her growing emotions.

"I meant there is no hope in love. War will not allow it. I have watched many people I have cared for die in front of me. To allow love, is to flirt with danger. And deary I have done that one to many times. At this point, I prefer to error on the side of caution." He said, realizing he sounded like a lost cause, a man with remorse and bitterness. And to a point, he was. But he was also a realist. The reality was, it was not wise to love in others. They would end up dying on you, and you would feel pain and great sorrow.

She was gone before he could finish.

Jay just sat in his chair, alone as he started the night. He felt bad, but he was not ready to let someone in. He took another sip from his beer, and thought about the conversation he just had.

 

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