The Trill Way

Posted on 20 Jun 2013 @ 7:29am by Petty Officer 3rd Class Kareel Gan & Raifi Zaren

3,423 words; about a 17 minute read

Mission: Episode 03 - Frontier
Location: USS Galileo: Mess Hall
Timeline: MD5 0600 Hours

ON:

Going to sleep at 0130 and being woken to the sound of your brothers' mocking voices at 0300 was not the best way for a caffeine addict to start his day. He'd fumbled through the quarters, shushing Beles and Pilin, and trying to be as quiet as possible while demanding raktajino from the replicator. He couldn't tell if he woke Justin or not in the stumbling, but the Terran didn't move and Zaren soon found himself caffeinated and thumbing through a list of contracts and and usage agreements over the loan of transport shuttles to the colony of MS1. Three hours later, he felt like the several cups of coffee he'd imbibed had replaced his veins, his stomach was growling notoriously, and he'd finally ended the seven way conference call arranging the aid mission from Trill. Food. Real actual food. That was what he wanted.

What did an atmospheric survey entail, anyway? Gan worried her stylus between her teeth. There were clouds. And colors. Whirlpools of them, condensing into clotted masses, heaving them along in their small waverider. She couldn't wait. Maybe they wouldn't have anything to do at all. A sightseeing trip. She smiled cheekily, alone at her table. Only the large breakfast plate of grits, jellied gree worms, gravy and biscuits kept her company this morning. Were jellied gree worms good with gravy? The bread-things were. She experimentally dipped a worm into the brown mush. Gravy was the fifth food group, she was certain of it.

In the mess hall, all Raifi found was a pot of cold jellied gree worms, two day old biscuits, and a tray of gravy over a warming pan. Same as the day before. Maybe the chef was sick or something. He loaded up a tray from the replicator with eggs, sausages, anchovies, and grilled squid, then topped that with biscuits, gravy, and gree worms. Might as well eat what was unreplicated since he'd bothered to come all this way... he paused, noting another Trill sitting alone. But here there was a... twinge. His symbiont pulsed against his belly. "Zherteka suira'xek," he greeted her with all the warmth and energy of recognition and seven large mugs of raktajino.

Gan swallowed her gree worm and casually reached for one of the biscuits. " Zhial." She clasped her hands together and bent her head. " Zherteka suira t'am. Al'skou'da'xi," she asked, voice rich and low, weighted in contrast to this one's abundant enthusiasm. She studied the Joined presence now sitting across from her with warm eyes.

"Suira'xek. Ja'tor ierkrei'bamarik esnadar. Esnadar'xek't'xek'xale," he laughed, making a sandwich of gree worms, squid, eggs, and gravy. " Skou'da'xi."

" Ja'tor duee meixencakoju'jadeyarazkivezferami remazar. Girazi waverider'reziz da," Gan said wistfully, smiling. "Ierkrei iyu'xi." This one had the Look about him. Wide-eyed, with joints that creaked from stiffness. It was the same look that plagued every Trill with a puzzle to solve. "Dakitar skouz esnadar ka'xi."

Zaren took a massive bite and chewed while she talked; nodding and swallowing, he gestured vaguely with his 'sandwich'. " Ja'tor soz'oky'lajudar Muzkitakzu'ikda ashirar'zheki. Ja'tor risukar'anaya dar, daz aldi - aldi'detiko'uz - reshatar. Ez - reshatar'sozhen. Kyuzen'uz detiko-nome't'aridan taima'dar. Agar'koju ashiera'ezikda kratoar; ruozona retaruar." He shook his head sadly, polished off his sandwich, and set about making a second. " Daz'xek. Aldi'dar, mende dar. Minani, izenuz Raifi Zaren dar. Skouz da'xi."

" Izenuz Kareel-tor Gan dar" She introduced herself formally, but promptly dispelled that illusion by stuffing her face, piling some gree worms onto her biscuits. She clearly did not realize they weren't fresh. She swallowed. The Romulans. She nodded pensively. She had heard some of the broadcasts. It was a profoundly sorrowful event, the loss of an entire planet. It reminded them all of their own malleability in the universe. At any moment, whole planets could just wink out. " Ruzk Traijek'Muzkina ja'tor damekar. Kitian'ngazu hadolez skouz lajud tsalaleriar'xi."

Zaren's brows twitched up and together slightly, " Sko Muzkitakzu'genza zhar'xi. Thersorle'zhubuio sko zak'awar'xi."

Gan poked the rest of her biscuit between her lips with her index finger. " Ja'tor Muzkitakzu'genza ez'zhar, ez. Zak aldi q'agartea rez ja'tor behar naka. Thersorle zhubuio'segu'zhei ez'xi. Traijek'Muzkina karizh zirokaha'koju reshat." She held out her PADD and brought up the indexing program.

" Sko q'Traijek'Muzkina iyu'tazredar'xi," he asked, leaning in to look at her PADD. " Asuse aldi'dar, sko genokojule q'zhekawar zak'zhar'xi." He looked up at her, " Sko le'zhar," he tapped the screen, " deti'dyande dar. Traijek'Muzkina ez'dar."

" Zuiravir'le da ni airuar," she pointed out. Finished with her biscuit, Gan switched to her steaming mug of coffee. " Dyande dar'xi. Zirokaha'le dadu reshatar'xi."

Zaren lifted a brow with a small shake of his head, " Naozole dar." He took another bite of ersatz sandwich and considered her thoughtfully. " Zuiravir zak'xi. Sko'tor kitianar-Muzkitakzu'okyzairianikda zheki'zhar, daz Traijek'Muzkina- sko'tor genokojule'asuse zak'zhekawar'xi. Genokoju ez'nazhe-" he borrowed her PADD to tap in alternate search functions and showed her the results. " Zhar? Mende: ja'tor t'chizhakekan'deku - bamaika'ez'nazhe. Genokoju Traijek'Muzkina'ez dar. Iqi - kos'xi."

Gan arched her eyebrows, took her PADD back and typed in the words New Romulus. Immediately, several results came up showing plans for the conservatory, concert hall, government buildings. Raifi Zaren's name showed up on a few of them in the far pages, but she wasn't a journalist, or a researcher. The city plans drew her attention first. He was so very caught up in his own frustration, she thought he was missing something quite obvious. " Hioto zuiravir terike Hezetia'Muzkina airuar," she said wryly. She looked at the last thing he inputted. " Sko MS1 airuar. MS1 ja'tor airuar iyu'xi."

He pulled up the history of what he'd just scrubbed through on her PADD, where listed were a number of colony and relocation camp names as well as general searches such as 'Romulan relocation' and 'Romulus after Hobus'. " Genokojule viz-Hobussozezezikda dar. MS1 ashieduo'okiyaterike q'Muzkitakzu'rikawar, t'ashieduoviz azhi sozioaTraijek'Muzkinadyande, daz sozioadyande't'zue t'ashieduoizenle'ez ni Muzkitakzu zhekile'dar."

" Dyande zirokaha. Gar sko dakit'nahizar. Zirokaha'le Traijek'Muzkina bai'dyande, dadu'reshatar'xi."

Zaren answered with a hapless shrug. " Ja'tor q'zharna behabiar; vizle'ogetar br'orashi'bu t'raraiezhubuio'adiar. Jagar'koju le'ogetar."

" Aldi'sko reshatar'ni MS1'xi."

" Zhei, t'agarezashla. Edo'deku ni ehizo'rikharitear ka kyuzen'aldi'dar, iqi-" He gestured as though to say 'here I am'. " T'aldi'sko reshatar ni Starfleet. Zekarna'traijek, tawe sko ma't'tor ni'le shee'reshatar'xi."

"Aldi'zue Starfleet. Ez'traijek chizkinaz'deku. Teydre t'roa Aufon chizkinaz'reshatar. Aldi'shee ja koj't'tor zhian, chizkinaz'deku ja'tor dezida. Aldi'dar hioto trujin," Gan answered mid-bite.

Zaren grinned, mouth full and terribly curious. " Detikula ez'tsalaleriar't'rik'tsalaleriar; sko'tor rikrik'tsona ez'dar'xi."

" Avizeno linat zak'xi. Chizioa't'tsalaleriar, zhei'xi." Gan's smile was soft, her clear joy evident. " Q'gar ja'tor tsalarivaz'tseikona."

"Zhei, ba ikenta i'azhi zuzitsei'hakekar." He yawned behind his sandwich and took another bite. Chewed. Swallowed. " Sko ashiezu zhekilashi'shee'dar, zhei, Kaq-tor'oihasekami ehma'tazredar'xi."

" Zhei. Starfleet zpyr ja'tor keretiar, lashi kala'dar zpyr rihezar." She watched him, suspecting that his next destination after breakfast was face down on his bed. " Kaq-tor'xi. Oihasekami -" Gan started to say at the same time, laughing. " Taru'zhei, zhian'zuzitsei chiei'deku ge'dar'xek't'xek. Ashiezeito'VideoGame ge'dar mariak'detixexekshee'rikremaviz. Aldi'zue ja'tor zhar, ge'nahizar, aldi'dakeni Pac-Man ja'tor kemayoar'ogetar." She rolled her eyes fondly.

Raifi's eyes gleamed playfully. " Ja'tor ge'tor'ku ikda'tokar." He sat back and patted his belly, feeling the Zaren symbiont shift under his palm. " T'roa aldi'shee'kemayoar sko'tor nimarunakoju'efereimariakviz kratoar'xi."

" Aldi'deti ianelara-tsanekera ja'tor lieotakar da," Gan joked, placing her hands in front of her, miming her tiny box. Mazes. Boxes. Food. Chasing food, ghosts chasing her. She bit into her gree-worm.

" Zhe," Zaren agreed, eyes laughing. " Zha'xek. Lashi, sko Waverider'reziz i'azhi-dar ja'haritear. La, elaza sko i'away team da'xi." He tapped his thumb absently against the table. " Zekarna-skouz ka'dar'xi."

"Kez," Gan murmured, munching away at her biscuit. "Ez'shir kiviren, Waverider'reziz ja'tor tazrimanar. Zheizhei'xek lall'dar. Tazkizeni'shotokiyaosshi'kek Rojar II jagar'koju tazredar."

"Lashi, sko i'azhi'Waverider'reziz zekar'xi."

"Ez, aldi'zue," Gan answered. She was immeasurably looking forward to it.

"T'roa'xi. Sko katsujon zekar'xi. Skouz Waverider'reziz badzo'kuzokar'xi. Tawe skouz tazredarna'traijek resiruogarna'zhubuio resairuar'xi."

Gan didn't even have to think about her answer. It was as obvious to her as breathing. "Kez, chizkinaz'deku ja'tor dar. Zhei-Waverider'reziz taru'zhei. Ez'tazredar adoar. Segu'zhei'okiyataskizenisuira'xek ndiko lall'dar gailua, zhei. Onbu'bune q'katsujon ja'tor ez'adoar'lizureviz. Waverider'reziz mende'ndikoogeni, sko'adoar'xi. Taskizeni'okiya tsalo'adiar dar."

Zaren's eyes gleamed with pleasure at her obvious excitement. It was nice to see someone genuinely enjoying themselves for a change. "Zhe'xek." He leaned forward, food forgotten, "Ro sko retizskouz'kyuzekarna retaruar, sko Waverider'reziz leja'zhekitazritear'xi t'roa skouz zekarna'badzo leja'zhekiharitear'xi. Le'hakekan'girazi't'fiyuo't'gailua q'genlina da."

Gan smiled widely. Unlike the rest of the ship that seemed to be on constant high alert due to their innate distrust of reporters, Gan had very little in the way of compunction. On Trill, trust was just as important as honesty. It was part of the foundations of their society. Zaren wasn't just a reporter to her, he was a fellow Trill. "Lall ja'tor moadiar. Taru'zhei'xek. Ba meruzano menairar, kiviren sko ja'tor-jamaral chieiar. Ba'ez, lajudar'zak ja'tor ki, seiya ja'tor dar."

Raifi pressed his hands together and opened them, palms up, towards her in a gesture of gratitude. "Ja ni'damekarskouz'zekarna tazrimanar." He shook his head, yawning. He could sleep for another solid few hours - once the ship had been drained of away teams. That would be a good time. "Skouz ogetarna darketiar'chizkinaz'deku mino'Starfleet terikearna ni'koju't'torshee'darketiar zak'xi. Osloub'ez'nazhe Starfleet nakar'xi, tawe rekargi'ez'nazhe ruzk'ogetar'xi, tawe agarpa'koju retiz'chizkinaz'ashieru ez'nazhar'xi..."

"Fiyuo Starfleet da. Chazenkuri ja'tor da, ez'nazhe zpyr'zheki. Mars ja'tor resa, LCARS'yagar-naka, tevizires-naka Federation list'renan-naka. Iyu'yagar, zak'yagar. Choremi'rik, tolen, chiramez, reshatar. Nazhe'zeitokoju naka karizh-karizh choremikoju. FED4 zpyr SEAM jagar'koju kratoar: (ANDORIAN), Zaibehazu, (TELLARITE), Ashie. Sko ka'naka'xi. Chizkinaz'deku hiotohan'nazhe. Hiotohan taski'agarpa nazhe tezerar. T'am, Federation Standard naka'ektriaze jagar'koju noar. Zhekawar'la. Zpyr jagar'kojuz razt'fiyuo," Gan babbled happily.

OFF:

PO3 Kareel Gan
Engineering Officer, SCE
USS Galileo

Raifi Zaren
Journalist, FNN
USS Galileo

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