Chapter Text
“You did see the look on his face, didn’t you?”
Sulu nodded. “I don’t think the inspector had told him about the ‘biocontainment failure’ yet.” Chopsticks scooped a healthy portion of ramen into his mouth and he carefully slurped up the tail of the noodle pile. Chewing, he found a couple of bits of seasoned tofu mixed in, a pleasant addition.
Miranda shook his head. “No, obviously not. She told me she’d called him in to discuss a paperwork irregularity. Unless you have really good engines, you don’t refuse to discuss paperwork with Customs when called on. Not on Earth, anyway.”
“No. Not on Earth.” Sulu had been plenty of other places where the authorities were a little on the lax side about the paperwork, but Earth, in the heart of the Federation, certainly wasn’t one of those places.
They ate in silence for several minutes, Sulu leaving space for Miranda to figure out what she might want to talk about. Sometime in the last day or two, he’d come to a decision about his own career path without realising it. Perusing the BuPers postings, he’d found one flagged to his attention. First officer on the Antilles sounded like it might be fun, for a while. But he doubted long-term patrols would bring him nearly the excitement or satisfaction of life on the Enterprise. He’d take second officer and chief helmsman there any day, if it was still open under her new Captain.
And he wasn’t the only one at the table who had decisions to make. He washed a mouthful of curried vegetables down with a sip of tea and broke the silence on his own. “So, where are you headed now?”
Swallowing before she was ready, Miranda looked down. “Haven’t quite figured that out yet.”
He’d figured that might be the case. In raw time, he didn’t feel like he was much older than she was, but they’d had different experiences, different lives. Very different. “Any thoughts?”
“Only that I do still like space, the idea of it anyway. I just can’t go back to what I was doing.”
He laughed, taking several seconds to get himself under control, and by the time he did, brand-new smile. “No, I suppose you can’t, although I strongly suspect the Tailor will be for sale soon.”
“Probably a little out of my price range. I think I have enough credit saved up that I could just barely get back home, and not have to work on the way there unless I want to. Haven’t seen my family a long time.”
That was a feeling Sulu knew well, and maybe something he should think about addressing while his leave lasted. “And then?”
“I don’t know.” She shrugged. “Actually, I don’t really know what my options might be. That’s something I’ll have to think about for a long time first.”
“Well, I watched you tear open a panel and re-program a cargo container’s control systems from scratch in about a minute, with no help and no tools, so I’d guess you’d make at least a fair engineering tech, if you are looking for a job.”
Miranda the snorted. “The Tailor might pass a civilian safety inspection every three years, but it’s a piece of junk. You learn to fix everything with nothing because that’s all you’ve got to work with.”
“It’s a good skill set. Add it to speed of execution and you might just have the makings of a really good starship engineer.”
“You’re not suggesting I join Starfleet, not with my background and record.”
Beyond the little bit she’d told him, Sulu really had no idea what her record might be. But she was still licensed, and still working, or had been until she resigned. And she had some skills. “I’m not suggesting anything, just telling you that there are options available. And if the idea of Starfleet worries you, there are lots more ships in the Federation than just Starfleet’s. The Merchant Service is always looking for bodies. Plus, you’ve got major interstellar liners and shipping companies. Even if you’d like to avoid smaller companies and traders. Or a station, if you don’t want to be cruising around the galaxy. Does Rodan Two have an orbital?”
“Not when I left. I think that might be too much like giving up and going home permanently, anyway, though it would be nice to see my parents. And regularly.” She shook her head. “What makes you think I can do any of those things, anyway? I’m licensed as a class III tech. Entry level rating.”
He shrugged “Exams are probably a whole lot easier to arrange than your last employer might have led you to believe. And even if they aren’t, I might suggest–” and here he raised an eyebrow– “that a written recommendation from a well-respected Starfleet officer with an excellent record might easily be enough to get a toe in the door before it slides closed.”
“Oh! I mean—really, Hikaru? You’d do that for me?”
He lifted his tea, already growing cold in the tiny cup. “I don’t know, you do have a nasty habit of getting me into trouble.” But he couldn’t keep a straight face and let the laughter free almost immediately. Miranda joined in. “In the meantime, I still have plenty of leave and lots of places left on my list. If you haven’t bought a ticket home yet, maybe you can come see some of them with me.”
