Out in the Boondocks

Posted on 20 Nov 2017 @ 12:41pm by Petty Officer 3rd Class John Hollenday & Ensign Mimi

3,285 words; about a 16 minute read

Mission: Episode 15 - Emanation
Location: Vidalia Georgia Earth
Timeline: MD77: 0800

ON:

They had gotten back a bit from the trip to the Akkadian system moon. There had been debriefs and other things but John had kept in touch with Mimi and more or less had proverbially twisted her arm to come with him to visit the family place. Well here he was awaiting at the terminal in Atlanta which it seemed it had not changed one iota. There was an old saying that one could not get to hell without first going through Atlanta. The transport would head on out in about another fifteen minutes and he kept scanning the crowd for a certain furry tailed lady.

Weaving her way through the busy transport terminal Mimi searched for John the sheer number of people was making it hard to track him even with her strong eyesight and sense of smell so she was relying mainly on her luck to find him.

John thought he had told her the gate but still the mass of people and beings coming and going made it hard. He got an idea and made his way over to a bench and stood on it. That gave him more vantage and ignored the looks he got from others. Finally he spotted her and shouted and jumped up and down eliciting more looks. "MIMI!!! OVER HERE!!!"

Mimi's ears twitched when she heard someone calling her name, she looked in the direction of the voice and saw someone jumping around. Eventually she realised who it was and worked her way over. "Good morning John."

John jumped down and since they were both in civilian clothing gave her a big hug. "Well glad you didn't get too lost darlin' in this big ol' mess. Anyway, got our spot on the transport. Once out of Atlanta here should be a whole lot more quiet and by the time we get to the farm really quiet. "You ready?"

"Are you sure about this?" Mimi asked. "Taking me to meet your family. We have only known each other about a month."

"Well it's not like the whole clan. Alicia, that's my baby sister, might try to get away for a bit. She works as secretary for a professor up at Valdosta University, my brother Jack works on the farm since dad is gettin' on though don't say that to him. This is just a let's all get a time to enjoy a bit away from fleet, stars, klingons whatever. Come on' don't be a scardy cat..." John laughed and winked. "Transport's leavin' in five."

Mimi tutted at the cheap joke, she'd heard most of them many times before at the academy. She took a deep breath. "Ok, lets go."

"Cheer up, it's not like your walkin' a green mile," John said and guided her along making sure that people did not bump into her. He was big enough that most steered clear. "Green mile, in the old old days, prisoners that were to be executed walked on a green coloured floor."

"I have heard of this." Mimi said, during her upbringing amongst humans she'd researched some of their history and had been surpised that killing people who had done serious crimes was very common. The Nekomi, primitive compared to the federation never had such a thing. "I wonder why they choose green?" She eventually said.

"I know weird, and it was not a mile." John let her board first and then entered. The transport was not real full and they took a more secluded spot. It was not long before the transport moved and then worked its way through the Atlanta regional traffic before heading out over the more rural areas. "We will be makin' a stop at Macon and then onto Vidalia. Mom already called and will meet us. The rest of these folks should be goin' on to Savannah. Now that you might like. Maybe get a bit of side trip in later. Besides that Savannah is on the ocean. Might feel a bit more like home then the fields. Got any questions?"

"Are there any.... customs I should know?" Mimi asked.

"Don't spit into the wind," John shrugged. "We are pretty laid back folks. I mean mama might not take to kindly if you scratch up the furniture but then again she might think that is a good way to get dad to buy something new."
He laughed and winked at her.

"I will make sure I keep my claws in." Mimi said, though she never had trouble with that.

"Oh you are going to be perfect, not to worry. Just forgive me ahead of time for my family. Like I said they are a bit forward and down to earth people. Be prepared for a ton of questions." He nodded out the window. "Looks like we are coming into Macon."

Mimi nodded "I always plan for lots of questions, it comes with being an... oddity." She looked out a window as the transport got closer to the station at Macon.

"You are not in the least. Look what if by some miracle I ended up on Nekomi home world. I bet I would be plenty unusual. Now if you said, cute, interesting, sweet or such then I would whole hardily agree with you."


The transport settled from its low run and most got off leaving few and just a couple of people got on. John waited until they were away and heading off to Vidalia. The countryside had changed from rolling to more plains and fields and fields of green.

He pointed out a few things as the time passed and soon enough the shuttle was settling back down. "Here we are," he said standing up and holding out a had to help her up. As the doors opened and he stepped out three people in plain clothing stood there holding a homemade sign up. It read: 'Welcome home John, Welcome Mimi!!!"

"I did not think we would have a welcome like this" Mimi said when she saaw the small group with the sign.

"Told you, now come on, let's not keep the shuttle any longer." He said as he picked up his bag and Mimi's. He stepped off and of course mom had to be the first to hug him followed by dad and his brother.

As soon as that quick reunion was done his mother waved Mimi over. "Well come on darlin' let's take a look at the girl that has caught my boys eye. Don't be shy we don't bite. I am Linda, John's mom and that is Jack his dad." The later came forward and wiped his hands on his overalls and then stuck a well worn hand out. "Pleased," he said.

Mimi took Jacks hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you, all of you." She said smiling.

John's mother Linda made a bit of face. "Now we are simple folks and don't know about all the ins and outs of other cultures but if it is alright," she held her arms open to give a hug. "Then let mama give you a hug."

Hesitating for a second Mimi thought about it, she was a hugger but they were usually reserved for family and fairly close friends, not people you had just met. Eventually she relented and hugged Linda.

Linda gave her almost a bear hug but it was brief. "Sorry, but we are touchy feely kind. I know John and Alicia, his younger sister, all say that one has to be careful about cultural sensitivities and all, so I hope you forgive if I stepped over a line."

"Now then," Linda said, "let's head back out to the farm. Look at you two, skin and bones!! They not feeding you right? I know that replicated stuff is not real food." She nodded to Rob, John's brother, "you scoot on ahead son and get the barbecue fired on up." Rob nodded and touched his cap brim.
"As you wish mama, ma'am we be gettin' to talk a bit more later."

Linda hung back and let John and Jack head off talking about things. "Well Mimi, John says you like steaks so I had Jack get one of the cows and pigs off to the butcher. Like I said, real stuff. Now tell me sweetie, how did you and my boy meet?"

The mention of barbecue sounded good to Mimi. "We were on a survey mission and John was ordered to come with us, we got talking on the way there and that is how it started." She explained.

"John actually talked to someone? Well I declare that is a miracle and a half. I swear that boy has his nose in some sort of machinery so much that I doubt he even would see an explosion go off around him." Linda laughed and then nodded her tone a lot more serious. "I suspect this is all overwhelming to you even though you have probably seen enough aliens and worlds. If we are just too much just say. I am just glad my boy even found a girl to get his interest. Anyway, not going to ask a lot, since I am sure you get that all the time so let me turn it around and say ask away about us if you want."

"I..." Mimi started then hesistated, she had no idea what sort of thing to ask.

Linda chuckled. "No problem sweetie, bless your heart. Well let's catch up with the boys and get something good in that stomach and a bit of meat on those bones."

There was an older model hover truck which had been dented and the paint faded off waiting. John had hoped in the bed while his father and brother had squeezed into the cab. He waved, "Mimi want to ride in the bed with me?"

"This does not look very safe." Mimi said stepping up to the side of the truck

"Maybe but a lot of fun. Better than being squished in with three people in the front. Your choice though."

"Ok." Mimi hopped into the trucks bed and sat beside John.

"There you go, a bit of adventure, besides this old thing and my dad don't go too fast anymore." John banged on the roof and the truck wheezed to life and pulled out into the traffic which was not that heavy and quickly thinned out as they headed into the countryside. Fields and fields stretched off in both directions.

"Mostly onions still being grown around here," he commented. "Surprisingly not a bad commodity even for off Earth. Anyway, that is what we grow as well. Nothing fancy, though we have a garden plot and some animals." He commented waving his hands as they went. "Hope mom did not skewer you with questions. I told them all to take it easy and if you wanted to say much you would. Well anyway, welcome to my corner of the universe that I called home."

"The view is very nice, it looks like it goes on and on for ever." Mimi said. The rolling countryside they flew past was broken occasionally by small bits of woodland and several farms.

"And a bit humid. I forgot how it gets here. The ships default to an overall average amount for an average cross section of humanoid beings. Wew! How about you? I would guess your world being nearly all water is fairly humid unless it is a cooler world."

"I would think it is a bit humid." Mimi replied, nothing her biological mother had told her about the homeworld really covered the humidity she was a little too young at the time to understand such things anyway. "But it was warm, my mother told me a lot of Nekomi spend a lot of time lying around in the sun when they arent working."

"Well we do the same especially in the heat of the afternoon. Nothing like kicking back on the porch in the shade with a tall cold glass of sweet tea or lemonade. Looks like we are almost there. See you survived this long. Hope you can to meet Alicia. She is another that headed off though did not get too far."

The truck settled down in front of a wooden style house that seemed to sort of ramble. One could see it had been added onto over the course of years. John helped her down by just jumping over the side and then picking her up and swinging her out of the bed. "Come on, let's get you settled in and you can freshen up while the BBQ gets going."

"This is a very nice house John." Mimi said after John had helped her from the truck. "It looks very old."

"Well it does go back a few centuraries at least part of it. Come on let me show you your room." John lead her in and then up the stairs to the right. They creaked a bit but in that well worn but friendly way. There was a long hallway with doors on either side but he went on down to the very end and opened the wood door. The room had one big window at the end, dormer styles on the sides and a nice big bed in the room along with a big old wooden stand and table tucked into a corner. A smaller door lay to the right and one to the left near the hall they had come down.

"Here you go, this is going to be your room while your here. Got a view of the farm, the drive and the barns. There's some of Alicia's old stuff in the chest you are welcome to use. Smaller door to the right is the bathroom, nothing real fancy but should be alright. One to the left is the closet. We got no fancy replicators and stuff here. Tell you what, make yourself comfortable, freshen up and then come on down. Back porch is where we will be..." John sniffed. "Barbecue smells like it is going and I will go help mom get things ready. See you in a bit."

"See you soon." Mimi said and stepped into the room, it was smallish but nice, very old fashioned.

Around 10 minutes later Mimi re-emerged and walked out onto the back porch guided by the delicious smell of the barbecue. "mhh this smells very nice."

"Well you are just in time," Linda said and waved her over to seat on the table that sat on the porch. "John says you like yours rare," Linda said plunking down a big steak. "Peach sweet tea, lemonade or there is coffee and tea I can whip. Now eat..." John's mama insisted. A gal sat across the table and waited a moment. She held out a hand. "Hello, I am John's sister Alicia, just got here myself while you where freshing up. Welcome to the mad house." she laughed.

"This house does not look very mad Alicia." Mimi said when she took her hand.

Alicia laughed. "Earth expression. It means something like a lot of people making a lot of noise and getting others involved. I know it must seem all overwhelming. Still when John said he was bringing a guest and a Nekomi...did I get that right? At that, I just had to make the trip down. Believe it or not we hardly get to meet people from other places out here in the boondocks. Now that being said, you are a guest and as such consider yourself part of the family."

"Thank you Alicia." Mimi said, she picked up her cutlery and cut off several chunks of her steak. "How far have you come?"

"Oh just down from Valdosta. That is only up the road aways, nothing like the distance you have come. So sweetie, what do you do on board a ship?"

"I am from Operations, the..... every day things on the ship, cargo, lights, transporter, even the toilets." Mimi answered.

"And calling on people like John to come fix the commodes and such when they break. Sounds like a perfect match up to me." She chuckled. "So what kind of hobbies or interests do you have?"

"My species are very.. active so I like to keep in shape, I like to read to as I am still learning to speak english." Mimi replied.

"Well your standard is quite good. So I have to ask...." Alicia leaned over the table. "So how do you like John?"

Mimi looked over at John who was happily chatting with the rest of his family then turned back to Alicia "He is kind and he seems to care a lot about me."

Alicia chuckled again. "Well mama would beat the boys black and blue if they were disrespectful toward a gal. Of course, I got them both in trouble more times than I care to count when I was younger. So...I know John said not to pepper you with questions and all about Nekomi and such. Said something about you being orphaned or some such. Anyway, basically said you did not have much family." She nodded her chin toward the rest. "Well at least if things go the way I think I know John, at least you get to see if this clan is something that you want to get involved with."

Mimi smiled. "It would be nice to have a... proper family again, people to call Anai and Tytar"

"Sorry Mimi, you got me there. That a bit of Nekomi?" Alicia asked.

"Yes, the words are brother and sister." Mimi replied.

"Well lookie there! I do declare I just learned a new couple of words!" Alicia laughed. "Well no matter what little Tytar you're already one of us! Now then sis, best we grab another go around before the boys all snarf...that is to east fast...the rest down."

"I agree." Mimi said, standing up she took her plate and walked back towards the barbeque.

It was dark by the time the whole dinner and dessert was served. Alicia and her mom started cleaning up and shooed Mimi out with the boys to relax. "You're a guest," was all either of them would say.

There was some small talk and then when the two other women rejoined the group John's dad grabbed an old guitar and sang a song or two in a sort of cracked based voice. Alicia took a turn at singing and did a pretty fair job. The boys all begged off.

After a bit more talk John stretched and said, "I am tuckered. It has been a trip and a day. Think I am ready to turn in. How about you Mimi?"

"Thank you for bringing me here John, I enjoyed this." Mimi said smiling.

"Good well at least you got to meet the clan. Well some of them, I am not talking about the cousins and all. Did you want to stay a bit or head on up?"

Mimi looked back up at the stars shining bright in the sky. "I think I will stay just a little longer, the view from here is very nice."

"Alright Mimi, but this is a farm and morning comes early," John said and then leaned over and gave her a quick kiss on top of her head between her pert ears. He figured not to push things much either here where there were extra eyes. "See you in the morning sunshine."

"See you in the morning John." Mimi said, she watched John leave then sat back thinking about the events of the day.

OFF:

Ensign Mimi
Operations

PO3 John Hollenday
Engineering Mate

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