Back In The Saddle (Sort Of)

Posted on Friday April 12th, 2019 @ 12:54am by Captain Cayne Morrigan
Edited on on Thursday May 23rd, 2019 @ 11:07am

Mission: Welcome to Union Mining Station Number 42
Location: Planetary Union Headquarters
Timeline: July 23rd, 2421

ON:

Captain Cayne Morrigan had not always been the man he was today. At one point he had been a celebrated Captain among the Planetary Union. He had been at the forefront of the Union’s fleet. He was one of their most trusted, most dedicated and most successful officers. The golden boy. That was not the case anymore. Now they whispered behind his back about what a monster he was, people hid their children from him and crossed the street to get away. His gaze was often met with fear. Cayne didn’t really care, or let any of that bother him, although he did often wish that he could just get a bagel and a cup of coffee without the judgement.

It had been a few years since Cayne had stepped foot inside the Planetary Union building and not been in some sort of restraints. It felt sort of strange to be stepping onto the elevator without a police escort, much less to make his way to the admiral’s office under his own steam and of his own volition, even though he wasn’t really sure what they wanted with him. Life had not been super kind to Cayne, since his fall from grace, and he hoped that maybe this might be his way back into the good graces of the Planetary Union. If they offered he would take it. No matter what. He had no choice really. He needed a place to stay.

He stood at the admiral’s door for just a moment before he knocked once and tried the handle. It was unlocked and Cayne only opened it far enough for him to stick his head inside. “Admiral Dent?”

Admiral Dent looked up from his desk, his eyes meeting Cayne’s for a brief second through the slightly open doorway. It wasn’t really the meeting he was totally looking forward to today, but for now it would have to be done. He motioned for Cayne to enter the office and stood from behind his desk. When Cayne had stepped through the doorway the Admiral sat again and pointed to the chair across from the desk. “Sit.”

Cayne Morrigan sat. He also didn’t comment on the fact that the Admiral offered no salute and no handshake. At one point these two men would have had a drink together, now the Admiral barely looked at him.

“Do you know why you’re here?” the Admiral asked. He was also busily shuffling papers in the stacks of papers on his desk. He appeared to be looking for something.

Cayne’s eyes widened slightly as if he might be considering this question and his lips pursed together in a tight line that was clearly sarcastic. He opened his mouth to speak, paused, and shook his head. “No, Sir. I do not know why I’m here.”

Admiral Dent had been gathering a small stack of papers from the piles of papers and he now set them on the one clear spot on his desk, right in front of himself. He set them down with a little bit of force and leveled a look across the desk at Cayne. Cayne Morrigan. Captain Cayne Morrigan. Cayne’s rise to glory still had people talking and his fall from grace was so dark that the Planetary Union had been forced to work hard to bury the full extent of it. “You… are not off the hook,” the Admiral said sternly. “But we need you. We have a place we need you to go.” As he spoke he wrinkled his nose. “There’s a mining station that orbits around a planet called Shurn 6. We’ve had mining rights for awhile now…” He started to sniff the area around himself, even going so far as to lean over to check his trash. “We had a guy in there, but there’s been a little trouble and now we need someone to replace him. Look there’s already… do you smell that… there’s already an Executive Officer so you don’t even have to pick…”

Cayne sat back in the chair a little, his lips tightening in that sarcastic line again. He rubbed at the overgrown facial hair on his chin and coughed a little.

Admiral Dent frowned and looked at him then down at the papers and then back up at Cayne, his eyes narrowing. “You need a shave and a shower.” His nose was still wrinkled. “We’re sending you out there to take over as Commanding Officer.”

Cayne’s eyebrows furrowed. He was a little confused by what the Admiral had just said and wasn’t sure if maybe he had misunderstood something. “Commanding Officer, Sir?”

“Did I stutter?” the Admiral asked, his nose was still wrinkled in disgust. He picked up a can of some sort of air freshener and sprayed it into the air. “You’re the only man we have for this job. Do you want it or not? We can send you back to the prison colony if you like.”

“I’ll take it,” Cayne said quickly. He wasn’t about to pass up anything.

“Good. Excellent. God’s sake man, get a hotel room and shower.” The Admiral made shooing gestures with the small pile of papers.

Cayne didn’t move. “I just have a few questions, Sir.”

Admiral Dent did not look amused. “Make it snappy.”

“Do I stay in one of your facilities until my flight?” He assumed he was going to be picked up by a ship and ferried to the station. “And what happened to the other guy? The guy you had at this station?”

“You’d better stay at one of our facilities... Get a haircut. Get a good night’s sleep. Get a uniform and ship out day after tomorrow. The USS Edison is docked now and waiting for you. They leave tomorrow night. Be on that ship.”

Cayne nodded. At least one of his problems was solved. He stood. “Offices still in the same place?”

Admiral Dent did not stand. “Yes.” He started to go back to his paperwork.

“Admiral, you never answered my other question.” Cayne took several steps toward the door.
Admiral Dent stopped writing, but he didn’t look up. He sighed. It was an exasperated noise. “He died,” he replied simply.

“Excuse me?” Cayne asked, his eyes widening.

A man in uniform opened the door to the office abruptly, nearly hitting Cayne with the door in the process. “Oh, sorry. Admiral, I have the paperwork that you requested. I just need your signature.” He made his way around Cayne to the Admiral’s desk and held out a computer pad to him.

The Admiral looked up and realized Cayne was still standing there. “Captain, you’re dismissed.” He took the pad from the other man.

“Wait… though. You… you said he died?” Cayne didn’t seem to be getting the picture.

“Yes, Captain. He died,” the Admiral replied and started to seemingly sign off on items on the pad.

The man who had brought the pad looked over his shoulder at Cayne. “Oh… for the station?”

Admiral Dent nodded.

“I thought Commander Wilkes was killed,” the man pointed out. He looked curiously at Admiral Dent and then back at Cayne.

Cayne’s eyebrows had shot up and were now adding to his deer in the headlights look he had going on. “K-killed?” Cayne had spent time in prison. He wasn’t interested in being killed. Although, his current situation was rather desperate.

Admiral Dent nodded. “He was killed. I believe the Executive Officer survived the riot though.”

“You mean the Executive Officer I don’t have to pick?” Cayne asked, his facial expression was unchanged. “He died. I’m replacing a dead man…” He seemed to be trying to work this out.

Admiral Dent was tired of him. “Take this… or go back to prison, Cayne.”

The other man had apparently been thinking about the station. “Didn’t the crew mutiny?” he asked Admiral Dent.

Cayne couldn’t even say anything, he just made a surprised clicking noise.

Admiral Dent chuckled. To Cayne it was an evil sound, as if the Admiral was enjoying this. Which he was. “Actually, the miners from the planet mutinied and overran the station. They killed most of the crew. Our people, anyway. We're still scrubbing the former station commander off the deck plating and bulkheads.”

“Oh my,” the other man exclaimed. “What happened there? Wasn’t he a Jelly?”

Admiral Dent nodded. "Have you ever wondered what would happen if you put a Jelly in a microwave oven?"

Cayne seemed to suddenly find his voice. “HE FUCKING DIED??” Proving that he had not really moved past that part in the first place.

Admiral Dent stood from behind his desk, looking serious. “Get out, Cayne. If you don’t get out right now, I’m going to change my mind and you’re going to be leaving here in a more familiar way.” He meant in cuffs.

Cayne blinked at him and bolted from the office.

:OFF