A Former Journeyman’s Journey

Posted on Mon Dec 27th, 2021 @ 5:47am by Lieutenant Commander Alexander Espersen

Mission: The Dexic Negotiations
Location: Starfleet Academy, Earth
Timeline: Two Weeks Ago

“Lieutenant Alexander Espersen, report to the Office of Personnel.”

It was not an unfamiliar sentence to the corridors of Starfleet Academy’s Simenon Hall, where many an engineering cadet had lectures, labs, or study groups. Many senior cadets walking from one room to another snickered, wondering what Espersen had said this time. About half the time it was a depressing comment, like how they were all going to die in the cold vacuum of space. The other half, it was something harsh about a particular student’s bad performance, singling them out as a negative example for others. Once or twice, it had been about leering at a particularly attractive cadet. But they all had the same result. Alexander Espersen, human from Mars, 55 and still only a Lieutenant, being summoned to the Office of Personnel over in the Morrow Building.

The engineering instructor, tall for a Terran but on the shorter-than-average side for a Martian, with greying black hair, left his office and headed out. The young cadets in the corridors nodded respectfully as he walked past, and he acknowledged them with a nod of his own. The older ones also nodded, for a public lack of respect to a senior officer would not be tolerated, but he knew that there hearts weren’t in it. Especially when the snickering stopped as he approached and resumed once he passed.

Two hundred meters later, he was at the main entrance of the Morrow Building. Three flights of stairs later, he was at Sentient Resources. Down the hall and into Personnel.

“June,” he said to the Admiral’s Secretary with a smile. His voice was low, a bit gravelly, and quiet. It had a hint of an accent that a trained Starfleet linguist could place at the Danish exclave on Mars. “You’re looking lovely as ever.”

To June Cooke, Master Warrant Officer and Executive Assistant to Admiral Tokas, smiled at him. She had more patience for the engineer than most, having also known him during their time together aboard the USS Marin. Before Mars was burnt to ash and his life took the sad dive it did. “He’s waiting for you, Alexander,” she said. “Come talk to me on your way out though. I need your help with something.”

“Absolutely.” He tapped his engineer’s ring, worn proudly on his right little finger for the past twenty years, on June’s desk and walked directly into the adjoining office.

Rear Admiral Samarpreet Tokas was a man of infinite patience for cadets, and near zero patience for commissioned officers. Like Alexander, the Admiral had come up the ranks from a humble start as a noncom, in his case in Science. There were two things that angered him deeply: officers treating noncoms with disrespect, and instructors treating cadets with disrespect. No cadet should be publicly shamed or made to cry. Learning was possible without such rudeness. Anyone claiming to have a ‘tough love’ approach was told to straighten up. Anyone refusing to do so was sent elsewhere. Unfortunately for him, Alexander Espersen was a thorn that was unremovable. Someone above Tokas’s grade considered Espersen’s skills too great to waste, and having him teach engineering courses was the best way to use him without having him be in the way. Even if it meant complaints every few weeks for over four years.

“Admiral.” Alexander knew the routine. Present himself and stand at ease until acknowledged, which sometimes took a few minutes.

It was faster this time. “Care to guess what it is this time, Lieutenant?”

“I don’t think I sent anyone crying to you this week or last, sir, but truthfully it’s hard to tell sometimes. Every now and then you get one who breaks on the inside but presents a stoic face. Oh, there was the Andorian who took a swing at me…what was her name?”

“Cadet Vyssa sh’Kerrel,” the Admiral reminded him. “But actually no. Someone spoke to Ms. Cooke on her behalf but when we called her in, she actually spoke in your defense. It was the damnedest thing.”

Alexander pursed his lips and cocked his head, considering what he’d heard. “She’s one of the good ones. Messed up her fusion reactor repair project so badly that in real life a lot of people would have died. But she has potential.”

“So, it seems, do you.” The Admiral picked up a PADD and began reading off of it. “‘Lieutenant Alexander Espersen, you are hereby ordered to report to USS Chimera, NCC-80118, to serve as Chief Engineering Officer. You are also promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commander, with all the rights and responsibilities thereof. Signed, Vice Admiral Fyndra Sahino, Starfleet Engineering Operations.’ Congratulations, Lieutenant Commander. You leave to tomorrow for Starbase 614.”

Alexander was left speechless. He tried to think of something to say. Thank you, seemed appropriate, but it refused to come out. Finally, what escaped his lips was “There must be a mistake. I was fairly certain I was sent here to serve out the rest of my days. Swept—”

“Swept under the rug,” Tokas finished for him. “Quite so, Mr. Espersen, but someone wanted you. Why, I don’t know. I do know the Chimera has a lot of Cadets and Ensigns on its roster, but given your track record that can’t be the reason,” the Admiral added with a smirk.

“No, sir,” Alexander agreed. “Well, thank you, sir. With your permission, I’ll take my leave.”

“Don’t take this the wrong way, Commander, but I sincerely hope that I never see you again,” the Admiral said bluntly. “Dismissed.”

What’s the right way to take that? he wondered as he left the office.

He stopped at June’s desk, where she had a few things for him. A PADD. A hollow rank pip. A smile.

“Your official orders, in writing, along with a ticket aboard the USS Yuma. It leaves Spacedock tomorrow at 1400. Journey will take about two weeks.” Her smile widened. “Congratulations, Lieutenant Commander Espersen.”

He clipped the new rank pip on his collar and took the PADD. “I need to pack tonight, but come by for a drink? I still want very much to draw you, if you’ll let me.”

“I still have the one from the Marin,” she replied. “How’s 2030?”

“See you then.” He smiled and left. He had much to do. Pack his apartment. Pack his office.

But first, a walk past the student gathering areas in Simenon Hall. Show those pricks his new rank pip.