Mind Your Head (Gabe/Julia)

Gabriel Arthur wrote:

"Indeed," Gabriel nodded, re-positioning his legs so that he was at least a little more comfortable.  Then again, sitting on the ground and keeping his long legs bunched up wasn't near as easy as it had been when he was a kid.  And I'm most definitely *not* a kid anymore.  "Life has a way of doing that.  I mean...my first years in space?  I was an engineer on my brother's cargo ship.  And then I enrolled as an enlistee in Starfleet.  Put a few years in as a maintenance tech before going officer."

The call of some strange bird...like...thing...bird-thing sounded in the darkness.  Gabe looked up, but whatever it was, it was long gone.  "So," he said, turning back to his companion, "what corner of the galaxy do you call home when you're not aboard our fine Nebula-class floating town?"

"Cargo ship?" Julia said with a slight surprise in her voice. "What took you to Starfleet?" Starfleet is as much about ideas as it is about exploration. Julia had come to believe that everyone joins for a reason. She always found most to be deeply personal.

Julia yawned and extended her arms above her head. "Earth... I'm from Washington State. Both of my parents were in Starfleet. My mom was a Chief Science Officer and my Dad spent his entire career at Starfleet Medical. He was my primary caregiver and my hero. He was even head of Starfleet Medical at one point." Julia paused and sighed. She still missed her father deeply. It had been about six years but to Julia the wound was still fresh. "He was killed six years ago on a diplomatic mission to Bajor... Some group called The Circle took credit 'Bajor for Bajorans!' was their cry. It was all a senseless act of violence. The worst part was... My dad was sent there to assess their post occupation medical needs. He was figuring out what medical supplies to send. He died the way he lived... For The Federation... Just trying to save lives."

Julia Rellek wrote:

"Cargo ship?" Julia said with a slight surprise in her voice. "What took you to Starfleet?" Starfleet is as much about ideas as it is about exploration. Julia had come to believe that everyone joins for a reason. She always found most to be deeply personal.

Julia yawned and extended her arms above her head. "Earth... I'm from Washington State. Both of my parents were in Starfleet. My mom was a Chief Science Officer and my Dad spent his entire career at Starfleet Medical. He was my primary caregiver and my hero. He was even head of Starfleet Medical at one point." Julia paused and sighed. She still missed her father deeply. It had been about six years but to Julia the wound was still fresh. "He was killed six years ago on a diplomatic mission to Bajor... Some group called The Circle took credit 'Bajor for Bajorans!' was their cry. It was all a senseless act of violence. The worst part was... My dad was sent there to assess their post occupation medical needs. He was figuring out what medical supplies to send. He died the way he lived... For The Federation... Just trying to save lives."

Gabriel was quiet for a moment, watching the dancing flames before he spoke. "Damn, Julia. I'm sorry to hear that. Seems like that wormhole's been nothing but a curse ever since it was opened up." He remembered back to losing his uncle David as a child, during the Cardassian War. And, of course, the friends and colleagues taken during the late conflict. One was too many.

He decided to return to her earlier question after a few more long and silent minutes. "My brother owns a cargo ship, so I just kinda followed him into space once I'd finished undergrad work and felt like I had no direction. Not that keeping his boat spaceworthy was much of a direction, either. I guess that's what kinda got me thinking about other options...and, at the risk of sounding trite, a greater purpose. Plus," he grinned, rolling his eyes, "my brother Garen's also a damn smuggler."

Gabriel Arthur wrote:

Gabriel was quiet for a moment, watching the dancing flames before he spoke.  "Damn, Julia.  I'm sorry to hear that.  Seems like that wormhole's been nothing but a curse ever since it was opened up."  He remembered back to losing his uncle David as a child, during the Cardassian War.  And, of course, the friends and colleagues taken during the late conflict.  One was too many.

He decided to return to her earlier question after a few more long and silent minutes.  "My brother owns a cargo ship, so I just kinda followed him into space once I'd finished undergrad work and felt like I had no direction.  Not that keeping his boat spaceworthy was much of a direction, either.  I guess that's what kinda got me thinking about other options...and, at the risk of sounding trite, a greater purpose.  Plus," he grinned, rolling his eyes, "my brother Garen's also a damn smuggler."

"Yeah. I'm glad that is all behind us." Julia paused to reflect a moment. "You know though. My dad believed in that alliance. He believed in Bajor and I can't help but to agree. Its such an amazing world full of strong tested people. I just wish that war never happened. Too many lives cut short. Too many ships lost.

Julia shifted her focus to Gabriels story. "So you didn't have dreams of being a smuggler?" Julia laughed. "For me it was my dad. He believed in the ideals and principles so much. The federation, Starfleet, it meant everything to him."

Julia Rellek wrote:

"Yeah. I'm glad that is all behind us." Julia paused to reflect a moment. "You know though. My dad believed in that alliance. He believed in Bajor and I can't help but to agree. Its such an amazing world full of strong tested people. I just wish that war never happened. Too many lives cut short. Too many ships lost.

Julia shifted her focus to Gabriels story. "So you didn't have dreams of being a smuggler?" Julia laughed. "For me it was my dad. He believed in the ideals and principles so much. The federation, Starfleet, it meant everything to him."

Gabe grinned, shaking his head as he chuckled a small laugh. "No. I can't say as I really did fancy the life of a smuggler. Of course," he said, tossing another little stick into the fire, "if Garen were here, he'd protest that he'd never moved illegal contraband in his life. And I'm sure he'd know some kinda loophole to prove himself right." Sighing, Gabriel poked around the fire, sending a little shower of sparks up into the night air. "Archangel can't stand him. Punched him right in the nose, once. Broke it. But...he's my brother. You can't pick your family, right?"

He smiled as Julia mentioned her father, and what he meant to her. "I'm sure he'd be proud of you, Julia. You've done a hell of a job on the ship. My uncle, dad's brother, was in Starfleet. I guess that's what put the idea in my head, though my family wasn't keen on me entering the service. I...we lost him in the Cardassian War. I was just a boy, then...but I looked up to him. Especially when he'd come home for shore leave, uniform and all. I'd never seen anything like it."

Gabriel Arthur wrote:

Gabe grinned, shaking his head as he chuckled a small laugh.  "No.  I can't say as I really did fancy the life of a smuggler.  Of course," he said, tossing another little stick into the fire, "if Garen were here, he'd protest that he'd never moved illegal contraband in his life.  And I'm sure he'd know some kinda loophole to prove himself right."  Sighing, Gabriel poked around the fire, sending a little shower of sparks up into the night air.  "Archangel can't stand him.  Punched him right in the nose, once.  Broke it.  But...he's my brother.  You can't pick your family, right?"

He smiled as Julia mentioned her father, and what he meant to her.  "I'm sure he'd be proud of you, Julia.  You've done a hell of a job on the ship.  My uncle, dad's brother, was in Starfleet.  I guess that's what put the idea in my head, though my family wasn't keen on me entering the service.  I...we lost him in the Cardassian War.  I was just a boy, then...but I looked up to him.  Especially when he'd come home for shore leave, uniform and all.  I'd never seen anything like it."

"Sounds like your brother is quite the character?" Julia laughed. The area near them grew darker and the insects begin to sing their nightly songs. "Listen to that... isn't it beautiful? Reminds me of the forests of the American Northwest." Julia sifted her attention back to the discussion of her father. "I like to think he would be proud. He was always so excited that I pursued the sciences with such passion and gusto. He used to encourage my curiosity. When I would do those childhood science experiments he used to require that I presented them to him... and he graded. He was something else. High standards were the expectation not the goal. He always pushed for more and somehow I always delivered."

Julia Rellek wrote:

"Sounds like your brother is quite the character?" Julia laughed. The area near them grew darker and the insects begin to sing their nightly songs. "Listen to that... isn't it beautiful? Reminds me of the forests of the American Northwest." Julia sifted her attention back to the discussion of her father. "I like to think he would be proud. He was always so excited that I pursued the sciences with such passion and gusto. He used to encourage my curiosity. When I would do those childhood science experiments he used to require that I presented them to him... and he graded. He was something else. High standards were the expectation not the goal. He always pushed for more and somehow I always delivered."

"Character...yeah," Gabriel drawled, chuckling lightly. "Perhaps that's a word to describe him." He shook his head, growing quiet for a moment to listen to what Julia was saying about the night sounds. "It does kinda sound like Earth, a little bit. Funny, ain't it? Here we are, a jillion miles away from home, and our minds are able to fill in the blanks for us to make things feel a little more familiar."

Gabe opened his water bottle, taking a small drink and holding it in his mouth for a few seconds before swallowing. It was an old trick he'd learned, hiking through the woods as a boy, to make yourself feel more hydrated. "Your father sounds like a man who was fair. There's nothing wrong with high standards, as long as there's fairness to go along with it. You delivered then, and you're delivering now." He flashed a quick grin. "I know that, being the department head of all department heads, I'm probably not supposed to butter you up with compliments. But...I guess things like that go out the window for a bit, if you're stranded in the wilderness. Anyway. So this was something that you'd wanted to do since you were a girl? And by 'this'," he laughed, "I mean the whole 'science officer' thing, and not the 'stranded on a moon' bit..."

Gabriel Arthur wrote:

"Character...yeah," Gabriel drawled, chuckling lightly.  "Perhaps that's a word to describe him."  He shook his head, growing quiet for a moment to listen to what Julia was saying about the night sounds.  "It does kinda sound like Earth, a little bit.  Funny, ain't it?  Here we are, a jillion miles away from home, and our minds are able to fill in the blanks for us to make things feel a little more familiar."

Gabe opened his water bottle, taking a small drink and holding it in his mouth for a few seconds before swallowing.  It was an old trick he'd learned, hiking through the woods as a boy, to make yourself feel more hydrated.  "Your father sounds like a man who was fair.  There's nothing wrong with high standards, as long as there's fairness to go along with it.  You delivered then, and you're delivering now."  He flashed a quick grin.  "I know that, being the department head of all department heads, I'm probably not supposed to butter you up with compliments.  But...I guess things like that go out the window for a bit, if you're stranded in the wilderness.  Anyway.  So this was something that you'd wanted to do since you were a girl?  And by 'this'," he laughed, "I mean the whole 'science officer' thing, and not the 'stranded on a moon' bit..."

"You're right. He was quite fair." Julia pulled another ration bar from her sack and opened it. "Every night at dinner he used to pose a new question for debate. And we would never leave the table until he and I had thoroughly debated the subject." Julia grinned. "Those were fun times. Not to say we didn't go at it from time to time in those debates."

Julia paused while Gabe spoke and continued to slowly munch on her ration bar. "Why thank you sir. Your kind words mean a lot." A grinned slowly appeared across her face. "I won't tell the other senior officers if you won't." Julia took another bite. "Yeah this whole stranded thing wasn't in the grand plan but being a science officer always was."

Julia Rellek wrote:

"You're right. He was quite fair." Julia pulled another ration bar from her sack and opened it. "Every night at dinner he used to pose a new question for debate. And we would never leave the table until he and I had thoroughly debated the subject." Julia grinned. "Those were fun times. Not to say we didn't go at it from time to time in those debates."

Julia paused while Gabe spoke and continued to slowly munch on her ration bar. "Why thank you sir. Your kind words mean a lot." A grinned slowly appeared across her face. "I won't tell the other senior officers if you won't." Julia took another bite. "Yeah this whole stranded thing wasn't in the grand plan but being a science officer always was."

Gabriel smirked, making the universal sign for 'zipping the lips' as Julia mentioned not telling the other department heads. "I guess I just kinda...backed into this whole 'officer' thing. My first stop in a Starfleet career was as an enlistee. Joined up with the Corps of Engineers...did a stint on the Yeager, helped build a few stations." Re-capping his water, Gabriel stretched out, feeling a very-satisfying pop in his knee. "Rode mustang to an Ensign's commission. And then the war. And...everything else just kinda went by in a blink."

Gabriel Arthur wrote:

Gabriel smirked, making the universal sign for 'zipping the lips' as Julia mentioned not telling the other department heads.  "I guess I just kinda...backed into this whole 'officer' thing.  My first stop in a Starfleet career was as an enlistee.  Joined up with the Corps of Engineers...did a stint on the Yeager, helped build a few stations."  Re-capping his water, Gabriel stretched out, feeling a very-satisfying pop in his knee.  "Rode mustang to an Ensign's commission.  And then the war.  And...everything else just kinda went by in a blink."

Julia chuckled as Gabe mentioned that his lips were sealed. "Its amazing how fast one's career can advance during war time." She chomped off another chunk of her ration bar.

"I'm living my dream." Julia paused to reflect. "While I was in the academy I did an internship at the Vulcan Science Academy and another internship focusing on cosmology at the G7 deep space research station. After graduation I was assigned to the G5 deep space research station. Most of my research dealt with the big bang. Our goal was to identify possible energy sources but the plug was pulled by Starfleet when we happened upon a substance in the directory... we believed it could of been the energy source but Starfleet said that we were treading into classified territory and would have to halt the research. My scientific passion still is in cosmology.... Love it!"

Julia Rellek wrote:

Julia chuckled as Gabe mentioned that his lips were sealed. "Its amazing how fast one's career can advance during war time." She chomped off another chunk of her ration bar.

"I'm living my dream." Julia paused to reflect. "While I was in the academy I did an internship at the Vulcan Science Academy and another internship focusing on cosmology  at the G7 deep space research station. After graduation I was assigned to the G5 deep space research station. Most of my research dealt with the big bang. Our goal was to identify possible energy sources but the plug was pulled by Starfleet when we happened upon a substance in the directory... we believed it could of been the energy source but Starfleet said that we were treading into classified territory and would have to halt the research. My scientific passion still is in cosmology.... Love it!"

"Yeah, the past few years...have just warped on by. Sometimes, I can't believe it all. Two daughters, command echelon of a starship...married to my soulmate. Seems like just a few blinks ago, I was living latinum-to-latinum and working on Garen's ship."

The story about Starfleet cashiering Julia's research didn't come as much of a surprise, unfortunately. He'd had more than his fair share of experiences with the more secretive nature of the Federation. Instead of delving into it, though, Gabriel decided to let certain subjects lie. "Vulcans and research stations, hm? Well, no matter what happens on the starship, I guess you can be certain that it'll be a bit...livelier...than what you've been doing."

Gabriel Arthur wrote:

"Yeah, the past few years...have just warped on by.  Sometimes, I can't believe it all.  Two daughters, command echelon of a starship...married to my soulmate.  Seems like just a few blinks ago, I was living latinum-to-latinum and working on Garen's ship."

The story about Starfleet cashiering Julia's research didn't come as much of a surprise, unfortunately.  He'd had more than his fair share of experiences with the more secretive nature of the Federation.  Instead of delving into it, though, Gabriel decided to let certain subjects lie.  "Vulcans and research stations, hm?  Well, no matter what happens on the starship, I guess you can be certain that it'll be a bit...livelier...than what you've been doing."

"Commander, you underestimate Vulcan. I had so much fun at that internship. The Vulcan's themselves weren't all that fun but the research was great." Julia chuckled. "But yes things on the Phoenix are definitely different. I'm not sure livelier is the word I would use. I don't know if you've ever worked with groups of scientists but they sure can party... but things out here definitely are less predictable. I used to know what I was going to do everyday for weeks out. Now I'm not even sure what Star System we'll be in tomorrow or what planet we'll be trapped on..."

Julia Rellek wrote:

"Commander, you underestimate Vulcan. I had so much fun at that internship. The Vulcan's themselves weren't all that fun but the research was great." Julia chuckled. "But yes things on the Phoenix are definitely different. I'm not sure livelier is the word I would use. I don't know if you've ever worked with groups of scientists but they sure can party... but things out here definitely are less predictable. I used to know what I was going to do everyday for weeks out. Now I'm not even sure what Star System we'll be in tomorrow or what planet we'll be trapped on..."

Gabriel did indeed bark off a quick laugh at that. He tried to imagine a group of Vulcans having fun. Every scenario he came up with involved some kind of math, so he quickly abandoned that line of thought. "You know, for such a reserved people, I've always wondered why Vulcans distilled such a kick-you-in-the-ass kind of brandy. Then again," he shrugged, "Romulans make some of the most famous alcohol in two quadrants. I guess it's in the DNA. You should talk to Admiral Deacon, next time we're on the station. She was stationed on Vulcan for the longest time...think she grew up there, too."

The fire was starting to die down a little bit, surprisingly enough. It was amazing how fast time when when you shared it with a friend. Was it acceptable for him to have friends among the junior officers? Well. Someone, somewhere, might have a problem, but it was a call he alone could make. After all, he'd been a junior officer when he'd met Archangel, too. "Well. Guess we should start thinking about turning in. We should probably sleep in shifts, being crashed on an unknown planetoid and all."

Gabriel Arthur wrote:

Gabriel did indeed bark off a quick laugh at that.  He tried to imagine a group of Vulcans having fun.  Every scenario he came up with involved some kind of math, so he quickly abandoned that line of thought.  "You know, for such a reserved people, I've always wondered why Vulcans distilled such a kick-you-in-the-ass kind of brandy.  Then again," he shrugged, "Romulans make some of the most famous alcohol in two quadrants.  I guess it's in the DNA.  You should talk to Admiral Deacon, next time we're on the station.  She was stationed on Vulcan for the longest time...think she grew up there, too."

The fire was starting to die down a little bit, surprisingly enough.  It was amazing how fast time when when you shared it with a friend.  Was it acceptable for him to have friends among the junior officers?  Well.  Someone, somewhere, might have a problem, but it was a call he alone could make.  After all, he'd been a junior officer when he'd met Archangel, too.  "Well.  Guess we should start thinking about turning in.  We should probably sleep in shifts, being crashed on an unknown planetoid and all."

Julia laughed at the notion that liquor production was in the DNA. "Vulcan Brandy... I heard of it during my internship but wouldn't dare to touch the stuff." She commented laughing. "Any race that represses their emotions... I wouldn't dare trust their alcohol. I have visions of waking up the next morning in a different star system. With no clue as to how I arrived." Julia's roaring laughter filled the vacant silence of the forest around them.

Julia let out a loud yawn and and starched her legs and arms. She hadn't realized how taxing their day had truly been. "I think your right commander. I'm struggling to keep my eyes open." Julia laid back and pulled the standard issue blanket up to her chin. "Commander, I've enjoyed the conversation. Thank you sir. This experience would have been a lot worse with out you sir."