(no subject)
"I'm going." Lyst stood glaring up at the officer, a scowl furrowing her brow and her pale, frekcled face waxing red. Her uniform was disheveled, jacket undone, shirt untucked and covered from head to toe in dust. Her auburn hair was pulled back and damp curls lay matted against her sweating cheek.
"I had no idea appearing bathed and dressed in front of one's superior had become so passé." Claud was the picture of military decorum. Everything was firmly creased and snugly fit, even his buttons were newly shined. A career military man, he already outranked officers twice his age. He was the standard of excellence to which all others were held. Olive skinned, black eyed with broad shoulders and high cheekbones, he had a stern, solid look that better suited an old man. When he laughed, he looked twenty years younger, and very handsome.
"Don't you dare pull rank on this, Claud. I am going."
"We have reviewed your application, Tirius, and while highly qualified, we have found another more suited to the position." He nodded a dismissal and turned his back to her.
"Bull shit! I am the best, and you know it. Name one person who can do even half the job I can." She stormed across the room and stood in front of him, forcing eye contact.
"Your application was thoroughly reviewed, but it was a highly contested position. We appreciate your interest, but there will be no change of duty."
"I'll go above you, don't think I won't."
Claud frowned, "I am the highest ranking official assigned to this mission."
"Correction, highest ranking military official." Lyst produced a rolled sheaf of paper from her back pocket and thrust it at him. He cast a questioning glance at it, but did not reach to take the papers. "My resignation, with all the necessary forms and signatures. Effective immediately, my new orders are to begin outprocessing. In six months I will be a civilian, who just happens to have 3 dozen of the world's best scientists lauding my work. I will be on that ship."
Claud appeared striken, and for the first time, unsure of how to handle the information. "Tirius." He paused, "Lyst, think about what this means. A civilian anthropologist, no matter how brilliant, is confined to office and museum work. There will be no more field work, no more digs, no more discoveries. Your work will be utterly mediocre."
"You give me no choice. You need me, Claud, you know it as well as I do, there is no one else equipped to handle an entirely new civiliation, should the planet be populated." Her voice softened and she touched his arm, "I am going, Claud. You decide how."
The room was utterly silent but for the soft whir of the air filter. When he finally, the sound was so sudden, Lyst startled. "I accept your resignation, Tirius. You may go."
Tears threatened, and she bit her tongue to hold them back. She stood straight, and nodded curtly. "I will return to the site, then, and make arrangments for my successor." When she reached the door, he asked, "How did you convince them to let you retire?"
"I told them about us." And with a soft click of the door's latch, she was gone.
"I had no idea appearing bathed and dressed in front of one's superior had become so passé." Claud was the picture of military decorum. Everything was firmly creased and snugly fit, even his buttons were newly shined. A career military man, he already outranked officers twice his age. He was the standard of excellence to which all others were held. Olive skinned, black eyed with broad shoulders and high cheekbones, he had a stern, solid look that better suited an old man. When he laughed, he looked twenty years younger, and very handsome.
"Don't you dare pull rank on this, Claud. I am going."
"We have reviewed your application, Tirius, and while highly qualified, we have found another more suited to the position." He nodded a dismissal and turned his back to her.
"Bull shit! I am the best, and you know it. Name one person who can do even half the job I can." She stormed across the room and stood in front of him, forcing eye contact.
"Your application was thoroughly reviewed, but it was a highly contested position. We appreciate your interest, but there will be no change of duty."
"I'll go above you, don't think I won't."
Claud frowned, "I am the highest ranking official assigned to this mission."
"Correction, highest ranking military official." Lyst produced a rolled sheaf of paper from her back pocket and thrust it at him. He cast a questioning glance at it, but did not reach to take the papers. "My resignation, with all the necessary forms and signatures. Effective immediately, my new orders are to begin outprocessing. In six months I will be a civilian, who just happens to have 3 dozen of the world's best scientists lauding my work. I will be on that ship."
Claud appeared striken, and for the first time, unsure of how to handle the information. "Tirius." He paused, "Lyst, think about what this means. A civilian anthropologist, no matter how brilliant, is confined to office and museum work. There will be no more field work, no more digs, no more discoveries. Your work will be utterly mediocre."
"You give me no choice. You need me, Claud, you know it as well as I do, there is no one else equipped to handle an entirely new civiliation, should the planet be populated." Her voice softened and she touched his arm, "I am going, Claud. You decide how."
The room was utterly silent but for the soft whir of the air filter. When he finally, the sound was so sudden, Lyst startled. "I accept your resignation, Tirius. You may go."
Tears threatened, and she bit her tongue to hold them back. She stood straight, and nodded curtly. "I will return to the site, then, and make arrangments for my successor." When she reached the door, he asked, "How did you convince them to let you retire?"
"I told them about us." And with a soft click of the door's latch, she was gone.