Strange Encounters

Posted on 11 Aug 2023 @ 4:27pm by Lieutenant Aria Rice & Ensign Tora Zalos
Edited on on 11 Aug 2023 @ 5:59pm

1,964 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Episode 18 - Cold Station 31
Location: Regula I - Level 17, Lounge
Timeline: MD 11, 15:30

[ON]

Now fresh off her meeting with Yukime Tora returned to the bar she'd been sitting at; it wasn't too much to want to enjoy a drink in peace, was it? Her order was the same as before: a glass of sparkling blue Andorian ale. It wasn't too much to want to enjoy her drink in peace, was it? Besides, she had plans to scour the rest of the base's entertainment facilities when she was done. She did have the next few days of leave all to herself, after all.

For now, though, she relegated herself to people-watching. The bar wasn't all that full at this time of day, surprisingly, no more than before - and besides, all the patrons that were already there looked half asleep or nearly there anyway.

Sitting at a table near her, a human-looking male watched her with interest. It was a genuine interest as well and he knew he was close to staring. But Tirion didn't care. It was a Cardassian, in a Starfleet uniform, which was unheard of as far as he knew. Of course, he was enlisted, so truthfully he didn't know everything. His leg was moving under the table, jittering up and down and his hazel eyes kept on her. So why was she here? Not that many ships came through Regula I, and when they did it was supplies or other Starfleet ships just popping by to...get stuff. So was she new to the base? She didn't appear as a scientist, not the base scientists anyway who always looked at their PADD, but he knew that in the Cardassian culture, women were the smart scientists type. Generalisation, sure, but hey...half of what he knew was from sweeping statements until someone corrected him. Uniform told him she was roughly in that field but that seemed too obvious! Maybe she was Intelligence? Oh! Section 31, undercover....

The tap, tap, tap of someone's boot on the floor made the Cardassian look up from her drink - not to mention that she could feel eyes on her. In this nearly empty bar, with all the patrons lethargic or straight up uninterested, she would've known immediately. Bright, intelligent amber eyes fixated on the humanlike male watching her from two tables away - it wasn't hard to track the sound his foot made as his leg jittered up and down underneath the table. Cardassians were rare in Starfleet, she knew that, and that might've been why he was staring - but then again, it might've been for any number of reasons.

"If you're curious, you can just come over and say hello. I don't bite, not unless you want me to." She enthused, playful smile dancing its way across her lips. "I do quite like company."

He blinked, taking a moment to register what she was saying. No, not the words. More she was talking to him. He frowned, with confusion, before he looked at his drink. Untouched. He took it and stood, walking over to her and sitting down. "I was leaning towards you being Section 31," he said as he looked at her, but not meeting her eyes. "But if you were, you wouldn't be speaking this easily to me. So...you're not. Accent's Risian though..." he paused, clearly thinking. "Could be you're not a Cardassian, but it isn't a good place to do deep cover as a Cardassian."

Tora stared at him with a mix of shock and amusement. Of all the theories people formed as to how she'd wound up here, in Starfleet, her being section 31 of all things was quite possibly the most shocking among all of them. Grossly incorrect, but in a most fascinating (and inoffensive) manner. "I'm full Cardassian, I'm afraid, not a drop of non-Cardassian blood in me!" She said, amber eyes gleaming. "I'm ensign Tora Zalos, science officer aboard the Galileo... whenever it comes back from its current mission, of course." She held out a hand to be shaken. Not once did her eyes leave his face as she studied him. He certainly seemed human, at least to her... though, of course, appearances could be deceptive. "I lived on Risa for a long time, if you're wondering where the accent comes from."

Tirion looked at the hand for a moment, before he reached to take it. His light brown eyes fell a bit in his face and with the better light, there was a scattering of freckled across his pale skin. He did wear a uniform, but it seemed somewhat baggy on him, as if he hadn't gotten the size right. "Tirion Visser," he said, somewhat of an introduction. "Scientist is too obvious, doesn't seem right." He suddenly sounded somewhat deflated, less animated from it, before he seemed to shake it off. "I'm...an analyst."

"You'd be right, though! I am a science officer, specializing in xenoanthropology. It's an exciting field to me, really. There is so much to learn about people and how they live, and I think that's just wonderful." Now that they were closer together concern creased her scaly features. Tirion looked like he hadn't eaten for a while; that uniform was definitely too big for him, not to mention his complexion (and his job, actually) - part of her wondered if he'd let his duties get in the way of taking actual care of himself. No wonder he sounded deflated. "How has your day been? Good, I trust?"

Tirion looked at her, blinking for a moment before he nodded. "Yes, no...sort of. I...analyse abnormalities," he said, gesturing almost nervously as he spoke. He was awkward, it was clear it wasn't natural to him to speak to someone. "Your specialism, it doesn't...well, of course, not..." he stopped, clearly taking a moment. "It's not that useful unless you go to where no one has gone before. Like archaeology. Useless until you need it. Like doctors too, useless until you need it." He stopped again and frowned. "That was rude, sorry."

Tora honestly didn't know if this poor guy had spent so long burying his head in work that he'd forgotten how to watch what he said, or the slightly more plausible thought that he simply didn't really have a filter that him do so. He wasn't entirely wrong, of course, but still, why would you tell someone to their face that what they liked served no purpose? "Anthropology is surprisingly relevant, actually." She corrected with a smile. No use bashing someone for what they'd said when you could correct them and make actual change. "New studies on civilizations of all kinds are always coming to light, and it's people like me who help to understand them! I might not ever discover a new civilization myself, but that doesn't mean that I have nothing to do. I read plenty and keep myself relevant, especially with science! Don't you recko'n that's not too bad?'

He considered it, clearly taking in the information. He finally nodded. "I see your point," he finally said. "I just...don't get the..." he made a gesture between them. "Interpersonal stuff. It's better with data." Which was the truth. Despite his eyes, he was half Betazoid. And he knew he wasn't like them. Truth was always spoken, but he never understood why people said and reacted some things. Small talk. That was what he didn't understand. "You're an anomaly. It's fascinating."

"And so are you. Everybody's an anomaly. Everybody's different. That's what makes the world fun to live in." Tora responded. "Think about it, would things ever be considered exciting if everything and everyone was always the same and within expectations? The world would be so grey, I think, so homogenous."

He frowned as he watched her. "The...world would not be grey," he said with confusion before he realised she didn't mean it literally. "I...see." He nodded and looked down, considering it for a moment. "You're an anomaly in Starfleet. For now."

Tora tilted her head, looking at the human (or half human, now that she'd gotten a good look at his eyes) with concern. "Are you alright, sweetie? You seem lethargic..." She said, folding a scaly hand over his. She could understand having low energy after a hard day, but this? This was quite something else, and not in a good way.

"Oh...oh, no, that's..." he rubbed his chin for a moment, looking away from her. "Sugar crash..." he finally admitted, almost shyly. "I'll get something to balance that. I'm on my...39th hour."

"You what!?" Tora's voice had become unusually shrill for someone who normally had a voice soft and comforting as gossamer on the skin. Straightaway she stood and grabbed him by the shoulders. "That's it! I'm taking you home to sleep! You look terrible, in case you're not aware, and if you keep on like this you won't have the brain cells to put together to do your job! No buts! Where do you stay?" She declared.

He looked at her, somewhat confused before he scratched his chin in a way that said that, despite efforts, he wasn't quite producing the facial hair to have a five o'clock shadow. "Err...my quarters. Two decks down." He looked around for a moment, as if realising where he really was. "No, one deck up. Two decks down from the lounge was my old posting."

Tora sighed and took the man by the arm and led him out of the lounge to the turbolift. "You really do need to sleep. You're barely coherent!" She scolded, patting him on the arm. "Goodness me. When was the last time you had a full night's sleep?"

He considered it, clearly trying to before he glanced at her. "The nebula keeps me busy," he said, because it was easier that way than trying to remember. "It's the signals. They're getting stronger and I don't understand it."

"What signals?" Tora tried to seem genuinely interested as she led him into the turbolift. "How can they originate from within a nebula? And how are they getting stronger, you said? Please, do tell me more." She genuinely WAS interested, though. Unexplained phenomena was alwasy exciting to explore and study - in the same vein as new civilizations.

"I'm trying to figure out what they are. There were...echoes," he said, with a slight frown. "But they're growing. Increasing. Like a ripple...you throw a rock in the water, and it...creates ripples."

"Maybe it's... an astral phenomenon of sort. Something's disrupting the nebula, tossing a rock into the water." Tora suggested as she led him into the turbolift. "Deck fifteen." She waited for the turbolift to move before continuing, "It might just be nothing. A one-time occurrence?"

He looked at her, frowning as he studied her closely. "You ever wonder if it matters?" he finally asked. "What we do, I mean. Starfleet, the Federation, all that?"

"Of course it does." Tora smiled as they reached his quarters, and she tapped the door open control to let him in. "Alright, you. Get to sleep. I'll see you around, alright?"

He nodded, looking at her before he opened his mouth. And closed it. And opened it again. "You...take care of yourself," he said, meaning it. "People can be...weird. Don't let anyone try and make you ashamed of who you are." He wasn't sure why he was saying it...maybe he was tired. Or maybe, because she was so nice to him, he wanted to give her something back.

"Of course." Tora gave him a pat on the shouder and stepped back as the man retreated into his quarters with satisfaction. At least she'd helped someone today.

[OFF]

--

PO3 Tirion
Analyst
Regula I
[NPC Rice]

&

Ensign Tora Zalos
Science Officer
USS Galileo-A

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