Agree To Disagree

Posted on 20 Jan 2013 @ 2:38am by Senior Chief Petty Officer Keval zh'Erinov
Edited on on 20 Jan 2013 @ 2:26pm

1,025 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Episode 03 - Frontier
Location: USS Galileo - Ship's Lounge
Timeline: MD -02 1600

ON:

Keval needed a break. He had been working for ten hours straight working on ops problems and helping to get the department more organized and working in sync with Engineering in a more proficient manner. He should have gotten off two hours ago. Now he was sitting with his feet propped up on one chair while he sipped a tall glass of Andorian ale. The real kind, he hummed a small tune to himself and then picked up his sax and began to play softly.

Liyar wasn't truly sure why he'd entered the lounge this time. The last time he'd done so didn't turn out well. He didn't like eating, he didn't enjoy speaking to most of the people there, and the holograms irritated him. Yet here he was. His shift ended two hours ago, and the mess hall was too full for his liking. There were only a few people in here. He could find a quiet corner and sit, alone and without distraction.

The drifting notes of the saxophone pulled the Vulcan out of his reverie and he looked up, noticing that the musician was an Andorian. The only Andorian on the ship, Liyar wasn't exactly proud to say, he had done his research on the man. Parents dead. Adopted by Terrans. Keval Graysan. Son of Raciel zh'Erinov. The Erinov faction would want nothing to do with him. On top of this, the Erinov faction were one of the largest clans on Andoria, with thousands of members. Yet, Liyar found himself approaching him anyway. Before he even had a chance to turn away, think about the situation logically, Liyar was face to face with the petty officer, who was now giving him an expectant look. He blinked and glanced down at the saxophone, ears drawn back unawares. "What is it you are playing." It was the first, really the only thing he could think of to say, and he practically blurted it out.

Keval looked up both antennae standing straight upright, but rigid. "Oh, sorry," he said, "Just something I made up. Is it any good?"

Liyar only stood down towering over the man. It was too great of a coincidence. The Galileo was a small vessel. How was it that Graysan was posted to the exact ship he was on? How was that logical? Occam's Razor, after all. Liyar kept staring, abandoning the pretense of conversation in favor of inscrutably calculating something mentally in his mind. The odds of it occurring innocuously. Surprisingly good. Any of those counselors would call this projecting. Liyar blinked again, and then broke his stare, breathing calmly. "Fine."

Keval stopped playing and set the sax down. He didn't like the way the other man was looking at him. He'd done nothing to him, didn't even know him and he was getting some kind of Vulcan death stare. It didn't even make sense. Did Vulcans even give death stares? Keval wasn't telepathic but he could read tells, he knew the other man was lying. "Excuse me sir," he said as he stood, "Did I do something to offend you, because you're sure as hell acting like I did and I just got on board the ship a few days ago."

Liyar turned around enough to take in the Andorian blandly. He sat down at the stool where Graysan had followed him to and the holographic little man popped up from the counter. Liyar spoke out a string of syllables at the man in Vulcan. "Luks'i sheekuya na dok-temok-shidik." The hologram understood well enough and scurried behind the counter to produce a bottle and a small cup. "I do not act." Liyar arched an eyebrow at him in a way that most would define as arrogant and uncapped the spout on the bottle, aiming it at the glass and filling it halfway.

"Well sir," the Andorian replied his head cocked slightly, "Your face betrays you. I wouldn't try playing poker if I were you."

Liyar picked up his glass and tossed it back, pouring another as though Graysan weren't even there. He waved over the hologram again with two fingers and pointed to something on the menu, tapping it and sliding the plastic covered paper forward and grabbing the glass in front of him again. "I assure you, I am uninterested in your analysis," he said as bluntly as he could, injecting a little extra coldness for good measure.

"Then why were you glaring at me?"

Another glass was promptly emptied. "Mr. Graysan," Liyar started blankly, "Vulcans do not glare. Is there a purpose to your continued presence in my vicinity?" Liyar leveled his eyes upward and over, looking at Keval like speck of stray lint.

Keval stood a bit straighter and returned the Vulcan's stare in kind. "I would look in the mirror before I made such statements if I were you. It is illogical to state an untruth."

"Once again, Petty Officer," Liyar maintained with a bit of pointedness, "I remain uninterested."

"Whatever dude."

"You will require to clarify that terminology," the Vulcan offered, raising his glass once more. The hologram placed a bowl in front of him and he poked a pair of utensils resembling chopsticks into the alien dish. His expression and emotions were on lockdown now, whatever he'd let through before dissolved under a mask of indifference.

"What I mean is whatever you decide to do man, whatever lie you have to tell yourself about someone other than yourself is your business. Just leave me alone and I'll leave you alone."

Liyar once again swept his eyes over the man. "Indeed. I do not see that you are leaving me alone."

"Like I said," he replied with a flick of his antennae "WHATEVER." He then turned and started to walk away.

The Vulcan blinked over at him. If he had not been convinced before, he was convinced now: Keval th'Graysan of clan Erinov was no threat to him.

OFF:

Lieutenant (JG) Liyar
Diplomatic Officer, VDF/SDD
USS Galileo

Petty Officer 1st Class Keval Graysan
Operations Officer, SFO
USS Galileo

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