A Little Hungover

Posted on Wed Mar 11th, 2026 @ 8:38pm by Lieutenant Commander Sabastian Walker & Captain William Abernathy

996 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Forgotten Wounds
Location: USS Arcadia | Main Engineering

ON:

Captain Bill Abernathy walked into the Arcadia's main engine room with two steaming mugs in hand. The starship's engines were humming with life as it rushed towards the rendezvous coordinates provided by the Klingons. "Walker," called out the Captain to his Chief Engineer who had been standing at a console working. Bill caught the man's attention and approached handing him one of the mugs. "Raktajino," said Bill. "Klingon espresso. Strong as all hell" added Bill.

He would have said something snippy but his head was still a bit cloudy. "I could use industrial strength coffee." He took the cup. "Thank you."

"Be careful of what you ask for," Bill cautioned. "Hate the Klingons, but this is some addictive stuff. Need to pull off an all nighter, one cup of this raktajino will do it. Downside, wages a bit of war on the stomach I'd say. I thought you could use a cup."

"Ah, my horrible sleep night is that obvious." He sighed. "I thought I hid it so well with the counselor."

"She's not me" replied Bill. "She may be empathic or whatever it is her people do, but I have been analyzing things before there was a twitching in her father's trousers" stated the Captain. "You might sleep better if you didn't drink so much. The hangovers are difficult."

Sabastian snorted. "Well last night was the welcome party and while I didn't feel like celebrating with the crew I did feel like reflecting on the fact that my husband was not who he said he was and was having affairs left and right. I found some of his engineering hooch and figured I'd mourn in my own way. As for drinking I don't usually drink but I figured having my duties lightening when they were holding me together and finding out what I did about who my husband was and how he treated those under his command both during the previous Chief Engineer and under myself well that called for a special kind of hell."

Bill placed a hand on Sabastian's shoulder. "Son, I am going to give you some advice. Take with it what you will, but people even those we love and care about are rarely truly who they present as. Doesn't make them bad, but it doesn't make us pleased when we find more truths about them. Do what you need to get through that disgust and betrayal your feeling" said Bill taking his hand off the shoulder.

"Your duties are not as light as you suspect," added Bill. "A rescue mission in the middle of a mine field? I'm going to need to at your best, Sabastian."

He sighed. "Yes Sir. I won't let those out there be lost. I can promise you that. Last night was...a momentary blip and believe me how that unfolded was an embarrassment in itself but it won't happen again."

"It will not," replied Bill. "I know that. You were not made First Officer because of constant mistakes and fuck ups" said Abernathy. "What can I do? What do you need?"

He sighed. "I don't even know that right now. Right now I need to work and and I need to make sure things are running well down here." He thought a moment. "Actually there are two things I could ask you for."

"Name them," replied Abernathy. "We need this starship at its best before we reach the transport."

"The first is ensuring that any commendations my husband earned while on the ship be removed and the proper engineering staff be credited. The second extra security on Engineering deck. I also want my engineers to have phasers while on duty at least until the Klingon ship is out of range. I'll keep the ship running I just need my staff safe. Also the Captain's yacht. I can take the defense systems for a smaller shuttle. If we're even thinking of going out there we need the shuttles spiffed up and I can get a team ready in the next couple of hours to upgrade them."

Abernathy nodded. "Yacht," scoffed Bill. "That thing underneath the saucer section. Hardly a yacht, use whatever you want from it. I have no intention on going out on a midnight joy ride." Abernathy opened one side of his jacket, showing a holstered phaser. "I'm not dealing with the Klingons without being armed. Approved. I want all your engineers armed."

"Also...Lieutenant Poe brought an idea to be about converting the probes to map out the filed. I've looked it over and frankly...I'm disturbingly impressed by his knowledge of engineering. I want him to work with my second Shrall to get this done if you are okay with it. We can at least get as much information as we can."

"I am confident in his abilities" stated Captain Abernathy. "The ideas the senior staff presented, yourself included were all good. We should utilize everything we can. Its the lives of those aboard that transport that matter right now."

Sabastian sipped his coffee. "Well then, I guess I better get to work. Thanks for the coffee Captain."

"Sabastian," Bill said before the man could head off and carry on about his day. "I want to just reiterate to you that your First Officer duties will be restored to you after this mission, give or take a few days. This was an Administrative decision. We've worked on our differences. I just need to see this through for the time being. You keep doing what you do in Engineering and I will have you back in your First Officer capacity."

Bill gave a nod. "Should you choose to remain aboard that is. If you decide otherwise, I won't love it, but I will live with it, but your place is here aboard the Arcadia. Don't mistake that."

He gave a nod. "Understood." Sabastian walked away. He had a lot on his plate today and the coffee was starting to kick in."

OFF:

 

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