TUE: Young Joseph Akinola's Big Day
Stardate 2351.4 (9 May 2325)
Independent Freighter SS Eku
Berth 17, Star Station Echo, Molari Sector
0630 hours, ship's time.
Eight year old Joseph Akinola tossed back the sheets, lept from his bunk, and made it to the hatchway to his cabin in three quick steps (he always counted, working toward making it in just two). He crossed the passageway into the head, relieving his bladder, washing his hands and face, then returned to his cabin to make up his bunk (his parents would have Tribbles if he neglected that chore), finally, tugging on his coveralls.
He hurried back into the passageway, nearly colliding with his Uncle Abbas.
“Slow down, young man,” he said with a chuckle, scooping the boy up and tickling his mid-section.
Joseph shrieked with laughter. “Put me down, Uncle Abbas! Put me down!”
Abbas spun Joseph around once, then sat him on his feet and gave a playful swat on the rear. “Off you go, crewman. Your mama has breakfast ready.”
Grinning, and a bit dizzy, Joseph weaved a little before moving down the passageway at a slightly slower pace.
The L-Type Freighter on which the Akinola family lived, traveled, and worked, was a direct descendant of the venerable DY-class freighters that marked Earth's first steps into interplanetary, then interstellar, commercial spaceflight more than two centuries earlier.
The Eku was a veteran traveler herself, having been constructed at the Titan Space Yards, Sol Sector, in 2269. She was basically a long cylinder with a prominent control space in the tower or sail section, a design dating back to Earth submarines of the late 20th/early 21st centuries. Crew quarters, ship stores, and engineering resided within the cylinder. An impulse engine cluster was mounted aft, with warp nacelles angled outward from the cluster. Cargo pods were mounted externally, much the same as the old DY ships. Outward appearances to the contrary, the L-Types were safe and reliable ships known for durability and ease of maintenance.
Joseph could smell breakfast before he entered the commons. He grinned at the aroma of waffles and bacon – his favorite.
Rounding the corner, he saw his father working over the waffle iron and his mother, who was coaxing his baby sister, Melody, to eat some of her breakfast.
Sonari Akinola, Captain of the Eku, looked up from one-year-old Melody and spotted Joseph. She smiled at her oldest.
“I thought we were going to have to send the Border Service to get you out of bed this morning. Your Dad was about to feed your waffles to the cat.”
Joseph's Father and Sonari's husband, Samuel Ishamel Akinola, looked up from the waffle iron. He gestured to the table.
“Bacon's on the platter. Juice is in the pitcher. If you want milk, it's in the stasis box.”
“Yes sir,” replied Joseph. He opened the stasis box and poured a large glass of milk. Then he settled into a chair and started heaping bacon on his plate.
“Whoa, son, slow down!” chided his mother. “Leave some for the rest of us.”
“Sorry,” he said, not really meaning it. He returned one piece of bacon to the platter.
“Boy's growing like an Arcturan climber vine,” remarked Samuel as he placed two waffles on Joseph's plate, which the younger Akinola quickly drowned in syrup. In truth, the son of Sonari and Samuel was going through a growth-spurt. At eight, he could easily be mistaken for a boy of 12 or 13, albeit a very skinny one.
“Taking after your side of the family, dear,” remarked Sonari, trying but not quite succeeding in getting the last of the food into little Melody's mouth.
Joseph began wolfing down the waffles, earning a sharp look from his mother. Dutifully, he slowed down . . . some, but still was finished before his parents started eating.
“Can I have another waffle?” he asked. His Dad glanced at Sonari. She lifted an eyebrow dubiously. “May I have another waffle, please,” she replied.
“May I, pleeeease?” he begged. Samuel chuckled and rose. He turned to his wife. “Want another?”
“Thank you, no. One is plenty.” She looked back at her son, then their daughter. Her heart was full. She idly wondered what it would be like to be a grandmother. Oh well, too soon for such thoughts. Enjoy now.
They finished their breakfast in companionable silence, save for Melody's occasional outbursts. Even at one, she was already beginning to talk, even if no one understood her.
Abbas came in and Samuel dutifully fixed him a couple of waffles. Samuel's younger brother was an excellent mechanic but absolutely clueless on how to fix a meal that didn't come from a protein-re-sequencer. His idea of haute cuisine, was peanut butter and mustard on rye.
As Joseph began to fidget, impatient to start the day, Samuel asked, “What's on the agenda today, boss?”
She gave him an askance look. “That's 'Captain' to you, dearest. I thought maybe we could purge the sludge tanks, inspect the hull since we're berthed, recalibrate the flux injectors . . .”
Joseph couldn't stand it any more. “But Mama, today is the day you promised to take me on the station!”
She feigned a look of surprise. “Did I?”
His Father hid a grin behind his coffee mug. “I don't know . . . there's a lot to get done . . . and you know the order of things – ship, school, chores, then play.”
“Dad!”
“I suppose your Father and Uncle Abbas can manage,” said Sonari. “But first, help us get the galley cleaned up and be sure to brush your teeth!”
* * *
Joseph never lived on a planet or station. True, he was born at a space station hospital, but his life was lived inside a one hundred meter long tube of Duranium and Tritanium. One of his greatest joys was the chance to explore the space stations and worlds they visited in their travels. Due to the schedules they kept, loading, delivering, and offloading cargo, those opportunities were all too infrequent.
With ion storm activity on the rise in the Molari sector, the Akinolas decided to lay over at Star Station Echo for a few days to conduct routine maintenance, allowing time for the deadly storms to subside. It also afforded time for young Joseph to experience the sights, sounds, and smells of a large station.
Merchant's Alley was the major commercial level of Echo. Vendors from all over the sector plied their wares – clothing, food, jewels, spices, artwork, the variety seemed endless, especially to a young boy who was amazed by it all.
Sonari picked up a few needed itmes as they meandered through the crowded market place. Joseph was fascinated by the sheer number of beings from alien worlds. His parents had taught him not to stare, but it was hard sometimes. There were blue-skinned Andorians, green and red-skinned Orions, somber Vulcans, sharp-tongued Tellarites, and smiling Denobulans, along with many others he could not identify.
They stopped for ice cream (cherry vanilla was his favorite) before heading to the Arboreum. His mother ordered some sort of coffee drink. Joseph couldn't understand why anyone would drink coffee. Yuck!
“Wow!” breathed Joseph as they entered the three-deck tall Arboreum. The immense space was filled with lush vegetation and trees of many shapes, colors, and varieties. Exotic birds flew around and smaller arboreal animals skittered up tree trunks. The humidity was thick and the space was filled with the aroma of exotic plants and flowers.
They walked along a path through a small evergreen forest, crossing a babbling brook on a small wooden bridge. Joseph peered over the edge, fascinated to see fish swimming through the clear water.
Such visits always tugged at Sonari's heart. She and Samuel chose this life years ago, after she left the Border Service. They enjoyed the vagabond life, as they called it, and the freedom and adventure it afforded them.
But sometimes she wondered if their Boomer lifestyle was fair to their children. She saw the wonder on her little boy's face and it made her realize that the simple pleasure of feeling a sun's warmth on his face, or getting caught in a rain shower was an alien concept to him.
Samuel had even broached the subject of selling Eku and returning to Earth. Neither had seriously considered it, but at moments like this, she wondered as to Joseph's future. Were they limiting his options? Had they hindered his exposure to life beyond a small freighter?
For his part, Joseph never complained. He was a bright kid, and loved to learn about their ship and even to help with small repairs. Samuel was beginning to teach him basic celestial navigation. In a few more years, he would learn how to take the helm.
She set aside the thoughts, determined to enjoy the moment and the joy on her son's face.
* * *
After the Arboreum, Sonari had a surprise for Joseph.
“Where are we going now, Mama?”
“Over to Pod A. Maybe we'll see a cutter, or even a starship.”
His eyes grew wide. Joseph had several starship models in his cabin. “Wow, do you think so?”
She smiled. “You never know . . .”
They hopped onto one of the moving slidewalks, which elicited excited giggles from Joseph. In short order, they arrived at the Pod A observation level.
Large transparent aluminum viewports lined the wall, affording a panoramic view of the berthing pod. Joseph hurried over, pressing his nose against the cool aluminum.
Several ships were berthed within easy view. Most were smaller cutters, but Joseph's eyes were pulled toward an alabaster ship with four nacelles and a saucer.
“Constellation-class,” Joseph announced with confidence. “It's a deep space explorer.” He peered at it, finally spotting the name and registry. “USS Nautilus . . .NCC eight one eight four . . .”
“Beautiful, isn't she?”
They turned to see a woman in a burgundy uniform tunic and black pants. Her skin was fair and her curly hair the color of copper. Emerald green eyes exuded kindness and good humor. The rank cluster signifying a Lieutenant Commander adorned her shoulder. She was a bit taller than Sonari and about the same age.
To Joseph's surprise, his mother warmly embraced the woman. “Jan! It's so good to see you again. Thank you for meeting us!”
Sonari turned to her son. “This is Lt. Commander January Sylvest, Commanding Officer of the Border Cutter, Pugnacious. We served together before you were born, before your Father and I got married, in fact.”
Sylvest extended a hand to Joseph. “A pleasure to meet you, Joseph. I've heard a lot about you from your Mom. We try to stay in touch over subspace.”
He returned the handshake, applying firm but not overly-hard pressure, as his Father had taught him. “Ma'am,” he replied. Hesitating, he asked, “Is your ship out there?”
She nodded and pointed. “See that ship over there? It's not as big or as fancy as the Nautilus, but we do important work.”
Joseph studied the ship that Commander Sylvest indicated. In truth, it wasn't terribly impressive. It had a small but thick, circular primary hull with a sensor pod and deflector dish protruding from the bow. The round nacelles appeared to be of the same vintage as those on the Eku. Hung beneath the engineering hull was a combination torpedo launcher / sensor pod.
The ship was dull gray in color, drab compared to the beautiful Nautilus. Extra docking ports and sensor nodes appeared to be after-thoughts, probably tacked on during numerous refits.
In spite of himself, Joseph was intrigued by the small ship. His eyes flowed over the details, connecting form with function. It wasn't an elegant ship, but it looked like it had purpose.
Joseph smiled. “I like it!” He pointed. “Are those F45-C warp units?”
Commander Sylvest glanced at Sonari, surprised, then turned to study Joseph. “Yes they are. You've got a good eye.”
“We have F40's on the Eku,” continued Joseph. “But Dad and Uncle Abbas have tuned the coils so we can sustain warp 6 for 14 hours,” he said, proudly.
“I'm impressed,” replied Sylvest, truthfully. She glanced again at Sonari, who gave a slight nod.
“Would you like to see my ship?”
Joseph's eyes grew wide. He looked from the Commander to his Mother. “Can we?”
Sonari smiled. “I think we can squeeze it in.”
They traversed the observation area, then passed through security screening before approaching the berthing airlocks. Joseph was only a little disappointed that they couldn't beam aboard, but his excitement grew as they boarded the cutter.
USS Pugnacious (NCC-487) was a six deck patrol cutter, 80 meters long with a saucer diameter slightly more than 40 meters. The Pug, as she was affectionately known by her crew, was obsolete by almost every modern standard. Yet, she still performed her Border Service duties admirably and efficiently, carrying out her multi-mission role in the Molari Badlands.
Young Akinola could barely contain his excitement, peppering Captain Sylvest with questions (for Joseph already knew that onboard the ship, the Commanding Officer was always the “Captain,” regardless of their actual rank.)
They finally came to the bridge. Most of the crew was on liberty call, so only a petty officer was present, performing diagnostics at one of the stations. The crewman rose when Sylvest appeared, but she quickly informed hism she was giving this “young officer candidate,” the tour and to resume his work. The crewman grinned, even offering a salute and referring to Joseph as “sir.”
Joseph didn't mind the teasing. He was engrossed by the myriad systems controlled from the bridge. Small, even by Border Service standards, the bridge of Pugnacious was still considerably larger than the tiny control room on Eku.
At first amused, then impressed, Captain Sylvest answered Joseph's non-stop questions about the various bridge stations. She was surprised that such a young boy would understand not only the names of the stations, but how they functioned and interacted. She quickly remembered that the boy had spent his entire life on a freighter. He could probably handle most of the stations better than some of the raw recruits from Mars.
Sonari, for her part, just stood by quietly, proud of her son and pleased that he was so enthralled.
All too soon (from Joseph's perspective), the tour came to an end. Sonari hugged her old friend and former shipmate and Joseph thanked her profusely.
“Hang on . . . I have something for you,” said Sylvest. She produced a small, black case and handed it to Joseph. Sonari lifted an eyebrow. Captain Sylvest just grinned.
Joseph opened the case and his eyes grew huge. “Wow!” Inside was a bronze Border Service insignia pin – the Cochrane Delta superimposed with crossed anchors and a life ring. He looked up at Captain Sylvest with awe. “This is mine?”
“It is,” said Sylvest, “as long as you uphold the ideals of the Federation and the Border Service. Job one is to always obey your commanding officer. In this case, I believe, that would be Captain Sonari Akinola, correct?”
“Yes ma'am!”
“Very well." The Border Service officer studied the boy. "You are an impressive young man, Joseph Akinola. I expect to hear good things about you. Perhaps we will meet again sometime.”
He grinned. “Yes ma'am, that would be great.”
They shook hands and the C.O. of Pugnacious bade them goodbye.
As Sonari and Joseph made their way back to the Eku, she asked, “Joey, do you think you might join the Border Service one day?”
He didn't really like to be called Joey any more. It seemed babyish, but he didn't wish to hurt his Mother's feelings, so he endured it. He frowned in thought.
“That would be awesome, but I can't do that.”
Puzzled, Sonari stopped. After a couple of steps, Joseph also halted, turning and looking back at his Mother quizzically.
“Why couldn't you, son?”
“Well, who would take over running the Eku when you and Dad and Uncle Abbas get old.?”
She studied her son. “Is that what you want to do?”
Again, his brow furrowed. “Well . . . yes. I mean, it's what I'm supposed to do, right?”
She felt something tighten in her chest. Putting her hands on his shoulders (he was getting so tall), she peered into his brown eyes.
“Joseph Barabbas Akinola . . . hear me well. You can do anything you want to do. You're so bright and so is your future. If one day, you want to take over the family business, we would be pleased. But we want you to follow your own dreams . . . if that should lead you to Starfleet or the Border Service or to start a business on Earth or Mars or Rigel IV, that is entirely your decision. Just know your Mama and Dad and Uncle Abbas are so very proud of you and love you very much!”
Joseph nodded, torn between pleasure over his Mother's praise but embarrassed over public displays of affection. Thankfully, she limited it to a quick kiss on his forehead.
“Come on,” she said, tousling his head, “Time to get back to the ship.”
It took almost twenty minutes to make their way back to Pod B and Berth 17. As they entered the freighter's airlock, Joseph sniffed the air and grinned. “Something smells good!”
They made their way to the commons and stopped. A huge grin spread across Joseph's face.
“Happy birthday, Joseph!” whooped his Father and Uncle. A large, chocolate cake sat on the table with eight candles burning. On the opposite counter lay all the fixings for Tacos – Joseph's favorite.
Samuel came over and kissed his wife, then whispered, “Lindy Beauchamp came through for us on the cake and tacos. Better check the cake before Joseph does, 'cause Lindy says 'everything is better with rum.'”
“If that demented Cajun idiot spiked my little boy's cake . . .” she began, then saw the grin on Samuel's face and swatted him, just before they sang “Happy Birthday” to their son.
* * *
That night, Joseph found it hard to get to sleep. It had been an awesome day. He enjoyed the time with his Mother, touring the massive Star Station. The arboreum was great, and Merchant's Alley was interesting, but the tour of the cutter Pugnacious, had been the best of all. He allowed his mind to replay the tour, seeing the various areas of the ship . . . engineering, some of the crew quarters, the transporter room, Sickbay (he could have done without that), and best of all . . . the bridge. Captain Sylvest had even allowed him to sit in the command chair.
His presents were pretty great, too. New boots from his Dad (he outgrew a pair every other month, it seemed), a neat multi-tool from Uncle Abbas, and a real book from his mother – “The Complete History of the Federation Border Service,” by some Admiral named Brooks Erdun.
But best of all was the Border Service pin that he received from Captain January Sylvest. (Okay, she was still a Lt. Commander, which was weird, but whatever). He clasped it tightly in his hand as he lay in the darkened room.
Of course, he knew he would one day be the Captain and Master of the Eku. He had a duty to his family, didn't he? Besides, he loved this ship and his Mama, Dad, Uncle Abbas, even his little sister. He couldn't imagine ever leaving them.
Finally, young Joseph drifted off to sleep, dreaming of the eternal stars.
END
Stardate 2351.4 (9 May 2325)
Independent Freighter SS Eku
Berth 17, Star Station Echo, Molari Sector
0630 hours, ship's time.
Eight year old Joseph Akinola tossed back the sheets, lept from his bunk, and made it to the hatchway to his cabin in three quick steps (he always counted, working toward making it in just two). He crossed the passageway into the head, relieving his bladder, washing his hands and face, then returned to his cabin to make up his bunk (his parents would have Tribbles if he neglected that chore), finally, tugging on his coveralls.
He hurried back into the passageway, nearly colliding with his Uncle Abbas.
“Slow down, young man,” he said with a chuckle, scooping the boy up and tickling his mid-section.
Joseph shrieked with laughter. “Put me down, Uncle Abbas! Put me down!”
Abbas spun Joseph around once, then sat him on his feet and gave a playful swat on the rear. “Off you go, crewman. Your mama has breakfast ready.”
Grinning, and a bit dizzy, Joseph weaved a little before moving down the passageway at a slightly slower pace.
The L-Type Freighter on which the Akinola family lived, traveled, and worked, was a direct descendant of the venerable DY-class freighters that marked Earth's first steps into interplanetary, then interstellar, commercial spaceflight more than two centuries earlier.
The Eku was a veteran traveler herself, having been constructed at the Titan Space Yards, Sol Sector, in 2269. She was basically a long cylinder with a prominent control space in the tower or sail section, a design dating back to Earth submarines of the late 20th/early 21st centuries. Crew quarters, ship stores, and engineering resided within the cylinder. An impulse engine cluster was mounted aft, with warp nacelles angled outward from the cluster. Cargo pods were mounted externally, much the same as the old DY ships. Outward appearances to the contrary, the L-Types were safe and reliable ships known for durability and ease of maintenance.
Joseph could smell breakfast before he entered the commons. He grinned at the aroma of waffles and bacon – his favorite.
Rounding the corner, he saw his father working over the waffle iron and his mother, who was coaxing his baby sister, Melody, to eat some of her breakfast.
Sonari Akinola, Captain of the Eku, looked up from one-year-old Melody and spotted Joseph. She smiled at her oldest.
“I thought we were going to have to send the Border Service to get you out of bed this morning. Your Dad was about to feed your waffles to the cat.”
Joseph's Father and Sonari's husband, Samuel Ishamel Akinola, looked up from the waffle iron. He gestured to the table.
“Bacon's on the platter. Juice is in the pitcher. If you want milk, it's in the stasis box.”
“Yes sir,” replied Joseph. He opened the stasis box and poured a large glass of milk. Then he settled into a chair and started heaping bacon on his plate.
“Whoa, son, slow down!” chided his mother. “Leave some for the rest of us.”
“Sorry,” he said, not really meaning it. He returned one piece of bacon to the platter.
“Boy's growing like an Arcturan climber vine,” remarked Samuel as he placed two waffles on Joseph's plate, which the younger Akinola quickly drowned in syrup. In truth, the son of Sonari and Samuel was going through a growth-spurt. At eight, he could easily be mistaken for a boy of 12 or 13, albeit a very skinny one.
“Taking after your side of the family, dear,” remarked Sonari, trying but not quite succeeding in getting the last of the food into little Melody's mouth.
Joseph began wolfing down the waffles, earning a sharp look from his mother. Dutifully, he slowed down . . . some, but still was finished before his parents started eating.
“Can I have another waffle?” he asked. His Dad glanced at Sonari. She lifted an eyebrow dubiously. “May I have another waffle, please,” she replied.
“May I, pleeeease?” he begged. Samuel chuckled and rose. He turned to his wife. “Want another?”
“Thank you, no. One is plenty.” She looked back at her son, then their daughter. Her heart was full. She idly wondered what it would be like to be a grandmother. Oh well, too soon for such thoughts. Enjoy now.
They finished their breakfast in companionable silence, save for Melody's occasional outbursts. Even at one, she was already beginning to talk, even if no one understood her.
Abbas came in and Samuel dutifully fixed him a couple of waffles. Samuel's younger brother was an excellent mechanic but absolutely clueless on how to fix a meal that didn't come from a protein-re-sequencer. His idea of haute cuisine, was peanut butter and mustard on rye.
As Joseph began to fidget, impatient to start the day, Samuel asked, “What's on the agenda today, boss?”
She gave him an askance look. “That's 'Captain' to you, dearest. I thought maybe we could purge the sludge tanks, inspect the hull since we're berthed, recalibrate the flux injectors . . .”
Joseph couldn't stand it any more. “But Mama, today is the day you promised to take me on the station!”
She feigned a look of surprise. “Did I?”
His Father hid a grin behind his coffee mug. “I don't know . . . there's a lot to get done . . . and you know the order of things – ship, school, chores, then play.”
“Dad!”
“I suppose your Father and Uncle Abbas can manage,” said Sonari. “But first, help us get the galley cleaned up and be sure to brush your teeth!”
* * *
Joseph never lived on a planet or station. True, he was born at a space station hospital, but his life was lived inside a one hundred meter long tube of Duranium and Tritanium. One of his greatest joys was the chance to explore the space stations and worlds they visited in their travels. Due to the schedules they kept, loading, delivering, and offloading cargo, those opportunities were all too infrequent.
With ion storm activity on the rise in the Molari sector, the Akinolas decided to lay over at Star Station Echo for a few days to conduct routine maintenance, allowing time for the deadly storms to subside. It also afforded time for young Joseph to experience the sights, sounds, and smells of a large station.
Merchant's Alley was the major commercial level of Echo. Vendors from all over the sector plied their wares – clothing, food, jewels, spices, artwork, the variety seemed endless, especially to a young boy who was amazed by it all.
Sonari picked up a few needed itmes as they meandered through the crowded market place. Joseph was fascinated by the sheer number of beings from alien worlds. His parents had taught him not to stare, but it was hard sometimes. There were blue-skinned Andorians, green and red-skinned Orions, somber Vulcans, sharp-tongued Tellarites, and smiling Denobulans, along with many others he could not identify.
They stopped for ice cream (cherry vanilla was his favorite) before heading to the Arboreum. His mother ordered some sort of coffee drink. Joseph couldn't understand why anyone would drink coffee. Yuck!
“Wow!” breathed Joseph as they entered the three-deck tall Arboreum. The immense space was filled with lush vegetation and trees of many shapes, colors, and varieties. Exotic birds flew around and smaller arboreal animals skittered up tree trunks. The humidity was thick and the space was filled with the aroma of exotic plants and flowers.
They walked along a path through a small evergreen forest, crossing a babbling brook on a small wooden bridge. Joseph peered over the edge, fascinated to see fish swimming through the clear water.
Such visits always tugged at Sonari's heart. She and Samuel chose this life years ago, after she left the Border Service. They enjoyed the vagabond life, as they called it, and the freedom and adventure it afforded them.
But sometimes she wondered if their Boomer lifestyle was fair to their children. She saw the wonder on her little boy's face and it made her realize that the simple pleasure of feeling a sun's warmth on his face, or getting caught in a rain shower was an alien concept to him.
Samuel had even broached the subject of selling Eku and returning to Earth. Neither had seriously considered it, but at moments like this, she wondered as to Joseph's future. Were they limiting his options? Had they hindered his exposure to life beyond a small freighter?
For his part, Joseph never complained. He was a bright kid, and loved to learn about their ship and even to help with small repairs. Samuel was beginning to teach him basic celestial navigation. In a few more years, he would learn how to take the helm.
She set aside the thoughts, determined to enjoy the moment and the joy on her son's face.
* * *
After the Arboreum, Sonari had a surprise for Joseph.
“Where are we going now, Mama?”
“Over to Pod A. Maybe we'll see a cutter, or even a starship.”
His eyes grew wide. Joseph had several starship models in his cabin. “Wow, do you think so?”
She smiled. “You never know . . .”
They hopped onto one of the moving slidewalks, which elicited excited giggles from Joseph. In short order, they arrived at the Pod A observation level.
Large transparent aluminum viewports lined the wall, affording a panoramic view of the berthing pod. Joseph hurried over, pressing his nose against the cool aluminum.
Several ships were berthed within easy view. Most were smaller cutters, but Joseph's eyes were pulled toward an alabaster ship with four nacelles and a saucer.
“Constellation-class,” Joseph announced with confidence. “It's a deep space explorer.” He peered at it, finally spotting the name and registry. “USS Nautilus . . .NCC eight one eight four . . .”
“Beautiful, isn't she?”
They turned to see a woman in a burgundy uniform tunic and black pants. Her skin was fair and her curly hair the color of copper. Emerald green eyes exuded kindness and good humor. The rank cluster signifying a Lieutenant Commander adorned her shoulder. She was a bit taller than Sonari and about the same age.
To Joseph's surprise, his mother warmly embraced the woman. “Jan! It's so good to see you again. Thank you for meeting us!”
Sonari turned to her son. “This is Lt. Commander January Sylvest, Commanding Officer of the Border Cutter, Pugnacious. We served together before you were born, before your Father and I got married, in fact.”
Sylvest extended a hand to Joseph. “A pleasure to meet you, Joseph. I've heard a lot about you from your Mom. We try to stay in touch over subspace.”
He returned the handshake, applying firm but not overly-hard pressure, as his Father had taught him. “Ma'am,” he replied. Hesitating, he asked, “Is your ship out there?”
She nodded and pointed. “See that ship over there? It's not as big or as fancy as the Nautilus, but we do important work.”
Joseph studied the ship that Commander Sylvest indicated. In truth, it wasn't terribly impressive. It had a small but thick, circular primary hull with a sensor pod and deflector dish protruding from the bow. The round nacelles appeared to be of the same vintage as those on the Eku. Hung beneath the engineering hull was a combination torpedo launcher / sensor pod.
The ship was dull gray in color, drab compared to the beautiful Nautilus. Extra docking ports and sensor nodes appeared to be after-thoughts, probably tacked on during numerous refits.
In spite of himself, Joseph was intrigued by the small ship. His eyes flowed over the details, connecting form with function. It wasn't an elegant ship, but it looked like it had purpose.
Joseph smiled. “I like it!” He pointed. “Are those F45-C warp units?”
Commander Sylvest glanced at Sonari, surprised, then turned to study Joseph. “Yes they are. You've got a good eye.”
“We have F40's on the Eku,” continued Joseph. “But Dad and Uncle Abbas have tuned the coils so we can sustain warp 6 for 14 hours,” he said, proudly.
“I'm impressed,” replied Sylvest, truthfully. She glanced again at Sonari, who gave a slight nod.
“Would you like to see my ship?”
Joseph's eyes grew wide. He looked from the Commander to his Mother. “Can we?”
Sonari smiled. “I think we can squeeze it in.”
They traversed the observation area, then passed through security screening before approaching the berthing airlocks. Joseph was only a little disappointed that they couldn't beam aboard, but his excitement grew as they boarded the cutter.
USS Pugnacious (NCC-487) was a six deck patrol cutter, 80 meters long with a saucer diameter slightly more than 40 meters. The Pug, as she was affectionately known by her crew, was obsolete by almost every modern standard. Yet, she still performed her Border Service duties admirably and efficiently, carrying out her multi-mission role in the Molari Badlands.
Young Akinola could barely contain his excitement, peppering Captain Sylvest with questions (for Joseph already knew that onboard the ship, the Commanding Officer was always the “Captain,” regardless of their actual rank.)
They finally came to the bridge. Most of the crew was on liberty call, so only a petty officer was present, performing diagnostics at one of the stations. The crewman rose when Sylvest appeared, but she quickly informed hism she was giving this “young officer candidate,” the tour and to resume his work. The crewman grinned, even offering a salute and referring to Joseph as “sir.”
Joseph didn't mind the teasing. He was engrossed by the myriad systems controlled from the bridge. Small, even by Border Service standards, the bridge of Pugnacious was still considerably larger than the tiny control room on Eku.
At first amused, then impressed, Captain Sylvest answered Joseph's non-stop questions about the various bridge stations. She was surprised that such a young boy would understand not only the names of the stations, but how they functioned and interacted. She quickly remembered that the boy had spent his entire life on a freighter. He could probably handle most of the stations better than some of the raw recruits from Mars.
Sonari, for her part, just stood by quietly, proud of her son and pleased that he was so enthralled.
All too soon (from Joseph's perspective), the tour came to an end. Sonari hugged her old friend and former shipmate and Joseph thanked her profusely.
“Hang on . . . I have something for you,” said Sylvest. She produced a small, black case and handed it to Joseph. Sonari lifted an eyebrow. Captain Sylvest just grinned.
Joseph opened the case and his eyes grew huge. “Wow!” Inside was a bronze Border Service insignia pin – the Cochrane Delta superimposed with crossed anchors and a life ring. He looked up at Captain Sylvest with awe. “This is mine?”
“It is,” said Sylvest, “as long as you uphold the ideals of the Federation and the Border Service. Job one is to always obey your commanding officer. In this case, I believe, that would be Captain Sonari Akinola, correct?”
“Yes ma'am!”
“Very well." The Border Service officer studied the boy. "You are an impressive young man, Joseph Akinola. I expect to hear good things about you. Perhaps we will meet again sometime.”
He grinned. “Yes ma'am, that would be great.”
They shook hands and the C.O. of Pugnacious bade them goodbye.
As Sonari and Joseph made their way back to the Eku, she asked, “Joey, do you think you might join the Border Service one day?”
He didn't really like to be called Joey any more. It seemed babyish, but he didn't wish to hurt his Mother's feelings, so he endured it. He frowned in thought.
“That would be awesome, but I can't do that.”
Puzzled, Sonari stopped. After a couple of steps, Joseph also halted, turning and looking back at his Mother quizzically.
“Why couldn't you, son?”
“Well, who would take over running the Eku when you and Dad and Uncle Abbas get old.?”
She studied her son. “Is that what you want to do?”
Again, his brow furrowed. “Well . . . yes. I mean, it's what I'm supposed to do, right?”
She felt something tighten in her chest. Putting her hands on his shoulders (he was getting so tall), she peered into his brown eyes.
“Joseph Barabbas Akinola . . . hear me well. You can do anything you want to do. You're so bright and so is your future. If one day, you want to take over the family business, we would be pleased. But we want you to follow your own dreams . . . if that should lead you to Starfleet or the Border Service or to start a business on Earth or Mars or Rigel IV, that is entirely your decision. Just know your Mama and Dad and Uncle Abbas are so very proud of you and love you very much!”
Joseph nodded, torn between pleasure over his Mother's praise but embarrassed over public displays of affection. Thankfully, she limited it to a quick kiss on his forehead.
“Come on,” she said, tousling his head, “Time to get back to the ship.”
It took almost twenty minutes to make their way back to Pod B and Berth 17. As they entered the freighter's airlock, Joseph sniffed the air and grinned. “Something smells good!”
They made their way to the commons and stopped. A huge grin spread across Joseph's face.
“Happy birthday, Joseph!” whooped his Father and Uncle. A large, chocolate cake sat on the table with eight candles burning. On the opposite counter lay all the fixings for Tacos – Joseph's favorite.
Samuel came over and kissed his wife, then whispered, “Lindy Beauchamp came through for us on the cake and tacos. Better check the cake before Joseph does, 'cause Lindy says 'everything is better with rum.'”
“If that demented Cajun idiot spiked my little boy's cake . . .” she began, then saw the grin on Samuel's face and swatted him, just before they sang “Happy Birthday” to their son.
* * *
That night, Joseph found it hard to get to sleep. It had been an awesome day. He enjoyed the time with his Mother, touring the massive Star Station. The arboreum was great, and Merchant's Alley was interesting, but the tour of the cutter Pugnacious, had been the best of all. He allowed his mind to replay the tour, seeing the various areas of the ship . . . engineering, some of the crew quarters, the transporter room, Sickbay (he could have done without that), and best of all . . . the bridge. Captain Sylvest had even allowed him to sit in the command chair.
His presents were pretty great, too. New boots from his Dad (he outgrew a pair every other month, it seemed), a neat multi-tool from Uncle Abbas, and a real book from his mother – “The Complete History of the Federation Border Service,” by some Admiral named Brooks Erdun.
But best of all was the Border Service pin that he received from Captain January Sylvest. (Okay, she was still a Lt. Commander, which was weird, but whatever). He clasped it tightly in his hand as he lay in the darkened room.
Of course, he knew he would one day be the Captain and Master of the Eku. He had a duty to his family, didn't he? Besides, he loved this ship and his Mama, Dad, Uncle Abbas, even his little sister. He couldn't imagine ever leaving them.
Finally, young Joseph drifted off to sleep, dreaming of the eternal stars.
END
