Signs and Portents

Posted on Thu Oct 22nd, 2009 @ 4:49am by Lieutenant JG Drew O'Connell

837 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Shoreleave - Welcoming Old Friends and New
Location: O'Connell Home, Galway Ireland, Earth
Timeline: Current

Drew had placed his head in the crook of his elbow as he laid his heavy head down on the table. Within a few minutes, he had fallen asleep, snoring lightly as a result of the Guinness he'd consumed plenty of. He had intended to wait for his younger brother, but having drown his cares in the stout had caused his eyelids to grow heavy.

Drew sat on the cold metal bleachers on a warm spring day. With some confusion, he looked around and spotted the Golden Gate Bridge, the grounds of the Presidio beyond the assembled group of people around him and realized he was at Starfleet Academy. Recognizing the set-up for the coming event, Drew also realized he was at Academy graduation. Again, he was struck by curiosity of whom he could be there for.

Pomp and circumstance began playing and Drew felt a warm hand on his right bicep. He turned to look, finding his Aunt Evelyn standing there, tears in her eyes. She looked older and more careworn that when he'd last seen her. "Never thought this day would come, did ya?" she asked in that sing-song Irish accent.
Drew agreed easily, knowing the words were his, would be his. "Aye, Ev, who would have thought Ian would be graduating top of his class?"

"Drew?" It was his name and the sound that interrupted Andrew O'Connell's bizarre dream.

Drew lifted his head to see Ian hovering over him, a confused and concerned look in his eyes. "Yeah," he responded, unable to think clearly through the fog of alcohol.

"What are ya doin' down here?" Ian asked.

"Waiting for you, kiddo." Looking at the clock on the kitchen mantle, Drew asked, "Why are you so late?"

Ian's eyes went from confused and concerned to excited as he described his night. "We headed down to O'Malley's Pub this afternoon, me and the guys, to get some early dinner. Robert and Ellen caught up with us after. We headed down in the retail district when this old street vehicle came barreling down it. It nearly cut David in half. Anyway, this old man was driving it, said it was an old Earth car...Planetary security showed up and drug him off. It was pretty brilliant."

"Brilliant," Drew echoed.

"So why are you waitin' for me?"

"We need to talk, Ian. Captain Lange stopped by today," Drew paused seeing the look in his brother's eyes. "It's fine, I'm not in trouble. At least, not yet. She did have a point that I want to talk to you about."

"And that would be?"

"I think you should stay here. On Earth. With Evelyn," Drew stated as succinctly as possible.

Ian's face screwed up in complete confusion this time. "Why?"

Drew smiled gently at his brother, watching the boy he'd been so at odds with become this young man he had started to gain a respect for was exciting. Little more than a year ago, Ian would have whined or thrown a tantrum. Now he stood expectantly awaiting a logical answer. "Starships are dangerous business, Ian. It's not fair of me to drag you from one to the next, hoping that we don't end up vaporized by the Borg or thrown to the ends of the galaxy by aliens. Being here with Aunt Ev would be safer."

Ian looked doubtful. "You've had her black pudding, Drew. So you honestly think it would be safer here?"

They O'Connell boys shared a laugh over the one disgusting thing Evelyn cooked and forced on them both. When they had finished, Drew pressed on. "Seriously, Ian. I'd prefer if you stayed here."

Ian took a moment to consider his response. When he said it aloud, Ian looked almost as surprised as Drew. "To hell with that. The Archimedes may be dangerous, but the Breen wiped out a swath of land on Northern America not even a decade ago. It's no safer walking on the streets of Galway than on that ship. I could have been mowed down that that old man's car tonight. What's the difference between being run over and being vaporized? Dead is dead."

Drew considered the sixteen year old's response. He had no counter to the argument. "So you would choose to go back to the Archimedes?"
"It may not offer a sixteen year old much, but it's still better than Galway. I mean, what am I gonna do with my life here? Catch fish? Runt he farm?"
"What do you want to do?"

"I don't know...I'm sixteen. College, maybe Starfleet..."

The confession was like a slap to the face. Drew had never known Ian had any desire to join Starfleet. If that was the case, there could be no better place for him than a Starfleet vessel. "So then it's settled, you'll come back to the Archimedes."

"It's settled."

Drew smiled again. "Good, then help me to my room. I'm a bit too drunk to manage it alone."

 

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