A Visit to Paris

Posted on Mon Jul 15th, 2024 @ 10:29am by Captain Samuel Woolheater

Mission: Back Home
Location: Camp Margrave - Titan and then Earth
Timeline: Today
2946 words - 5.9 OF Standard Post Measure

[ON:]

THE MOON TITAN - CAMP MARGRAVE – SFMC – ADMINISTRATION CONFERENCE ROOM

It had been a long day and Emma Woolheater sat through another committee meeting. Patiently waiting her turn to speak when the meeting got to the public comments section. She had been at Camp Margrave for six weeks now. Tirelessly and relentlessly attending meetings and hearings. Petitioning various Maring Generals, Majors and Field Officers, anyone who would listen and give her time on their calendar.

For six weeks, she only heard excuses. Excuses about why it was not possible, practical, feasible or objective to even start a search for the 62nd Detachment of Marine stationed onboard Elysium.

Sleepless nights in a local hotel. Making calls, working with parents of other crew – not just Marines any longer – parents, spouses, children…grandchildren wanting to know what was being done to find Elysium. Anger and frustration seethed in those calls. And some days were worse than others. Emma understood that frustration with Starfleet and the Marine Corps. They gave the impression that there were so many other more urgent necessary needs. Looking for a missing starship and her crew was not one of them.

For days upon days, she lobbied the Generals. Until they no longer met with her. George, her husband back on Pacifica, he was her support. But he wasn’t here by her side. She knew that he would if he could. It was important that he was on Pacifica. To handle things and life back home. For Barclay and for Johanna. There were times when Emma felt very alone. Today was one of those days.

The conference room was not too full. Many parents, siblings and loved ones could not devote the time to see this through. One by one, her supporters got thinner in number and left. They still supported her. She was overloaded with messages of support. Gift baskets, token of appreciation. Even bars of gold-pressed latinum with which to buy what she could not afford to obtain legally. Luckily, it had not come to that, and she refused all gifts. Telling the gifter that what was needed was in person help. And that they should keep their other gifts.

When it was finally her turn to speak, she started as she had always done, by reading a statement. There were four Generals here in this public meeting. They all sat back in their chairs, and she knew, deep down, that she had lost them. She had become “trouble” and pedantic. She looked at the picture of Samuel, her son, in his dress uniform and stopped speaking. Her lips trembled for a moment. The pause was long enough that the Generals figured that she had come to the end of whatever it was she was saying – they hadn’t been paying attention.

One cleared his throat, “Thank you for your comments. We will take them under advisement. If there are no further comments, then…” and the meeting started to break up.

Something came over her. A new feeling: something changed in her and she suddenly found a new voice within her. A new energy and strength from somewhere deep in her being. As the room started to break up to depart, but before any of the Generals could leave she raised her hand…and then slapped it down hard on the speakers lectern. It sent a resounding shock and thud through the room that got the attention of everyone. They stopped in their tracks and looked at her. She looked at the four Generals and said, “I can’t listen to this anymore. I won’t listen to anymore of your reasons why you can’t do something. Or why it’s a bad idea, or impractical…or foolish. A bad idea?” She shook her head as the room was silent as they watched this woman talk to them with such power and conviction. “A bad idea is to let you keep getting away with this deception. Impractical and Foolish? You routinely send men and women into harm’s way. All the time.”

They simply looked at her, intently now, as everything and everyone stood still. She said, “I can’t accomplish a god damned thing of any meaning or worth unless you act and start a search. And I mean a real search and not give up on them. They are worth it. My son…is worth it. All our sons and our daughters, our spouses our families everyone one of them we love so dear. They are worth so much more than to let you sit here and dismiss them with a wave of your hand and trying to bury me in red tape”.

“Well it won’t work” she said. “Because I’m not giving up on them” she wiped a tear away. There was only silence as people took their seats again. “There is..I think…a sickness here. Maybe in Starfleet, maybe in the Federation but certainly here in the Marine Corps. And I need you to be cured of it. You dismiss people like they are property. Where is your compassion? Where is your empathy gentlemen? You do us no good service – no good service at all if in the discharge of your office and duties you have lost sight of why you are here? You dismiss property, a whole starship and her crew as if it doesn’t matter to you. Or to anyone. Like they came off a damn assembly line. It is a sickness to think that way.”

Emma looked at them and she knew that this moment was once in a lifetime. This, this was the moment to change hearts and minds. “And whether any of you, or anyone else knows it, I know that I need for you to act to make that cure. And I know that starting that search, in earnest and with resolve…I know that is this cure!” She lifted in her hand a PaDD where she formally asked for a rescue operation to be started immediately. With the PaDD in her hand she said in a loud voice, “This plan is that cure!”

The Generals looked at her and then each other having been shamed. But still not convinced.

She put the PaDD down and said pleadingly and with great emotion. She was speaking from all of the frustration and the anger that she had listened to for the past six weeks. She spoke with not just her voice. But with the ardent fervor of the many, “You must know by now that we aren’t going to give up. We won’t quit. Because they wouldn’t” she picked up Sam’s picture and showed it to them again, “He’s just one of them missing. But I’m here to make sure that Sam and all of them take center stage at every one of your meetings. Now and now again until you act. You have their fate in your hands. And you can show the Marine Corps, that every one of them matters! You can show Starfleet, that they matter too. You can show the Federation that you’re not quitters. You’re Generals. In the Starfleet Marine Corps. And you can change your mind and your hearts. And in so doing, change the mind and the hearts of those around you. To be more compassionate. To care more. To listen…more. And you can do it now. Find them! And bring them home!”

Then she looked at each General and called them by name, “Now General Mirrison. Now General Ryder. Now Generals Hughes and H’thro. Now! Now! Now! Now!” she said as she pointed at each one of them with fire in her eyes and her heart. She put each one of them in her sights and fired a mother’s fire.

“Look at the moment that’s before you. Don’t miss it. It’s the hardest thing to do. I know. But you are used to doing hard things gentlemen. See what is before you. See the here and the now…it’s the only thing that counts. You must act.”

The room was silent. No one moved. The weight of what was happening and the conviction from her was like time had stopped. Every eye and ear were on her every word. “Starting an immediate search and rescue operation settles this situation and situation like this for all time. No more will people say that Marines are expendable. No more can people say that about Starfleet crews or ships. Not after today. It settles it today and for all time. Because you will be saying that people matter. And that no one is left behind. No Marine, no Starfleet crew, no Starships. They all matter.”

Each of the men thought deeply about what she said. One could tell on their faces that something in them had changed. Something had reached them.

General Ryder answered, “Mrs. Woolheater, we would need at least four votes and the approval of the Federation Security Council not to mention the Commandant of the Marine Corps. What you’re asking…”

She interrupted him and said, “…what I’m asking is for you to be the leaders you are meant to be. Now. Today. Do it for them. For all of them. Elysium is worth every effort. You are Generals of the Starfleet Marine Corps. You must do this gentlemen. You must see this through.”

General Ryder nodded, he made no promises. The others were silent and the meeting was adjourned.

=====

As Emma had gathered her things and spoke with more of the parents and spouses, while she was speaking, two Marine security guards approached her and asked, “Excuse us ma’am. Are you Emma Woolheater?”

“Yes, yes I am” she replied. “Am I in trouble?”

“Please come with us ma’am. We will escort you to your ship.”

Emma was confused and suddenly felt afraid for her safety, “What ship? I don’t have a ship? Where are you taking me?”

“Please come with us ma’am” was the reply. They could both see that she was worried.

“I promise you ma’am, you’re safe with us. We heard everything you said.”

Emma decided after a moment’s thought to go with them. She walked with them down a corridor, past the Administration building and to the staff offices. She watched both. They didn’t say much and so most of the journey down corridors and walkways to a sub-level transporter was quiet. When they arrived and stopped at the transporter, one of the Marines said, “Sorry about the abrupt nature of your…departure.”

“Where are you takin me?” she asked.

“I’m sorry Mrs. Woolheater, I don’t know your ultimate destination. My orders are to deliver you to the USS Hale. Captain Hammond is waiting for you ma’am.”

“I know that ship. That was Sam’s previous posting” she said.

“Yes ma’am. Captain Hammond spoke very highly of him. We didn’t know him, your son, very well. But we wanted you to know. All of us, many Marines here at Margrave, we want you to know that word has gotten around. And we sincerely appreciate what you are trying to do. Mostly for Sam, we know. But for all of us ma’am. It’s good to know that people still care.”

She held back her tears, took a deep breath and said, “Mmmm. Yes. We’re doing what we can. I want Starfleet and the SFMC to get off their ass and do something to help. And I’m not stopping until they do.”

“Affirmative. If you’ll step on the pad? We’ll beam you to the Hale.


USS HALE – NCC 1153 – TRANSPORTER ROOM ONE

The blue and white light of the transporter beam finished, and Emma felt herself again. Just to be sure, she felt all her parts and they were there. A man in his late fifties, Captain Hammond approached and said, “Welcome aboard Mrs. Woolheater”

Stepping down from the transporter pad, Emma greeted him, “You must be Captain Hammond? Sam doesn’t talk too much about his missions. But he did tell us how much he liked serving with you Captain.”

Hammond smiled and greeted her, “Yes ma’am. He is a man a few words. And a hell of a sniper. Best one I ever laid eyes on. He has your eyes and your heart.”

Emma smiled back, “Thank you Captain. But, he has his father’s heart. Even though he would never admit to having it. George, his father, is the lionheart of our family.”

Hammond extended his arm to open the door and show her the way out, “If you’ll walk with me, I want to share with you where we’re going. I imagine that your departure from Camp Margrave was…exciting?”

They both leave the transporter room and walk down the corridor of the Steamrunner-class starship. “To say the least. After today’s meeting where I was more, oh, I don’t know…more passionate? I wasn’t sure just where I was being led.”

Hammond smiled and looked at her as they stopped, “Mrs. Woolheater”

“Please, call me Emma? You’re tongue will be tired if you use my last name too much.”

Hammond said, “I’ve lots of practice. My orders are to deliver you to the President. On Earth. Paris to be exact.”

Emma was surprised, “The Federation President?”

“Yes indeed ma’am. Federation President wants to see you right away.”



La Résidence Officielle du Président de la Fédération


Emma materialized on another transporter pad in a swirl of energy to matter conversion, I don’t think I could ever get used to this she thought to herself.

“Welcome to the President’s Office ma’am” an ensign said who was flanked by a Marine Diplomatic Sentry.

“Thank you. I can’t believe I’m here. Would it be possible to make a call to my husband? To let him know where I am? So he won’t worry? And…is there a ladies room?”

The ensign grinned, “No problem.”

=====

Once the ladies room and call were made, Emma was escorted to the President’s Office. Along the way the ensign said, “Thank you for everything you are doing.”

“Oh? You know about that?” she asked.

“Yes ma’am. And it is appreciated. I have friends on Elysium and I want to see them again” she said.

Emma stopped and asked, “What are there names?”

Turning to her, “Well, Josh Young is one. He’s the only Marine I know. Diplomatic Security was his last post. The last time I spoke to him. And a friend from the clerical pool, Adelle, I mean Adelaide Kirkby. I miss them both.”

Emma put her hand on the young woman’s shoulder, “We’ll find them. And you’ll see them again. I’m sure of it.”

The ensign nodded, “This way then?”

=====

Walking into the comfortably appointed office, Emma saw the President seated at his desk. There were four others in the room. They looked like Ambasadors but Emma didn’t recognize three of them. The fourth one was a Marine although she didn’t know who.

Entering the room, the President looked up to see who had entered. He said to the three Ambassadors and the Marine Commandant, “She’s here. I want you all to hear this.” And he got up from his chair and walked around his desk and met her.

“Mister President? Presenting Mrs. Emma Woolheater of Pacifica. Mrs. Woolheater? President Tuurbi of the United Federation of Planets.”

“Thank you for coming Mrs. Woolheater. I wanted to see you at the earliest opportunity. Won’t you sit down here?” he gestured to a comfortable and practical sofa near the center coffee table.

“Thank you, but I’m not sure why I’m here?” she asked. Then she added, “I expect you’ve probably heard what I’ve been saying this past month? Am I in trouble?”

They sat down.

Emma said, “I understand that I may have made people…the Marines….Starfleet and you sir. I realize that I may have embarrassed you. Or been, perhaps, unduly harsh or critical of you? My intention is to get someone to act. To get someone to do something and help find my…to help find them all.”

President Tuurbi said, “I appreciate that. And I appreciate and thank you for what you are doing. There are times when we need to be reminded of who we are and why we are here. Let me reassure you, this has…nothing…to do with you being in trouble or being chastised.” He leaned in closer and looking her in the eye and saying loud enough for all to hear, “I need your help.”

“My help?”

“Would you please take a message for me and deliver it personally?”

Emma responded, “Yes, yes of course. To whom?”

“I’m sending you to Galaxy Station. Captain Garrett Lovejoy and Ambassador Natsuko Akayama are there. I believe an El Aurian, Kyle Reece is also there.”

Emma nodded, “What do you want me to tell them sir?”

Tuurbi held her hand and said, “Tell them...I want them to start search and rescue operations for the Elysium."



[OFF:]

Captain Samuel Woolheater
“Saepius Exertus, Semper Fidelis, Frater Infinitas”
Division VI, MARDET 62nd Company "Spartans", 1st Platoon CO
=/\= USS ELYSIUM - NCC-89000 =/\=