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"All Things Aside"
Rating: PG Rising From The Sea (4) Hoshi followed two crewmembers down the sloping sand dune onto the beach. She stopped, putting her hands on her hips and looking up and down the beach. Streams ran off the land, gurgling into the ocean. Along the fresh waterways, short palm trees spread out like huge umbrellas. Bushes with brilliant colored flowers dotted the sand around her. Surprised by the newcomers, multi-colored birds no larger than butterflies fluttered away, taking their noisy song with them. Hoshi looked back at the ocean, watching the red water lap up dark brown sand. She turned, hearing voices coming. Trip, Archer and T’Pol came over the crest, Archer and Trip carrying a case between them. “Sorry,” Archer said as he passed Hoshi. “For what?” she asked. Archer and Trip sat the case down before Archer turned back to her. “For dragging you down here. Those aliens didn’t mention they were leaving when we last spoke to them.” Hoshi smiled. “We’re on a beach and it’s a beautiful warm day. I’m content.” Archer laughed. “Don’t start gloating too much, or I’ll revoke your shore leave and put you to work.” Hoshi laughed. “Mind helping me set up tents?” Trip asked her. “Okay.” Hoshi followed Trip back up the dune. # Hoshi waded into the red water up to her ankles, watching the water lap her legs. “Are you sure this water’s safe?” Hoshi looked back at T’Pol. T’Pol had set up her equipment in the shade of one of the short palm trees and was studying various soil, plant and water samples. T’Pol looked up from her work. “It has the same chemical make-up as the ocean water on Earth, Ensign.” “But why’s it red?” “The class of algae that lives in it gives it a red appearance.” Hoshi put her hands on her hips, looking out across the water. A breeze picked up, blowing her loose hair around her face and shoulders. Hoshi smiled, turning her face into the breeze. Archer had allowed them to dress down in shorts and T-shirts, not that it really mattered to Hoshi. She was on shore leave and he had already told her she could wear whatever she wanted. Hoshi had happily discarded her uniform for a one-piece swimsuit and shorts. Hoshi opened her eyes, catching a glimpse of something disappearing into the waves. She backed up onto the beach. Hoshi turned to T’Pol. “Do you need any help?” “No, Ensign.” Hoshi looked down the beach at the other four. She considered going down and asking again if anyone needed help, but then decided maybe six times was five too many. Hoshi turned and started strolling along the beach with her hands in her pockets. She stopped and looked out at the ocean again. She looked down when she felt something on her foot and smiled, watching a Hermit crab crawl over her toes and start up the beach. Hoshi crouched down and picked it up by the shell, turning it over. “Hey there,” Hoshi said, watching its legs still trying to walk. Hoshi gently placed it on her hand and held her hand down on the sand. It crawled off on its journey up the beach. When it disappeared into a bush, she turned back to the water. She spotted a pink shell and waded toward it, discovering the beach slope was steeper than it looked. She was up to her midriff by the time she reached the shell. Hoshi reached down for the shell and giggled when she had to stand up fast to keep from being completely soaked by a wave. Hoshi tried again to get it and again dodged a wave, dancing a couple steps back. Hoshi looked down at the shell, debating diving for it. She closed her eyes when a wave splashed the warm, red water on her. ‘I could stay in here all day.’ Hoshi gasped when something grabbed her hand, her eyes popping open. A male humanoid held her wrist, standing before her. He stared at her with black eyes that looked more like black holes. Gills ran down his jaw, opening and closing with each breath. His skin was albino white and peeling off in several places, revealing pale silver-pink skin. His mousy brown hair was cut butch. There were faint markings behind his ear, down his neck and across his chest that ran to meet in the middle of is torso. Under the water, she saw he was naked except for a pouch tied around his waist and a knife strapped to his left thigh. Hoshi wondered if he wasn’t in the middle of an evolution when her eyes came to his feet. His looked similar to hers, but they were wider and flatter and there was webbing between his toes. Up the back of his calves was a nub of a fin that tapered off before his knee and ankle. With his other hand, he held out the pink shell she was trying to get. “Thank you,” Hoshi said, taking the shell. “It is pretty,” he said, releasing Hoshi’s arm. “You speak English?” He tilted his head a little. “You’re speaking the same language as I am,” Hoshi explained. “How did you learn how to speak it?” “I hear your words and I speak them,” he said. “Oh,” Hoshi said, smiling. “My name is Hoshi.” He looked confused. Hoshi put her hand on her chest. “My name is Hoshi. My people call me Hoshi.” He nodded. “Oasp.” He patted his own chest. “Oasp.” Hoshi nodded. He looked at the shore and suddenly dove back into the ocean. Hoshi turned, finding Archer and T’Pol standing on the beach behind her. Hoshi looked back at the water but Oasp had disappeared. Hoshi waded back to shore. “What was that?” Archer asked. “Not sure. Yet.” Hoshi smiled. “But he gave me this shell!” Hoshi held the pink shell up. “Hoshi,” Archer said. “What?” “Why were you out there in the first place?” “To get this.” Hoshi held up the shell. She grinned mischievously. “I’m a big girl. I know how to swim.” Archer laughed. “Did he talk to you?” “Yeah.” Hoshi’s face scrunched up a little. “He spoke English. I asked him if he knew English and he said he heard my words and spoke them. I don’t know what that means.” Hoshi grinned. “Yet!” “Be careful.” Archer turned to leave, adding, “I’ve heard sailor’s tales about mermen luring beautiful young woman to their realm under the sea, never to return again.” “Wasn’t that mermaids?” Archer looked back at her. “Weren’t you making supper tonight?” “Aye, aye, Captain!” Hoshi offered a sloppy salute. Archer waved her off, walking away. Hoshi looked back out at the ocean, hoping to see Oasp. # Hoshi ran into the water, dove under a wave and started swimming. She ducked under another wave, watching the water curl past her. She rolled onto her back, heading to the surface. “Hoshi,” a voice said. She turned, looking into Oasp’s eyes. She smiled, treading water. The two ducked as a wave washed over them and surfaced at the same time. Oasp smiled. “You’re kind…” Oasp looked at the beach. “Are they unkind?” “No.” “There is one watching you. The male.” Hoshi looked back, seeing Archer was wondering to the waters edge. He grabbed her. “Breath,” Oasp ordered. Hoshi gasped a breath and he pulled her under. A wave washed over them and he pulled her above the water. “You do not survive under water for long, do you?” Oasp asked. “No.” “Then we should go to the trees and talk. I want to know of your kind.” “Okay. Come on.” Hoshi started swimming back to the shore. She started when Oasp grabbed her arm. He smiled. “Trust me.” Hoshi tensed as he put his arm around her waist. He held her arm in his other hand, holding her gaze. “Ready?” “For what?” Oasp smiled and started swimming. It had taken Hoshi twenty minutes to get as far out as she had; it took Oasp two to get them back. “Wow!” Hoshi laughed. Oasp sat down in the shade of a tree. Hoshi sat beside him, wringing out her hair. He watched her. “The females keep their hair short because it gets heavy when wet.” “Mine doesn’t get heavy, just annoying. It tangles easy when it’s wet.” “Tangles?” Hoshi demonstrated by trying to pull her fingers through her hair. Oasp smiled, nodding. Oasp looked back at the ocean, loosing his smile. He looked at Hoshi. “I must go back. I’m needed. I will arrange to take leave tomorrow and we will spend it talking. Will you still be here?” “Yes.” Oasp stood, putting his hand on his chest. He bowed to her and then ran back into the ocean, quickly disappearing. Hoshi smiled, continuing to wring her hair out. # Hoshi sat on the beach, watching the waves expectantly. ‘Come on, Oasp. Come back.’ She looked down at the pink shell she was holding, turning it over. “Hoshi,” a voice said and she looked up. Oasp was wading toward her. She smiled, getting to her feet. “You arrived in time for lunch.” Hoshi motioned down the beach. They had set up a mess tent in the midst of their temporary tent city and rolled up the sides. Camp tables and chairs were sat up in the center, creating one long table that everyone sat at. The crew had sat down only a few minutes earlier to eat, hungry and unable to wait any longer for Oasp. Oasp watched them for a moment before looking back at her. “You wish me to join you?” “Do you mind? I’m really hungry. I’ve been waiting all morning for you to get here. And Captain Archer was interested in talking to you about your planet and species.” “Why?” Oasp asked suspiciously. “He’s as curious as I am. We all are. We like to meet new people, aliens.” Oasp looked at the group again, as if contemplating. He nodded. Hoshi turned, leading toward the tent. Oasp grabbed her hand. She flashed him a reassuring smile. # “So then…you’re…the tenth generation that went to the ocean, right?” Hoshi asked him. Oasp nodded. He and Hoshi lay side-by-side in the shade of a palm tree, staring at the fuchsia tinted sky overhead. He had listened to the lunch conversation intently, taking in every piece of information spoken. He hadn’t willingly offered up information, but he did answer all of Archer’s questions about himself and his race, even if the answers were short and not very informative. Once he and Hoshi had left the group, he seemed to relax and be more forthcoming with information. Hoshi guessed it was because she was the first human he met and she had gained his trust. “Does your race swim in your oceans on your planet?” Oasp asked. Hoshi looked at him. “Some do.” “But not all? “No. Some are like a friend of mine back on our ship. He’s terrified of water and won’t go near an ocean.” “I cannot imagine being afraid of water.” “Aren’t any of your kind afraid of the land?” Oasp thought and then nodded. “Yes. I can understand now.” Hoshi sat up. “You always look at the water. Do you like the water?” Oasp asked. “Yes. I’ve always been around it. Well, until now. I miss it.” “Then you swim?” “Yes.” “You would like to meet others of my kind?” Hoshi looked at him. “Yes.” Oasp climbed to his feet, holding his hand out to her. “Come with me and I will take you to meet them. We will be gone for one cycle.” “What’s a cycle?” “The time it takes to cross both ways across the water.” Hoshi frowned. “I doubt my captain will let me do that.” “You have not asked him.” “True.” Hoshi looked at Archer and then back at Oasp, smiling. “I’ll be right back.” Oasp nodded. Hoshi got up and jogged over to Archer. Oasp watched her talk with Archer. T’Pol and Trip joined them and there was a long conversation. Hoshi smiled and nodded. She turned and ran into a tent. She came out wearing only her swimsuit and jogged back to Oasp. “I have to put a beacon on me,” Hoshi said, slipping a small device onto the strap of her swimsuit. “You swim with this on?” Oasp asked, motioning to her swimsuit. “Yeah.” “Does that not feel uncomfortable?” “No. I’m used to it. Will it offend your people?” “No. They will enjoy meeting you.” Oasp dove into a wave and swam out several meters. Hoshi smiled, looking back at Archer, Trip and T’Pol. She waved and then ran into the water and swam out to Oasp. He held out his hand and she took a hold of it, letting him pull her through the water. When Hoshi looked back, the beach was no longer in sight. # Archer didn’t have to voice his worry. It was on his face and in the hole he was wearing in the deck plating. “Is the beacon still working?” Archer asked, looking away from the view screen at T’Pol. “Yes, but there is no bio-sign where it is located. Still,” T’Pol replied. Archer looked back at the screen. “Can you detect where it’s at?” “It has not moved from the last location, Captain.” “That’s in the middle of the ocean, T’Pol. How can that be right?” “I do not know.” Archer sat in the captain’s chair. He knew he shouldn’t have agreed to let her go with Oasp. “Sir, the shuttle pod is hailing us and launching from the surface,” the ensign at Hoshi’s station reported. “Put it on the bridge COM,” Archer ordered. “I’m coming back,” Trip said. “Trip, I told you—” “Captain!” Hoshi cried happily. “Do you remember the story of Atlantis? Before it sunk into the ocean?” “Hoshi?” “Yes. Do you?” “Yes.” “Have I got stories for you, sir! I can’t wait to tell you! The Morie are amazing. Captain! They have cities built under water! Just like some of the theories of Atlantis! And they even have grass! Real grass! And—” “Hoshi, will ya shush already!” Trip ordered, laughing. “Cap’n, I’d advise you to tell her to get some sleep before telling you. She and Oasp looked like they’d been traveling for days.” “We went to four cities that were nearly a hundred kilometers apart! It was amazing, sir. I—” “Hoshi,” Archer interrupted. “I know. I said a cycle, but I really didn’t know what that meant. You should have seen these fish, Captain! They looked just like cats, sort of. And they—" “Hoshi!” “Yes, sir?” “Your beacon hasn’t moved.” “Oh. Yeah. I lost it.” “How did you loose it?” “We went hunting and during the chase—” “You hunted?” “I didn’t hunt, they hunted. It was amazing! They use porpoises the size of—” “Hoshi.” “What?” “Breathe.” Hoshi giggled, making Archer smile. She suddenly started babbling again. “I met their king and queen! And you’ll never guess it — it was just like some fairytale — but Oasp is their nephew! And he— OH! And I have gifts! They sent a whole bunch of gifts! Captain, you should see all the gifts they sent back! And Oasp gave me this necklace made out of rubies and another one made out of obsidian and silver. It is stunning. He said that they make these things all the time. Everyone has them and—” “HOSHI!” Archer laughed, “Shush!” Her exuberance was refreshing and he couldn’t remember the last time she had been this excited. “Trip.” “Yeah, Cap’n?” “Put her on pause and dock. We need to get underway.” “I’ll try — the pause that is — but I don’t think it’s going to work. She’s been like this since I picked her up. She won’t shut up.” Archer laughed. “I’ll talk to you in two days, Hoshi. Get some rest.” “But Captain, I—” “Archer out.” Archer nodded to the ensign. “And there was this city made of—” Archer laughed, walking back to his chair. With Hoshi safe, his could relax. # Trip, T’Pol and Archer hadn’t eaten more than four bites of their supper. And every time they tried, Hoshi started in on another recount of her adventure and Oasp’s people, the Morie. Her tales finally concluded with, “And then I realized it had been two weeks. Oasp laughed and told me even he’d lost track of time, so we caught two Ravel, those porpoises I told you about, and headed back. I am really sorry I lost track of time like that. I mean, I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I went with him.” Hoshi looked at Archer, “I would have asked for more time if I had.” Archer blinked, realizing she was really going to stop talking. He drank some of his tea and ate a bite of his meal. Trip picked up his utensils, starting to eat again. T’Pol resumed eating without a word. Hoshi looked at all three. “What?” she asked. Archer looked at her. “What?” “Is something wrong?” “You’ve been talking non-stop for three hours and made me wish I’d gone. I’m jealous,” Trip told her. “Me too,” Archer added. Hoshi smiled, happily stabbing a bite of salad. “Best shore leave I’ve had in a long time, sir. Thank you for letting me go.” “You weren‘t on shore leave, Hoshi,” Archer informed her. “What?” Hoshi looked at him. Archer laughed a little. “Hoshi, do you really think I could submit a report saying I sent my communications officer on a two day trip and she was gone for two weeks? Most captain’s would consider that A.W.O.L. You were on assignment. Got it?” Hoshi smiled nervously. “Got it.” “That would be a problem, Captain,” T’Pol said. “Why?” “That isn’t what I put in the report I sent to Starfleet.” “What?” Archer dropped his fork. “What did you put in it?” Hoshi asked. “I told you to put that in it,” Trip scolded. “I told you we had to cover a little here.” “I put in the report that Ensign Sato’s research of the race took longer than anticipated and that we were tracking her with a beacon. I told them to expect a complete and thorough report a week after her return, which we could not determine at the time I sent the report.” Archer smiled. “Got your work cut out for you, Hoshi.” Hoshi let out a relieved breath. “Looks that way, sir. Thank you for covering for me, T’Pol.” T’Pol didn’t reply. The conversation turned to ship events and gossip Hoshi had missed while she was gone. “Ensign.” T’Pol looked at Hoshi. Hoshi looked at her. “Yeah?” “You have referenced the story of Atlantis several times while you were retelling of your excursion with the Morie. I am unfamiliar with this story. Could you please tell me it so I better understand the reference?” “Ah! I got this ‘un,” Trip said, smiling. He wiped his mouth and began telling the legend of Atlantis. |
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