"Through the Glass and the Stone"

Posted on Wed Aug 21st, 2024 @ 5:14pm by Lance Corporal Evan Griffin
Edited on on Thu Aug 29th, 2024 @ 11:23am

Mission: Season 6: Episode 5: A church beyond heaven
Location: A'Janie Vessel
Timeline: MD01
2549 words - 5.1 OF Standard Post Measure

[ON:]

USS ELYSIUM – DECK THIRTY-TWO – MARINE COUNTRY

Fenrir was in her kennel on deck thirty-two. Tucked away next to the armory was her dog pen. The lights popped on brighter, and the door opened. She lifted her head expectantly and, sure enough, it was him.

Fenrir thought, “There you are! I am so glad to see you papa. You came back. Where did you go? I get worried about you. Can you open this damn thing up? There. Thank you papa. Now come here ad let me lick you. You know I worry about you. A lot. You stick me in here, where’s its freezing and so boring. And I have no idea here you go. And, papa, let’s face it. You only have two legs, you can’t smell and you can barely see and hear. And, I love you papa, but you are a dummy. Now sit yo’ ass down and let me smell you and lick you. You stink. Have you been eating those breakfast things again? Oh yeah? Thanks for bringing me one. I love those things but, yeah, I guess too much for you to remember?”

Evan got up from the floor after her greeting and put on her harness.

“OH SHIT! Are we going out? You’re not kidding right? For real papa? Well, hurry up. Get this damn thing on and let’s get the heeeeeeeeeeeeeeelll outta here. C’mon, c’mon…..look. I’m standing on two feet like you. Do you have any clue how unstable this is to walk around in? C’mon, c’mon, c’mon.”

Evan attached the leash and Fenrir and he walked across the parade grounds of deck thirty-two. Fenrir had her tail high and waggy and thought, “So long bitches! I’m going for a walk with papa and you lot can go piss on a rock. Maybe we’ll be back and maybe not. But we are blowing this popsicle stand and we are going for a walk.”

Evan reached down and pet her on the head, “Good girl. Mind me please?”

“Yeah. Right. It depends. If we’re working then you got my full attention and my full support, cause that’s what Marines do. But, if we’re off the clock, then you can kiss your dumb ass rules goodbye. If I mind you its because I love you papa; not because of your dumb rules.”

As they walked through the ship and to the airlock that was connected to the strange and majestic alien vessel, Fenrir trotted along the promenade of the Elysium with a smile from ear to ear thinking, “It’s been a week since we were here. And you had that terrible date papa. Geez! You tried so hard too. Still, the pizza was good. Oh, would you look at all that grass. Oh, and the azaleas are in bloom. WAIT! STOP! Somebody….yes…has ice cream.”

Evan tugged on her harness, “C’mon girl? Why did you stop?”

“Just…hold on. OK, got ‘em. It’s that kid over there. By the fountain. Now, play it cool papa, we’re just going over there to look at the flowers.” And Fenrir pulled Evan towards the fountain and closer to the target.

A pup, of whatever these people call their younglings, has a two scooped iced cream. It’s two scoops of vanilla and coffee iced cream. Fenrir could see that the kid, was in a stroller and the iced cream was half-melted anyway.

“Hi Evan” one of the crew said and Evan started talking to her. Fenrir moved in for the operation. With one perfectly timed lick, her pink tongue got the rest of the vanilla off the top and then a second lick took the whole bottom scoop and down the hatch. The kid even dropped the cone.

“I’ll take that” Fenrir thought as she licked in two licks the iced cream. “Thank you” she thought as her tongue descoped the iced cream. The cone dropping was just icing on the cake.

Evan noticed, “Oh, I’m so sorry. It looks like little Bob dropped his cone.”

Fenrir smiled from ear to ear, “Ha! Suckers! The perfect crime. Now. I’ll just do a quick…whiz…there we go….ah – WHEWWW – my back teeth were floating on that tank of pee papa. Whheww!”

Evan excused Fenir and apologized for the dropped cone. Meanwhile, Fenrir did some people watching and thought. “Bleh! Do these people ever happen to step in front of a mirror? Oh! Honey! Teal is not your color.”

Evan started walking, “Ready to go?”

Fenrir looked up, “What do you mean? Go? Do you have some sort of plan papa? How many times have I asked you to submit your plans to me in writing?”

“Girl? We’re going on the alien ship today? Ready?”

She looked up, tail wagging and her pink, bubble gum tongue hanging out the left side of her mouth, “Oh gawd…I don’t think that was mint iced cream. Tasted like ass. Yeach!”

Fenrir sneezed.

“That’s a good girl. OK. Mind me. Best behavior. Stay with me” he said.

Fenrir knew the drill and behaved herself.


DOCKING PORT FOUR

The Security Officer on duty gave Evan and Fenrir ‘the look’. Then he checked Evan’s furlough pass and recorded the date and the time. Testing Evan’s COMM badge, a chipping sound emitted from it and Evan and Fenrir were waved through and they entered the massive A’janie ship.


THE A’JANIE VESSEL – CARDINAL MOTHER O’SHYUR WING

“Whoa!” Evan said as they walked in.

“Holy shit!” is what Fenrir thought. “Are you seeing this papa? Do you smell this place? There must be a million new scents. No, there must be like, the square root of a million scents in here, whatever that is. Haha, good luck find the square root of a million, ha ha!”

Evan looked down at how happy the dog was, “You like this place huh? Well, let’s go over there and see what we can see ay?”

Fenrir trotted along beside. There are so many people here. Tall ones, skinny ones, fat ones. Somebody smelled like fish sticks. Fenrir led the way forward and followed a steady stream of people. The floors were cold and dark and cold. They finally made it to this large overhang and Fenrir got right up to the edge and looked out and over.

Evan stood next to her and his mouth just dropped open in awe. Before them was a massive vertical canyon. Even craned his neck to look up and up and up and there were clouds above their heads and the light was like that of a distant sun. Peeking over the edge, it was looking almost bottomless. But not quite.

A little girl, from some unknown alien species asked if she could touch Fenrir. “Go ahead. She likes to be pet around her ears and her neck” Evan said.

Fenrir thought, “No, I like it when you pet me there, papa. Don’t go spilling all our secrets OK? Nobody likes a blabbermouth.”

Fenrir turned and looked at the little girl who was petting her. “You smell weird. Like a day old twinkie. Here lemme get a taste of you – yuck- I’m done with you, kid. I’ve tasted cat poop better n’ you. Papa? We’re going.”

Evan saw Fenrir pull away from the railing and the kid and said, “Nice to meet you.” The kid waved after them as they left. “Bye” she said and waved.

“Don’t ever do that to me again. From here and before if I want to be touched by some stranger in the dark, I’ll go back to deck thirty-two and wander around the barracks.”

Evan said, “That was nice huh girl? Meeting new alien people and getting free pets?”

“Nyah-huh, it’s not what you think it is papa. You know, it takes work for me to look this good. You ever thought about that? Yeah, I don’t just wake up in the morning looking for this week’s alien du jour to pet me. Some of us have to look good and perform; bah only the Colonel gets me.”

Suddenly, a flock of birdies,or the closest thing to flying birdies swooped low and fast over the crowd’s head. Fenrir barked twice and loud.

“Hey! Heeyy! What the hell was that?” she thought.

Evan said, “Wow! I think those were birds or bird like…things?”

“You think those were birds? We just got dive bombed by fuckin’ bird things and we don’t even know if they are even birds at all? C’mon, I smell a park up ahead.” And she pulled him forward issuing one or two more barks.

“Hey! Birds! Bird-things. The next time you get close to my head like thinking that you’re cute to buzz us – next time you do that I’m going to bite the head off of one of you.”

Evan walked behind her, just marveling at the structure and th height and the beauty of the place. “What do you got girl? You think something good ahead?”

Fenrir thought, “Yeah. But the difference is I know that there’s a bunch of plants and grass ahead. I’m not guessing with this “bird-like” bullshit.” Fenrir stopped in her tracks and looked up at him, “Did you bring a tricorder? Like, for looking at stuff?”

“What’s up girl?” Evan asked. Curious as to why she stopped.

“It’s like talking to a two-year-old” Fenrir thought. “So, OK, genius. Alien ship, not armed, not even a little, no tech and all we have to connect us back to our only ride home is your COMM badge? Just making sure I understand the pickle that you put us in.”

Evan pulled the leash and they walked forward. All along the way, there were so many aliens and different people here. It reminded Evan of something like a Federation starbase. But busier. Up ahead, off to the side, between to sets of pillars was an open park like area. It was as big as a football field. Gently rolling hills and trees and many water features.

“Yeah. Don’t look so surprised papa. My nose works” Fenrir thought as she pulled Evan into the park.

It was a large and airy space. There were several water features here and a small foot bridge. There were lush trees that formed a canopy over grassy walkways. There were stones here and memorials. None of which Evan could read. Although he did stop off at one or two to read the inscriptions.

A voice called from behind them, “Hello there friends”. A diminutive frame, thin and dressed in a brown bib that looked like a pair of overalls over a robe came walking after them. Evan thought that the A’janie member of the congregation was addressing Evan and he started to greet her. But she wasn’t addressing him. There were four other people who were being addressed. The A’janie member smiled, “Excuse me. I’ll be right with you!”

“Oh, no. It’s fine. I wasn’t” Evan started.

Fenrir thought, “Hey? Why don’t you let me off the leash and I’ll take care of some personal business.?”

Evan said, “Fenrir? I’m going to let you off leash OK? Stay close. Stay with me.”

“Yeah, yeah…” she thought. Fenrir trotted up to the grassy area not too far away. She sniffed around and then rolled onto her back. Rolling around, snorting and her legs kicking in the air. She rolled and tossed and turned thinking, “Oh, gawd, this feels better. That kid we met earlier? Had sticky fingers and I just can’t get the smell out of my nose. Oh gawd that’s gonna be with me a while. Let me roll around on whatever the hell this is. It’s got to be better than that stanky child.”

Fenrir stopped and looked over at Evan, “Are you listening to me? You’re a knucklehead for doing that.”

Then she went back to rolling around and snorting in the grass. She got up and shook herself. Leaving a cloud of hair and dander, “Ohhhh yeah! That’s way better. Hey? Watch my back OK? I’m going to find a place to go poop.”

Evan was about o call after her when the A’janie congregant member said, “How do you like our lawn area here?”

Evan addressed the person, “Yes ma’am, I like it just fine. It’s real pretty here. I mean, contemplative and relaxing.”

She answered, “I’m glad you like it. Its what I was hoping would be conveyed. I see that you have an animal friend? How does…”

“…she. Her name is Fenrir. She’s a dog. A kind of domesticated wolf. But she’s a working girl. I mean. Not that kind of working girl. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. We work together.”

“I see. There are many people that we have met that have animal companions. I am Sister Tinnial. I attend to this area. May I know your name?”

Evan answered, “Evan Griffin ma’am. And that’s…”

“…Fenrir. Yes. She is quite vocal isn’t she? She has a lot of thoughts? Is that normal?”

Evan looked puzzeled, “Vocal? Oh, you heard her barks? Oh, I guess you would. That’s a bark. A vocalization. But, it doesn’t mean anything. Fenrir’s not, sentient. Intelligent like we are. She’s no dummy but, she doesn’t talk.”

Sister Tinnial nodded in understanding, “Well. Not in words anyway.”

Fenrir reappeared. A smile on her face and her eyes open softly, “OK. I’m done.”

“C’mere Fenrir? Say hi to our host?” Evan encouraged her.

Fenrir came when called and greeted the A’janie member. “May I touch her?” the Sister asked.

Evan looked at Fenrir, “Probably best to just look but don’t touch right now? Not until she gets to know you better.”

“Damn straight son” Fenrir thought.

Sister Tinnial stifled a giggle, “Well, then I hope to see you again very soon.”

“Oh yes, we’ll be back. We’re doing some more exploring really. Well, nice to meet you” Evan said.

“We are glad you are here. And you and your animal companion are welcome anytime” Sister Tinnial said.

Fenrir looked back at Evan and thought, “Did you sign us up for a timeshare or something?”

Evan attached the leash again and said, “I’ll remember. Thank you. C’mon girl Good girl. Let’s go. Goodbye.”

Evan waved as they walked away and into the massive central column. Connecting bridges that were sometimes in motion allowed travel across the bridges. Even so, he and Fenrir would take the long route home.




[OFF:]

Lance Corporal Evan Griffin
“I don’t know who needs to hear this: But you’re cranky ‘cause you need to get laid.”
Division VI, MARDET 62nd Company "Spartans",
1st Platoon Sapper Combat Engineer/EOD
=/\= USS ELYSIUM - NCC-89000 =/\=