=Captain's Ready Room=
=U.S.S. Jameson=
As soon as the Jameson, Qashqai and Raptor returned to Unity with
the shipyard, Rick beamed aboard the SCE vessel and made his way
to the bridge. He was informed that the man formerly known as
Captain Grey Richards was in the ready room waiting for Rick.
When Rick entered, he saw Trevor Wright sitting, more like leaning
back at his desk in the darken room with some form of music Rick
had never heard before playing softly in the background. Rick found
the harmony strange.
"Commander," Wright said with his eyes closed, obviously enjoying
the music as his head swayed with the rhythm.
"Sir," Rick said, respecting the man, even though Wright was not
a captain or even a starfleet officer.
"Do you like Tholian music, commander?" Wright asked.
"Is that what that is?" Rick thought out loud. "This is first time I ever
heard it."
"Few have," Wright finally opened his eyes. "Computer, pause music."
The room became silent, with the exception the usual sounds heard on
a starship.
"I discovered it about 30 years ago. I found it very relaxing," Wright
continued, then looked up at Rick. "I needed relaxation. I had to
many ideas on my mind. Too many theories. Too many projects.
After awhile, it just became too much to deal with."
Rick took a seat in a chair in front of the desk.
"Is that why you fake your death?" Rick asked.
"For the most part," Wright admitted. "I got burnt out. I became
my work. That's all I had and it was consuming me. But I couldn't stop.
I was so damn addicted. I had these ideas that I needed to expand on.
Too many ideas."
Wright rubbed his forehead just beneath his white hair.
"I was still working on projects for starfleet, but most of the time,
I was doing it for myself," Wright added. "And I couldn't stop. So
I needed not only to disappear, but to become someone else. When
Grey Richards died, it was just so easy to become him. Like me, he
didn't have family and few people really knew him."
Wright placed his hands on the desk and looked away from Rick.
"I really liked being him," Wright nodded. "And being him kept me
busy. Too busy to let my mind wonder to my old life ... my old
work. I was content."
"You can't hide who you are," Rick said.
Wright sharply looked at Rick.
"Don't tell me what I can or can't do. I was making vast improvements
to transporter technology and tinkering with transwarp drives when
your father was still sucking his thumb in his crib. Maybe even before
that."
"I not telling you what you can do," Rick said. "I just saying you are
who you are. You can't deny it."
Wright rubbed his head again.
"I apologize, commander. I didn't mean to snap at you like that," Wright
said.
"Not necessary," Rick responded.
"So what happens now?" Wright asked.
"I suppose that up to Commodore Guzman to decide," Rick said,
not knowing of recent developments. "Though in end, I suppose
starfleet and federation authorities will have final say."
Wright nodded as he and Rick both stood.
"I suppose I should hand over command to the XO," Wright said.
"I'll then place myself under arrest for impersonating a starfleet
officer. After that ..."
Wright walked around the desk, shaking Rick's hand before heading
toward the exit.
"Commander?" Wright said with his back to Rick.
"Sir?"
"Do you have a family?"
"Yes. A wife and daughter and another child on the way."
"Good. Then maybe you won't burn yourself out like I did."
Wright headed on out to the bridge, while Rick remained behind for
a few minutes longer.
"Computer ... resume music."
Commander Rick Rodgers
Engineering Officer
Starbase Unity
and
Trevor Wright (npc by Rick)
formally known as Captain Grey Richards
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