Title: Herculean Tasks - Alpha Timeline – Chapter 1 – A Tall Order
Rating: K+
Category: gen/het
Pairings: Davenport/Goddard
Note: Canon divergence, wibbly-wobbly timey-wimeyness, parallel universes and mobius loops start in the middle of Chapter 2. I don't own Space Cases. I just miss it a whole lot. Shout out to InvisibleNinjaPirate for the initial UPP conspiracy idea.
Summary: An alternate timeline diverging from canonical events:
The year is 2261. The conditions surrounding Commander Seth Goddard's demotion don't add up. While he is "grounded" teaching flunking students at the Starcademy, he finds himself tasked with: exposing a government conspiracy, serving as a champion for marginalized students, protecting his mentor's daughter, and teaching a band of "space cases."
There is no Christa to whisk them away. Goddard believes he is a dead man walking as he grapples with "feelings versus survival." But T.J. and the kids show him "the way to control your destiny is to make it happen, yourself" and that he may have more allies than he believes.
(aka: An excuse to explore the Davenport/Goddard dynamic and how the crew is actually part of the Christa's origin story.)
Chapter 1: A Tall Order
Commander Seth Goddard paced around his Starcademy quarters as he dialed his mentor's vidphone number. When James Davenport's face appeared on the screen, Seth didn't bother with a "hello."
"I hate doing this," Seth grumbled. "I hate being the bad guy."
The older man's eyes twinkled as he offered his pointed response, "I am doing well, thank you. How are you?"
"Sorry, Sir. I wanted to cut to the chase: I need your help."
"It is better to play the part than to become the very thing you are trying to fight," James advised.
"I know. I just wish your daughter didn't hate me."
James chuckled. "I can assure you T.J. does not hate you."
"So she only uses colorful language with Starcademy staff members she actually likes?" Seth rolled his eyes. "Noted."
"Interesting," James mused with a knowing smile. "She's never been prone to using 'colorful language' as you put it. I wonder where she picked that up."
"Grozit, this is a mess," Seth grumbled.
The older man tilted his head in question. "Speaking of 'colorful language,' did you just use a Saturnian expletive?"
Seth put his head in his hands. "Too much time around my students."
"There is a Saturnian girl in your class, yes? The one with the invisible friend?"
"Imaginary friend. And yeah." Seth paused to run his free hand through his sandy brown hair, streaked with grey at the temples. "I'm just afraid that T.J. will put the pieces together. She already suspects that something doesn't add up."
"I am aware," James conceded with a nod as he adjusted his wire-rimmed spectacles. "My daughter does have a history of poking her nose where it does not belong if she gets a whiff of injustice. You two are very much alike in that way."
"She was easier to anticipate when I thought she was a stickler for the rules."
"She is: when the rules truly serve everyone's best interests."
"So you're telling me I have to worry about her going rogue and doing something like—I dunno—hacking her way into the Headmistress's email?"
"It would not take her long. There is a precedent for such things, I'm afraid."
"She did what?!" Seth would have been more impressed if his head wasn't spinning. "I know she's smart, but—"
"At the risk of sounding like a gloating father, that is a bit of an understatement. At the risk of sounding like a tactician, it would be to your advantage to refrain from underestimating her as others have."
"So what am I supposed to do? Your daughter is unknowingly working for the enemy. How do I continue to keep her safe from that? Especially after I..." Seth gulped, "After I leave."
"It would seem to me that you have two options."
"One option." Seth frowned. "I have to tell her. I've got three weeks to get the proof I'm after, and get T.J. out. I can't leave her here. I won't leave her here." He shook his head. "But this is her career...it's her life. She wants this place to stand for inclusivity: to be one that teaches diplomacy and promotes peace and defends the rights of all members of the United Populated Planets, regardless of race. She's…" He trailed off.
"Yes?"
"I think very highly of her, Sir." Seth chose to ignore the smirk on James's face and continued, "The truth would shatter her. Everything you've built here and everything she's doing to continue that legacy is in jeopardy. I feel like we're fighting a losing battle: The hate is so systemic and pervasive that it's shaping policies at the highest levels. Space only knows what's really going on with the Andromedan colony!"
"It is a tall order, I am aware," James acknowledged.
"So on my agenda for the day: expose government corruption, be a champion for marginalized students, protect my mentor's daughter, and teach a band of misfit kids. All while operating under the radar with the hope of keeping myself alive and getting back out in space with a crew. Piece of cake." Seth sat down on the edge of his unmade bed with a frustrated sigh.
"I never said any of this would be easy. What is important is that you are doing the right thing. And we are most fortunate that with the rules in place, you are giving my daughter enough work to distract her from the truth or at least to prevent her from digging too deeply. Misdirection is what is keeping her safe, at least for now."
"I hate lying to her, even by omission. I hate overwhelming her: that's probably what caused her ulcer last year. And I can only be so insubordinate before she gives up on me."
James grinned. "Seth, my boy, she would never give up on you."
"It's her job to enforce the rules. If I break them all, she'll just get fed up. It's not like she even cares about what happens to me. She just puts up with me because it's her job."
"She may care more than you realize."
"Sir?"
"She wouldn't contact me to rant about your latest list of infractions so often if she did not care. She used to call me once a week before you started working at the Starcademy. Do you know how often she calls now?"
Seth shook his head.
"Every other day. Our discussions tend to last the better part of an hour. That is a lot of time spent talking about someone who doesn't matter, wouldn't you say?"
"What does she say about me?" Seth wondered carefully.
James grinned. "If you wish to find out the answer to that question, you would need to ask T.J. yourself."
"What am I supposed to do? Just waltz into her office with a cup of coffee and ask to chat?"
"Of course not." James grinned and his eyes twinkled. "Tea, of course. Two sugars."
"Space help me." Seth scrubbed his hand down his face. He looked back up at his mentor, and then fixed his gaze directly on the camera, so that he appeared to be looking him right in the eyes. "She deserves better, Sir. In everything, she deserves better."
"She deserves the best." James's eyes sparkled again, with mischief or tears Seth wasn't certain. His eyes bore into Seth's through the screen now. "I think you two deserve each other."
Seth hung his head. "Space help me," he repeated in a whisper.
Seth trudged down the Starcademy corridors with a frown on his face. He carried two beverage containers—one in each hand—and garnered odd looks from the staff and students alike. He was exhausted and could have used two cups of coffee, but only one of the beverages was meant for him.
"G-good morning, Commander Goddard," Radu offered with a small nod.
"Good morning, Mr. Radu." He stopped and offered the Starcademy's sole Andromedan student a reassuring smile. "Everything okay today?"
The shy boy bowed his head to stare at the floor. His long curly blond hair fell into his face as he stammered, "Yes, Sir. Th-thank you. Y'know, for, uh, for standing up for me last week?"
Seth nodded, not wishing to make a big deal of the incident. "You're welcome. Let me know if there's anything else on your mind, okay?"
Radu licked his lips nervously. "Yes, Sir."
Seth turned to continue walking toward the administrative offices when he came face-to-face with perhaps his most problematic student, Harlan Band.
"Commander," Harlan greeted his teacher while glaring toward Radu.
"Mr. Band," Seth offered in warning, noticing Radu shuffling behind him. "Anything going on that I should know about?"
"No, Sir," the young athletic Earther responded, defiance evident in his voice.
"Better keep it that way," Seth offered as he continued on. Over his shoulder, he added, "Or I know for a fact a certain assistant principal will give you all kinds of hell."
The Headmistress rounded the corner in time to hear Seth's threat. "Language, Commander!" she admonished him.
"Bite me," he muttered, without giving her a second glance.
"What was that?"
"Good morning!" he offered brightly with a fake smile plastered on his face. "Did you do something different with your hair? Love it."
The Headmistress preened a bit, touching up her hairdo, which Seth thought resembled the Bride of Frankenstein's: large jet black curls defied gravity in an odd comical flattop.
Rosie Ianni beamed at everyone, wishing all the students good morning individually by name as she practically skipped down the hall. The Mercurian girl paused to chirp a "good morning" to her teacher and the Headmistress as well. She'd overheard the commander's comments on the Headmistress's style and added, "I wish I had hair so I could try that. It looks great, Ma'am!"
The second the Headmistress turned away, Seth made a face of disgust behind her back and mock-shuddered, causing Rosie to shrug and both Radu and Harlan to chuckle. The two boys gave each other a questioning glance before Harlan's scowl reappeared and he continued on his way. Seth waited for Rosie to start talking to Radu and for Harlan to turn the corner before nodding again in the Andromedan's direction and venturing toward the administrative offices. He doubled his pace when he passed Catalina and Bova.
The Saturnian girl tucked a strand of her rainbow hair behind her ear as she turned to the empty space next to her and said, "Grozit, Suzee, look! Commander is bringing Spa— I mean, Miss Davenport coffee now. How long before we start planning their wedding?"
Bova shook his head and even his antenna seemed to sway in disagreement. "Nah. One of them will kill the other first."
Seth huffed out a drawn-out rumbling groan of exasperation as he stopped to turn and offer the kids a warning glare. Neither seemed fazed. Cat giggled as Bova shrugged and offered drolly, "We have two betting pools. Rest in peace, Commander."
Assistant Principal T.J. Davenport leaned forward on her desk and rested her chin in her hands with a heavy sigh. She frowned as she glanced around her Starcademy office at the placards adorning her walls: certificates and awards boasting her achievements. Her life had been so simple before. She'd put in a lot of hard work, certainly, but at least she felt as if she had her head on straight. Now though, she was in charge of monitoring Commander Seth Goddard: former STARDOG Captain, former heartthrob, and current thorn in her side.
Be honest with yourself, you still think he's handsome. She rolled her eyes and groaned at her inner voice. Yes, she'd harbored a schoolgirl crush on him once upon a time, yes she'd admired his work when he moved quickly through the ranks as a military man in the STARDOGS, and yes she might have fantasized about him as she grew older. But the experience of meeting him in person had been like getting doused with cold water and a hefty dose of reality. He was not the man from her father's stories that she grew up admiring: he'd broken the law, been stripped of his rank, and was bitter about his entire existence. The Headmistress had put her in charge of monitoring his progress as an instructor at the Starcademy as he relearned the rules he'd broken so he could later practice what he preached. This left T.J. as a glorified babysitter who was paid to tattle on the man she once dreamed of—
She groaned again, folding her arms in front of her and resting her head on her desk. She'd frequently vent to her father about the latest drama the now-commander was causing, and James Davenport, who'd once held her position at Starcademy, merely chuckled and smiled, encouraging T.J. to see past Seth's frustration and apparent disregard for authority—that he was still the man she'd once admired.
"Miss Davenport?"
T.J. lifted her head to see the subject of her wandering thoughts standing in her doorway. Goddard wore his trademarked knowing lopsided smirk: the one that wholly disarmed her. She retaliated by glaring at him to overcompensate and noticed when his concentration wavered. She wondered if perhaps this maneuver of hers was his undoing. But no, then that would mean...
She cleared her throat and stood, sparing a brief glance at the clock on her wall. Her crisp British accent was pronounced when she addressed him. "Commander? We are not scheduled to meet."
"Nope."
"And you have not, to my knowledge, done anything that requires me to lecture you about regulations and procedure today."
His blue eyes twinkled with mischief. "It's still early."
T.J. huffed and swiped her auburn fringe out of her eyes before getting to the point, "May I ask what brings you to my office?"
"I can't just stop by to say hello? I brought you tea from the canteen: English breakfast, two sugars."
It was only then she noticed he was carrying two travel cups: one she assumed contained coffee (black, as he preferred it) and one containing her standard tea order. "That was very thoughtful of you." She crossed the room to meet him and hesitantly accepted the beverage while raising a skeptical eyebrow.
"Relax, I didn't do anything to it. Promise."
"Before you accuse me of being paranoid, I am sure you would agree that you cannot blame me for proceeding with caution, given your behavior as of late," she defended herself. "You have been no better than your students who—while we are on the subject—were unsuccessful in their latest attempt at gluing me to my chair this morning."
Seth made a pitiful attempt at covering a laugh with a cough. "I'll have to talk to them about that." He glanced at her desk. "So the chair you were just using...?"
"Is borrowed from another member of staff." She shifted uncomfortably.
"And your chair...?"
She cleared her throat. "Your students did not mean to glue the principal to her chair, you see. So you can honestly say that they are not to blame for the incident if you are asked."
"You did what ?" Seth stared at her gobsmacked, concerned, impressed, and a tiny bit amused as the corner of her mouth lifted in the most subtle satisfied smirk. "But… Why ...?"
T.J. lowered her voice with each possibility she offered, "Perhaps I have been spending too much time around you and your influence. Perhaps I am growing tired of filling out paperwork for you and your students' multitude of infractions. Or perhaps I simply dislike the principal as much as you and your students do." She took a small sip of her drink and hummed in approval. "This tea is from the canteen, you said?"
Seth snapped out of his stupor with an, "Uh, yeah."
"How is it you've used their meager supplies to prepare a better cuppa than I've ever managed?"
He shrugged, recovering with his usual dry wit. "Guess it's one of my many talents."
"Indeed. Well. Thank you for the tea, but I do not have time to chat right now. I have an administrative meeting scheduled in fifteen minutes, and my attendance is of the utmost importance." She lowered her voice again, confessing another motive for her behavior, softly, with trepidation this time, "I'd hoped the Headmistress would be otherwise occupied, however I do not believe I will be so lucky."
"Oh." Seth ran his free hand through his hair and rubbed the back of his neck as he leaned against the doorframe. "What's the meeting about?"
T.J. swore she noticed actual concern on his face. She also now noticed, with some alarm, that he was blocking her way out. She didn't see the harm in telling him, and she even found it relieved some of her anxiety to share, "It would appear we are to discuss admitting more Andromedan students. Several members of the Starcademy Board are against the idea, given Mr. Radu's less-than-stellar performance."
"They have to know that one student's performance doesn't reflect the potential of an entire race of people."
"Nor is Radu's current performance indicative of his own aptitude," T.J. added with a sigh. "He appears to be extremely bright, though painfully shy. And the poor boy is being relentlessly bullied. During one such incident last week, I believe you were the staff member who intervened."
"Radu knows his own physical strength, so he refuses to fight back. The last thing he wants to do is hurt someone. You and I both know he could snap someone in half with his pinky without even trying."
"Were you anyone else, my first instinct would be to admonish you for your use of hyperbole and allowing preconceived notions to influence your communicated assessment."
"I honestly hadn't realized…" Seth frowned, disturbed that some of his own prejudices from the War—from before —had continued to color his thinking. He gulped. "Please call me out on stuff like that. It's important that someone does. It's actually really important that someone does."
T.J. nodded as her expression softened, and sadness overtook her being when she added, "I also realize you are nothing if not candid regarding your experiences from— in the field . When you make such remarks, I regrettably suspect they may not be so far from the truth."
"It's still wrong to single out Radu though. Yeah, his strength could be dangerous, but so could Bova's electrical blasts, Cat's sonic scream, Rosie's ability to manipulate heat, and Harlan's martial arts training. 'With great power comes great responsibility' after all." When T.J. hummed in agreement, Seth realized aloud, "Those kids don't want to hurt anyone. In fact, I think accidentally doing harm to others might be what they're most afraid of."
Both of T.J.'s eyebrows were raised now as the correlation between the students' fears and their failed training remained an unspoken disturbing revelation. "I, um… That is an astute assessment, Commander. I am not certain why I hadn't considered…"
"We have different experiences, different backgrounds." Seth shrugged.
"But I should have considered it," T.J. snapped, as her anxiety flared.
"You're shaking."
She clenched her free hand into a fist, folded her arms across her chest and took a slow purposeful breath, attempting to calm herself before refocusing. "We appear to have strayed from our initial topic. About the incident last week: you were saying?"
Seth sighed. "I found Radu curled up in a ball on the floor while a group of entitled asshole kids beat up on him. I broke up the mob."
"And slammed a student against the wall in the process."
"I pushed Harlan away after he dared to take a swing at me too. Wasn't my fault the wall was there." Seth shrugged and took a sip of his coffee. "Oddly I haven't been reprimanded by the 'Headmistress of Frankenstein' for that one yet."
T.J. had paused to sip her tea, and she sputtered as she tried to swallow her beverage and laugh at the same time. She ended up coughing and dribbling a good amount on the floor as she hunched over, careful not to spit the drink either of them.
"You okay?" A look of genuine concern momentarily flitted across his features before his smile returned.
T.J. brought a hand to her chest as she coughed once more before clearing her throat. "I am fine, thank you."
"So, are you gonna write me up for that?"
"We shall see. However, whether or not I remember to file all of my reports is another matter entirely." T.J. pursed her lips, with one corner subtly upturned again as Seth stared at her in shock. "Back to the matter at hand: Mr. Band's tendency to lash out is definitely cause for concern. However, I agree that not even Harlan wants to do harm unto anyone. And, in fact, martial arts has been known to help students with disciplinary issues such as his. I believe he has a right to be angry, but that anger is terribly misguided."
Seth shifted uncomfortably as T.J. gave him a significant look.
"And the high expectations and emotional trauma—in addition to the language barrier—have the deck stacked against poor Mr. Radu. He has come to me with his concerns, and I admire that he took that step to ask for help. I've attempted to issue disciplinary action toward those who have given him grief, but the rest of the staff have not properly enforced those punishments. I've even held private tutoring sessions with Radu in the hopes that additional instruction would help his grades improve. I have also learned some Andromedan to better understand where there may be potential for confusion as he works on his English and Universal. Sadly, it would seem you and I are the only ones looking out for him."
Seth had no idea the lengths T.J. was going to help Radu. He felt guilty he wasn't doing more, even when one could argue he was taking on too much already. "Rosie has been kind to him," he offered, instead.
T.J. smiled softly. "Yes, it is in her nature to see the best in everyone. It is a shame her grades have slipped so much. Though I don't know how well she would do out in space, as impressionable as she is. She is entirely too trusting." T.J. considered the man before her and came to a realization. "May I have permission to speak freely?"
"You've never needed my permission for that."
"To say this, I might: For as much as you complain about the class of students you've been assigned, you have proven to me that you genuinely care about their wellbeing."
He shrugged. "For as much as you complain about being assigned to monitor me, you seem to care about my wellbeing."
The comment took her by surprise. "Well, Father seems to still believe in you. You were his brightest pupil, and once held a record of accomplishments to which other students aspired. You may have 'fallen from grace' as it were, but you were once very noble indeed. I suppose I hope that once you conclude your pity party, you will acknowledge your potential and rise to the occasion. It would make everyone's job a lot easier and may even benefit the students if you were to cease your juvenile nonsense and apply yourself to teaching; that way they could succeed with your guidance. I believe your students could learn a great deal from you."
Seth swallowed thickly. He hadn't considered that he had been sabotaging Radu with his calculated "nonsense." T.J. would vote to allow more Andromedans into Starcademy, and her absence from the meeting she was supposed to attend would only serve to once again "stack the deck against Radu" and his entire race. Seth's heart sank. He couldn't win. "I've been given a Herculean task," he lamented.
"Surely your students are not lost causes, like many believe them to be," T.J. stated matter-of-factly. Gently, she added, "Just as you are not a lost cause, like others may believe you to be...or even perhaps as you believe yourself to be."
Something shifted between them as she looked at him with kind eyes and a sympathetic smile. How she continued to have faith in him after everything he'd done was a mystery. Yes, she often lectured him, but anyone else would have given up on him ages ago with the number of stunts he'd pulled. She admitted she'd been going easy on him and trying to help him when most people would have recommended he be fired and forbidden from teaching ever again. He was a distraction from her responsibilities, and he would surely ruin her career if he continued, even if he had the noblest intentions. In trying to protect her, he'd failed to see the bigger picture.
"I've failed so many people," Seth whispered in a moment of vulnerability.
"Is that why you've set out to sabotage yourself?" T.J. wondered. "If it has been your goal to disappoint me, you have not succeeded in doing so. Father and I still have hope for you, and we have faith in you."
"I don't deserve it."
"Agree to disagree. Davenports can be incredibly determined."
"You mean stubborn?"
She didn't miss a beat. "If you like. Regardless of what you choose to call it, Father insists that you do share this quality with me, and indeed with him. Best to pick a name that makes it sound like a strength rather than a weakness, wouldn't you say?"
"Touché." Seth took a deep breath before stepping aside. "Better get to your meeting."
T.J. held his gaze for a moment, searching his eyes and wondering what had caused him to suddenly appear so somber. "Thank you for the tea, Commander," she offered kindly.
His eyes were downcast as she brushed past him. "It's literally the least I could do," he all but whispered.