<USS Meridian> Take Your Daughter to Work Day
- From: Jon Armstrong <alexkilgarran@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: ussmeridian@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 06 Oct 2004 23:56:07 -0400
Take Your Daughter to Work Day
by
Alexander Kilgarran
Alex and Rikka shimmered onto the transporter pad aboard McKinley
Station. Rikka squeeled with delight as she realized that she was no
longer in the living room of her house but aboard a space station. Alex
smiled and tried to keep himself from chuckling at her reaction. Still
holding her hand he stepped off the pad and Rikka jumped down after
him. "Thanks for the ride, Chief. Where is the nearest Earthside
viewport?" Alex asked the transporter chief, politely.
"Two decks down, Section 23 Gamma, Ensign."
Alex nodded his thanks and lead his daughter to the window for her
first view of Earth from orbit. While in the turbolift Alex explained
where they were going. "I want you to see our old home from here and
then.... we will go see if our ship is here yet, OK?" She nodded eagerly.
"Can I see my house?" She asked innocently. Alex just chuckled in
response.
"No, Honey... I don't think so. We are too high up in the air to be
able to see our house." She got a bit of a sad look on her face, but it
didn't last because the 'lift doors opened and they were able to see
Earth from the turbolift. He lead her slowly out of the 'lift.
"Wow....its so pretty, Daddy!" She exclaimed, running to the
window. "I see California...." Alex smiled happy that they were lucky
enough to have been able to catch the rotation at the right time. "I
can see where we lived...." Alex chucked at that one a bit. But it
didn't really suprise him that much.
"Are you sure, Rik? Where?" He leaned closer to the view port and
squatted down to her level. "Show me."
She pointed, saying "Right there, Daddy... under those clouds.....I
can see the ocean near our house."
He nodded. "Yes... that was near our house...."
She got quiet for a moment as she stared out the viewport. After a
few minutes she turned to her father who was still squatting down next
to her. "When will we be comming back home again?"
"We talked about this remember, Rik.... It might be a long time
before we come back to Earth again. But there will be times for us to
visit other stations like this one or maybe a new planet with new people
living there." She just looked over at him.
"What about Grammy and Grampy? Can't they come with us?"
"No.... they can't.... neither can Ma and Papa. They have to stay
on Earth. But as soon as we get settled in our new quarters, you can
send them a message. And any time you start to miss them too much once
we leave orbit, you can send them a message then too. OK?" She looked
thoughtful for a moment as she took in what her father had said, trying
to understand.
"OK." She finally agreed.
Relieved, Alex stood back up. "Ready to go see our ship?" He asked
her gently. Her face lit up and she smiled eagerly. "Ok then lets
go." They turned around and pressed the call button for the turbolift.
They only had to wait a few seconds before the doors swished open and
they got in. Alex called out their destination as Rikka hummed a small
tune to herself. He just listened to her hum away beside him as they
road the lift to the Observation Level. As the lift slowed he thought
he heard his daughter giggle slightly. She was still so quiet.
******
It had been two years since Rikka had met with Counselor Williams
for the first time. Nicole Williams had been one of the members of the
notification team five and a half years ago. There were so many things
that he could not help his daughter with, but Nicole had been able to
help Alex explain to her why her mother was not with her daughter the
way other mothers were. Nicole had been able to help Rikka come to
understand why her Mommy was not comming back, and had even given the
little girl some ways to deal with the anger, fear and frustration she
felt at her mother's absence. She seemed like a healthy well adjusted
little girl but Alex could see that there was still much work to be done
and didn't like the idea that this new assignment of his meant tearing
Rikka away from the only extened means of familial support she had. Nor
did he like that it meant forcing her to have to say good-bye to Nicole
Williams, the Counselor she had grown to trust and accept as some one
that would help and protect her.
Alex thought back to the last session the two of them had attended
with Counselor Williams and the words of the Counselor had been echoing
in his mind since that meeting. "It is going to take some time, Ensign,
for Rikka to feel like she fits in on the new ship. She may tend to be
a little bit "clingy" for the first few days or even weeks." Alex
nodded part of him wished she was transferring with them. He looked
over at the little girl as she played in the corner with paper and pens
Nicole had given her to colour with. "She is a strong little girl,
Alex. You have nothing to fear. Once she settles into the new routine,
she will most likely bounce back to the same fun-loving, bright, and
energetic little girl she is now."
"Is there anything I can do to help her get settled? Should I ask
for some lighter duty shifts for the first weeks or something?"
Nicole smiled gently at him. I don't think that is necessary right
now. I will be sending a copy of her file in with your own to the
Meridian. I am sure that their Counselor will want to set up an
appointment schedule for her." She took a sip of coffee that was in a
cup on her desk. "And you as well." Alex nodded quietly. "You should
use this as an opportunity to help her to understand how her mother's
death affected you too. I think you will find that she understands that
affect already and to a deapth that you do not realize yet."
******
The two of them stepped out of the turbolift on the Observation
Level. Alex surveyed the scene before him quickly. There were three
ships already docked. He recognized an Intrepid class ship that was
being resupplied. The second ship was a Defiant class ship undergoing a
weapons refit. The final ship was a new Soveriegn class ship that was
also there to be resupplied before going back out on its next mission.
He looked around a bit more and stepped all the way to the viewing
platform and the glass that seperated it from the vast gulf that was the
spacedock area.
Finally he saw it. It was just comming in the space doors. The
Promethius class vessel was slowly coming through into the bay. Rikka
saw it too and gasped at its size and shape. As the ship slowed
further, he looked down to his daughter. "Pretty neat huh, Rik?" She
just nodded.
They stood there together watching as the ship docked. Once the
moorings had been cleared and the umbilacles had been extended, a voice
came over the comm system. "Attention please, attention. All personel
posted to the USS Meridian, please report to airlock 62, level 25
section 126 Delta. All cargo beloging to personel transferring to USS
Meridian, will be transported to assigned quarters. Again.... all
personel transferring to USS Meridian, please report to airlock 62,
level 25 section 126 Delta."
Alex tapped his daughter on her shoulder. "Time to go Rik." He
took a deep breath trying to force himself to relax a llittle bit. It
wasn't until he noticed how quiet Rikka was that he realized that he was
almost as nervous about going aboard this ship as she was. Taking his
daughter's hand they made their way to the assigned airlock to wait for
final clearance to board. "Rik... we have a lot to do before I go on
duty for my first shift in Engineering, OK? We need to get unpacked, we
need to check in with Medical, we need to get you enrolled in school....
and alot more. I need you to help us get everything done."
"OK Daddy." Rikka said. She started humming and giggling every so
often as they waited.
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