Greetings from Galactica
For kappamaki33
Felix lay back against the counter and closed his eyes. Finally, a bit of privacy. It was though everyone had forgotten about this place long ago. Or, perhaps, it was too much of a memory of a life long ago lost, a past that no longer seemed real. After all, who could stand to look at a poster now that cried about the victory over the cylons?
Galactica’s gift shop was the last reminder that this ship had almost been turned into a museum before the war. It was also one of the only places left on the ship where a person could be alone, truly alone. Technically it wasn’t the gift shop as it had been set up; the deckhands had moved most of the stuff into an empty storage bay so that they could use the hangar deck. At that point, it had all been haphazardly strewn into the room like the leftover junk it was.
Felix had discovered the room on a midnight round he’d been assigned one evening over a year ago. He’d made a note of it, and out of curiosity, came back later. It was empty, deserted, freeing. Felix had taken the time to set up the room like a proper gift shop, he still wasn’t sure why. Every time the ship was hit, something would inevitably fall off the shelves, making the room a mess all over again, but Felix always set it back up. It was his little safe haven, a spot on the ship that felt like his and his alone.
That was why he was here now. He needed to be alone, before he hurt someone, or more accurately, hurt himself. He needed to clear his mind, before the voices inside his head that told him he deserved to go out that airlock took over completely.
It’d been not five minutes when Felix heard the hatch open. Someone else was here. “No one ever comes here,” he wondered to himself. “Why now, of all times?” He tried to block it out of his mind, the other person’s presence. Then they started whistling.
“Gods, this place could use some light.” It was a man. The voice was familiar, but Felix just didn’t care to place it. Felix opened his eyes and saw the man flick on a flashlight. He started whistling again and ran his flashlight over the room, obviously looking for something. “There we are,” he said. The light had stopped over a set of coffee mugs, tumblers, and thermoses, all adorned with fleet logos. Felix hoped that was all he was looking for and the man would just take one and leave.
Felix watched as the man approached the shelf and grabbed a thermos from the display. “Oh, these are nice. I can’t believe there’s really a-“ The man dropped his flashlight trying to inspect the thermos. The flashlight rolled and came to a halt just as the light shone on Felix’s legs. There was a pause, then “Is there someone else here?”
“Yeah,” said Felix.
“Oh frak. I’m sorry. I didn’t realize anyone was down here. I didn’t disturb you did I?”
‘Yes,’ Felix thought. He said nothing.
“Did you want me to pay for this? I think I have a few cubits left…”
Felix snorted. “You don’t have to pay for it. I’m not a cashier.”
“Oh,” said the man. But he didn’t move. He wasn’t leaving.
Felix sighed. “There’s a switch by the hatch, if you want some light,” he said.
“Thanks.” The man went over to flip the switch, then walked back to the shelf of drink ware. Something else caught his eye however, and he stopped at the rack of postcards next to the counter. “Greetings from Galactica,” he read from the postcard he’d plucked from the rack. “Gods, that sounds trite these days, doesn’t it?” he said, smiling, and looked down at Felix. The smile ran away from his face. “Are you okay?” he asked.
“I’m fine,” Felix lied, still wishing the man would go away, though he knew he wouldn’t.
The man, a Pegasus officer by the looks of his uniform, came and sat down next to Felix. “You wouldn’t per chance be Lt. Gaeta, would you?”
Felix didn’t answer him. Most of the fleet wanted his head right now, and the last thing Felix needed was to be the blunt of someone’s vengeful wrath yet again.
“I heard about what happened to you,” he said. “I’m sorry.”
“You’re sorry?” asked Felix. Sorry the Circle hadn’t finished the job maybe.
“Yeah,” he said. “From everything Dee said about you, you seem like a nice guy. Plus um, no one deserves to have that happen to them.”
“Oh,” replied Felix. “Thanks.”
The man held out his hand. “Louis Hoshi.”
Felix stared at it for a moment, deliberating, then finally decided to accept the proffered hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise,” Louis replied. “Though I wish my timing had been better.” He smiled. Felix couldn’t. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
Felix hung his head. Did this guy really care? No one was supposed to care, not now. Yet, despite how impossible it seemed, Felix wanted him to care. “No,” he managed. It hurt to say.
Louis moved to put an arm around him, but Felix recoiled. “Don’t,” Felix said.
“Sorry,” said Louis, pulling back. His voice tinged of what Felix recognized to be guilt. That, in turn, only made Felix feel guilty as well.
“It’s just, I…” started Felix. He wasn’t sure he could explain it, not without explaining everything, and he really didn’t want to explain everything right now.
“I understand,” said Louis. He started to get up, then paused. “Look, if you ever need anyone to talk to… I’m here.” Then he stood, grabbed his newly acquired thermos, and walked away.
Maybe he didn’t have to struggle alone anymore. He’d gotten so used to it on New Caprica, it was hard to believe anyone would be there for him. But for whatever reason, someone was. “Wait,” said Felix. He heard the footsteps stop. Felix picked himself off the floor and headed towards the door where Louis was standing. “Thank you,” he said.
Felix shut the hatch door behind him.
Felix lay back against the counter and closed his eyes. Finally, a bit of privacy. It was though everyone had forgotten about this place long ago. Or, perhaps, it was too much of a memory of a life long ago lost, a past that no longer seemed real. After all, who could stand to look at a poster now that cried about the victory over the cylons?
Galactica’s gift shop was the last reminder that this ship had almost been turned into a museum before the war. It was also one of the only places left on the ship where a person could be alone, truly alone. Technically it wasn’t the gift shop as it had been set up; the deckhands had moved most of the stuff into an empty storage bay so that they could use the hangar deck. At that point, it had all been haphazardly strewn into the room like the leftover junk it was.
Felix had discovered the room on a midnight round he’d been assigned one evening over a year ago. He’d made a note of it, and out of curiosity, came back later. It was empty, deserted, freeing. Felix had taken the time to set up the room like a proper gift shop, he still wasn’t sure why. Every time the ship was hit, something would inevitably fall off the shelves, making the room a mess all over again, but Felix always set it back up. It was his little safe haven, a spot on the ship that felt like his and his alone.
That was why he was here now. He needed to be alone, before he hurt someone, or more accurately, hurt himself. He needed to clear his mind, before the voices inside his head that told him he deserved to go out that airlock took over completely.
It’d been not five minutes when Felix heard the hatch open. Someone else was here. “No one ever comes here,” he wondered to himself. “Why now, of all times?” He tried to block it out of his mind, the other person’s presence. Then they started whistling.
“Gods, this place could use some light.” It was a man. The voice was familiar, but Felix just didn’t care to place it. Felix opened his eyes and saw the man flick on a flashlight. He started whistling again and ran his flashlight over the room, obviously looking for something. “There we are,” he said. The light had stopped over a set of coffee mugs, tumblers, and thermoses, all adorned with fleet logos. Felix hoped that was all he was looking for and the man would just take one and leave.
Felix watched as the man approached the shelf and grabbed a thermos from the display. “Oh, these are nice. I can’t believe there’s really a-“ The man dropped his flashlight trying to inspect the thermos. The flashlight rolled and came to a halt just as the light shone on Felix’s legs. There was a pause, then “Is there someone else here?”
“Yeah,” said Felix.
“Oh frak. I’m sorry. I didn’t realize anyone was down here. I didn’t disturb you did I?”
‘Yes,’ Felix thought. He said nothing.
“Did you want me to pay for this? I think I have a few cubits left…”
Felix snorted. “You don’t have to pay for it. I’m not a cashier.”
“Oh,” said the man. But he didn’t move. He wasn’t leaving.
Felix sighed. “There’s a switch by the hatch, if you want some light,” he said.
“Thanks.” The man went over to flip the switch, then walked back to the shelf of drink ware. Something else caught his eye however, and he stopped at the rack of postcards next to the counter. “Greetings from Galactica,” he read from the postcard he’d plucked from the rack. “Gods, that sounds trite these days, doesn’t it?” he said, smiling, and looked down at Felix. The smile ran away from his face. “Are you okay?” he asked.
“I’m fine,” Felix lied, still wishing the man would go away, though he knew he wouldn’t.
The man, a Pegasus officer by the looks of his uniform, came and sat down next to Felix. “You wouldn’t per chance be Lt. Gaeta, would you?”
Felix didn’t answer him. Most of the fleet wanted his head right now, and the last thing Felix needed was to be the blunt of someone’s vengeful wrath yet again.
“I heard about what happened to you,” he said. “I’m sorry.”
“You’re sorry?” asked Felix. Sorry the Circle hadn’t finished the job maybe.
“Yeah,” he said. “From everything Dee said about you, you seem like a nice guy. Plus um, no one deserves to have that happen to them.”
“Oh,” replied Felix. “Thanks.”
The man held out his hand. “Louis Hoshi.”
Felix stared at it for a moment, deliberating, then finally decided to accept the proffered hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise,” Louis replied. “Though I wish my timing had been better.” He smiled. Felix couldn’t. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
Felix hung his head. Did this guy really care? No one was supposed to care, not now. Yet, despite how impossible it seemed, Felix wanted him to care. “No,” he managed. It hurt to say.
Louis moved to put an arm around him, but Felix recoiled. “Don’t,” Felix said.
“Sorry,” said Louis, pulling back. His voice tinged of what Felix recognized to be guilt. That, in turn, only made Felix feel guilty as well.
“It’s just, I…” started Felix. He wasn’t sure he could explain it, not without explaining everything, and he really didn’t want to explain everything right now.
“I understand,” said Louis. He started to get up, then paused. “Look, if you ever need anyone to talk to… I’m here.” Then he stood, grabbed his newly acquired thermos, and walked away.
Maybe he didn’t have to struggle alone anymore. He’d gotten so used to it on New Caprica, it was hard to believe anyone would be there for him. But for whatever reason, someone was. “Wait,” said Felix. He heard the footsteps stop. Felix picked himself off the floor and headed towards the door where Louis was standing. “Thank you,” he said.
Felix shut the hatch door behind him.