Family

Posted on 08 Nov 2015 @ 10:39am by EBH Mark I "Raven"

815 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Episode 09 - Empires
Location: Starbase 84 - Childcare center
Timeline: MD6 - 1400 hours

[ON]

"Excuse me, I am looking for a girl named Raven..." A woman's voice carried across the room which was nearly empty now. The woman had bright red, waist length hair which fell in thick waves. Part of her hair was pulled back into a braid, which fell down her back. She wasn't a tall woman, especially not for a Vulcan and her age was hard to guess. "I was told she might be here...."

"I'm Raven," exclaimed a perky, dark-haired young woman from across the room. One of the useful features in her program was its integration into the internal sensors and the computer system, enabling her to use her excellent hearing to tune in on anyone calling her name, no matter how far away.

Standing up, she glanced over the children, making sure that everything was alright before leaving them to their own devices. With the kids all occupied with board games, arts and crafts, and reading, and her coworkers on hand, she figured it was safe to take a little break and talk to the guest.

Darting over to the other side of the room, Raven brushed aside an errant purple dreadlock before extending her an arm, clad in torn black fishnets and spiked bracelets, towards the other woman for a handshake. "It's nice to meet you, Ms..."

"Mrs," the woman corrected calmly, though years of marriage to a Human had made her more inclined to show some emotion. "T'Val Mercy." She studied the girl for a few seconds, but seemed undeterred by her unusual appearance. What disturbed her more, was that she sensed nothing from the young woman. Nothing at all. "I have been referred here, and told that you were taking care of the children of officers assigned to USS Galileo," she continued, and now her voice betrayed some emotion as it shook a little. "You are from the Galileo, yes?"

"Yes," replied Raven. Upon hearing the name 'Mercy' she knew that the woman had came for Naois' kids. "Emergency Babysitting Hologram, Mark I, or 'Raven' as people call me. My program was transferred here to take care of the Galileo children for the duration of their exercise." Of course, the Galileo had never returned. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Mercy. I just wish it were under more favourable circumstances."

"As do I," T'Val replied quietly, "have you been taking care of all the children on your own? How many were transferred into your care?" There was no accusation or wonder in her voice; it was an honest question to which she desired an answer. "How are the children coping with the presumed loss of their parents?"

"I'm taking care of all the Galileo children, but I'm under close supervision," explained Raven. Apparently the flesh-machines, as Copper called them, were still leery about entrusting their children to a hologram. "I am still an experimental hologram, after all. As for the children..." Raven glanced back at the Mercys. "It's never an easy thing for children to deal with."

This time, the Vulcan woman smiled ever so slightly. "I have no doubt that you took well care of them Miss Raven," she answered, "and for the parents to entrust them to you, that must be something. So I will trust you to have taken good care of my son's children. Are they well? How have they taken the news?"

"They have taken it as well as can be imagined," replied Raven. "Fortunately, they have each other."

"And you?" T'Val asked gently, "who have you got? You may be a hologram, but I know better than to think holograms have no feelings. How are you taking all this?"

"I..." A holographic tear came to Raven's eye. Of all the people she was working with, no one had even asked that, or expressed any concern at all for her emotional well-being. "The crew of the Galileo is the closest thing I have to a family. They programmed me, they were there when I was activated, and Tuula was like a mother to me." She let out a sigh as she wiped a tear away. "Revan, Delon and Laura are the only people I have in the galaxy."

"There were no other children?" T'Val asked carefully, while reaching out to the young hologram. Years of marriage to a Human, as well as being a doctor had softened her quite a bit. "Then I will not take them from your care," she said. "During the day they will remain under your care, however in the late afternoon they are coming home with me."

"Really?" asked Raven, crying uncontrollably. She stepped forward and gave T'Val a big hug. "Thank you," she whispered, "you have no idea how much this means to me."

[OFF]

EBH Mark I "Raven"
Emergency Babysitting Hologram
USS Galileo
pNPC Tuula

Dr. T'Val Mercy
Grandmother
pNPC Tyrion

RSS Feed