On.
Lukas stepped onto the bridge and looked around. It was now second
shift, but there were still Alpha shift officers working on locating
Commander Bass's ship. He went to the command arena but did not sit in
his chair.
"Helm," he said suddenly. "Plot a course for the Opki System. Wait
for mah orders to engage." He looked tot he upper stations on the
bridge. "Alpha Shift officers may be dismissed, and thank you for your
diligence. Beta shift continue the search.."
Lt. Borek, the second shift OOD who had been seated in the command
chair prior to Lukas's arrival on the bridge, now stood by the command
chair waiting to see what the captain would do. Lukas looked at the
one.
"Let me know the minute Commander Marqusa's team is aboard the Orahon
ship. Ah'll be heading for dinner."
"Aye, sir," Borek acknowledged. The one immediately sat back down in
the command chair and resumed the one's duties.
Lukas returned to his quarters. He wasn't certain whether he wanted to
eat dinner inhis quarters or go tot he officer's mess. He dicided to
see what Malachi wanted to do. As he went to the door for Malachi's
adjoining room, he noticed the boy was lying on the bed. He found this
unusuall as the boy was always up doing something.
"Are you okay, son." he asked softly.
Malachi had been so deep in his thoughts, he hadn't
heard his father come in. He actually jumped a bit at the sound of
Lukas's voice.
"I'm fine," he said, but his tone betrayed him.
"You don't sound fahne," Lukas said to him, genuince concern in his
voice. "What happened? Did Commander Marqusa turn you down for the
mission?"
"No,
sir," Malachi, siad. "I really didn't even ask."
"Wuld you lahke to talk about it," Lukas asked. He wasn't sure he had
ever hear Malachi sound so dehected before.
"No,
sir," Malachi responded. He had no idea how he could ever share this
with is father. Surely Lukas would think him sick or something.
"Ah was wondering what you wanted to do for dinner," Lukas said to the
boy.
"I'm
not really hungry," Malachi said.
Lukas nodded. He decided then that he would eat in his quarters.
"Ah'm ging to make up some of Grandmom's pork -chops, if you do get
hungry."
Lukas moved out to the food replicator and ordered up the dinner. THe
delicious aroma moved throughout the cabin as he put stuff on the
table. Soon Malachi drifted out to where he was.
"Dad," he asked tentatively.
"Yes, Mal," Lukas answered. He set two drinks on the table. Malachi
automatically sat down behind one of the servings.
"When you were my age.." He picked a it at the food
on the plate in front of him. "Did you ever think about... girls?"
Girls! Lukas thought. This was starting to make sense. He
gave a slight chuckle. "Ah thought about them all the tahme, Mal. Ah
started noticing girls and dreaming about them when Ah turned
thirteen. Mah father was always telling me to clean up mah mahnd." He
watched Malachi for reaction. Malachi sat for the longest moment
looking at his plate, then he suddenly spit out the whole story of what
happened in sick bay.
Lukas wanted to laugh when he heard the part about the embarrasing
images, but he saw how painful this was for the fourteen-year-old boy
and didn't want to minimize Malachi's fears about this. He also
resisted the urge to remind Malachi that messing with unexperienced
minds was dangerous. "What was Dr. Melody's reaction?"
"She was embarrassed at first, then she told me she
was flattered," Malachi said. He started to eat some of the dinner in
front of him. He looked to Lukas, genuine worry in his eyes. "What am
I going to do, Dad? You don't think I'm ... weird or anything, do you?"
Again, Lukas pushed away the urge to laugh. He remembered his own
youthful thoughts and how embarrassed he would have been had they been
discovered. "Son. Ah do not think you're weird. In fact, Ah fahnd
you to be a normal teen-age boy, and that is really heartening. Most
boys your age are always having these kind of thoughts about pretty
girls, and Dr. Melody is indeed an attractive young lady. Heck, Ah had
a cruch on one of mah teachers."
"How do I face her again?' Malachi asked between
bites. For someone who hadn't been hungry he had
finished almost all of his first helping.
"Ah think Dr. Melody will be fahne with things, son," Lukas told him.
"She hadn't run to me to report you, so Ah think you're in god shape.
Of course..." Lukas looked at the chrono. "It is still early."
"Dad,"
Malachi said in an exasperated tone. He knew Lukas was now playing
with him. "You really think it will be okay?"
"So log as y'all don't go attacking Dr. Melody, or any other female
crew member."
Daaaaad"
Malachi siad. He was blushing fully now.
The two finished off another helping of pork-chops and chatted about
other things. Lukas suggested Mal come to the bridge and pull a tour at
the OPS station. With Rommie on the mission he said he wanted someone
good at the station. Malachi knew Lukas was buttering him up and that
his father had faith in any one of his officers. But, he definitely
felt better.
OFF
Commodore Lukas Fyrstk
and his adopted son
Malachi Fyrstk
