Episode 59. Martian Beer
Context
- Coordinated Universal Time
- Monday, August 5, 2024 - 16:01
- 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 | Eric Corda Charlene Savea |
| 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
It is surprising. I thought he was still in Ukraine.
Cmdr. Angie Chen (Number One)
Ten years already...
Do not tell me seeing him again leaves you cold.
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 add anything, a voice rises 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 will bring that right away.
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 is the kind of man who does not give a damn about decorations.
Cmdr. Angie Chen (Number One)
We have to do something.
We cannot let him go alone with his squad to get massacred by the Russians.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
I agree with you.
And I am already thinking of a plan.
Cmdr. Angie Chen (Number One)
What are you thinking?
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
I am going to bring him into 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 are crazy.
He might spill everything to Michaux.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Then it will be up to us to convince him.
Cmdr. Angie Chen (Number One)
Oh no.
Do not look at me like that.
I am not sleeping with him.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Last time, it did not seem to bother you.
Cmdr. Angie Chen (Number One)
Myeah...
But you and I were not together yet.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
I thought you might want to.
Do you not miss it?
Cmdr. Angie Chen (Number One)
Uh... well...
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Do not 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 classic 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 avoid making me look easy.
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 extend 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?
There are hop fields in 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 is still certain: it still makes you want to pee just as much.
Waitress
Ha ha ha...
Enjoy!
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Thank you.
Cmdr. Angie Chen (Number One)
That gives me 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 will handle Robert my own way.
Cmdr. Angie Chen (Number One)
Um... no beer and no sleeping together?
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. Only then will we help him with the means we have.
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 significant asset.
Cmdr. Angie Chen (Number One)
True.
We are vulnerable, and the Enterprise could become a prime target.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
I see we understand each other.