Conference Woes

Posted on Tue Dec 13th, 2022 @ 12:23pm by Commander Caressa Melanick

Mission: Higher Education
Location: Conference
Timeline: current mission

Caressa sat in the final session of the conference. She was just pondering the past few days. Her “new” commission to commander was a surprise. She held the rank of commander while at Star Fleet academy, until she was ushered back to the Merc a few years ago. The crafty and much hated Admiral White, had done a number on most of the Merc crew.
The extra pip made her collar feel tight, she kept trying to adjust it. She wondered what the new rank would look like since she really hadn’t been a commander on the Merc. Surely it would come with more responsibility. She made a personal note in her PADD to schedule some time with Henry to make sure she was keeping up with her end of things.
The kids where off to school, now 10 years old and advancing in their studies. They wanted to be more land based, so she let her uncle keep them on earth at the Montana Ranch. Her mind wandered a bit back to the ranch. She wished that she was there. Everything faded into the background a bit, until there was a light tap to her shoulder.
She was a bit startled and turned a noticed a very handsome, tall, dark haired Bajorian, with a commander’s rank, give her a wink. She nodded in thanks; she must have really zoned out. She went back to taking notes on the ever-mind-numbing lecture. Quantum Physics was not her thing, but she felt she needed to stretch her mind a bit.
The lecture being finally over, and the applause ending, she picked up her padd and headed to the nearest café. She needed a nice warm cup of caffeine. Enough to keep her going so that she could return to the end of conference party that evening. She rounded the corner and things went in slow motion. Padd into the air, gracefully flipping end over end. Her face planted square into the chest of some 6 foot 4 inch ass that wasn’t watching where he was going. She then not so gracefully was flailing with hands and arms in the air, hurling backward, then ended up in a seated position on the floor. She looked up and it was the Bajorian Star Fleet Commander that had tapped her shoulder. She could feel the anger and embarrassment rise in her face. She opened her mouth to say something snappy,
“So I see you have trouble focusing while walking, just as much as you do listening to a lecture” with a smirk on his face that was larger than the Mona Lisa. He offered a hand to help her up.
She grudgingly took it. Stood then squared up with him. Then with as much sass as she could muster. “Really, maybe you should really watch where you’re going.”
“Commander Melanick, you really should be more kind the prophets are watching.” He was almost giddy in his response.
She was taken back, how did this man know her. “Well, you obviously know who I am and should know better than to think that “I would be nice” Grabbing up the Padd that had fallen to the floor. “If you will excuse me, I am late for a date with a cup of coffee.” She dusted herself off and went on her way.
He however watched her, a challenge. He might be up for that.


Commander Caressa Melanick
Chief Medical Officer, USS Mercutio