#115 When ghosts come back to haunt you
Posted on Wed Oct 23rd, 2024 @ 4:08pm by First Star Admiral Dakota Olvera & Admiral Christopher Bradley
Edited on on Wed Oct 23rd, 2024 @ 9:23pm
1,743 words; about a 9 minute read
Mission: Obsidian
ON
Chris had just finished his meeting with Auriela and checked the time. 2AM. He should be heading to his quarters but he hardly did sleep when he was there. There was just so much he was working on. He hadn't been avoiding her but he had thrown himself into his work. He felt guilty over everything that had happened on the base the last time and he didn't want it to happen again. The nightmares came back when everything started up with the base again. He just had to make sure it was all good. He stood up and stretched and walked to the replicator. "Computer Coffee and Almond Milk."
Dakota walked through the station, her air of confidence was not unnoticed. She was on a mission and she was not going to let anyone or anything come between her and Chris. Once she realized that saying “he had to come home sometime” didn’t work she decided to bring the mountain to the man. He was overworked and needed sleep and it was time for her to put her foot down.
Chris took his coffee and took a sip. Replicated coffee wasn't as good as the real thing but it did the job. He walked back over to his desk and put the cup down. He took out the data padd with the plans for the technology for the base. Some of his crew had arrived already and had started working. Some were still on their way. He looked out the port window at the stars.
“It is time to come home.” Dakota said from behind him. “I am not negotiating with you.” He looked tired and she knew that everyone, including herself needed rest
Chris spun and saw Dakota. "I will. I have a few more things to do here. Plus I can't sleep anyway." he said sighing. "I don't want to just sit there and do nothing."
“You tried that last night.” Dakota reminded him. “You came took a quick nap and a shower.” Her eyes met his. “You may not sleep but you will rest. I am not falling for that again.”
"How can I rest with everything going on here? " He said aloud. "Ok let me finish this and I'll meet you there." Chris said hoping she'd think he was telling her the truth. He just didn't want the nightmares.
“I will be sitting right here.” Dakota said, taking a seat. “You have thirty minutes and leave a message for your staff you will be in late tomorrow.” She left no room for argument. At least one morning he was eating breakfast before he left.
Chris sighed. “What is the point of going back if I can’t sleep. Plus I have a lot of work to do. “
He hadn’t admitted the nightmares were back. He had just thrown himself into work again. It just kept his mind off of everything that happened.
“Then we get to the heart of what is keeping you awake.” Dakota said determinedly. “This isn’t helping you at all, you need to get to the bottom of what is bothering you.” Her eyes met his. “What did you tell me when I was overworking, the work can wait.”
Chris looked at Dakota. He leaned down and opened his drawer and took out a bottle of whiskey and two glasses. He poured himself a glass and one for his wife and handed it to her. He took a gulp. “The nightmares are back”
“I thought as much.” She said quietly. “You need to talk to someone and work your way through time. It doesn’t make you weak but strong enough to do something about it.” Dakota wished she could fix this but they both had demons that the other couldn’t chase away.
“How do you talk to someone about things that never happened officially. About death that you caused because of a secret. I killed those people. It was.. is my project and they died because of me.” Chris held his hand in a fist.
“By talking to someone who understands.” Dakota murmured quietly. “There are counselors in intelligence. Some of them have been where you are.”
“I can’t. “ Chris said. He finished his drink. “It’s just so hard. But I will go back to our quarters. I just don’t think I can sleep.”
“You can’t just hope it is going to go away or wish it away.” Dakota disagreed. “You need to deal with it head on just like you are me right now.” She wasn’t giving an inch.
"If I tell you I'll think about it - can we just move on? I don't know why I mentioned it in the first place. " Chris said - not wanting to deal with the issue he hadn't dealt with previously. He was stubborn, but so was his wife. He had a feeling, however, this wasn't going to end right away so he poured another glass of whiskey.
“Yes.” Dakota nodded. “We can move right on home, your time is up.” Her eyes met his, mixed with determination and concern. “Please.” Chris was the only person she would ask. Anyone else she would have them hauled back.
Chris nodded and quickly finished the whiskey. He put the glasses and bottle away and turned everything off in his office and walked out letting Dakota pass him as he turned to security lock his door.
Not saying anything else to each other they walked back to their quarters. Chris was the first to enter and walked into the kitchen area to get a glass of water.
Dakota followed him and leaned in the doorway. She knew pushing him wouldn’t help, at least not yet. “Are you hungry?” She asked quietly.
"No." he replied not remembering the last time he ate but also not feeling hungry. He looked at her. "You can go to bed. I promise I won't leave the room." He sat down at the table in the kitchen.
Dakota ignored his words and walked over, sitting down. She didn’t say a word, just reached out and tangled her fingers in his. He wasn’t alone and it was damn near time he realized it.
Chris squeezed her hand. "The last time I was here. All the memories it brings back. I know we need to do this - I keep seeing their faces - the crew as they were killed in front of me because i refused to give up information. The way It happened..." He had his glass of water in his other hand and slammed it down and the glass broke all over the table and water went everywhere. "Damn it." he said.
“It doesn’t matter.” Dakota said calmly, emotion in her voice. “Water can be wiped up and the glass replaced.” Her eyes met his. “They would have died anyway. They weren’t letting any of you walk away. You gave us time to send someone in and at least rescue those who were left.”
"I feel so guilty. " Chris closed his eyes feeling the tears. This was the first time he ever said anything about how he felt. What he saw. How brutal it all was. "It should have been me."
Dakota was out of her chair and around the table, pulling a chair up next to him she sat down and put her arm around him. “I understand the feelings at normal but this isn’t your guilt. You did nothing wrong, would it be better if you were dead along with your entire crew?”
Chris shook his head. "I guess not. These nightmares are getting to me. I can't eat, I can't sleep. This is the only mission that has ever done this to me. I can see the faces of the crew, I see the faces of the Synthulans. "
“What can I do.” Dakota said seriously. “Besides smacking you. What will it take for you to see that by your actions some of the crew got to go home.”
Chris laughed. "You havent threatened to smack me in a long time. " He thought about it. "I know what you are saying is right. That had I not held out, taken my own beating, watched others die, that some of the crew wouldn't have made it. " Chris looked at Dakota. "I never thought in a million years you would green light this project again. I thought all the work I did wsa for naught after what happened. But the fact that we are here now. The fact we have a chance to fix this."
“We all need this.” Dakota said . “It took a lot of soul searching for me. I didn’t want to say yes but in the end I know it is what we need and it needs to be finished.”
"If they come back.. If they dare threaten anyone again or do anything..." Chris clenched his fists.
“We have the means to eliminate them now.” Dakota replied. “They know that, they won’t be trying that again.” She spoke her words with conviction.
"I refuse to let anything happen to you. I would rather give up my own life." Chris said.
“I don’t let anything happen to you.” Dakota returned. “It isn’t going to happen,
We will have all the answers we need and move forward. No one is leaving anyone.”
Chris nodded. "I'm sorry. I will be ok. Though sleep I do not promise."
“All I ask is that you rest.” Dakota replied as a compromise. “I will be beside you to help you through it, all I ask is that you don’t run from your demons, together we are strong .”
He nodded to her. though not toally believing it himself. "I will try not to. " He stood up from the table. "I should clean this mess."
“ No.” Dakota stood. “You go take a shower and I will clean this up.” She gave him a look. “I am not arguing with you:”
“Yes dear. “ Chris leaned over and kissed her forehead before walking away to do what his wife told him.
Dakota watched him as he left and then turned to clean up the mess. She was going to be here every step of the way.
OFF:
Fleet Admiral Dakota Olvera
Fleet Admiral
Starbase obsidian
Admiral Christopher P. Bradley
Director of Research and Development/ Director of Intelligence
Starbase obsidian
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