The Letter

Posted on 21 Oct 2017 @ 4:30pm by Captain Harvey Geisler & Commander Thiago Teixeira

1,087 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Crossing Over
Location: Ready Room
Timeline: MD3 || 1300 hours

It had only been a few short days since the wedding, but life for Harvey had immediately returned to normal. Or, at least as normal as searching the outside of the Zone would allow. He’d resigned himself to spending at least a few months out here before finding a way to enter. It was an odd feeling, preparing oneself for something that you were expected to do but no one had ever done before. Even when he’d finally met with Commander Stryk, the CO of the USS Vasco da Gama, Harvey didn’t feel any more certain. In fact, it was the first time he’d ever shown compassion for a Vulcan, especially since Stryk had to be sent back to Starfleet Medical and the Vasco da Gama towed back to DS15.

As he’d done on many occasions, Captain Geisler retired to the Ready Room, leaving the bridge in the care of another capable officer. Crew reports, sensor records, they were all becoming mundane and repetitive now. Even Lieutenant Di Pasquale’s security recommendations were a difficult read for his lack of focus.

Harvey sighed, tossing the PADD aside. He leaned over and activated the desktop terminal, hoping to see a message from his parents, confirming that they’d received the wedding video. Unsurprisingly, no such message existed. Though it should have been there by now, Harvey would give it a couple more days before starting to track it down.

But there was something in his messages that he hadn’t expected to see: a message from Mac. In an instant, Harvey felt deflated, remembering the last time he spoke to her, and then realizing that he never bothered to check up on her. He hoped she was all right, and immediately began to read.


Dear Harvey,

I debated for several days about whether or not writing this letter was a good idea. I’m not convinced that it is, but I’m doing it anyway. I feel like I owe it to you. And to myself.

There are many things I want to say, but I’m not sure if I’ll be able to. Or should.

I want to tell you that I am okay. It hasn’t been easy, leaving the Black Hawk….and you. I’m not going to make excuses for what happened; what’s in the past should stay there. But I hope you understand just how much you meant to me. Mean to me. My time on the Black Hawk was too short, but is still one of the high points of my career. The best crew in the fleet. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you, at your side, when you lost her. That must have been hard for you. I know how much you cared about the ship.

I also wanted to congratulate you. I heard, through the grapevine, about the wedding. I wish I had been able to attend, but my current orders don’t give me that leeway. Lieutenant Corwin is a wonderful woman. She is lucky to have you. And you her. I am so glad that you have found someone, even if I wish I was that someone.

I don’t want you to worry about me. I’m doing well. I’m serving under Captain Wells on the Polaris. She needed an Executive Officer and I needed an assignment. My first time serving on a Sovereign. It’s a nice ship, but it doesn’t feel as much like home as the Black Hawk did. We are heading out into the Inconnu Expanse. Good old fashioned exploration. That’s why I joined Starfleet. It’s nice to get back to the core of why we’re serving.

Speaking of XOs, I hope whoever you’ve got at your side is keeping you in line.

If you’re comfortable with it, give my regards to everyone. I’m sorry I left the way I did, and I hope that they understand that.

Perhaps, someday, our paths will cross again Harvey. I hope they do. Regardless, you will always occupy a place in my heart. And my life.

Love and congratulations,
Mac


Harvey smiled as he finished the letter. His fears and concerns about her had vanished while reading. And, though he was certain she was hoping for and not expecting a reply, Harvey prepared to type.

Mac,

Thank you for your letter. To be honest, I’ve been meaning to reach out for a while and see how you’ve been doing, but I kept thinking that you needed your space.

The loss of the Black Hawk, as drastic and as sudden as it was, did not hurt as bad as I would have thought. I’d been aboard many ships that were lost during the war, so perhaps its my thing, being used to ships being destroyed. But we did it. We beat the Consortium.

I still cannot express to you how sorry I am for the last month that we were together, thinking that you had betrayed the uniform. Everything happened so fast, and I didn’t know what to believe. No words can ever make up for that, but do know that I am truly sorry.

The wedding was beautiful. I’ve attached a copy if you’d like to see it. I’m glad that you’re doing well. Captain Wells is a great woman, and I know you’ll be perfect for her.

We’re doing a little exploring ourselves out here in the Gamma Quadrant. I’ve got a Century named Black Hawk now. She’s bigger and we’re just starting to get to know her. And my XO is no Mac, but he’s certainly keeping me in line.

I’ll let everyone know, and all is forgiven. The last few months weren’t easy on any of us, and we’re just now returning to normal.

I hope to see you again someday Mac. I know the universe isn’t done with either of us yet.

Until we meet again,
Harvey

He read the letter a couple of times, but made no corrections. Finally, he transmitted the letter, knowing it would take about a day to reach her thanks to the subspace network and the tens of thousands of lightyears that separated them. With a smile on his face, he leaned back in his chair, pleased that he’d found some satisfaction in a boring day.

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