From kymricke@stormbringer.interl.net Wed May 8 17:29:43 1996 Date: Sat, 20 Apr 1996 08:10:52 -0500 From: Kymberlee Reply-To: b5-creative@lists1.best.com To: b5-creative@lists1.best.com Subject: "More Messages" (follow-up to "Messages From...") Hi all. This is the follow up to my bit "Messages From..." Again, it has nothing to do with "Messages From Earth", but will make little sense if you haven't seen "Exogenisis." (yes, this means spoilers, albeit minor ones) Generic Disclaimer: These characters and this setting do not belong to me. I'm not that creative. If Joe or anyone from Warner Brothers wants my plot, they can have it. If anyone *else* wants to do something with this story, they need to contact me first (kymricke@stormbringer.interl.net). If you haven't seen the first part of this story, drop me a note and I'll send it on to you. Special thanks to my beta readers, Felicia and Alta. PLEASE send feedback! Right now I think my biggest fear is that the test message I just sent will generate more commentary than the story I was testing the list for. :) Send your comments to kymricke@stormbringer.interl.net. Flames will likely be ignored, though. Ok, I'm done stalling. ________________________________________________________________________________ More Messages (follow up to "Messages From...") by Kymberlee "What? Doesn't anyone have any work to do around here?" Ivanova yelled to the eyes fixed on her. Several junior officers cleared their throats nervously as they all found something absolutely fascinating on their own monitors. Ivanova strode purposefully to the door of C&C with the final announcement of, "Corwin you're in charge until I get back." A mortifying non-sound was all Corwin could produce on his first attempt to respond. He coughed once and then managed, "Aye, Sir...Ma'am...Commander." David was quite certain he couldn't blush a deeper shade of red. A collective sigh echoed around the Control center of Babylon 5 as the door whispered shut behind Ivanova. Corwin's head was spinning. What was it that florist-guy had said? Something about flowers could only offend with their absence? He felt nauseous. He didn't know who Ivanova was blaming for this mix up...but it wasn't the poor guy's fault. He had just been telling Ivanova how important it was for him to be a "good soldier." Wasn't it essential for a "good soldier" to display honor? Didn't honor demand that he take responsibility for what he had seemingly done? Yeah right, his inner voice said, just walk up to Commander Ivanova and explain that you *thought* she was inviting you out on a date, so you got flowers. Then when you realized that you were *wrong*, you *lied* and now you've got someone you don't even know in a heap of trouble. "That should go over well," he muttered to himself. One of the techs next to Corwin glanced over at the murmured comment, but kept his peace. Smart man, Corwin thought to himself. Ivanova's console beeped. Someone wanted to dock. David walked over and reached for the comm-button. That was when he saw a way out of this. The console beeped again. Corwin smiled. Ivanova had left in such a snit that she hadn't bothered to clear the message from her board. Corwin's face brightened as he realized that he could go to the person who was on the receiving end of Ivanova's tirade and explain to *him*. Another guy would understand. Right? Right. The panel beeped a third time. Corwin pulled the main menu up in front of the letter and answered the impatient Centauri cruiser. With the cruiser safely on it's way to docking bay eight, Corwin pulled Ivanova's note up again. He entered the name and address of the Babcom panel it had been sent from into his link and began mentally rehearsing his apology and explanation. He'd go down there straight after his shift ended. Deal with this man to man, face to face. By the time lunch came around Corwin thought he had worked up a decent apology and explanation. Feeling better, he set himself back into the the general mayhem that composed the daily life in C&C on Babylon 5. Just after lunch Ivanova came back to C&C. "Things been quiet, Lieutenant?" she asked as she strolled to her console. "Yes Commander. We've had one Centauri cruiser come in this morning. Nothing else is scheduled until 14:30." Finally seeing a light at the end of his particular tunnel, Corwin was able to address her with more confidence than he had had that morning. Ivanova strolled over to her console and glanced down at it. "Lieutenant, did you use my panel to dock the Centauri?" Play this cool, Corwin thought to himself. "Yes. Yes, I did. I left it just like I found it." "Uh-huh," Ivanova muttered without inflection. He couldn't tell if it was "uh-huh"-good or "uh-huh"-if-you-saw-this-you're-a-dead-man. "Sir?" he asked hoping she'd clarify. "Nothing, Lt.," she answered. Corwin started to get nervous again. What if the guy she was yelling at was someone she was... Don't go there, David told himself, don't even go there. But what if he was and she went there after her shift. He wouldn't have time to explain and if she *saw* him... He pulled up a blank text file and encoded the address he had borrowed from Ivanova's letter. Dear Sir, You don't know who I am, and if it's ok, I'd like to keep it that way. I'm fairly certain I don't know you. I sort of overheard Commander Ivanova blaming you for sending her flowers. It's my fault, I sent them - sort of. I thought you deserved something of an explanation. About an hour later a text message came back to him. Ok, I'm waiting. Marcus Cole Corwin's head hit his console with a thud. He was hoping he wouldn't have to go into details. He hit Reply and took a deep breath. Mr. Cole, I'm honestly not sure how this got started, but the Commander asked me to have a private meeting. In her quarters. I suggested we meet in the mess hall or something but she was rather insistent upon meeting in her quarters. Honest,*nothing* happened! Anyway, I guess I thought it was a date, so I brought flowers. Then, I found out it wasn't and told her I . . . found the flowers by her door. I guess she picked you as her target. He decided to erase the last line, it really wasn't like him to make nasty comments. He reached for the keypad, but before he could do anything a voice stopped him, "You seem to be concentrating on something awfully hard, Lieutenant. Something I can help with?" "Uh...Sir...Ma'am...Commander..." Corwin pulled up a blank document as fast as he could to cover up his reply to Marcus. "You're doing it again." "Doing what, Sir...uh, Ma'am" Corwin was sure he was busted now. "That," Ivanova answered. "'Sir' is fine, Lieutenant. Don't let my gender confuse you." Very little doubt of that happening, Corwin thought to himself. Especially with the way you've been wearing your hair down lately. Corwin coughed. Where the hell had that come from? "I'm just another commanding officer." She smiled at him and walked away, smiling. Corwin just stood there and nodded. After he was sure she was busy again he finished his letter to Marcus. Mr. Cole, I'm honestly not sure how this got started, but the Commander asked me to have a private meeting. In her quarters. I suggested we meet in the mess hall or something but she was rather insistent upon meeting in her quarters. Honest, *nothing* happened! Anyway, I guess I thought it was a date, so I brought flowers. Then, I found out it wasn't and told her I . . . found the flowers by her door. I guess she misunderstood. Really, *nothing* happened. Lt. David Corwin Without thinking David signed his name at the bottom like he did on all his other messages. It was only five minutes later when he got a reply. Mr. Corwin, You're joking! That's HYSTERICAL! Susan will get a definite laugh over this. Good thing too, she needs one every once in a while. >Really, *nothing* happened. Why do you keep telling me this? Marcus Cole "No, no, no! You cannot do that, you *cannot* do that. *Please* don't do that." Corwin didn't notice that he was talking out loud until Ivanova looked up from across C&C. "Problem, Lt.?" "No Sir!" he snapped loudly and clearly. I'm just digging myself in deeper here, he thought to himself. *I* am a dead man. "Lt., can I make a suggestion?" Corwin was certain he didn't want to hear Ivanova's suggestion unless it involved him and her - and a great deal of distance between them. "Of course, Commander." "Lay off the caff at lunch." He sighed, "Yes sir. I'll do that." He pulled up a reply form. PLEASE don't do that! Please don't tell the Commander about this. I mean, I'd like to think I have a future in EarthForce and well, you know what they say about ticking off the wrong people. How they tell one person who tells another and pretty soon you're serving on a garbage scow. Not to mention I *do* like the Commander. I mean, as a C.O. not as . . . you know what I mean, right? I admire her. I'd like to think that if I'm really lucky I'll have as successful a career as she has. I just made a mistake. I misinterpreted. *PLEASE* don't tell her I did this. Lt. Corwin. Corwin sent the message and silently wondered when C&C got so hot. Fifteen minutes later two messages came into C&C at the same time. One was addressed to him, the other to Ivanova. "I'm toast," he whispered. Again, the tech next to him looked over, but wisely remained silent. "Commander, incoming message for you. Shall I route it to your station?" Corwin felt like he was announcing his own death sentence. "Mm-hmm," she said not looking up from her work. Corwin was thankful. With her message shuttled over, he opened his. Mr. Corwin, Relax, I'm not looking to make anyone else her target. I appreciate your candor though. Marcus Cole After finally getting a glitch out of the duty roster she was working on, Ivanova opened up her message. Marcus again. She was beginning to wonder if the man was a masochist. Susan, I figured out the phantom flower flub-up. It still wasn't me. Marcus Ivanova hit reply as a few choice words came to mind. She settled for brevity over color. Marcus, You still make no sense. If it wasn't you, and you've figured it out, then just who the HELL was it? Ivanova It took about three minutes for a reply to come back. Corwin was seriously beginning to hate that return address. He knew they were talking about him. Ivanova opened the latest letter. Someone who wants to be just like you when he grows up. Marcus ________________________________________________________________________________ So...there it is. There's the possibility for more...I haven't decided yet. *Please* let me know what you think. Kymberlee kricke@aea16.k12.ia.us kymricke@stormbringer.interl.net fax: 319.372.1839 http://aea16.k12.ia.us/ricke/kkar.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Where I come from one man ` MonkeeManiac, B-Fiver, Trekkie, from three leaves two." ' X-Phile, Slider-among other things. "Well, where I come from is a `'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'` far more interesting place." ' Author of the "Netpicker's Guide Franklin and Marcus, Babylon 5 ` to the X-Files" at the URL above. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~