New Faces and Spaces

Posted on 21 Feb 2022 @ 8:01pm by Petty Officer 3rd Class Raine Ni-ya & Chief Petty Officer Ella Lokaa

1,596 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Episode 18 - Cold Station 31
Location: Regula I - Level 16, Corridors
Timeline: MD 03, 1700 hrs

[ON]

Raine Ni-ya looked around the station as she walked, wearing grey soft trousers, boots and a white tunic. She wore the hood up, covering her head...keeping her warm. She stopped, looking out for a moment, moving her gloved hand to the glass. She studied the view, the stars, her eyes focusing on it before she blinked and pulled back, turning her head. It was quiet here. So quiet, one of the corridors less used. There were labs around here and that was why Raine had started walking here...curious what was happening here, what she might see. And also she did not want to go and drink right now.

Except...she wasn't alone. She tilted her head to the side, looking over at the female walking towards her. She was taller than Raine with blond long hair.

The young Elasian had a similar idea and motive. Ella avoided large gatherings not because she didn't enjoy them but because she was always having to pay particular care. The last thing she needed was another incident to which she accidentally contaminated two officers. Fortunately the ships doctor had synthesised Dr. McCoy's 'cure' to stop them actively trying to divorce their wives and serve her. 'Cure' Ella very much disliked the word, because it implied something was wrong with her and her ability and thus referred to it as a tonic. She recalled on several occasions where her tears had come in handy leading to her belive that her tears abilities were dangerous unless they wanted to use them for their own needs.

Seeing another person in this part of the station peaked Ellas interest, the labs were here but not much else and she wondered if, like her, she was a scientist.

Raine studied the woman as she came closer, taking a deeper breath. She was not human. She could tell. Maybe it was the way she moved, maybe it was something about her appearance that Raine just knew wasn't human. She gave the woman a nod when she came closer, watching her calmly. "Lost?" she asked, her voice serious, even if it was more her default tone.

Ella studied the woman, assumed woman considering she was unaware of her race but her vernacular seemed feminine. Her one-word comment led the direction of Ella's response and in her usual well-spoken manner she spoke. "Is that a question or a comment; are you lost?" Perhaps the individual couldn't speak Federation standard and thus was lost herself. Typically she was the one to be socially inadequate, but just like most of her experiences, she'd be proven wrong once again.

"You are, without doubt, not human," Raine said and motioned Ella. "Are you lost? Or are you like me, exploring the base?" It was a fair question...and it offered up the opportunity for the other woman to ignore her. That was always a good thing to offer people, Raine had decided. It was a lot easier.

Smiling, "No I am not human and Yes I am exploring the base like you." Often Ella was mistaken for simply being a human, but she had yet to met a human female who could match her physically in both strength and definition. By Elasians standards Ella was average, it was only her mother who allowed her to be regarded so highly on the planet before she left. "Do you often tell people what race they are not?" She attempted at a joke, her tone not quiet on point.

"Depends," Raine's voice was serious as she looked at her. "With the amount of humans within Starfleet, I like those who look the same to feel...special." She crossed her arms as she looked at her, her eyes calm.

Appreciating the directedness not akin to human woman, who usually felt threatened by her. Those that did not seemed to enjoy the notion of small talk, she reached out with her left hand, (Yep she was left handed like most elasians, though she was capable of using her right when needed.) "I'm Ella Lokka, though on Elas I would Introduce myself as Ella Daughter of Atholla."

"Raine Ni-ya," Raine looked at the hand before she let out a breath. "I don't...shake hands." She didn't follow up with a smile either, but instead held her hands up. "Sensitive scales. I did not know Elasians had made it into Starfleet. I understood that your people's vicious nature and the potential dangers of your bodily fluids would not be helpful to a career within Starfleet."

Dropping her hand down by her side seemingly unoffended by Raine's admission. "Well depends how you look at it, I could be deemed a valuable asset" She chuckled, "Starfleet have an antidote that works on most male's and most species so even if I did have a little accident and my tears infected someone it wouldn't be for long. Besides I try not to cry." What Ella didn't admit was that for Elasians that was extremely difficult and painful at times. The urge to cry was a fight and flight response and to not was like holding your breath for too long, she had trained herself into not crying at every emotional imbalance but that in itself was often dangerous. "So, sensitive scales. I can't imagine that's helpful either."

"Not really, but I suppose the gloves help," Raine said as she watched her. "I would have found a way of preventing your tears full stop. Much more efficient than having antidotes around," she added with a weak smile. "Would just be tweaking your genetics a bit. Perhaps introduced as a virus." She stopped herself and sighed. "I'm a scientist. These things just...come to me. Does not mean I will. Would not have the approval by the Federation."

"Efficient but also very much against every fibre in my body, I think if that's how Starfleet went about it I would not be here and our planet would be classed as off-limits at risk to the away teams." While Ella knew her tears were a potential danger she would never let anyone violate her body as so to stop them from even being produced, it would strip her entire being. "Though I appreciate your scientific output" She added, after all, she was a scientist too and Raine was only applying a scientific mind to the situation, if not wholly ethical. "So what brings you down here since it is clear neither of us is lost."

"It's a station of scientists...I was seeing if they left anything unlocked for me to peek at," Raine said with a small shrug, watching the other woman. "What can I say? I get bored easily...what about you?"

Matching her shrug, "Well same actually except I was avoiding the party that was going on by sneaking around the labs. Turns out they don't lock everything." She thumbed back the way she had come. "There are a few labs open down that way, some interesting simulations being left to run." She explained, "So you bore easily huh? Is that a personal trait or a species trait?"

"I like to think personal, I can be a sneaky person," Raine said as she held her eyes. "Not much of a party person? I am surprised...although I suppose if someone showed up in the same outfit you might start crying and then we would have a lot of horny scientists running after you. I can see that getting boring. Not to mention...messy."

Ella found herself laughing, "Oh like you couldn't imagine." In reality, she could just tell them all it would please her greatly if they all went to bed while she went to medical and replicated half a dozen airborne antidotes, the main reason she didn't drink was that if she did... she might not have the same level of self-control. "So since we're both exploring, shall we explore together?"

Raine clearly considered it for a long moment before she gave a nod. "Might as well. And apparently it is polite to meet new people and 'make friends'...unless we make enemies?"

"Some say to keep your enemies closer" She winked, before adding "Frenemies, let's go!" Ella continued on the way she was heading, only glancing once or twice to see if Raine was following her. "So why science?" She asked.

Raine followed her easily, looking around as she considered it. "I was bred for it," she said, meeting her eyes. "It is the only skill I have. What do you do?"

Ella ignored the question, "Wow wait Bred for science?" She had stopped at a corner and turned back to Raine, "Is that normal for your people?" Before Raine had a chance to reply Ella shrugged, "And they say my people are barbaric!" She turned back round and continued to lead Raine waiting for her answer.

"Normal. Although there's a reason we are not in the Federation and no one deals with us," Raine said lightly before she gave a small shrug. Her voice was flat, but there was just a hint of humour about her, the way she spoke. As if it was a personal joke. "Just call us the galaxy's lesser known evil genius."

And so they talked, for awhile, about the strangeness of the universe and being two species somewhat out of place. Raine did not even notice time going, enjoying the conversation enough to keep engaging.

[OFF]

--

PO3 Raine Ni-ya
Science Officer
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Rice]

CPO Ella Lokaa
Science Officer
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Gorvel]

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