[M] When the Abyss Looks Back [IC - Hannelorian & cwlee]

[cwlee]

Rated M for language, violence, sexual situations, space stuff, etc...

Link to OOC

When the Abyss Looks Back

by Hannelorian & cwlee

---

Refueling Station #192-C
Charon, Outskirts of the Solar System

In the vase expanse of the silent void, a single marvel floated across. Its modular design stretched out like the tendrils of a celestial squid, with docking ports extending from its central hub that reached out to embrace every smaller vessel. Solar panels and sophisticated machineries, each with their own unique functionality, glistened in the ever so distant sunlight.

Within the metallic hull of the enormous refueling station were vast chambers holding the lifeblood of space travel: a myriad of exotic elements gathered from all across the Universe stored in highly pressurized tanks. These valuable resources were carefully monitored and distributed by automated robotic arms, ready to be transferred to any desiccated spacecraft.

Attached to one of its many fueling tendrils was a large spacecraft, that of the Federation Navy called, the Sovereign, as resembled from the grand emblem decorated underneath the belly of the craft. Though the navy vessel was not near in size as the refueling station. And guided by the steady control of autopilot, the spacecraft synchronized itself to match the velocity of the moving station. And with a steaming hiss, the two vessels connected in an intergalactic handshake.

Inside the refueling station, two technicians in white began to monitor the transfer of fuel to the Federation Navy vessel, ensuring that every drop is calculated and accounted for, because in due time, all personnel onboard the Sovereign were free to move through the tubular passageway and up into the main hub of the refueling station.

As selected personnel cleared for boarding the refueling station formed orderly lines, one for military and another for civilians, the microgravity system activated, transforming the tendril-like corridors where leisurely walking replaced the need for swimming through the otherwise weightless environment. Once the tendril was secured and firmly locked onto the vessel, dozens of members onboard the Sovereign funneled into the station.

As Ensign Alexander Breakersfield strolled through the corridor of the refueling station, his metallic boots barely touching the floor in the microgravity environment, he could not help but pause to take in the breathtaking view outside the transparent panels lining the walls. Behind him, passerby eagerly marched on, but beyond him, the vase expanse of the void stretched out endlessly, seemingly infinitely. Alexander had seen the universe countless times over the course of his career as a tactical operation specialist, but the truth was, staring at holograms of the universe never came as close to witnessing it with his own two mortal eyes.

In the distance, Pluto's moon of Charon hung suspended like a jewel in the dark cosmic backdrop of space, its icy surface glinting like a faded diamond against the distant sunlight. Alexander was truly in awe, no matter how many times he had seen the same moon throughout his life. And closer to him than the moon, other ships moved gracefully and silently through the void, some sleek, some modern, and others boring the scars of countless journeys through the unforgiving nature of the Universe.

Refueling Station #192-C was the final frontier within the Solar System, serving as the final pit stop before venturing into the depths of deep space, where all ships were granted permission to engage their FTL drives. Within an hour or two, the refueling process will be completed, and the crew of The Sovereign will prepare to embark on their journey into the cosmos, ready to respond to a distress call emitted two months prior in Earth time.

[Hannelorian]

There was a familiar rumble aboard the Sovereign as the final moorings clamped into place to secure the ship to the refueling station. Undoubtedly the lines of those who wished to resupply themselves or simply stretch their legs had formed at the airlocks waiting to board patiently. A lone figure sat behind a desk in an office whose walls were clad in heavy oak molding and an assorted of degrees and certificates. Her icy blue eyes lost in something on the screen of the datapad she clasped in her slender fingers.

Even the knock at the door did not break the woman's concentration, nor did the sound of the magnetic lock releasing before the door slid opened with a signature whooosh. She seemed to either miss the sound of the footsteps coming toward her or simply ignore them until there was a voice to accompany the figure. "Are you going to get out for a bit?" The voice was that of an older woman, one of the assortment of nurses, though this one was wearing the signature uniform of the Navy.

"Are you aware that we on our last run we had a 23.4 percent increase in self induced poisonings? As in, the crew enjoying a good try of alien flora?" The woman behind the desk asked her eyes not rising from the datapad. Instead her fingers simply slid across the surface to drag the report further down revealing more of the text. "I was not aware of that Dr. Godwin." The nurse responded and Johanna let out a long sigh before setting the pad down upon the desk. "I didn't think we needed to go over the basics so... basically." The doctor lamented now locking eyes with the nurse before her. "I wasn't planning on it." Johanna finally answered the question.

"Congratulations your plans have changed." The nurse offered in a rather commanding tone, even though within the the many rooms of the infirmary and surgery on the Sovereign Johanna was firmly in charge. It was, however, well a known fact amongst those who served alongside her, that she would seldom care for her own wellbeing if not reminded or indeed forced to. "Have they?" Johanna asked with a roll of her eyes before rising to a standing position. "I guess... I'll go to the refueling station."

"Thank you doctor." The nurse responded before disappearing through the doors and back to her duty station. Johanna had taken the nudge to get off the ship and away from work to heart, knowing she would never hear the end of it if she hadn't. She navigated the corridors with ease and without much thought, as though she were on auto-pilot. The Sovereign had been her third ship, and it was one of the newest in the naval fleet, the crown jewel of the carriers. Everything was new and sterile, smiles were shared with her as she passed people on her journey.

The universe around them seemed limitless. This was the moment where things became exciting. The Solar System was home for Johanna, a native of Earth, where they say the Federation began, though memories seemed to fail or rather, no one agreed on such a clean origin story. After this stop they would be off once more. Chasing a distress call from the expanse. The void was calling to them quite literally, and they had no choice but to respond. Heed the call, do your duty. Her steps were seemingly silent as she traversed the environment, her black flats barely hitting the floor had enough to make much sound.

An ensign by his uniform was at the end of the corridor staring out into the expanse just as she had moments before. She did not recognize him at first, and in fact she barely knew him save for his face through the halls and the occasional wellness checks which usually preformed by assorted members of her staff. "It never gets old does it?" She called out as she moved to stand beside the figure. "No matter how many times I stand in this exact spot and look out at Charon, knowing you might not be back to see it again. You can't help but appreciate it." Johanna's voice was soft, she was clad in an elegant black dress with a white lab coat over top, her hair hanging loose falling upon her shoulders the slightest hint of her perfume coming through due to their proximity.

[cwlee]

Alexander's thoughts had become so loud and immersed in the beauty of the Universe that he had disregarded a set of footsteps diverting from their original trajectory and approaching him. The ensign was taken aback in surprise. Converging on this location for a small talk was far within Alexander's calculations. Instead, he had predicted no small talk as no one had ever engaged in conversation in a transport tube of all places in the Universe, surely not in his dozen years of service.

His deep, brown eyes snapped down abruptly towards the unexpected conversationalist, his breath caught as though he were plotting his next moves in a game of chess. He stared at her, a hint of discomfort flickering across his face as he tried to piece together her identity, his brows furrowing in confusion. Then, like a lightbulb flickering on, recognition dawned upon him; she was Dr. Johanna Godwin, one of the new civilian recruits from across the Solar System who had joined the medical ranks a few weeks prior.

He had never personally met Dr. Johanna Godwin but had caught glimpses of her in the medical bay during his and other servicemen's routine examinations. In those brief encounters, he had never considered her to be much of a conversationalist. Alexander was a keen observer, capable of analyzing situations in a mere heartbeat. And to him, Dr. Johanna Godwin always exuded a chilly, reserved aura, a demeanor that seemed to keep others at bay, and tactically, he knew better than to even get near the hornet's nest. Rumors had even begun to circulate among the marines onboard about her eerie presence.

However, despite the rumors and the numerous tactical battles Alexander had faced throughout his twelve years of service, he had learned that first impression did not always tell the whole story. This lesson was hard-earned, acquired during a fierce battle against an alien insurgent cell when initially the group of attackers seemed small and manageable, only to reveal itself as a mere vanguard among a much larger armada.

Dr. Johanna Godwin was surely no alien insurgent, at least not from her initial appearance of her black dress with a white lab coat. But surely if she was, then the aliens had successfully created the perfect transformation device. As Alexander opened his mouth to speak, he caught a faint, gentle scent of her perfume, "Y-Yes," Alexander answered, clearing his throat.

His voice was a little deep and coarse as if he spent most of his days talking. "Charon? Yes, it really never gets old." He looked back out the window as he continued the conversation. "Truly remarkable. Most would disregard this beauty, saying it's just a hunk of rock and ice, but there must be a deeper story than that." Upon realizing he was thinking aloud, he apologized to the doctor.

The ensign turned towards the doctor as it became vividly apparent he was much taller than she. "You're Dr. Johanna Godwin," Alexander recalled, "one of the chief of staff for the medical unit." His eyes did their best to stay focused, but habitually, he began to memorize every detail about her like a photograph. "I'm Ensign Alexander Breakersfield, tactical operation specialist, but odds are, you probably know everyone onboard by name now, judging from your position of expertise."

As their conversation went on, the technicians in their white jumpsuits waved over towards the last two remaining stragglers. "We gonna close the transport tube, so I really suggest ya'll get your asses over here or be stuck in there for the next two hours or so!" one of them exclaimed through a microphone attached onto his cheek. "Mind you, I'm gonna deactivate the microgravity!"

Alexander looked over towards the technicians then back towards the doctor and smiled. He shrugged as he responded, "Honestly, wouldn't be the worst way to spent two hours." He chuckled. "I only kid, doctor. After you," Alexander said, making way for her to pass on by. "Curious to know, doctor. Have you worked with the Federation for long?"

[Hannelorian]

"Interesting." Johanna remarked rather quietly as they were beckoned out of the transport tube and into the main facility. At the comment regarding that there worse ways to spend the time, Johanna lightly laughed in kind. It probably wasn't the worst way one could spend a couple of hours but never the less she took her queue once he made way and she slipped past him and out of the transport tube into the receiving bay. "It appears my reputation precedes me. I do hope you've only heard good things." Her eyes darted around the room as she instinctively began to walk though at a slow pace, slow enough for the man to understand he should follow her.

"You should call me Johanna. After all you aren't as yet in my care." She commented almost off handedly, offering him a bit of something to stand on, she was not one for the pomp and circumstance of titles, there was little time for all of that. There was too much to be done. "The answer to that question is not a simple one. But for the moment one could say four years." There was a small sigh, the time had passed so quickly but so slowly.

"Charon's existence has been known since the old world. The man who founded it initially suggested the name as a tribute to his wife, it was similar to her name... the relation to old mythology was happy coincidence. That's... part of the story you had wondered about." The two had emerged onto the main thoroughfare of the commercial section of the station, a series of store fronts and food vendors. Things people would need or want while they wanted for their assorted ships to refuel. The station carried with it signs of its age, but it still had the feel of something bustling, a hub for those to about to embark or to come home. A mix of humans and other races all coming together, almost everyone from within the Federation.

"I can tell you what your file says about you. Every injury you've received. But I don't truly know the people of the Sovereign. Not many. I brought a few of my people with me from my last posting. The rest... well, we're all getting to know." Johanna wondered if she was wasting this man's time. Keeping him for apparently no reason, he was enjoying his time watching out the windows into the depths of space. Plans of his own, world and life of his own. "It was a pleasure to meet you. I... wouldn't want to keep you longer than needed. You must have plenty to do before we leave."

[cwlee]

Alexander was granted permission to drop his formalities. "Alright, Johanna. You can just call me Alexander, or Alex if you prefer," the ensign remarked casually, falling into step behind the doctor's leisurely pace. She navigated the station with familiarity as if she'd traversed its corridors numerous times before. Alexander himself was no stranger to the station, him being able to navigate its pathways blindfolded, effortlessly locating every destination.

"Four years," Alexander went onto say in between their conversations. "That's quite some time." Continuing to follow the doctor, Alexander listened intently to her story about Charon. "You seem very well versed in the ancient worlds, Johanna. Old mythology..." Alexander thought for a second. "Do you perhaps mean the old mythology of the Ancient Greeks of Earth?"

Throughout Alexander's childhood, curiosity had always driven him to read books of any and every kind. However, the one itch of curiosity that could not be scratched were the history of Earth. As plenty as there were concerning the geography of the home planet of humans, the modern libraries seemed to lack proper knowledge of ... well, any human history. Only through word of mouth had Alexander come to hear the tales of the Ancient Greeks, of the Spartans, of the Gods, of the Romance, and of the Betrayal. Anything else was beyond Alexander's knowledge, granted the man knew quite a lot. "The storyteller must have been a romantic if he were to name a celestial body after her," Alexander included.

As they conversed, the clamor of the bustling commercial section grew louder, making it increasingly difficult for Alexander to catch every word the doctor uttered. He raised his voice as he nodded along to her barely understandable sentences. Although, he did his best to answer from what context clues he could gather from her words, "Yeah! Honestly, I appreciate your service, doctor- I mean, Johanna!" Alexander cleared his throat again, the section of the station growing ever louder the deeper they ventured.

"No, no!" Alexander was finally able to make out more of her words but still shouting. He shook his head. "Honestly, this was not according to my plan, but how often do two comets collide into each other? I don't want to take up your time, Johanna, if you have duties to attend to! It's been weeks since I've set foot on anything other than The Sovereign, and I only got off to stretch my legs!" Although, it was true that he could simply stretch his legs in the ship, but seemingly, he wanted to see where the conversation would lead.

He thought for a moment, formulating a strategy, "I can't imagine a doctor like yourself would drink, but would you be interested in a drink? On me! I just thought we should celebrate your arrival onto The Sovereign, Johanna!" Alexander never truly enjoyed yelling; he was always yelling, on the command bridge, shouting orders and strategies to everyone else.

[Hannelorian]

The noise of promenade, the main thoroughfare was something that Johanna was used to. When she could not rely on her hearing she would take up the old trade of lip reading. The sounds of raised voices, of sellers hocking their wares to whoever would buy them perhaps unaware of the ridiculous markup. The mixture of languages and tones was familiar and heartwarming to Johanna. But it was clear that Alexander was having a bit of trouble understanding here. So far the Ensign had intrigued her. He understood some of the old myths of Earth. Tales most thought lost to the sands of time but there were a few who still knew them.

It was something of a surprise when he asked her for a drink. Funnier still was that he assumed she did not partake, perhaps in part due to her profession. The notion made her chuckle. Johanna nodded her acceptance of the offer and making a sharp left turn she motioned to Alexander to follow her. She had no way of knowing how well he knew the station. But for her this was like second nature, unlike Sovereign. The older ships she had been on all seemed more or less the same in terms of their design, but not the Sovereign, she was a brand new class of ship. It was nice for the moment to be in a familiar setting.

Things were a little quieter in the ally way, a small path off the main one. Johanna slipped her way through the crowd though it was thinning. She knew an excellent little bar, a hole in the wall really. It was an old sailer's bar that always seemed it was just a few cycles away from closing at any point. But that never really bothered her. The old door had long been broken and instead something of a curtain of bits of space scrap metal with questionable origins hung across the gap.

Inside it was quiet, only a hand full of soils lined the bar counter in varying states of drunkenness. Most longed to forget whatever it was that had been truly bothering them. Some for so long they could hardly recall what had been the cause in the first place. "This is better." Johanna said softly as she gracefully made her way to the counter. This did not look like a place that someone like her would be in, but she was full of surprises for most. "You would be wrong, imagining that I don't drink." She confessed to the man. "To be honest, I didn't really want to leave the ship... but my staff worry and they strongly suggest I take some time away a bit. So here I am."

Johanna was not good with her own affairs, or accepting that she had a life outside of her work. It all seemed somewhat trivial but she supposed that didn't matter in this particular moment. "It was ancient Greek mythology. I'm surprised you knew that, if my memory serves you aren't from the Solar System." Johanna could flip through the crew files like a rolodex or something within her mind. She studied them, she knew them. At least what of their lives had been recorded in medical memory. "Not even many people on Earth still remember the olden tales. It's impressive, if not unusual."

[cwlee]

The doctor's silent nod and beckoning gesture intrigued Alexander. She stood out from the countless personnel he'd encountered in his military career. While he had met some intriguing doctors and the like before, none had captivated his curiosity quite like her.

He trailed behind her, observing every detail of her figure, committing them to memory, even down to the length of her hair. She led him into a quiet alleyway, a part of the station Alexander had never thoroughly explored, likely having walked by it numerous times still. But despite his countless wanderings through almost every nook and cranny, someone else seemed to know the station better than he did.

The location she had in mind was truly a hole in the wall, easy to miss were someone not searching for it. Alexander was genuinely surprised by this finding, noting it for his future visits to the station. Many times he had simply wandered into a busy pub, only to leave from the absurd volume of noise and crowd. "I thought I had this station memorized to its wiring, but surely, I meet someone that knows the station better than me," Alexander complimented as he let himself into the tiny bar. He was most pleased to be able to hear himself think again and hear the doctor's soft voice.

It was much quieter inside, the sound of the bustling outside somehow muffled by the makeshift entrance. It was somehow the perfect location for those who sought a more silent environment. For all the drunks that were here, there was one particular fellow that was plain reading a paper book, something entirely rare in this era.

"I stand corrected," Alexander humbly admitted as the doctor revealed her inclination for drinking. Once more, his assumptions about her were proven wrong, deepening his fascination even further. "I only say, because the last doctor before you, well, he was not a drinker at all."

Alexander leaned casually against the counter next to Johanna. With a subtle gesture, he raised two fingers to signal the bartender for a pair of whatever the bar was serving. Whatever it was, it was different from the vendors outside, and legality was the least of Alexander's concerns, not during this very fine moment at least.

The ensign nodded at the doctor's question about his origin. "You're very right about that, doctor," he said as their drinks were served. He gently handed the other glass to the doctor as he lifted up his own. "To..." he thought for a second, "...Great Health and Exploration?" Alexander chuckled as he down the shot, exhaling the heat quickly afterwards. "Phew... That ishot! But yes, I was born on New Terra, Alpha Centauri, approximately thirty Earth years ago."

The bartender came back over mid-conversation, ready to pour more drink should they want more. "Would you like another shot, doctor? Wherever this is from, it's remarkable." His formalities returned habitually. "I will be honest, doctor. The Ancient Greeks have always fascinated me. The phalanx tactic is truly brilliant, for its time period; masterful!" Alexander spoke like a little child fascinated with that one specific subject. "My father used to tell me stories of old Earth, before the Federation, before we were spacefaring. Is Greece truly as spectacular as people say, doctor?" By people, he meant his father.

[Hannelorian]

The first shot went down like a fire, heat, warmth trickling down her throat and to her insides. The sensation was powerful and lead to a deep exhale. "Now that's stronger than I remember." Johanna looked down at the vessel in her hand before setting it carefully upon the counter top. "Approximately thirty years? Are you at a loss for the count of the days? Or would saying 30 not be accurate enough?" Johanna let out a faint chuckle as she turned to face him, her elbow resting on the counter her face leaning into her hand as though propping it up for a moment.

"I suppose one more might not hurt." Johanna thought of home, she hadn't really been home in a long time, at least not for more than the sporadic day or two. Most of her family still lived down there, never having the dream of space or the world beyond what they knew. Not even the occasional vacation to Luna. Their feet were securely planted on Terra Firma. "Nothing remains of the ancients there anymore. All the ruins are gone, long, long ago to make way for towering new buildings that pierce the sky and infringe upon space itself. Technology and innovation has interested Earth society, they only have eyes that look ahead, never backward."

There was another sigh that escaped her. Humanity's drive for the future had come at a great cost, lessons of the past were gone to dust, only to be forcibly relearned. As the second shot came, Johanna clinked her small glass to Alexanders' and downed it in one. "Your father must be a smart man." She commented, positioning herself more comfortably and looking at him. "So, how about you? How long have you been sporting the naval colors? And aboard the Sovereign?" Johanna couldn't quite recall that from his file, the other details were more important.

Every now and again her eyes would turn toward the curtain that was the door. Watching a shadowy figures passed by with relative ease or a complete sense of uncaring. "So, when you're stretching your legs on a refueling station what do you do? Aside from asking women to bars?" She chuckled again and watched his face for every last trace of every last reaction he would give her. For a few moments she missed the simple things. The feel of piano keys beneath her fingers, or the paper of a book like the one the man was reading. Perhaps her thoughts should have been more focused on the next round of medical clearances, or whatever the hell they were going to find at the source of the distress signal.

[cwlee]

A subtle blush tinged his cheeks as the doctor teased about his wording. "Allow me to clarify," Alexander interjected. The officer chuckled in agreement. "When I say 'approximately,' it's because my father used to tell me about our ancestors adding an extra day every four years. But none had seemed to question me, until you, doctor. Sounds a bit ludicrous now that someone is calling me out on it, doesn't it?" He chuckled again.

"It truly is regrettable that none of those ancient civilizations endure. As you say, we have much to learn from them, doctor. History does have a history of repeating itself." Their conversation delved into deeper topics. "New Terra is eerily familiar."

New Terra, humanity's inaugural colonization beyond the Solar System, was what everyone had once called the 'mirror world' due to its uncanny resemblance to Earth. Reminiscent of Earth's primeval days, New Terra also teemed with luscious life of countless variations. However, with human avarice and aggression, the world quickly succumbed and metamorphosed into that of machineries and sky-piercing skyscrapers: human destiny.

The pair toasted with their second shot, raising their glasses in a silent tribute to the future of humanity. Despite the Universe's distractions and the blindness of many, the two seemed to share a profound sense of dedication to humanity's greater good, a passion often overlooked or misunderstood by others.

"My father?" Alexander exhaled the heat from the second shot. Somehow, the second shot felt hotter than the first. "My father was definitely the smartest man I knew. He was a scientist," he went onto include, not that the doctor had inquired.

"Me? Phew..." The officer leaned his head back as his eyes stared into the dusty ceiling as he pondered before his gaze returned to the lady. "Approximately twelve years," he answered, chuckling. "Would you care for another?" Alexander raised the empty shot glass. Even after two shots, the contents of the drink seemed to quickly take affect inside his stomach. Be it alcohol or alien fluid or a mix of both, it had Alexander calm and relaxed, both sensations rare onboard the naval carrier.

"The Sovereign is a recent addition to the Federation Navy," Alexander continued. "You probably knew that already, but prior to her, I served aboard The Lariat. She was a fine vessel too, until..." He trailed off, a shadow crossing his features, leaving the specifics of her demise unspoken but assumable, perhaps out of legal confidentiality or simply trauma. Alexander shook his head, breaking the depressive spell. "In any sense, The Sovereign is Federation's greatest ship they have ever created!"

Alexander blushed again when the doctor teased about inviting women to bars during his leisure time on the refueling station. He stuttered for words, perhaps it was the drinks. "You're-You're mistaken, doc!" he exclaimed, half-removing some formality. "I told you, I always tended to the louder pubs, only to leave for how loud it is. I can't even talk to anybody, let alone think!" He laughed.

"Mind you, you approached me first, Doctor Johanna!" He laughed more wholeheartedly. Interestingly for a crew surrounded by people everywhere, Alexander had never realized how much he missed normal socializing. He gazed at her as if there was still more to memorize about her features.

For a bit longer, the the pair savored the rare opportunity to socialize and enjoy each other's company, unburdened by their usual duties. However, the respite was short-lived as The Sovereign, the Federation's prized flagship, completed its refueling. Technicians signaled the captain with the "all clear."

Alexander and Doctor Johanna's communication devices began to beep. Alexander tapped on his wrist to respond as a holographic projection of the captain shimmered into view, illuminating the space before them: "This is Captain Amaj Sans speaking. The Sovereign has concluded its refueling operation, and I require all personnel to return to the carrier promptly. Our departure is imminent. Captain Sans, out." The hologram vanished.

Alexander cheered his final shot with the doctor before paying the bartender. "And lastly, to our mission and safe return back to this lovely, quiet pub." He dinked and downed the final shot as he stood upright and corrected his uniform. He exhaled the heat again; they were definitely getting hotter with each shot but oddly addicting. He smiled down at the doctor as he motioned for her to exit the establishment first. "After you, doctor." He bobbed his head once.

[Hannelorian]

"Time to go." Johanna remarked as she downed the third and final shot. The voice of the Captain was familiar. There had been countless meetings of the senior staff aboard, and by now she had gotten used to his rather direct approach. Then again she supposed that a direct approach was often preferable compared to one with veiled threats and hidden meanings that one had to bend over backwards in order to decode or discern. At the mention of his previous vessel, the doctor could sense there was something that seemed unwilling to discuss, and so given she had only just met him she would not prod or pry. She knew the ship had met a grisly end though given it was not her own vessel she knew little of the details.

The downside of being a civilian member of the senior staff, there were things even she was not privy to. If it happened on her vessel and on her watch she would know some of the detail but if it were anything else... that was a lost cause. But that was the nature of the choices she made. Johanna Godwin was one of the previous few who once completing her study at the Academy turned her back on a life of military service. A painful decision, one she would live with for the rest of her life. "Also I told you, please just Johanna until we're back on board. I'm not your Doctor out here. Just regular old Johanna. Don't let the white coat fool you." She smirked somewhat slyly and offered something of a chuckle as she stood upright.

"And now we're off to mount an investigation and potential rescue. Two months old, who knows what's left out there. Space is a cruel mistress. But I don't need to tell you that." Johanna sighed deeply, her mind seemingly briefly plagued with the dark and intrusive thoughts of what they would find in the void, lost and drifting in the expanse if anything at all. "Thanks for the drinks." She said with a smile, for a moment she reached up and rested a hand on his shoulder squeezing it ever so gently.

"That thing... your father mentioned. It was called a leap year." Johanna nodded, her hands now reaching up and fingers running through her dark locks, and as if out of thin air a small hair tie had appeared and the woman's tresses were neatly pulled back into a bun. "And I do hope he taught you more than just about the past... While it is important, so is what is right in front of your nose. Blink... and you just might miss the rest of your life." The doctor seemed entirely calm, rational and without much further she made her way back toward the curtain door. "And uh... I wouldn't ask what it was we were drinking. Something tells me you wouldn't want to know." Another smirk, a flash of a bright smile before stepping through and after waiting for him began to make their way back toward the impressive ship.