Mission Archive

"Tomorrow"
[previous "A Different Life"]

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Setting: USS ANUBIS, Ensign Stark's Quarters
Stardate: 30148.2115

His shoes were off even before the sliding doors had closed behind him.

"Our first mission is a simple one."

Those had been the Captain's own words during the mission briefing.  Looking back to what had happened, *simple* had certainly not been the word Jayson would have used to describe the mission they had just finished.

He had been so tired that Jayson could not be bothered to ask for the lights to be turned on.  Actually, he found the darkness to be calming in many ways.  No flashing alert lights, no brightly lit indicators trying to draw his attention to another crisis about to happen.  After the hell that they had been through, this general peace and quiet had been nice.

As the OPS office crashed down into the nearest chair, his mind instinctively began to make a list of what would have to be done.  There had been a fair amount of equipment still present on the moon, some granted in better condition than other.  The two surviving VIPERs would need to be returned to the ANUBIS, a job that Wydran would likely be happy to assist with.  The three LOCUS would be brought back in the same way that they had been sent down to the moon.  That left the BARRACUDA and SPHINX, one which had not been touched as far as he knew while the other had been left as a pile of broken down spare parts.

"Tomorrow."

That was all that Jayson said with a heavy sigh before forcing himself back out of his chair.  He had been in desperate need of a shower and if he didn't take it now, there had been a high chance that he would simply fall asleep where he had been.  So piece by piece his uniform was removed as he made his way to the shower.  There would be time enough to pick everything up after his shower and sleep.

A feeling of endless relief came over him as the hot water touched his bare back.  It sure beat the hot and dusty air of the hell they had been in.  All of his troubles seem to flow down the drain along with the water.  The problems encountered while flying the VIPER; the crash of the SPHINX; playing dodgeball with fiery boulders while in the LOCUS; being captured by the Akitashiinu; being returned to the ANUBIS to deal with the battle in orbit and trying to locate the Captain and those who had been left on the moon.

One by one those events came into his mind and were washed away by the hot water.  Jayson felt better with each passing moment and soon found himself remembering the words of Counselor Dalziel.  She had suggested for him to find something positive that had happened during the day, this to help deal with his own personal situation.  Given all that had taken place, the OPS officer could think of only one truly positive thing to be thankful for: tomorrow.

Everyone had returned to the ANUBIS in one piece more or less and they would all have a tomorrow to enjoy and to think about what had happened.  Some might find faults in what had been said or done, other would certain spend the next few days lost in endless research and analysis.  To Jayson though the simple fact that there would be a tomorrow for them to see had been what he had been most grateful for.

Tomorrow would be another day, but it would be theirs to do with as they wanted, at least within the limits of their duties and responsibilities.

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Jayson Sousa