William was heading back out on whatever whim was catching his fancy now, leaving Marcus to run things back at home. He was barely home a week this time. As try as he might, Marcus couldn't withhold the waves of jealousy. He reminded himself that Will had never taken interest in the business, and couldn't blame him. If things had been different he wouldn't still be here himself.
Christine still wrote time to time but they were becoming fewer and fewer as she got her own life far, far from here. Last he heard she was pregnant. Still a part of him wished… no nevermind, it was useless now. She'd made her choice and he'd made his. It was done.
He hit the intercom, asking for the next interview to come in. He'd finally gotten their heads above water and could afford to replace Chris's father as Chief Planetary Forecaster.
Who walked in was not what he expected. Dark skinned, with a short coif of tight sable curls that only accentuated the big eyes and high cheekbones… a woman. A young one at that.
He caught himself from staring and looked at his papers, "You're… Hasina Mandisa?" he asked bewildered, standing and offering his hand.
"Yes… Mr Cole, Right?" she shook it, but looked confused as well.
"Right. You're younger than I was lead to believe from your resume."
She smiled genuinely. "Thank you. I was about to say the same about you. After everything I read about Cole Mining I thought you'd be much older."
He nodded, now seeing, "You are probably thinking of Nick. He died a few years back, I'm Marcus, his son."
"Ah that explains it. I'm sorry to hear about your father. He set a lot of standards in Quantium-40 safety."
"He firmly believed in the highest level of worker safety, yes, and I fully intend to keep that going. I see you've done you research."
"Research is what I do." She said frankly. "It's compulsive after awhile."
"Yes." He sat down and motioned for her to follow. "I can see that. Your resume is most impressive, like I said the credentials you've built implied someone much older." He said scanning the resume again.
"I've been interested in planetary geology and seismology since I was a child, luckily I got a early start."
"I see that too. If my math's right then you got your masters in geology when you were what… 19?"
"18."
He nodded, impressed. "Several companies all good names, great letters of recommendation… I think I've read a paper of yours in the Modern Mining Monthly. Am I right?"
She smiled, obviously impressed by his memory, "Last May!"
He smiled. "I never forget a name… Sorry to hear that Gründersen went under. That's where you just came from right?"
"Yes, Not many of the old places left. It's all mega-giant corporations now" She noted. "I don't know how you've made it, but it's a rare feat anymore."
Marcus smiled proudly, nodding. "The war almost kicked our butts out of the business, too, but I've managed to pull it back in line enough we can refill some long empty necessary positions. Like Planetary Forecasting. So have you tried talking to IPX at all? You'd be a natural choice for them, with your background."
"No, The smaller ops are what I prefer. They normally they don't mind me running my own research in addition to my regular duties as much as the big guys who just want to lay claim to anything I might publish. Like they need it or would use it, anyway. Research is useless if it's not useful."
He looked up from the resume "Why would you want to come here? We're not exactly on the fast track you're obviously destined for."
"For me it's the best of both worlds. I hear there can be some original fingerprints in some of seismic activity here on Arissia. I'd think it would interesting to study it. Only way to do that is to be out here. Also, as I said Cole Mining has a long-time good reputation from the various worlds you have worked over the decades."
Marcus smiled. She'd do just fine.
He sat down his fork turning the page of his report, chewing slowly as he read. The shadows were heading towards Centuari Prime for some reason. He didn't dare try to inquire of his new companion Londo on the issue, but he needed to know why.
The table rocked a bit and he glanced over the papers edge to see Stephen and Susan standing there, lunch trays in hand. The Doctor's fingers were still on the table's edge from having shaken it to get his attention.
"Feel like company?" the Doctor asked.
He smiled softly, nodding, putting away his papers down, and motioned to the chairs swallowing his last bite, quickly removing some of his paperwork sprawl. "Mmm! Please!" Misery loves company, he thought to himself.
"We don't usually see you in here this time of day," Susan noted setting down her tray next to him. Indeed, she was right, he usually joined the rest in the Mess for breakfast to compare notes and socialize a bit, the rest of his day he spent pretty much alone. Today he felt like a late lunch, and being he had some stuff to read through the mess was better than in the Zocalo where he might bump into Christine.
"I'm trying to stay off radar, so I thought I'd come in here between appointments." He said sipping his caff watching her as she sat down. "Anything interesting today, Miss Voice of the Resistance?"
She snorted, "Nope, and don't you go jinxing it." She pointed at him with her fork menacingly. "I'm hoping for a quiet day."
"For someone trying to stay off radar you sure do you like to be noticed." Stephen said sitting opposite him. "What was with those flowers you sent to the lab today, or need I have to ask?" Stephen none too subtly wagged his eyebrows.
Marcus grimaced, glaring up at him. He really wished he hadn't brought that up, and in that way, in front of her no less. He rubbed at his forehead. "It's not what you're thinking, Doctor, I assure you."
Susan looked at him curiously then to Franklin. "Flowers, eh?" "Three dozen red roses to Dr Jenkins. Things nearly take up an entire treatment room."
"I guess, if you're into that sort of thing… it's very romantic…" she said taking a sip of her caf.
"Or very apologetic," He said catching her eyes. He saw a flicker of curiosity at that. "That's all it was. An apology."
"That's one hell of an expensive "I'm sorry". Whatever you did must have been a doozy," She said said hoarsely, still meeting his eyes.
"You could say that it's not something I'm terribly proud of."
Stephen has been looking form Susan to Marcus back and forth. "Such as?"
Marcus did not wanting to get into it. "Did she like them?"
Stephen nodded. "She didn't throw them out, if that's what you mean. I think if she had the staff would have given her an earful, they're all very jealous." Stephen laughed.
Marcus smirked. "Well then, I'll try to piss one of them off in future, we can make it a lottery."
Stephen laughed, just about to take his first bite just as his link went off. He groaned setting down his fork. "Franklin." He said into the small receiver.
"We have a stabbing from downbelow coming in, should be here in two minutes. Sounds bad. Punctured lung, severed artery. Hobbes is off today. Should I call her in?"
"Damn, No, I'll be right there," he said into his link and ended connection. He stood and picked up his tray "I'll take this with me, might be able to get to it later."
"Do me a favor, don't mention you saw me here ok?" Marcus said pointing downwards. "I'm not ready to come out of hiding quite yet."
"No problem. Secret is safe with me." He assured him going out the door with his untouched meal.
Marcus and Susan sat quietly a few minutes eating. Wanting to say something to her, but now sure what, he decided to avoid it altogether and picked up his report again.
"Is she, uh," Susan spoke cautiously looking everywhere but at him, "the one you were telling me about?"
Marcus swallowed hard, quite surprised she asked that. He shook his head slowly. "No. She could have been, once, long ago. Wasn't meant to be." he took a deep breath closing his eyes to think of the right thing to say next. "The.,. the reason I sent the flowers-"
She waved her hand, now obviously feeling awkward with the discussion "It's none of my business, really, I'm sorry to –" She began to rise.
"No, it's okay," he put a hand softly on her arm to stop her. She looked at the hand on her arm and slowly sat back down.
He lifted his hand, holding her eyes with is as he spoke in a low voice, "I um, just said some things... Not without reason mind you, but seeing her again brought up a lot of… stuff I thought I had gotten over. Evidentially I was wrong, it was actually a rather informative outburst." He chuckled rubbing his face in embarrassment. "I can barely stand myself right now. I said some really awful things. I can be a Class A ass sometimes when I get going."
A cynical smile entered on her face, "And his is news to me how?" she playfully teased him. Was he imagining she looked now somewhat relieved? He enjoyed the rosy red flush of her face, and caught himself staring.
"Ahh! There you are. Just the two I was hoping to find," came the familiar voice of John Sheridan from behind them. Marcus inwardly cursed, their little moment was ruined now. Sheridan wove his way through the crowded mess tables filled with personnel.
"Good morning, Captain." Susan chimed. "Have a seat."
"Wish I could, but I have a meeting in about a half hour. You guys feel up to a field trip?"
"Why?" she asked.
"I need to send a Whitestar and head out ASAP to Alta 7 to escort the Poseidon back here for repairs. They wandered into a skirmish with the Euphrates."
"My god, are they alright?" Marcus asked.
"Lucikly enough, yes. As they retreated they caught a hit to the aft jump engine on the way through the jump-point. Blew out the entire navigation array."
"Wow. I'd say they are damned lucky to have made it out in one piece," Susan gruffly noted. "They did make it out in one piece. Right?"
Sheridan nodded. "Well, one piece minus one hell of a nasty hole to the seat of their pants, yeah. But, the good news; they are not in any immediate danger where they are, hulls holding up, life support is fine - they are just stranded without a map. Their people think they can be repaired enough to still fully contribute again, just no way to do it there. God knows we need all the hands we can get - You two open to go?"
"I am," Susan said confidently, but her next words were more cautious, her eyes lowered at the table before. "Marcus. I know you have a friend on board... I'd understand if you wanted to pass-."
"What? And miss your charming company? Certainly not." He teased her before looking to Sheridan. "Although, Captain, I don't feel one Whitestar will be able to tow it, let alone defend it properly. We'll need a few. Can we spare them?"
"We'll have to. What do you think we need? Three?"
"Mmm." He nodded pursing his lips. "I'd make it an even four. I like the symmetry."
Sheridan laughed shaking his head. "That's as good a reason as any, I suppose. I have to go, let me know about when you're leaving alright?"
"Will do." Susan nodded. She placed her silverware and coffee cup on the tray after he left "Well I should get back to C&C." She explained rising and dumping her tray.
Marcus glanced at his chrono. "I'll come with you," He said quickly taking up the space to her side "C&C is on my way."
"To what?" she asked intrigued, more than usual, he noticed.
He waved his hand. "Oh… To meet the person in the place with the thing, you know. Just something I have to do before I leave."
She shook her head bewildered, but a soft smile peeked out. "Whatever."
They turned the first corner and waited for the lift to arrive.
"So, Commander, what time you want to head out?" he asked seeking her eye contact.
"What's the earliest we can leave you think?" she asked as the doors opened, and they both climbed in. She gave it her destination.
He moved to stand directly in front of her, cocked his head thinking, his hands on his slim hips. "Depends if you want to leave as a group or have them join us en route. If we wait for them… mmmm…18 hours give or take. If we meet them along the way… we could leave whenever you're ready. I can organize the rendezvous in transit easily enough."
She frowned thinking. "I don't want to wait for them to make it all the way here, but we'll be useless by ourselves. I think I'd like to get a good night's sleep first. The less I have to deal with sleeping on a Whitestar the better, I have a bad feeling I'm going to need it."
"Bright and early in the morning then?"
"Sounds like a plan." She shifted to her feet and just stood there staring into him like she wanted to say something then finally tossed back her tightly bound braid. "0600 sharp?"
"Agreed. And, if I recall correctly I do believe it's my turn to bring breakfast."
They'd begun a habit of picking up takeaway before a voyage to take the edge off long voyages on the Whitestar – the Minbari were not exactly known for fine cuisine and their rations left much to be desired to say the least. Starting it off with a decent meal seemed to help a lot with the tension levels.
She smiled. "I think you're right."
"The usual?"
"Okay by me." She nodded curtly as the doors opened. "Ahh, Here's my stop."
Marcus gracefully sidestepped with a flourish to allow her to leave the lift. "Until tomorrow morning, Commander."
She only nodded, turned and walked out the doors. They closed behind her, leaving him alone. He felt like something was bothering her, but remained rooted to the spot as she stalked out. Maybe he could see what the matter was on board later. Oh who was he fooling?