EXETERRPG: (2 - 2121) CEO/2O Lt. Commander Keira Merek & CSO, Lt. Erin Cortez

[Jaclyn Smith]

Mission: A new day dawns

Day: 2

Stardate: 2446.01.29


(Earth- Home of Trip and Ashlyn Williams - Porch steps - CEO/2O Lt.
Commander Keira Merek & CSO, Lt. Erin Cortez - 2121)

Erin sat quietly. Head in her hands. The man she had thought of as her
brother, the one who had looked after her and had been In her life since
the academy was now dead.

Not knowing how to express this feeling growing inside her, she lifted her
head up and looked out at the expanse of the ranch land. Not many knew how
close her and Ravok actually were. She knew that Keira had been with Ravok
and Trip and the other pilots had an extremely close bond with him.

Not wanting to intrude on their grief and their feelings, she had stepped
away. Wanting to be by herself.

Keira had known Trip long enough from all the way back on Mars to know when
not to poke the bear. Seeing Erin walk out, helping her friend was a really
good reason to leave the room. Keira was familiar enough with screen doors
to know how to open and close one without a lot of extra noise, she did so
now exiting the house by that door.

She walked over and sat next to her friend. She sat quietly for a little
bit. The seconds ticked by for a few moments before she finally spoke. "I
know Lathuel meant a lot to you too," Keira started, "I'm here if you want
to talk."

Erin looked at her, "Same could be said for you. He was your…." Erin paused
struggling to find the words.

"He was certainly special to me." Keira said.

"Keira,  he meant a lot to me. He was my brother. In Toronto… the other
place, whoever we were there, they were together. He looked after me there.
I just… I don't know how to deal with this."

"It's difficult." Keira admitted, "Wait, together? Like together, together?"

"Keira, I'm sorry. He was your love. I'm sorry. How heartless of me…" Erin
replied, shaking her Head, "How are you ….?"

"Don't apologize for your grief, it's not any less valid than mine," Keira
said, "and we express it differently. Mine comes out as anger as I lash
out."

"I know. I saw you and the new guy… not the Australian…"

"Tyrek? That's the first time he's done that, first time is free, plus I'm
not sure he realized the misstep, didn't make me any less angry though."
Keira paused, "what about you? I've noticed you handle yours more
internally…"

Erin nodded, "It's wrong I know. I should talk but I just can't. Knowing
he's dead and thinking it are two different things."

"I know the feeling." The blonde agreed.

"There’s been no time to process yet. People seem to forget that we knew
each other for a long time. Since the academy… I mean we.. " a multitude of
memories flashed into her mind. The memory of laughing as he ran naked
around the quad, how he played the piano, how he reacted to Christian and
finding out about that…

"It's OK…"

"Keira, I don’t honestly know what to do right now. I've felt so strong, so
much better in myself and now this.."

"Sometimes things take time," Keira began. "You gotta figure out what
you're feeling and why before you can learn what you need to do to deal."

"That's true."

"If you want, I'm here to listen," Keira offered, " if not, I'm just here."

"I just… I'm angry, Keira. At him and myself. "

"Why were you mad at him?"

"Him for leaving the way he did. For what he did. Me…"

"Go ahead," Keira encouraged.

"..me for not seeing it and helping him." Erin answered honestly, without
knowing her fists were balling up, knuckles turning white.

"You're preaching to the choir on that one," Keira affirmed, hoping she got
the Earth idiom right. "I was with him every night, we slept in the same
bed. I always looked at him in the best light, rose colored glasses as my
mom would say. Looking back now, under a new light, a more critical lense,
I see all the red flags plain as day."

"I wish I did. I just…. I'm so angry.'

"You know what they say about hindsight, it's one." Keira tried another
idiom.

Erin smiled, "you mean twenty twenty vision right?"

"Twenty-twenty? You mean you don't reduce the fraction?"

"No… it's…" Erin smiled as she looked at her friend, "Keira, I'll be
honest. I have this feeling inside me now. Part of it is sadness hat things
ended that way for him. The other part is anger. I don't get angry and I
don't know what to do with that."

"Anger I can deal with," Keira said, "now regret, that's another animal."

"Maybe I just need to…" Erin paused as she unbleached her fist, now aware
that she had been balling them up.

"I still have that calisthenics program, the one I got from DS9.." the
blonde offered.

"You mean the one that had those crazy creatures in it? That sounds like
fun right now."

"The ones from Klingon legend, yes. It's great for working out anger."

"Work off the anger… I have a prior engagement with Ensign Jori tomorrow
but definitely sounds like an idea. A lot of unresolved anger issues. We
both have them."

"Jori? That's the new tactical officer, isn't it? She looks scrappy, if
she's game you want to invite her along?" Keira offered.

"Well, I can ask. I am gonna teach her archery. Just going to be nice to do
something to take my mind off this.."

"Oh, and unless you want to be around when the Head of the Corps of
Engineers is on the Exeter I'd steer clear. He scheduled a tour for himself
at 1300." Keira warned.

"If he's wanting to talk to a crazy, grieving scientist.. fine by me."

"It's up to you." Keira said.

"Keira, when things have calmed, when the news has settled, perhaps we
could get together and share happier memories? Just remember him how we
would want to, not like this?"

"I'd like that. Taco Tuesday? Margaritas?" Keira said with a grin.

"Taco and tequila Tuesday sounds good." Erin replied with a sigh.

“Then it’s settled. It will be weird to have Taco Tuesdays with out Lathuel
and Rayna around.” Keira admitted.

"I know. It’s just such a shock. I had hoped there would be a way back for
him. But this is just so final. It's hard to accept I'm never going to see
him again."

“I’m going to talk to his mother, later to ensure she knows. Depending on
what the evidence shows, he maybe in Stovokor, Shakaree, Valhalla or where
ever we go when we die. Maybe it’s not so much goodbye as until we meet
again?” Keira said, full of hope.

"Until we see you and kick your ass?" Erin offered with a smile.

“I’m going to head out. Gotta say goodbye to Ash, and thank her for her and
Trip’s hospitality and collect Venus. You want a ride back to the ship?”


"please. I'll just wait right here. Don't feel like going back in there.
Ash will understand. Tell her goodbye and thankyou from me. I might walk to
the ride home   where is it?"

“In the Snakehead, a decommissioned Romulan runabout, it doesn’t have
weapons or a warp drive, it’s got impulse and enough power to make it into
orbit with the Exeter.”

"Sounds perfect. I'll meet you at the car. Could do with some alone time."

"You sure?" Keira asked.

"I'm okay, go say your goodbyes. I just want to take a walk by myself. I'll
be fine, Keira. "

"You'll need this to open the hatch." Keira said and handed Erin a small
fob. "It's the left button, see you at the snake head."

"See you at the car." Erin said as she turned and headed into the night,
walking towards the Snake head.

(Reply none)

(Posted by Jackie and Todd)
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