An Evening Off -Part Three – The Music Starts

Posted on 01 Aug 2026 @ 3:29pm by Lieutenant JG Douglas McDougal & Lieutenant JG K'Rin "Tiger" C'Tinu & Ensign Sh'asi M'Rori & Master Chief Petty Officer Harrison Madrie & Master Sergeant Candice Laramie

1,815 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: General Sim Postings

ON:




The dinner plates slowly disappeared. Coffee mugs were replaced with more colorful drinks.

The lights in the recreation lounge dimmed another shade as someone from Operations finally powered up the karaoke console. Immediately the opening chords of an old Federation jazz standard drifted through the speakers.
Candice practically bounced in her chair. She grinned at everyone around the table. "So..." Her eyes sparkled mischievously. "Who's first?"

Silence. Complete… Absolute… Silence.

Douglas looked around. "...Interesting. I mean the invitation was for Karaoke after all."

K'Rin folded her arms. "I see we've all suddenly become very shy."

"I’m not shy," Candice protested.

Sh'asi had gotten up and reached over and gently picked up the small wireless microphone resting in its cradle on the stand. She turned it over in her hands with an affectionate smile. "You know..." she said quietly, "...music has a wonderful way of bringing people together."

Douglas nodded. "It does." He agreed following Shasi's lead.

"It doesn't matter if you're good." Sh’asi said.

"It helps." Harrison said quietly.

Sh’asi giggled. "It helps. But that's never really the point." She looked around the table. "It's about sharing something." Her bright blue eyes drifted toward Harrison for only the briefest moment before returning to everyone else. "A little piece of yourself."

He noticed. He pretended not to. He had already shared far more then he had ever intended to tonight.

Candice clapped her hands together. "Well then!" She stood. "I volunteer!"

Douglas blinked. "That was fast."

"If I don't go first, I'll lose my nerve." Candice said evenly. She marched toward the stage with all the confidence in the galaxy. Halfway there... She stopped. Turned around. "...How do I work this thing?"

The room erupted into laughter.

Five minutes later…

Candice was enthusiastically murdering a cheerful pop song from Alpha Centauri. She missed notes. Forgot half the lyrics. Started laughing halfway through the chorus. The audience loved every second of it. By the time she finished… The entire lounge applauded.

She gave an exaggerated bow. "I'd like to thank..." She paused dramatically. "...the computer for putting the words on the screen."

Douglas stood, applauding loudly, "Ten out of ten."

"Really?" Candice said returning to the table flushed and laughing, Candice dropped into her chair.

"No." Harrison said simply.

She laughed.

"But eleven out of ten for enthusiasm." Douglas said with a friendly smile.

"I'll take it." Candice said with a wink.

"I forgot how much fun that is." She admitted.

"I don't think you remembered half the words," Harrison observed.

"I remembered the important ones." She returned.

"There was a chorus." Harrison pointed out.

"I remembered that." Candice chuckled.

"Eventually." Harrison agreed.

Douglas was next "I'll warn everyone now..." he announced while accepting the microphone, "...I do not sing well, and I do not dance."

Candice immediately whispered, "Challenge accepted."

Douglas shot her a look. "I heard that."

"Maybe I wanted you to." Candice offered.

He sighed dramatically before selecting a classic Earth folk song. Nothing flashy. Nothing complicated. Just warm. Comfortable. His voice wasn't extraordinary. It didn't need to be. There was something honest about it. The kind of voice that sounded exactly like the man himself. Kind. Steady. Inviting. Several people throughout the lounge quietly joined in by the second chorus. By the final verse... The whole room was singing. Including Harrison silently under his breath. Douglas looked genuinely surprised. As the applause broke out, he laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I wasn't expecting audience participation."

"You made everyone feel welcome," Sh'asi said softly. "You always do."

His smile grew just a little. "...Thank you."

“No… Thank you Douglas.” Sh’asi said, passing him a drink as he sat back down with them at the table.

K'Rin cracked her knuckles. "My turn."

Harrison looked suspicious. "...Tiger."

"What?" She asked side eyeing Harrison.

"Behave your self." Harrison said.

"I always behave." K’Rin retorted evenly.

"No you don’t." Harrison muttered into his drink.

She flashed a grin that displayed just enough fang to be concerning. "I make no promises."

The first booming note of an old Caitian marching song filled the room.

Douglas nearly spilled his drink.

Candice burst into laughter before K'Rin had even sung a word.

K'Rin possessed...Volume. An astonishing amount of volume.

The lounge practically vibrated. Crewmembers from neighboring sections poked curious heads through the doors. One Bolian actually applauded midway through the first verse. By the end… The room exploded into cheers.

K'Rin bowed deeply. "I was magnificent."

Harrison slowly nodded. "...You were loud."

"The two are not mutually exclusive." She shot back as she took her seat.

The applause had scarcely faded before Candice was already on her feet again. "Dance time! Come on Douglas up."

Douglas blinked. "What?"

"We need dancing!" Candice declared.

Several nearby crewmembers enthusiastically agreed.

“And you are going to dance with me.” Candice reached out a hand to Douglas. “If you say no you will hurt my feelings.”

Someone changed the music. A lively swing tune filled the lounge.

Douglas looked defeated. “I… I am not very good at it, Seriously I am not being modest here. I really can’t dance.” He tried.

"So..." She shook her extended hand at him. "...Let's fix that."

Douglas stared. "I regret being honest."

"It's too late. Now besides if you reject me I have to ask Harrison. Don’t make me do that." Candice looked over at the pilot. “He will just say no anyways.”

Harrison was nodding. “She’s not wrong.”

Douglas took her offered hand reluctantly With surprising grace, Candice pulled him toward the open floor. He stumbled through the first few steps.

"Oh dear." She said surprised at his lack of coordination.

"I warned you." Douglas muttered.

“Just follow my lead okay.” Candice assured him. She laughed. "One..." She guided him gently. "Two..." Another step. "Three..." By the end of the first minute...Douglas was actually smiling.

"You know..." he admitted, "...this is a bit easier than I expected."

"I told you." Candice was proud of her pupil.

Nearby, K'Rin chuckled as she watched. "He learns fast."

"He listens," Sh'asi replied. "That's one of my favorite things about him."

Harrison folded his arms. "They're plotting."

"They're dancing." K’Rin shook her head.

"They'll get ideas." Harrison accused.

Sh'asi's whiskers twitched. "They already have ideas."

He looked sideways at her. "...You're involved."

"I may be." Sh’asi said casually as she watched the dancers.

"I knew it." Harrison said, sitting back and watching them closely now.

Sh’asi smiled into her drink. She loved it when Harrison got into his moods. Loved to play into them. "I haven't done anything." She teased.

"Yet." Harrison pointed out.

"No." A beat. "...Not yet." Sh’asi chuckled.

Across the dance floor, Candice suddenly spun Douglas beneath her raised arm. He laughed, an honest, carefree laugh that seemed almost surprised to exist. After a moment even Harrison smiled watching them.

"You know," K'Rin observed quietly, "...it's good seeing them relax."

"It is," Sh'asi agreed.

Silence settled comfortably between the three old friends as they watched Douglas and Candice laughing through missed steps and near collisions.

Then... Without warning... The karaoke computer chimed.

Next Performer Confirmed.

Harrison frowned. "I didn't sign up."

Neither Sh'asi nor K'Rin looked at him. They suddenly became intensely interested in their drinks.

"...Tiger." The accusation was clear in his tone.

"Hm?"

"...Sh'asi?" His tone was more desperate now.

"Yes?" She replied looking at him now.

"...What did you two do?" he asked.

Sh'asi blinked innocently. "Us?"

"Yes, you." Harrison narrowed his eyes.

"We merely..." K'Rin's tail swayed lazily behind her. "...made a suggestion. Well more an addition to the computer in your honor."

Harrison slowly looked toward the large display screen hanging above the stage. His expression froze.

NEXT UP
Master Chief Harrison Madrie
Song Selection:
Pending Performer Choice

He looked back at his two oldest friends. Betrayal. Yes that's what it was. Absolute and…Damn it. His eyes went to the screen. He could leave… He could. But that felt like defeat. One thing he couldn't stand was the idea of being defeated. “Sh’asi you planned this?”

"...Maybe a little." She admitted. “Are you mad?” She asked, trying to read his face but it was locked down.

Harrison sighed the long sigh of a man who realized retreat was no longer an option. “A little, Maybe. I dislike every single one of you."

Sh'asi reached over and gently nudged his shoulder. Her smile was warm. Patient. Encouraging. "You don't have to do karaoke."

"I don't?" Harrison finally met her eyes now.

"No." Sh’asi replied seeing that she had taken it too far

Hope flickered across his face. Relief settled into his shoulders. His eyes lost that glassy look.

"Maybe, You could just play." Sh’asi asked. Her voice gentle.

He blinked. "...Play? For you? Here? In this dark place?"

“Please.” Sh’asi nodded."The lounge keeps instruments for live performances. Though I will say I was looking forward to hearing you sing tonight."

It was the ‘Please’ That broke him. Sh’asi never asked for much of anything for herself. He felt his resolve melt away. He couldn't say no. Not to her. ‘Shit.’

Harrison looked at his two friends. They weren't laughing anymore. They weren't trying to embarrass him. They were simply... Waiting. For him to make up his mind.

Sh’asi especially, believing in him. Always pushing him. Always thinking of what was best for him. ‘Please’ That look in her eyes. She wanted to hear him sing, wanted him to play for her. So be it.

For the first time that evening... The sarcasm disappeared completely. A slow breath escaped him.

"...You're all impossible." He finally said.

K'Rin smiled. "We know."

Harrison stood up. Smoothed the front of his shirt. Then quietly walked toward the stage. The lounge gradually fell silent. Conversations faded. Even the dancers slowed. Sh'asi watched him go with a small, knowing smile.

Douglas and Candice had returned to the table as the dance music faded.

Candice leaned toward Sh’asi. "Is he really that good?"

She never took her eyes off Harrison. Her answer was almost a whisper. "...Better than he believes he is."

The stage lights came alive. A crewman handed Harrison an acoustic guitar. He accepted it with practiced familiarity. Not awkwardly. Not hesitantly. Like greeting an old friend. He settled onto the stool. Adjusted the tuning pegs by ear. Then he looked up at the suddenly quiet room.

His fingers rested lightly against the strings. He smiled… Just a little. "Well..." he said into the microphone, "...since my friends have decided subtlety is overrated..."

Laughter rippled through the lounge. "...I suppose I will sing you all a song." He lowered his gaze to the guitar. His fingers found the first chord. The room held its breath.

And then...

He began to play.

====================================

TBC-

 

RSS Feed