The Proposition [Part 1]

Posted on 25 Nov 2014 @ 6:09pm by Nesh Saalm

1,725 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Episode 07 - Sojourn
Location: USS Galileo - Deck4, room 2522 JO
Timeline: MD -14 :: 1829 Hrs

ON

Flopped on her bed was Nesh Saalm, a variety of replicated apples lying in front of her. In her hands, a PADD was playing an audio clip, narrating in Orion an essay on the differences between one apple and the next. Ever since her conversation with Wintrow, the young cadet was curious of the fruit, having only heard about them in passing and by vehement crewmates. They were a cultural phenomenon from Earth, and one Nesh wanted to get to the bottom of.

Wintrow observed her from a slight distance, quietly strumming away on his guitar. "You should taste the difference in them too," he supplied helpfully. "Some are more tart than others, and even the texture is different. Some are quite solid, and others are very starchy." The fingers of his left hand plucked away at the strings, while his right slid over the strings to provide difference in chords. He hummed softly, reasonably on key at that, as the music filled the small room.

"They all taste the same, I can't get the replicator to agree with me." She waved her hand at the console on the wall, distaste in her voice. "I might have an engineer look at it later, but all I have right now are apples that taste sweet and tart all at once." Huffing, she turned from her important research, smiling as the sound wafted through the room. "That's a lovely song, you're really good at that."

"Why not grow them yourself?" the boy suggested, blushing scarlet at her compliment. "Replicate the seeds, and culture them if this ship has anything hydroponics bay like? Or we can dedicate a corner to our quarters to it, I'll be glad to help you though I should probably tell you I don't have green fingers..." He choked on his last word, smiling without really meaning it. "Sorry...no pun intended..."

Nesh blinked, not really sure how to take the pun, or if she understood it at all. "We have the arboretum. Maybe we can talk to the botanist and see if he can help. I had just figured the replicator could deal with apples, or at least make a good attempt to." She glared at the replicator, arms crossed with a pout. "I don't think the replicator was trying at all, really."

"Well you do need to specify which kind of apple you want. For example, Elstar or Jonagold, or Granny Smith...there are a wide variety of sorts and sizes available. And none taste quite the same." Wintrow put his guitar aside and stiffly rose from his seat. Feeling a little sluggish, he sauntered over to the replicator. "Apples," he stated quietly, "one Elstar, one Granny Smith." Two different sorts of apples appeared on the pad, and he carried them over to Nesh, sitting on the edge of her bed as he put them in front of her. "Care to taste?"

Leaning forward in her seat, Nesh's eyes went wide as Wintrow produced two completely different-looking apples. She stared at the pair of them, mouth open slightly in surprise, before she took one in each hand. After examining the colors of both, she took a bite out of the dual-toned Elstar apple, letting it sit on her tongue before chewing and swallowing. "... Oh! This one's sweeter than the others. And softer!" Taking a bite of the second apple caused Nesh's nose to crinkle. "... And this one's way sour!"

Wintrow chuckled. "I don't like sour either," he confessed to her, stealing the apple from her hand, aiming to take a bite of his own.

Nesh smiled, then proceeded to frown when the apple was taken from her. She pouted, watching him take a bite. "... So, what have you been up to lately? I can't imagine this assignment's more exciting than the last one."

"I've not been up to much. Seeing the counselor mostly, talk about things that happened." He sighed miserably all of a sudden. "And my boyfriend decided that, since I was reassigned and he had to go with his dad who got reassigned, distance suddenly is an issue. He doesn't want to be with me anymore because he feels that we'll grow apart anyway so it's best to move on from the get go. And you?"

The Orion's pout turned into a small, saddened frown. She felt the desire to hug him, but they didn't know each other well enough. "I guess... maybe it'll be less stress on you in the long-run? Though, you were all the way over here...." Her attempts to be comforting felt more awkward than it did helpful. "... this sounds like a job for comfort food, really..."

"Comfort food?" Like any Betazoid, he was quite fond of chocolate, it seemed hereditary somehow. A genetic trait. "What kind of comfort food are you thinking of, what do Orions do, when they need it?" He looked up, meeting her eyes, studying her as he reached and took her hand. "I guess you're right...it's for the best but it still hurts. A lot, he was my first you see...I never had any kind of uhm...lover.. before. Not a whole many friends either, my brother and mother made sure of that."

"It depends on the Orion, really." Nesh gave a firm nod, squeezing his hand reassuringly. Now that food was involved, she could at least console him with some comforts. "Some prefer wing slugs when they can get their hands on them, but others tend to find a delicacy within other cultures." She met his gaze, Orion boldness getting the best of her sheepish nature. "Of course it hurts. You cared about him deeply, I'm sure."

The boy nodded quietly. "Loved him," he corrected, "you eat slugs? Ewwww!" He stuck out his tongue in disgust. "There's an earth culture, they eat slugs....call them Escargots.. they are sooooo disgusting. I tried them once, but yech, never again. Now chocolate....that makes me happy."

"Wing slugs are great!" Nesh grinned. "You should try them sometime! They're not as slimy as you'd think they are. Not if you prepare them properly, anyway. I should drag you to Rigel with me at some point. There are only two places I know that serve wing slugs the way I like them, and they're both on the planet."

"Hmm maybe if you don't tell me beforehand what I'm eating," Wintrow chuckled, "and drag me, you could just ask...I have no attachments, I would go with you."

"You would?" Nesh's face lit up like pile of Orion gold, the thought of feeding him a wing slug almost forgotten. "... My sister has a wedding coming up, and it'd be weird if I didn't have a date to go with me.... not that it'd be a real date-date, of course, but it'd be something fun!"

"I'll be your plus one, if you want me to," Wintrow promised, not really knowing what he was getting himself into. "Not a date-date, sure but we can make it a date-date. I'd hardly be a gentleman if I didn't take you out, now would I?"

Glossing over any mention of 'date-dates,' Nesh bounced out of the bed, excitedly blabbing in Orion about the wedding and how everything was going to be all the better, now that she had someone her age to talk to. As she was rooting through her closet for her slightly more fancy dress, she paused, turning sheepishly toward Wintrow. "... Sorry, I got all excited."

Wintrow just sat there, staring at her, shaking his head. "I was starting to wonder...I don't speak Orion I'm afraid." He watched her with interest now. "What are you doing?"

Nesh's cheeks flushed a darker shade of green, and she looked down, throughly embarrassed. "I was thinking about packing. The trip's not for awhile, until we get to the Starbase... but... I guess I sort of got ahead of myself."

"If it's not for a while, why not make a list of what you want to bring, and gradually pack what you think you need and tick it off the list? Saves you from stressing," Wintrow suggested logically. "Is there anything I'm required to take? Or required to leave at home? Oh! I need someone to take care of my gerbils!"

That didn't sound like a bad idea! Nesh hopped up once more, ready to pack a bag, or at least get her clothing sorted. "You're a very level-headed guy, Win. I like that." She shook her head. "Just clothes. I might see if I can get some pheromone suppressers for you... and we can get Shroll to take care of your gerbils. She's good with animals, she's our zoologist!"

"Me? Level-headed? And why would I need pheromone suppressers?"

"As level-headed as a teen can get." Nesh stared at him, as if everyone knew the anatomy of an Orion. "Because if you don't, you might end up in an Orion slave ring."

"I don't understand.." The boy shook his head in confusion. "My pheromones aren't really doing much? At least not that I know of....isn't it an Orion's I should be worried about?"

Nodding, Nesh pulled over a PADD to call up the Federation database. "The suppressor halts the effects of an Orion's pheromones on you." She handed him the PADD, pointing out the file that she had pulled up on Orion physiology.

"Oh... So it's basically a receptor blocker?" Wintrow smiled at her. "What would the effects on me be anyway, and how do I know if the inhibitors don't work? I'm an empath after all...do they work at all on empaths?"

"... I'm not sure how the suppressors work on empaths, actually." Nesh bit her lip. "... Hm... I wonder if I have one in my bag. We might have to go to the Science Labs for one, it's not something I can just replicate and have it work properly."

Wintrow nodded. "I'm not very scientifically minded sorry, but yes that makes sense..."

Grinning, Nesh grabbed his hand, bouncing up out of the bed. "Let's get to the Science Lab, then!"

Wintrow smiled. "Better safe than sorry, right? Let's go." He stumbled after her, laughing.

OFF

Cadet SO Wintrow Paragon
Support Craft Pilot
USS Galileo
[PNPC T'Vanna]

&

Cadet FO Nesh Saalm
Scientist's Mate
USS Galileo
[PNPC Kita]

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