Waves In Motion
I needed to kick Vikki's personal arc into gear and Andy was kind enough to supply the kick. Thanks, Andy!—Maer
Wednesday, 28 Feb 2525
Banggi Island, Newhall
Kalidasa (Xuan Wu) system
18:30 hrs, local time
Vikki came off the ramp of Delilah, notebook in hand, and blinked as the rays of the setting sun hit her eyes. She'd spent the majority of the day inside, putting the final touches on the list Valentine had tasked her to make. Finished, she'd spent the past half hour looking for him. Finding him nowhere aboard, she'd decided to look for him outside.
Shading her eyes, she spotted him a little distance away, sitting in his shirt sleeves on the sand near the water's edge, knees up, elbows folded on knees. The light glittered on the ocean and dazzled like diamonds, sparking fire on the deep blue. A breeze blew in off the waves. The trees and vegetation of the island whispered all around. Vikki paused to study the scene and then walked out to join him. She sat down close enough to talk but far enough to allow him solitude if he chose to ignore her. They weren't going anywhere in a hurry and the list could wait until he'd gained whatever he needed from the peace and quiet.
The breeze blew across Val's face, a welcome comfort from the heat of the sun that seemed to reflect off of every surface. He had come out to find some peace and try and figure out answers. So far, he had only accomplished one of those things. So when Vikki approached and sat down, he didn't mind the disturbance. Talking to her might open up some different channels in the mind, distract the brain into thinking about the situation differently. Besides, he thought with only a tinge of bitterness, he was the captain of this ship. If Vikki had concerns, it was his job to listen.
Without turning away from the almost hypnotic ocean swells, Val asked calmly, "Hello, Vikki. What can I do for you?" Despite everyone else calling her Tinkerbell, Val couldn't quite make himself use the name. It wasn't a bad nickname at all and it fit her well. But it wasn't about whether it fit. It was about being the boss and showing respect. And after building a hospital surgical room from the junk on Delilah, Vikki deserved a heaping measure of respect.
The air had a touch of salt in it, discernible but pleasant on the skin. Vikki had closed her eyes and tipped her face to the sky to enjoy it; when Valentine spoke, she smiled at the rosy clouds overhead. She'd guessed right. He'd needed a little quiet but was willing to talk. She pulled the notebook from under her arm and said, "I got that list you wanted. I—" She opened her eyes and turned to face him as she spoke … and suffered a sharp silent seizure as she saw him.
Barefoot with toes in the sand, sleeves rolled up past the elbow, his habitual vest billowing gently in the breeze, he was unexpectedly, compellingly male. The setting sun turned his brown eyes to amber and fired copper threads in his hair. A strand trailed across his forehead and her fingers itched to brush it back. Valentine was well within reach. It would only take a second … It would be the worst thing she could do. Vikki put the notebook on the sand between them and said the first thing that came to mind. "I can come back later if you want, though. I know it's a little late in the day for business."
She gathered herself to go, thinking that for once, a cold shower on the ship wouldn't be so bad.
"I'm always the captain, Vikki," Val commented, aware of the irony that based on the decision he would make on Beylix, his comment might be more true than he had ever intended. He scooted backwards in the sand, as gracefully as one could "scoot", putting himself a little closer to his...engineer? Scientist? He settled on maker for the time being. He picked up the notebook from the sand and put it on his knee without opening it.
"You did amazing work today, Vikki. I don't remember if I said it earlier in all the chaos and excitement, but even if I did, let me say it again now." He looked her in the eyes as he gave her the compliment. "You were calm and collected under pressure and you were part of what was, frankly, a medical miracle." A medical miracle that had added even more complication to his life, but regardless... "I'm glad you were on board the ship today."
"I'm … Thank you." Arrested by the sight of his fingers curling around her notebook, unable to stop herself from imagining how those same fingers would feel on her skin (which suddenly felt too exposed and sensitized), Vikki tried vainly to think of something intelligent to say. It didn't help that he looked her in the eye and complimented her, either. It turned her last set of working brain cells into guacamole. "I'm just glad I could help."
God, it was lame but it was all she had.
He smiled briefly at her before turning his head towards the notebook as he flipped open the cover. "Let's get back to business and take a look what you've got." Val could tell that Vikki perhaps had a bit of a crush on him. Her face was a little flushed even for the heat and the almost constant torrent of words that Vikki could be known for seemed to have come to a complete stop. He could be wrong, but he'd have to make sure not to encourage it. She was certainly attractive. More energetic and intense than the women that usually drew his attention. But he was the captain and nothing destroyed a good working relationship like interjecting a romance into it, casual or not. Not that he knew how to do anything else but casual.
As he briefly flipped through a couple of pages before coming to the list, Val found that the contents of the notebook reflected what he thought Vikki's thought processes must be like. The casual observer might say it was chaotic, with diagrams and notes using almost every square inch, but he could see a pattern of organization, even if he couldn't be completely sure how that pattern was created. When he got to the list itself, he ran his finger down slowly across each item. Once again, much as he had expected. Lots of good ideas, many of them either too grandiose or too expensive to implement. Besides, he wasn't sure if he'd be keeping the ship too much longer. So in the moment, it wasn't about adding long term value to the ship. Right now, it was about finding something that increased their immediate comfort level. Ah ha, he thought as he came across the tenth item on the list.
"How about this one?" Val held the notebook over so she could see where he was pointing.
When Valentine broke eye contact to look through her notebook, Vikki could think again. Tipping her face to the sky once more, she hoped to hide her embarrassment but she knew it was futile. A man like Valentine would not have risen to his position at the Casino if he'd been inept at reading people and their motivations. He'd have read her like a book. Only God and Valentine knew what he'd gleaned and she was pathetically grateful for his tact. Just keep it professional. When we get to Beylix, he'll sell the ship and leave. You and Tian will sign aboard another vessel and that will be that. No more messy feelings ambushing her out of the blue. No more falling-apart ship to threaten life and limb. She would be free of both. Safer, by far, for everyone.
So why did that outcome stab her with regret?
When he chose an item on her list, she pulled herself together enough to respond sensibly. She kept her eyes on the notebook and not the man holding it, just in case. "The hot water tank? Sure. I could do that. Of course, I'll need—," and she found refuge in listing all the parts in order of priority, outlining the process of repairing the broken reservoir and offering her estimates on the expenditures in time and money to achieve the desired result. "I know we don't have everything I just mentioned but I did see a few things that would make suitable substitutes in Nurul's village. I'm pretty sure I could trade for them, either in materials or in repairs. What do you think?"
"I trust you to do it right, Vikki. Just keep it in scope, and you'll be good to go." Val did trust her...as long as he made sure to keep her focused. He trusted his crew to do their jobs. It was just outside that limited window that he had to admit that he didn't really know them. And up to now, he hadn't wanted to get to know them. Getting to know them meant admitting that he might be stuck with this ship...this new life.
He folded the notebook closed and handed it back to Vikki. "Need anything else?"
There were any number of things she could say, but there was nothing she could say that wouldn't make things worse … save one. "No, I'm fine." A lie, but a necessary one. "Thanks." Vikki could feel an awkward smile coming on. She bit her lip and nodded instead, then beat a retreat back to the ship. She needed something for her head to latch on to, something for her hands to do, something that would distract her from this unwelcome broadside to her equilibrium.
Just do your job. Don't read anything into it. Just do the job. She kept the mantra going in her head as she grabbed her tools. With luck, she'd lose herself in her work and come away just fine. Just do the job …
Val watched Vikki wander back towards the ship for a minute before turning back towards the ocean. Vikki was a nice girl but she might need a keeper, he thought. Tian was serving that purpose at the moment, but she had also just gained her own ward in that young girl she had just saved. If I scrap the ship in Beylix, how would that work out?
If I scrap the ship...
It had always been when, not if. At what point had his subconscious decided that the decision wasn't up for grabs?
Val sat there for a few minutes quietly watching the waves crash into the shore. With every wave, a little more sand from the beach got pulled into the ocean. Val felt like that beach. With every passing moment, he could feel the grains of sand slipping away. The things that separated him from his father washed away into the waves that pounded against him. Those waves set into motion by his father's death were as irresistible as the ocean itself, it seemed.
He stood up and brushed sand off himself as he looked off into the distance. The ocean might be irresistible, he thought, but people had conquered it. They built ships and sailed on it, turning it to their advantage. Without thinking, he looked back towards Delilah. He had a ship. Maybe he just needed to figure out how to turn it to his advantage.
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