Rules Bite
Lieutenant Finity is sitting in the Captain's room sharing a drink with his old friend.0
Captain Goint sat down and sighed, "The election process will be beginning soon. I wish you were married, I'd put you in without hesitation, but you know I can't go against the qualifications checklist when I have other candidates who qualify, and you don't even have any prospects."
"I know." Lieutenant Finity replied, "It's not like I can change the genetics of someone to make the computer accept me."
"Maybe another solution will present itself." Captain Goint replied with a grin.
Finity laughed and exclaimed, "Yeah, like the three qualified guys could suddenly decide to serve on another ship we run into in the next day or so."
Captain Goint chuckled and looked at his watch. "They have up to four days and three hours from now to abandon the ship."
Finity looked at the man before him. He no longer has the perfect stomach of his youth, his hair was graying and his blue eyes showed how worn out life had him. Losing his wife seemed to speed up his aging process, but that's a subject they wouldn't talk about.
The Captain was in his mid twenties when he met the seven year old version of Finity. His mother was an ace mechanic, but was having trouble finding a ship to serve on. Finity spotted Goint, who had just became a Lieutenant, and was trying to fix his shuttle to report to his ship before they left the region. He stormed up to him and declared, "My mom can get you where you need to go, if you will take us with."
Goint instantly took to the brazon young man. Finity's mother quickly ran up and apologized.
Goint smiled and asked, "Can you get me to my ship in a hurry?"
She looked at the engine quickly, then nodded shyly. "Then we can have a deal." Goint informed her.
She smiled and announced, "I'm Emma Finity and this is my son, Tanner. He's a little too bold for his own good."
Goint smiled and replied, "This time it paid off, but we are pressed for time."
Emma nodded and went straight to work.
They made it back to his ship with half an hour to spare, and Goint's Captain allowed them to stay.
Since then Tanner Finity has always seen Turtle Goint as his uncle, and has always been treated like a favorite nephew.
Now the two men sat around bemoaning the cruel hand of fate.
"You know if you could even find an acceptable prospect I could delay the start of the election process." Captain Goint pointed out.
Finity rolled his eyes. "Like a genetic prospect is just going to materialize before our very eyes."
Captain Goint suddenly looked excited. "Not quite literally, but we will be stopping at a docking station tomorrow, and I believe we're scheduled to bring a few new passengers aboard, maybe one or more will be compatible."
Finity groaned. "I hate the idea of picking someone to spend the rest of my life with based on their genetics."
"I know my boy." Captain Goint sighed. "If we were land dwellers we could pick who we loved without checking their DNA, but us space folks need to worry about the genetic possibilities for future generations, just in case we get stranded and our crew has to be confined to what's available."
"If you start the speech about how it's most important for a Captain to have a family, and lead his crew like an extension of that family I'm going to walk out of here." Finity warned the Captain.
Captain Goint laughed and said, "Well now I know what to say when I want you to leave."
Finity laughed too.
Captain Goint got up from his seat and stared into space from his private window. "I pray to the one who made all of this to bring us someone who is perfect for you in every way. And may she be here right away."
"Well, since we only have two days." Finity exclaimed, "She's either going to be at the docking station, or she won't be here in time."
"Careful, that's sounding awful close to pessimism." Captain Goint joked.
Finity grinned. "Some of us call it realism."
The two men talked a little bit longer, but then hugged and said goodnight.
As Finity walked to his quarters he saw a couple staring longingly into each other's eyes, and he wondered what that really feels like.
His own brother married for genetics, and they never looked like that, they slept in separate rooms and barely keep from killing each other.
Most people land somewhere in-between, able to live with their choices, and having some great moments, but longing for something more.
Many who don't have a genetic prospect become sterilized prostitutes, to allow for worry free side action and reduction of stress for those who were still looking.
Finity had to get really wasted to use one of them. Then he would hate himself in the morning. He never used one on his own ship, that way he could escape and reduce the likelihood of ever seeing them again. They apparently enjoyed his patronage, but he did his best to forget what little he could remember.
He reached his quarters and looked out his much smaller window. "Even if it's not in time to be considered for becoming Captain, it would be nice to have someone special. Genetics be damned."
