Where are they

Posted on Wed Oct 22nd, 2025 @ 10:16am by Senior Chief Petty Officer Sethan MD

478 words; about a 2 minute read

Mission: Life
Location: Private quarters
Timeline: When the shuttle is declared overdue

Sethan settled the baby in the stroller then took the older girl by the hand. "Ready to go and welcome daddy back?" He asked her.

Mnheia nodded slowly. "I hope he had fun," she said after a moment of thought, "he can have fun right?"

Sethan smiled. "Yes sweety, he can have fun. He usually does when there's an exciting discovery or lectures on a discovery. Science can be a very big playground, and daddy is a very big child sometimes."

The little girl giggled at the idea of her other father being a big child as she viewed the man as the more serious of her two fathers. She regarded her other father, still trying to come up with a way to district between the two. "You miss him," she observed as they walked out. While only four, she seemed very perceptive for her age.

"I do," Sethan admitted, turning his head towards her. "Don't you?" They tried hard to spend equal time with the children to allow them the best opportunity to settle in. But it was he who sat with her when she suffered nightmares, and it was he who nursed Saeir through a restless night. Not because Zhi didn't want to, because he did, but because his own caring nature was more prevalent.

"Of course," the child answered without pause, "but you are linked." She had no better way to describe it.

"That we are," Sethan agreed. They reached the shuttle bay, where he expected to be greeted by the away team and the presence of their shuttle. However, as they entered the bay, it was entirely devoid of said team and shuttle. The Vulcan frowned, then approached an enlisted shuttle operator in the bay. "Any word from the shuttle?"

The crewman shook his head. "Not a peep. We've been trying to raise them but they're not at the rendezvous point and we can't reach them. I suggest that you go ask the captain, maybe he knows more."

The little girl frowned too, mimicking her father's expression. "Daddy's missing?" She asked, looking up at both men in concern.

Sethan knelt down to be at eye level with her. "No princess, he's just late. I bet they found something exciting and stayed to explore. Come, we'll go see the captain, but first we're going to get something to eat. I'm sure Chef Paddy will make you pancakes."

The girl clearly wasn't convinced. Something in her father's expression told her there was more to it. But she was far too young to make much of it, so she nodded. "I want pancakes, and I think Saeihr wants some too." She smiled, because she both liked pancakes and she loved watching chef Paddy make them.

"Let's go then," Sethan suggested, though he expressed on the crewman his wish to be notified as soon as there was news.

 

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