Spectres of His Past

Posted on May 26, 2014 @ 8:51pm by Lieutenant Russ BaShen
Edited on on Jun 05, 2014 @ 8:48am

Mission: http://thefrpg.com/sim/missions/id/9
Location: Flashbacks
Tags: Russ, Cindy

=/\=

“Specters of his Past”
Con’d from: "Distress Call"

=/\=

Stardate: 91015.0103
Location: USS DISCOVERY
Scene: Bridge. Past
Time Index: 15 Years Ago

"FCO ON BRIDGE!" Russ yelled at the top of his lungs. The entire bridge jumped, to include the CO and XO. Everyone turned to stare at him. He coolly looked at each one in turn. "It's alright, you don't have to stand." He feigned disappoint at the lack of decorum, and walked down to his post. On his way he gave a smile at Amnia. She sort of smiled and blushed at the same time, and bowed her head over her computer, attempting to concentrate on her work. Russ walked over to his consul, and activated his settings.

Russ noticed Captain Callista Alaica was giving him a dirty look. "Mr. BaShen," she started, "The badge is not a toy; it is a tool. Is that clear?"

Russ nodded gravely. "Yes, Ma’am, perfectly clear.” He paused, and then boldly continued. “And may I add you look lovely today..."

Commander Katana almost burst out laughing. He covered himself and took a stern appearance. "Sucking up won't get you far BaShen." His words where meant to come out harsh, but the corner of his mouth was twitching. Russ bowed his head with a snicker, and sat down.

=/\=

Stardate: 2.140512.1750
Scene: Bridge, Present Day

That distant memory came to him as the doors slid open to the bridge. Russ looked to the Commander’s seat.

Kane was glaring daggers at him. That brought the pilot up short – he had committed no offense. He was actually early for his shift. But the glare did not go away. Captain Kane had not taken to Russ, and, it appeared, had kept the man at arm’s length during the voyage thus far. He had never said more than a few words to the man, and Kane for his part seemed to watch him with nothing but suspicion. He seemed to speak through Stonn rather than talk to Russ himself. Conspiratorially, Russ also noticed that he would always be suspiciously absent whenever Russ was at the helm.

The FCO coughed. “Good morning, Sir.”

Kane said nothing to Russ. Instead, he slowly stood, and turned to Stonn. “You have the Bridge, Commander. I’ll be in my ready room.” Without a further word, he moved off, leaving Russ standing there awkwardly. Shaking his head, Russ stepped through and moved to his station, where one of his assistance was awaiting relief. After a few quiet words, the man departed, leaving Russ at the conn.

=/\=

Stardate: 91010.1248
Scene: Bridge, Past

It was an earlier memory. He had just arrived that morning, and the DISCOVERY had just gotten underway.

Commander Jacen Katana rose from his chair, and strode casually down towards the front of the bridge. He placed a fatherly hand on the shoulder of the new Flight Control Officer, Russ BaShen. "How's she handling?"

Without thinking - "Like trying to ride a bike with an elephant strapped to your back," came the flippant reply.

An eyebrow was raised, and a small smile played at his lips. "Is that so?"

Russ seemed to slow, and then his head snapped around. His eyes widened slightly. "Oh, shi...ah, I mean..." *Great first impression, Russ.*

But Jacen looked amused. He shook his head with a chuckle. "You were saying something about the helm controls?"

In an instant, Russ felt at ease. Here was a man that stood less on protocol and more on having that human touch. Russ could appreciate a man like this. He turned back round to face the controls. "She's definitely more maneuverable than any other starship I've piloted…” he hastened to add - “in simulations of course..."

The executive officer cocked his head. "But?" Russ hesitated. Was it his place to tell the commander what deficiencies Russ had noticed? Would he be laughed at for being so presumptuous? Jacen sensed his trepidation, and his voice became warm. "Go on, ensign," his tone indulgent, "speak your mind."

Russ smiled. *What the hell.* "Well, sir, I've looked over her design specs, and I think she could do better."

“Well, if you think you have some ideas, why not liaise with Engineering on that? I suspect there will be many *refinements* to the ship's systems over the next few weeks. All part and parcel of breaking in a new ship…”

=/\=

Stardate: 2.140512.2057
Scene: Bridge, Present

Russ remembered that day as he keyed a series of commands. It seemed so distant, like some place far away, but it had been right here. He could feel the DISCOVERY’s sluggish response to his commands, and his flippant comment of so many years ago came to his mind. *I’m still riding a bike with an elephant strapped to my back,* he mused. In the span of years since he had first piloted the ship, some genius had removed the improvements that he and Elan Fairborn had worked so carefully on all those many years ago. The feel of the ship he had come to love was gone… but he could still bring it back.

He turned to Commander Stonn, who was quietly sitting on watch while the Captain was attending to other business in his office. Stonn did not appear to notice Russ’s glance. Russ cleared his throat, and caught the commander’s attention.

“Yes Mr. BaShen?”

“Uh… Commander, I’d… I have a few ideas about improving the ship’s maneuverability,” Russ started.

Russ never ceased to be amazed by Stonn’s facial expressions. Always severe, Stonn managed to add levels of depth to his frowns, his stares, and even his silences, which served to chill insubordination and enforce discipline with merely a glance. The FCO watched as Stonn’s eyes seemed to narrow slightly, and a twist of annoyance (could Vulcan’s be annoyed?) sprinkled his features. “I was unaware that you possessed an Engineering degree, Mr. BaShen.”

“I don’t, but…”



Stonn’s left eyebrow seemed to climb to new heights on his forehead. “But?”

“Well… back when I was first on the DISCOVERY…”

“Mr. BaShen, you are aware that the DISCOVERY has been retrofitted since it first saw service,” Stonn intoned dryly.

Russ felt his blood boiling, and a flush came to his face. People on the bridge were staring at him and Stonn now, watching. “I am aware… sir. I simply believe that I have improvements worth doing to the ship.”

Stonn continued his icy stare at Russ. For his part, Russ felt the crushing weight of embarrassment fall on him as he waited for Stonn’s reply. Finally, (grudgingly?), Stonn seemed to relent. “If you insist Mr. BaShen. Report to Commander Crichton with your suggestions; if he believes that they are worth the effort, I see no harm.”

Russ sighed in some relief, but also with a hint of bitter resentment.

=/\=

Stardate: 91121.1424
Scene: FCO Office, Past

[[ Enter! ]] Russ said in response to the chime. As the door opened, the Oltharian stepped out of the hallway and into the office.

Elan walked directly to the desk where BaShen was sitting, focusing his complete attention on the figure behind the desk, as if he had a single very important thing in mind, "You wanted to see me?" The Oltharian inquired as he placed both of his large hands on the desk.

"Yup!" Russ grinned as he pivoted in his chair to face his friend from the Academy, "I would like to perform a full, complete and total check of the DISCOVERY."

Elan took a slow, deep breath before giving his reply, as if concentrating to tone down his words, "Russ," the CEO began saying with a visibly fake smile, "that's what my department does. We've already checked all of the DISCOVERY's systems and made all of the necessary repairs."

Russ moved to the edge of his seat, his smile even larger than before, "I know that Elan. What I want to do is to *look* at the entire outside of the ship. Making sure that every bolt and plate is where it should be and in perfect order."

Elan's eyes widened in astonishment, "You want to visually inspect the *entire* ship's external frame?" He said in apparent shock.

"That's the idea Big Guy," Russ replied as he pushed himself back into his seat.

"Listen Russ," Elan began trying to keep his voice to a gentle level, "your job, and that of your team, is to fly this ship *in* the asteroids. My job, and that of my team, is to *fix* those holes made by those asteroids."

"That's my point," Russ said as he rose from his chair, "I just want the DISCOVERY to look and fly as if she had just come out of the assembly line."

“Perhaps you’d like some flame decals painted on the nacelles as well?” Elan asked dryly. He saw Russ’s eyes light up, and shook his head. “Bad idea. Tell you what Russ," the Oltharian sighed as he lowered his eyes, "I'll have STARBASE ONE perform a *full*, *complete* and *total* scan of the DISCOVERY's *Bio-Regenerative* External Hull plating and I'll have a copy of their sensor log sent to you as soon as it's available."

"That would be perfect then you and I could go and..." Russ began before being interrupted by an increasingly annoyed Oltharian.

"Russ, I think that Romulan Ale and Klingon food mix is still messing up your system," Elan voiced with a grin before continuing in a slow manner, "Listen to me. The DISCOVERY possesses a Mark III Bio-Regenerative Hull Matrix."

Russ blinked. “Elan… I don’t speak geek.”

The Oltharian paused for a moment before further continuing his explanation to his friend, "The hull of the ship completely repairs itself."

Russ stared in silence at the Oltharian for a minute or so, as if allowing the words he had just heard to better sink in, "Oh! Well why didn’t you just say so in the first place?!?" He asked. Elan had his mouth open, and his hands were cupping getting ready to strangle the man before him. After a few lengthy seconds, Russ began again. "Oh, and Elan?"

"Yes Russ…" the Oltharian drawled out heavily, waiting for the response.

"Next time we plan on having Klingon food, please make sure I stay away from the Romulan Ale." Both Officers looked at each other for a few seconds before erupting in a common laugh.



=/\=

Stardate: 2.140512.2138
Scene: Engineering, Present

Russ moved in, looking around, uncertain of where to go. A pretty redhead Lieutenant with glasses caught his eye. She glanced over to him, and frowned. “Can I help you?”

“Yeah… uh… I wanted to… I have some ideas about how to improve our flight capabilities.”

She tilted her head. “Oh… you must be LtJg BaShen. Well, then, Mr. BaShen…”

Russ held up a hand. “Russ, please.”

She stared at him for a few moments. “As I was saying, Mr. BaShen… what is it exactly that you would like to do?”

Russ was embarrassed. He had a vague recollection of what Elan had done, but he did not understand a single thing about it. Science was never his strong suit – flying was always number one, as well as the Math that came with it. But everything else seemed little more than voodoo to him… he had always relied on the geeks to make the ship run. “Well… Impulse control seems sluggish, first of all…”

She stared at him incredulously. “Sluggish? 14 milliseconds is sluggish?”

“Well, maybe not the impulse control, but maybe the time it takes for shifts in the subspace field… if we could find some way to instantaneous make those changes.”

“Instan… Mr. BaShen, I’m sorry, did you want something that is possible to the laws of physics?” She scowled.

Frustrated and annoyed, he waved her off. “Look, I’m here to see Commander Crichton.”

She drew herself up. “EXCUSE ME? Are you saying that I’m incapable of dealing with this matter?”

“Look lady,” Russ snapped.

“Oh, so this is because I’m a woman now, Lieutenant?” Fire lit her eyes. Russ noticed that the room which had held several engineers nearby now seemed curiously vacant.

“Look, I’ll go; sorry for wasting your time,” Russ mumbled.

A stream of French curses trailed after him as he walked out of the shop.



=/\=

Stardate: 91011.2336
Scene: Senior Staff Dinner, Past


"Baaz no, you have to take it easy." Inzac had had too much to drink. Russ had tried to provide assistance, but it proved futile. He had been watching Archer and Dannara dancing on the floor, and growing more antsy by the minute. “Baaz… come on…” Instead, Inzac steadied himself to his feet, and walked off to where Archer and Dannara were dancing. To his astonishment, Russ watched Inzac smoothly (well… as smoothly as was possible) cut between them, and emerged taking Dannara out to the floor, leaving Archer behind stunned, with Inzac's glass in his hand.

Feeling giddy, Russ laughed, and turned his attention to Amnia, who he had been glancing at all night. It was a sort of game, he glanced at her, and when she looked up, his eyes would be focused on his food. Amnia, for her part, had noticed Russ's glances. She pretended not to notice, and secretly enjoyed the attention. Emboldened now by Inzac’s fearlessness, Russ stood to his feet and sauntered over casually.

Amnia was looking up at him. "Russ, you wanted something?"

Russ gave her his best lady killer smile. "Care to dance, m'lady?" He offered his hand.

Amnia smiled, taking it. "I thought you’d never ask."

=/\=

Stardate: 2.140512.2204

Scene: Journey's End Lounge, Present

Russ sat down at a booth, miserable. The lounge was filled with crewmen just coming off shift, and each seemed to crowd around their friends; laughing, joking, and generally enjoying themselves as they wound down for the day.

The DISCOVERY was his home… but this wasn’t his home. Everywhere he looked, he could see the specters of Captain Alaica, Commander Katana, Inzac, Elan, Archer, Dannara, hell, even Deacon … and Amnia. Ghosts haunted this place… haunted him. He was not the same boy who had so exuberantly joined the crew of the Discovery almost 15 years ago.

He was… what? A bitter old man? Russ placed his face in his hands, rubbing it slowly.

“Sir?” A voice asked. Russ peaked from over his fingertips. It was a waiter. “Can I get you something? It looks like you could use a drink after a hard day…” he lowered his voice conspiratorially. “And if you’re looking for the ‘real’ stuff, we have some of that too… as long as you’re not on duty of course.”

Russ stared at the man for a long time, making the man uncomfortably shift in place. “Water,” Russ finally whispered. “Just… plain water.”

“Of course, Sir, right away.” The waiter hurried away, and Russ let his face sink back into his hands, looking dejected for all the world.

A few booths away, Stonn watched the man, contemplating him. Finally, he softly tapped his badge. “Captain Kane? Commander Stonn. I believe it would be wise if we spoke.”

=/\=

NRPG:

Jerome, you got your wish – these are some examples of how Russ use to be, contrasted to how he feels now. That said… want to JP?

Also, a friend of mine was requesting observer status (cc’d); please include him in future posts. Muchas Gracias.



=/\=

Christopher B. Del Gesso

As

Russ Gerodi BaShen

Flight Control Officer

USS DISCOVERY



With the Echoes of



François Charette

As

Elan Talak Fairborn



and



E.W. Chen

As

Jacen Katana