Not so Blue Skies

[unimatrix]

Short intro I wrote...to what I'm not exactly sure yet.

_word_ = word Oddly formated for text submission else where maybe in the future.

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Carl Marche sat on one of the three curved benches that ringed the observation dome. It was a small area, just large enough for about four grown men. He sat with his MacBook Pro playing Willie Nelson's version of _Blue Skies_ at full volume. It was loud enough to echo in the small room, if a little wiry and high pitched. Laptop speakers lacked the depth of bass to really make music come alive in his opinion. The dome was fixed atop the dorsal spine of the ship and the only windows. Well technically a material the alliance dubbed Crystalline, but they were thick and transparent. Every ship had such a location where one could chart stars manually as a navigational back up.

 

"Blue Skies," Major Jessika Wilson's voice pierced the serenity. She remembered the tune well. Marche looked around and finally down to see her head poking out of the open pressure hatch in the middle of the round room. She took a few more steps up the ladder and sealed the hatch behind her. She was familiar with the tune, but not this cover. "What version is this?"

 

"The Willie Nelson one."

 

Jessika winced. "That's an odd choice, didn't think you liked him?"

 

"It's a decent version. Not the one I wanted, but the best iTunes had," Marche replied. "I'd brought an extra glass if I knew you were coming up."

 

"Brought my own," Jessika smiled. Marche poured a solid double shot into her juice glass. Not proper bar wear, but close enough. "So, don't want to drink in front of the preacher?"

 

"Don't want to drink in front of your husband?" Marche shot back. He sat there and took another sip. "I'm not worry about what the preacher thinks. After all I'm a whiskey-palian after all."

 

The hatch opened again. This time it was Ben. "What's going on up here? Skip's holding a Bible Study session. The military guys are joining in, so is Andy."

 

"We're hav'n an Episcopal Bible Study up here mate," Marche raised his glass in a mocking toast. "Although since we were fresh out of sacramental wine, figured whiskey worked just as well."

 

"You drink'n?" Ben snarled.

 

"Go get 'ya self a glass, mate, and come join us!" Marche encouraged.

 

Ben stood on the ladder tempted. His father-in-law would probably not say anything, but if his wife ever found out, there would beconsequences . Of course they would have to rescue or at least pay the ransom first for that to happen. "You two have fun," he said sealing the hatch as he left.

 

Marche and Jessika sat in silence for a few moments. It was awkward. Marche took another sip. "He's gunna come looking for ya."

 

"Who?"

 

"Your husband."

 

"Let him find me," Jessika snipped.

 

"So how is married life?" Marche asked half jokingly.

 

"Good," she instantly replied.

 

Marche snorted, "Ah, that's a conditioned response if I've ever heard one." Marche took a quaff emptying his glass and pouring another shot worth of whiskey in his glass.

 

"What is that supposed to mean?"

 

The room was dark, save for a dim ring of blue lights around the hatch. It was hard to see any facial expressions, yet Marche could see her face in his mind all too clearly. "You aren't fooling me." Marche waited for aquick retort, but silence. From her at least.

 

The first few bars of _A New Ending_ from the Star Trek X sound track began to play. The first few bars was Blue Skies before transitioning to the classicTNG theme. He liked TNG and especially DS 9, but never watch the later trek series. Heck he did not even see 10 in the theaters. He waited for it to come to The Movie Channel that was part of his digital satellite subscription to finally watch the movie. May not have been the best movies ever, but the soundtrack scores were gold. At least in his mind.

 

"Fitting theme," Jessika attempted to change the subject. "Why didn't you ever call one of your ship's Enterprise?"

 

"Because," Marche began, "Never found one deserv'n of the name."

 

"Better than _The Immortal Cartographer_." Jessika took another ship. "How did you ever come up with that one?"

 

"Random name generator," Marche answered. "And what do you call it in the Air Force now?"

 

"Star Ship Six."

 

"Star Ship six?" Marche mocked. "Oh, that's bloody original. Even for the military." The both shared a chuckle at the notion. "But back to the topic at hand, why did you say yes?"

 

"To what?"

 

"The mission, the rank," Marche said beating around the bush, "Him."

 

Jessika sat finishing her drink. "I think I'll have another," she frowned. Marche poured her another double worth of whiskey. "Why did you offer to help them? You could have said the hell with it. In fact "

 

"It's Bellerophon," Marche snapped. "The whole grudge thingy."

 

"You know how to hold those," Jessika said sardonically.

 

"You should now," Marche answered with a grin.

 

"So I do," she said softly. She paused a moment before getting back on topic. "I thought you killed him?"

 

"Three forty-five long colts to the chest and two of those were at point blank range," Marche answered. "By all rights. Trust me, you would have liked my reaction when he showed up on a random summer night."

 

"Oh, would I have now," Jessika said coyly. She paused a moment. It was her turn to answer. "Well the brass thought that the chance to bring back advanced technology that even the Alliance doesn't have would be a good thing."

 

"Not what I asked," Marche said. "Why did _you_ say yes?"

 

Jessika paused again as the expression on her face tightened. The Alochol was starting to have an effect on her Five-four, hundred thirty pound frame. "Because you asked," she admitted with a hint of sadness in her voice.

 

Marche hesitated a moment. "Thought so."

 

"And the other answer is," she said holding her breathe for dramatic effect, partially thanks to the whiskey. "I don't know."

 

"Ah," Marche smirked. "You always were a cheap date." Jessika reached over and gave him a playful slap to the shoulder. "That's sexualherassment and I don't have to take it!" Marche offered sarcastially.

 

"Why did they choose that word, I mean, her-ass..." Jessika shook her head.

 

"Dunno," Marche answered.

 

"So let's hear it."

 

"Hear what?" Marche asked.

 

"What you think about my husband Andy."

 

"Well," Marche began, "I think you joined that church, was the youngest person in your small group, and pretty much everyone else was married. So they encouraged you to date this guy, you did, and now I think you wonder what could have been."

 

"It's not that way at all," Jessika blasted back.

 

"We're one in the same," Marche reminded her.

 

"No we're not. I have a worth ethic. Hell I have an ethic period," she snorted.

 

"You know I would have joined the Project eventually. I just wanted sometime away," Marche told her.

 

"And when would that have been?" Jessika growled.

 

Marche shrugged as he sighed. He had no answer. "Still, doesn't mean bad decisions can't be undone."

 

"No some of 'em can't," She told him. "We're living proof of that. There are some things you just can't go back and undo."

 

"This ain't one of 'em," Marche said. "And you know it."

 

"Andy and I don't believe in divorce," she firmly told Marche. "We took an oath before God."

 

"One he broke to someone else before," Marche said bitterly.

 

"That was different. She mounted up a ninety-thousand dollar credit card debt in his name!"

 

Marche looked away for a moment. It was just long enough to keep himself from saying something totally insanely stupid as opposed to just stupid. "The reason being is that you two have the same group of friends, but the kicker is if you ever did leave him, you also would have to leave them. After all, he was their friend first. And being alone is something you can't face."

 

"You grew up alone, an only child, you never had siblings," Jessika snarled. She rose and marched to the hatch. "I leave you and your darkness alone. It's fitting."Her glass was empty as she tried to toss a drink at Marche. It was instinct and he got the message, if not the satistifing. Angerly she pulled the hatch open, carefully grabbed the ladder's sides and slide to the deck below.

 

Carl sat there for a moment and finished his drink. Slowly he rose to his feet and walked over to the hatch and paused. He glanced down the rabbit hole. She was gone. He kicked the hatch close and returned to his laptop. Lightly he scrolled thecurser, selected Blue Skies and started the playlist again from the top. He sat as _Blue Skies_ played once again as he poured himself another double.

Edited June 13, 2007 by Unimatrix