The Next Adventure

Posted on Sat Feb 15th, 2025 by Lieutenant Commander Samuel Bancroft & Allyson Bancroft & Katelynn Bancroft

1,274 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: M01 - The Hooke
Location: Bancroft Quarters, USS Eisenhower
Timeline: Present

=/\=It would appear that the transporter facilities on board the Hooke are not fully implemented. You'll have to take a shuttle from the ship to get there with your family. Are your bags packed?=/\=

Sam looked around the quarters where many of their things were in crates ready to be transported from the Eisenhower, which was orbiting Mars, to the Hooke. "The answer to that question is yes." He told the logistics officer on the screen in his quarters. "I'm guessing some personnel from operations will be up here shortly?"

=/\=Yes sir.=/\=

Sam simply nodded and closed the communication with a heavy sigh. The quarters aboard a Steamrunner-class starship simply were not cut out for Allyson and Katelynn to live there. Many of their things were still on Earth in Paris with his parents. Though, he assumed some of the things in storage had since been moved.

"What's wrong?" Allyson asked from behind Sam. She had just finished pushing the fold out couch where Katelynn slept at night back in. Allyson placed her hand on his back and rubbed slightly.

"Where's Katelynn?" Sam asked.

Allyson shrugged, "Saying goodbye to someone on the console." Allyson pressed again, "What's wrong?"

Sam smiled somewhat weakly as he turned and faced his wife, "It's nothing important." He told her, "Don't worry about it. We're going to have to -" The door chime went off interrupting his words. "Enter."

"Sorry for interrupting sir," Chief Fredricks said, "We're here to get your belongings and take them to the shuttlebay."

Sam nodded then realized his wife had an expression of confusion, "The Hooke's transporter systems aren't fully online yet apparently there was some last minute maintenance check."

Allyson nodded, "Oh," She answered. "That makes sense I suppose." She looked over her shoulder toward the bed she shared with her husband in the back corner of the tiny quarters. "Katelynn are you almost done?"

The twelve-year-old hadn't been paying attention to her parents, nor the fact that some of the people who worked for her Dad were now in the quarters. She was hyper-focused on the girl she was talking to. "Yes Mom," She answered. Then Katelynn looked at the image of Rebecca on the screen, "Mom says I have to go."

=/\=Okay Katie call me as soon as you're able to.=/\=

Katelynn watched the screen go blank before she got off the edge of the mattress where she had been sitting. The facilities were really quite limited and so Katelynn was practically the only child on board. There wasn't a classroom so much of her time was spent doing subspace schooling, one of the girls she had met in her classes had been Rebecca.

"Are we leaving soon?" Katelynn asked.

"Yeah," Sam told his twelve-year-old. "Get the last of your things into the crates so Chief Fredricks and his people can get everything onto the shuttle."

"Yes Dad," Katelynn replied and immediately went over to the set of crates where she had a pile of her clothes laying. "You said I would have a bed right?" She asked suddenly.

Allyson had made her way over to where the girl was packing, "Yes, the Captain made sure we had quarters with a side bedroom for you. No more sleeping on a pull out couch," She answered.

Katelynn had been doing that since she was very little and now that she'd gotten taller her feet dangled off the edge. "Good." She answered.

Sam stood with his arms crossed as he listened to the interaction between the two of them. He was glad to be finally leaving the ship when the chime went off again. He looked over his shoulder, "Enter."

This time Captain Zhu entered the small family quarters, "Almost ready to go Lieutenant?" The Captain asked.

Sam looked at her with a slight smile, "Yes sir," He answered. "I enjoyed my time aboard the Eisenhower, but this ship isn't designed for families. Thanks for letting them live here though." The options had been somewhat limited. And Sam had done the whole thing with them not being on board the ship for a little while.

"Ah," She said with a warm grin, "It's not a big deal. I'm sure the facilities on board the Hooke will be so much better than here. Now, remember what we talked about?"

Sam nodded, "I do."

Zhu patted him on the shoulder, "My offer still stands Lieutenant," She told him. "But I understand your decision." She placed her hands behind her and held her wrist in her opposite hand. "Good luck Lieutenant."

"Thank you sir," Sam answered and watched as the Captain left the quarters.

Allyson had been listening to the conversation. She waited, however, for Fredricks to leave with another stack of belongings before asking. "What was her offer?"

"She offered me the Exec position aboard." He told Allyson. Sam hadn't told his family about the promotion because it didn't seem important. For one thing it would have kept him aboard the ship longer and his family would still be cramped, and for the other he didn't feel ready for that.

"She offered you a promotion?" Allyson asked.

Sam nodded, "But I'm not ready for that and I don't know if command is where I want to go just yet." He had both hands up in a more defensive posture as he spoke. Once he'd concluded what he was saying Sam lowered his hands once more. "It's not important."

Allyson frowned, "You didn't turn it down because of us did you?" She asked with a serious look in her eye.

"No," Sam told her. "I turned it down for me. Besides, these quarters are far too small, and on the Hooke Katelynn can possibly make some friends that don't require a subspace call."

"I'm still going to call Becca," Katelynn said as she placed the last of her things into the crate. "I hope you know that."

"I know," Sam answered without looking toward his daughter. "I like where I'm at right now in my career," He said.

Allyson nodded though she didn't quite believe what he was telling her. "I understand," She told him. It was as close to honest as she could possibly get without being entirely full of herself. "I just don't want you to feel like you have to settle."

Sam smiled, "I don't," He said. Sam had also been offered the position of Exec on board the Hooke, but he turned that one down too. His wife and daughter didn't need to know that, not yet. Besides the door for his quarters opened again and the last of their belongings were being grabbed. "We have to get to the shuttle."

Katelynn stood up fully and grabbed her backpack. "Okay, I'm ready." She took one last look at the environment she'd grown accustomed to. It was somewhat surreal that they were now leaving this place. A pang of sadness filled her and she had to wipe a couple tears. This had been home after all, it wasn't much, but this had been home.

"Are you all right?" Sam asked his daughter when he noticed.

"Yeah," Katelynn answered quietly choking more tears. "I'm just going to kind of miss it here." She answered.

Sam hugged his daughter then took her by the hand, "Let's go." He said. Sam understood how his daughter felt about it, he felt the same way about leaving this place. However, it was time to let their lives on board the ship go, and move onto the next adventure.

 

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