[Telemachus: Drabbles] "Brotherly Advice (and Nagging)"/"Sisterly Gratitude (and Sarcasm)" [G]
Title: Brotherly Advice (and Nagging)
Prompt: writerverse challenge #39 ‘amnesty’ (challenge #21 ‘dear john’)
Word Count: 323 (not including salutations)
Rating: G
Original/Fandom: original (Telemachus, sci-fi set 23rd century)
Pairings (if any): none
Warnings: none
Summary: Tim Winslow’s older brother leaves her a letter when she ships out for her first assignment.
Note(s): originally posted to the writerverse wv_bookclub
Brotherly Advice (and Nagging)
Dear Tim,
I snuck this into your carryall before you left this morning. I figured you could use a pleasant surprise for your first day aboard ship.
I know you’re going to be fantastic out there. You’ve wanted to be a Space Fleet officer your whole life (I should know, I was there) so I know you can handle it. But I do have some advice, if you’re interested, not just as your big brother but as a spaceman who did his shipboard service only two years ago.
First, go find your assigned escape pod and space suit, right away. They’ll pull a drill on you, probably in the middle of the night, so be ready. They’ll tell you it’s about proving yourselves early on, and learning which of you midshipmen are the leaders, which ones are prepared. And it probably is. But it’s probably just as much that the officers like throwing us all off-balance right off the bat. So learn where you need to go, and how to get there, and you’ll be one of the ones they’ll keep an eye on (in a good way, of course). Knowing you, though, you’ll probably just memorize the ship’s schematics as soon as you can get ahold of them. I can never remember that kind of thing, but with a brain like yours, maybe that’s not such a bad idea.
Second, don’t take on too much at once. I know what you’re like, Tim. You’ll get all excited about science and discovery, and you’ll forget you’re only human. And coffee is not a substitute for sleep. I may only be a second-year med student, but I still outrank you, midshipman. Maybe you’ll be able to get one over on your ship’s medical officer, but not on your brother.
And be careful, okay? I might- possibly, and just a little- miss you. Mom, Dad and everyone send their love. See you at commencement, if not sooner.
Love,
James
Title: Sisterly Gratitude (and Sarcasm)
Prompt: writerverse challenge #39 ‘amnesty’ (challenge #21 ‘dear john’)
Word Count: 318 (not including salutations)
Rating: G
Original/Fandom: original (Telemachus, sci-fi set 23rd century)
Pairings (if any): none
Warnings: none
Summary: Tim writes back to thank her brother for his advice.
Note(s): originally posted to the writerverse wv_bookclub
Sisterly Gratitude (and Sarcasm)
[TO: Ens. James T. Winslow]
[FROM: Midn. Timothea J. Winslow]
Dear James,
Thank you for the letter. It was nice to come back to after my (very long) first day aboard. And I’ve worked on a ship before! I can only imagine how hard it was for some of the kids in my class who’ve only ever been passengers on passenger liners. There’s one who’d never actually been in space before, can you believe that?
It’s a lot of hard work, being a midshipman. As you know, we’re the bottom of the ladder, so there’s a lot of people telling us what to do. But I can’t imagine doing anything else. I have to start at the bottom, just like everyone else, but I’ll make captain before you know it. And definitely before you do.
Also, thanks for the advice, big brother (note: that was sarcasm). I knew where my life pod was before I even got aboard, and I haven’t been issued an EVA suit yet. So far, we’ve only had a battle stations drill, and I made it to my post before the lieutenant did!
Of course coffee isn’t a substitute for sleep, it’s an alternative. Some things are just too interesting to sleep through, Jimbo. On the other hand, you work with the dead, so there’s not usually a rush, is there?
It’s possible I might miss you, too. Last year, there were three of us at the Academy- it was almost like home. Keep an eye on Angie Rose for me, will you? And let Billy know that we’ll be in comm range for another month, three weeks at the least, so if he still needs help with his chemistry homework, I’ll be able to reply to his messages right away.
Send my love back to Mom, Dad and everyone. Write again, it’s easier than trying to get comm time on a ship this big.
See you sooner than commencement (we do get leave, you know).
Love,
Tim
Current Mood:
snowy
Prompt: writerverse challenge #39 ‘amnesty’ (challenge #21 ‘dear john’)
Word Count: 323 (not including salutations)
Rating: G
Original/Fandom: original (Telemachus, sci-fi set 23rd century)
Pairings (if any): none
Warnings: none
Summary: Tim Winslow’s older brother leaves her a letter when she ships out for her first assignment.
Note(s): originally posted to the writerverse wv_bookclub
Brotherly Advice (and Nagging)
Dear Tim,
I snuck this into your carryall before you left this morning. I figured you could use a pleasant surprise for your first day aboard ship.
I know you’re going to be fantastic out there. You’ve wanted to be a Space Fleet officer your whole life (I should know, I was there) so I know you can handle it. But I do have some advice, if you’re interested, not just as your big brother but as a spaceman who did his shipboard service only two years ago.
First, go find your assigned escape pod and space suit, right away. They’ll pull a drill on you, probably in the middle of the night, so be ready. They’ll tell you it’s about proving yourselves early on, and learning which of you midshipmen are the leaders, which ones are prepared. And it probably is. But it’s probably just as much that the officers like throwing us all off-balance right off the bat. So learn where you need to go, and how to get there, and you’ll be one of the ones they’ll keep an eye on (in a good way, of course). Knowing you, though, you’ll probably just memorize the ship’s schematics as soon as you can get ahold of them. I can never remember that kind of thing, but with a brain like yours, maybe that’s not such a bad idea.
Second, don’t take on too much at once. I know what you’re like, Tim. You’ll get all excited about science and discovery, and you’ll forget you’re only human. And coffee is not a substitute for sleep. I may only be a second-year med student, but I still outrank you, midshipman. Maybe you’ll be able to get one over on your ship’s medical officer, but not on your brother.
And be careful, okay? I might- possibly, and just a little- miss you. Mom, Dad and everyone send their love. See you at commencement, if not sooner.
Love,
James
Title: Sisterly Gratitude (and Sarcasm)
Prompt: writerverse challenge #39 ‘amnesty’ (challenge #21 ‘dear john’)
Word Count: 318 (not including salutations)
Rating: G
Original/Fandom: original (Telemachus, sci-fi set 23rd century)
Pairings (if any): none
Warnings: none
Summary: Tim writes back to thank her brother for his advice.
Note(s): originally posted to the writerverse wv_bookclub
Sisterly Gratitude (and Sarcasm)
[TO: Ens. James T. Winslow]
[FROM: Midn. Timothea J. Winslow]
Dear James,
Thank you for the letter. It was nice to come back to after my (very long) first day aboard. And I’ve worked on a ship before! I can only imagine how hard it was for some of the kids in my class who’ve only ever been passengers on passenger liners. There’s one who’d never actually been in space before, can you believe that?
It’s a lot of hard work, being a midshipman. As you know, we’re the bottom of the ladder, so there’s a lot of people telling us what to do. But I can’t imagine doing anything else. I have to start at the bottom, just like everyone else, but I’ll make captain before you know it. And definitely before you do.
Also, thanks for the advice, big brother (note: that was sarcasm). I knew where my life pod was before I even got aboard, and I haven’t been issued an EVA suit yet. So far, we’ve only had a battle stations drill, and I made it to my post before the lieutenant did!
Of course coffee isn’t a substitute for sleep, it’s an alternative. Some things are just too interesting to sleep through, Jimbo. On the other hand, you work with the dead, so there’s not usually a rush, is there?
It’s possible I might miss you, too. Last year, there were three of us at the Academy- it was almost like home. Keep an eye on Angie Rose for me, will you? And let Billy know that we’ll be in comm range for another month, three weeks at the least, so if he still needs help with his chemistry homework, I’ll be able to reply to his messages right away.
Send my love back to Mom, Dad and everyone. Write again, it’s easier than trying to get comm time on a ship this big.
See you sooner than commencement (we do get leave, you know).
Love,
Tim
Current Mood:
snowy