<div dir="ltr"><span id="gmail-docs-internal-guid-c9bc4518-7fff-b12f-c650-f386e421331c"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.9872;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:rgb(29,34,40);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Mission: Murder on the Exeter Express</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.9872;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:rgb(29,34,40);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Day: 3</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.9872;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:rgb(29,34,40);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Stardate: 2445.12.03</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.9872;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.9872;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:rgb(29,34,40);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">(USS Exeter – Personal Quarters– CO, Captain Trip Williams and Dir. R&SE Ashlyn Williams  – 0600)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.9872;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:rgb(29,34,40);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">After a short night sleep, Trip woke up on the couch. He did not want to wake up Ash when he got home, so he just grabbed some blankets from the replicator and slept on the couch. At least one of the two of them would get a good nights sleep, he wanted it to be her.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.9872;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.9872;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:rgb(29,34,40);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">He looked around and sat up, sighing. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.9872;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:rgb(29,34,40);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">~What the %$#@ happened yesterday? I mean #$%&, I’m glad we stopped the visitor, but….I guess I need to plan the funerals. #$%&~</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.9872;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.9872;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:rgb(29,34,40);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Ash had woken a short while earlier, to an empty bed. She’d sighed sadly at the vacant pillow next to her, and once the morning confusion dissipated she pulled herself out of bed and stepped quietly to the bathroom, where after her morning ablutions and a shower, she pulled on her underwear and a clean uniform. ~getting a bit tight again.~ Ashlyn thought to herself, ~must remember to get the computer to rescan.~</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.9872;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.9872;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:rgb(29,34,40);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">It was then that she heard Trip moving about in the lounge, and she peeped her head round the door and saw him just sitting up, dropping the spare blankets as he did. </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:rgb(29,34,40);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><br><br></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.9872;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:rgb(29,34,40);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Morning sweetie.” She said as she entered the room. “You didn’t need to sleep here, I was up and down a lot of the night anyway.” She reached him and kissed him warmly. “Your son keeps punching me in the bladder.” She laughed gently. She regarded her husband. She’d known Trip for such a long time, but it was only since they’d started dating that she felt she’d really got to know the real him, the one that not many saw. She could tell by a single glance sometimes how he was feeling, and he likewise knew her at the deepest level, what to say, and when not to.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.9872;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.9872;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:rgb(29,34,40);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">"Honestly, just needed the couch. Had I crawled into bed, well you and I would be staying in it all day today." Trip got up and stretched.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.9872;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.9872;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:rgb(29,34,40);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Go and wash.” She said hugging him, resting her head on his shoulder, “I’ll put the machine on and make some coffee. Then you can offload if you need to?”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.9872;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.9872;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:rgb(29,34,40);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">"No coffee for me please. Coffee gives me the jitters. I need the adrenaline to go down."</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.9872;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.9872;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:rgb(29,34,40);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Ash nodded, “Okay. Bad night? You never sleep on the couch unless there’s been trouble.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.9872;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.9872;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:rgb(29,34,40);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">"Five deaths last night. Some answers. But Bult and Thorn and…" Trip paused, "and Green. We don’t know why they went rogue."</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.9872;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.9872;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:rgb(29,34,40);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Trip knew the real Maxine was dead. Whoever the visitor was, they saw to that before putting their plan in motion. But why Bult and Thorn went rogue Trip couldn't say. What he did know was the knowledge of the visitor was classified. Only he, Bracken, Merek, Ravok, and Corsica knew the truth. Which meant Maxine, the real Maxine would be vilified for things she didn't actually do.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.9872;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“You’re kidding me...Oh Trip...How?” She shook her head irritably. “You can’t answer that, I know. Five deaths though?” She was truly horrified. </span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">"I think Im going to petition Starfleet for the Exeter to have a week ported somewhere for R&R." Tril said as he began walking towards the bathroom. "We need it. I need it."</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“I think that we all do. “Who were the other two? You named three.” She replicated herself an orange juice and a bowl of granola clusters that she picked up one by one and ate dry with her fingers.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">"Clarke in science and Ravok’s cousin Nesha."</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Oh Trip that’s awful, poor Ravok. Clarke I don’t know, but Nesha...Oh the poor dear.” She was genuinely upset. “How is he?”</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">"He…." Trip paused. "He'll never admit it, but I could feel his intense grief. And Ire...intense apathy. I think the vi...Maxine broke his psyche."</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Ashlyn’s eyes flicked up toward Trip, “the vi...Maxine?” She drew breath, She understood the need for operational secrecy. “It isn’t simple, is it.” Ash knew that she wasn’t as highly qualified as her husband, her mum, sister, or niece, but she wasn’t daft.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">"There was such cruelty. The whole room reeked of it. Not actual smell. But the psychic residue. The lingering emotions. The stench of cruelty of pain."</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Have you felt it’s like before? Is it in anyway familiar?” She sipped at her juice, her heart going out to all the pain that Trip must have felt. </span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">"Yes. As A kid at the playground. A bully was burning squirrels because he could. It was like that but worse."</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“I can’t imagine that kind of sociopathy, especially here. Just how? I can’t begin to comprehend this. How is everyone?”</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">"Broken. Which is why I need to be unbroken for all of them. Im the ships dad. I need to be Broken beyond belief in here. So I can be strong out there"</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">She nodded, and put her breakfast down. “You can be as broken as you need to be in here honey, you know that.” She sighed, hugging him again. </span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">"Thankfully babe, you make me whole. "</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Ashlyn found herself glowing. “Flatterer.” she winked, “Counselling team is going to be busy in the days ahead then.” Ash said gently. She drew breath gently, her mind deep in thought.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“I knew that it’d be like this, and I accept the danger, but is there a point where there’s too much trauma, too much death and we just...settle down somewhere?”</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Just say the word my love. And I will leave tomorrow.”</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“I wasn’t suggesting it, this is your career, what you’ve dreamt of and worked for.”</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“My career is my job, it gives me joy. But you, our family.” Trip placed his hand on her belly, “Is my rai·son d'ê·tre, my calling. I’d give this up, for you.”</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">She rested her hand on his, and moved it to where their son was gently kicking. “I know, I’m happy here, I love the adventure, and I’ll always support you, be here for you to lean on. We can’t quit that easy.”</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“I mean, I wouldn’t be quitting. I’d just be shifting priorities.” Trip said with a smile.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Besides, If you quit, then Ailynn would probably become Captain, and she’d hate you forever for that at the moment.” She winked at him, and giggled.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“She’d forgive me in time. I mean she forgave me for all the times 13 year old Trip got….handsy. She’d forgive me for making her Captain.”</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“I supposed she would at that.” Ash answered.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“But your sister would flip.” Trip paused and then began initiating Aimee. “Trip, I swear, if my daughter dies because you made her captain, well, I know 1001 ways to castrate you, and I will do it.”</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Laughing openly, She looked at him. “You’ve been practising that. That was totally Aimee.” She laughed again. “Seems like so long ago that we saw everyone, I know that it isn’t, but it feels like every step we take is away from what was comfortable. You remember the chinese place we used to go to before we realised that we were dating? And the little community hall where I did the children's reading club?”</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Yes.” Trip said. He missed those places. He thought he would be in charge of the Flight Wing for years. He had made roots in the New Ares community. He missed it. Mars was home.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“One day...We’ll go back there, but for the moment, it’s you, me and bump.” she smiled happily. “However wherever the Fleet sends us next, can it be a bit less kidnappy please?”</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“I’ll do my best dear.”</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Hmmph.” she sulked. “We’re related to half the Admiralty and we don’t get pick and choose of the cushy jobs.” She stuck her tongue out at him playfully. </span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Trip took his shirt off and sat on the bed, remembering he still needed a shower. “Did I make a mistake?”</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“With?”</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><br><br></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Coming here, instead of staying on Mars, staying with the fighter wing.”</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Ash shook her head. “You know you didn’t. You’re feeling reflective because of loss, grief, and the same emotions that you are feeling second hand from others. You know that you did the right thing, and if you think about it, you’d understand how bitter you’d be if you’d have stayed on Mars and watched this ship go off with someone else.”</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Yeah, you’re right.”</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“And it’s okay to think about things like that, but don’t dwell on it. Therein lies the path to madness.” she smiled, kneeling behind him and massaging his shoulders.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Your sister would have been happy though. If I stay on Mars, so does Ailynn. I think. Maybe she would have been on the Illuminar. But she’d still be in medical. So at least one person would be happy.”</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“I’m not sure, perhaps she’d have stayed on Mars and finished off building her hospital there, who could tell.”</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“No one, that’s why its speculative.” Trip said with a laugh.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“So despite the grief, the sadness and loss that surrounds us now, and possibly always will, I genuinely feel happy here, and I think that you do too. Sure, we’ll go back to our house on Mars one day, but for now…” She leant forward and kissed his back, dropping her hands from his shoulders. “Feeling a bit better?”</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Yeah.” He said softly. “We should invite Ronnie for dinner soon.”</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Ash nodded. “I haven’t seen her for a couple of days. Does she…” She paused. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><br></span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Does she what dear?”</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“You know I adore her, and I can’t imagine what she went through, but do you feel that she’d told us, you, everything that she could have?” Her tone was gentle, but puzzled, almost wary.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Well I mean she never mentioned anything about someone hopping universes. But I guess that intel is classified so its not like she would know.” Trip paused. “#@$%! I wasn’t supposed to tell you that part.”</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Ashlyn sighed. “Trip honey, you didn’t need to tell me that, I’d sort of wondered that anyway. Only logical way that she could be here yeah?”</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“It slipped. I didn’t mean to tell you. But I guess I can’t keep secrets from you.”</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">She smiled, “Don’t worry, I know how to keep my mouth closed.” She leant her head on his back. She opened her mouth to ask about her mum, but then closed it again, the question unanswered in her mind. “Love you you know.” she said gently. “Give it a couple of days for things to settle a little, we’ll then have Ronnie over for dinner. It’ll be nice.”</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Yeah. Do I have to go to work today?”</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“I could write you a note to hand in to teacher?” she chuckled. “Sorry babe. You’re the big cheese, you’ve got to go to the office. Now...go wash.” she kissed him again, then sighed slightly. </span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Yeah, you’re right.” Trip smiled and stood up and headed to the bathroom. He was going to shower, get ready, and start the day. He felt better, at least on the surface, and he needed to be. Ash was his rock, and she steadied him. Now he needed to go and be the rock for the rest of the ship.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Ash stayed sat on the bed for a moment, a bunch of things still on her mind. She watched Trip go into their bathroom to prepare for his day, she herself had life a whole lot easier than he did, and she loved being able to shoulder his burden, at least in part. With a slightly heavy heart, she stood up, wishing that they could just spend the day relaxing, and helping Trip unburden. Peeping round the door, she bade her husband a good day, and went on her way, her burdens considerably lighter than his.</span></p><br><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">(Reply none)</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><br></span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">(posted by WIll and Mark)</span></span><br></div>