Captain Weaver Sinclaire closed Emeri Vercheon’s old journal and tucked it away in one of the back pockets of her dark blue Trident uniform. She meditated on his words like they were sacred texts, searching for a morsel of renewed vigor as Trident’s leader. A cyclical year has passed since Trident was green lit, and it was a rough start, to say the least. Navigating through Nautrias’ waters was one thing, establishing diplomacy and trust with the Coalition community was a whole other turbulent environment in itself.
She lost good people. Some Trident members quit, others simply couldn’t handle the work. Only one member of her team died. Rear Admiral Omarkei told her that was a victory in on itself, but it certainly didn’t feel like one. Every time they were making great strides, there was always something waiting to take them several paces back. But the higher ups seemed to like their progress, and even went so far as to give them upgraded equipment and additional personnel.
“Would you like something to drink, Captain?” The waitstaff’s voice was high pitch, like nails to a chalk board for her augmented hearing.
She combed back a strand of her silver hair to quickly adjust the frequency nodule on the back of her left ear. She shooed the waitstaff away, her azure blue eyes flashing irritably. He bowed his head, apologized profusely for having existed in her bubble, then scurried off into the crowd like a timid gnarlfish.
Weaver was surprised at the turnout. There were only twenty Trident members, and the rest of the eighty-something in attendance were random USS officers, with some off-worlder contractors littered throughout. Drinks and conversation were flowing, whether seated at their designated tables, or wall flowering throughout the premises.
Some were even dancing to the
octogadian’s one-man band routine. It floated inside of a large water capsule, not because it couldn’t live on the surface, but because the music he played required a specific acoustic underwater. The speakers absorbing the sounds relayed what Weaver could best describe as upbeat whale songs with synthesized sounds of the deep. Each odd-looking instrument held in the octogadian’s many tentacles flickered with bioluminescence, adding a whole new dimension to the term: live instruments.
The entire area had a slight make over, a necessary renovation to accommodate for the higher ups in attendance. The giant mess hall’s usual spartan display was decked out with flair. USS, Trident, and Coalition banners hung from the high ceilings; The decorative colors of white, dark blue, and green symbolizing their partnership. Holographic light fixtures brought the area to life with colors that mimicked the deep blue seas. The sunset that glistened through the large windows, and the soft winds drifting from the balcony entranceways made it feel like a high end resort.
Chairs and tables were repositioned into a half circle to face a raised podium. A holographic display of the Trident’s emblem rotated in the background. Weaver cringed when she looked at the stage. She’d have to make a speech tonight, one that she only started preparing for this afternoon. The Captain suddenly regretted scaring the waitstaff away.
“I need a drink...” She sighed.