Forwarded by the ASC-VSO Posted: Thu, 04 Mar 2004 17:58:55 GMT In: alt.startrek.creative From: "Jay P Hailey" Title: Star Trek: Outwardly Mobile Author: Jay P Hailey (JayPHailey@hotmail.com) Series: MISC - TNG OCs Codes: None Part: 35/339(?) Rating:[PG] Archive: Fine with me, just tell me where. Disclaimer: Paramount owns all things Star Trek. I claim Original Characters and Situations for me. Webpage HTTP://jayphailey.8m.com The Trudge: Episode 35 by Jay P. Hailey And Dennnis Washburn We made ourselves comfortable, and she told me the tale. Her boy's name was William Darvon Ahk. Today he was seven Earth years old. He hung out with a boy named Adam Mark, and they got into trouble the likes of which I have only read about in Mark Twain books. Tillean knew of the dangers of starship assignments, and left the boy with her two sisters. Tillean was one of triplets. They lived with the extended Mark clan on a mixed Earth/Vicharrian colony planet known as Beauville. The Mark family had colonized the planet with a cooperating colony from Earth. Tillean told me of a brief liaison with a man named Richard Russell, during an investigation on their colony world. She had become pregnant and had her son with the support of her extended family. She refused to divulge the identity of her son's father, claiming that it was no one else's business. She told me that Russell was a Starfleet Ranger, a job description with a high mortality rate. He was doing exactly what he wanted with his life, but Tillean knew that he would try to do the "Honorable" thing if he knew of his son. She was afraid that he would wind up resenting the boy and herself. So Tillean held out on her son and his father. She said that she had realized the essential unfairness of the arrangement and had intended to reveal the truth to all concerned parties upon the Harrier's return. Now that the Harrier's return to known space was in doubt, Tillean felt as though she might have cost William both his mother and father. No one else in her family knew the identity of William's father. Tillean cried, and I reached out and held onto her, comforting her as best I could. After she had cried herself out, she straightened up and played the video clip that the PADD was holding. She told me of William and Adam stowing away on a freighter, in an attempt to travel the galaxy in search of adventure. When they realized how long it takes a freighter to get anywhere they had sheepishly surrendered to the merchant crew and were returned. Using old engineering schematics and a hot-wired replicator, the two boys had built a giant dinosaur robot, and had made a sincere attempt to terrorize the colony's capital city of Beauville. Under the mistaken impression that some corporate investors were actually secret agents, the two boys had kidnapped the people and held them hostage for a couple of days until they were rescued by the older members of the Mark family. "I was going to say that I was sorry that you didn't bring him with you, but now I'm not so sure." I said. Tillean laughed. "It was for your protection as much as for his!" I didn't feel too comfortable having her dump her problems on my shoulders. I didn't mind being a father figure for Tillean as long it helped her make it through the voyage. What else is a Captain for? -*- A couple of days later, we sighted the planet. It orbited an ordinary class G yellow dwarf star. The planet was right in the life zone, and showed lots of oxygen and water vapor in its spectrum. This strongly suggested a class M planet, and so the Harrier turned slightly, to pass it and examine it. Everyone was excited. This encounter offered an end to boring book keeping and paper shuffling. As we went sublight near the edge of the solar system, we launched a probe. Soon the data started to return from the probe to the class M planet. It was dead. There was no life to be found anywhere on the surface. It was just bare rock and sterile sea water and an oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere. "But, that's impossible, Captain." Tillean said, happily. I knew what she meant. a breathable oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere was the side effect of a planetary ecology. It wouldn't happen without life present to cause it. It was a pickle and Tillean was ready to unravel it gleefully. However, I had a suspicion. If the life which had caused the oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere was not present on the planetary surface, then I felt that they had arrived in the system in starships and had planted the atmosphere for their own purposes. "What is the probability that this is someone's terraforming project?" I asked. Tillean's face fell. Harksain Varupuchu, our Andorian Operations Officer looked thoughtful. "I can not say," He ventured "If so, it not being done by any technology we use." "Please begin scans to confirm or deny the hypothesis." I ordered. After several hours, the Harrier was approaching the planet closely enough to use our sensors directly on it. It remained mysterious. There was no visible mechanism for generating the oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere, and no life, period. There were no visible artifacts and no ruins. There were no beacons or buoys in orbit of the planet and no clues. I thought about it and made the decision. "Retrieve the probe and set course out of the system." That got me a hurt and disappointed look from Tillean, and a certain amount of exasperation from the rest of the crew. This was the first thing that had happened in about one hundred days, and I wasn't going to get involved. I had two reasons. First, it simply would not be polite to trample all over somebody's "Work in Progress" and risk contaminating it with germs or micro-organisms from the Federation. Secondly, with no visible mechanisms, I was afraid that it was a work in progress by an advanced race. While I had nothing against advanced races in principle, I remembered the lesson of the Rishan pleasure base we had run into some time ago. It had nearly destroyed us before we had any clues about what was really going on. I didn't want a repeat of that experience, so I left well enough alone, thank you. After the probe docked, we went to warp speed and resumed our steady trudge back to the Federation. -*- Two weeks later, Harksain Varupuchu caught me on my way to the bridge. "Captain. I was wondering if you had plans for tomorrow evening?" "Why, no, Commander." "Then will you please do me the honor of joining myself and Tillean Darvon Ahk for dinner?" "Er, certainly." I wondered what was going on, but I was too curious to say no. "Thank you Captain. I will expect you at approximately 1800 hours, if that is convenient for you." "That will do fine." -*- The next evening I arrived in front of Varupuchu's quarters. I was in standard uniform. I had fought the urge to wear my dress uniform. It felt as though that was what you wanted to wear into Varupuchu's personal space. I didn't know what he had in mind, and I didn't want to seem like I was pressuring him. Tillean was there, in a short, black spandex body suit that left her legs and arms bare, and accentuated her trim body. over it she wore what seemed to be for all the world like a terry-cloth tabard, with large pockets and weird designs all over it. It looked indecently comfortable. She was barefoot, I noticed. She saw me and brightened. "Captain! Did Harksain invite you to dinner this evening?" "Ah, yes." I said. My uncertainty must have showed, because Tillean said "Is this the first time you've been to dinner with Harksain?" At my nod she illuminated "Relax, it's not a formal occasion. Mr. Varupuchu uses his cooking skills to provide positive feedback for the people he works with." "Andorian cooking?" I thought, "Uh-oh." My previous experience with Andorian cooking came to mind. "Oh well," I'll just nibble a little and humor Mr. Varupuchu." It must have shown on my face because Tillean said "I think he'll be a better cook than you're expecting him to be." Then the bell struck 1800 and we pushed on the door bell to Varupuchu's quarters. He answered and I was immediately put at ease about the formality issue. The normally dour and straight arrow Andorian was wearing a tie-dyed poncho of some sort of light material, and shorts. The poncho itself was short enough to leave Varupuchu's arms bare up to the elbow, and it didn't seem like it would interfere with cooking any. Varupuchu was also bare footed. Varupuchu smiled a faint and serene smile and said "Thank you for being so prompt. Please come in and be at ease." He gestured grandly through the door way. Tillean and I went in, and I had my first good look at Varupuchu's quarters. They had a very colorful motif, with multi-colored wall hangings and large pillows substituting for furniture in most cases. The main table was short, made to be sat at from the floor or a pillow or kneeled in front of. It looked like an ancient Japanese hippie lived there. I was caught by the texture of the largest wall hanging, covering the inboard wall. As I got closer and really peered at it, I saw that it was made out all different kinds of materials and objects skillfully woven together. After a moment I got it. Andorians see through their antennae with sound waves, not unlike Earth bats or some sea mammals. The different textures might report as different colors or textures when viewed with sound waves. Varupuchu's quarter also had a kitchen. He returned to it, and began to putter away busily. I saw him cooking, quickly with no wasted motions. He made it look easy, while he was doing it so quickly that I was unable to follow. He chatted with us idly as we found comfortable pillows and sat down. Varupuchu's idle chatter was thoughtful and engaging. -*- The meal was delicious. I couldn't believe it. Broiled lemon curry chicken, Strange saut,ed mixed vegetables with a wonderful sauce, and light dishes from all over the Federation. I nibbled lightly until I actually tasted it, and then I ate with enthusiasm. The conversation was light and wandered over several subjects. I was surprised that I was able to maintain my distance from certain subjects. Captains can have political opinions, we just aren't allowed to express them. It's considered rude, and thought to unfairly pressure the officers under the Captain's command. The conversation would hit one of the places where I could not comment, and then move quickly on. It was fun to listen to as well as participate in. As we finished the food, I had a chance to ask Varupuchu a question that I had been curious about since he had been assigned to the USS Harrier. "Mr. Varupuchu, I read in your records that you are considered a Hero of the Limrin Revolution. Would you care to tell me of it?" --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.598 / Virus Database: 380 - Release Date: 2/28/2004 -- Stephen Ratliff ASC Stories Only Forwarding In the Pattern Buffer at: http//trekiverse.crosswinds.net/feed/ ASCL is a stories-only list, no discussion. Comments and feedback should be directed to alt.startrek .creative or directly to the author. Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ASCL/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: ASCL-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ From ???@??? Fri Mar 05 10:02:54 2004 X-Persona: Status: U Return-Path: Received: from n33.grp.scd.yahoo.com ([66.218.66.101]) by vulture (EarthLink SMTP Server) with SMTP id 1aZ9mV2Uo3NZFl50 for ; Thu, 4 Mar 2004 23:03:37 -0800 (PST) X-eGroups-Return: sentto-1977044-13274-1078470216-stephenbratliffasc=earthlink.net@returns.groups.yah