A New Lease Of Life

Posted on Dec 21, 2016 @ 7:49am by Ensign Lynette Ryan
Edited on on Dec 21, 2016 @ 7:50am

Mission: Aftermath

#########################################

“A NEW LEASE OF LIFE”

(Continued from Marko's “Beidh muid ag cur tús?”)

#########################################

======================

Location: Shuttle Montgomery

Scene: Cockpit

======================

White fluffy clouds moved gently across the sky before Lynette’s eyes and further below the crisp blue water of San Francisco glistened from the warm sun that shone upon it. She felt a calmness watching the gentle waves collide against the rocks and encroach over the golden sand of the beach.

It was a spectacular and amazing sight below that seemed to fuel her mind and bring peace to her soul that days ago had felt like it had been immortally scarred. Now she felt like the cuts and bruises were slowly healing and that sense of hope that had been shrouded in black had been lifted and she could see something ahead of her again. Her thoughts then drifted back to a conversation from more three days ago.

======================

Location: Starfleet Security HQ

Scene: Medical Ward

Time: Three days ago

======================

Lynette stood by the window that provided a pleasant view of San Francisco bay and of the sun that began to set over the watery horizon. Alone in the medical ward with the view and her thoughts as Lieutenant Rees had finished her shift and taken Mackie home with her and her Mum returned home for some sleep as she had an early start the following morning. She explained that there were some plants in the Botanical Gardens that needed her tender touch.

“Always cared more about her gardens than she did me.” Lynette said softly letting out a light sigh as she remembered years ago when she was still in secondary school. Whenever she got into trouble, her mother always seemed to take her accuser’s side in the first instance and not support her own daughter. That was one of the main reasons she did not have the best relationship with her because of that lack of trust and support she needed from her.

“I am sure not that’s not true, Cadet.” The voice startled her and she spun around from the window to see a familiar, but unwelcome face that stood before her. It was the Commander from the Inquiry and in that response she rolled her eyes.

“Oh god. I guess it’s time for my next session of verbal abuse.” Lynette replied with an air of disgust to her tone as the association of his face and voice was not of a pleasant one considering of her treatment in the inquiry session the previous day that had put her in the medical ward.

“That is no longer necessary, Lynette.” Gilvari said in a soft and sympathetic tone. The mention of her name and the tone of sympathy rang a bell of curiosity with her and she turned her body to face him. Her eyes narrowed to reflect that same curiosity.

“Firstly, I would like to apologize for your treatment yesterday. The intensity and line of questioning by the Lieutenant Commander was out of line and she has been disciplined.” David’s empathy continued, truly apologetic as to the brash behavior of his colleague. Although R’Shee had reason behind to be angry after losing her sister to holocaust of Paris, it was still uncalled for in a professional environment.

“Secondly, I wish to inform you on my recommendation and based off our findings that you have been cleared of any involvement with being a part of the Neo-Essentialist movement. From testimonies provided by crew from the starship Phoenix that joined you down on the facility they were able to explain and confirm what happened.” David paused and observed as Lynette’s body language began to unconsciously change. Her tightly folded arms against her chest now loosened and dropped to her sides.

“They told us that your actions while in the face of extreme danger were instrumental in taking down the satellite network before it could devastate the Earth.” Lynette couldn’t make sense of what she heard, the praise that was being expressed to her. It was a strange feeling and not one she was used to as she received very little at the academy with most of her teachers telling her off.

“You are now free to go, Lynette.” David finished with a smile and continued to watch the young woman before him. He expected to see a smile in return and a glimmer of happiness be expressed from the young cadet. That was when David’s smile vanished when he saw none of that but instead anger.

“Where am I to go now?” Despair

“What am I supposed to do?” Uncertainty

“My life has been torn to pieces when that facility went down. When I found out what I had been really working towards for those many months and later who I was working for.” Betrayal

“Do I go back to the academy? Would they even want me back with my troubled history?” Abandonment

“What is going to happen to me?” Hopelessness

Lynette let out a very large sigh David approached her and laid a comforting hand upon her shoulder. With a quick glance and seeing the defeated expression tugging at his heart strings, he could not bear to continue to see her like this.

“Leave it with me. I’ll see what I can do for you. See if i can help you find some answers. If there is anything I can do for you, you know where you can find me.” David turned and walked from the medical ward with strength to his stride as if on a mission.

“Thank you.” The soft whisper escaped her lips as she watched the Commander exit the room.

================================

Location: Shuttle Montgomery

Scene: Cockpit

Time: Present

================================

It took only seconds for the view outside to change. The blue skies and white clouds of Earth’s atmosphere were now gone replaced by the blackness of space, stars shining and sparkling in the background.

Lynette felt a liberating feeling as the shuttle broke through the Earth’s atmosphere. It was the first time that she had left Earth, felt space metaphorically beneath her feet. Even taking her uncle’s shuttle for joy-rides she had confined herself to the atmosphere, skimming across the ocean waters, gliding through valleys and canyons. She wished she could take the shuttle controls as it had been so long especially since that time she snuck out at night taking the shuttle to pick up her then boyfriend at the time for some night time fun. Her uncle was usually the cool and laid-back kind of man, but it was the first time she had seen him so furious. It was then he changed the access codes and increased the encryption, it would have been an easy thing for her surpass but she didn’t want ever again to be the focus of his wrath.

She was a hormonally charged teenager then but now she was an adult, her own person to make her own decisions and mistakes. She certainly hoped that this was not another one of them.

The shuttle banked to the left and now moving into the view was the vast mushroom shaped structure that was Spacedock, their destination. Both geographically and philosophically.

================================

Location: USS Phoenix

Scene: Various

Time: Two days ago

================================

Michael Kane stepped slowly around the confines of his new ready room. The shape and lay-out was almost identical to the last but he could see the slight changes here and there. A wall moved slightly more that way, an extra shelf on the wall there, lighting positioned a little differently. It was all negligible and something he would easily adjust to.

All of the personal items that he had decorated with previously had been lost when the Phoenix’s main bridge had been destroyed in the battle against the thalaron satellite network. There were items that he would easily be able to replace but others were sentimental and priceless and could never be replaced.

The once-again Captain of the Phoenix stared at the empty shelves reflecting on some of the valuables that he had lost and could not replace again.

[[Captain.]] The call came over the loud-speaker and Kane walked back to his desk and touched a button on the desk panel.

“Yes.”

[[You have a visitor on the bridge who wants to see you.]]

“I’ll be right out.” Kane responded and walked through the doors that separated the calmness of his ready room to the flurry of activity of the Phoenix’s bridge. Stepping onto the bridge he looked around hoping to pick out this mysterious visitor. Many bodies occupied the newly reconstructed bridge of the Galaxy-Z warship, still calibrating and patching in new systems. It was the familiar voice that sounded that drew his attention to the Tactical station.

“After all this time, still no chair for the Tactical officer.” David Gilvari quipped as he stood re-familiarising himself with the Tactical controls and feeling the nostalgia from his time aboard the Discovery as the Sec/Tac chief. Also feeling a sense of irony from Kane being the XO at that time.

“The design engineers must have a grudge against us or what.” Kane remarked lightly.

“Anyway what do I owe this pleasure Commander.” Michael asked with curiosity as he didn’t expect to find his former Sec/Tac officer, now Commander of Investigations to be standing upon his bridge.

“I heard that the Phoenix was going back into active service and wanted to have a look at this beast before she left. See what she has under the hood, so to speak.” David falsely explained covering up his real intentions for his presence aboard the Phoenix, but there was still a slight truth to those words as if he had an extended period of free time would love to get into the guts of the starship to see what capabilities that this beast of warship possessed.

“The Phoenix is still weeks away from being space worthy so there is still plenty of time for you to have look closer when she is more ready.” Kane instantly didn’t buy Gilvari’s explanation and knew something was up. “Which brings me to the question that you aren’t here just to indulge yourself. What is it?”

“I need to ask a favor of you, Michael.” David’s light hearted facade crumbled away revealing a stern expression.

“Let’s talk in my ready room.” Kane turned and moved towards his ready room, David followed close behind and stopped as the doors closed behind them. The Commander noticed the emptiness of the room immediately.

“I see you like to keep a spartan feeling to your ready room.”

“Most of the furniture doesn’t arrive till tuesday.”

“So….what is this favor you came to ask me?” Kane standing behind his desk, in the absence of his chair, directed his eyes at Gilvari as if trying to find out this favor from simply reading his body language and facial expression.

“It is to do with Lynette Ryan.” David said plainly, pausing hoping to see a significant reaction from Kane but there wasn’t an easily recognisable one at this point so he continued.

“The board interviewed members of your crew directly involved with what happened down at the Point Bonita facility and based on their testimonies we have cleared the Cadet of any involvement with being involved with the Neo-Essentialists. “It was a simply a matter of being at the wrong place at the wrong time.” David explained.

“That is good to hear.” Kane commented.

“She is certainly relieved to be absolved, but is now worried about her future as she doesn’t believe the academy would accept her back due to her prior history. She has an exceptional talent for engineering but does have a problem with authority as well as other issues.”

“Some of my senior officers have mentioned that she managed to managed to re-program the satellites to turn against each other. If she hadn’t had done what she did, we may very well not be standing here right now.”

“I know what you are asking. Send me what information you have and I’ll make my recommendation.”

“Thank you, Michael.”

====================================

Location: Starfleet HQ

Scene: Grounds

Time: One day ago

====================================

The orange sun was setting over the horizon of San Francisco bay, the reflection of the color glistening against the waves. Lynette’s eyes were stared at the waves and the horizon but her heart and mind went further beyond. After the news of her exoneration Lynette just wandered the campus with the heavy burden of her heart. She couldn’t bear to go back home to Melbourne and listen to a lecture from her mother or even visit her more laid back Uncle that lived in the centre of the Australian state of Victoria.

With no friends to call upon for a place to sleep, she found solace in the first kind soul she encountered since her arrest. She managed to track where Kelsey Rees lived and she was more than happy to take her in for the night. Lynette was doubly pleased to be with her furry companion again. It was only until early morning where things started to get uncomfortable as an argument ensued between Kelsey and her boyfriend and the best thing to do was just leave.

Again she wandered around the campus for most of the day, a lost soul trying to find her path which lead her to this very spot overlooking the bay. What was she to do? She couldn’t just keep wandering? She didn’t relish going back home and the thought of going back to stay with Kelsey and get into middle of arguments was not appealing. Did she even have a future in Starfleet anymore? Lynette let out a heavy sigh peering downwards over the wall, watching as the waves crashed against rocks below.

“Coming to drown your sorrows too?” A voice spoke to her and she felt the presence of another person stop beside her but she wasn’t even curious enough to look up and she continued to watch the crashing waves.

“Is it that obvious?” Lynette said quietly.

“Cadet Ryan?” It was only by the mention of her name that tempted her to lift her head back up and she saw a somewhat familiar face standing beside her, but she could not place the name.

“Commander Crichton” Jake stated. She now remembered the face and name but it did little to change her mood.

“It’s just Lynette Ryan. I don’t even know what I am anymore.” The young woman returned her view to the horizon and the bay.

“Have you heard from the inquiry about what is happening?” Jake asked.

“I have been cleared of all charges.”

“That is good news isn’t it. You should be happy?”

“Of course I am happy about that but I...feel lost. I don’t know what is going to happen to me now.” Lynette pushed herself away from the wall a burst of anger consuming her. Not directed at Jacob or anyone external, but at herself. Why did everything have to screw up around her?

“You would go back to the academy right?”

“They wouldn’t have me back… Let’s just say I wasn’t very popular with the faculty.” She explained.

“You never know. I saw what you did in that underwater hellhole, blitzing into that computer system and re-writing the core software to get the satellites to turn on themselves. Especially in such short of time and while being flooded in by water.” Jake attempted to give assurance to the cadet who had demonstrated her abilities clearly, trapped in the computer core as Edgerton’s goons moved in.

“You were willing to put yourself in danger to do that. That was a selfless act with a dedicated focused mind. You should take pride in that.” Jake continued.

“I guess.” Lynette said softly, still uncertain. She was getting sick of herself being the topic of conversation with Jake and her own inner thoughts and just needed a change of subject badly. A distraction. She saw that Jake seemed troubled too and had been drawn to this particular spot as well to vent his thoughts to the same sunset and horizon.

“Anyway you said about drowning your sorrows too? What’s up?”

“I took the XO’s exam and underwent the simulator test. What a spectacular failure that was in front of the top brass.” Jake sighed and explained.

“Maybe it isn’t as bad as you think.” Lynette tried to give a comforting word. “Would they give you a second chance?”

“I can’t see why they should.” Jake replied.

“Cadet Ryan?” A different voice called out her name. A young man similar age to Lynette who had some rather striking features that she noticed straight away. A stray unclean thought crossed her mind in putting the moves on the man and convincing him to take her back to his place for a night of passion, just so she could feel something else. Though as quick as that thought entered her mind, it had left. She didn’t even have the energy to bother with the act anyway.

“Yeah?” Lynette replied with droll and uninterested tone.

“I am here to deliver this to you.” She looked over to see a small box in his hands that he offered to let take with outstretched hands.

“Ummmm….thanks.” Lynette took possession of the delivered box with continued bewilderment and waited for a moment, staring at the Starfleet emblem embossed on the faceplate. Her fingers fumbled with the latch trying to open it. A smirk appeared on Crichton’s face as he watched the Cadet open the box. Lynette fingers eventually managed to undo the latch with success and gently, as if expecting a horrible surprise to leap out, lifted the lid.

“Oh my god.” Her free hand leaped straight to her mouth as she gasped.


STARFLEET COMMAND

UPON RECOMMENDATION OF THE FACULTY OF

STARFLEET ACADEMY

HEREBY ACKNOWLEDGES

LYNETTE RYAN

HAS COMPLETED ALL COURSES AND TRAINING REQUIREMENTS AND NOW BESTOWS UPON YOU THE HONOR OF HAVING GRADUATED FROM

STARFLEET ACADEMY

WHICH ACCOMPANIES YOUR IMMEDIATE INDUCTION INTO

STARFLEET

AS AN OFFICER IN GOOD STANDING

Almost instantaneously tears began to well in her eyes upon the opening the box to find her graduation certificate from Starfleet Academy inside along the single solid pip that also reflected that revelation.

Her system was still in shock to even now since opening that box, but to add more to that shock was the second part of that delivery as the Ensign from Starfleet Operations also then handed her a PADD. It was a good thing that Crichton was still there otherwise she would have most likely fainted, overwhelmed with emotion.

Lynette just stared at the blank screen of the PADD hesitating to press the button that would bring its contents on the screen but a milliseconds worth of courage was enough to overcome that hesitation.

Then the second shock was delivered.

======================

Location: Shuttle Montgomery

Scene: Cockpit

Time: Present

======================

The tall grey duranium doors parted revealing a bustling network of activity inside of Spacedock. Shuttlepods and work vehicles scuttled about like bees attending to a hive. Lynette’s eyes widened in marvel at all the starships of different sizes and designs that were docked.

The shuttle began to slow to regulatory station keeping speeds as it entered the confines of spacedock.

It was one of the most amazing and awe-inspiring sights she had ever seen to the point that she tried to suppress blinking so she could see as much as possible. Scanning her eyes over each and every starship berthed inside. Most showed signs of damage obviously from the battle that had taken place in Earth’s orbit days ago. She couldn’t clearly imagine what it would have been like to be involved in the intense firefight that took place but seeing the signs of damage on the starships all around she got did have a faint idea.

As the shuttle continued moving inwards, Lynette wondered which of those many ships berthed was to be her assignment. She continued looking and scanning with her eyes hoping to get an idea of which one it would be.

The Betazoid pilot seated beside her noticed this and pointed it out with her index finger.

“That’s her there.” She said with a small smile. As the shuttle glided over the saucer section of the large starship that bore the name Pendragon and across her swept back nacelles that Lynette locked eyes with another starship before her. The Galaxy class variant laid in view before them as the shuttle approached closer.

“The Phoenix.” Lynette whispered, keeping her eyes fixed as the shuttle banked towards the open shuttlebay of the drive section.

======================

Location: USS Phoenix

Scene: Shuttlebay

=======================

The shuttlebay of the USS Phoenix was an absolute bustle of activity. Whether it could be called efficiency or utter chaos was for the individuals perception. Lynette stepped out from the shuttlecraft’s hatch still in awe as she looked all around, the confusion and hive of activity didn’t seem to phase her as she collected her belongings. A Duffel bag slung over each shoulder and the carrier that contained her furry companion and best friend in the other hand.

This had been the first time that Lynette had been off-world and aboard an actual starship. The USS Phoenix. Although she knew very little about the ship itself, something she would have to rectify considering her new position, she had heard rumors and controversy of its abilities and power. Now her feet were firmly aboard the ship that was to be her first official assignment, the beginning of her Starfleet career.

Lynette felt a sense an overwhelming sense of euphoria as she moved forward, her concentration had gone out the airlock at this point that she almost collided with a pair of Bynars. The strangest thing was that the two beings from the computer reliant species were both wearing chef’s attire. Lynette shook her head as if it were an image from a strange dream and continued on.

“Name?” The Tellarite barked at her.

“Ensign Lynette Ryan, sir.” She replied back little defensively, biting her tongue as it wouldn’t make a good impression to cause a scene within minutes of coming aboard.

“Place your belongings on the anti-grav sled there.” Lynette let her duffel bags fall upon the sled that levitated inches off the deck but in an opposite fashion gently placed Mackie’s carrier on it instead.

“Is that an animal, Ensign?” The Tellarite continued to bark which was starting to irritate her. Although Tellarites were predisposed to come off as crotchety and argumentative, this was one seemed was still getting on her nerves.

“My cat, sir.” Lynette replied.

“I have no mention of a pet on your assignment detail. It will have to go through decontamination and quarantine.” The Tellarite began to argue and this was not making Lynette feel any better as her irritation levels were rising.

“With all due respect, sir. He has already been cleared. Here are the papers from his veterinarian.” Lynette was nearly at the teeth grinding stage as she presented him the papers.

“I’ll have to clear with this with my superior.” The Tellarite said barely casting an eye on the documents.

*If you must. In the meantime you better take good care of him or there will be hell to pay.” Lynette thought controlling her inner rage.

“Your belongings will be delivered to your quarters on Deck 3, Room 7.” The Tellarite motioned for a crewman to collect Mackie’s carrier.

“If I find out later that Mackie has been mis-treated in anyway I’ll be coming after you.” The crewman stood frozen for a second with fear on his face.

“Yes you. I’m watching you.” The crewman swallowed hard feeling very uncomfortable to the tone of voice that was being directed at him. He started to move away holding the Cat carrier tightly but started to become scared with the young woman that continued to stare at him, daggers in her eyes. Lynette continued to watch him intently until he disappeared from view.

“There is a note for you here to meet with the Captain upon embarkation. He will most likely be on the bridge.” The Tellarite read out from his PADD seemingly unperturbed at the altercation.

“Turbolift is through the doors at the end there. Turn left and keep going. Can’t miss it.” Lynette turned away in disgust from the stumpy Tellarite uttering curses under her shallow breath and exited the shuttlebay into the corridor.

“Bridge.” With a sudden jolt the turbolift began its rapid upward climb towards the command center of the Galaxy-Z starship, Phoenix. Her new home, hoping she was able to this time shake the dark ominous cloud that had followed her through her life and could begin anew. A new lease of life.



==============================================

NRPG: Finally it's here. It has been a real challenge to put this together with everything that has been going on lately and in the end I'm not overly happy with the end result, but it needed to be done and I was unsure when I would find time to continue work on it.


Phillip Wright

Writing for

Lynette Ryan (Feeling a new lease of life)