The Quiet Room

Posted on Wed Sep 20th, 2023 @ 9:28pm by Ensign Tobias "Toby" Dienstag & Lieutenant Azrel Vox

0 words; about a 1 minute read

Mission: Mission 4: Through a Glass, Darkly
Location: Deck 8: Recreational Facilities: Quiet Room
Timeline: M4 MD02 (2268.07.11) 1600

Part of the ship’s recreational facilities included a quiet meditation room. Although intended for practitioners of non-western and non-human religions, many officers utilized the space as a way to get away from it all. The doors to the “Quiet Room” slid open with a soft hiss, revealing the dimly lit and soundproof chamber inside. Ensign Dienstag stepped in, glancing around the minimalist decor. Between the constant double shifts and the awkward silences from Marcel he needed some peace.

The young man sat down on a padded mat, preferring it over the chairs around the room. He let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. For the first time all day, all he heard was silence. The sensation was jarring, but at the same time, soothing. His eyes began to drift shut, but he shook himself awake as he heard the doors open behind him.

Aze stepped into the spacious room, set purely aside for meditation and contemplation. She was in her blue leggings and a baggy blue top. Under her right arm was a her own personal mat.

She found a spot to unroll it, as she did so, its bright colours and pattern were revealed. Around its edge were three runs of braided stitching in Green, Gold and Red with the latter on the very edge.

The mat had been hand made by her grandmother. It's primary colour was a very dark blue and dotted across the mat, inside the inner green band, were gold stars of varying sizes. Her grandmother had given it too her as a present when she graduated from Starfleet academy.

She sat in the middle of her mat, her legs crossed in a traditional lotus position. Before she began, she realised that someone else was there and she hadn't greeted them.

"Hello Tobias. " She said with a smile.

The young man winced at his full name. Usually only his mother called him that and usually if she was pissed. The last time he had heard it was when his name was read at graduation. "Good afternoon Lieutenant," he responded, trying to keep his voice soft, "I hope I won't be disturbing you," he added.

"Oh no, not at all. I am just planning to empty my mind and meditate for an hour or so. Let me know if any of my techniques disturb you and speaking of disturbing, would you rather I could you by your rank or Toby?" Aze asked.

The young man nodded, "Toby is fine," he responded, "I'm the bottom of the top of the heap on this boat," he responded with a chuckle.

"Hmm if you say so, Toby. I'm the one who keeps everyone communicating. Not sure where that puts me on the heap." She replied with a smirk.

"Well, you are a department head and a full lieutenant," Toby responded, "I'm just an ensign sitting in a lab unless something explodes."

"That may be true but I try not to act with a sense of self-importance. We are all a team after all. When not on duty, you are welcome to call me Aze. "

"Thanks, it's going to take some getting used to I'm afraid," Toby responded. His wife hazel eyes looked around the empty room, "Frankly I'm not good at being quiet," he admitted with a youthful smirk.

"I am rather good at it. I rarely say much on the bridge as I am busy routing communications and listening for anything important on open channels. " Aze replied. "If you would rather address me more formally then feel free." She added.

"Totally fine," Toby responded... "Can I ask what's bothering you as to come down here? I would certainly share as well," he offered. He found normally people came down to this room to get away from it all.

"Oh, family issues back home. My mother is being more trouble than usual and of course, I am getting bothered by it by my father and my nephews. I come down here to try and get it out of my mind and focus on my life and job aboard the Midway." Aze explained.

"Yeah, I know how that is," Toby responded, "My Mom messages all the time wondering what I'm up to... My parents wanted me to run the family restaurant, for all good that did."

"I know what you mean. They seem to think I can come and sort things out at the drop of a hat. Er, no I can't and I won't either. This is her mess she has created and hers alone to sort out." Aze commented.

The young man nodded, "I understand, not much you can do about it given our mission... Who knows where we will end up once we go through that Interphase," Toby responded, "What is their mess anyway?"

"My mother likes to involve herself with local council matters when she thinks she can help. Don't get me wrong, she often can and they appreciate it but in this case, she made it worse and is now distancing herself from it when it's her mess to fix and because I'm in Starfleet, my father and my nephews somehow think I have some power to sort it or can add weight to it. I'm not getting involved in this mess. " Aze replied.

"Yeah, I've found it's best to stay out of politics... I have too much work to do anyway," Toby commented as he shot a look at the starfield outside and sighed. "I wonder if the stars will look the same, wherever we're going," he wondered.

"If everything is mirrored but just different, I would suspect the stars would look the same but the planets and the people will look like us but not be like us. I mean, is there another me over there and are they joined to Vox and do they have an annoying meddling mother?" Aze replied smirking.

"Yes, that makes sense to me," Toby responded, "Well, I should I should let you get some quiet meditation in and stop talking. I've been talking way too much."

"I have enjoyed our chat Toby, but let's get down to some meditation as it is, after all, what we are here for. " Aze replied.

The young man nodded and then closed his eyes.

 

RSS Feed