The Road to Recovery

Posted on Thu May 2nd, 2019 @ 9:44am by

Mission: Episode 1: Hell is a four letter word
Location: Anje's Quarters
Timeline: During Engineering Review
658 words - 1.3 OF Standard Post Measure

Anje had slid into the next room, not wanting to wake Milla, not that she could; ~That girl could sleep through a supernova.~ Anje laughed silently, dialing her Aunt's comm channel. She waited for a few seconds before the UFP logo was replaced by her Aunt's face, "Well, hello, Auntie." Anje greeted her with a cheesy grin.

~Oh, shit. I've seen this before.~ Anje Zhukov internally grimaced, though her face remained stoic for a few seconds before becoming the visage of an aunt happy to see her niece, "Well, good evening, Little Anje." She began, taking a sip of her nightly vodka, "I see you're happy."

"Oh, I am, Auntie." Anje replied, "Exuberant."

"I should say, you're positively glowing, child." The older woman said, ~Yep, definitely a new woman.~ "Might your tired old aunt get the reason behind the lovely glow?"

"I've met someone." Anje practically squealed, cringing for a minute thinking she might have woken Milla, ~Nope. Nothing.~ "Her name is Liselle, she's the Chief Flight Control Officer..."

As Little Anje rattled on and on, her namesake ran the name Liselle and the position against the Elysium's roster, ~Cdr. Liselle Qwyyn, CFCO, a joined Trill? My, my, Little Anje's choices are getting more interesting. Pretty enough, but let's see how she looks at a hundred and forty.~ "Well, she sounds lovely, darling." She smiled, "Just do be careful, child. For your poor aunt's sake."

"Oh, it's okay, Auntie!" Anje protested, "You worry too much. Liselle is absolutely perfect."

~Aww, geez, not this shit again...~ The Ambassador's internal monologue had been overlaid with alarm klaxons; this was literally the same thing she'd said about that Halliwell bitch, ~When the game of musical chairs is over in Paris, that woman might find herself without a seat.~ "Still, courage in battle, caution in love, little one."

"Didn't Grandfather say that passion was worth the risk?" Anje replied.

"He did." Anje the Elder nodded, ~Clever little bitch. Turned out just like me. I can practically hear mother laughing.~ "But he also wouldn't like to see you get hurt. Anyway, are you and your sister getting along?"

"Yeah, Sleeping Beauty is in a coma in my bed." Anje giggled, "It's good to have her back in my life."

"Could've been a long time ago." The concerned and somewhat annoyed aunt said, "If you weren't both so damned stubborn."

"Wherever could that have come from?" The younger, slightly shorter woman said sarcastically.

"Yeah, yeah." Zhukov rolled her eyes; for every ounce of beauty, Zhukov women had a pound of stubborn, ~Guess that means I was the prettiest of the lot...~

The conversation went on for a few more minutes before Anje had to leave for work, their conversation ending with the standard, but sincere, expressions of affection between them. As soon as Little Anje vanished from the screen, her aunt summoned Tate, showing her the still up screen on Liselle Qwyyn, "Find out everything there is to know about this woman, Kerri." She ordered, "Because I will be damned if I'm going to let another Cheline Halliwell situation exist."

"Yes, Madam Ambassador." Tate replied in a tone that clearly told her boss that this was more than a little mentally irregular without saying a word to that effect.

"Kerri, I know I'm a crazy old bitch, just bear with me, huh?" Zhukov sighed, knowing Tate was right, but not going to take the risk that she might not be, not with Little Anje's heart anyway.

"Yes, Madam Ambassador." Tate smiled, knowing her message got through even if it didn't have the desired effect yet. Without another word she left to run this Qwyyn woman through all the usual sources.

"Thanks for putting up with me, Kerri." Zhukov said to the departing Marine as she sipped her Vodka and looked out over her mother's homeworld, the planet of her birth, ~Gonna be another beautiful sunset.~

-Off