Ready To Leave

Posted on Fri Feb 14th, 2025 by Lieutenant Commander Freya Preston & Charlotte Preston

1,107 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: M01 - The Hooke
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico
Timeline: Present

Charlotte laid on her stomach across the mattress of her bedroom. It had always been hard for her to leave the room whenever her parents visited her grandparents then had to leave to return to where they were posted. Perhaps that was why her belongings were still scattered across the bedroom floor next to the unpacked bag.

Most of her clothes and other belongings, important keepsakes, and so on were already on board the Hooke. Most of what was laying scattered about, besides school pads and such were her overnight clothes and travel luggage. She ignored them, instead choosing to stare at the data pad she was holding in her hand.

Freya had been sitting in the living area, her things were all packed up and ready to go. They were supposed to be leaving for the ship in about an hour, maybe two hours. She had eventually gotten up and walked toward her room where her things were when she noticed her daughter not packing.

"Charlotte?" Freya asked, "Why haven't you packed yet?"

Charlotte looked at her mother and only offered a shrug. She didn't have an answer for the question. To her, it probably wasn't all that important because after all this was just another ship. Charlotte enjoyed her time on Earth perhaps more than she let on with her parents. And, perhaps that was part of the problem.

Freya took a step into the room, "We will be leaving for the ship soon I really need for you to put your belongings in your bag." The Legaspi had left orbit hours ago, it was the ship that had brought the two of them to Earth from Outpost Nineteen. The rest of their things had already been transferred aboard the Hooke so they didn't need to carry a lot.

"I know," Charlotte answered and deactivated the data pad that she was still holding in her hand. "I'm just comfortable is all," She said, "I kind of wish we could stay a bit longer."

Freya had known that was an option, they could have stayed overnight if they had wanted to. But, the new Exec wanted to get onto the ship as soon as possible. The transport heading to Utopia Planitia would be leaving soon, and she wanted to be on it. It wasn't because Freya didn't like her parents, quite the opposite.

It was mostly because she had grown very independent in the time she'd spent living away from home. Freya didn't like staying with her parents for a long period of time, which is why there were many visits where Freya would stay at Starfleet Headquarters or something. She had noticed how miserable Charlotte was when they did that too.

"Sorry honey we can't," Freya answered. She wouldn't provide any explanation as to why they couldn't stay longer either. "Please put your things in your bag so you can go have some last minute time with your grandparents."

Charlotte didn't know if she wanted that either, but she wasn't about to argue with her mother. "Oh all right," She answered finally. Charlotte tucked the data pad she had earlier into her bag and began throwing her clothes into it.

"What is on that data pad anyway?" Freya asked from the bed where she now sat.

"Nothing," Charlotte answered. She didn't look toward her mother, "I mean, it's nothing important."

Freya didn't know if she bought that, "May I look?"

Charlotte sighed, "It's kind of private," She answered. Charlotte looked over her shoulder at her mother, "Do I have to show you?"

Freya had long respected the privacy of her only child, "I suppose not if you don't want to." Freya dropped the matter not wanting to further intrude on her daughter about it. "Are you bummed because Dad had to stay behind?"

Charlotte shrugged, "Maybe a little." She answered, "I know he'll be able to call me over subspace. And I still have you around," Charlotte answered. She loved both her parents equally so this time apart was something she wasn't exactly looking forward to.

Freya frowned, "I'm not looking forward to being away from your Dad," She admitted to her daughter. Providing some level of sympathy for the twelve-year-old. "It will certainly be an adventure on the Hooke though." Freya added in some feigned attempt to brighten the mood a little bit.

"Yeah," Charlotte answered as she finished throwing the last of her things into the bag. She stood up and looked around the bedroom that had been hers every time her mother brought her to New Mexico. The room had even been hers when she lived with her grandparents, though she didn't remember that part.

"Do you think we'll be back anytime soon?" Charlotte asked her mother.

Freya shrugged, "I don't have an answer," She admitted. Freya didn't know when the next time they'd be able to be back in New Mexico was. "I don't know where the ship is going, not yet. Maybe we'll be able to have your grandparents come visit us?"

"Not the same thing Mom," Charlotte replied. Charlotte liked when her grandparents came to Outpost Nineteen to see them. However, she preferred to be on Earth. This was also going to be her first time aboard a starship, "What's it like living on a starship?"

"Almost the same," Freya answered honestly. "The ship moves though so we'll see a lot more places than on a station or planet. There will be fewer kids your age on board though, so that'll take some getting used to."

Charlotte didn't mind that part, it wasn't like she had a terrible number of friends at the outpost. And, while there were probably more children there than the ship, it certainly wasn't by much. Very few families brought their children to live that far out. "Will there be boys there?" She asked.

Freya raised her eyebrows, "Boys?"

"Yes," Charlotte asked.

Freya shook her head, "Probably. But, you're too young to be thinking about boys."

"Mom..." Charlotte groaned as she pulled both straps to her bag over her shoulders. "I suppose I'll go say bye to Grandma and Grandpa." She knew her mother wanted to get off the planet as soon as possible. She just didn't understand why.

"I'll be in there in a moment," Freya said and watched her daughter leave the room. "Boys..." She muttered under her breath and shook her head one more time. Then Freya looked around one last time to make sure that Charlotte hadn't forgotten anything. Once she was satisfied, she joined her daughter in the living room once more.

 

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