A New Life
30 Mar 2011 Leave a Comment
in Drabble, Star Voyage, Team Omicron Tags: Julian
Julian watched Marissa running around, playing. It was good to see her smiling and laughing again. His brows furrowed. When they’d left home they’d been hoping to start a new life on the new world. None of them could have imagined how things would turn out.
Some of the settlers had gone on to their original destination after they’d been rescued. He’d known that he couldn’t do that. Alyssa was dead now. He could never have that life. That was why he’d joined Lockley’s crew.
Now, he knew he’d made the right choice. They would start their new life here.
Small Things
29 Mar 2011 Leave a Comment
in Drabble, Star Voyage, Team Omicron Tags: Julian, Ryan
Ryan growled as the gear slipped for the fourth time. Without thinking, he reached out and grabbed it. “Oh,” he cried, pulling his hand back and cradling it to his chest. Tears welled in his eyes.
“All right?” Julian asked, frowning.
Flushing, Ryan sighed. “I burned my hand,” he admitted. “Stupid! I know it’s hot. So why did I touch it?”
Julian smiled. “Can I help you out?”
Nodding, Ryan told him what needed to be done. Soon the system was working correctly. “And I’m off to med-bay.” It was the little things that reminded them how young he was.
Working together
28 Mar 2011 Leave a Comment
in Drabble, Star Voyage, Team Omicron Tags: Gretchen, Julian, Ryan
As her hand accidentally brushed Julian’s hand, she blushed. “Sorry,” she said, pulling her hand back again.
He gave her a faint smile. “Was this what you wanted?” he asked, holding up a wrench. When she nodded, he handed it over to her.
It was always the same when they were alone in the engineering area. She would blush whenever they were working close together. It was hard to even speak to him. Her breath would catch in her throat when he looked into her eyes.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” she said.
Ryan knew. “You like him.”
Who’s asking?
23 Mar 2011 Leave a Comment
in Drabble, Star Voyage, Team Omicron Tags: Calleigh, Julian
Calleigh watched Julian with a slight frown on her face. Few in the crew knew that there were agents on board. From the way Julian watched Ophelia, she had to wonder if he was the exception. If he was, what had given them away?
“Why did you decide to stay on board?” she asked, keeping her tone casual.
Julian gave her a sly smile. “Who’s asking?” he said, his voice soft. “Commander Skyler or Agent Skyler?”
“How’d you know?” Calleigh asked, not answering his question. After all, he hadn’t answered hers.
Chuckling, Julian said, “It takes one to know one.”
‘Scuse me while I kiss this guy
18 Jul 2010 Leave a Comment
in Mini-story, Star Voyage, Team Omicron Tags: daughter, Julian
Julian sighed and ruffled a hand through his hair as he walked through the corridor on his way to the bridge. He felt as though he hadn’t had a moment to himself since he got up. Just then, he was running an errand for the chief engineer. He stopped, pressed the button to call the elevator to the upper level and leaned against a wall.
He closed his eyes for a moment. He was glad to have something productive to do. It kept his mind busy and made him feel like he was being useful. However, he knew there was more to life than the constant demands of his shipboard duties.
He felt a tug on the bottom hem of his tunic. His eyes opened and he saw that his daughter was there. “Hello, Darling,” he said. Unconsciously, a smile touched his features.
“Do you have a moment, Daddy?” she said, looking surprisingly serious for such a little girl.
Julian frowned slightly and knelt to look into her eyes. “Certainly,” he said. “What do you need?”
“This,” she said. Then, she leaned in to kiss his cheek. “Love you,” she said, flashing him a sunny smile.
Julian returned the smile and hugged her. “I love you, too,” he murmured. This was why he did everything. Being a member of the crew gave his daughter a home. It gave him the balance he needed – balance he’d lost when his wife died – to take care of her the way she needed him to. He’d never forget that.
the land where even sleep doesn’t exist
29 Jun 2010 Leave a Comment
in Mini-story, Star Voyage, Team Omicron Tags: Julian, Kit, Ryan
Ryan laid in his bed, staring at the ceiling. How could people sleep when the ship was in constant motion? How did they know they wouldn’t fly into something and die? How did they know no one would attack them? His mind swirled with questions like these, as his imagination brought up a million possible ways they could die.
He sat upright in bed and ran a hand through his hair. Grabbing his jacket off the foot of the bed, he pulled it on and moved to the door. There, he shoved his feet in low shoes. A moment later, he was striding down the dimly lit corridors.
He made his way to the mess, without really knowing why. He blinked when he saw that there were others there. He sighed softly and walked over to the table where Julian and Kit sat. “Hey,” he said, dropping down into an empty chair.
Kit scowled. “Couldn’t sleep?” he said, tilting his head to one side as he regarded Ryan.
Ryan shook his head. “I’ve never been on a ship before, you know?” he said. He grimaced and shook his head again. “It’s probably strange to hear, seeing as I developed the time-step device, but… my father’s a monk – they don’t… do space travel.”
Julian smiled faintly. “It takes getting used to,” he said. “I daresay, there will be many sleepless nights until you become accustomed to life on board a ship such as this.”
When Ryan sighed, Kit asked, “Is there anything I can do to help?”
Ryan nodded. Then, he began asking all the questions swirling in his mind. If he could be sure it was safe to sleep, maybe he would be able to relax enough to do so?
the world will never return
28 Jun 2010 Leave a Comment
in Mini-story, Star Voyage, Team Omicron Tags: Julian, Robin
Julian stared out at the planet he and the others had lived on for the last year. It seemed so small and harmless now. It seemed so hard to believe that such a place had taken so much from them.
“Any idea what you’ll do now?” Robin asked, leaning against the wall beside the porthole. “I mean, you planning on going on to the settlement with your little girl or are you going to head back to where you came from?”
“Without Allysum,” Julian murmured, “the idea of starting a new life somewhere – away from the family – seems… empty.” He shook his head and closed his eyes. “At the same time, I don’t feel like I can just go back to them. It’d be like… going backwards, when I need to go forward.”
“So,” Robin said, “you can’t go back and you can’t go forward. What does that leave?”
“Sideways,” Julian said. He opened his eyes and a faint smile touched his lips. “I’ll ask the captain about joining the crew. I mean… I’m an architect by training, but… I know the same sorts of things the engineers know here. It wouldn’t be hard to learn whatever I don’t know, right?”
Robin smiled and nodded. “Welcome aboard, then,” he said. “Maybe we’ll… see more of each other.” Then he pushed away from the wall and walked away.
Floating in Empty Space
24 Jun 2010 Leave a Comment
in Mini-story, Star Voyage, Team Omicron Tags: Julian, Kit, Ryan
“What’s he doing?” Kit asked, watching Julian drift by outside the ship. He wasn’t used to anyone moving around outside the ship.
Ryan looked away from his view screen and shrugged. “He went out to make repairs,” he said. Rolling his eyes, he added, “I’d do it, but Miss Neary told me I’m not allowed to space walk.”
Kit grimaced. It was disconcerting enough to see Julian drifting around outside the ship, he would have had a heart attack if Ryan had floated by outside the window. Environmental suit or not, it was just too dangerous for a child. “When you’re older,” he said, turning to walk away.
“Why does everything have to wait until I’m older?” Ryan called, as the captain headed out of the room. “I’m twelve, you know? I’m not a child anymore.”
“You really are, Ryan,” Kit murmured. Thankfully, Ryan couldn’t hear his words, as the doors chose that moment to slide shut.
a mechanical doll that falls to pieces every night
23 Jun 2010 Leave a Comment
in Mini-story, Star Voyage, Team Omicron Tags: Julian, Kit, Matthew
Julian sat still throughout the examination. He kept his eyes on Miranda. He could hardly believe that they were going on to Havyn now. After almost two years on that desolate world, after the summer fever had swept through the people who’d survived the crash – cutting the already small numbers in half – they were going on to their original destination.
“What happened?” the captain asked.
Blinking, Julian looked over at him and tilted his head to one side. “To… the ship?” he asked, his voice faint. When the man nodded, Julian shook his head. “How would I know? I’m not a ship engineer. I’m an architect.”
Frowning, the captain said, “The other passengers seem to think you know something. They all say the same thing: you tried to warn the captain and crew that something was wrong.”
Julian tensed and dropped his gaze. “I…” he trailed off as images flashed in front of his eyes. They were too fast for him to see. The only thing that stood out in his mind was that he was wearing a uniform very like the crew of this ship. “I’m staying here?” he said, blinking.
“Are you all right?”
Frowning, Julian realized he was lying back on the examination table. He started to sit, but the healer held him down. “I – I’m fine,” he said. Looking into the man’s eyes, he nodded. “I’m fine.”
“The captain said you collapsed while he was talking to you,” he said, frowning. “It looked like some sort of seizure. You have them often?”
Julian flushed. “Like clockwork,” he said, his voice catching. “Every night.”
it’s now, or never again
22 Jun 2010 Leave a Comment
in Mini-story, Star Voyage, Team Omicron Tags: Al, Brent, Julian
Julian clenched his hands into fists, as he watched Brent stalk away. Why wouldn’t the man just listen? If they didn’t act, they’d end up missing what might be their only chance to leave that world! He shot a look at Miranda. She needed him to act. He wouldn’t let his child die in this godforsaken place.
Squeezing his eyes shut, Julian surged forward. He used his momentum to knock the larger man out of the way. As he heard Brent crash into a table, he turned on the communications equipment. They only had enough battery life for a moment, but a moment was all they needed.
“Lady Sarah, please come in,” Julian said into the comm. “This is Julian Southmaid, one of the passengers of the Cruiser Alistair, requesting assistance.”
“You fool,” Brent roared, catching him by the shirt and tugging him away. “You and your dreams! You don’t even know that there’s anyone there!”
The comm crackled to life. “Master Southmaid, this is Alexander Pemberton, on the Lady Sarah. We have your location, help is on the…” the comm died before the message had finished, but Brent – everyone – had heard enough.
As Brent released him, Julian took a step back. He straightened his clothing and said, “My dreams just saved your life, Master Forest.” Without waiting for a response, he spun and headed back out into the sunshine.
