Post by Joshua Niles on Sept 12, 2021 2:14:22 GMT
Shortly after the Dirt Dude article Princes and Paupers was released
Joshua Niles was pacing in his quarters, as quickly as his legs allowed him while he hobbled around with his cane. As always, his arm hurt. And his leg hurt, from his cybernetic toes all the way past his hip. But right now, he welcomed the pain for it further fueled the rage that was boiling within him. And finally, the screen changed from the station's crest, to that of his mother's office, and finally to her face.
"Joshua? Do you have any idea... Gisele Niles, she had not expected that call whatsoever, but she still had decided to take it. Perhaps that Captain Eastman of his had come to her senses and talked to him and...
"What the hell did you do," he fairly roared at the viewscreen. He as generally not one to raise his voice, but his mother had gone beyond the pale, and how had he found out? Through an article from a tabloid rag! Oh, he had come across a mention of a lunch meeting in New York from his sister, but that had been all of it, no specifics. Well, now he knew.
"Now young man!" Gisele fairly barked herself, "Do you think that's an appropriate way to speak to your mother?"
"It is when you're messing with my career! This is my life, Mother, my choice, whether you bloody like it or not!" There was no containing his fury, and he damn well knew he was still pacing within the visual pickup of his monitor, and...
"And I'm your mother, it's my job to make sure you don't ruin your life more than you already have between joining Starfleet and screwing up like you did! It's my job to see that you do what's best for the family and... what the hell is this? You're limping and you have a cane? What the hell? Did you get injured again? That's it, you're going to resign your commission this instant and come home!"
"Yes, Mother, I was injured again, thank you for noticing and asking after my health. Lost my leg fighting off raiders intent on razing a colony. And yes, it hurts like hell. And yes, that little genetic bombshell from your side of the family means I have another cybernetic limb. But you know what? I don't regret it one bit!" His anger wasn't even close to being spent.
The woman, for a change, was struck speechless. Had her son, that bloody idiot whom she still loved so much, actually said what she thought he said? That he didn't regret a grievous injury suffered in battle? "Because it's my goddamn job! It's what I choose to do! Remember how you and Father screamed and railed about where the fleet was, where the fixed defences were when the Breen attacked? Well guess what, I was part of doing just that, for other people!"
Finally, he had to stop pacing; it simply hurt too damn much to keep walking, but he would be damned if he would sit down either.
"And now there's another reason why you should resign and come home! That Eastman of yours is a senile loose cannon on the best of days, who's abandoned all good sense! I did what I did for your own good! For the good of our family! Come on home, and we'll find you a place suitable for you, where you can do real good!"
And there it was again. Gisele Niles not so much caring about her son as she did about the appearances so far as their family was concerned. His sister was already a black sheep for choosing to become a nurse, but he was blacker than black, having chosen Starfleet instead, to become one of those people whose absence they had bemoaned so loudly. "Mother, I'm going to say this only once: stay the hell away from my career. Stay the hell away from Captain Eastman, or Captain Baker, or any of my superiors for that matter. And that includes your contacts at Starfleet Command!"
Had they been in the same room, there might have been a risk of actual violence on Josh's part. He knew he was capable of great violence, and that he even enjoyed it to some degree. And at this point in time? The urge to break something, or someone, was getting extremely strong.
"Like hell I will! You're my son and you will res..."
"NO, MOTHER!" The words came out a whipcrack that actually stunned the woman across the real-time subspace link. "I'm not going to resign my commission. I'm not coming back to Earth, and like hell I'm going to accept a posting you think is suitably glamorous. Oh yes, I know what you're bloody thinking! And, stop interfering in my life!"
"But you're my..."
"That's right, I'm your son. Not you. Not your alter-ego. This is my life, my choice! Learn to accept it, or consider this my telling you you've got one less child!"
The words came out harshly, violently. In the dumbstruck silence that met them, he then did what would have otherwise been absolutely unthinkable. "Computer, end transmission and disregard all future real-time contact requests from this contact."
When the screen returned to the Federation crest before going black again, Joshua started stalking his quarters once more, and he only stopped after he stood before his small bar and considered the bottles there. But considering he did not do for long, for he poured himself a unhealthily large portion of a bourbon that cost him a small fortune and he slumped into his couch with the drink in hand.
Well, that had just happened... and he wasn't quite sure how to feel about it.
Joshua Niles was pacing in his quarters, as quickly as his legs allowed him while he hobbled around with his cane. As always, his arm hurt. And his leg hurt, from his cybernetic toes all the way past his hip. But right now, he welcomed the pain for it further fueled the rage that was boiling within him. And finally, the screen changed from the station's crest, to that of his mother's office, and finally to her face.
"Joshua? Do you have any idea... Gisele Niles, she had not expected that call whatsoever, but she still had decided to take it. Perhaps that Captain Eastman of his had come to her senses and talked to him and...
"What the hell did you do," he fairly roared at the viewscreen. He as generally not one to raise his voice, but his mother had gone beyond the pale, and how had he found out? Through an article from a tabloid rag! Oh, he had come across a mention of a lunch meeting in New York from his sister, but that had been all of it, no specifics. Well, now he knew.
"Now young man!" Gisele fairly barked herself, "Do you think that's an appropriate way to speak to your mother?"
"It is when you're messing with my career! This is my life, Mother, my choice, whether you bloody like it or not!" There was no containing his fury, and he damn well knew he was still pacing within the visual pickup of his monitor, and...
"And I'm your mother, it's my job to make sure you don't ruin your life more than you already have between joining Starfleet and screwing up like you did! It's my job to see that you do what's best for the family and... what the hell is this? You're limping and you have a cane? What the hell? Did you get injured again? That's it, you're going to resign your commission this instant and come home!"
"Yes, Mother, I was injured again, thank you for noticing and asking after my health. Lost my leg fighting off raiders intent on razing a colony. And yes, it hurts like hell. And yes, that little genetic bombshell from your side of the family means I have another cybernetic limb. But you know what? I don't regret it one bit!" His anger wasn't even close to being spent.
The woman, for a change, was struck speechless. Had her son, that bloody idiot whom she still loved so much, actually said what she thought he said? That he didn't regret a grievous injury suffered in battle? "Because it's my goddamn job! It's what I choose to do! Remember how you and Father screamed and railed about where the fleet was, where the fixed defences were when the Breen attacked? Well guess what, I was part of doing just that, for other people!"
Finally, he had to stop pacing; it simply hurt too damn much to keep walking, but he would be damned if he would sit down either.
"And now there's another reason why you should resign and come home! That Eastman of yours is a senile loose cannon on the best of days, who's abandoned all good sense! I did what I did for your own good! For the good of our family! Come on home, and we'll find you a place suitable for you, where you can do real good!"
And there it was again. Gisele Niles not so much caring about her son as she did about the appearances so far as their family was concerned. His sister was already a black sheep for choosing to become a nurse, but he was blacker than black, having chosen Starfleet instead, to become one of those people whose absence they had bemoaned so loudly. "Mother, I'm going to say this only once: stay the hell away from my career. Stay the hell away from Captain Eastman, or Captain Baker, or any of my superiors for that matter. And that includes your contacts at Starfleet Command!"
Had they been in the same room, there might have been a risk of actual violence on Josh's part. He knew he was capable of great violence, and that he even enjoyed it to some degree. And at this point in time? The urge to break something, or someone, was getting extremely strong.
"Like hell I will! You're my son and you will res..."
"NO, MOTHER!" The words came out a whipcrack that actually stunned the woman across the real-time subspace link. "I'm not going to resign my commission. I'm not coming back to Earth, and like hell I'm going to accept a posting you think is suitably glamorous. Oh yes, I know what you're bloody thinking! And, stop interfering in my life!"
"But you're my..."
"That's right, I'm your son. Not you. Not your alter-ego. This is my life, my choice! Learn to accept it, or consider this my telling you you've got one less child!"
The words came out harshly, violently. In the dumbstruck silence that met them, he then did what would have otherwise been absolutely unthinkable. "Computer, end transmission and disregard all future real-time contact requests from this contact."
When the screen returned to the Federation crest before going black again, Joshua started stalking his quarters once more, and he only stopped after he stood before his small bar and considered the bottles there. But considering he did not do for long, for he poured himself a unhealthily large portion of a bourbon that cost him a small fortune and he slumped into his couch with the drink in hand.
Well, that had just happened... and he wasn't quite sure how to feel about it.
