Read Online Constellations by Marco Palmieri - Free Book Online Page B

felt the strain of the past day catching up to him and wanted to keep in control of his feelings. Idly, he wondered how Spock managed.
    â€œCommanders aren’t decided based on one experience, you know,” McCoy said, adjusting a readout on the display. Dissatisfied with the number, he reached out and pulled at Sulu’s lower left eyelid, peering in closely at the eye. “You know, there’s more to being a commander than leading landing parties or steering starships. You want to know when we’ll know if you’re a good commander?” More satisfied, he stepped back.
    â€œYeah,” Sulu replied.
    â€œWhen someone adds a braid to your sleeve, gives you a handshake, and sends you into the unknown, backed by a few hundred of your fellow officers all stuck in the same tin can.”
    â€œLike that’ll happen,” Sulu muttered and turned his head away from the doctor. McCoy knew enough to walk away without prolonging the conversation. The young man lay on the bed, uncomfortable and alone with his thoughts. He reviewed his conversation with Kirk once more, heard the enthusiasm in his own voice as he described how he desired new challenges, the kind he’d never find in the lab. Still, no one ever died reading sensor scans, running equations, or looking through a telescope.
    Sulu lost track of time and had no idea how long McCoy had left him alone. Even Chapel and the rest of the staff gave him some distance. He craved another voice, maybe a friendly nonjudgmental one. A short while later, he heard the sickbay doors whoosh open, followed by the sound of boot heels.
    â€œYou awake, Sulu?”
    His eyes snapped open, and involuntarily, he broke into a smile. Turning his head, he saw Janice Rand, the newly appointed captain’s yeoman. The handsome blond woman had her hair done in the complicated style she had recently adopted. When she had received her new posting, all Rand would do was fuss over how to make herself more presentable, worthy of being a captain’s personal assistant. Sulu recalled how merciless he was toward her as she fretted over hairstyles and even debated how much makeup was tolerable. She had worked herself up into knots trying to earn the captain’s confidence and nearly was late for her very first shift.
    And then, when he found himself upgraded right after her, it was Rand who was suddenly counseling Sulu on the habits of the alpha shift bridge staff. An already good friendship deepened as a result, and whenever possible, Rand and Sulu would commiserate on goings-on throughout the ship.
    â€œHow’re you feeling?”
    â€œLike hell,” he admitted.
    â€œYou going to live?”
    â€œSo the doc tells me.”
    â€œWell, that’s something, isn’t it?”
    Sulu was silent, then finally said, “I suppose.”
    â€œI heard about what happened,” she said softly, her expression sad. “I’m so sorry, Hikaru.”
    He just stared ahead, not meeting her eyes.
    â€œWant to talk about it?”
    He continued to stare ahead and refused to reply. She patiently waited him out, and Sulu finally realized she wasn’t leaving. More than that, he needed to talk about it, relive it with someone so he could prepare for the inquest. He knew there’d be a hearing as soon as McCoy cleared him for duty. After asking for some water, he told her what happened.
    Â 
    The landing party materialized on the planet’s surface and immediately began a more intensive local scan. The tricorders registered nothing unusual, and the atmospheric conditions matched their expectations. Sulu glanced at the grayish sky, filled with thick clouds, and was thankful the air was warm.
    He studied the exterior of the structure they had selected as the target site. The building had a single, very large entranceway. The color scheme was monochromatic browns and beiges, with not much in the way of signage or decoration but plenty of vines