The following chapter is from Talia's perspective.
This ongoing sci-fi series will contain non-consensual elements.
I was in a rush, and running with a small bag slung over my shoulder. The hot Martian air wasn't something I was going to miss, I thought as I rounded a corner. There before me was the ship I would be serving on. She was called the UEN Calypso, and I took a moment to appreciate the sight of her. She had only recently been commissioned and we would be taking her on her maiden flight. It was my first posting, which gave me a mixture of nervousness and excitement.
"Ensign Keynes?" I was asked as I made my way onto the parade ground.
"Yes," I said, hurriedly.
He checked my name off a digital pad and let me through.
"Your running late," he called out, as I sprinted across the paved surface.
All the crew had been told to report there for a briefing. Unfortunately for me, I had overslept and was now paying the price. I quickly tied my shoulder-length blonde hair into a ponytail as I reached the assembled people. I was breathless and tried to hide it.
The crew were there in their dark blue uniforms, standing in rows. I should have been up the front with the officers but all I could do now was slink into the back. My new captain was on a makeshift stage talking to the assembled people. All I could hope was that she hadn't seen my entrance. Her name was Emrah Jackson, and she was someone that I admired greatly. There weren't many female captains in the UEN and I had hoped I would be posted to this ship. I watched from the back as she told us that we were going on a shakedown mission, which would be followed up by some months of patrolling the border.
It went on for another ten minutes and then we were dismissed. There was a band that started to play as the crew started to file towards the ship.
"Excuse me," I said, as I weaved my way through the people. I needed to find Lieutenant Carrington. He was the chief communications officer and my direct superior on this mission.
Unfortunately for me, he was the one to find me, and he stopped me with a hand on my shoulder.
"Running late, were we?" he asked, in a brusk manner.
"Sorry, Sir," I said.
He nodded. "Let's hope our Captain, didn't notice." He told me to find my quarters and stow my gear.
It wasn't the best start, but I hoped with all the surrounding excitement it would be forgotten. For the previous two nights, I had thoroughly studied the layout of the ship and knew it by heart. I found my quarters easily. Usually ensigns shared quarters, but on this ship, I had been given my own room. I guessed it was because I would be the sole female junior officer onboard.
The Calypso despite its name, was a combat vessel, and as such, my room was very small, but it was mine, and that gave me some pride. I spent some time sorting the things from my bag. It was an odd feeling being on board, in the academy I had my classmates to talk to, and trainers to tell me what to do. This was the real thing though, and my mouth went dry thinking about what it would be like to serve on the bridge.
I had a small porthole and with not much else to do, I sat with my face glued to it. I watched as the refuelling lines were disengaged, and then my heart skipped as I felt the rumble of the engines being fired up. Some ships had large observation decks that the crew could go to to watch the ship leaving the planet. The Calypso didn't, but I was satisfied to witness it through the small window.
It was a wonderful feeling that I knew I would never be able to forget. I was now an officer in the United Earth Navy.
***********
My duties would start the following day, but then that evening I got a call on my comms device to report to the Captain's office. My heart dropped and I wondered if I was going to be formally rebuked for my tardiness.
With a lump in my throat, I made my way up decks to finally meet the woman I admired.
"It's Talia, isn't it?" she asked, warmly as I entered.
"Yes, Ma'am," I said, with a little relief in my heart. She wasn't the strict officer I had imagined, she had a smile on her face and offered me her hand.
"What do you think of the ship?" she asked, as she returned to her desk.
"It's wonderful, Ma'am."
It wasn't just the layout of the ship I had been studying, but also her record. She was thirty-nine years old and had spent most of her life in the UEN. I couldn't deny that I also felt a physical attraction to her too. She might have been twice my age, but there was something about women in positions of power that gave me nice feelings. With that said I still felt more than a little intimidated by her presence.
"Wonderful, I like that," she said. "There are two things I like about my officers. The first is their timekeeping."
My cheeks suddenly flushed with blood, and I didn't know where to look.
"And the second is not to be so worried about making mistakes." A smile appeared on her face, and she told me to relax. She went on to tell me that she allowed the female officers to wear their hair down.
Instinctively my hand went up to my ponytail, but she chuckled and told me that I didn't have to do that now.
"Anything you would like to ask me?"
"Nothing, Ma'am," I said, and immediately regretted not having a suitable question.
"Very well, Talia Keynes, you are dismissed."
I nodded and made my way out. She couldn't have been nicer but I felt like I had screwed up.
***********
Two weeks had passed into our voyage, and according to most of the crew, nothing had happened. For me though lots had. I got my first taste of being on the bridge which I think I conducted in an okay manner. I was also getting to know people and thankfully didn't have to eat my meals alone. As for the Captain, I hadn't seen her much. I was on the night shift for most of the time, and thus never got a chance to interact with her. Most if not all of the crew respected her, and as for me, I thought she was wonderful.
That wasn't the case for Lieutenant Carrington. He was becoming somewhat of a problem for me. It first started on the bridge one night. He was showing me something on the comms display when he held his hand against the small of my back. At first, I dismissed it, but then it happened again. As the days went on, he found more excuses to touch me. A hand on my shoulder or him brushing up against me in the corridor. I tried to drop hints that I was a lesbian, but that did nothing to dissuade him.
I thought about going to the captain, but it would be my word against his. Besides, it's not like he had tried to force himself on me. I just tried to get on with my job and not let it interfere with my duties. We had completed our shakedown mission and were now conducting patrols along the UEN border of the free systems. We were looking for pirates that often would try to cross the border for raids.
One night on the bridge I received an encrypted transmission. It came from our side of the border, but because it was coded I had to report it. It could have been from a pirate vessel or a UEN ship. As it could be classified information the correct procedure was to hand it directly to a senior officer. That meant I had to take it to Carrington's quarters myself. It put me in a quandary as with all that had been going on, the last place I wanted to go was his room where he was sleeping. Then a thought occurred to me, it could be any senior officer.
I made my way off the bridge and towards the Captain's quarters.
