The Path Not Taken: An Unwelcome Guest (Part 1 of 2)

Posted on 15 May 2024 @ 9:53pm by Lieutenant JG Montgomery Vala & Ensign S'Ers-a M'Lyr'Zor

2,202 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Episode 19 - Tomorrow's Galileo
Location: Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, Earth
Timeline: Early 2396

Early 2396 - 4 years after the deletion of Cold Station 31 files.

[ON]

The days in Bise turned into weeks. The weeks became a month. Little packages kept arriving and Sera set to work creating whatever the schematic outlined, although the novelty had quickly worn off. Regardless, every day she sat for hours on the stool at the workbench and put together the highly complex devices. Once the project was complete, she threw it into a biometric box keyed only to her and placed it under a loose board that the heavy workbench stood upon. Montgomery was none-the-wiser. He was preoccupied with his own concerns, after all.

Sera rarely left the house anymore; what was the point? The welcoming atmosphere of Bise had cooled; they had brought turmoil to the small fishing village. Even their next door neighbor would scurry indoors when Sera went outside to hang drying laundry or to maintain the yard that bordered the two homes.

Besides, most of the things she might require could be delivered directly to their front door. The Ferengi deliveryman from Tokyo had found the arrangement quite lucrative, and he kept the household in supply of the potent beverage that Sera had taken to imbibing after Montgomery left for work every day. The pale blue liquid helped to silence the discordance in her mind and it kept the tremors that continued to plague her to a bare minimum.

There was no one to ask for advice regarding the random symptoms troubling her, and Sera wasn’t about to see a Federation medical provider. No doubt any deficiencies within her would be exploited. Montgomery seemed his normal self, and surely…he would be affected too…if? Their bond was somehow broken.

Sera took complete accountability for it…and she would pay for it…was paying for it. Kaiddth. There was some peace in knowing that Montgomery was not entwined with her enough to suffer needlessly.

So, it was just her alone then. Alone. The word felt like gritty sand on her tongue.

Illogical. She was allowing emotions to control her reasoning. No doubt the kali-fal was not helping. Perhaps meditation…

Sera realized she had been pacing a length of the flooring in the main room and halted her movement.

They should have been on Vulcan by now!…but here she stood on this cool, damp, blue marble of a planet, surrounded by obnoxious Terrans who smelled of uncontrolled pheromones and sex!

Sera gripped at the side of her head, pulling at her hair as if to tear what was ailing her from her mind. Perhaps…another drink wouldn’t hurt. Sera plodded across the tatami mats to the dining room and pulled one of the opened bottles out of the sideboard. Already half-empty. Fvadt. Might as well finish it off.

Fvillhu mewed up at her as she pulled the corking out with her teeth, spat the topper out across the room, and took a swig directly from the bottle.

”I’ll not be judged by a cat!” she snarled at Fvillhu in Vuhlkansu after swallowing the potent intoxicant, and the cat mewed back as if sassing her.

Sera growled at the cat, and Fvillhu arched his back and hissed in reply and turned his nose up as he trotted away. The two-legged female had been in a foul mood lately; there had been far less treats. It was unacceptable, but he was a small predator and she was a larger one, and Fvillhu wasn’t about to go up against her when she was riled. He would try the male two-legger later.

Watching the cat stalk off in indignation, Sera tilted the bottle back and downed another burning mouthful. She could already feel the dull lassitude beginning to impact her awareness. It was a balm to her frayed senses. Her socked feet made a scuffing noise as she walked out to the deck and flopped onto the pillow she had been previously used for afternoon meditation. Now it was a perfect spot to consume the light blue liquid and watch the air go by.

….

The door chime startled Sera out of the doze she was engaging in. Her eyes opened onto the bottle, now empty, which was tipped on its side on the decking. A soft exhalation; she was tipped sideways on the decking, too.

The chime rang out again and she pushed herself upright and made her way to the front door with less coordination than she usually demonstrated.

Once Sera reached the doorway, she leaned her forearm upon it and shoved the still mis-aligned door open. Standing on the covered porch was a Trill female, dressed in civilian clothing.

”What do you want? If you seek Lieutenant Commander Vala, you have come all this way in error. He is currently at Daystrom.” Sera’s tone was cold. She had fallen asleep–yet another thing that had been in short supply for her–and it was interrupted for this?!

The Trill remained still, a sanguine expression gracing her features. So this was Vala's inamorata. In the flesh. She didn't seem particularly special all things told, and Vialluh found herself a little surprised at the state of her, even accepting the current circumstances.

"Ah," she began crisply, "How unfortunate. I had hoped he might be home." She smiled pleasantly at the 'vulcan', "I am Vialluh, an old friend of Montgomery's." She bared her teeth slightly, "From work."

“It would appear that Montgomery is flush with…associations. How fortunate for him.” Sera replied. Sera’s growing paranoia did not allow her to take the woman’s explanation at face value, but it would not do to be rude to one of his colleagues, regardless of how she felt. Sera took a step back away from the doorway and allowed the Trill to enter. Montgomery would be home within a half-hour. Sera would ‘play’ hostess until he could return, although the thought of having this female in her home set her teeth on edge.

“Please sit.” Sera instructed coolly as she showed the woman into the main seating area. She walked into the kitchen and filled a pitcher of water from the well and brought in two clay cups and made quick work of performing the expected duties of host to a guest. The woman did not rate for tea, and Sera was not in the mood for that level of entertainment, anyway.

Vialluh did not need to glance about the room to take in the changes since she had last been there. When she had 'come by' the last time, both the occupants had been out to dinner. Was it really breaking in if the door was left unlocked? She amused herself with such internal queries.
It was clear that much had changed.

The… personal touches had evaporated. All of the little things that, she assumed, Vala's paramour had put in place to make the dwelling 'homey,' were now absent. The same could be said for the individual herself - Vialluh had seen countless holovids and pictures of her dressed in beautiful clothes of the local Japanese culture. Now she wore dull black vulcan garb. Other things had suffered too. She had remembered gazing at the images of the 'vulcan', admiring her beautiful hair. It had been so neat and… proper. Adorable.

Now though… well this was a woman who had gone off the other side of one edge or another. Her hair was braided but messy by any standard, let alone that of a supposed vulcan. She had clearly not slept properly in some time - her unusual blue eyes had a hint of red about them. And the drink… Vialluh's eyes could not resist clocking the empty bottle on the side. She could smell it.

Tsk tsk tsk it was all coming apart at the seams.

And that wouldn't do. She was happy to see they had packed at least. Perhaps this one was expecting to have been able to flee sooner? Vialluh internally smiled: they couldn't make it that easy for her, though it would need to happen eventually for the plan to come together.

She sat down as indicated and gazed at the 'vulcan' opposite her, "So may we be introduced? I did not realise Montgomery had anyone at home," she lied expertly. This would be fun.

Sera raised a brow at her comment. She was a ‘friend’ of his but did not realize…? Whatever was that supposed to mean?

“I am called Sera. Montgomery is my mate. His…friends know this.” It was said in a deadpan manner. She was missing a well-needed nap for this…farce. There was something about this woman that rang false - and Sera was raised to never dismiss one’s instincts.

“He should be home shortly. How do you know him? He has never mentioned you.”

“Oh yes. He mentioned a mate,” Vialluh made a dismissive gesture, “I didn’t really press him on the matter. So,” she smiled, “wonderful to meet you Sera.”

She paused for a moment and continued to observe. This ‘vulcan’ was not particularly composed. It was most unusual. Understandable though, given the circumstances. “Montgomery and I go way back. We’ve worked together here on Earth a number of times.” She kept her eyes on Sera, “He’s really helped me with my career, you know. Such a gentleman.” Her light laugh echoed around the room. “I heard he had returned to terra firma and I just could not resist stopping by.”

“You. Could. Not. Resist.”

Sera raised a brow and leaned in slightly, and stared unblinking into the female trill’s eyes. “You may go ‘way back,’ but you know nothing of ‘Montgomery’ at all.”

Kill her…she is a threat to what is YOURS… Her inner voice purred.

This woman awoke very…strange feelings within Sera. Savage feelings. She forced herself to lean back. It was completely counter to what her instincts demanded.

Vialluh cocked her head. The hospitality and politeness she had expected from this one's file were next to absent. It was difficult not to smile.

“Perhaps. I have never felt like he obfuscated himself in my company. I always found him one to reveal much,” she kept her eyes on Sera’s, “as friends often do.”

Friends? She kept using that word. That word had a very different meaning to a Vulcan. What was this woman attempting to insinuate?

“He only acts in the manner necessary to obtain the desired outcome.”

A peal of laughter emitted from Vialluh, “You make him sound so… mercenary. Perhaps that is the case. Perhaps.” She gave a slow nod of the head, still smiling pleasantly at the ‘vulcan’. “I suppose in that case his desires have often… aligned with mine.”

“Is that so?” Sera said ever so calmly. She felt like a still dark pool that housed a deadly predator unseen beneath the surface. A sudden urge to tear the woman’s throat out and watch her exsanguinate boiled up and Sera clenched her jaw in response.

Oh, where was Montgomery?! Her control was in tatters. Why was she even bothering to control herself? She could easily dispose of the female…the ocean was a convenient place to discard unwanted items of a biological nature.

Sera leaned in again, her eyes dilating in an instinctual manner as she focused on Vialluh. “And what were your desires that so readily aligned with his?” The smoothness of the delivery belied the predatory gleam in her eyes.

"That," Vialluh said as she continued to smile, "is between him and I." She sensed that this one could quite easily be baited into doing something… unwise. That would not be conducive to the grander plan, of course, but it was tempting.

"But you can be assured they were purely… professional," she flashed her teeth a little, "As I said he has been quite the gentleman."

Sera said nothing, for she did not trust her response. She dipped her head slowly in a non-verbal acknowledgement that Vialluh spoke and slowly rose to standing. Tilting her head, Sera heard the crunch of footfalls up the path to the house and she slowly walked to the front door and pulled it open just as Montgomery was raising his hand to open the door on his own.

“Oh!” He exclaimed, giving a slightly odd look to his mate, “S’Ers-a, e’lev, is everything well?”

Sera’s rage melted at seeing Montgomery standing before her. Relief poured through her. She could have literally cried seeing him and wanted nothing more than to step into his arms and rub her cheek against his neck. Hand twitching, Sera almost reached out her fingers in ozh’esta but did not trust the steadiness of her fingertips. It would open up guileless questions that she did not feel comfortable answering, especially not with company.

“You have a guest.” Sera said as a greeting.

To be continued...

[OFF]

--

LTCMDR Montgomery Vala
Chair of Xenogeology
Department of Xenogeology, Daystrom Institute

&

S'Ers-a M'Lyr'Zor
Not in the mood for guests

&

Captain Vialluh
Starfleet Intelligence
[NPC played by Vala]

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