Questions Asked, And Answered

Posted on 13 Oct 2023 @ 10:19pm by Lieutenant JG Montgomery Vala & Petty Officer 3rd Class Helliun 'Hel' Inant

2,144 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Episode 18 - Cold Station 31
Location: Regula I - Level 15, Ring Corridor
Timeline: MD 18, 1000hrs

[ON]

Hel rolled her shoulders as she walked, in her uniform ready for the mass...captain exchange. Why couldn't they just have it being a mass announcement? Still. She was finally off the ship and instead on the starbase that in itself seemed...oddly small. She sighed, leaning against the bulkhead, watching people pass. So many scientists. So many people. Some looked at her and she smiled at them, for them to lower their heads and continue. And Hel, well...she was bored. And also, how many humans were there in Starfleet? She kept seeing them anywhere. A human. Another human. Oh, wait...another human. And another human and...no, really? Another human! She watched them pass before her eyes focused on the next person to walk down the corridor past her. A man. Older than some, younger than others. At a glance, she would have dismissed him as human, but her eyes focused on his skin. A hint of...green? Looked like that in the light anyway. And where he walked past her, she noticed his ears had a point to them.

She smiled, pushing herself from the bulkhead, crossing the three steps to him, stopping him where he was. "You're not human," she declared with a wide smile that showed off her teeth.

Vala's mind had been drifting around somewhere out in the Pleiades - his day was full of meetings and inductions and the normal chaff involved in joining a new crew. The individual in front of him brought it crashing back down into his own head. He blinked a couple of times, focusing on the woman in front of him. She was... striking. Strong. Quite tall too. Certainly direct. "Nor are you." He returned the smile.

"No, you're right in that," Hel said with a smile, chuckling. "What are you?" Whatever lesson about how directly you could ask that question had clearly gone over her head. From experience, she preferred being asked directly rather than people dancing around it.

"I am a Romulan. Mostly. I have a bit of human too. A quarter at most." Vala felt like this person may appreciate accuracy. "I am Montgomery Vala. Who are you?" He looked at the woman, and realised he could probably return her question too. "The Federation has a long list of peoples, many of whom I have not met a member of." It wouldn't be how he'd phrase the question normally... "What are you?"

"Axan," she said lightly as she held his eyes. "I'm Helliun Inant. Most call me Hel. I'm an engineer on the Galileo..." she paused, almost thoughtfully. "My people are currently going through the hoops to become members of the Federation. You'll see more of us in ten years time I think. If people want to leave the sands."

The relentless expansion of the Federation knows no limits, Vala mused. Not that he blamed different peoples' for applying to join. The benefits were immense. "It is good to be acquainted with you, Hel." He held out his hand as it was customary to do within the Federation. "I am happy to meet engineers when I have the opportunity - I am a science officer and i find we are some of the worst culprits for breaking equipment." He gave a sheepish smile.

"You keep me busy," Hel said lightly, raising an eyebrow. "Just not too busy, because I need to be repairing the warp core every few minutes when Command does something stupid. Loads of stupid. It's part of the fun of the bridge crew, right?"

"Well what's the good of a warp core unless you can push it to it's very limit." He chuckled. "I will try to bear you in mind if I'm thinking of suggesting anything particular power intensive. Or... stupid." Sometimes stupid was the best course of action though, Vala had to admit. "So perhaps you can help me a little with my orientation here, Hel. What kind of thing does the crew tend to get up to during whatever downtime might exist on a mission?"

"I can try..." Hel said before she gave a shrug. "There's the bar. It's a good bar, I recommend it, but it was better when we had actual drink. And there is the holodeck. Oh! Gym if you work out, some of us like a little wrestling, just make sure you don't injure some or else the doctors get grumpy. Truth is...we don't get much downtime under the Captain."

Vala gave an appreciative look. "Thank you. It just helps me imagine how life will be. Joining a new ship feels like first day at the academy every time." He felt a little calmer about it all - the crew he'd met so far were very accommodating. "I enjoy a drink, though I find it hard to find anything decent that's Romulan aboard a starship." Romulan Ale had proven particularly elusive. The non-alcoholic variant was disgusting. "I also enjoy physical combat. I have not wrestled before but I would be happy to try." He didn't want to seem too keen for an invitation, but since recovering from his injury, his friends back at Daystrom had been treating him like he was made of paper. "If we are allotted some down time anyway."

"Not more than to eat and sleep," Hel said, with a small shrug as she studied him. "And it's a dry ship, so nothing to drink either. But physical combat? Oh, lots of us train. I like to...wrestle down prey..." she smiled, a wide smile that showed off her teeth. "Not that I'm allowed to draw blood."

"And what..." Vala began cautiously, not being familiar with Axan customs. "...would constitute 'prey'?"

"Well, anything from a sandral...it's like a little desert creature about three feet...to...well, another person," Hel said before she laughed. "But our word for it is less prey and more...something or someone you've overcome. Same word, many meanings."

"Ah I see. I can certainly see the appeal - challenges keep us sharp." For the briefest of moments a memory appeared in his mind - the flash of a bat'leth embedded in a wall; his futile attempt at combat with the one-eyed Klingon. "Well let me know if you would like a sparring partner. I intend to improve my abilities whilst aboard. Overcome plenty of... uh, prey as you put it." He smiled weakly.

"I would like that," Hel said quickly, before he had the chance to change his mind. "I try and get some sparring done. I'm not...an expert. If I was, I'd be Security. But I'm pretty hard to break or kill."

"Just tell me where and when." Vala maintained eye contact. He liked her direct way of talking. "Though perhaps we can save any battles to the death for when we get to know each other better." He chuckled.

"Oh, I try never to do actual death and damage," Hel said with a smile, holding his eyes. "You know, except for those who want to hurt the crew. Those? I don't mind slamming my fist in their face. And it will hurt. Metal in my skeleton."

He raised an eyebrow. "Metal? Like some kind of... cybernetic augmentation?"

"Nah, nothing that fancy," Hel said before she leant closer to him, not having a real overview or understanding of personal spaces. "My planet's rich in metals. And poor in other things, so we can process it. Digest it. Gets into our bones like..." she ran her tongue over her lip as she frowned, stepping back, trying to find a good way to explain it. "Calcium. Makes me heavier and harder to break. And I suppose if I get peckish, as a good friend of mine says...I can just eat some of the ship. Just not necessarily chew it, of course. Chipped teeth isn't a good look on my species, we get mistaken for Klingons."

Vala laughed. He couldn't help but find Hel's way of navigating a conversation charming. "Oh I see. Have you ever found yourself..." He tapped a bulkhead a couple of times. "...taking a bite? Not everyone has the chance to taste their place of work."

"No, of course not. I mean, the replicators work well here," Hel said with a small smile, shaking a hand beside her as if to dismiss it. "Just because we can doesn't mean we always do. As someone once told me...people can eat quinoa, doesn't mean they enjoy it. Not that I have any idea what it is."

"Words to live by." Vala said, nodding. "Not that I ever have much luck with replicators. The Romulan food never tastes right and I am not skilled enough to program anything better." He shrugged. "Though I hear that food is often prepared fresh aboard? I've not been posted to a ship where that happens..."

She nodded, taking a deeper breath. "Yes, Nesh Saalm is our chef. Some prefer replicator, but she does some mean spicy protein," she said, understanding his plight. She never got her home comforts done properly with the replicator. But she had learned to embrace other cuisines instead and spicy chicken had become a favourite of hers.

"Spicy protein sounds like a step in the right direction." Much of the food of his people was heavily spiced and seasoned. "I have, I must admit, always found it hard to adjust to the food of the Federation. Earth food is... strange to me in particular. But I suppose I must sustain myself." He chuckled. "Thank you for providing me with these insights. It's useful to know about how things are... beyond the briefing."

"Oh, ask me anything and I will let you know," Hel said quickly, before lowering her voice almost playfully. "We keep an active rumour mill in Engineering if you are ever interested."

A deep instinct within Vala welled up at the sound of this. Rumour and gossip were so tightly woven into Romulan culture that it was something you learned to live, breath and... well... enjoy. He attempted to match her tone in his response. "I would be very interested - I like to keep my ear to the ground." He smiled. "You seem like a good person to know, Hel."

"Oh, I am. Look, I'm here to...work hard, party hard," she said, her hand going to almost touch his shoulder, but she didn't. Instead it hovered for a moment before she brought it to her side. "You never know when you might die, so might as well live while you can."

They were striking words. Vala wondered how often he had actually truly lived in the past couple of decades. It had been much more work hard than party anything that was for sure. He'd joined the Galileo to continue to do the former but it was hard not to be drawn by Hel's mantra. You never knew when your number would be up. "You're not wrong." He smiled. "I've probably been more on the 'work hard' side of things for a long time, but there is indeed more to life than simply the rigours of duty." He gave her a warm look. "Keep me in mind, I suppose, if you get up to anything interesting."

"I will," Hel promised, with an easy smile back to him. "You can also just come to Engineering and find me if you get bored at your science station. It could happen!" she winked before laughing, because she was getting used to the scientists now.

He laughed. "I am sure I will find myself down there anyway on occassion, looking for bits and pieces for my own projects and experiments." Vala had always found engineers to be solid sorts who were good at helping him solve problems. "And you never know, maybe I will break something in the labs and see you up there."

"I'd like that," Hel said, studying him closely before she nodded. "I'm going to let you get to wherever you're going. You were heading somewhere and I just took your time and..." she made a movement with her hand. "Sucked it in."

"Ah yes I must say I have lost track of time." He moved to stand a little more purposefully. "Not your fault at all, I appreciated you... uhm... sucking up my time? Interesting way to put it..." He laughed a little. "Look me up when we're underway." He gave her a friendly nod.

"Oh, I'll spot you," Hel said lightly, watching him before she pulled back, letting him go past. She watched him go, studying his retreating figure with a small grin. This man was interesting. She'd enjoy seeing him around.

---

Lieutenant (JG) Montgomery Vala
Deputy Science Officer
USS Galileo-A

&

PO3 Helliun 'Hel' Inant
Engineering Officer
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Rice]

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