Judith Eastman
Civilian
Grandma
Posts: 2,593 Likes: 84
Rank: Civilian/other
Position: Civil Servant
Species: Human
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Post by Judith Eastman on Feb 6, 2021 6:34:34 GMT
Jan. 2381
[Lakeside Cabin, Mataline II]
For their weeklong trip, Judy and Max had chosen the colony of Mataline II. They rented a small, secluded cabin beside a lake in the mountains, to spend some time alone together.
Opening his eyes from a nap, Max immediately realized that Judy wasn't there with him. He figured she had already gotten up, and just didn't want to wake him.
"Let's see what you're up to, wifey," he said to himself, as he put on a pair of khaki shorts and a "Harvard dad" t-shirt.
Judy had, indeed, gotten up already. On account of the artificial heart, she had more energy to her, so she'd gone for a dip in the lake. Now, as she saw a figure that could only be Max walking into the cabin's living room, she figured it was time to go back to land. She began to swim ashore, with a graceful, practiced breaststroke.
Walking into the living room, Max had an unobstructed view of the deck outside. Seeing a white towel, and a dark glasses case, on a deck chair, it was easy to tell just what she was up to - clearer still when he saw a trail of foam cutting through the water, and her pale body occasionally popping up. Judy was a swimmer from the time they met, but she'd truly mastered her technique after the hip replacement made water sports the most palatable exercise for her. The fact that she was swimming relatively fast, despite her legs probably hurting from their earlier hike as much as his did, spoke to her skill.
The couple met on the deck, he coming from the cabin, she from the water.
"How did you sleep?" she asked, as she toweled off, starting with her face. "Great. How was the water?" he answered with a question of his own. "Chilly, but you get used to it."
She wrapped the towel around herself, and he opened the glasses case. After he gently placed the spectacles on her, they shared a kiss.
"It amazes me, every time, just how much more beautiful you look with your glasses," Max pointed out, still captivated by his wife's looks. She was a stunning woman, and her tortoiseshell frames always took her appearance to the next level. "You look better with my glasses too," Judy quipped. "Every time I put them on in the morning, when I look at you, I'm rediscovering you."
At this point in the relationship, they never shied away from cliches.
"You know, I keep thinking, we could have this every day of our lives, but if we did..." "It wouldn't be special, and we'd love it less," Judy completed the thought. "And besides, we have Anna." "That we do. One of our great accomplishments," she agreed. "Her and Thomas." "Lawrence and Gerald too. They turned out like they did because they had a good father figure come into the picture." "They had a great mother the whole way. I'm glad I got to be their father when I did." "You improved their mom pretty dramatically, too."
He put a hand around her, and she around him. "You hungry?" "Famished. Barbecue?" "You read my mind. I'll go get dressed, you get started on prep."
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Judith Eastman
Civilian
Grandma
Posts: 2,593 Likes: 84
Rank: Civilian/other
Position: Civil Servant
Species: Human
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Post by Judith Eastman on Feb 10, 2021 3:19:33 GMT
June 2359
[Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards]
Max was fast running out of options. With a burst plasma vent in his quarters, he needed a place to stay, but it didn't seem as though anyone could have him.
Well, he had one option, but he didn't want to be the kind of boyfriend to crash on his girlfriend's couch. Not that he had much choice.
Taking the time from his coffee break, he pulled up the contact in his phone for Judy, and sent her a missive.
Max: Hey Judy was busy preparing a report on one of her lower-priority projects when she got a ping on her personal communicator. It was Max, with an ambiguous message that sent a tremor down her spine. Was he about to break up with her?
Judy: Hi Judy: Is everything okay? There, I've worried her, Max thought regretfully to himself. There was no room for beating around the bush - he'd have to cut to the chase.
Max: My place is unusable. Can I stay at yours? Judy turned to a worried frown. What happened to her boyfriend's place? Was he in one piece?
Judy: Of course you can. Judy: What happened? You OK? Max sighed with relief. Judy seemed to be taking it well, and mostly worried about him.
Max: I'm OK Max: A plasma vent burst. No major damage, though Now it was Judy's turn to sigh with relief. Max was in one piece, and that was a big deal - she was quite fond of him.
Judy: Stay with us as long as you need. Max: Thanks. See you tonight? Judy: What time? Max: 10 Judy: See you then Max: See you [2200 hrs - Judy's quarters]
With Gerald and Lawrence asleep, Judy had some time and space to prepare for Max's arrival. She'd changed the sheets on her bed, changed into her slinkiest nightgown (with a comfortable housecoat over it), and picked out a bottle of wine to share before they went to bed.
Of course, it was possible Max would want to sleep on the couch. She had sheets ready just in case.
And then, the chime went off. Judy walked swiftly to the door, and opened it.
"Hello!" she greeted Max enthusiastically, before they went for a hug and a brief peck, which was for now their peak physical affection.
"Thank you, Judy. Thank you so much. I really appreciate this," he thanked her. "It's my pleasure. Mi casa es su casa," she accepted, smiling. "You'll have your couch back in a week, maximum," he promised. "Actually, about that, you could sleep with me, if you'd rather," she offered. She had been wondering for a while why he hadn't made the move to more physical intimacy, and maybe sleeping together would help them skip a few steps, if he was game.
Max's jaw dropped. He'd assumed that after her ex, Judy didn't want to be intimate, and that was why he'd been holding back. "Yes, I would. That is, only if you want me to," he accepted. "I do," she answered simply. "Then I'd love to. I'd just assumed, because of your ex..." he replied, trailing off. "Oh, no, I've actually been waiting for you to make a move," she clarified. "I was waiting for a sign that you were ready," he explained. "I see. That was very gracious of you, so let's go to my room and I'll give you all sorts of signs." "And I'll make all sorts of moves."
Max swept Judy off her feet very eagerly, a move that caused her to giggle, and carried her into the master bedroom, wine forgotten. It turned out they both had waited far too long for this moment.
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Judith Eastman
Civilian
Grandma
Posts: 2,593 Likes: 84
Rank: Civilian/other
Position: Civil Servant
Species: Human
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Post by Judith Eastman on Feb 21, 2021 22:23:47 GMT
Jan. 23811 day after S2M1[Commanding Officer's Quarters]To those who knew her best, Judy Eastman-Williams was almost absurdly easy to read. There were the changes to her stride, the way she held her handbag with both hands, as though ready to clobber someone with it, that seemed random to the untrained eye, but were unmistakable to her loved ones. Thus, as soon as the Captain walked through the door, Max could tell that something was very, very wrong. "Hey.""Hey."Only a few steps behind the corgis, Max pulled Judy in for a deep kiss. The light colors of his casual clothes, light-grey sweatpants with a white I NY tee, contrasted with the severe Starfleet uniform. "I know that walk. You have something on your mind," he told her, after their lips parted. It was implied that, if it wasn't a state secret, he wanted to be in on whatever troubled her. "Yes. I'll go freshen up, and then we can talk," she confirmed. "I'll get us some wine."After finishing her quick shower, Judy returned to the living room in one of Max's red-on-grey "Harvard dad" t-shirts, which fit over her almost like a dress, and a pair of black leggings, an outfit motivated by comfort that nevertheless unintentionally mimicked her uniform's color scheme. Waiting for her on the couch was Max, with a bottle and two full glasses of chardonnay on the coffee table. She sat down - where else? - in his lap, and took a glass. "So what's the matter?" he asked, taking the other glass. "I got the reports from the Mac, from Serenity," she answered. "How bad?"She took a long sip of wine, followed by a deep breath. He stroked one of the crow's feet wrinkles beside her eye, right under the temple of her spectacles. "The away team was captured by a group of thugs, and beaten. They could've been killed," she whispered. "Oh, my," he whispered back. "The worst part is, we were caught with our pants down. We had no idea there were violent militants down there."Max nodded. "And we had no reason to think there would be.""At least everyone made it."Max knew that if there had been casualties, Judy would've been crying her heart out already. She was extremely sensitive to losses of life. "Barely," she said, setting the wineglass down. Max followed suit, in anticipation. "The thugs that captured them had tortured a local scientist very nearly to death. They were violent, physically violent, for the sake of violence. If the Mac hadn't arrived on time, they could've been killed."Earlier, in her office, Judy hadn't truly reckoned with that possibility, and now, as she allowed herself to engage with it, the tears came streaking out. Max removed his wife's spectacles, and then held her tightly, letting her tearful head rest on his chest. "I almost... lost... people... without being there... without knowing," she wept, acknowledging the tragedy that almost was. Max knew to let her. Reason could come later. For two minutes, he sat with her, occasionally nuzzling her, but mostly just being there, keeping her in his protective embrace, making it safe for her to be vulnerable, raw, open. "Good thing... Thea caught on... in time. Otherwise..." Judy quivered, finding the spot of hope. "You chose the best First Officer to protect them," Max whispered in her ear. "She was your pick.""She was the right pick."Judy reached for her bifocals, as Max took off his tear-stained shirt. He offered it to her, to wipe the tears. "This is why you're a good Captain; you care," he said to his beloved. It was a follow-up to a self-doubting comment she'd made to him after the shrew incident. "You care, and you choose the right people."She just nodded, knowing the logic in his words. During the war, her late-night sobbing sessions had seemed like a liability, an emotional vulnerability to be excised. However, over the years, she understood that loving her crew so much made her better at her job.
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Judith Eastman
Civilian
Grandma
Posts: 2,593 Likes: 84
Rank: Civilian/other
Position: Civil Servant
Species: Human
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Post by Judith Eastman on Mar 1, 2021 3:36:48 GMT
Feb. 2381
5 days after S2M2 [Capt. Judith Eastman(-Williams) & Max Williams - Commanding Officer's Quarters, Front Ear Station]
After waking up early from a nightmare, Judy was now trying to get some rest and relaxation before starting the work day. She did this in a bubble bath, with Max and a bottle of chardonnay. Their oversized, walk-in, combination bathtub-jacuzzi was originally a health consideration, but it was great for romance.
"I've been thinking if I should resign," she told the love of her life, feeling that the right thing to do was to share her irrational thoughts with him.
"What makes you say that?" he asked, wanting to hear her rationale out of respect.
"I just don't feel as though I'm cut from the right cloth. I could've stopped this all from happening if only I'd asked Harmon what he was going to do," she explained, as he pulled her closer.
"You couldn't have known," he reassured her, believing it sincerely.
"That's the thing. I had to have the right gut instinct, and I'm just not a gut person. I need time to think about my decisions. I'm not good at..."
With one finger, he shushed her.
"You think on your feet just fine. A lot of people would've died at the Blue Beta, at the hands of the Kurjarians, if you didn't. The Arkarian terrorists would be free. Your gut saved lives this past year, and you can't just throw it away over one bad call," he reminded her.
"I know, but it sure doesn't feel that way," she conceded the soundness of his argument.
"You don't cry for the ones who don't get hurt."
She nodded, and leaned into him.
"You're still a great administrator, too, and this crew respects you. You can't forget that," he told her. Whereas a year ago, many on the lower decks speculated if Judy was past her prime, now few doubters remained.
"I know."
"You need to talk to someone who's been there," he suggested.
She nodded.
"Also, someone you can't get with your feminine wiles," he added flirtatiously.
"Now where's the fun in that?"
Before the couple could seize on the change in mood, they were disrupted by two corgis jumping into the tub in quick succession.
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Judith Eastman
Civilian
Grandma
Posts: 2,593 Likes: 84
Rank: Civilian/other
Position: Civil Servant
Species: Human
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Post by Judith Eastman on Apr 12, 2021 22:08:48 GMT
Feb. 2381About 1 hr after the events of Blooming[Capt. Judith Eastman(-Williams) & Anna E. Williams - Commanding Officer's Quarters, Front Ear Station]Heading back from school, Anna was her usual self. Backpack on her back, sleekly attired in black leggings and a plain, hot-pink tee, she was full of gossip and kvetching. That is, until she entered the family home, to see her mother in an unusual state. The older woman was sprawled out on the couch reading, which wasn't unusual, except in that she was dressed in a hot-pink sports bra and matching leggings, which were gym clothes. She looked as though she'd been crying, but gotten over it. "Mom, what's wrong?" Anna asked, as the dogs greeted her. "Nothing," Judy answered nonchalantly. Anna looked quizzically at Judy, clearly disbelieving her. "I can tell, Mom. Don't be a hero.""Come here, Mini-Me."Judy swung her legs off the couch and onto the floor, pivoting her torso upright in the same athletic motion, and clearing up space for Anna to sit. The daughter did just that, finding, to her surprise, that her mother didn't smell of sweat at all. "I had a really good talk with Devra, the florist," Judy explained. "I stopped by her store to get your father some flowers, and next thing I know, I'm... unloading to her about Caldonia. It was cathartic.""Devra?" Anna asked. "Petty Officer Velal's mother. We had her over for dinner once, but I think you were out with friends," Judy explained, with just a smidgen of judgement. "Okay.""So, that's what happened. I'm fine, really. I just haven't felt like changing."Anna looked over her mother again, and then came closer, embracing the older woman. She was, also, checking to confirm the absence of sweat. Judy reciprocated the hug. "Yeah, I was gonna ask about that.""Oh, I'd been in the gym with Mabel, training her for her fitness eval. It's not exactly a workout," Judy explained. "You wanna go for some real exercise?" Anna offered. Mother-daughter workouts weren't her favorite, but they were Judy's - the sexagenarian got a real kick out of pushing the teen. "I'm a bit tired. I'd rather watch some trash," the mother declined, reaching for the PADD that served as a remote control. "You know, I gotta tell you about this train-wreck in math, this girl called Rimi..." Anna began gossiping, as Judy put a lowbrow sitcom on. It was all typical for the Eastman-Williams household: Judy and Max always made themselves available to their children for emotional support, but were never coy about their own feelings.
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Judith Eastman
Civilian
Grandma
Posts: 2,593 Likes: 84
Rank: Civilian/other
Position: Civil Servant
Species: Human
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Post by Judith Eastman on Apr 18, 2021 19:25:55 GMT
Jan. 2381Immediately after I'm Not Lost, You're Lost[Capt. Judith Eastman(-Williams) & Benjamin Eastman - Lawrence Eastman's Quarters, Front Ear Station]Judy put her PADD away and stood up from the sofa. Benny was in his pen, very close by. "Now, Grandma's going to put on a shirt, okay?" she explained. "Grandma wear shirt," Benny pointed out, confused. "Grandma needs another shirt to cover her belly," Judy explained, crouching beside him and then rubbing the exposed part of her stomach. She would leave it to the boy's parents to explain to him the concept of a bra (as opposed to a shirt), and the concept of boobs that motivated it. "Grandma small belly. Mommy big belly," he observed, poking the same. "That's right. Mommy is pregnant. She has babies in her belly, and when they come out, Mommy's belly will be small, like Grandma's.""Why Grandma no pregnant?""Grandma is old now, too old to make new babies.""Okay," Benny accepted. Judy got up, walked over to the replicator, and came back with a zip-up sweatshirt. "Grandma clothes pretty," Benny observed, as she walked back over to him. "Yeah, my clothes are pretty?" she asked, taking him out of the pen and onto the main room. "Pretty color. Blue, green," he explained. She knelt down on the ground. "This color is called teal. It's when you mix green and blue.""Teal. I like.""I like teal too, and so does Grandpa."
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Judith Eastman
Civilian
Grandma
Posts: 2,593 Likes: 84
Rank: Civilian/other
Position: Civil Servant
Species: Human
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Post by Judith Eastman on Apr 21, 2021 4:33:08 GMT
March 2381
[Capt. Judith Eastman(-Williams) - Commanding Officer's Office, Front Ear Station] & [NPC - Rabbi Simon Klughaft - Congregation Bnai Shalom Synagogue[fn]Fun fact: there's a synagogue name generator[/fn], northern New Jersey, Earth]
Rabbi Simon Klughaft operated in the rich Jewish tradition of debate, with a dash of eccentricity. He was fond of holding bi-weekly chats with various figures, the kind that deigned to come to a medium-sized north Jersey congregation, on topics in Jewish life, spirituality, and history.
He sat on the stage of his synagogue in an armchair, a slim, pale-skinned man in his 50s with a salt-and-pepper beard clad in a dark business suit and knitted white yamulka. Beside him appeared a holographic rendering of his guest, a blonde-haired woman in her 60s, dressed in a shimmery electric-blue dress.
"Our goal, as usual, isn't to win an argument, but to take a walk in each other's minds, you in mine and I in yours, so that we, and our audience, learn something. We'll take questions afterwards, too," Simon reiterated the rules of this series. "With that out of the way, let's welcome Starfleet commander, war hero, and one of our former congregants, Captain Judy Eastman-Williams."
After accepting a round of polite applause from some of her former neighbors, Judy spoke.
"Former and future. I'll be back," she quipped.
"We hope so," Simon replied. "Now let's dive right in. You told me that you don't like being addressed by your rank."
"No warm-up!" Judy exclaimed.
"Well, I'll preface this by explaining that I have an operational command here. I have a space station, and an auxiliary ship that's based at the station, and the whole crew, all answering to me. The Admirals above me are light-years away, and sometimes hard to reach."
"And how does that affect you?" Simon asked, nudging her along.
"It means that my role, as the Captain, has three parts: I have the ultimate responsibility for everything and everyone within my command, for every life. I also have the ultimate authority, over everything that happens here, and stemming from that authority, I have immense levels of prestige, a perception of immense power."
Simon stroked his beard, listening along.
"That prestige, quite frankly, is intoxicating, and can be deadly if it gets to my head. I can't allow myself to believe that I am this exalted being, because then I get cocky. Being called Captain all day long inflates my ego."
"It's about humility. You have to be like King Saul, hid among the baggage from those who would crown him," Simon observed.
Judy ran a hand through her hair. "You do also need some degree of ego. There's a story my mother likes to tell about an old sage, his name escapes me, who carried around two cards. On one, he wrote, 'G-d created this world only so that I may inhabit it', and on the other he wrote, 'I am but dust and ashes, and to that I shall return', and that's the duality of... well, of all our existence, actually."
Simon uncrossed and recrossed his legs as Judy spoke, before answering her thought.
"But especially for your position," he added.
She shook her head. "It's especially important for one who wields power, as I do. You can't be too self-effacing, because then you can't make any tough calls, but you can't be too confident, or else you'll act rashly. That's true whether you're a starship captain, or you're in any other profession."
"Your stakes are just higher."
She ran a hand through her hair again, a bit awkward talking about her power. "You could say that."
He chuckled. "I do, and while we're on the topic of decisions, I'd like to bring up pikuach nefesh, because I know you have a lot to say about that."
[To be continued]
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Judith Eastman
Civilian
Grandma
Posts: 2,593 Likes: 84
Rank: Civilian/other
Position: Civil Servant
Species: Human
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Post by Judith Eastman on Apr 29, 2021 22:57:18 GMT
Oct. 2379
[Cmdr. Judith Eastman(-Williams) & Max Williams - Hospital, New York City]
"Sir, we've moved your wife to a private room."
After hours and hours in a hospital waiting room, this was welcome news. Max had been updated when the surgery was completed, but he couldn't visit the ICU room where Judy spent the first hours of recovery. That strained him greatly.
"Let's go."
"She's doing quite well, sir. The new heart is working," the nurse reported.
"I love to hear it," Max answered somewhat grouchily. After 20+ hours of nervous waiting, he wasn't in the mood for chatter.
The nurse accepted this, and quietly led him into the room where Judy was staying.
And there she was. She was a bit haggard, somewhat paler than usual, with more tubes than Max necessarily cared for, but she was alive, her eyes open and looking at him.
"We made it," she announced, slightly hoarse from the breathing tube she'd had earlier.
"We made it," he repeated, with tears of joy in his eyes. Heart replacements were routine, with a one-in-a-million risk of death, but to his tired brain, having spent so long on worst-case scenario, that one-in-a-million risk seemed awfully high.
"You didn't give her the glasses," he then admonished the nurse.
"I'm sorry, sir," the nurse apologized. She knew better than to remind the man that he'd given them three pairs of his wife's glasses with no instructions.
"It's okay. Just give them to me now," she interjected, tired but firm.
"Yes, ma'am. Which pair?" the nurse asked.
Judy eyed Max.
"These," he indicated a cat-eye pair.
The nurse gave the spectacles to Judy, and she put them on with both hands.
"There we go!" she exclaimed. "Oy vey iz mir. Honey, you look worse than I do."
Understanding the remarks were meant for him, Max nodded.
"Get some sleep. You've got so much luggage under your eyes."
"I stayed up waiting for you," he explained.
"Sleep with me, then. There's a cot here," she invited him. "We'll hold hands, and just imagine we're in bed together."
"Aye," he accepted, and moved towards the cot. "Can you get us a blanket?"
"Yes, sir," the nurse accepted.
Judy smiled blissfully, and in that moment, Max knew that everything was fine. As he held her hand, he fell asleep almost instantly, and dreamed of all the wonderful things in store for them.
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Judith Eastman
Civilian
Grandma
Posts: 2,593 Likes: 84
Rank: Civilian/other
Position: Civil Servant
Species: Human
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Post by Judith Eastman on May 3, 2021 2:55:44 GMT
Apr. 2381Hours after the end of Disaster[Capt. Judith Eastman(-Williams), PhD & Max Williams - Commanding Officer's Quarters, USS Mac]After seeing to it that the situation on Talor Prime was stabilizing, Judy returned home to focus on her longstanding commitment as a wife. She knew Max was upset, and she understood why. One of the foundations to their enduring union was that upsetting him always hurt her deeply. After a refreshing shower, she put on a jumpsuit (all the comfort of her pajamas, but presentable enough to go out later), and joined Max in the living room. "I'm sorry, honey. I know it wasn't okay," she said briefly. "I understand it. I know why you did it," he replied. It helped that they'd been here before, and covered all this ground. "We've had this conversation too often.""We have."She gazed into his eyes. He wasn't going to push her (it wasn't like him), but there was no mistaking that he'd had enough of her placing her life in danger. "I think I'll stay on the station, going forward. There's less danger there," she said, though with a questioning tone. "You sure? I don't want to get between you and your duty.""Thea can handle the ship just fine. I can focus more on the colony, the business community...""The family.""The family, and the love of my life.""Thank you."There was no point to beating around the bush. They both knew he wanted it like this, and as she wanted to do it for him, he was happy. She wasn't happy to make this tradeoff, but she knew what her priorities were, and she knew marriage required a continuous effort. The tight bond she had with her husband was only there so long as they could keep it, and she wanted to keep it. She grabbed him and moved in for a kiss, sharing their deep love and neatly bookending this conversation. "Now that that's done, hot stuff, would you allow me to ask you out on a date?" Max asked. "I thought you'd never ask!"
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Judith Eastman
Civilian
Grandma
Posts: 2,593 Likes: 84
Rank: Civilian/other
Position: Civil Servant
Species: Human
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Post by Judith Eastman on May 3, 2021 19:43:20 GMT
Apr. 238115 minutes after the last one[Capt. Judith Eastman(-Williams), PhD & Max Williams - The Scapegoat, USS Mac]With the thorny matter of the earlier near-death experience worked through, Judy and Max went out together. Date night for them was a way to dive into the thing that had started them off on this relationship, the interminable conversations they could hold, streams of consciousness intertwining, until they got either tired or horny. They sat at a table, looking into each other's eyes much as they'd done almost a quarter-century ago, nursing glasses of syntheholic merlot, chomping down on burgers. "You remember that one neighbor of my mum's, Andy?" Max asked. "40s, Boston accent, combover, douchebag Andy?" Judy confirmed. Max guffawed. "The very same.""What about him?""Well, he went to Florida, and... you're gonna want to finish that bite before I tell you what happened."Judy swallowed. "Nu?[fn]Hebrew/Yiddishism, means: so?[/fn]""He crashed his jet-ski into a manatee."Judy laughed, a loud, shrill sound that cut through the room. Max joined in, with a deeper, gentler laugh. "A manatee?""A manatee."She laughed again. "That's peak Florida.""That's violently Florida, and it's just like him.""I'll bet he was distracted snapping shirtless pics to send to some uni girl," Max mused. "Oh, no doubt. But how'd you find out?""My mum saw it on social media, and you know she enjoys such things.""You'd have to be a Vulcan not to enjoy this particular thing."He chuckled. "A Vulcan, or Andy."She laughed. "I hope the manatee's okay, at least.""I hope so too."After wiping his hand down on a napkin, Max reached under the table to give Judy's left leg a tender squeeze. "Can I ask about work?" he asked, doing everything he could to signal that he was no longer upset with her. "You can," she agreed, smiling. "What did the light show do?" he asked. "Well, fundamentally, the whole problem on Talor Prime, all the dramatic weather conditions, were caused by solar instability. What we did was use the ship, or, well, half of the ship, to absorb the solar radiation into our shields, and then, poof, push it back into the sun to stabilize it.""I'm impressed.""Once was enough for me."Leaning over the table, his lips met hers. That was, clearly, a good answer. "Tell you what, honey? I think we should skip dessert and go back home. We can get comfortable," she suggested. "You look comfortable already," he quipped. "It's unfair. Ladies get to wear cozy jumpsuits, or flowy dresses, and we don't.""Two words: bras and heels. Call it even," she replied. "Touche," he accepted. She finished off her burger, and they headed home, to continue the conversation.
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Judith Eastman
Civilian
Grandma
Posts: 2,593 Likes: 84
Rank: Civilian/other
Position: Civil Servant
Species: Human
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Post by Judith Eastman on May 26, 2021 15:15:06 GMT
Sometime after S2E5
May 2381
[Capt. Judith Eastman(-Williams), PhD & Max Williams - Beach, LZ-2]
For the first time in far too long, as Max looked at his wife, he saw peace. Judy wasn't tossing and turning, nor was she tensed up, but rather was sprawled out on her back, relaxed, on her towel, napping. She needed this vacation.
"You're an angel," he whispered, crouching over her sleeping form.
She began to stir, awakening from her nap. "Good morning," she said softly, instinctively. "Good afternoon, my love," he whispered back, correcting her on the time of day. "If I say it's morning, then it's morning, and if I want breakfast for dinner, I'll have it." Max chuckled. "Is this your way of saying you want pancakes?" "Well, I mostly want to win this argument, but sure." "Your wish is my command."
Judy sat up, and then grabbed Max's shoulder, steadying herself as she came to her feet. She picked up her towel and brushed off the sand. "Scale of 1 to 10, how sunburned am I?" she asked. "Not at all. You haven't changed color at all," he answered. "As was expected." Judy could tan slightly, if she spent enough time on vacation, but for the most part, pallor was her constant companion.
The couple reached for their coverups, two of Max's Hawaiian shirts (the chef's shirts could fit like a minidress on the captain's bikini-clad body, or complete an outfit with his swim trunks). As Max left his unbuttoned, Judy's eyes dwelled on his stomach. "How did we miss that sunburn?" she indicated a spot above his bellybutton. "I'm disappointed." He glanced down, to see no sunburn. "Fooled ya." Max chuckled heartily, having been fooled. "I've missed this side of you, my love. The funny side." "I've missed me too," she quipped, as she took his arm in hers. "When this vacation ends, you're going back to taking weekends off, okay? You wear yourself too thin otherwise, and then you're not as much fun." "And you want to get more mileage out of our new vacation home?" she asked with a wink that indicated there was a right answer. "I do indeed."
Judy could feel for herself that she'd been happier on this one day of vacation than she had been in a while, free of any and all responsibility. Max was right in his assessment that she'd overworked herself since Caldonia.
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Judith Eastman
Civilian
Grandma
Posts: 2,593 Likes: 84
Rank: Civilian/other
Position: Civil Servant
Species: Human
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Post by Judith Eastman on May 30, 2021 1:23:55 GMT
May 2381 The morning after S2E5
[Capt. Judith Eastman(-Williams), PhD & Louisa Keltner, PhD - Judy & Max's Kerelian Condo, LZ-2, Kerelia]
Somewhere along the way, Judy had realized that the key to making Louisa Keltner more bearable was swimming. The younger woman was fiercely competitive, but also less apt underwater than Judy, which led naturally to an out-of-breath Louisa by the time they finished their laps and got to talking. Also a benefit was the impression it gave to Louisa that the two were good friends, without Judy having to actually get emotionally invested with the obnoxious woman.
The two women entered Judy's apartment on Kerelia (which, unlike Keltner's office, had chairs), with beach clothes that spoke to their radically different personalities. Louisa wore a very loud floral one-piece with a sarong around the waist, while Judy wore a graceful emerald-green maxi wrap dress over a bikini in the same color.
"So, about your... Lieutenant Niles," Louisa started breathily. "What about him?" Judy asked, as she fetched them some water "He's a jackass... disrespectful... bad at his job." Louisa plopped down on a beanbag, as Judy listened from the replicator. The first two labels were a case of the pot calling the kettle black, although the kettle wasn't white. "Well, you know I can't do anything with that kind of abstraction," the Captain pointed out, carrying one glass in each hand to the coffee table. "This chump... comes up to me... after we found the body... full of hot air... tells me to shut down the job site... gets all up in my face... for working with Murra," Louisa complained, before reaching for the water. "Well, I did tell him to clear the scene," Judy pointed out as she sat on another beanbag. "Yeah, but he went from... mingling with that journo... and a teen girl... to yelling at me like... I'm some kind of grunt." "I see," Judy acknowledged. She was quite sure that Louisa was exaggerating, and she also noted the new information that there was a minor running around the site on Josh's watch. "So I tell him... I can't do all the stuff he wants... all at once... and he doesn't like that. He gets on me with... this tirade that I work for him... everyone I have works for him... issues orders only you got a right to order." This seemed to fit into an existing pattern of behavior with Joshua Niles, a tendency to exercise authority he didn't have. "Did he tell you he was acting on my authority?" "Nope." Judy shook her head. "Well, Lou, to be perfectly honest with you, he needs some work on his people skills." "He needs more than help, Judy. He thinks he's... a god of some kind. Thinks he's got... unlimited power just because he's in uniform." Judy nodded politely. This was an exaggeration, for sure, but underneath the many layers of bluster was a kernel of truth. "So after the threats... I walk him to my office... and only then does he... deign to tell me he's working... on your orders. He threatens to shut down... the whole colony, the whole friggin' colony, Judy. This kid's a megalomaniac." "That does sound like overstepping." "Then he asks for... all the admin keys. All of them... like I can give him that!" "I see." "At this point... I take pity, on the kid. I give him my alibi. He didn't even... think to question me. Can you believe it?" Judy shrugged. "And that's when he calls you." "And how did he behave after that?" "Just ignored me." "Well, I'm going to handle this with all the seriousness it deserves, but I do expect you to treat my officers a little better in the future." "Okay," Keltner acknowledged in a tone that implied she didn't mean it - and Judy knew.
The conversation left the topic entirely.
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Judith Eastman
Civilian
Grandma
Posts: 2,593 Likes: 84
Rank: Civilian/other
Position: Civil Servant
Species: Human
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Post by Judith Eastman on Jun 4, 2021 23:17:50 GMT
May 2381
[Capt. Judith Eastman(-Williams), PhD & Anna E. Williams - Beach, LZ-2]
With Max off to fetch lunch, Judy and Anna were left with some mother-daughter time. Lounging on the beach, the two absorbed not so much the sun (the intense pallor ran in the family) but its warmth.
"You gonna retire?" Anna asked. "I thought about it, but... not yet," Judy answered, sitting up. She crossed her legs, seemingly settling in for a long chat. "What's your thought process?" the daughter inquired, mirroring her mother's posture. "Well, sweetheart, I was feeling burned out..." "...duh..." "...but there are two kinds of burnout. Sometimes, you can't find the motivation to go on, and other times, you just can't find the energy. They look the same, they feel the same, but they don't work the same." "And which one did you have?" "Energy, as it turns out. I just needed a break." "Where did the motivation come from?" "I still believe we're here to do good things." "We being Starfleet?" "Yes, and I still believe I can contribute to that, despite everything that's gone down. When I stop believing that, that's when I'll retire." "And then what?" "Well, I think you could use a full-time mother."
Anna seemed to recoil at that notion, humorous though it was. Her mother was hands-on enough as it were.
"You look like I just told you I'd become a circus clown," Judy ribbed. "That would be easier than full-time mom."
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Judith Eastman
Civilian
Grandma
Posts: 2,593 Likes: 84
Rank: Civilian/other
Position: Civil Servant
Species: Human
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Post by Judith Eastman on Jul 25, 2021 12:57:09 GMT
June 2381
Shortly after S2M6/S2E6
[Capt. Judith Eastman(-Williams), PhD & Lt. j.g. Mabel Henriksen - Captain Eastman's Office]
Mabel walked into Judy's area of the office, ready for the "important news" her boss promised. However, she wasn't quite ready for Judy to spin around in her chair, cackling like a madwoman.
"I have been expecting you," the older woman crowed, quoting from a very old film.
Mabel giggled, but then returned her attention to the matter at hand.
"Good news? Bad news?"
"Good, I think," Judy answered with a smile.
"How so?"
"It's still in the early planning stages, but we're weighing a few moves that will involve a promotion for you, into a senior position at Ops."
A "senior position" could mean Chief, or something below that. Both women knew this.
Mabel looked with her head askance, expecting a catch. Good things had a catch far too often.
"We think you're ready for it. For the last year and a half, you've put in an extraordinary performance in my office, and you've taken on quite a few jobs that were well above your station."
Mabel thought about the other rapidly-promoted officers on the station - Kaya Som, Isaiah Quinn, Jovireh Velal, Shavan Th'zhaar - it was a heck of a group.
"I'm honored," the young woman said, finding the words at last.
Then, she realized the catch.
"That means I won't work here anymore, as your assistant."
"That's right. Jenkins and I will have to manage, or onboard someone new to help us. You'll have your own office, your own work, and perhaps your own assistant."
"I'll be a senior officer," Mabel stated the obvious.
Judy rose from her chair to hug the young woman.
"You will, and I am so proud of you."
"That means a lot."
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Judith Eastman
Civilian
Grandma
Posts: 2,593 Likes: 84
Rank: Civilian/other
Position: Civil Servant
Species: Human
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Post by Judith Eastman on Jul 26, 2021 1:16:50 GMT
July 2381
[Capt. Judith Eastman(-Williams), PhD & Max Williams - Hotel, Presidio, San Francisco, Earth] "Well, honey, before we pop open the wine, I should put my thoughts into my log."Though slightly disappointed (he rather wanted to drink), Max accepted this with a kiss. "Don't make it too long," he added. "Okay."Adjusting her housecoat (she'd changed into it as soon as she came in - much more comfortable than her dress uniform), she adopted a dignified upright pose (never mind that the log was audio only) and cleared her throat. "Captain's Log."
"It feels odd to say these words when I'm here, so far from my command - my station, my ship, my crew - and yet, it feels accurate, in its way, because what I did today, I did for them. I've finished testifying in a marathon hearing of the Federation Council's committee on Starfleet, and if I may be so presumptuous, I nailed it."Max was amused by Judy's sudden turn from stiffly formal to flippant and casual, and his chuckling was recorded too. "My role, in this hearing, was to provide a real perspective, to help the Admirals beg for more funding for frontier outposts like ours. I did my best to impress upon the Council just how crucial a little frontier outpost like ours can be, just how many strategic issues the Federation managed to have a say in because of our presence, how we've been able to develop diplomatic and commercial relations, and so on."
"I also made a point of all the things we need, of all the incidents and near-misses that could've been averted if we had more funding for our operations. All the times our power grid melted down, and so on."
"I know how the sausage is made, and I know that ultimately, Starfleet's remote outposts will or won't get the full funding we need not because of anything I said or didn't say, but because of council members' raw interests. However, I want to believe I helped a little, and I definitely won myself some goodwill with the admirals, that I can use to get some other things done."
"End log."
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