The Art of a Planetary Friendship

Posted on 10 Dec 2017 @ 8:00pm by Lieutenant JG Gideon Nicols PhD & Petty Officer 3rd Class Constantin Vansen

2,503 words; about a 13 minute read

Mission: Episode 15 - Emanation
Location: Starfleet Medical, Earth
Timeline: MD39 - 10:40 Hr

ON:

Vansen rubbed the back of his neck with a frown as he sat outside of Starfleet Medical, having literally run away and hidden himself from his latest appointment. He was still shaky from it all, but he knew it would pass. Instead of the standard uniform he wore a dark red Henley and worn jeans, part of his civilian get-up. If anything, they'd just ignore him for an hour.

He knew it was bad when he found outside to be an escape. He kept his eyes down though, avoiding looking up at the vast skies. If he did, his heart would start racing and he knew he'd get disorientated. Stupid Earth. She had it in for him. He let out a soft, shaky breath, frowning as he reached beside him for the PADD...and knocked it right down on the group. Bad coordination. Side effect of the detox. Side effect of a lot of things. Or...just plain clumsiness. It could easily have been that too.

Gideon Nicols didn't exactly loathe Starfleet Medical, however it wasn't exactly his favorite place either. With so much time off and so many more days stretched out before him with no assignment, he had to do his annual physical and psych eval on earth. It's not that he minded, he had just hoped at this point he would have gotten to know a new doctor and counselor by this point... not some general person from Starfleet Medical.

As he walked, out of the corner of his eye he noticed a young man who kept his head down. Something seemed... off. He saw a PADD tumble from the man's hand and clatter to the ground. "Here, let me get that for you," he said in a soft tone. He crouched down and picked up the information device and gave it a quick glance. It was still intact and worked. He handed it back to the younger man.

Constantin raised his eyes slowly, making sure to focus on the man's face rather than the sky behind him. He smiled gently, taking the PADD. "Thanks," he said and hugged it close to his body to make sure he wouldn't drop it again. "Sorry, I'm finding myself increasingly clumsy here..." he chuckled softly as he held his eyes. "I'm Vansen. Constantin Vansen. Don't...tell the staff I am here. I am in hiding in the place they'd least expect me."

Gideon's eyebrows arched at that and he crossed his arms over his broad chest. He looked beyond the young man at the main building of Starfleet Medical. Was this man an escaped mental patient? There weren't any indications that man who stood before him was mentally ill. "I'm Gideon," he said, wanting to at least oblige the man with his given name. "May I ask why you are hiding... outside?"

Constantin's smile was almost sheepish as he gave a weak shrug. "I'm spaceborn," he said when he realised he better tell the truth. Because...well, what was the point of lying. "So the concept of breathable atmosphere and open skies is something my brain isn't that steady on. I try to stay inside as much as possible whenever I am here for my check-up. If anyone is looking for me, they'll search inside, not outside." And with that he suddenly chuckled and winked. "Humans are complicated, right? I'm basically messing with their expectations of me. Unless they're practicing reverse psychology on me in which case I suppose they...won?"

Gideon found himself smirking after the explanation. "You are correct, humans are complicated... though we shouldn't be underestimated either," he said. He was also surprised to hear the young man's story, he knew space boomers and spaceborn who had none of the issues the man described which led Gideon to think there was more wrong mentally and physically. "You have a hard time being outside, yet you are here, do you just not want to be cooped up anymore?" He still wasn't going to dismiss the thought that he was dealing with a mental patient.

"I don't want to be poked. Besides, you stay here for more than a week and all you see is sickness around you. Not that great if you happen to be physically healthy," Constantin said with a small shrug. "You know, minor things aside. And I am fine out here as long as I don't look up. If I do, I just need a moment to get my bearings again. Let's just say I am never top pick for an away team..." he chuckled easily, making it clear he didn't mind. Because he didn't. Why worry about stuff like when people didn't pick you? You'd drive yourself insane trying to get everyone's approval.

There was this pull to look up, to look into the brilliant blue that was earth's atmosphere, but Gideon kept his gaze on the other man. He wasn't entirely sure how to respond to what the other man said. "I suppose that can be tough, to be cooped up in there," Gideon said, lifting his chin toward the building. "Now that you have broken free of the confines of Starfleet Medical, what do you plan to do?"

For a moment, Vansen looked thoughtful before he grinned, shaking his head. "Honestly? Most likely head inside soon. I am not stupid, I want to be able to actually get to my next posting and I think going AWOL sort of puts a stop to that. I'm Operations. Enlisted."

Ah, enlisted, that would mean far worse for the young man if he did go AWOL. "Well, going AWOL would not be a good thing," Gideon said. "I'm heading in the building myself, mind if I walk with you?"

"Ah..." Constantin nodded as he motioned to the door. "Not at all. I'll enjoy the company." He winked and started walking with him. "I miss the stars though. Eventually, when I am out of here, I am finding myself the longest tour..."

Gideon had adjusted his stride--which was typically longer than most--so he wouldn't get to far ahead of the other man. "I certainly can agree, I've been on leave for weeks. I was supposed to take up a Chief Research Officer position but unfortunately the assignment was dropped when the ship was destroyed." He still didn't know all the details of the Galileo, but that was neither here nor there at this point. "As a scientist, I certainly prefer longer tour of duties, it means more exploration, and it certainly means more chances to engage in research."

"You mean, finding weird stuff to science the heck out of..." Constantin said teasingly with a grin, one hand going into his pocket. "Bad luck about your ship. Hopefully you'll get something better though. Something that was meant to be. I just want to be out there in the black, living on a ship again...the humming of the warp core, the tiny vibrations..."

"I hear that," Gideon replied. "I miss starship life, but I suppose I miss being on earth as well. I think a lot of earth born humans feel that way." He wasn't entirely sure of that, but he knew a lot of people who loved their careers in Starfleet but were homesick for earth as well. It was only those who were born in space that didn't quite understand the sentimentality.

"Humans. Never happy with what they got," Constantin said playfully before he winked to show he didn't mean it. "At least you can come back. And no trip into space is forever." Which Constantin found a right shame, he'd love to always be out there.

Unless your starship gets beaten to a bloody pulp Gideon thought to himself. When one traveled into space, you accepted the dangers. When one put on the uniform, you accepted the dangers. Space had a lot of pros and cons, but luckily the pros outweighed the cons by quite a bit. "I know you are saying it in jest, but there is some truth in what you say. Humans are never happy with what they got or have, however, the pro of that is that has driven us up into the stars and to develop faster-than-light speeds for interstellar travel. The con of that is humans can be assholes when they want to be." A smile spread onto Gideon's lips at that.

"All species can be arseholes," Constantin said before a grin came to his face. "But humans are so damned good at it. I am anyway. I sort of blame it on not being good around people. Truth is...sometimes...there's buttons. And I can push them and get a reaction from someone."

"I'm sure you are just a blast aren't parties aren't you?" Gideon said in jest. "It all comes down to emotional response and how well you can take having said buttons pushed. I know for myself, it takes a lot for someone to get under my skin and push those buttons. Other's, however, their buttons are already pushed part way in so it doesn't take much."

"Social awkward," Constantin said with a small smile and shrugged. "Which is funny because I am actually a social person. I like people." He watched Gideon with an easy warmth that showed that it was true.

"Social can definitely be a good thing, especially if it helps you grow and learn not only about others but more importantly yourself," Gideon replied. He knew he sounded like some psychologist--which he was far from--but in hindsight he was speaking from experience. "Though, as you probably know there are people who just want to stay emotionally detached that they prefer to be on their own in all facets of life." Again, Gideon was speaking of experience with this. He a lot of times was just fine being alone, but other times he needed that emotional connection, and other times he needed something only another man could provide.

"Yeah..." Constantin nodded slowly, clearly running the words over in his mind. "I suppose my problem is that...I like interaction. And I don't always care if it is negative or positive. I know, should see a shrink about that!" he laughed and shook his head. "It's what this place does to you after a few days. Messes with your head."

Again, Gideon found himself looked up at the building that housed Starfleet's prestigious medical corp. "I suppose it can, though that is probably all relative." He shrugged at his own words. "I wish I had the answers, though in hindsight you didn't really ask me to give you answers." After he spoke, a chuckle followed.

"Nah, I just..." Constantin looked at him before he held his hands out at his side. A spacesuit shrug. "I like the talk." And he liked Gideon, he was nice to talk to. With. Calming. Warm. He liked it.

It was funny how a few minutes prior Gideon didn't even know the man that was walking next to him. A few minutes prior he was picking up a PADD off the ground and handing it over. Now, he felt like he was talking to someone he had known much longer than a few minutes. "I like the talk as well," he said. "I've enjoyed your company."

Constantin grinned at the words before he nodded. "I've enjoyed yourself. So...let's meet up again. You got my name. Constantin Vansen. We can stay in touch?" He was hopeful. Because he wanted to keep in touch with Gideon. Whether or not the other man felt the same was different, but Vansen knew that you had nothing to lose by asking. If you didn't ask, you never got anyway.

Gideon had already committed the other man's name to memory simply because it was such a unique name. He looked to the other man and smiled. "Sure, I'd like that." He had enjoyed the conversation thus far and had enjoyed the company.

Constantin let out a breath at that before he chuckled softly. "Good," he said before he looked around. "So...you got an appointment to see someone then?" he asked and met his eyes, the smile still there.

"Annual physical and psych eval actually," Gideon replied. "Since I am detached from an assignment currently, I need to get the annual stuff down here at Starfleet Medical. I forget the names they gave me on who I would be seeing, but it is what it is." He shrugged at that, a doctor was a doctor, a counselor was a counselor, it was all the same to him. It was just that if he would have been assigned to the Galileo all those weeks ago like he was supposed to be, he would have known the doctor and counselor by now. Now, once again, he was face with having to deal with strangers.

"Sucks," Constantin said with a soft chuckle before he nodded. "The staff here are pretty decent, they will point you in the right direction. if they feel nice. If they're evil, it will be the janitor's closet..."

Don't ever underestimate the value of a janitor's closet, kid, Gideon mused to himself. "Eh, I'm not worried about it. Though, hopefully I won't get anyone evil, or worse yet, a doctor with cold hands who asks me to turn my head and cough."

"There's a few of them," Constantin admitted before he laughed warmly. "Not always bad either...depending on how they ask you to cough. No, you will be fine."

Gideon rolled his eyes, but still chuckled softly at that. "I'll be sure to report back to you on it," he said. "But yeah, I'm sure I'll be fine." In hindsight, it was pretty funny, and honestly he didn't worry about any of it either. These annual things had to happen whether he liked it or not, but typically he did it without complaint.

"Okay," Constantin nodded before he reached out to squeeze his shoulder. "I should let you go for your appointments. If you see me before you leave, say goodbye."

Gideon nodded. He did need to get going, he didn't want to be late and in hindsight the sooner he was done the better. "I'll find you," he replied. He had enjoyed talking to the younger man, so he did want to at least say good bye before he finished up at Starfleet Medical for the afternoon.

"Good," Constantin said before he pulled back, his smile warm and happy at the words. "Now go forth and be poked, my friend."

Letting go of a hearty chuckle, Gideon nodded. "I'll go forth," he said, "and I'll see you later." After the chuckling died down, he too offered a warm smile that was reassuring. As he began to walk away, he glanced over his shoulder and waved one last time before disappearing into a crowd of people.

OFF:

Lieutenant JG Gideon Nicols, PhD
Research Officer

&

Petty Officer 3rd Class Constantin Vansen
Operations

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