Post by Lt. Commander Alyssa Jenison on Oct 30, 2014 9:08:59 GMT -8
The moment she was secure in the privacy of her quarters, Alyssa began to strip herself of her uniform. Sadly, there was no salvaging this one in particular. Her overjacket was gone. Her sleeves and pant legs were torn, her remaining boot was in need of repair, and the rest of the outfit had what would probably be a permanent coat of dust, grime, sweat, and darkened memory.
Allowing no time for simple housekeeping, Alyssa allowed the remains of her uniform to fall to the floor. She walked over towards the bathroom and made a quick inspection. She’d retained a number of scratches and bruises from her day, but she most certainly felt worse than she looked.
As she reached her hands into the sink, the water turned on and soaked her hands with a generous amount of water. She cupped a small amount and brought it to her face. The sensation was incredible, and not only because of the desert she had just come from, but for the simple joy of having the physical grime on her face washed away.
“Computer,” she called out before even dropping her hands. “Activate sonic shower.”
The sound of the shower warming-up filled her ears. She rested her hands upon the side of the sink while she awaited the computer’s acknowledgment that the shower was ready. As she waited, memory filled the void. A memory stretching back to the shower she’d had only a day ago, and the casualness she had prepared herself for a day that would prove unbelievably difficult.
The computer beeped. “Sonic shower is ready.”
After she turned, Alyssa stretched out her hands into the shower, and began to feel the soothing effects of the sonic waves brushing the dirt off of her arms. Unable to resist any longer, she fully immersed herself in the shower.
Her father bitterly complained over and over again about the loss anyone suffered when they traded a sonic shower for "good old-fashioned water." Alyssa never shared his opinion on the matter. A sonic shower had more than sufficed for her wants and needs. It relaxed her…
…usually.
But this time, not even the sonic pulses could break all the grime she had brought with her. From the collision the Talon had suffered yesterday, from the accusations of murder and betrayal, to the heart-wrenching experience of watching her captain suffer and "die" before her eyes. From the joy of rescuing Monroe to the burden of losing Kinin and Robin, Alyssa had felt such a swing of highs to lows that she was left unbalanced and off-kilter.
She’d gained an ally, but lost a friend. She’d receive praise, but endure discipline. She’d saved a life, and placed another in jeopardy. Did it balance out in the end? Could she leave this shower knowing that she was clean, inside and out?
No. It didn’t work that way. This wasn’t a zero-sum game, where positives and negatives cancelled out, and as long as you left with you skin intact, you were fine. This was life as a Starfleet officer, and she would have to accept every good journey with every bad.
Kinin was gone. Robin was gone. Would they be back? She hoped above all her other hopes that they would, for their sake…and for hers.
The sound of the pulses slowed, and the shower quieted. Alyssa remained. She wanted to run another cycle, to try again, but it was futile. She’d be the same. She’d always be the same. It took her a minute, but she accepted that, and stepped back in front of the mirror. She was clean, but was dirtier than ever.
Following her instincts, Alyssa slipped back into uniform—a clean, fresh uniform—and quickly redid her hair. She was hardly at her prime, but it would do for duty's sake. Her hand pressed against the glass of her mirror, hoping that the next time she saw herself here, it would be under far better circumstances.
She turned and returned to her post, because that was what Alyssa did. For better or worse, tired or awake, clean or filthy, she had a job to do.
And she’d do it.
End Alyssa
Allowing no time for simple housekeeping, Alyssa allowed the remains of her uniform to fall to the floor. She walked over towards the bathroom and made a quick inspection. She’d retained a number of scratches and bruises from her day, but she most certainly felt worse than she looked.
As she reached her hands into the sink, the water turned on and soaked her hands with a generous amount of water. She cupped a small amount and brought it to her face. The sensation was incredible, and not only because of the desert she had just come from, but for the simple joy of having the physical grime on her face washed away.
“Computer,” she called out before even dropping her hands. “Activate sonic shower.”
The sound of the shower warming-up filled her ears. She rested her hands upon the side of the sink while she awaited the computer’s acknowledgment that the shower was ready. As she waited, memory filled the void. A memory stretching back to the shower she’d had only a day ago, and the casualness she had prepared herself for a day that would prove unbelievably difficult.
The computer beeped. “Sonic shower is ready.”
After she turned, Alyssa stretched out her hands into the shower, and began to feel the soothing effects of the sonic waves brushing the dirt off of her arms. Unable to resist any longer, she fully immersed herself in the shower.
Her father bitterly complained over and over again about the loss anyone suffered when they traded a sonic shower for "good old-fashioned water." Alyssa never shared his opinion on the matter. A sonic shower had more than sufficed for her wants and needs. It relaxed her…
…usually.
But this time, not even the sonic pulses could break all the grime she had brought with her. From the collision the Talon had suffered yesterday, from the accusations of murder and betrayal, to the heart-wrenching experience of watching her captain suffer and "die" before her eyes. From the joy of rescuing Monroe to the burden of losing Kinin and Robin, Alyssa had felt such a swing of highs to lows that she was left unbalanced and off-kilter.
She’d gained an ally, but lost a friend. She’d receive praise, but endure discipline. She’d saved a life, and placed another in jeopardy. Did it balance out in the end? Could she leave this shower knowing that she was clean, inside and out?
No. It didn’t work that way. This wasn’t a zero-sum game, where positives and negatives cancelled out, and as long as you left with you skin intact, you were fine. This was life as a Starfleet officer, and she would have to accept every good journey with every bad.
Kinin was gone. Robin was gone. Would they be back? She hoped above all her other hopes that they would, for their sake…and for hers.
The sound of the pulses slowed, and the shower quieted. Alyssa remained. She wanted to run another cycle, to try again, but it was futile. She’d be the same. She’d always be the same. It took her a minute, but she accepted that, and stepped back in front of the mirror. She was clean, but was dirtier than ever.
Following her instincts, Alyssa slipped back into uniform—a clean, fresh uniform—and quickly redid her hair. She was hardly at her prime, but it would do for duty's sake. Her hand pressed against the glass of her mirror, hoping that the next time she saw herself here, it would be under far better circumstances.
She turned and returned to her post, because that was what Alyssa did. For better or worse, tired or awake, clean or filthy, she had a job to do.
And she’d do it.
End Alyssa