Thank you to everybody who read or reviewed the last conversation. You are all wonderful. I hope to start posting chapters sooner than once a week, but that probably won't happen until after the holidays. We shall see.
Please note that the incoming message from Ben was written before Sulu sent his message. We are reading all the emails from the perspective of the Enterprise email server, which means that we're seeing them when they arrived at the ship, not when they are originally written. That's why the timestamp reads time arrived instead of time sent.
Day 14: Now resuming incoming messages
From: Benjamin_2254
To: SuluHG
Subject: Miss you so much
Time arrived: 3/3/2260 00:00:01
Yes, I baby proofed that door. I also told Sue to baby proof her version of her drawer. Just in time because Demora has started scooting. That means crawling is only a couple of weeks away. We will get video of it. Don't worry.
Kiko bear is starting to pick up a few more words, one of which sounds almost like your last name. It's kind of cute. They're both doing so well and are hitting all their milestones. They both miss you though. I think having the PADD or the daddy bear reading bedtime stories in your voice has helped. Hearing your voice even if it's not really your voice helps me sleep so I'm sure it does wonders for the kids. Would it be completely inappropriate to have the app on the PADD read me something a little more sensual then the best of Dr. Seuss?
From: SpockX-Kirk
To: Ambassador_Sarek
Time arrived: 3/2/2260 05:12:01
Subject: Re: Are you well?
I apologize father for not replying to you sooner. We had some issues with our off-ship communication system. However, James has resolved these issues, which means that same day personal correspondence is possible until the completion of our next mission. After this, all outgoing ship correspondence not marked as essential will be transmitted every 24 to 48 hours depending on our current position relative to key Federation communications outposts. As we get farther from key communications outposts, the lag in nonessential non-Starfleet communication will increase. All non-Starfleet instant messaging applications have been deactivated due to recent misuse.
I hope you are well. I am adapting to my new position as captain of Enterprise. However, I too miss certain aspects of my previous position. I would feel more comfortable sending James on his upcoming mission to negotiate a memo of understanding with the inhabitants of #%# if I was the one preparing his briefing materials or at least reading over them beforehand. Apparently, they are not ready for a completely binding agreement with the Federation (and are still somewhat Federation hostile), but they need our expertise to help prevent a possible food crisis in five years' time.
This may explain why I spend so much time going over the reports of the science department. James has complained about this multiple times. I do not doubt the competency of my replacement, but I do miss actively participating in scientific discovery. Yet, during the early part of this five-year assignment, I must focus on keeping the ship running. There will be time for scientific discovery, I hope.
James is also well. I do believe he is in a state of being overworked and under stimulated. Part of this is because our intended assistant chose not to join Enterprise 3.4 days before ship launch and we were unable to procure a replacement. James is being forced to do things that he normally would not which is causing him to be somewhat restless. I think it will pass once we are in the active stage of our current mission. It has improved slightly due to his work on the outgoing email system.
Of course, historically James is always uneasy as we are traveling to the next mission. He is adapting to his new role admirably. I am upset that other people are insinuating that this was a demotion instead of a choice decided upon by Jim for his own emotional well-being and family needs.
You are aware that Winona Kirk is unwell, but most in Starfleet are not. If Winona has a mental health emergency that requires James to return to Earth, he will be able to do so in his current position, but not his previous position as captain. Not unless the situation was dire.
In addition, although I do not doubt James' abilities to be captain of Enterprise after his near-death experience, I don't think James is emotionally healthy enough to take on all the responsibilities associated with said duties. He still has nightmares and flashbacks to the incident. He is unable to walk near the warp core despite his two sessions a week with Dr. Margarita Cruz. Is it not the role of a husband to share all burdens with his spouse? I need to help carry these burdens whenever possible.
Yet some outside our relationship do not understand this. I dislike the murmuring among certain members of the crew. Not all members of the crew, especially those that are aware of the advanced capabilities of Vulcan hearing. But I do worry that such murmuring will be detrimental to James' emotional healing. I'm always concerned about him. He is my husband.
Please write again at your earliest convenience. In the future, also use this email address instead of my Starfleet one for personal correspondence. However, if you must contact me in your role as ambassador, please use the Starfleet account, but do not include anything of a personal nature in such messages.
Dear James:
I have emailed my father.
Therefore, you should send either draft 6, 12 or 15 or any combination of the drafts to your mother. In exchange for doing this, I'm willing to try out fantasy 672 in my ready room, if you can secure my ready room.
From: SuluHG2260
To: Benjamin_2254
Subject: I think our emails crossed in the night.
Time arrived: 3/03/2260 06:15:21
I think our emails crossed in the night. Yours arrived one minute after midnight. Maybe they're holding everything to the dead of night to transmit and we are only getting them every few days. It makes sense, sort of. Even though Jim got the email system working again yesterday, we didn't get any of the incoming emails until today. Just like yours, they all arrived at midnight.
Sorry for my last insecure message. Please ignore. Sweetie, you should start sending things to this email account. I would like to tell myself that the delay in correspondence is because Sue's mom is trying to decide your fitness as a future stepdad to her grandchild, but that would be too easy and things on Enterprise are rarely easy.
No, it would not be inappropriate to have your PADD read that in my voice. I would send you something, but again, I really think the messages are being intercepted, possibly by my daughter's grandmother. Although, during my misspent youth, I may have written some erotic Ironman/Captain America fanfiction. Tony/Steve, the OG versions. Asked Sue for my pen name. I'm not putting it in this email because I can totally see my benevolent boss blackmailing me with the existence of such writing in exchange for being able to have shower sex with his husband again. Don't hold anything I wrote at 17 against me.
From: Spock's_cuddlebunny
To: W_Kirk_wellness_Hills
Bcc: Jim's_cuddlebear
Subject: I'm still alive and kicking mom
Time arrived: 3/03/2260 22:15:21
Hi mom:
I'm happy to report that nothing crazy has happened yet. Although that may be because we're still a few days out from our first mission which is now just going to be trying to negotiate a memo of understanding. Apparently, I'm just not good enough for a full treaty. I have no idea.
Okay, it's not that boring. Four of the five teenagers are systematically trying to make my work life a living hell which I'm not surprised by. Jeremy and the Ashleys are also making JoJo's life a living hell and I'm not allowed to tell Bones. She barely told me anything. And that's mostly because I rescued her from a Jeffries tube after the Jays locked her in for three hours, assholes. Thank God, the other J told me what was going on because his conscience started to get to him. Therefore, Spock and I set up fencing lessons for her.
I probably shouldn't have agreed to keeping quiet until things get dangerous. I mean, I made that sort of promise to Kevin, but as an actual grown-up, I realize maybe that wasn't the best course. Although I will be telling her mom and dad, eventually just not right now. I just hope they don't do something stupid enough to force me to move up the timetable.
So, how's community life? Are you still doing the art classes? Spock really liked that painting you made for him at Christmas.
Okay so I know I should write more, but I'm not that good at writing to you. Okay I'm bad at it, but hey at least this is better than me just sending you a music file. A for effort right?
Dear Spock:
As you can see (I hope), I did write my mom. Unfortunately, I can't completely lock your ready room so that fantasy is going in the vault, but I'm sure we'll think of something fun to do. I got chocolate syrup. Okay, I figured out how to replicate chocolate syrup. How do you feel about doing the Vulcan equivalent to body shots?
To be continued
In a world where Jim/Spock did not give birth to slash fanfiction, I had to decide which group of fictional characters would be responsible and I chose Tony and Steve. I mean there's a canon universe where an always a girl Tony (Natasha Stark) marries Steve. That's just asking for the birth of slash right there.