Nothing is Random...

Posted on 07 Apr 2016 @ 2:18am by Lieutenant Commander Adam Casey & Lieutenant Commander Camila Di Pasquale

2,938 words; about a 15 minute read

Mission: Outbreak
Location: New Risa
Timeline: MD 5

Amy and Maria Casey, 8 and 6 years old, were both excited as they looked around the whole shopping area of the Capital City, at least what they could see, and were both impressed. They were wearing bracelets which acted as both communicators and locators, and their father, Adam Casey, wasn't very far away from them. He could see them perfectly, and they knew to remain within distance, their bracelets alerting them if they strayed too far from Adam.

They went to run through the crowd, but stopped as they saw a young woman wearing clothes they had never seen before, with blue feathers on them. "Wow! Can I get something like that?" Amy asked the young woman, grinning. Adam, hearing them, shook his head as he approached them.

"Sorry about this. Kids, they're at an age where they want everything new." Adam said. "Adam Casey." He said, holding out his hand.

Camila looked around when she heard the kids and turned to spot the two little girls. "You can," she said as she offered them each a piece of red fruit she had just purchased before she looked up at the man. She looked him over and shook the offered hand and gave him a smile. "I hope you don't mind. The Tackalia fruit is very good and bred to have no allergens," she said. "Are they your daughters?" Her shirt moved and a glint of something metallic at her waist reflected in the sunlight as she turned.

Spotting the comm. badge, Adam smiled. "No, I don't mind at all." He said. "These are my angels. The tall one is Amy, and Maria is the younger one." He said, as the two girls accepted the fruit.

"Thank you." Both said in perfect unison. Adam smiled at them as they each bit into the fruit, grinning.

"It is a pleasure to meet you both," she said. "I'm Camila Di Pasquale. Are you here on vacation?"

"Yeah, papa brought us here on our first vacation!" Amy exclaimed.

"He taught me to swim better!" Maria added.

"So what ship you assigned to?" Adam asked. "I saw your comm. badge." He added. "Shore leave?"

A wary look crossed her face like a cloud that passed over the sun and she cleared her throat. After it had been revealed that Consortium agents had been found in the crews of many ships, including the Black Hawk, she had become more wary and alert. The feel of the Type I phaser hidden in a special holster at the small of her back gave her only slight reassurance. "I'd rather not discuss business while on vacation," she said before she looked back at the girls. "It is a great place to learn," she told Maria then turned to Amy. "I am certain you will have great memories for years to come."

Adam chuckled as the girls went to speak, but juice from the fruit dribbled down their mouths. Adam produced a handkerchief, and knelt down, wiping their mouths. "Well, that was my hope. I try not to let these two go without learning new things every day. When they're good, they get to go on holiday." He said. "Sorry, used to be in the fleet myself. Got kicked out, so to speak, mostly because of bureaucracy. One day, though, the girls might end up in the fleet. If they do, I'm hoping they'll learn to be science officers like me. Although destruction experts might be a better fit, given the usual state of their room at home."

"We know where everything is papa." Amy said.

"Yes, in the wrong place, young lady." Adam replied, before kissing her forehead. "What do you think of New Risa?"

"You got kicked out?" Camila raised an eyebrow. She had a sudden desire to be anywhere other than dealing with this man but she decided to stay for the moment. "New Risa is a wonderful place," she said. "Although a lot of people seem to be irritable. Too much fun in the sun and not enough relaxation."

"Yes. Chief Medical Officer was in a shuttle, went down on a pre industrial planet. Starfleet said to abandon him, I refused, stole a shuttle and saved him." Adam replied. "I think you're right about that, people always seem to be in a rush. One life lesson I've learnt is that you can't rush everything. We've been here about three weeks now."

"We saw animals, and mu...mu...old stuff!" Maria said.

"Like Papa!" Amy added. Adam immediately knelt down.

"What was that?" He asked.

"Nothing." Amy said, with an innocent smile. Standing back up, he looked at Camila. "Although with these two, racing seems to be their hobby." Adam explained. "Were you here for the Orchestra the other night?"

She didn't believe for a second that Starfleet would abandon one of her own and made a note to investigate the man the moment she got back to the ship, if Adam Casey was his real name. "No," she said. "I was climbing the rocks over at Salain Point with a friend of mine. I heard it was very nice. She laughed at the girls. "They're just too cute."

"Unfortunately I couldn't make it there. These two aren't really good at climbing. To be fair, neither am I. I would always spend more time studying the rocks than climbing them." Adam said. He smiled at the comment.

"Thank you Camila." Both girls said in perfect unison, looking shyly at the ground; an act they had perfected whenever anyone complimented them. They loved compliments, and they knew how to get them.

"I do it to keep my Search and Rescue training fresh," Camila said. "The holodecks are good, but nothing beats the real thing."

Adam nodded. "I understand that perfectly, believe me. Spent a few years in the fleet, using the holodecks. Soon as I'm out, I go to the beach and I immediately know the difference. Same with food, you learn the difference between real and replicated. It's one of the reasons I love to cook." He explained.

"Yes, there is a big difference," she agreed. "Still, when one spends months at a time between planetfall, it can be a very welcome relief just to get fresh air that hasn't been recycled a million times."

"Have you seen a sunset? They're gorgeous!" Amy exclaimed. "I love them. Papa let's me watch them before bed."

"You should see her paintings of them. She's a natural." Adam complimented, ruffling Amy's hair.

"I have," Camila told Amy. "I would love to see one of your paintings if we have time. Do you like to paint sunrises, too?"

"I love them. So many colors, orange, and yellow, and red, and green, and blue..." Amy said. "Papa, can we show Camila my paintings, can we?" She asked. Adam nodded, and removed a PADD from his bag. "Not the actual ones, they're back home with their aunt, but I always have pictures of them." He said, calling the paintings up on the PADD, and passing it to her. "And Maria is becoming quite a musician, trying to play the violin."

"Is that so?" Camila asked with interest as she looked at Maria. "I play violin, too!"

"I'm still trying. I can't make it sing much." Maria said. "But I'm getting better! Papa got me a new violin while we were here."

"It takes time," Camila said. "I was a little younger than you when I first started to play, but you get better with practice." She looked up at Casey and accepted the PADD to scroll through the images. "These are beautiful, Amy! I bet your Dad is so proud of you!"

"He is!" Amy said. Adam nodded.

"Couldn't be prouder of them. An artist and a musician. Every dad hopes their kids are amazing, and brags about it, but mine are...incredible." Adam agreed, looking at the girls. "Do you have kids?"

"No," Camila said. "I'm in a dangerous line of work and couldn't see myself having kids until I retire at the earliest." She looked around as if she expected a woman to approach them at any moment. "Where is their mother?"

Adam's smile vanished. "Five years ago, she was expecting our third. Unfortunately, there were...complications. She and the baby didn't make it." He said, quietly enough for Camila to hear, but not for the girls to hear. They were, of course, too busy enjoying their fruit.

"I'm sorry," Camila said. "It can't have been easy with that loss and raising them on your own while serving."

"Oh, I was out of the service just before they were born, so I didn't have that to worry about. To be honest, had I not been asked to resign, I would have done anyway. I grew up with my parents always busy, and I didn't want that when the kids were babies. I wanted to be there for everything." Adam explained. "I think they took the loss easier, though. They were so young, so didn't have many memories made. But they've been my rock since she died."

"I suppose that is a good thing, but she will always be with you if you remember her and keep her in your hearts," Camila said, showing wisdom beyond her years.

Adam nodded. "You're absolutely right. And I appreciate the sentiment as well." Adam said. "You'll definitely do well with wisdom such as yours. Starfleet was one of the best experiences of my life. Met my wife there. Learnt so much, experienced so much. And there's the good and the bad, and both will shape your future."

"Thank you," Camila said. "It is an amazing adventure."

"Speaking of an adventure, I promised these two that we'd go shopping. You're welcome to walk with us, if you like." Adam offered.

"I have a few minutes," Camila said, but she wanted to find out more about the man. "What ship did you serve on prior to your forced retirement?"

"The Lagos." Adam replied. "Excelsior class. Good ship. There are days when I miss it, to be honest. Met my wife there, she had been serving in Engineering when I was aboard."

"How did you end up here in the Gamma Quadrant?" Camilas asked, curious since the wormhole was closed and Deep Space 11 was still under Consortium control.

"Been here for a few weeks on holiday, actually. It was definitely fun, but these two need to head back to school." He said, smiling as they walked along.

She shook her head. "If I were you, I would extend your vacation a bit," she said.

"I'm sure these two would love that." Adam said, with a small smile. "They love it here. And I'll be honest, it's tempting, what with the art gallery showing new pieces next week."

Obviously, the man hadn't heard of the recent events and she wondered if she should inform him, or if he was a very good actor. The children with him seemed oblivious, but even Bast hadn't acted differently under the end. "It would be a wonderful experience for them, then they could get caught up on school once you returned."

Adam nodded. "A valid point. I can't deny that I really want to see the exhibit." He agreed. "And those two would love it." He added. He smiled as he saw an art supplies store. "I should get some more supplies as well." He said.

"That's a good idea," Camila said as she walked beside of them. "I would also look into getting some violin sheet music if you can find a music store."

Adam nodded. "Good idea." He said, as they reached the art store. "Alright girls, have a look, see what you want." He told them. They ran into the store, and looked around carefully, looking at the paints, pencils and different supplies. "You ever do much artwork?" He asked.

"Other than playing violin, no," Camila told him. "I've barely had time to do that recently."

"I can just imagine how busy being on a ship can be." Adam said. "Still, you should always make time for the important things in life, such as a hobby. Helps keep perspective. My wife, she spent a lot of time in the engine room of the Lagos, but also made sure there was time to play the piano."

"I do when I have time," Camila said. "Lately, things have taken a bit of a turn and I've just been promoted to chief of my department and have had to find a new assistant. As you can imagine, that can take up a lot of time in handling new responsibilities."

"Congratulations." Adam said, as he picked up a drawing pad. "I remember how busy I was when I was the head of a department. Forever busy, writing reports, evaluations...keeps things interesting though. Being on Earth is good, but doesn't offer any new experiences. It's all theory and supposition. Price we pay for our choices, but I wouldn't take mine back."

"I have not been back to Earth in four years," Camila said. "Once I finished Academy, I was immediately sent out to the Gamma Quadrant."

"Do you miss it?" Adam asked, as the girls picked up an assortment of paints.

"Papa, can we have these?" Amy asked. Adam nodded.

"Yes, you can." He said. "I spoil them too much sometimes."

"If you cannot spoil your own children, who can you spoil?" Camila asked him. "As for Earth, I do miss it at times, but I am seeing things that few people there have seen before."

Adam couldn't help but smile. "That's the beauty of exploration: You get to see things first." He agreed. "Every day I see something new, I take a moment to appreciate it."

"It sounds like a good philosophy," Camila said. "I try to take the moments when I can."

"See, the way I look at life is that you should always cherish every moment, because they'll never come again." Adam said, as he paid for the items he and the girls had picked up.

"That is another good philosophy. You are wise for your years," she said as a compliment. "Where did you pick up such bits of wisdom?"

"Experience, mostly. You learn a lot both in the fleet, and as a parent." Adam replied, as the shopkeeper handed his items to him in a bag. "I found that life has never worked out the way I thought it would, but I wouldn't change anything."

"I learned to expect the unexpected, so I never really have expectations of how something will go," Camila said. "Even then, I still get surprises from time to time. Some good, some bad, but they are all surprises for the most part."

"Well, surprises are a natural part of life. I think that by being surprised, our minds show they are open to new ideas and possibilities. That's what the journey of life is about, expanding our horizons, not just exploring new worlds." Adam said. He loved being in scientist mode, of course, and theories and ideas were his specialty.

"You sound like you have a lot of experience doing so," Camila said. "Have you ever thought about doing it once more?"

"I am considering taking a ship to explore, if I can get one." Adam said, as they left the shop. "If you're talking about returning to the fleet, I doubt I would be welcome." He said. He sighed. "A friend of mine was the Chief Medical Officer of the Lagos, and was heading back to the ship. For some reason, there was a problem, and his shuttle had to crash land on a pre warp planet, hell a pre industrial planet. Starfleet wanted to abandon him, and tell him to destroy the shuttle. I refused, took a shuttle, and saved him. Then I decked the XO who wanted to bust me out of the fleet. I decided if I was gonna be busted out, I'd leave on my terms." He explained.

"He must be a very lucky man," Camila said as she purchased a bolt of colorful cloth which she figured could be used for something in one of her musical acts. "There are other ships out there, you know."

Adam nodded. "Indeed there are. It's just finding the right one. I think, as soon as I have found the right ship, I'll be back out there, the girls with me, exploring and studying. Between you and me, I have missed it a lot." He admitted, with a small smile.

"Just make sure that you know the people you are with before you sign on," she said. "You want to ensure the safety of the girls first and foremost."

Adam smiled. "Anyone tries doing anything to harm those two, they'll quickly learn how dangerous an angry father can be." He replied. "You're right, their safety is first and foremost." He added, as Amy and Maria spotted a clothing store, and ran at it full speed. "I think they found a shop they want."

Camila checked a nearby chrono and groaned. "I would like to chat more, but I promised a friend that I would meet them soon. Take care and do well by the girls and they will do well by you," she said.

Adam smiled. "Thank you. It's been a pleasure Camila. Look after yourself and stay safe." He said.

"Bye Camila." Both girls said in unison, quickly hugging her.

With a smile, she headed off with the intent to get more fruit juice and alcohol that she and Temerant had purchased the night before.

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