Star Trek: Fortitude
Season Two, Episode Five: “Downtime”
By Jack D. Elmlinger
PROLOGUE
A change of pace. That’s what everyone needed.
Sitting behind his desk with his feet upon it, and leaning back with a sigh, Ewan Llewellyn realized that he hadn’t done this in months. The prerequisite coffee in his hand, the low background hum of the ship around him, the stars of the unknown Beta Quadrant soaring past the window… it was almost peaceful. The captain thought back over the latest missions that Fortitude had undertaken. It was either repairs or rescue attempts or crazy encounters with ancient spirits. There had been absolutely no time to simply relax or to get on with the day-to-day running of a starship.
A change of pace. That would be nice.
Ewan had been given no fun, no release, and neither had his crew. Although some of them had come close to enjoying themselves during the latest archaeological survey. That was before it turned into another potential dangerous threat. His mind went back to the Santrag system, to Starbase 499, and the card games that he had played with Rear Admiral Blackmore. Even the slow-burning romantic attention that he had been getting from Station Master Martinez would be a welcome distraction. The budding feelings that he had been cultivating for Commander Archer, his first officer, had been buried underneath the latest goings-on. He hadn’t flashed his trademark winning smile in… Well, he couldn’t even remember the last time that he had. Things were changing. The mission was getting exceedingly dark and exceedingly sinister.
A change of pace. Could it be done?
Checking his desktop display screen, which was dominated by a large star chart mapping the course of Fortitude, he noted the absence of anything remotely interesting for a good number of sectors. That settled it. Snap decision. There and then, the captain decided upon a course of action to alleviate his tired crew… and his tired self.
A change of pace. It would be ordered.
ACT ONE
Captain’s Log, Stardate 49628.2;
After what seems like an eternity of troubles, the crew is being given extended downtime for the next few days. I have ordered that Holodeck One be used around-the-clock to provide a tranquil escape, something similar to the tropical beaches back home on Earth. Holodeck Two will be open for personal bookings and the Mess Hall is being overhauled with more comfortable furniture. I know that this isn’t exactly Starfleet regulation and I know that many captains would argue that such actions would lower productivity, but I care about this crew and this crew looks to me for care.
“How did you sleep, Ensign?”
With a knowing smile came the answer. “A little restless, but I… got off eventually…”
“Ah, young love…”
They were seated in the Mess Hall, enjoying the fabulously lavish suite replicated and installed on the new orders of Captain Ewan Llewellyn. Holding a frosted glass with the latest Risian fruit concoction in it, Valerie Archer smiled and nodded along with the assessment of her junior officer, Jason Armstrong. They weren’t the only ones indulging themselves in the fresh decor and innovative approach to seating.
While neither officer had ever seen the Mess Hall quite so busy before, it wasn’t crowded and it wasn’t intrusive to their conversation. It was a relaxing atmosphere, and exactly the one that Llewellyn had hoped for at the beginning of his generosity
“I could get used to their exploring business from now on, Commander,” Jason laughed, the strawberry cheesecake in his grasp shaking with anticipation. “Good food, comfy chairs… What’s next? Casual dress?”
“Don’t push your luck there,” the first officer warned him teasingly,” and call me Valerie. We’re off-duty, remember?”
“Fair play. Boy, the only thing that would make this perfect was if we were a little closer to Earth. Not that I’m homesick or anything, don’t get me wrong… I adore it out here, despite all of the ups and downs. But, you know, nothing can beat those blue skies of home. I doubt that we’ll be seeing those any time soon.”
“Speak for yourself, Jason,” Valerie revealed after she sipped her drink. “I was born in space and I’m a Starfleet kid. By the time that I was ten years old, I had seen, oh, twenty different sectors and lived aboard three different starships.”
“So, no desire for Earth?,” the operations officer asked, surprised.
“Well, I’m still Human… and it is rather beautiful but…” Pausing, she considered echoing the words that she had delivered to Llewellyn to describe her anchor in life, and knew that nothing else came quite as close to effectively nailing her down. “My place is space.”
“What about the Academy?
“It was fun while it lasted, but it was a means to an end for me.”
Jason took an overly extravagant bite of his cheesecake, letting the sweet texture coat his tongue in tastebud-pleasing joy before swallowing it. It filled his head with memories like those of a happy childhood and an even happier education. With the conversation having been steered towards Starfleet Academy, he let his mind become subject to the images and sensations of his training… and his formative years in the relationship that he enjoyed with Ensign Jim Morgan. Yeah, he had loved it.
“Quite the opposite for me,” he finally responded. “I didn’t want it to end.”
“The Academy?,” she clarified. “Isn’t that where you met Jim? Where is he, anyways?”
“He’ll be down soon. He’s just finishing up on a report on the Bridge. That’s why I’m stuffing myself with this,” he apologized, raising the cheesecake’s plate slightly,” so I’m not caught out. Yeah, he and I met at the Six-Oh-Two. Do you know it?”
“It’s a bit off of the beaten track for me. That’s outside the grounds.”
“It makes things all the more adventurous for me. You would get all sorts of folks in there. The night that I saw him, there was an altercation between a Coridian and a barmaid. It seems that he got a little too frisky. Before I knew it, there was a bar fight. I had not idea what to do since they’re so rare! I kinda panicked, but after a second or two, I saw somebody take a swing at Jim, and well… the rest is history.”
“His knight in shining armor,” Valerie smiled, her drink finished now.
“I wish. With armor, I might not have been so badly bruised,” Jason said sheepishly, his cheeks flushing. “I got beat up, trying to rescue him, and in the end, he recovered and dragged me from the place before Security was called. We barely made it back to the Academy grounds before curfew.”
“Okay then, it’s more like… partners in crime?”
“Yeah,” grinned the young ensign, a hand running through his blonde hair,” something along those lines…”
The large double doors behind them opened with a swish. Almost twisting his neck out of alignment with his excited anticipation, Armstrong locked eyes on the gorgeous dark visage of his boyfriend and immediately dropped the cheesecake. Wiping the corners of his mouth with a napkin, he leapt to his feet like a puppy heading for his master. A playful wink was directed at Commander Archer which concluded their conversation.
“If you’ll excuse me, Valerie,” he smiled. “Holodeck One awaits!”
“Go, go,” she chuckled to herself, waving them away.
She watched them leave the Mess Hall. So impressed that she was with the way that both officers handled their relationship, her mind analyzed them for considerable time afterwards. They were good people. Young, yes, and they could probably learn a thigh or two about restraint and the difference between knowledge and wisdom, but… mature in a way.
Starfleet officers led high-flying lives, filled with wonder and diversity. Both men had seen their fair share of darkness in their time aboard Fortitude. Yet, here they were, stronger than ever, and living their lives in harmony.
She sighed. How often had she wished for such a relationship? How she often knew of the perfect man.
How she often dreamed of telling him the truth about her feelings.
“One day,” she vowed quietly to herself. “One day.”
ACT TWO
Lieutenant Commander Sollik was not a happy man.
Since his first day at Starfleet Academy, the Suliban vowed to make the most of his career. To be the best that they were, the most efficient, and the most dedicated. He graduated at the top of his class with distinction and honors, beating a Vulcan who he could have sworn showed a hint of frustration at being defeated in the finals on Warp Field Theory. He detested laziness, punished the late and carefree in Main Engineering, and above all, he had severe problems with erratic command styles.
Today, therefore, he was not a happy man.
The new orders allowing for increased downtime had infuriated him. His gleaming yellow eyes had narrowed and his teeth had ground together as he studied this morning’s LCARS display over breakfast.
Oh sure, all crews needed rest and relaxation, every now and then. He wasn’t completely adverse to some well-earned shore leave.
No, his problem was with the completely unscheduled nature of the orders. It was as if Captain llewellyn had woken up, closed his eyes, and thrown a dart at a calendar and hey presto! We’re all standing down and heading to the Holodeck! See you later, sir!
Sollik had meant to use the extended journey through the uneventful sectors passing by Fortitude to complete some very necessary upgrades to the plasma network. It would double response time, securing a vital few seconds the next time that energy needed to be transferred… but, of course, trying out the new chairs in the Mess Hall is more important…
Main Engineering was quiet. Only the gentle throbbing of the warp core, the peaceful swirling mass of blue light bathing his green skin, kept him company.
That was until the doors opened to reveal a certain Bolian pilot. “There you are!”
“What is it now, Arden?,” Sollik scowled, almost punching his workstation.
“There’s a great watersports program running on Holodeck Two that’s open to all,” Arden Vuro said, his friendly face beaming as he collapsed his athletic body over the workstation, forcing his friend, the chief engineer, to look up. “Come on! Get out of this place for a while and enjoy the captain’s generosity!”
“Can’t,” came the Suliban’s short reply,” working.”
“Doctor Boswell said you’d say that. She was heading over there too. She said to use a Human expression to convince you. ‘All work and no play makes Sollik a dull man’.”
“Then I’m dull. Go on and enjoy the captain’s generosity.”
Vuro frowned. Try as he might, he simply couldn’t engage him. “Have it your way.”
Turning his back, he tried his one final gambit. The pilot was one of those optimistic people who just didn’t quit at the first sign of resistance. Sure, Sollik had every right to be a grumpy stick-in-the-mud and if he didn’t like something, nobody had the power to demand that he think otherwise. However, he was the closest thing that the chief engineer had to a real, true friend. That meant a degree of that power was up for grabs.
Sollik watched the Bolian start to leave and he exhaled. “My apologies,” he heard himself say.
It got Arden’s attention. “What’s wrong?”
“Look, it’s nothing personal. I just feel more comfortable when I’m working. Perhaps when my shift is over, and if the program is still running, I’ll join you for a drink.”
“Okay, sure. That’s all you had to say.”
“Thank you. Go on and have fun.”
“Oh, I intend to!”
* * * *
Personal Log, Erica Martinez, Stardate 46928.4;
With the latest report from the starship Fortitude having just landed on my desk, I do wish I could be out there with them. I’ve always been someone who craves an anchor, and I guess, a position of steadfast permanence. It’s not the exploration that has me yearning for that vessel.
Captain Llewellyn… Ewan, I mean, has called for an extended period of downtime for his crew. I get the impression that he’s wrestling with the burden of being a starship captain, and other things that he didn’t expect to find. Part of me, the part of me with feelings for him, just wants to be a support… but I suppose out there, he’s got Valerie Archer for that…
“I win again,” observed Rear Admiral Edward Blackmore with a grin.
“Huh? Oh, yeah… you do. Damn…”
“I’m getting the impression that your head isn’t in this game, Erica.”
Letting her beautiful features fall into her cupped hand, slouching over the completed hand of poker on the table in front of her, Station Master Martinez gave a slight nod. The Latina woman was certainly not her usual character this evening, and it didn’t take years of serving together for Blackmore to notice. Scratching his grey beard with a growl, the bear-like father figure to all of the officers and crew members stationed in the Santrag system scooped in his victorious chips and started to reshuffle the deck of cards.
“Care to share?”
“It’s just… something… nothing, really. I’m sorry, Boxer. I’m here, honestly.”
“Is it Ewan?”
That question caught her off guard. She hadn’t confided her feelings in anyone, let alone the Rear Admiral. He would probably be the first person if she did, but still… Was she that obvious? How did he know? She didn’t even need to ask him. Her expressions of amazement did all of the work for her.
“Fortitude is scheduled to return in a few weeks,” Edward continued,” and you’re wondering if you can let him pass through without telling him. You’re wondering if you could survive another one of their absences… or if they would survive whatever terrors that they dig up next, out there, and you will have missed your chance. Am I even close to right here, or are you going to let me prattle on?”
“Okay, okay!,” Erica interrupted him, holding up her hands in mock surrender at the amazing powers of deduction that were on display. “You win, you win! My God, you are good at this. Do you know that? You should open up a counseling office in the mall!”
“Jokes aside,” growled the older man,” are you all right?”
“Seriously, I’m fine. These things happen, Boxer. We can’t choose who we fail for. Can we? Otherwise, life would be so much simpler.”
That it would.
That it would, indeed.
Blackmore knew all too well, himself, what she was talking about. His past relationship record wasn’t exactly a spotless how-to guide. Still, right now, his Station Master needed a friend, a distraction, and that was that. No deep psychoanalytical conversations, no crying on sympathetic shoulders, just a friend… that was what Edward Blackmore was best at.
“Too true, Erica,” he said simply, dealing the cards.
What a complex adventure that their lives were.
ACT THREE
Completely unaware of the conversation about him, lightyears away, Captain Llewellyn strode through Fortitude’s corridors in an ignorant bliss. He was heading to his quarters for a quiet meal and an early night that he felt like he deserved. Tapping a PADD between his hands, he was looking forward to discarding it with careless abandon. One of the benefits of being the captain, he smiled to himself, was that when you wanted to relax, you could make it happen. Upon walking around a corner, though, he realized that he had picked the wrong route. His mood almost broken, he felt his expression fall as his gaze settled upon the doors to Holodeck Two.
Doctor Lynn Boswell was wearing a somewhat revealing swimming suit and with her normally tidy hair cascading over her shoulders. Hearing his inner monologue curse loudly at him, he tried turning away before he was spotted…
… but it was too late.
She had seen him and called out to him. It wasn’t that he disliked the young chief medical officer but he had just wanted to be left alone this evening. There was no choice.
“Doctor,” he smiled grudgingly after he turned to face her,” I know that I said you should let your hair down, but don’t you think this is a little over the top?”
“It’s still within regulation, even if you wanted to punish me, sir,” the doctor smiled back. “I’ve seen almost everybody come and go from the holodecks, all day. Yet, I haven’t seen you down here. Don’t tell me you’re the only person who isn’t following your orders?”
“Captain’s prerogative,” Ewan reminded her, letting his forced smile become more natural as the conversation progressed. “Some people choose to relax in different ways is all. What’s going on in there anyways?”
“The most incredible watersports program that you’ll ever see. Most of the senior staff are in there too. In fact, even Sollik dropped in, a few minutes ago. You should come on in, say hello, and socialize a bit.”
“Thanks, but I have plans.”
“Oh? With whom, if I may ask?”
Yet again, he heard another curse inside his head. Lynn had just told him that all of the senior officers were on the blasted holodeck, and that meant that his usual excuse about meeting with either a Bridge officer or even his first officer was a complete write-off. He fumbled for an excuse, a second too long, realizing that he might as well have just admitted to her that he was planning on doing absolutely nothing.
“I see,” she grinned at him. “Well, as Ship’s Doctor, I have authority in this matter.”
“Excuse me…?,” Ewan stammered, not sure what exactly the matter was.
“Boswell to Lieutenant Vuro and Ensign Armstrong,” Lynn continued, tapping her combadge and ignoring her captain completely. “Please report to the corridor outside Holodeck Two on the double.”
It only took them a moment. They were near the doors.
Turning, Llewellyn saw the doors to Holodeck Two open. Jason and Arden emerged, both of them wearing swimming shorts and childish grins. Just beyond them, the bemused Welshman could see a large tropical environment dominated by an azure swimming pool. Collected around it were a handful of crew personnel from the lower decks, several from engineering, and the rest of the senior staff, just as Boswell had told him. Jim Morgan, Valerie Archer… Even Sollik was there, although he was the only one still wearing his uniform. Before he could even react, he was swept up in the doctor’s maniacal plan.
“Gentlemen,” she addressed the scantily-clad men,” I am using my authority as Chief Medical Officer of the USS Fortitude to temporarily relieve Captain Ewan Llewellyn of command. My new orders under those circumstances are as follows…”
When she was finished, he was astonished.
Could she even do this?
He suddenly realized that she could. A pair of blue-skinned arms belonging to Lieutenant Vuro seized his legs. Falling back, he was caught around the shoulders by Jason Armstrong who quickly nodded to his Bolian counterpart to life. Aghast, Llewellyn had no alternative but to allow himself to be carried by his two officers onto the holodeck. As he passed by Lynn, the doctor simply smiled and plucked the PADD from his grasp.
“I’ll take that,” she said, laughing.
Soon he was teetering over the edge of the swimming pool. The artificial water looked dangerously real, the artificial sun being warm enough as it was. The black in his uniform magnified the heat and he felt sweat form on his brow.
Damn it, this was tantamount to mutiny!
If this had been at any other time, under any other situation, he would have been furious. However, as it stood, he had a moment of self-realization that he had ordered this and now he was paying the price.
“Careful, Jason,” Jim warned his partner, fighting to keep himself from getting hysterical,” you wouldn’t want to drop the captain, would you?”
“I don’t know,” Jason called out from behind Ewan’s head. “Would I want to, Doctor Boswell?”
“I’d say… yes!,” Lynn replied with a smirk. “On three… two… one!”
As Ewan Llewellyn flew helplessly from the clutches of his two Bridge officers, laughter echoed around the holographic environment, filling his ears, and he caught a glimpse of Valerie Archer. Somehow, everything seemed to be just fine. She was smiling, chuckling, and adding to the laughter. Because of that, he didn’t mind the abrupt shock to his system as he struck the pool’s crystal clear waters.
Applause broke out as he surfaced.
Spitting out an accidental mouthful of water high into the air, Ewan cleared his eyes and looked up at his happy crew. It must have been hilarious because even Sollik’s stern visage had twisted into a smile. The sight of his captain drenched against his will was apparently even funny in Suliban minds.
Jason and Jim held each other up, their young sides fit to burst as their sense of humor was perfectly catered by the stunt. Arden mouthed a wordless apology down into the pool as his mouth curled into a smile. The architect of this little moment of chaos, Doctor Lynn Boswell, waved Ewan’s PADD playfully at him with a friendly wink.
He couldn’t help himself. Feeling his shoulders start to shake up and down, that trademark grin of his appeared across his face. He had brought this onto himself, hadn’t he? That grin turned into a laugh and the applause grew.
Then Valerie called out to him.
Swimming over to the edge of the pool, Ewan found his first officer reaching down to give him a hand up.
“Sorry, Commander,” he warned her, briefly.
Taking her hand as she had expected, he kicked off and pulled her into the pool. The rest of the crew followed suit.
Well, Ewan thought to himself, what was losing one early night when compared to the bond that could grow between his crew? It was an effective tool, the sight of their captain leading the party, having fun… and being Human. After all that they had been through together, it was the least that he could do for the morale aboard the USS Fortitude.
EPILOGUE
A change of pace. It was fun.
Having long discarded his ruined uniform, Ewan’s new outfit consisted of a brightly-colored shirt that he had replicated, a long time ago for shore leave on Risa, along with some equally tasteful swimming shorts that matched. Hardly the dress code befitting a Welshman, he told himself while looking in the mirror but he had only gambled on wearing it only once. Now, walking back to his quarters as the party on Holodeck Two had ended, he stifled a yawn and reminded himself to be a better gambler.
“Ewan, hold up…”
Valerie Archer was jogging to catch up with him. He slowed down slightly, letting her draw alongside him, and together, they continued on their way home.
“We should do this more often,” she said with some sincerity.
“Nothing to explore, no bad guys to fight… it was the least that I could do,” he told her, nodding along. “All of them have performed above and beyond the call of duty. Downtime is a reward and they’ve certainly earned it.”
“It’s nice to know that you won’t be pressing charges about the pool incident.
“Bollocks to that! Court martials all around!”
They shared in the laugh. It sounded more in-tune without the crescendo of the others, more connected… more intimate. In silence, both of them had analyzed the same thoughts, felt the same feelings before Ewan reached his quarters and stopped walking. With his head turning, he found Valerie had stopped but deliberately looking away from him as if she wanted to move on.
“I… uh… don’t suppose…,” he began to say.
“Oh, um, uh… No, I had better… ah, get back to my… my quarters,” was her instant reply, cutting her captain off before he could ask what was so obviously going to be asked, out of her fear at being unable to refuse. Valerie wasn’t a stranger to flirting. She was no prude when it came to relationships but this was different. This wasn’t standing at the bar in San Francisco with some Starfleet officer about to ship out in the morning. This was her commanding officer… and this had real feelings.
“Of course, of course,” Ewan heard himself reply, his brain detached from his mouth.
“Work starts again tomorrow.”
“Indeed. Well, then… tomorrow. Goodnight, Valerie.”
“Goodnight, Ewan.”
The End.