Eclipse, Coming Home

Posted on 06 Feb 2014 @ 3:17pm by Lieutenant Jacob Pendleton

1,038 words; about a 5 minute read

Jacob's deep voice was soft and low, "Computer, begin recording my last personal log of my sabbatical here on Earth before returning to the Galileo."

A heavy sigh followed, "Sabbatical. A fancy way of saying 'You can't handle things'..." he chuckled sarcastically at the very thought. "...I let THEM get to me.. I let those bastard space zombies get to me!" His anger rose fiercely; the stainless steel mug in his left hand began to tremble under Jacob's powerful grip. "I couldn't handle it. I ADMIT IT! Is that what everyone wants?? Is it??" The mug's metal groaned as it began to collapse. "They took my friends, they took my Commander and they even tried to take my Captain! And all I could do.. all I could do was to hold them off and then lead a team to get our crew back... I should have stopped them on the Bridge, not just slow them down! I let them get Commander Holliday for the Universe's sake!!" His anger reaching higher and higher as he then simply crushed the metal mug as if it was an old soda pop aluminum can. "I could have done BETTER! I SHOULD HAVE DONE BETTER!!" He then rifled the crushed mug against the far wall so hard it actually went right through and into the bathroom beyond.

Jacob put his head in his hands and wept. He wept as if he were a child, a lost and frightened child that could not overcome his trauma. He wept for a good ten minutes before he could compose himself so he could continue.

"And so now, for my failure, for my inability to take the situation, I have been demoted to CRO again..." He sighed deeply again, "...which is probably for the better..."

Jacob got up and began to pace the room, "For three months I have been back home, back amongst the beautiful trees, hills and stream of the farm here in Grant County. Everyday.. everyday working dawn 'til dusk doing hard physical labor so I didn't have to think." He walked to the far west wall and leaned against it, "Uncle Stan reminded me that it wasn't necessary to chores and other work that has been done by machines for over three hundred years now.. but he understands this is therapy for me." He then walked to the mirror in his room and looked at his even bigger physique. Actual physical work had not only increased his already massive muscle structures but even added more. He was now a powerful three hundred and thirty pounds of pure muscle! Less than one percent body fat and even more agile and nimble than when he left the Galileo.


He let out a small laugh, "No wonder Alisha has been doing everything in her power to get me into her bed... " The image of her face came into his mind. They had grown up together as their two farms were the closest to each other of any other neighbors. They played together as children. The worked on each other's farms in the summer. Alisha was tall, lean, beautiful and smart as a whip. They were not just friends; they were best friends, confidants and almost like brother and sister to each other. Almost to a person in both families thought that someday they would be an item, be married even... but life had not worked out that way so far. She was a Music Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville now and well, Jacob was a member of Starfleet. Still, every day since he came back, she had been there, doing chores right besides him, being his personal counselor.

Alisha had tried to do everything short of pouncing on Jacob trying to get his attention in the path of attraction, but his emotions had been too wild, too much for him to bear.

"... She has grown so lovely over these years. I think she knows and understands though that my heart.. my feelings are in no place for anything more than the incredible friendship we have had all this time. It is no slight to her... when I think about maybe allowing a romance, I think about Mor'an, about Scarlett, about Kiri, about Captain, now Commodore Lirha... I am just not settled with me and all that has happened. I.. I wrote her a goodbye letter yesterday. She will take me to the spaceport tomorrow... it will be hard leaving her, hard leaving home... but.. I must redeem myself, restore whatever pride and honor I have left..."

Jacob picked up his guitar, gently strummed it and then sang low and sweet: "The sun is slowly fadin in the western sky
Sometimes it takes forever for the day to end
Sometimes it takes a lifetime
Sometimes I think Ill never see the sun again

In the east a shaded moon is hangin lazily
I do believe I saw the old man smile
I do believe I did
I do believe hes been hangin all the while

I think its kind of interesting the way things get to be
The way that people work with their machines
Serenitys a long time comin to me
The fact I dont believe I know what it means

Theres a heavy smog between me and my mountains
Its enough to make a grown man sit and cry
Its enough to make you wonder
Its enough to make the world roll up and die

I think its kind of interesting the way things get to be
The way that people work with their machines
Serenitys a long time comin to me
The fact I dont believe I know what it means any more

When the sun is slowly fadin in the western sky
Sometimes it takes forever the day to end
Sometimes it takes a lifetime
Sometimes I think Ill never see the sun again
The Sun again.."

(http://youtu.be/X8k7l9UDxz8)

When he finished Jacob commanded, "Computer, tomorrow I head home to the Galileo. Tomorrow will be my Eclipse that John spoke so eloquently about in that song. Tomorrow I will begin my redemption. So Mote It Be... Computer, end recording."


Lieutenant Jacob Pendleton
Chief Research Officer
USS Galileo

RSS Feed