“Why here?” Nathan asked as he reached the row of step ladders. He was trying to establish some sort of rapport with her before hashing out their differences.
“I don’t know. I guess it’s because it’s the largest open space on the ship. I mean, everywhere else is so cramped. Well, not cramped really, just no wasted space, you know? It kind of boxes you in, compartmentalizes your thinking. Here, everything is wide open.” She looked down at him, standing at the bottom of the step ladder next to the one she was sitting on. “I know, it sounds stupid.”
“Actually, it sort of makes sense when you think about it.”
“So, what do you want, Nathan?”
“We’ve got to figure out how to make this work.”
“That’s easy,” she quipped. “Resign your commission.”
Nathan was pretty sure she was joking, but decided not to test her.
“You know,” he began as he started up the step ladder, “the captain asked me if you and I were together.”
“Oh God,” she exclaimed, realizing what he meant. “I hope you set him straight!”
“Of course I did,” he assured. “I mean, come on, you and I?”
“Please, you are so not my type,” she insisted.
“Me neither,” he agreed as he sat down at the top of the step ladder next to hers. “I mean, nothing personal,” he added, realizing he might have offended her. “I mean, you’re really cute and all but…”
“…You can shut up now, Lieutenant.”
“Okay, then. Moving on.” There was an uncomfortable moment of silence, as Nathan tried to figure out what to say. “Listen, I know you hate me. But we have to find a way to work together.”
“You’re right,” she agreed. “I do hate you.”
Nathan didn’t know how to react to that. Finally, he turned towards her to say something and noticed a big grin on her face. “Oh, that was real funny,” he admitted, a bit relieved.
“And it felt really good, too,” she laughed.
“Let’s be honest with each other,” Nathan suggested. “Let’s get everything out in the open.”
“I thought that’s what I was doing,” she added. He was making it too easy for her.
“Enough, already,” Nathan objected. “Okay, fine. Tell me what you hate about me.”
“You sure you’re ready? I mean, we could be here awhile.”
“Okay, let’s make it easier. Just give me your top three reasons.”
“You’re a cocky, arrogant, pretty little rich boy, and you’ve probably always gotten by on your charm, good looks, and your daddy’s money. And I seriously doubt that you’ve ever taken anything seriously your whole life.”
Nathan paused for a moment, a little taken aback. “Well. I’m pretty sure that was more than three reasons. But, I will admit that there is probably a little truth to some of that.”
“Some?”
“Okay, most.”
“Most?”
“Don’t push it, Ensign.” Nathan took a deep breath before continuing. “You’re right, about all of it, actually. But that was before I enlisted. Since I got into the Academy, I’ve actually been trying to do my best. For the first time that I can remember, I actually believe in something, I actually care about something.” He paused to look at her. “Something other than myself, I mean.”
“And I’m just supposed to believe you?”
“Well, I guess you don’t have to. But it is the truth.”
“Okay. Fair enough, I guess.” Cameron wasn’t quite sure what to believe. Nathan was opening up to her, which was something that she wasn’t used to, at least not from men. And certainly not from Nathan. Most guys had found her too cold and calculating to ever get close to her in any real sense of the word.
“So,” Nathan said, breaking another uncomfortable silence. “My turn?”
“Fair is fair.”
Nathan began an exaggerated ritual, rubbing his hands together and pretending like he was loosening up for something really big.
“Alright already! Out with it!”
“You’re cold and dispassionate, you refuse to admit when you’re wrong, and you’re always trying to prove to everyone that you’re better than me.”
They sat there for a few moments, each thinking about what the other had said, trying to decide what was true and to come to terms with it.
“Well, you make me sound like a real bitch,” Cameron mumbled.
“I wouldn’t say that. I may have overheard others toss that word around, but…”
Cameron cut him off with a slap of the back of her hand against his shoulder.
“I am not dispassionate,” she objected.
“Maybe that was the wrong word.”
“So what do we do?”
“I don’t know, call a truce maybe?”
“I guess I can live with that,” she resigned.
Nathan held out his hand, which Cameron reluctantly shook. “Alright then.”
Cameron rose from her perch and made her way down the step ladder. Once back on the deck, she turned back to Nathan. “You know, I wasn’t trying to prove that I’m better than you,” she explained as she turned to walk away. “I already know that I am.”
Nathan just smiled and watched her walk away, thinking, she really is a bitch.
It had been a long walk back to his quarters from the hangar bay. And all Nathan wanted to do was climb into his bunk and stay there. The day had been long and exhausting, at least emotionally if not physically. And he suspected that despite their truce, the next few days were not likely to be any easier.
Nathan was sure that he had done everything possible to try to work with Cameron. In fact, he had purposely avoided giving her a direct order whenever possible so as not to make her feel like anything other than an equal partner. But after listening to the captain, he was starting to wonder if that had been a mistake. Nathan had never cared much about rank. He followed and respected it, after all, the Fleet was a military organization. And like any other it depended on rank and discipline in order to function, which he understood fully well. But having rank had never meant much to him, personally. Of course, that could’ve been because until now he had always been pretty much at the bottom of the totem pole. Nathan liked his job. He loved piloting the ship. But as far as being in charge was concerned, it was starting to feel more like a punishment than a privilege.
“There you are!” Vladimir declared from his bunk as Nathan entered their quarters. “I was starting to wonder if you had fallen asleep in the simulator!”
“I’ve spent the last couple of hours being verbally assaulted,” Nathan explained as he took of his uniform shirt.
“What are you talking about?”
Nathan kicked off his shoes and fell onto his bunk, rolling over onto his back before continuing. “First, I was getting chewed out by the captain. Then I got an ear full from Cameron’s roommate.”
“The little red head?” Vladimir inquired. “She is full of fire, that one.”
“Yeah, tell me about it. Then, I had to do a little verbal jousting with Cameron in the hangar bay.”
“This does not sound like a good time,” Vladimir sympathized. “What did the captain want?”
“Let’s just say that if Cam and I don’t get our act together and start playing nice over the next few days, you’re gonna have a new roommate.”
“Bah! It will never happen, my friend. You will do fine, you will see.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure, Vlad. We’ve been screwing up the simulations left and right! If I was the captain, I wouldn’t let us fly a cargo shuttle, let alone a starship.”
“Nathan, you worry too much. These simulations they put you through, they are crazy! They could never happen! These people who make them, they are reading too much science fiction. Trust me on this, such things do not happen to people such as us.”
