Star Trek: Season 6 - Arabella

[ElfManDan]

David was a little nervous. When someone is called anywhere it mean they are need for a reason, hopefully good, but with the past few days David wasn't sure if he could be in a trouble from his return of the rock. He stepped into the room, the Admiral sat waiting.
"Sir, you called."
"Yes, Reese, sit down." His voice seemed friendly enough, maybe it was just wishful thinking. "I been ask to look over your graduation requirement."
"Yes, sir."
"You have a problem." David began to get nervous at his words. David tried to think of what to say. He didn't know whether to defend himself or not. Before he did the Admiral filled him in, "You haven't completed one of your tests."
A sense of relief came over David, "Which test?"
"The fear test. What's your deepest fear?"
"Ah, tight spaces I would think."
"Good luck then, the test will begin at a random time. Probably when and where you least expect it so don't go looking for it," the Admiral said dismissing David with his hand.
"Thankyou, sir." David said getting excited, his last test and he would be on the road to completion. David slipped out of the room. The Admiral watched him leave, he knew very well what David was about to have to deal with. "The fear of tight space would be completely forgotten when all this over," he said quietly to himself.

[Meds]

A hand slapped on Joe's shoulder and a familiar voice drifted up from beind
"Been burning the candle at both ends aye?"
Joe turned round to see Commander Potter's beaming old face.
"What have you been up to? You look terrible"
Joe offered the empty bar stool next to him for AJ to sit on.
"Cricket"
AJ Potter laughed "I knew you would appreciate the game. Would have joined you but some important business has come about that I think you will be interested in."
Joe put his glass down and turned slightly to AJ. "Go on"
Potter waved at the barman "I'll have what he's having"
The barman smiled and put a coaster down in front of AJ "So you want a double tomato juice with Tabasco, Worcester Sauce and ground coffee then?
AJ looked at Joe "You are kidding me right"
Joe took a gulp of the reddish brown liquid "Nope mate. Best cure for a hangover. Best served cold"
AJ waved the barman back and ordered a normal straight coffee. Turning back to Joe who was now wiping the remains of some half crushed coffee beans from his lips "Joe things are moving a bit quicker than we thought, and for the best I may add. Captain Quinn, my godson has been offered command of a new ship. He is eager, as always to get started. I believe he has contacted his old crew and he will be looking for new additions.
The fresh coffee was placed in front of AJ and before he could pay Joe thrust a credit note in front of the Barman "I owe him a drink and by the sound of this news I'll be buying you several more later on"
AJ took a sip.
"Hmm, nice. Now look, Nathan has some important roles to fill. I won't say anymore because it's not my place to. But be ready Joe, this is your chance to get back onto a ship doing what you love."
Joe leaned back "That sounds great mate. We've still got time for a few beers though aye"
The barman placed the quickly ordered beers down in front of the two old friends. AJ clinked his glass against Joes "I know you are still in pain over Juliette and the boys but you must not let this affect your work"
Joe looked at him and smiled "I have always been professional AJ you know that. I still feel angry and that'll need sorting I guess, especially the ... well, oh look here's to the future" Joe raised his glass again and they toasted each other.
AJ knocked back the remaining beer in his glass and pointed it at the barman to get another round in, he looked at Joe.
"Why do I have a feeling I'm going to be drinking that tomato concoction tomorrow morning"

[X]

Aeric sat at his desk as he ended his briefing with the admiral. Unlike his previous briefings, this was more about his career than about the progress of the shipyard. The brass made it clear that they were impressed with what he had done, but suggested that he could be of better use in the field again. He knew that Quinn was in route to collect his new ship, but they still hadn't told the commander of operations what ship that would be.

The Itasca-A, Arabella, and Atlantis were finally complete. Their new names shined on their hulls and knowing that they completed the work made him smile, but he needed to make a choice. He needed to decide where to go in his career. His talks with Aria and Sevryll were enlightening. They didn't quite have all the answers that he was looking for, but they did give him enough to make up his mind.

Aeric's thoughts were interrupted by the chime of the communications systems.

"Commander James here." He said after a quick tap of his badge.

"Sir, this is Lieutenant Oslag," the male said. "Command has just issued their latest assignment sheet. We have three more captains in route and they want us to make sure that the Katana and Intrepid II's were ready for assignment."

"Thank you Lieutenant," Aeric replied. "I'm sure that we are on track, but inform the construction teams that I will be doing a walk through on all ships starting with the Atlantis."

"Aye sir, Oslag out."

[wraith1701]

K'Tan and KoraQ' made their way down a corridor traversing the neck of the Bird Of Prey, their boots clanging loudly on the metal grating which made up the floor of the hallway.  K'Tan's hand strayed to his belt, confirming that his Dak'Tagh still rested in its sheath.  Near the end of the corridor, in a recess to the left, were a pair of tarnished metallic doors.  As the pair drew near, the doors parted with a screeching hiss. 

K'Tan's ears were immediately assaulted by a cacophony of loud talking and enthusiastic laughter, counterpointed by the clang of metal tankards and serving platters being slammed about on metal tables.  KoraQ' stooped slightly to avoid bumping his head, and strode purposefully into the mess hall.   K'Tan followed with his head held high in an almost defiant posture. 

The mess hall was larger than K'Tan would have expected for such a small ship; three long, wrought-iron tables stretched the length of the room.  Starkly functional metal benches flanked each table, one on each side, providing six rows of seating.  Each bench was nearly filled to capacity with klingon men and women of various rank, each gripping  huge metal tankards which, judging by the smell, were filled with bloodwine.  At the end of the room, standing on a slightly raised platform, was a smaller, solitary table.  That must be the captain's table, K'Tan thought to himself.

As K'Tan stepped into the room, a cloak of silence suddenly fell, and all eyes turned towards him.  From the end of one of the benches, he heard a warrior utter an indignant curse.  The fellow's companions urged him to quiet down, but to no avail.  With a growl of rage, he rose from his seat and threw his tankard to the floor.  As the mug clattered on the metal deck, the warrior left his table and stalked angrily towards K'Tan.

KoraQ' leaned down and whispered to K'Tan. "That petaQ is Lt. Mempa.  He is a worthless piece of baktag; more interested in getting drunk and chasing after the female crew members than attending to his duty.  I've wanted to get rid of him for several turns, but his house has considerable influence on the high council."  He gave K'Tan a conspiratorial wink.  "I would not be upset if you sent his worthless hide to Grethor." 

KoraQ' then strode to the captain's table, leaving K'Tan to deal with the approaching warrior on his own.

The irate warrior stopped less than a meter from K'Tan, and slowly looked him up and down.  As he took in the pristine, unblemished leathers and armor K'Tan wore, his lip curled with a sneer of disdain.  Turning towards the quietly watching crowd, he gestured dismissively towards K'Tan.  "This ko'tal dares wear the uniform of a true Klingon, but his head is as smooth as an earther's!  I thought that all of the QuchHa' had died out, but I guess I was wrong!"

QuchHa'.  K'Tan felt his face heat with rage at the utterance of the word. 

The QuchHa' were a small group of Klingons within the Klingon Empire who, due to a genetic experiment many generations ago, had a more human appearance than the majority of Klingons.  Known as 'The Unhappy Ones', they were largely considered to be second class citizens, and were often relegated to doing the Empire's dirty work.  Some managed to make their way into the defense force, where they served as cannon fodder.  A few had even managed to make a name for themselves despite their human appearance; legendary heroes like Koloth, Kang, and the honorable Dar Master Kor. But despite the achievements of these disfigured warriors, the smooth-headed Klingons were considered inferior beings, and had eventually been segregated onto the most remote backwater planets of the Empire.   

K'Tan couldn't help but chuckle.  Growing up on Askive, his peers had all assumed that he was QuchHa'; that he was some unfortunate orphan adopted by the house of Gal.  He couldn't help but wonder if he would have been more accepted had it been known that he wasn't QuchHa', but human. 

"Look at me when I'm speaking to you,  bIHnuch!", Mempa yelled.  "If you would presume to dine with your betters, then at least try to carry yourself like a warrior!" 

K'Tan let loose a sigh of resignation, then with lightening quickness, drew back and struck Mempa on the side of the face, making sure to hit with the open palm of his hand.  By choosing to slap Mempa, rather than strike him with his fist, K'Tan intentionally delivered a mortal insult to the man.  Among the warrior caste, a slap in the face was the same as saying 'you are less than nothing to me; you are not worth the effort'.

K'Tan's insult had the expected result. 

With an animalistic cry of rage, Mempa drew his dagger and lunged at K'Tan. 

Having endured more duels in his turbulent childhood than most Klingons, K'Tan found it relatively easy to dodge the larger man's attack, stepping quickly to the side and grasping him by his wrist and elbow.  Using a classic Mok'bara move, K'Tan  then turned to present his back to his assailant, never releasing his grip on the man's arm.  In the same fluid motion, K'Tan dropped to one knee, and using the momentum of Mempa's attack against him, flipped the outraged Klingon over his shoulder.  As Mempa completed his short trip through the air, the bones of his immobilized elbow broke with an audible snap.  Mempa's flip ended with him landing back-first on his own hyper-extended arm, and the dagger still grasped in his hand.   

K'Tan quickly stood and stepped away from Mempa, who lay on the deck face up; one arm out to the side, the other bent and tucked behind his back.  Protruding from his chest was the gleaming point of his own dagger. 

As the light of consciousness quickly fled Mempa's eyes, K'Tan knelt by his side, ready to provide a traditional yell of warning to announce the fallen warrior's passage into the afterlife.  He was stopped short by the heavy hand of KoraQ' coming to rest on his shoulder.  "Don't bother," KoraQ' said.  "This PetaQ won't be going to Sto-Vo-Kor."

The room suddenly erupted into rough cheers, laughter, and shouts of "QAPLA'!".  KoraQ' grabbed K'Tan by the arm and guided him towards the captain's table.  As they crossed the room, he motioned to a nearby Bekk.  "Take care of the body," he said to the crewman, then thrust a full tankard of bloodwine into K'Tan's hand. 

"Come along, brother," he said with a smile.  "While we eat, perhaps we can discuss your plans for the future!"

[Geekyfanboy]

Joint Post Startrekfanatic5 & Just X

Aeric smiled as the transport chief reported that Quinn had been safely transported to the ship and was currently on route to the bridge. He would have met him at the transporter room, but he had only received the orders minutes ago that the finished Intrepid II class starship, the USS Arabella, would be the captain's new ship. As commander of the fleet yard, it was Commander James' duty and honor to give the captain a tour of the new vessel.

Aeric adjusted his uniform as the turbolift doors opened.

"Captain on deck!" shouted one of the numerous crewmen that were currently running diagnostics on the completed systems.

"Captain Quinn, it's great to see you again." Aeric smiled and said as he moved to intercept the man. "Welcome to the first Intrepid II starship to be completed at the Vulcan Fleet Yard. I can assure you that she is one of the finest ships in the fleet."

Aeric, like the rest of the construction team, was proud of the work that they had done on the ship. He had hoped that she would have a fine captain and he could not imagine one more fine than the man that stood before him.

"Thank you Lt, she's a beauty from what little I have seen. How is she different from the original Intrepid Class ships?" Quinn asked as James showed him around the bridge.

"First off, her weapons and defenses are top of the line," Aeric started. "She has Type XII phasers, a pair of forward mounted pulse cannons, and regenerative shielding."

"Very impressive, but her first mission won't be in battle, but an exploration. Can she handle deep space exploration?" Quinn asked as he walked towards the Captain's chair.

Aeric motioned for Quinn to take his chair for the first time as he continued. "She has state of the art labs including Astrometrics and a holographic lab. Her sensors are technological updates of the already advanced sensor package of the Intrepid class. She has an additional shuttle bay and increased power and speed. She is build to not only explore the unknown, she's made so that she can make it back home."

Quinn smile broadened. "She sounds like an  exceptional ship, you guys have out done yourself. This will be the perfect ship to put our family back together. Speaking of our family I have yet to receive your response to my request to rejoin my crew?"

"Honestly, I would love to join the new crew as my duties here are ending, but I need to first make sure that you are comfortable with my having my daughters aboard. Beth is just a toddler, but I'm sure that Aria would want a chance to contribute if she has to move again." Aeric said as he showed Quinn the ships specifications and his ability to rapidly access key systems from his command console.

Quinn shook his head, " Of course your family will be welcomed aboard, and I'm sure we can find a position for Aria, she proved herself as a value member of our crew. So what do you say?"

James smiled "If I am to serve on any ship right now, I couldn't think of a finer ship or a better captain."

Quinn grasped James' shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "That's great to hear, why don't we finish our tour, I would like to see more of this beautiful ship. Once I'm done here and have to go down to the planet and speak with my former First Officer."

"I think you should. With things going the way they are on Vulcan, she needs a good place that the twins can call home." Aeric said as he walked with Quinn towards the turbolift. It wasn't the size of an Akira class, but it had everything that Quinn would need to fulfill the mission that he was issued. "I think that she could use another friend now. Especially someone with the power to get her away from these problems."

[X]

Commander James rose from his latest communications with Starfleet. He had informed them of his decision to return to the stars and out from behind his desk. While he enjoyed the duty, he was still young, there was a galaxy to see and he was going to see as much of it as he could. It was only through exploring the unexplored and making new contact would he discover the things that he had not considered.

He had already confirmed his acceptance with Quinn and informed Aria of his decision. He wanted to wait before speaking to Sevryll until after the captain had talked to her.

Aeric started to make his way towards his small quarters on the station. He would have to pack the things from his home on Vulcan and his quarters there, but that would also give his teams the time to move the Aurora to the Arabella and configure the new bay to support her advanced functions.

In his talks with Quinn, they had discussed his new postion on the ship and he could not have felt more honored. This was a postion that not only utilized his skills, but showed him how much he meant to the ship and the returning crew.

Now all he needed to was pack and make sure his new quarters were baby proof.

[Jen]

Joint Post by Institches and Jen
"I hope I'm not overstepping myself", Spring thought, as she reread her deliberately mysterious communique. "Just a set of transporter coordinates and an informal Mackie. But she sounded playful, she used my nickname, and I never picked up a formal scent from her, even when she was acting as an officer." She nodded to herself and sent the message.

Noting the biting insects, Spring sent out a scent that warned them that she was poisonous. During one of the Academy training exercises, she had been in a holo-desert where the nasty little things had been programmed to ignore her scent. She had been stung, bitten, and gained an understanding of her classmates woes, but this was the real world and she was determined to use her natural advantages here.

She dropped the map by the given coordinates, shouldered her backpack, and ambled into the jungle. There was a whiff of "Blue Suede Shoes" mixed in with the citronella.

Ryla was an early riser... Well, actually Drett was—it was one of the only habits Ryla gained from the symbiont. She checked her messages once more to confirm the coordinates that Spring "Mackie" Farmer had sent her, and then headed to the transporter station across the street from her apartment. A few short minutes later, she materialize at Mackie's coordinates and found the map she left for her. Ryla smiled, "Ah...a cave... This is going to be a good cup joe." She hiked on for some time until she stood before the hourglass mouth of Actun Tunichil Muknal cave in Belize. A moment after she appeared, the birds quieted their songs. The jungle humidity was heavy and the insects were thick as they buzzed annoyingly about her.  She was glad that she remembered to take her oral repellent. Trills were highly allergic to insect bites—the toxins tended to impede the biochemical links between host and symbiont, which could be life-threatening. She swatted at the bugs and blew them out of her mouth as she trudged towards the grotto.

It seemed that the only way in, was to swim through a cold jade river that flowed through the cave. Ryla took off her boots, stuffed them into her waterproof backpack and carefully navigated the sharp and slippery edges as she waded into the pool. Soon after entering, the water became deep—forcing her to swim for the next six hundred meters. After reaching the first rock shelf, the water depth alternated  from ankle deep to just over her head. She ascended two or three meters to a second shelf above the river, and from that point forward she remained barefoot, for the cave was hallowed ground to the local Mayans and she honored them by following their customs.

It wasn't long before Ryla sensed the heavenly aroma of coffee mixed with the earthy smell of the dank cavern.   "Hello?" she called out; her voice reverberating in the limestone chamber.

[Meds]

Two cloaked figures stoop in the centre of a dark room. Electric blue light dart behind them. The taller of the two walk towards a desk and waved his hand over the surface
"Open"
The lid opened and a gold rush of light penetrated the room.
The tall man tapped his colleague on the elbow to walk closer to the light.
"Do you see what this means? I have helped create such awful anger in a man, who, is part of me."
The colleague's hood looked up "You must forget this man. Why do you continue to seek him out?"
The tall hooded figure closed the lid and the room once again went dark
"Because he is my brother"

[Bryancd]

Ensign Dunn sat alone in his quarters on Vulcan. They were spartan to put it mildly. K'tan had insisted they keep a low profile while working to discover their target but now it was just plain dreary. He had been planning to see K'tan that afternoon, but K'tan left him a brief message that he would be off planet for a day or so. He could remeber hoping for peace and solitude following the Tiberius incident, but now a year later, the thrill of working with K'tan had left him desiring adventure even more. Where ever K'tan was or was going, he hoped he would be able to follow.

[iceman]

Casey had finished checking the pots boiling on the stove, the Sweet Potato and Pumpkin pies sat on the counter cooling. The steam that rose off of them was accompanied by the odours of Nutmeg, Allspice and Cinnamon which intermingled above the ceiling and was now becoming quite strong. It gave the apartment a pleasant and welcoming smell.

All Peterson had to do now was select the wine that he would serve with dinner and wait for the timer to go off so that he could pull the Turkey out of the oven to cool.

The smells brought back a passage from a 20th century cookbook he read from someone named Julia Child.

"One does not only eat with their mouth, but also with their eyes and nose as well"

Casey stepped back to the living room to take in all he had accomplished this day and thought to himself: This is what it must have felt like for a chef back in the 20th century when he had completed a successful dinner service. He was proud of himself and really hoped that it would taste as well as it smelled and looked, as he did not want to disappoint his wife and In-Laws.

Myella had called to say she would be home shortly so all Peterson could do now was wait for Myella and his In-laws to Arrive..

[Rico]

"Are you certain Marie?  Your young, and 'jumping back on the horse' to use a human phrase may not be the best thing.  I don't want you doing this for me.  It has to be because you want it too."  Zremm said, his twin antennae perked up ready to hear the reply of the young woman seated next to the blue skinned Andorian.

"Well, I have to admit after we first received Captain Quinn's message I didn't know exactly how I felt.  So many memories came back that I have been able to push away during our recent leave time.  I almost died Zremm!"  Marie Barton said, her face looking slightly haunted.

"I know Marie.  But you didn't.  And your fine now.  But to use another expression I know some wounds run deeper than others."  He said as he held her hand in his.

"But maybe what you said earlier is right.  Maybe the only way to work through this is to face it.  I just don't know.  So many feelings to sort out."  The young woman said, even as her eyes moistened as she looked at the person she had become so close to in such a short time.

"I feel I have to go Marie.  I'm uncertain Sevryll will be coming back and the Captain is going to need as many science officers he can find on this Beta Quadrant mission.  But you know I will understand if you decide to take a different assignment.  One with less history and memories behind it."  He said, trying to keep his voice steady and brave while inside the thought of leaving Marie was tearing him up already.

"I know.  It's one of the things I love most about you, your loyalty.  In fact, besides your cute blue behind it might be my favorite thing about you Zremm.  Hehe!"  She said, smiling and trying to lighten the mood and tension in their room at the resort on Andoria.

"Really Ms. Barton.  And I thought you just enjoyed gifted scientific mind and sparkling personality."  Zremm said as he began to tickle the young ensign.  She tried to return the favor, but had discovered that Andorians in general were not very ticklish. 

After a few minutes of play, Marie just hugged Zremm and held him without speaking for several minutes.  He started to feel tears running down his neck and pulled back from Marie a little.  He knew her answer before she spoke.

"I'm sorry Zremm, I just can't go.  I'm so sorry Ch'Fras."  She said, the tears spilling down her face.

"I know."  Was all he could think of saying.

[X]

Like a razor sharp stiletto, the Aurora sliced through the upper atmosphere of Vulcan. The red hued glow of ion drives quickly pushed the small craft to escape velocity. Inside the ship, Rory sat at the controls of the craft. Dressed in the new uniform standard of the Arabella, she quickly altered course to bring her on a heading to the ship.

She smiled as her ship moved closer to the Intrepid II class vessel. Workbees and other support craft were moving to their new home as well. For every spacecraft being completed at the docks, half a dozen of more support craft were being completed at the main fabrication facility. The Aurora was being officially assigned to the Arabella now that Aeric had agreed to the transfer. Space in the new Intrepid II shuttlebay that would have been reserved for the new Corona class, sister class to the ship she piloted, had been given to the Aurora.

Rory had already had clearance to land, but she still felt the need to go through the motions. With a few movements of her fingers, she opened a communications channel. "Aurora to Arabella Flight Control."

"Aurora, this is the Arabella Flight Control." replied Chief Grant as she walked the deck of the secondary shuttle bay. "You are cleared for entry to Aurora docking site in the secondary shuttle bay."

"Rina is that you?" Rory asked.

"Did you really think that I would let someone else run my shuttle bay during its busiest time?" Rina asked with a soft chuckle. "Once you are inside, we can do a little catching up. I was worried for a moment that the James family would decide to remain on Vulcan."

"Understood." Rory said as she brought the Aurora to a slower speed and took in the sight of the beautiful new craft. Out of all the craft that her father had taken a hand in bring to life, the Aurora would always be her craft, but she did hold a fondness for the Arabella. While some might assume that this refit was more a merger of the Intrepid and Prometheus classes, she could see the influence that her ship held on the larger vessel. "I am preparing to enter a docking approach now. Rory out."

[Jen]

Sevryll recalled the last conversation she had with her grandmother. The younger woman had just been dismissed from the academy and there were rumors circulating that a declaration of 'outcast' would be bestowed upon her next. "You have faced similar bias. How did you manage?" Asked Sevryll in hushed tones, as if to prevent the eavesdropping of the temple walls themselves.

T'Pol turned her gaze from the rafters to the woman seated on the edge of her bed. "The stigma associated with the disease I once suffered from, is similar to your own, yet the remedy is not." T'Pol was referring to the shame related to Pa'nar Syndrome; an illness caused by individuals who were improperly trained in the art of mind-melding. She had contracted the disorder when a V'tosh ka'tur named Tolaris forced a meld upon her. In T'Pol's time, melding was considered an "unnatural" practice and as a result, those afflicted with Pa'nar Syndrome were ostracized from Vulcan society. As the descendants of those who rejected her took their places at the head of Vulcan institutions, the old prejudices did not recede... They were simply disguised as they were passed down through the generations.

The old woman searched Sevryll's eyes, "you are being made an example, for political reasons, pi' veh. Don't oppose them; your resistance will only serve to postpone the inevitable and will invite further reprisal." The individuals who targeted Sevryll, and others like her, claimed they were protecting Vulcan. They believed their culture was in danger of being diluted by their own people—individuals they unfairly labeled V'tosh ka'tur, or Vulcans without logic. Unification was opposed for similar reasons, for the introduction of volatile Romulan beliefs would undermine all the work Surak had done to help Vulcans become the logical, peaceful people they were today.

Sevryll started to speak, but T'Pol intercepted her, "Their intolerance will be their final ruin; don't allow their debris to fall upon you. Leave Vulcan before the fires of their indignance consumes your family. It is no longer safe here. Return only when the flames have been put out."

Sevryll stifled a pang of sorrow as she rolled the Frankenstein monster over in her hands. T'Pol had requested that a Reldai, or priestess, deliver the statue upon her death, with the message that her family should not come to the temple for the Vok-Van-Kal t'To'oveh ceremony.

The young woman stared down at the figurine that the Tucker family had given T'Pol so long ago. It reminded Sevryll of the monster made from select pieces of Surak's teachings—portions that were that were twisted to suit the needs of those who would use it for power and for their own veneration. The green grimace on the monster's face seemed to mirror the expression Saapsigo suppressed, as she was cross-examined at the dismissal hearing. He, like Doctor Frankenstein's creation, was a soulless creature. Yet unlike the character from Mary Shelly's prose, Saapsigo was held together with the sinew of self-importance. He was not the corrupt product of another man's insatiable need to duplicate the Creator's design... or a misunderstood, atypical being.  Saapsigo was the fetid result of his own arrogant hand and his putrid ethics would spoil all who came in contact with him. Individuals who stood in his way would be destroyed. Those who were united in his cause were misguided by his misinterpretations of Surak's teachings.

The figurine was to be given to Elizabeth, the daughter who T'Pol held in her arms a few weeks before her death. Sevryll hoped the toddler would find the statue more enduring than she did. The door chimed, and she put the figurine away, and went to welcome Nathan Quinn inside her home.

[institches]

The hard surface beneath her was so nice. Oh, what joy to be alive!

She felt the enclosing hand around her. She hummed with happiness. Oh, what joy to be touched!

She was hefted and weighed. Oh, what joy to be lifted!

She found herself in a damp, warm cave. Oh, what joy to feel loved!

(pause)

Suddenly, she was flying through the air. Glorious sensation! Oh, what joy to fly!

She landed on a soft, carpeted surface, damp and cold. She hummed again with happiness. Oh, what joy to be alive!

Shyn spat a few stray hairs out of her mouth and wiped her lips with the back of her hand. "Tribbles hardly count as living prey anyway," she growled as she went back to her sushi.

[institches]

"Talk about delicate: the olfactory interface exploded on my first try. You should have seen my flight instructor's face!" Mackie laughed. "And that's why nobody's ever going to ask me to pilot a shuttle!"

The two women laughed comfortably in the cave, huddled beside the holographic relics and sipping down the heady Guatamalan-raktajeno coffee blend.

Ryla cocked her head. "So you're not posted anywhere yet? You must have had offers."

"Sure, everyone gets offers. But I really want space duty. I graduated with honors in diplomacy but the diplomatic corps is only recruiting for planetside postings."

"So? You could wind up on Earth or even Vulcan."

Mackie emitted a complex series of scents that ended with a smell like roses and burnt polymer. "But that's not why I joined Starfleet.  I've got to get out into space! So maybe I won't be a diplomat. I scored high in botany--any Fertillian would--so I'm pushing my botanist qualifications. It's been a bit of a wait, but I'm enjoying exploring Earth."

"That's obvious." Ryla picked up a broken pot and examined it. "How did you know I was planetside?"

"Are you aware of your celebrity status? Everyone at Starfleet has been talking about the Tiberius--who knew gel-packs could contract a telepathic illness? That was really---oh, I'm sorry. I've been insensitive. You must have lost friends..." An earthy scent filled the cave.

The symbiont chose that moment to join the conversation. "Your enthusiasm is good for us. Ryla and I have needed friendship, even more than adventure, I believe."

"But a girls' night out would be good, too," said Ryla. Just then, her communicator beeped.