I think I shall continue posting here. Speaking of which:
“...so, your brother's been busy doing security work, and I
think he has a new girlfriend. Not sure, because he refuses to name
her. Meanwhile, the big news? Jenny's pregnant!”
She peaks her head out of the shower stall, and to the orange screen
floating over the bathroom mirror, with the name H SHEPARD, SSV
KILIMANJARO underneath.
“Seriously? Cousin Jenny? From Mindoir?”
“Yes, the Cousin Jenny who lived with us on the Einstein for
two years. She's expecting in about six months. Only got in touch
with me last week. They're living on Terra Nova, now. She's doing
mining work in orbit.”
“Cool, cool. So, since she's, basically, your god
daughter...”
“Nope. Not letting you or James off the hook.”
“Curses.”
“You're hitting thirty, I'm approaching sixty,” Hannah
responds, Jane reaching for the shampoo with a smirk, “And I
ride James just as hard for this. He's not military, so he doesn't
have an excuse for asking the next pretty young thing for a date or
marriage. And I know that half the men on your ship would jump at
the chance if you weren't their CO. That beefcake LT, for example.”
“Alenko.”
“Read his personnel file. It's like a harlequin romance novel.
Boy meets girl and defends her from evil spikey monster. Although,
since he's your crew you can't. But what about that nice Asari girl
you picked up? She looked interested, if you know what I mean.”
“Mom. Seriously.”
“Hannah cares not from whence the grandbabies flow, only that
there are grandbabies!”
“That was perhaps the most seriously creepy thing I've ever
heard you say, Mom,” she sighs, rinsing her hair, “How'd we get
to this topic, again?”
“By you going on a date after getting your arm twisted into it.
Cute guy. Nice and awkward. Snap them up quickly, I'm on a dry
spell.”
Jane rolls her eyes, stepping out of the shower.
“Thought you were hitting sixty, Mom.”
“Sixty's the new forty. Why're we on audio only, anyway?”
“Because I just stepped out of the shower and am naked?”
“Nothing I haven't seen before, kiddo.”
“How about the bridge crew?”
“You think they've never seen your baby pictures?”
Jane rolls her eyes, grabbing the towel, roughing up her red hair.
She stares at the mirror. Below her breasts, three faint white
marks, discolorations. The last of the scarring from an emergency
dose of medigel.
“We going to keep discussing my non existent sex life while I'm
aboard the Kilimanjaro?”
“Only if you keep me from being a grandmother and keep
surrounding yourself with sexy, sexy crew members. I'll let you get
to your primping.”
“Love you, Mom.”
“Be careful. If you can't be careful, be safe. And if you
can't be safe, name it after me! Captain Hannah out.”
The blue light coalesces, forms, and becomes a three dimensional
hologram. His colors washed out in blue, nonetheless she knows who
he is. The roundness of his face, the set, stony features despite
the girl climbing onto his back, the lips twitching at the corner as
he sees her face. Irikah smiles at her husband, and to the almost
eight year old girl hanging onto his shoulders.
“Mom!” Lyta Krios says, “Are you really on the
Citadel? What's it like? Did you buy my anything?”
“Yes, busy, and yes,” Irikah says, “Thane, how's things on
Kahje?”
“Busy,” Thane Krios responds, reaching over his shoulder
and picking up his daughter, turning her around, and cradling her in
one swift motion, “We went on an expedition. Found something
interesting, How about you?”
“I've had an interesting few days,” she says, “Where's
Kolyat?”
A head peaks in from the side, fizzling out around the neck.
“Right here, Mom,” he says, blinking double eyelids as
Lyta begins trying to push him out of the picture, “Hey! Brat!”
“I heard reports. I'm a little worried, Siha.”
“We're fine,” Irikah says, and raises a hand to silence him
before he can protest, “Really. I can handle myself, Thane. Don't
worry about me. How about you?”
Thane glances at her. He glances at the children. They quickly
exit, disappearing, the faint disconnected sound of a door closing.
“Siha, I had a checkup. I had Kepral Syndrome.”
Irikah's heart skips.
“No.”
“Had. It's cured.”
She blinks.
“What?”
He glances from side to side. Balls his hand, clears his throat.
“It was early onset, and a benefactor had figured out a
treatment. In return, I'm doing work for them. No wetwork, nothing
violent. Reconnaissance, information gathering, and treasure
hunting. I'm going to have your brother look after Kolyat and Lyta
for a few weeks. It would be easier if you were here.”
She places her hands on her hips.
“Understood. I'll be careful as long as you are.”
“I promise, Thane. I'll send as many letters as I can.”
“I will hold you to that, Siha.”
He clears his throat, and a door opens in the background. And an
eight year old Drell girl as atop her father's shoulders again almost
as soon as the door opens, and the family conversation continues.
“...so, your brother's been busy doing security work, and I
think he has a new girlfriend. Not sure, because he refuses to name
her. Meanwhile, the big news? Jenny's pregnant!”
She peaks her head out of the shower stall, and to the orange screen
floating over the bathroom mirror, with the name H SHEPARD, SSV
KILIMANJARO underneath.
“Seriously? Cousin Jenny? From Mindoir?”
“Yes, the Cousin Jenny who lived with us on the Einstein for
two years. She's expecting in about six months. Only got in touch
with me last week. They're living on Terra Nova, now. She's doing
mining work in orbit.”
“Cool, cool. So, since she's, basically, your god
daughter...”
“Nope. Not letting you or James off the hook.”
“Curses.”
“You're hitting thirty, I'm approaching sixty,” Hannah
responds, Jane reaching for the shampoo with a smirk, “And I
ride James just as hard for this. He's not military, so he doesn't
have an excuse for asking the next pretty young thing for a date or
marriage. And I know that half the men on your ship would jump at
the chance if you weren't their CO. That beefcake LT, for example.”
“Alenko.”
“Read his personnel file. It's like a harlequin romance novel.
Boy meets girl and defends her from evil spikey monster. Although,
since he's your crew you can't. But what about that nice Asari girl
you picked up? She looked interested, if you know what I mean.”
“Mom. Seriously.”
“Hannah cares not from whence the grandbabies flow, only that
there are grandbabies!”
“That was perhaps the most seriously creepy thing I've ever
heard you say, Mom,” she sighs, rinsing her hair, “How'd we get
to this topic, again?”
“By you going on a date after getting your arm twisted into it.
Cute guy. Nice and awkward. Snap them up quickly, I'm on a dry
spell.”
Jane rolls her eyes, stepping out of the shower.
“Thought you were hitting sixty, Mom.”
“Sixty's the new forty. Why're we on audio only, anyway?”
“Because I just stepped out of the shower and am naked?”
“Nothing I haven't seen before, kiddo.”
“How about the bridge crew?”
“You think they've never seen your baby pictures?”
Jane rolls her eyes, grabbing the towel, roughing up her red hair.
She stares at the mirror. Below her breasts, three faint white
marks, discolorations. The last of the scarring from an emergency
dose of medigel.
“We going to keep discussing my non existent sex life while I'm
aboard the Kilimanjaro?”
“Only if you keep me from being a grandmother and keep
surrounding yourself with sexy, sexy crew members. I'll let you get
to your primping.”
“Love you, Mom.”
“Be careful. If you can't be careful, be safe. And if you
can't be safe, name it after me! Captain Hannah out.”
The blue light coalesces, forms, and becomes a three dimensional
hologram. His colors washed out in blue, nonetheless she knows who
he is. The roundness of his face, the set, stony features despite
the girl climbing onto his back, the lips twitching at the corner as
he sees her face. Irikah smiles at her husband, and to the almost
eight year old girl hanging onto his shoulders.
“Mom!” Lyta Krios says, “Are you really on the
Citadel? What's it like? Did you buy my anything?”
“Yes, busy, and yes,” Irikah says, “Thane, how's things on
Kahje?”
“Busy,” Thane Krios responds, reaching over his shoulder
and picking up his daughter, turning her around, and cradling her in
one swift motion, “We went on an expedition. Found something
interesting, How about you?”
“I've had an interesting few days,” she says, “Where's
Kolyat?”
A head peaks in from the side, fizzling out around the neck.
“Right here, Mom,” he says, blinking double eyelids as
Lyta begins trying to push him out of the picture, “Hey! Brat!”
“I heard reports. I'm a little worried, Siha.”
“We're fine,” Irikah says, and raises a hand to silence him
before he can protest, “Really. I can handle myself, Thane. Don't
worry about me. How about you?”
Thane glances at her. He glances at the children. They quickly
exit, disappearing, the faint disconnected sound of a door closing.
“Siha, I had a checkup. I had Kepral Syndrome.”
Irikah's heart skips.
“No.”
“Had. It's cured.”
She blinks.
“What?”
He glances from side to side. Balls his hand, clears his throat.
“It was early onset, and a benefactor had figured out a
treatment. In return, I'm doing work for them. No wetwork, nothing
violent. Reconnaissance, information gathering, and treasure
hunting. I'm going to have your brother look after Kolyat and Lyta
for a few weeks. It would be easier if you were here.”
She places her hands on her hips.
“Understood. I'll be careful as long as you are.”
“I promise, Thane. I'll send as many letters as I can.”
“I will hold you to that, Siha.”
He clears his throat, and a door opens in the background. And an
eight year old Drell girl as atop her father's shoulders again almost
as soon as the door opens, and the family conversation continues.