<USS Avalon> D.A.B.D.A Severed Lines: Prologue by Junior Lieutenant Alder Shimbrodus
- From: Anthony Manson <circus_ofde_damned@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: Avalon Sim <avalon@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 8 May 2004 17:11:39 -0700 (PDT)
D.A.B.D.A Severed Lines
Prologue
by Junior Lieutenant Alder Shimbrodus
It was a beautiful day in Deneva. It is always a beautiful day where the trees,
and all the surrounding foliage seemed to be in good balance to those that
occupied the land. And the sun made it all brighter. It wasn?t utopia, but a
person could be easily fooled by it. Deneva was also full of business, from the
sunrise and well into sunset, it would never cease in keeping busy. For the
Shimbrodus family on this day- busy was all Alicia Shimbrodus could be: even if
they were getting ready for a family vacation. Alicia had set this up four
months prior and though her plans were all together and running smoothly she
still felt as busying herself with the last minute preparations was the only
thing she could do. It even seemed like a typical day for her.
Her sons and daughters made it back home, taking their time away from the
rigors of work and now given an opportunity to relax and catch up with each
other?s lives. All except for Alder, who she understood was in Starfleet- and
vacation right now for him was not possible. She was hoping that the time
together would bridge the small spaces that she had keenly felt between her
children. No doubt they had their own lives and loved ones to take care of; she
was hoping that the first four days while on New Singapore she could get those
spaces smaller to a point of nonexistent. After that, everyone?s significant
other, and kids, would be there; having made sure they wouldn?t arrive any
earlier- by request- for those four days.
For a busy day as it was, as early as it was, they were late, and Alicia rushed
into the kitchen to grab a quick cup of coffee. They were supposed to be
leaving for the terminal twenty minutes ago, and everyone had taken it upon
themselves to procrastinate. Jake was checking up and mentioning sweet things
to his lovely wife, Melissa. Matt was doing something; Alicia lost sight of him
an hour ago after a grueling session with her own luggage, and David was still
busying with two skimmers. And finally Elana- who was the last minute packer.
She had a surprise to tell everyone, and even through Alicia?s attempts as
mother and...well, mother, she couldn?t get Elana to tell her. She suspected
Elana was pregnant- felt as if she was right in her own well tuned instincts-
but she wouldn?t pursue it any further.
Concentrating on the essentials right now and trying to fix her coffee she
yelled over her shoulder, "Matt! Jake! Get your butts down here! Elana- call
David...Alexia," she shouted by the kitchen window, "quit playing with the dog,
you?re gonna get yourself all dirty!" Maternal instincts seem to take over
without realizing they were all adults and quite aware of what they were
responsible for. She smiled a little as she got her cup of coffee and quickly
added two sugars and cream. As she looked out the window, Alexia continued to
play with the dog. She shook her head, for an adult, Alexia was completely
transfixed with her old dog Fernie.
Footsteps came into the kitchen and Alicia turned to see Matt. She quickly sent
streaks of her graying hair back from falling around her face as she smiled at
her son. Matt and Alder, identical in almost every way- even for their smile.
Except for their personalities, you couldn?t really tell them apart. "Everyone
but Alexia is waiting to go," Matt simply said.
Alicia nodded, "alright. I?ll be there in a sec, get Alexia for me will you,
I?ve got a few things to double check before we go." Matt simply nodded and
headed out the back door calling to Alexia who seemed to disappear from sight.
Alicia went over to the table set in the roomy kitchen. There was a PADD
containing all the necessary house maintenance and both yards- including the
pool. She doubled checked the schedules of the caretakers. It was a big house,
and while she knew the caretakers for years, she still felt uneasy leaving them
without her constant eye. It wasn?t the lack of the trust- but it wasn?t a
trust confided fully in them also.
"Sweety, we?re ready. What are you doing?" David entered the kitchen. Alicia
just shook her head as she placed the PADD back down and left the coffee cup
where it was. She looked around and it seemed peaceful. After Alexia graduated
from college and led her own life like the rest of her siblings, the Shimbrodus
house felt empty. Alicia wasn?t used to it as she had grown accustomed through
all the years of having the children running amok in the house. It was a good
thing she planned this vacation- she had no intentions of widening any spaces
that grew slowly since each one left the house to make their mark in the world.
It wasn?t also too long ago that she was the one separating the children from
squabbling, balancing as fairly as she could to give them all their needs and
attention, and supporting them through all their decisions that inevitably led
to their lives they set before them. It felt like a blink of an eye, and Alicia
couldn?t help but miss them already- even if th
ey were
here; in a way, they weren?t.
David touched her arm and she jumped a little. Apparently she stopped in midst
her tracks and didn?t realize she wasn?t the only one in the kitchen. She
smiled and felt a little silly forgetting that David had been here all this
time. "Penny for your thoughts?" he asked softly.
"Motherly thinking," she continued smiling, "can you believe it? They?re all
grown up. Leading lives. I feel...I feel as if this is going to be one of those
?on occasion? moments."
"I can certainly believe they?re all grown up. Terrible twos, terrible threes,
terrible fourteens," David half joked. "You know they won?t just leave us like
that, and life is life, but they won?t forget us."
Alicia nodded with a tight smile forming, "I just wish Alder was here."
"You aren?t alone on that one. Everyone wants to see him here with us," David
took her hand, "now come on- you?re the one stressing out and here you are
standing- procrastinating!" Having a firm but warm grip on her hand, they
walked out of the kitchen.
?//\\?
"We?re here for the skimmer....uh, number 1020." David said at the clerk. He
searched his pockets for the confirmation.
Apparently having no need for it, the clerk responded, "Yes, Mr. Shimbrodus,
your skimmer is ready for you. Head down," she pointed behind them, "to gate
four, there will be another assistant to show you to your skimmer and help you
with your luggages." David nodded as he took up two luggages and the others
pitched in to help as well with what seemed as if they were moving somewhere.
For a two week vacation, they seemed to be packing for a month.
"Who?s the clothes horse?" Jake asked, lifting a remarkably heavy one.
"I am," Elana looked at him and smiled, "poor baby, does the big tough he-man
need a help?"
Jake chuckled, "girl, you?re gonna have to do better than taunting me."
Alicia turned to see the two starting to joke around with each other as they
stopped in the midst of the crowd. "Jake! Elana! I will make you both clean all
the guests skimmers if you both don?t start hauling your butts!" Jake and Elana
turned to only keep up with their laughter. Alicia smiled, she wasn?t angry or
frustrated, she just needed her voice to be carried over the crowd?s noise.
The skimmer was a champaign color and looked ridiculously big. Considering they
had luggage, the skimmer being this big couldn?t be any better. With everything
packed in by help of another assistant, David took control of the skimmer and
all headed out.
?//\\?
Driving to New Singapore- their vacation destination- was a tedious ride. The
new island had yet installed any transporters and wished for it be kept that
way. It was one of those islands reserved for the wealthy. David and Alicia
weren?t too keen with the idea, since both thought it was pretty silly for a
resort to cater only to the rich. But both wanted to go, having the urge to
explore the place and see if they had any changes to the Singapore back on
earth. New Singapore had supposedly copied as much as it could to mimic that of
their original; with a twist.
Four hours had passed and they were a good half way there before having to stop
to another terminal to cross the waters. It was requested to be so secluded
that even a bridge had not been constructed to connect it to the main land.
Silence had crept in the skimmer as each person was caught in their own
thoughts. Talking had died two hours ago as and it would only resumed when they
got to New Singapore. David looked to his right as Alicia was comfortably
seated.
"Wonder how New Singapore would look like." David said simply, after checking
the highway which was not surprisingly busy until they got off to another
highway that wasn?t used too often.
"Im hoping just like Singapore. Remember Orchard Road? Oh! That was the place
to be," Alicia said, remembering her time there with David. It was the place
they met, and since then never looked back.
"Oh, I remember. You seating with a couple of friends and the next thing we
knew, your friends including mine were out at the dance stage and we were left
to either join them or sit there." David replied. They sat there, talking, and
it turned out to be the best thing.
Alicia smiled wrapping her left hand around her husband?s right. David smiled
back, remembering the times and memories consuming the ennui that had settled
in the skimmer...
?//\\?
A black skimmer lost control of it?s propulsion smashed into another skimmer in
white. The inertia was enough to turn it to its side and hit two others. The
last skimmer flew into the air, tossed like a baby seal and smashed into a
larger family size vehicle.
"DAVID!--" Alicia screamed as her safety harness failed to restrain her and
sent her flying out the front windshield. The skimmer hit the center divider
and tumbled enough times that it burst into flames just before settling onto
the concrete road in nothing more than melting metal.
Alicia?s breathing became ragged as she tried looking up, seeing another
person- not moving- lying on the ground. She thought it was David. Her vision
became blurred. And all was dark.
---------------------------------
Do you Yahoo!?
Win a $20,000 Career Makeover at Yahoo! HotJobs
Other related posts:
- » <USS Avalon> D.A.B.D.A Severed Lines: Prologue by Junior Lieutenant Alder Shimbrodus
