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"The Deidra" by A. Rhea King
Rating: PG CHAPTER 1 T’Pol looked up, watching the boy sitting across from her. Eartik’s brown eyes were watching his plate, hands and utensils. Imitating T’Pol he had his fork in one end of the celery and was slowly sawing a bite off with his knife. The boy’s knife slipped and sent food flying from his plate. He looked up at T’Pol and then back down at the scattered vegetables. T’Pol looked down at her plate and flicked a couple slices of cucumber off. Then she gently stabbed each with her fork and placed it back on her plate by pushing the slices off her fork with her knife. She looked up at the boy, who had been watching her with intense interest. He duplicated her actions. Across the mess hall Trip and Doctor Phlox were watching the two. “I don’t get it,” Trip admitted, looking at Doctor Phlox. Doctor Phlox ate a bite of his meal before inquiring, “What is that?” “Why would any kid be interested in eating like that?” Trip motioned toward T’Pol with his knife before returning it to his plate to cut off a bite of chicken. “Or want to imitate one?” “Imitation is the best form of flattery.” “You’re saying he likes her? He’s ten!” “No. I’m saying he respects her and he’s imitating her is out of respect. And from the looks of things, Vulcans respond positively toward imitation.” Trip smiled, taking a bite of his bread. “I bet deep down she enjoys all that attention.” Doctor Phlox and Trip both chuckled. T’Pol glanced in their direction, then back at the boy. He was again sawing on the piece of celery. His face told of his frustration with the task. “Patience, Eartik,” T’Pol said. He looked up at her. “Pa...tience?” “Patience. Rafla.” Eartik nodded and returned to cutting his celery. T’Pol said nothing more. # Archer walked into the Armory and found a Lieutenant there, but not the one he was expecting. “Where’s Lieutenant Reed?” Archer asked. “He’s having breakfast, sir,” the woman replied. “A eight in the morning?” Archer asked. “That’s not like him.” “He has it every morning at eight, sir.” “When did that start?” The woman looked away. “I can call him to report,” she said and started to send the command to the computer. “No. No. I’ll go find him myself. Thank you Lieutenant.” Archer turned and left the room a little confused. Archer entered the mess hall and spotted Malcolm and Sista sitting in a corner eating breakfast together with PADDs scattered across the table. Archer walked up to the table and cleared his throat. Malcolm sprung to his feet. “Good morning, sir,” he said. “Good morning, Lieutenant Reed. Forgetting something?” Malcolm’s expression said that he had. “You wanted me to look at some schematics for a proton cannon. We scheduled a meeting this morning,” Archer said. “Oh! Right! Well...coincidently, I have them right here, sir.” Malcolm offered a nervous smile. “We can leave straight away.” Malcolm started collecting PADDs, saying something in Varlikon. Sista smiled. In a quiet voice she told him something in Varlikon that made Malcolm laugh. Archer looked from one to the other. “I didn’t know you learned their language, Malcolm.” “It’s not that much different than German, sir.” “I know German. I haven’t found it similar at all,” Archer argued. His suspicion of what was going on between the two grew when he watched Malcolm lay his fingers on Sista’s. He said something, pointing at the rest of the PADDs on the table. She nodded, smiling again. “Why don’t we have our meeting here?” Archer offered. Malcolm looked up at him, surprised by the suggestion. “Sir?” “I could use some breakfast.” “Yes, sir.” Malcolm put the PADDs back down on the table. “I’ll be right back.” Archer left to get food. When he returned, he found Sista gathering PADDs to leave as she spoke to Malcolm. “You’re welcome to stay, Sista,” Archer said. Sista looked up at him. She smiled, shaking her head. Sista closed her eyes a moment and then looked at Archer. “Uh...Good...day?” Archer smiled at her. “Good day.” Sista smiled, laughing softly. “Good day.” Sista turned and left the mess hall. “She’s having difficulty learning English,” Malcolm told Archer. “The younger ones are picking up fast and that frustrates her.” “I imagine it would. Show me what you have.” Lieutenant Reed began going over the specifications and schematics of the proton cannon. # Archer pressed his lips together, staring at planet on the view screen. “I’m not getting answers to any hails,” Hoshi said. Archer walked down to her station, leaning on the railing. “You’ve tried all frequencies and all languages?” “Yes. I keep getting the same reply back and I can’t translate it. It’s too brief.” Hoshi looked at Archer. Archer thought for a minute. “Where’s Sista?” “Sir?” Hoshi asked. “Find Sista, T’Pol.” “She is in her quarters, Captain,” T’Pol reported “Archer to Sista,” Archer said. “Sista,” her voice replied. “Come to the bridge. Hoshi, translate.” Hoshi translated his message to Sista. “Ta,” Sista replied. Archer turned and watched the planet while he waited. He looked up when Sista walked onto the bridge. Her black hair was pulled into a single ponytail that swung to her walk. Sista was wearing civilian clothes with a baggy shirt tucked in and bloused around the waistband of her pants. She walked up to Archer, watching him expectantly “Sista, do you know this planet?” Archer pointed to the view screen. Sista looked at the planet on the view screen. “Oriprek.” Sista looked back at Archer. “Hoshi, let her listen to the message,” Archer said. “Sista,” Hoshi said. Sista walked over to her, taking the earpiece that Hoshi handed her. She put it in her ear and listened. She nodded, handing it back. “What does it say?” “Speak their, uhm...words, or leave,” Sista said. “That sounds real friendly,” Hoshi commented. “We were ordered to make contact. Sista, can you talk to them?” “Nishta. Nishta K’pan talk to Oriprek,” Sista said, shaking her head. “I have to,” Archer said. Sista shook her head. “Oriprek bad. Nishta talk to them. Leave. Never go there.” Sista pointed at the planet on the view screen. “They steal, trick, and lie. Bad they are.” “You’ve had a bad time with them?” Archer asked. Sista nodded. “Well, I’m ordered to talk to these people. I have to at least try.” Sista frowned. “Bad thought, K’pan.” “Maybe so, but I still have to try. Can you talk to them?” “I can speak vitara languages.” “Twenty languages,” T’Pol translated. “Good. Can you speak to them?” Sista turned, saying something to Hoshi. Hoshi’s jaw slacked. “What is it Hoshi?” “She said that they have forty languages and she speaks twenty, but not all Oriprek speak all languages. She can try to speak to them, but she still warns against going to the surface.” “I have to at least talk to them. Open a channel Hoshi.” Hoshi nodded. “Talk to them, Sista. Sista sighed, but then began speaking. There was a reply and a few minutes later an alien appeared on the view monitor. He looked like a fish with sagging jowls and green-brown skin. Sista quickly moved to Archer’s side and kept her head down while she and the alien spoke. Archer was confused but waited. “He asks why you want to talk to, uhm...gita,” Sista said to Archer. “King,” Hoshi translated. “We’re from Earth. We’re exploring and would like to meet their king.” Sista replied. “You must pay to see the gita,” Sista said, looking up at Archer. “His audience costs one hundred latinum.” “Latinum?” Archer asked. Sista nodded. “The ore latinum?” Sista looked at Hoshi, saying something. The two spoke briefly. Hoshi looked at Archer. “Latinum is a currency for them and other planets.” “We don’t have that,” Archer said. “Ask him if we could barter instead.” Sista spoke. The creature sat back, saying something. “What you have barter? He gets impatient.” “What does he want? What would he like?” Sista translated the reply. The alien said something and disappeared from the view screen. Sista looked at Archer. “He said to contact him when you know what you have to barter with. Until then, leave them alone.” “T’Pol, give me a list of everything we have that could be use for barter.” T’Pol did so and handed Archer a PADD. Archer walked over and took it, looking at the list. “You put cooking oil on the list?” Archer looked at T’Pol. “You asked to list everything we had, sir.” “I see?” Sista asked, holding out her hand. Archer handed her the PADD. She looked at the list. “Cooking oil.” “Barter with cooking oil?” Sista nodded, looking at him. “They’d take cooking oil?” “They use it for other thing on their planet.” “What?” Sista looked at Hoshi and spoke. Hoshi laughed. “You don’t want to know, Captain.” “Okay. How much cooking oil should we offer?” Archer asked Sista. “How much you give?” Sista asked back. Archer took the PADD back. “Half.” Sista asked Hoshi something and she replied. Then the man appeared on the screen. Sista spoke again. He leaned forward, speaking again. Sista nodded, speaking. He said something then disappeared. “The king will appear shortly. You must not look at him until I tell you too. Doing so is offensive. None may look at him.” Archer looked down. They heard a sound and then an alien spoke. Sista said something and there was a brief conversation between the two. Sista looked up and nudged Archer with her elbow. He looked up. This alien was purple and tan, dressed in silk clothes. Many other aliens surrounded him rubbing his shoulders and feeding him live insect. Archer swallowed, hiding his revulsion. Sista spoke again and he replied. “He ask what you wish speak with him?" “Tell him we’re from Earth and we’re exploring space. We are interested in learning about his planet.” Sista told the alien that and he laughed, replying. “He say explore foolish waste of kasta.” “What’s kasta?” “Cooking oil.” The alien spoke again. “He ask f you have any technology you trade for see him for.” “We just gave him cooking oil,” Archer complained. “You want talk to king, you answer question.” “Ask him what kind of technology would interest him.” Sista asked the alien and he replied. “Contact him in a half hour to say what you bring. Bring all when you come in one hour. Obey landing procedures.” The alien disappeared. Archer let out a sigh. “Work with Hoshi on the language, Sista.” “Which one?” Sista asked. Archer looked down at her. “The one you were talking to their king with.” “I was using twelve different ones.” “Twelve diff...Captain,” Hoshi said. Archer frowned. “Prepare to leave in an hour,” Archer told Sista. “Leave where?” “To the surface.” “Nishta.” Sista shook her head. “I no go to Oriprek. They have my ship, but I no go again!” Archer looked at Sista. “They have your ship?” “Ta.” Sista nodded. “Stole. Never tell landing fee till land. All other tell when ask. They not tell. Hold ship. Me and children have to hide on ships to go away. Not stay there. Use for bad work and hurt children.” “Why didn’t you tell me this before?” Archer asked her. “Nishta ask.” “Be ready to go to the surface in an hour, Sista. And don’t tell me no. I have orders and I have to follow them.” Sista started to respond. Archer held up a finger in front of her face. “One...hour...Sista.” Sista said something in Varlikon with a deep frown and then stormed off the bridge. Archer looked at Hoshi. “What did she say?” “You don’t want to know, sir,” Hoshi answered as her cheek flushed. “Probably not,” Archer answered, looking back at the planet on the view screen. |
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