Trill of Yellow and Teal (Part 1)

Posted on 21 Mar 2013 @ 8:17pm by Lieutenant Kiri Cho & Petty Officer 3rd Class Kareel Gan

3,445 words; about a 17 minute read

Mission: Episode 03 - Frontier
Location: USS Galileo Deck 4 - Arboretum
Timeline: MD3 1400

ON:

It was weird not being on a shift. Everyone else was used to working with was on duty but she wasn't actually required to be doing so. Her body was tried from exercising that morning but her mind was active. There were still probe orbits and routes to plan that took them as close as possible to their target bodies. Maintaining the communication between them but most of that fell into her normal duties. There was also a matter of closing up her current project on Sata Beta Three. There was something rather interesting that would be happening soon relating to that. There was a proto-star and while it had started giving out light a while ago that light would be reaching the ship in the next twenty four hours. It was quite far away, it didn't actually mean anything but how often would she get to see it? Walking between labs she had her head on the pad in front of her rather than the people milling around. Hair tied back and uniform pristine, with her small stature right now she didn't exactly look like an officer.

"Woah -" Kareel Gan barely had time to blink as she found herself crashing sidelong toward the shorter Trill officer, somehow managing to tangle her feet up into themselves while trying to maneuver out of a hatch just up ahead. Feet. Ladder rungs. They did not go well together. Kareel had the presence of mind to propel herself forward, pushing her body outward and landing on the deck on her back rather than on top of the science lady. She shook her head and swallowed hard, staring up at the bright ceiling lights. Or was she seeing stars? Ow. Feet. Hands. Arms. All there. And accounted for. She pressed her face against the cool of the deck while she rolled over for a moment before reluctantly rising once again. She shook her limbs out once in Optimal Standing Position. She dusted her sleeves off. "Peace." She beamed at the younger science officer. "Are you alright? Sorry about that. Hatch," she looked at the hatch as though that explained it all. Ah, well. She tugged on the heavy clasp of her braid behind her shoulder.

Kiri let out a gasp at the contact, it staggered her but she at least was able to catch herself on the wall. The manner, speech, everything was strange. Blinking she watched in surprise, "Um, I'm, fine, are you okay?" Clutching her hand to her chest, while still holding onto the wall.

Kareel extended first one arm, and then the other, twisting her forearms to face out and staring at first one hand and then the other, as her palms faced upward, shifting on her feet as she did so in a subtle sort of dance. She shrugged the arms once they were spread out. "Tip top." She smiled pleasantly. "I'm Gan. Kareel-tor Gan. What's your name? And where are you headed?"

"I am Lieutenant Cho," Kiri didn't really know how she managed to miss it before but this woman was a Trill. Like her, like Lilou, like Lilou's father. The way she moved was different than most people she knew, maybe sort of like Trisha, "I'm thinking of going to the arboretum." That was as good as place as any for a break that could still have some work related to it.

"You know, that's exactly where I was going." Kareel clasped her hands behind her back and straightened up tall, rocking back and forth on her heels. "How long have you been away from the Homeland?" she asked as she began herding them both down the halls again and toward the lift.

This was the second new Trill she had run into today, with a second set of difficult questions. Looking rather abashed Kiri fumbled with her fingers, "Um, I've never been, to Trill." It was easy enough to allow herself to be lead but Kiri didn't know this woman at all. Taller than her, a much broader pattern of spots but she mustn't stare.

"You're staring," The older Trill grinned, clearly pleased with that. The turbolift doors closed and leaned forward and brushed a stray lock of Cho's hair aside to reveal her own spot pattern. "You should go. It's nice. You hide your dermaglyphs. Why?"

Kiri blushed first at the comment then at the contact, shying her head away. Not missing step though she stammered, "Sorry, I just, I don't like people looking." Her spots were what made her different from a human, the rest she could hide but those on her face, that was harder. She'd considered make-up but knew that would disappoint her mother, so that wasn't allowed. Using her head was the best option Kiri had to work with.

"Why not? You're very pretty. Lovely patterns." She said it matter-of-factly, but not necessarily coldly. Kareel rested against the back wall of the lift, crossing her arms pensively, playing with a strand of separated hair at the end of her braid.

Turning redder, Kiri tried to think what she was meant to do? This wasn't fitting into any form of previous contact she had with anyone. Someone she just met was touching her face, telling her she was pretty. It didn't seem right and her first urge was to escape. Taking into account they were moving the fastest way was to climb out of the top of the turbo lift. Or call for an emergency beam out, neither of those was even remotely practical though. Unable to meet the other woman's eyes she half mumbled, "Thank you, um, but I still don't like it."

"You don't like being Trill?" Kareel asked.

Finding this all extremely abrupt Kiri staggered against the wall, "Um, it's okay?" She really didn't know what to say to that. She knew what was true but she really shouldn't say that.

"You don't sound very sure. You could hide them, you know. If you don't like the dermaglyphs, I mean." She shrugged. "Whatever makes you happy, you know? Here we are. Look at this place." She swept her arm across the arboretum as the lift opened and she led them down the halls. "Spectacular," she breathed contentedly.

"That wouldn't change what I am," Kiri looked around but didn't have the same wonder. The arboretum was nice but she could see the walls, back home there weren't walls or a ceiling. This had lots of different plants but it wasn't exactly amazing for her.

Kareel tugged her shoes off and placed them neatly by some stones, before strolling out into the grass, near the pond. A family of ducks was setting up near the corner and Kareel knelt, watching them with eyes alight. "You don't like what you are, then. What would you rather be?"

Well she would rather be human. Kiri didn't take off her shoes or even do much of anything, just starting in the grass watching the ducks. Realising that she didn't know this woman at all she frowned, "I don't really know." She wasn't human and she wasn't Trill and she didn't feel like she belonged in either now. She didn't have an identity of her own.

Kareel remained oblivious to the dredge and doom and gloom that followed her around like a dark cloud. A small duck waddled up to her and quacked, a pathetic little noise. Kareel knelt down and tried to pet it, but the duck sneezed and ambled off in the opposite direction. She rolled with the flow. Lied down in the grass and stared at the sky. "Well, what makes you feel good?"

"I don't really know any more," Kiri watched the ducks and thought about the ones back home. They were normally pests more than something to play with but they were nice to look at.

"So you did? What do you do except think about this stuff?" the other Trill reached her hand up toward the vibrant, illusory sun.

"I thought I did," Kiri squatted down closer to the woman she was talking to, "I don't really do anything other than work, and exercise."

"Try something new. Like food. Have you ever eaten Kadin Karo crabs? Thanis loves them. I'll make them for you sometime. Or pick a place that looks pretty and go, on the holodeck. Nothing to it."

"No, I haven't really done things like that," Kiri didn't really feel she had anyone to try those things with. Doing them alone wasn't something she could face. This woman though, she was strange and offering to do things for a stranger? Was it just because Kiri was a Trill?

"My favorite place in the whole universe is Sazekarin city. Coastal area of Trill, roads made of sparkling crystal. High-cliffs, people everywhere. Doing anything, everything. And if you're sad, or mad, you can jump into Karinara Falls." She frowned a moment. "It's safe," Kareel clarified. Not a depression thing. "I'll take you."

"Why me?" Kiri had known this woman for all of five minutes and was offering to take her places. She hadn't even had time to work out if she liked this woman or not. It was weird and part of her told her it was a trap. She had also said she'd go to Trill with Lilou.

Kareel shrugged. "Why not?" she asked, as though that were the most obvious conclusion in the world. "If you don't know what makes you happy, the only way you can find out is by trying new things, right?" It was a simple equation, to her. "Doing things with people is better than doing them alone. Sometimes."

These things were true but they didn't really answer the question. Kiri didn't go offering strangers to visit her home or even Earth. It wasn't that she didn't want to go but it made her think that this Trill had bad judgment. Rather than argue Kiri just shifted her legs slightly, "Yes."

"Cool." Kareel smiled again and knitted her hands behind her head, resting one leg on top of her knee, stretching.

Kiri remained standing, it wouldn't do to get grass stains on her uniform and sitting on it wasn't exactly fair to the grass. Looking down slightly concerned she spoke softly, "Do you work in Engineering?"

"Yes, and you're a science officer?" She deduced that mostly because she didn't think Cho had the bearing of a doctor. With that in mind, she blinked upward. "What's your name, anyway? Your first name, I mean."

While an officer might not know everyone in the other departments, Kiri had hopes that crewmen knew the officers on the ship at least. Starting to feel suspicious now she took a step back, "I'm the Assistant Chief Science Officer." For a moment at least she hoped to bypass the question, it wasn't right for people you just met to know your first name.

"That doesn't give me much to go on," Kareel pointed out lightly. "Are you running away?" she turned her head slightly to watch Cho back up, regarding her through from the side. Topsy turvy.

Was everyone she dealt with secretly a telepath or were they following her from the shadows all the time? Biting her lip for a second Kiri chose to bank on the fact the question came out of nowhere rather than admit to it, "Pardon?"

"You're backing up. Like you're about to run away. And you looked like I was going to eat you when I asked you your name." Kareel's eyebrow rose.

"Oh," Kiri didn't realise she had done that, "I don't know you very well, culturally for me, a first name isn't something shared very freely." That at least stopped her having to talk about being scared of strangers.

Hm. Kareel quirked her lip downward. "So where are you from?" she asked simply.

"Earth, a part called China," Kiri took a step closer to resume her position and brought her hands back to her lap.

"I've never been to Earth," Kareel admitted, nudging herself up against the back of the tree. "What's China like?"

"Big, lots of different places and terrain," There was a line between sharing too much but Kiri couldn't seem to find the forest for the trees, "I grew up in a small village, there are mountains covered in trees and big rivers. Not that many people," She said that almost wishfully.

"Did you like it there? I grew up in Jero Setan. Old buildings, graffiti all over the place. Water, and boats. That city had a story." The engineer smiled.

"I do like it," It was home, how could she not? The other woman's city didn't sound very nice though. At home graffiti couldn't last more than an hour or two and was rather horrible, it shouldn't be something you remember.

"Are those judgy eyes?" Kareel asked, with a happy laugh. "Art, Cho." She frowned. "Cho. Very impersonal, I agree. Maybe I'll make up a name for you. You look like you could be... a Riyu." Motivation. "It's art, Riyu. Everywhere you can imagine. Paint a picture, buildings are marvelous canvases."

Kiri generally liked her art on canvas, her building clear and clean. She also took offence at being given a name that made no sense to her. The translator knew it was meant as a name so didn't translate it so she wasn't sure but it meant Japanese. Maybe a mistake on any level the woman had to know it wasn't her name and it was extremely rude, "Graffiti isn't the same thing as outdoor art," Her tone was colder than before, "Murphy."

"Is that my new name?" Kareel asked, eyes glimmering. She didn't appear to catch on to the coldness. Either that, or it amused her. Outdoor art was an aspect of graffiti, but Kareel didn't see the point in arguing. Semantic arguments were tedious. "Fetching. What does it mean? Riyu is motivation, in Trill. Riyuar is motivate. Moving, seeking, searching."

Kiri didn't have a clue how Trillish was structured so she couldn't make much of a comment. All she could do was go by what she did know, "Potato, or Murphy's law that everything that can go wrong will do so." Missing out the part about it also being a word for idiot.

"Both equally fitting," Kareel smiled. "They're all fascinating, really. I'll show you Jero Setan, too, if you like."

"Maybe," Trill wasn't somewhere she felt the ship let alone the two of them were going to be visiting soon. Still trying to make sense about the other woman Kiri tilted her head, "If we have time off nearby." She'd rather go with Lilou though, or even Dea.

"So that's a no," Kareel determined knowingly.

"I don't think it is physically possible for a long time," Kiri shifted her feet and started to feel that she should be doing something. It wasn't her duty shift but she was in a work place, it didn't feel right.

"On the holodeck," Kareel pointed out with a grin. "You're itching, Riyu. Want to escape?"

"That isn't the same thing," Kiri straightened herself and avoided remarking that she felt like she was wasting time, "Not as the real thing."

"It's not," Kareel agreed. "Which is a shame. The Homeland is very lovely in person. Teydre, my second host, worked on holograms his entire life. Holographic programming. Light. Trajectory. Sound. It's art all in itself. You don't like me very much, do you?" she asked, as though pleased by that assessment. It wasn't that she preferred people dislike her, but it was fascinating all the same. The way people worked, how they ticked, their responses.

Kiri didn't know much about holograms other than creating models for designs. The question threw her for a moment but she tried to cover herself, "I don't know you." That would have to do for now. Shifting rather tight shoulders she looked ashamed, "You are different from what I am used to."

"Well," Kareel said, catching her eyes just slightly as they happened to meet. "I'm not going to hurt you. Or eat you," she added with a wry smile. "What are you used to?"

She was fairly confident she wouldn't come to harm but far less so than she was before the event. Even the fact that it came up was rather suspicious. Clenching her head for a moment Kiri wanted to shake it but stopped herself, "Formality," Distance, "Inviting strangers to places, is a little strange."

"Oh! You really are afraid I'm going to hurt you." Kareel blinked. "Well, you don't have to go anywhere with me. You can go by yourself. Or a friend." Although Kareel didn't suspect she had many of those, somehow. "Anywhere you like. Something that makes you happy, you know? Explore a little. There's tons of cool programs in the database." The Trill smiled. "It's not so weird, where I come from. You're only used to formality?"

Right now with everything else going on Kiri didn't really have time to go on the holodeck. Going there alone felt like a waste anyway, let alone being lonely. With strangers the idea was hardly more conformable. She had said she'd go with Lilou though, that would be nice right? They could find out about it together? As for the other question, "On the ship, yes, normally."

Kareel shrugged. She'd worked in civilian transports and shipyards most of her life and career. "Well, then, Lieutenant Junior Grade Cho. If you'd like to make your escape, you can." She smiled and gestured upward, somewhere along the door... that way. She adjusted her hand.

To leave on such terms felt rather rude but Kiri wasn't so sure about staying. One leg started to turn while the other braced to stop her, making her almost topple over. Looking rather ashamed she looked down, "Are you busy at the moment?"

"Nope," Kareel said airily. "I'm waiting for Thanis. Things to be put in quarters. Brought my press, and some crabs." She kicked her legs out slightly. "Nothing to do for the next two hours."

"Would it be possible, you could help me with something?" Kiri was going to ask Lilou to help her directly but knowing how busy she was most of the time. Gan might be a better option since it wasn't all that complex.

Kareel blinked. "Sure thing, what is it?"

"Do you think there will be any personnel that could produce some additional probes from the industrial replicators?" The mission would be taxing their resources quite a bit and Kiri didn't want to run too low.

The other Trill looked oddly confused. She knew that they were scanning Rojar. Lots of probes. Energy sources. But - "Science had to heavily modify those probes by hand, right? I don't know if we can replicate them on demand. Sure, we can replicate some regular ones, though."

"That is all I need, is that okay?" Kiri wasn't sure if she was making it an order or not. She didn't really know if she had the right to give anyone orders right now.

"Nice, awesome. Sure thing." She made it sound as though replicating simple probes was the most fascinating thing in the world. Kareel grinned and rose her arms up, lifting her body along with it and getting herself to her feet.

"Thank you," Kiri moved to the side and made ready to follow, "Do you need to check with anyone?" If not that was fine, Kiri wasn't really sure how Lilou ran her department yet.

"Not yet, I'm waiting for Thanis, and my shift doesn't start for another couple hours." Kareel placed her hands behind her back again and shifted on her feet before leading the way out of the door. She'd studied the Galileo's schematics, but she was only a few hours on the ship. She'd done a thorough exploration of the Jefferies tubes already, though, and she knew where the industrial replicators were and so she led them back to the turbolift and called it back up to deck 6.

"Okay," Kiri followed despite knowing the way, for now that seemed quite fine. One didn't need to lead from the front all of the time, not on little things like this. Watching the corridors to make sure they were going the right way.

TBC:

Lieutenant (JG) Kiri Cho
Assistant Chief Science Officer
USS Galileo

PO3 Kareel Gan
Engineering Officer, SCE
USS Galileo

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