Sleepless On The Ship
Posted on Sunday, 24 October 2021 - 4:10pm by Lieutenant JG Hayashi Hamura & Lieutenant JG Maximus Mackenzie
Mission:
Operation: Mirror of Madness
Location: Officer's Mess | Deck 3 | USS Standing Bear
Timeline: 2394 MD 01 overnight to MD 02
ON:
Hamura ambled into the mess hall expecting to be the only one there. Usually around 3am it was the sweet spot of empty. Ori was working late and Hamura was troubled by all that was happening. It was a hell of a surprise when Hamura walked into the mess and found someone else there. A familiar face, a familiar person, a person that probably shared Hamura's worries.
Sighing Hamura headed to the table, "Couldn't sleep?"
Mac, who'd been reading looked up. "Not a wink. Same affliction?"
Hamura gave a nod. "Hell yeah." Not waiting for an invite Hamura dropped down into the chair in front of Mac. “Soral has me all kinds of messed up.”
“Yeah, me too.”
“It’s not him Mac. Something is way off.”
“I know that. I believe you, hell I saw it…on that ship.”
Hamura rubbed their chin. “Okay let’s Vulcanize and Logicalize all this.”
Mac snorted. “Soral would be proud.”
“Yeah. He was fine last month.”
“Yup.”
“He was fine,” Hamura continued, “Until the very day that we boarded that ship. It was after that when I noticed something off.”
Mac gave a nod. “Haru made the same conclusion but nothing happened on the ship.”
Hamura sighed and stood beginning to pace. “The ship was secured, no life signs. What happened?”
Mac sighed and sat back rubbing the bridge of his nose. “He could have fallen when he was alone, hit his head.”
Hamura stopped, “No not possible. That man has been hit in the head many times and nothing like this has happened.”
“Okay how about touched something that … gave him something…”
“And you’re investigations?”
Mac grunted. “Listen Ham!”
Hamura snorted, “Long time since you called me that.”
“Yeah well, it’s just past three a m and my brain is honestly hurting. I’m worried about Alex.” He held up his hands, “I know you two don’t see eye to eye.”
“It’s not that we don’t see eye to eye…it’s complicated.”
Mac snorted. “Everything in life is.”
Hamura sat down hard. “Anyway we’ll figure it all out. How are you doing…Mr. Newly married.”
Mac rubbed the bridge of his nose, “Well tit for tat. I sprung a wedding on Haru and he sprung a honeymoon on me. Risa.”
“Ouch…I know how much you hate that.”
“I can’t say no, though, he’s planned it so quickly and oh my Gods! Not a spare minute. I think he has us hitting every museum and theater in sight.”
Hamura laughed. “Yeah well I’m sure it will be fun.”
“It’s Risa Ham! It’s never fun. Half naked bodies roaming around.”
“And that’s a bad thing?”
Mac pinned Hamura with a look and Hamura laughed.
After a few moment Hamura said, “Can I get your advice?”
Mac sat forward. “Why do I feel like I’m your second choice for advice.”
“Cause Soral is not here and you know I’d be hitting his door first.”
Mac sighed. “I’ll settle for sloppy seconds then. Ask away.”
Hamura smiled a little, “Listen, I’m kind of lost about this whole…relationship with Oriana. I just got assigned Senior quarters and they’re nice and I want her there but hell we haven’t know one another that long.”
Mac studied them. “Ham, first off, sometimes it doesn’t take that long. Look at Alex and Soral it was in the blink of an eye. Do you really care for her?”
“I don’t know…this is different but also she’s…Ace and I’m not. I don’t know what comes with that I mean I can guess by our conversations but do I want that kind of relationship? Will it work out? Is it okay for now but…”
“In all relationships,” Mac started wisely. “There are buts to contend with. In the end this is something you two have to talk about, I mean really talk about and figure out. It’s not like you have to commit to things one hundred percent. You can take a break or try things, separate, go slower.”
Hamura gave a nod.
“The question, the major one is, if you didn’t go for it, if you didn’t pursue this would you regret it?”
Hamura studied Mac. The silence between them stretched.
Mac could see Hamura’s mind working. “I’m sorry Soral would be better at this.”
“I think you did fine. I guess I would regret it but…I think you’re right. Ori and I need to talk about it all. This is one of those deep conversations I hate.”
Mac snorted. “Deep conversations have never been an issue. You talk to Soral about all sorts of deep issues.”
“That’s different.” Hamura paused. “You don’t have to be jealous of my relationship with Soral. You are family to him, you know.”
Mac was silent a moment and then said, “Can I ask you something?”
Hamura gave a nod, “Turn about is fair play. Ask away.”
Mac smiled at the rhyme. “This connection you have with Soral what’s it like?”
“It’s…unusual. I mean I can sense his thoughts, moods, but it’s like there are time when I don’t know where his mind ends and mind begins, not when we’re apart of course but when we’re in the same room. It’s like when he’s sad, I get this sadness. It’s like I can feel when he’s in pain, I mean when his soul hurts. Heartbreaks, fears, all of it. I know his mind and he knows mine. After the Katra merge it was like I took on some of his…more charming characteristics.”
“You still have those at times.”
“Yes but I can now tell that their his. It’s a deep understanding.”
“What about Alex,” Mac asked. “Can you sense her feelings through is?”
Hamura shook their head. “No, the marriage bond is sacred on Vulcan. It is stronger and deeper then anything, even a Katra merge. It’s actually closer to what you and Haru have in a sense. Same draw back.”
“How do you mean?”
Hamura sat back, they’d never discussed this. “If Soral dies…my life force will be disturbed. As in vegetable for life…and vice versa.”
Mac’s eyes bugged out. “Yeah Haru said something like that of the way we are connected.”
“Well…if he dies you die in our case I wouldn’t die or he wouldn’t die just be in a coma and what emerged would be…difficult to put together again, the humpty dumpty effect I guess.”
Mac sighed, “Does it ever scare you?”
“Not in the least. I know Soral and he knows me. I think that at times … we work in symbiosis. When he gives up on life and the world my will takes over and he pushes through and the other way around. It’s a kind of support network I never knew and one that I know that I can count on.”
Mac gave a nod. He rubbed his eyes. “I should get back. Haru will be back by now, hopefully we can get some sleep at least a couple ours.”
Hamura gave a nod. “I’ll stay here, maybe grab a sandwich.”
Mac studied them. “There’s something your not saying isn’t there.”
Hamura expelled a breath, “Yeah.”
“About Soral.”
“Yeah…”
“Want to share?”
“Let me figure it out and I will.”
Mac gave a nod. That was good enough for him. If Soral trusted Hamura so would Mac.
“Good night Ham.”
“Good night Mac.”
OFF:
