Rendezvous With Yesterday
Posted on Thu Jan 9th, 2025 @ 12:39am by Captain Thorrin & Lieutenant Junior Grade Wyatt Spencer
Edited on on Thu Jan 9th, 2025 @ 12:43am
1,777 words; about a 9 minute read
Mission:
Like Sands Through The Hourglass
Location: Grasha's Resort - Risa
Timeline: 4 months before MD001
Anthropology had been an interest for Wyatt Spencer for several years. It coupled seamlessly with his love for languages Most of his studies had either been on his own, or at the Academy Though it had been almost eight years since he had graduated from there. So recently his research had been self-driven. It didn't directly affect his duties and so as far as Starfleet was concerned was not a high priority.
Which is why he'd been surprised when he'd received an invitation to attend the Archeology, Anthropology, and Ancient Civilization Symposium, it was only conducted every other year. It was especially surprising because he'd received orders to a new posting just the previous week.
The added bonus is that it was on Risa. Risa was a beautiful planet, but it one that was also rife with distractions. Wyatt had promised himself his focus would be on the lectures and the breakout sessions and nothing else.
Still, the meetings ended at 1800, so Wyatt had allowed himself some free time.
By the time the third day rolled around his resolve broke down and he decided to leave at 1740. He went back to his room and changed into a pair of khaki colored chinos and teal short-sleeve shirt which he left unbuttoned. Then he headed to the Grasha's pool bar where he could people watch and sip on a Samarian Sunset.
The current crew of the Herodotus had been released, and returned to their lives. The time had come for Thorrin to recruit a crew that would stick with it as it were. Jerimiah had begun to recruit and Thorrin had to make sure that the entire crew was not against him. To that end, he had heard about a wunderkind of sorts having to do with Operations. Thorrin had to have a great Operations officer, one that could work well with Temporal Operations. So, Captain Thorrin one of the oldest officers in the fleet arrived on Risa in search of Lieutenant Wyatt Spencer.
After a few bribes and chats later he learned that the person he sought was at the pool bar. Thorrin sat next to the man and ordered a glass of amontillado. The bartender looked at the El Aurian a little sideways based on his New Orleans accent. Once the wine was presented Thorrin raised it to the man next to him. "Well here is to the beauty of Risa and time off."
Wyatt looked over at the older man, he didn't know just how much older he really was, and gave him a sideways smile. He wasn't sure whether this was the beginning of a casual conversation, or if there was something more intended. He cocked his head and favored him with a sideways smile.
He almost clinked their glasses together, but decided on a more cautious approach.
"Yeah, Risa is quite nice, time off is great too, though I'm not really here on vacation."
"What brings you here?" The last line had sounded better in his head, but he'd said it and couldn't take it back. He waited for the response.
Thorrin sipped his drink and as was his custom closed his eyes to savor the flavor and experience. "Well if you are not here on vacation then you must be here for the symposium. I am here on both business and pleasure. I rather enjoy Risa whenever possible. But, I have come to see who may have a talent to see through what is in front of their face." Thorrin was being deliberately obtuse. He wanted to see exactly how far he could go before Spencer would get annoyed. Thorrin already knew he wanted Spencer for the crew, he had read the man's file. The question was if Spencer was worthy of the crew.
Wyatt considered himself to be a pretty perceptive individual, but he couldn't get a read on the man beside him. He still wasn't sure if it was a poor attempt at flirting or what the man's motivations might be. He wasn't annoyed though. He was amused.
His left brow quirked and he smiled. "I do have many talents, including knowing when someone is blowing smoke up my skirt, though I will admit our conversation has been entertaining so far. May I ask what kind of business, or pleasure you want to experience? I am curious if nothing else."
Wyatt almost added 'Are you trying to get into my pants' but decided not to be that direct, quite yet.
Thorrin sipped his wine again and smiled. The look on his face was both one of amusement and one of superiority. "The pleasure is merely being here in the paradise of the universe as it were. When you reach my age you learn to love life's little moments. The precious commodity that we call time is so rare, and so little. But my dear Wyatt that is not the business reason that I am here. For that actually depends on you." He paused and sipped his wine again, deliberately slowly to allow the moment to sink in. Thorrin had a small flair for the theatrical. "Forgive me I neglected to introduce myself. I am Captain Thorrin, and you are being recruited for the mission of a lifetime. A mission that will literally end your life"
Wyatt had been listening carefully as the man spoke. When Thorrrin had finished he said, "You don't look that much older than I am, so I'm assuming you're not human, and you don't look Vulcan, so that narrows the options. I'm just not sure, but I could hazard a guess."
"The fact I'm being recruited and not ordered is intriguing. You're speaking in riddles, or at least I assume you are. Otherwise you'd be doing a really poor job at recruiting someone for a suicide mission."
"Tell me more about what you are talking about."
Thorrin looked around and realized that at the bar where they were there was entirely too many people to discuss what needed to be discussed. He picked up his wine and smiled. "Come take a walk with me. What we have to discuss is not for all ears." With that, he began to walk down a path that led toward the beach.
Wyatt nodded and stood to follow the Captain.
When Wyatt caught up Thorrin continued to talk. "I must tell you something up front before I proceed. This is something you must agree to or this conversation ends now. You see what I am about to tell is classified the only people that know about this are the Director of the Department of Temporal Investigations, myself, and the rest of my crew. The Federation President and Starfleet Command is not aware. So, once the complete recruitment proposal has been made should you not agree to join my crew I will be forced to wipe your memory up until the moment we met. You will not remember me or this conversation. Do you agree?" Of course Thorrin would do this anyway, however, asking permission seemed to put people at ease. Besides no one had ever refused the request. At least not yet.
"I can't say I'll agree to join your crew. I've done enough looking before I leap in my life, I'm trying to avoid that in the future. But I will at least agree to your terms." Spencer replied as he fell in step with the Captain.
"Very well that is all I can ask..." Thorrin began, he paused and looked around at the beach and at the suns overhead. He looked as if he saw them all for the first time. Then he exhaled sharply through his nose. "Lieutenant, time travel, interdimensional travel are both very real. in fact the Department of Temporal Investigations in conjunction with Starfleet have built a ship that is capable of just these feats. The Thucydides Class timeship named the USS Herodotus. I am in command of this ship, and it is for this ship that you are being recruited for." He stopped speaking and looked around again, absorbing his surroundings and relished in the sunlight. This also allowed the small amount off shock at the knowledge he just gave Spencer to settle in.
Wyatt stopped mid-stride as he took in Thorrin's words. He wasn't totally surprised to hear about time travel being possible. He'd heard enough rumors to know the possibility existed. And, there were also stories about a mirror dimension. So having the Captain confirm those rumors wasn't too shocking. What was a surprise is that the Starfleet had the technology to pull it off.
"When would we be leaving?"
"I'm seeing someone now. It's not serious yet, well not too serious anyway, I guess I'd have to break that off?"
"As to when you would be leaving. Should you accept the position as my Operations Officer I can give you another two days to enjoy the symposium. However, your shuttle will meet with a most unfortunate mishap and you will not be found. As to your paramour, unfortunately you will not be able to tell them anything. They will find out about your mishap with everyone else. Am I to assume that by you asking those questions you are going to accept? Due to the severity of the situation, and the classified nature I need to hear the words." Thorrin had a transpoporter transponder in his pocket. If Spencer did not accept they would be transporteded to Thorrin's shuttle where he would wipe Wyatt's memory.
Wyatt breathed out a long sigh. "Yeah," he finally said. "I'm in. This thing is too intriguing to say no."
"Excellent my dear boy. Excellent! Now enjoy the next couple of days because you will need the relaxation before what is to come. I will see you in two days." Thorrin smiled and raised his glass as if to toast and disappeared into a strange looking transporter effect. The swirling eddys of particles were teal in color and there was absolutely no sound.
Wyatt stood there for a moment after his new Captain had disappeared. He had made the right decision, he knew he had. Still though he had to wonder about what he was leaving behind.
He turned to return to his room. There would be plenty of time for contemplation later
A Joint Post By
Captain Thorrin
Commanding Officer
USS Herodotus DTI-30656
Lieutenant Junior Grade Wyatt Spencer
Chief Operations Officer
Communications Officer
USS Herodotus DTI-30656
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