Drowning your Troubles?

Posted on Tuesday February 2nd, 2021 @ 5:08pm by Commander Kanaka Shakura

1,548 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: S1-A1-Ep. 1: Spectrophobia
Location: The Bar, Starbase 47
Timeline: Prior to Departure from Starbase 47
Tags: Starbase 47, Freya Mannerheim, Kanaka Shakura, Pre-Departure

This JP was written with Lt. Commander Freya Mannerheim prior to their departure from the Poseidon. They are now CO of the I.R.W. Ourainavassa of the 16th Fleet.

[ON]

Her head swirling with impossible thoughts, Freya stepped out of the lift and into the starbase's bar and lounge area. She tried to tell herself that it was all just coincidences, that she was overthinking things, or maybe she was just seeing things. Either way, the conclusion her brain kept reaching was simply impossible.

Finally, she had reached the bar counter, staffed by a Ferengi in a rather gaudy looking suit. "You're looking troubled. Here to drown your sorrows?," said the Ferengi, with a toothy grin. Freya chuckled. "Actually, yes. It's a long shot, but you wouldn't have any icemead from Nygard?"

The barkeeper frowned. "Well I never. There was another one of you science types here not long ago, she asked for the same thing. Some young blondie."

Freya shuddered. More coincidences. "I'll take your entire stock," she responded to the Ferengi. She could see his eyes turn to latinum has he calculated the price and took payment for the seven bottles he had left. The Lieutenant Commander arranged for six of them to be delivered to her quarters on the Poseidon, and took the last of them and a glass to a table in the corner.

Pouring herself some of the pale, blue liquid from her homeworld - or at least this universe's version of it - Freya pondered the strange coincidences of the day. First, she discovers that the "code" used by their likely Terran attackers had a repeat error that was characteristic of her sister's use of the Futhark. Then she runs into a woman who resembled her sister - except some ten years older. And now she learns said woman had also ordered icemead? Either she was getting paranoid, or something was going on.

Kana had concluded her food and drinks with T'Pri and had waited a while before leaving. Leaving the private area behind the bar, she began making her way towards the exit. As she did so the Ferengi barman - who had taken a strong interest in her - clocked her almost immediately and called out to her, almost with a sense of longing. "Oh, madam! Don't leave now, the evening is so young!" His voice somehow just managed to carry over the noise of the revellers who were now growing in even greater numbers.

Turning on her heel, the Chief Counsellor went to respond to the Ferengi, before just noticing Freya sitting in the corner on her own with a troubled expression across her face. Pausing for a moment, Kana then gave a polite smile to the barmen as she gestured over towards the Lieutenant. "I was just looking for my other friend here - do bring me another drink, would you?"

The Ferengi was clearly glad that she had chosen to stay, but frowned once again at the mention of another 'friend'. Still, he obliged the Commander and prepared her a drink. Meanwhile, she approached the Chief Flight Control Officer's table.

"Lieutenant." She greeted her. "How are you doing?"

Freya looked up and gave the counsellor a smile. "Just a lot of things on my mind." She took a swig from her drink. "I see you made a new fan," she added with a chuckle.

"Yes, I seem to be gaining a lot of admirers on this voyage already." Kanaka said subtly with a sideward grin towards Freya as the Ferengi quickly and eagerly approached with a rather colourful beverage for the Commander. He gave her bright, bushy-tailed eyes as she took the drink - which she deliberately looked straight through, not that it phased him - and then pulled the chair out for her as she sat down. He then gave Freya a slightly displeased look, before darting back to his duties.

"It has its perks." The Counsellor laughed before continuing. "So, what's on your mind?" She asked casually as she tried her drink.

Freya shrugged, and took a sip from her drink. "Too many impossible coincidences in a day. I'm sure they are all just coincidences, but still. My little sister was always into this stuff, probabilities and entropy and all that. There's this theory that sometimes, the universe's entropy in a certain point drops so low that a series of otherwise impossible coincidences will occur. Like, a familiar face that could not have been there, followed by an unlikely drinks order by someone who matches that same description. And the whole thing preceded by a code with some strangely familiar quirks that are characteristic of a person that not only fits that description, and would order the same drink, but more importantly cannot possibly be involved in all of this."

She took another sip and sighed. "So either there is a massive spike of negative entropy around me, something impossible has happened, or I am simply going mad. And at this stage, I would not rule out either of those options."

Kana listened intently to what Freya was saying, and gleamed from the topic of entropy what might be going on. It was quite strange, and concerning. "Extreme trauma can, from time to time, cause delusions; particularly following periods of acute stress." The Chief Counsellor explained, "Which we've all been under a lot following the events of the Bright Nebula. This has been nothing like any maiden voyage I've ever been a part of during my time in Starfleet." She mused, trying to lighten the mood just a little.

"Who's the familiar face?" Kana asked intently, picking up upon the example that Freya had made, suggesting to her that it was that which had caused her current mood.

Freya shook her head. “My sister. I know, I know, you will say it’s impossible. But that is who I thought I saw. Not that it matters. It probably wasn’t her, anyway.”

She took out a PADD, and showed it to Kana. “And then there’s this. I’ve just been informed I have been reassigned. To Starfleet Intelligence. I have no idea why, and it’s come quite sudden, but I am to report to the U.S.S. Amelia, the day after tomorrow. She will then take me back to Earth, where I’ll be given my new orders and posting. So, just as I finally thought I’d be settling in, everything changes. Again.”

Kana was surprised by both revelations, but admittedly more so the latter. She hadn’t been informed of any reassignment for the Chief Flight Control Officer, and she was not best pleased with it; Freya was not only one of the best helmswomen that the Poseidon could have asked for, but she was clearly someone that Kana could help, and now if they were going to be reassigned they wouldn’t be able to help them. How she hadn’t been informed as the Executive Officer infuriated her, but she kept her composure as she handed back the PADD.

“Well, I’m deeply saddened to have to lose you so soon.” The Chief Counsellor admitted, honestly. “But it seems to me that you are in need of the adventure, anyway. The chance to explore this universe and figure out who you really are, realise how free you are from this ‘mirror universe’ which you come from. Perhaps it's even a chance to meet this family of yours; and as for your sister, who knows…it may be that she is closer than you think. After all, if you could get here...”

“Who knows, indeed.” Freya took a sip from her drink. “I will miss the Poseidon. But, ultimately, I never was a conn officer. I trained as a communications and intelligence officer, and that is what I enjoy doing most. Who knows what they need me for. Probably something to do with where I come from. But know that I will never forget what you, and the Captain, and even Commodore Paladin, have done for me.”

“You better not. Who knows when we might need a quick favour from Starfleet Intelligence, huh?” Kana joked with a devious grin, taking a sip from her drink also. “Take good care of yourself, Freya. You’re a special person, and not just because of where you came from. That’s only part of the picture, but it certainly doesn’t take up the whole frame.” She smiled warmly towards her now departing comrade, before finishing the rest of her drink and then looking at the empty glass.

“How about one more, for the road?”

Freya chuckled. “If this is going to be goodbye, at least for now, why not make it more than one?”

“You’re on. Oh waiter!” Kana raised her hand with a floury expression, knowing that despite all the commotion, her admirer would be at her beck and call. The two would share quite a few drinks more before they finally parted ways.

[END]

Cmdr. Kanaka "Kana" Shakura
Executive Officer & Chief Counsellor
U.S.S. Poseidon

&

Lt. Cmdr. Freya Mannerheim
Chief Flight Control Officer (Former)
U.S.S. Poseidon

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