Episode 59. Martian Beer
Context
- Coordinated Universal Time
- Monday, August 5, 2024 - 4:01 PM
- Location
-
- Space
- Lunar Orbit
- NATO Starbase
- Dock Mess
- Timeline
- Schak'Irra Timeline
- Previously
-
After the announcement of the second mission of Operation Reclaim Earth, Admiral Michaux assigns the Enterprise a special operation: escort Colonel Gomard and fifty soldiers to Moscow to retake the Kremlin bunker. Captain Rodriguez considers the decision suicidal. Despite her protests, the orders are formal: the Enterprise must leave for Russia within forty-eight hours.
Characters
| Name | Affiliation / Branch | Title / Rank | Species | Original Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agnes V. Rodriguez | NATO / Special Fleet | Captain | Human | Schak'Irra Timeline |
| Angie Chen | NATO / Special Fleet | Commander | Human | Schak'Irra Timeline |
| Mess Hall Waitress | NATO / Starbase | Civilian Employee | Human | Schak'Irra Timeline |
Manifest
| USS Enterprise | |
|---|---|
| Affiliation | NATO |
| Location | Docked at the NATO Starbase |
| Captain | Agnes V. Rodriguez |
| First Officer | Angie Chen |
| Pilot | Eric Corda |
| Communications | Emilie Flores |
| Operations | Charlene Savea |
| Tactical |
|
| Science | Manu |
| Advanced Weapons | Eros Vitos |
| Sickbay | Victor S. Calpel |
| Counselor/Consultant | Manu |
| Custodian | Manu |
| Passengers | Tarsi (Confidential) |
TL;DR
As Colonel Gomard's troops board the Enterprise, Agnes and Angie share their doubts over a Martian beer. They talk about their shared past in Donbas, their wounds, and the risky idea of involving Tarsi in the mission. Between humor, nostalgia, and mistrust toward the admiral, one certainty emerges: in the war ahead, they will have to choose their allies before it is too late.
Story
After leaving the starbase conference hall, we watch with concern as the armed commando boards the Enterprise. Their confident stride suggests they are ready to face every possibility, even those that seem doomed to fail.
Crossing the docks, we stop at the small mess so we can talk quietly. As we take our seats at our usual table, Angie looks at me, letting her worries show about this suicidal operation and Colonel Gomard's involvement. The very same man who saved our lives in 2014, in Donbas.
Cmdr. Angie Chen Number One
Did you know he was here?
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
That's surprising. I thought he was still in Ukraine.
Cmdr. Angie Chen Number One
Ten years already...
Don't tell me seeing him again doesn't affect you.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
No.
But I would have preferred it under different circumstances.
Cmdr. Angie Chen Number One
I understand.
Do you think he realizes what kind of situation he is in?
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
He is a soldier.
He obeys orders without flinching, even when they are stupid.
A short silence settles between us. Angie lowers her eyes, then looks back at me. Before I can say anything else, we hear a voice beside us.
Waitress
Hello, ladies.
What can I get you today?
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Hello.
A beer for me, please.
And you, Angie?
Cmdr. Angie Chen Number One
Same.
Waitress
I'll be right back with those.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Thank you.
Cmdr. Angie Chen Number One
Apparently he was promoted to lieutenant general and refused the promotion.
Did you know that?
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Yes. You already told me.
It does not surprise me. He's the kind of man who doesn't give a damn about decorations.
Cmdr. Angie Chen Number One
We have to do something.
We can't let him go with his squad to get massacred by the Russians.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
I agree with you.
And I've already got a plan in mind.
Cmdr. Angie Chen Number One
What do you have in mind?
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
I'm going to let him in on our secret.
Cmdr. Angie Chen Number One
Which one?
We have so many.
Ha ha ha...
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Tarsi.
She has solid tactical skills and knows our technology very well.
Especially since the confidential weapons developed at Area 51 were directly inspired by the future information contained in the wreck of the Schak'Irra.
Cmdr. Angie Chen Number One
You're crazy.
He might spill everything to Michaux.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Then it'll be up to us to convince him.
Cmdr. Angie Chen Number One
Oh no.
Don't look at me like that.
I am not sleeping with him.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Last time, it didn't seem to bother you.
Cmdr. Angie Chen Number One
Myeah...
But you and I weren't together yet.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
I thought you might want to.
Don't you miss it?
Cmdr. Angie Chen Number One
Uh... well...
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Don't say anything.
You have my approval.
Cmdr. Angie Chen Number One
Hmm... thank you, my love.
Despite what some might imagine, our relationship has never been simple to define. Angie and I did not grow closer out of desire or comfort, but because we survived together through something that broke us.
In Donbas, in 2014, there was no room left for ordinary feelings. We had to hold on, move forward, watch over each other while everything around us collapsed. Little by little, that vigilance became a bond. An anchor. A silent certainty that, whatever happened, we would never be alone again.
What we share today is neither a conventional romance nor simple camaraderie. It is the result of shared trauma, trust forged under fire, and an intimacy that goes beyond words. And sometimes, like tonight, we allow ourselves to smile about it, to play with the limits. Because we know exactly how far we can go, and why.
Cmdr. Angie Chen Number One
Say, Agnes...
Something just occurred to me.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
What is it?
Cmdr. Angie Chen Number One
When you are old, all wrinkled, and you get the wild idea to write your memoirs, I hope you don't make me out to be someone who'd sleep with anyone.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Me, do that?
Nooo... I would never dare.
Hum... Do not worry, our little secrets are well kept...
Waitress
Here you are, ladies.
Two beers from our first exo-crops.
Please hold out your arms for the scan.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Thank you.
This one is on me.
Put them on my account.
Cmdr. Angie Chen Number One
Beers from your first exo-crops?
You have hop fields on the station?
Waitress
No, not in the starbase.
The hops, barley malt, and yeast come from Mars.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
How is that possible?
Do we have a colony there?
Waitress
No. Everything is managed remotely from the starbase, using robots assigned to agricultural tasks.
Every three months, a Nauvoo goes there for maintenance and to collect the goods produced.
Cmdr. Angie Chen Number One
At least now we know we can get drunk without worrying about a possible shortage.
Waitress
If I were you, I would still be careful.
Apparently the ingredients were genetically modified so they could be grown in the Martian environment.
Cmdr. Angie Chen Number One
The taste is definitely different.
One thing hasn't changed: it still makes you want to pee.
Waitress
Ha ha ha...
Enjoy!
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Thank you.
Cmdr. Angie Chen Number One
I've got an idea.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
What is it?
Cmdr. Angie Chen Number One
This beer.
We could order a few bottles for Robert.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
On second thought, no.
I'll handle Robert my own way.
Cmdr. Angie Chen Number One
Um... no beer and no sleeping with him?
Wow, that's no fun!
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Nothing is stopping you from ordering a few bottles and flirting with him.
The priority is making sure he is on our side. Then we'll help him however we can.
Cmdr. Angie Chen Number One
You talk as if there were divisions inside the station.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
They cannot be ruled out of the equation.
We are a small community at war, isolated from Earth, with civilian and military authorities coexisting and each obeying their own rules. Rules that are not always compatible with our current situation.
There may be conflicts.
And in that case, having an armed force on our side is a major advantage.
Cmdr. Angie Chen Number One
True.
We are vulnerable, and the Enterprise could become a prime target.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Glad we're on the same page.