Good Morning

Posted on Tue Jun 30th, 2015 @ 12:07pm by Commander Eliana Masters

Mission: Paradise Lost
Location: Starbase 80 - Eliana's Quarters
Timeline: After "A Prophecy Fulfilled"

ON:

A flicker of candlelight danced along the walls, casting a host of shadows on the opposite wall. The dim scene would have been much brighter, but of the four candles perched on the shelf overlooking the room, two had burned out at some point during the night. An intricate stalagmite made of candle wax overlooked a bed with a solitary figure sleeping comfortably in it. An overturned book was the only other break in the room from the right angles and straight lines so favored by the interior designers at the shipyards.

Somewhere in the dimly lit interior of her bedroom, a loud groan unceremoniously marked the advent of another day. Eliana was just beginning to wake up. The sound of rainfall and the distant rumble of thunder was barely audible, a sound that did not match the view out of the window. It helped her sleep.

Stumbling through the darkness, the El Aurian used what little information she had memorized about her scarcely used quarters to guide her along from location to location. This was as far removed from the definition of a structured morning routing as it was possible be. She was half dressed and half awake, dropping what little clothing she had on in a trail leading towards the shower.

“These 0600 show times are going to be the death of me.”

Slowly but surely, little by little, she began to wake up. Hot water fell from the heavens and followed the contours of her body until gravity returned it to the plumbing from whence it came. A short time later, she stepped out of the shower, looking through the door into the bedroom. The temptation to give up and go back to bed grew a little stronger each day, but willpower was winning the battle thus far. She took a look at herself in the mirror, grasping her stomach while imagining an extra twenty pounds here or there. It was enough to serve as her daily motivation to keep going to the gym.

Well, at least, it was a reminder to avoid the red velvet cake.

Unless, of course, there was cream cheese frosting.

Willpower has its limits.

"Should we try the comfortable pants, the 'I'm bloated and carrying a lot of water weight' pants, or the 'why yes, I do work out and my ass is fabulous' pants today?" she asked aloud. "Easy choice, am I right? High five, self!" It was then, and only then, that a moment of realization and self evaluation passed.

"Yeppers Ellie, you are still tragically lame at the end of the day. Sexy too, but really lame," she nodded to herself in them mirror.

Somewhere along the way, Masters had been told that successful people often talk to themselves. What she hadn't been told is that most of them keep the dialogue internal, but at five thirty in the morning in front of the dresser in a private room, even the harshest judge would dismiss this little outburst.

Eliana put her pants in the same way that everyone else who wore pants did that morning. This simple act served as a reminder to her to treat everyone individually and fairly. At the same time, the pips she pinned to her collar reminded her of the responsibility and authority that she carried. The uniform jacket reminded her that she was a member of a team, and the bracelet on her wrist had the words "humility and compassion" engraved into it in several languages, reminding her of the kind of person she strived to be.

Masters set off for the flightline. The clock in the flight operations lobby read 0547 as she walked through the doors. It was a minute or two later than usual, but if anyone had noticed, they were doing a marvelous job of keeping it hidden.

"Good morning everyone, let's get after it today. Make the most of it," Masters announced with a smile.

It was going to be a good day.

OFF:

CMDR Eliana Masters
Director of Flight Operations
Second Officer
Starbase 80