Parting Thoughts

[WxMurray 0]

Murray finished his meal and got up. He looked at Pierre. “Well, it’s been great chatting with you. I’ve got to go and start packing for my trip.”

 

Murray entered his quarters and looked around. It seemed like just yesterday that he had gotten his stuff from the starbase and finally got the feeling that he lived here. It seemed like the day before that he arrived on the Reaent, a fresh young ensign from the Academy on his first assignment. Now, he was older, wiser, and higher in rank. Granted he wasn’t that much older and wiser, and he had been promoted to the glorious rank of junior lieutenant, but he had definitely changed. Now, even though he would be back in four months after training, it was depressing to be leaving so soon.

 

A flashing light out of the corner of his eye alerted him to a transmission he had received. It was exactly what he knew it would be: his travel assignment. The rendezvous with the Grissom would serve a double purpose, to transport the ambassador to the Reaent and him to Starbase 173, where he would take the Orbach to Earth. He forwarded the message to the Captain’s Ready Room.

 

Murray began packing things he would need: pillows, blanket, teddy bear, toiletries…he hoped he wouldn’t forget anything. His thoughts began to drift to some of the things he was going to do in San Francisco. He planned on finding his girlfriend and giving her a surprise (she does not know of his impending arrival) and take her to dinner. He also wanted to look up his cousin, Gerhard Murray, also a cadet at the Academy. The two hadn’t seen each other since Wim graduated and got posted on the Reaent.

 

Murray finished packing and looked around. It wasn’t completely bare, but more so than it had been. He certainly didn’t travel light. He was going to miss Reaent, Lieutenant Flek, Pierre, and everyone else, even the likes of that George McLean engineer person, who he has yet to formally meet. Oh, well. No matter where you go, you are likely to leave a little bit of yourself behind.