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RoF #67 - 68 "Nope, no pingpongballs needed for that"-={On}=- [Captain's Ready Room, Starbase Ronin] Caelen looked at the screen, he couldn't believe this, he didn't want to believe this. His breathing was shallow and the confusion and disbelieve overruled any kind of logical thinking. How could this have happened? What did he do to deserve this? Slowly he raised his hand to his chest and tapped his combadge =/\= Captain LaBrie to Quinn, please report to my ready room =/\= As the Base's chaplain Gavin was in a unique position of providing outside spiritual consultation. However the quiet soul was mildly surprised to receive a summons from the Commanding Officer. Gavin walked to the nearest comm station in the small office within the chapel and responded. =/\= I'm on my way, Captain. =/\= The hybrid Human-Bandi made his way patiently through the promenade smiling to eyes that met his. Out of habit he slowly twisted the silver ring on his finger. The repetitive motion had an uncanny calming affect on his demeanor. In Ops the chaplain was given second looks from the crew of the Base. He was a civilian and rarely did they wander into the central command. Gavin simply nodded and made his way to the ready room. He stepped to the door and was signaled to enter. Gavin noted a slight anticipation in the Commanding Officer and he walked to greet him. "Captain, Gavin Quinn. How can I help?" Caelen locked the doors behind the man that just walked in "If I understand it correctly you're the Chaplain, right?" he asked, just trying to make sure. Gavin watched as the door was locked. "Yes, Captain." "So you believe in a God?" Caelen then asked, sounding genuinely interested but there was also a hint of uncertainty. "Yes, do you?" Gavin returned. Caelen shook his head "I never have..." he motioned Gavin to sit down in front of him "...I take it that your Faith helps you through hard times in your life?" "Well, faith and a good shot of vodka." Gavin sat down casually. "Yeah... I know how that works..." Caelen had solved his problems with whiskey before "...but I am on duty now, and I need to stay sharp." Gavin nodded. "Did you ask me here to inquire about my theology? Or to find a new drinking buddy?" He smiled. "Your Theology... although I wouldn't count out the second..." Caelen sounded and looked troubled all over "...I am sure you are up to date on the situation on the base?" he asked. "Considering I am a civilian and a chaplain at that, I know very little of the situation on the base." Gavin admitted pointedly. "I would have to say that security lock down is not pleasant and when you add in Romulans, there's always room for improvement." "Might I remind you that there are always Romulans on this base..." Caelen tried to calm him down a bit, hoping that he didn't have a racist Chaplain on his hands here "...it's the Tal'Shiar that we're worried about..." he sighed "...I have just received a message and for me it seems to only get worse..." he felt and looked a bit uneasy "...the USS Gemini, a vessel that is home to my daughter..." he didn't mention his ex-wife, to him the split up was over a year ago "...has gone missing" "I'm sorry to hear that Captain." Gavin ignored the Romulan comment. The chaplain was actually referring to the reaction of most Starfleet personnel when confronting or working alongside a Romulan – the issue wasn't the Romulan it was more often the other. "Is there any possibility that the ship is temporarily unavailable – incognito, communications down?" Caelen shook his head, "There has been a probe send to their location... their transponder no longer shows up on any of the sensors..." he sighed a bit "...do you believe that the Lord has a big plan?" "No." Gavin answered honestly. "I believe that we were all put here to live our lives to the best of our ability not to act as some puppet in the God-like puppeteer's play. When we are taken from this world, we often have no say in it and it has little to do with God. What is important is what we do with the time we are here." Gavin continued. "Death in many respects sucks, Captain…especially for those left living." He breathed a couple of times. Caelen shook his head "I do not believe my daughter is dead..." he stated, maybe he just didn't want to believe it. "I wouldn't believe my daughter was dead if I sat in your chair either." Gavin said. "There's nothing wrong with those thoughts…those beliefs…that faith. You don't have to believe in God to believe in faith." Caelen shook his head "but it would make things a lot easier wouldn't it..." he sat back in his chair and sighed again "...something is wrong but Alex is not dead... I can feel it somehow..." "That's the funny thing about the unknown…" Gavin's right lip curled into a smile. "It's god-damned unknown." Gavin sighed as his smile faded. "Captain, having your daughter…Alex…on another ship must be hard for you." Caelen nodded "You just never get used to missing her..." "Tell me about her – what does she do? What does she look like?" Gavin was helping Caelen reminisce. Caelen thought a bit, he had not seen her in real life for over a year because of the entire Q ordeal. "She's the cutest little girl you'll ever run into..." he shook his head a bit "...dark curls, like her mother... Dark green eyes..." he shrugged "...she is just so perfect" Gavin smiled, picturing the girl. There was much to the story left dark – why was she there, where was her mother…however the chaplain was not a therapist and did not probe attempting to correct a psychological malady. Gavin was there to listen to what the Captain had to say. "I bet she is full of energy." "She is Mister Quinn..." Caelen responded, knowing that somewhere out there was his girl "...the initial scans showed signs of a temporal anomaly and they have send a vessel in to take more detailed scans..." he paused a bit "...I am sure she is still alive... the only question would be... when?" Gavin nodded. "Hopefully the ship's scans will provide some significant leads to their whereabouts." "We can only hope..." Caelen looked Gavin straight in the eyes "...and pray." Gavin stared into the Commanding Officer's eyes. Telepathy was not needed to view the storm of emotions – sadness, anger, helplessness, resolve…yet also a strong glimmer of hope. "Yes, that we can." Caelen nodded and then stood up resolute "Thank you Mister Quinn..." he put out a hand for him to shake. Gavin stood up and took the hand, giving a firm yet reassuringly gentle shake. "Anytime Captain." The chaplain let go of the hand and made his way towards the door. "Captain, please call me Gavin. If you need me, I'll be in prayer." Caelen nodded "No... I think this has cleared a lot up for me..." he notified Gavin that he would not be disturbed. "...when I'm off duty... I might hold you to that Drinking buddy proposal... Mister Quinn" OFF: Captain Caelen LaBrie Commanding Officer Starbase Ronin (SB47) "Faith is, at one and the same time, absolutely necessary and altogether impossible." Gavin Quinn Base Chaplain "I can't think of anything to say right now." |
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