Timeless Introductions
Posted on Sat Mar 15th, 2025 @ 1:06am by Captain Thorrin & Lieutenant Commander Zosia
Edited on on Sat Mar 15th, 2025 @ 1:13am
2,033 words; about a 10 minute read
Mission:
Like Sands Through The Hourglass
Location: Captain's Ready Room - Deck 1 - USS Herodotus
Timeline: MD001 1900 hrs
Zosia stepped out of the turbolift, rolling her shoulders to shake off the tension that had settled there. Meeting a new captain was always a delicate dance—an unspoken negotiation of expectations, respect, and authority. She had done it more times than she could count, across more years than most species even existed.
This time, though, there was something different.
Captain Thorrin was old—by human standards, by El Aurian standards even. Five hundred years of experience was nothing to scoff at. It was impressive. Admirable.
And yet, Zosia had been alive six times as long.
The ready room doors slid open with a crisp hiss, and she stepped inside. She could feel his eyes on her as she crossed into the room. Zosia was used to being studied. People often hesitated, trying to reconcile what they saw with what little they knew. But Thorrin's gaze felt different.
Thorrin raised his glass of calvados in salute. "Ah, Commander welcome to the Herodotus. I must say it is rare to meet someone who is actually older than I. Please take a seat. I hope you are settling into the ship easy enough. I know this place can be a tad daunting at times." His honey voice generally put people at ease but somehow he thought it would not work to well on the Lanthanite.
Zosia’s lips curved into a wry smile as she settled gracefully into the offered seat. "Captain, I appreciate the welcome. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting the XO and taking a look around main engineering—impressive work being done down there. As for the ship being daunting..." She let out a soft chuckle, tilting her head slightly. "I haven’t been aboard long enough for that to set in just yet. Besides, at my age, it takes quite a bit to rattle me."
Her violet eyes sparkled with easy confidence as she leaned back, one leg crossing over the other. "But I do enjoy a good challenge. Should I be bracing for one?"
"I would say so. You are a time traveler of sorts as am I. We exist as the wheels of time turn around us. However, this ship passes through all of that. Cuts through and takes us right to it. That idea alone must appeal to you. The idea that you will be responsible for keeping all of that technology running and moving. It has to be a rare treat is it not?" Thorrin had met one Lanthanite in his travels and he found them to be just as circumspect about time and space as he was. It was the reason he jumped at the chance to have Zosia on the Herodotus. Of course Jerimiah tried to talk him out of it, but that was a thought for another time.
Zosia studied Thorrin for a moment, weighing his words as if turning over a particularly interesting puzzle. A rare treat? Yes. But more than that—an irresistible curiosity.
"The Herodotus does offer something unique," she admitted, resting her hands lightly on the arms of the chair. "Not just in its mission, but in its very nature. Most beings move through time without ever truly feeling its weight. But you and I? We’ve learned to carry it. To understand its currents. And now, you ask me to keep this ship—this instrument of precision and paradox—running smoothly as it slices through those currents?"
She exhaled, the ghost of a smirk playing at her lips. "Captain, you make it sound like you’re offering me a gift."
Zosia leaned forward slightly, her expression turning thoughtful. "But tell me, are you the sort to give without expecting something in return? Because I suspect you didn’t just invite me aboard for my technical expertise. You could’ve had your pick of engineers. And yet, here we are."
"I would say my dear Commander Zosia that I am offering you a gift. One in fact that you are more than intrigued by. But, you are correct I invited you here for more than your expertise. There are three people who are the cornerstones of making everything we do a success. Those people are the Captain, the Temporal Operations Officer, and the Chief Engineer. If I am going to entrust this ship and everything it represents to someone I want it to be someone who understands the weight and import of what we deal with. Additionally the fact that you are a Lathanite makes it easy for you to disappear. This ship, and by extension all of us do not exist. That is how classified this ship and its mission is." Thorrin sipped his wine as he contemplated the woman who sat before him. He already knew everything her file said, he had committed that to memory. Now he worked to get to know the person behind the file.
Zosia let out a quiet, knowing hum, tapping her fingers lightly against the arm of her chair. “A ship that doesn’t exist, a mission that never happened, and a captain who handpicks his people not just for their skill, but for their understanding of time’s gravity.” She tilted her head slightly, violet eyes sharp with interest. “You do know how to make an offer sound irresistible.”
She paused, then let a smirk tug at the corner of her lips. “And here I thought you were just looking for an engineer stubborn enough to keep a ship like this from tearing itself apart.”
Zosia leaned forward slightly, her voice dropping to something quieter, more thoughtful. “But it’s more than that, isn’t it? You’re offering me something few people ever get—the chance to stand outside the normal flow of time and truly see it. To work with it, shape it, protect it.” She exhaled, the smirk fading into something more contemplative. “That’s not just a job, Captain. That’s a responsibility. An honor. And maybe… a bit of a temptation.”
"And now you know why I am here, why I remain in command of this ship. I look at it as my duty, the very reason I exist. I will warn you though. This mission of ours is not all glory, honor and duty. It can be fatal to people like us. Temporal Psychosis is a problem for all species who dare to travel through time. However, for people like us it can be fatal. Should you remain here you will have to be evaluated by medical after every mission for temporal psychosis. As well I and the oher El Aurian on this ship. Should you choose not to take this duty, your memory will be wiped. This meeting never happened and you will be returned to your life." Thorrin was not sure if it were the color of her eyes, the all knowing smirk, the fact that she was a Lathanite or all three of those things. But, he seemed to find this woman rather attractive. Sigh... Perhaps in another life. he thought as he sipped his wine yet again.
Zosia held Thorrin’s gaze for a long moment, the weight of his words settling between them. She was no stranger to consequence, to choices that altered the shape of existence itself. And yet, as he laid out the stakes—duty, secrecy, the risk of temporal psychosis—she felt no hesitation. Only certainty.
With a slow, deliberate nod, she straightened in her chair. “Then I accept, Captain. Whatever this ship demands, whatever this mission requires—I’m in.”
A small smile flickered across her lips, something lighter, almost teasing as she leaned back slightly. “But before we get lost in the gravity of it all, let’s balance the scales a bit.” She tilted her head, considering him for a beat before asking, “Alright, Thorrin—what’s the worst meal you’ve ever had in five hundred years?”
Thorrin's lips curled into a rather devilish grin. It has been some time since he had the pleasure to discuss the trivialities of long life. He found this turn in the conversation rather refreshing. "Well, that is simple. Liver and onions on Earth. The smell alone is enough to make my stomach turn. The opposite of that is the food in my beloved Nawlins. The French Quarter there is simply nothing like a nice steaming bowl of gumbo or etouffee. I am sure that you have had some rather distasteful meals in your time."
Zosia let out a soft laugh, shaking her head. “Oh, Captain, you have no idea. The worst? That honor belongs to the Ferengi and the Klingons—though for similar reasons.” She leaned forward, eyes glinting with amusement. “Ferengi food is… well, let’s just say if it’s not still moving, they don’t consider it fresh. Ever had to chase your dinner around your plate? It’s an experience, but not one I’d recommend.”
She paused, then grimaced slightly. “And then there’s Klingon cuisine. I can respect the cultural significance, but gah—gagh is an acquired taste I never acquired.” She smirked, tilting her head. “I don’t care how ‘best when live’ it is, some things should not wiggle on the way down.”
With a mock sigh, she added, “I’ve never been the best diplomat when it comes to unfamiliar food. I can recalibrate a warp core in the middle of a crisis, but put something unidentifiable on my plate, and I have a terrible habit of reacting first and thinking later. Let’s just say I’ve offended a dignitary or two in my time.”
Zosia leaned back in her chair, a smirk still playing at the corner of her lips. “But I suppose I’ve monopolized the conversation long enough,” she said, tilting her head slightly. “I could swap stories all night, but I imagine a captain’s time is a rare commodity.” Her violet eyes held his for a moment, curiosity lingering. “So, what’ll it be, Captain? Do we keep trading war stories, or is this where you send me off to prepare for the mysteries of the Herodotus?”
She let the question hang, making it clear the next move was his.
"There will be three things at the moment." Thorrin's voice sounded as butter dipped in honey. "First you have not lived until you have tried crawfish and gagh with some Louisiana hot sauce drizzled on top. That my dear is how you turn a horrible dish into a good one. Secondly, since you seem interested in food. I will have to prepare for you a Mardi Gras feast when we get underway. I am sure you have made it to New Orleans in your storied life. However, you need to experience it with a native. And lastly I will leave you to prepare for the mysteries of the Herodotus." He raised his glass in toast with smirk then sipped. Thorrin knew that he was going to like this crew but he now knew that he would like this engineer best of all.
Zosia chuckled, shaking her head in amusement. “Crawfish and gagh with hot sauce? Now that’s either brilliance or insanity—I suppose I’ll have to be the judge of that.” She gave him a knowing look, then stood smoothly, her hands resting briefly on the chair’s arms.
“I’ll hold you to that Mardi Gras feast, Captain. I expect nothing less than a proper experience,” she said, her smirk lingering as she turned toward the door. Just before stepping through, she glanced back over her shoulder, her violet eyes glinting with something unreadable.
“As for the mysteries of the Herodotus…” She let out a slow breath, thoughtful but certain. “I think I’m going to enjoy unraveling them.”
And with that, she was gone, the doors sliding shut behind her.
A Joint Post By
Captain Thorrin
Commanding Officer
USS Herodotus DTI-30656
Lieutenant Commander Zosia
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Herodotus DTI-30656
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