New friends, Captain?
Can't say Number One, at least they're not new enemies.
Captains Log, stardate 7194.7. in orbit of El-Adrel. We've made contact with a Tamerian ship. As the first recorded Federation contact, years ago, we've made no progress communicating with these people.
"Shakka, when the walls fell." On the forward view screen the Tamerian Captain shook his head in frustration..
"Zima at Anzo." His first officer could be heard to say.
"What do you make of this Lieutenant." Captain Sulu whispered to Lt. Ahida Uhura, the Excelsior's acting science officer.
"It's almost like Aphasia, word salad." She replied. "They may be speaking slang. The universal translator is translating the words, but not the meaning of the phrases." On the screen, the Captain was in an animated conversation with the First Officer.
"I wonder what they're talking about?" Sulu wondered aloud.
"Conjecture." Ahida said. "Seems that's all we can do."
The Tamerian Captain faced the screen. "The beast at Tanagra. Rai and Jiri. Umbaya of crossroads."
Ahida was enveloped by a blue transporter beam.
"Block it." Sulu yelled. He watched helplessly as Ahida vanished. "Captain." Sulu screamed. Then in a low threatening tone. "You've taken one of my people. I want her back, now."
"Kailesh when it rises. The bird learns to fly. Shakka when the walls fall." The screen went blank.
"Tuvok, find her."
At the science station, he worked quickly.
"The Tamerians have raised their shields. I can't scan the ships interior." He made some adjustments. "I found her. She's on the planets surface. In close proximity to the two Tamerians we detected earlier."
"Transporter room, beam her up." Sulu ordered.
A moment later the Transporter Chief called back. "I've got a lock on her. But something's blocking the beam."
Ahida found herself standing on the bank of a small mountain stream, in a woodland area. About thirty meters away, two Tamerians, with their backs to her, worked at the base of a short cliff.
I'm sure the Captain is looking for me, Ahida thought, I've got two choices. I can run and hide before they see me and wait on the Captain, or I can walk up and say hello. I didn't come here to hide, so here it goes.
Slowly she walked towards them. Judging from the tools and their uniforms, geologists on a survey mission? I hope so, if they're scientists, that could make this easier.
One of the Tamerians, a younger man, turned around and saw her. He drew his dagger.
"Godesh, from the forest." The other Tamerian, an older man, turned and put a hand on the youngers shoulder.
"Toladie, and his rational thought."
"Umm. Hello." Ahida said. "My name is Ahida." She pointed at the sky. "I'm from the starship up there. I come peace." Oh no, she thought, I sound like one of those old Sci-fi movies we laughed at back at the Academy.
The two men looked at her quizzically. The younger one laughed.
"Ha, ha, ha, Loshi of the Three Peaks. His lake..."
"In winter." The Elder said, very sternly. The Younger snapped to attention and bowed. The Elder motioned towards a nearby boulder. Spread his arms. "Timba, with arms wide."
"Does that mean, have a seat? Welcome? I heard your Captain say that." She took a seat on the boulder. "OK, I'm Ahida, from the United Federation of Planets. I've travelled a long way. I've come in..."
The two men looked completely dumbfounded.
"Keteo, his eyes closed." The younger said.
"Shakka, when the walls fell." The Elder said.
"Shakka, when the walls fell. Your Captain said that." She closed her eyes and thought long and hard. "I believe you cite stories and common experiences. Let's try this." She held her arms apart and looked up at the sky.
"The Federation, many planets many beings. I, Ahida, an explorer, crossed the vastness of space..."
"Jalad, on the ocean." The Younger said.
"Yes. Space is like an ocean. Ahida the explorer came to El-Adrel." What did their Captain say, she thought. "Ria and Jiri. Umbaya, of crossroads. We meet at crossroads."
"Sokath, her eyes uncovered." The Elder said.
"Kira at Bashi. Timba with arms wide." The Younger said.
"OK, let's keep this going." She closed her eyes and was in deep thought. Suddenly, she stood up. Her eyes wide with fear. "The beast at Tanagra. It's here. It's cloaked."
The men stood up. They didn't understand. But the fear on her face was clear.
"Look out." She screamed. She shoved the Younger away, just as a large claw, covered by electrical discharges, came out of mid-air. She was struck and was sent flying through the air. She landed face down in gravel by the stream. Her upper left arm was ripped open. She tried to stand, her body was growing numb.
"Uzani his army with fists closed." The Elder shouted. Ahida looked up. The two men stood shoulder to shoulder, daggers drawn. They faced a bi-pedal creature, nearly invisible behind flashes of static electricity.
"With fists open." They separated and flanked the beast. It focused it's attention on the Elder. The Younger charged in and stabbed it in the back. The creature screamed, spun around and swung an arm. But the Younger had already darted out of reach.
The Elder, bigger than the Younger, rushed in and used his weight to plunge his blade deep into the beasts back. It screamed and spun around flailing it's arms. The Elder, barely managed to avoid its reach.
The Younger, screaming at the top of his lungs was already stabbing at its back. The Elder, also screaming, grabbed a handful of gravel, and flung it into the beast face.
Unaccustomed to its prey fighting back with such ferocity, the creature ran for the woods and vanished into a swirl of light. The Tamerians listened for a few moments. They could hear the beast crashing through the woods, getting farther and farther away.
The Elder ran over and kneeled by Ahida, he examined her wounds and said, "Shakka when the walls fell."
"Does the mother weep?" The Younger asked.
"Zinda, his face black, his eyes red."
The Elder lifted her up and held her against his chest.
"I... can't...feel..." Ahida gasped. The Elder took a communicator out of a pocket. To Ahida's surprise, instead of speaking, he looked up and, in a mournful voice sang.
"To a place of healing." Before lapsing into unconsciousness, Ahida felt her body wrapped by a transporter beam.
Captain's Log, supplemental: It's been almost three hours since they took her. All ships power has been routed through the forward phaser banks. Though they can out run and out gun us, I learned along time ago, a well timed punch, can even the odds. I hope it doesn't come to that. But I'll be damned if I let them have her.
I feel great, Ahida thought, I have not felt this good since...
"Cinnamon flavored schnapps." Ahida shouted as she sat up on the diagnostic bed she lay on. A Tamerian, by his dress and mannerisms, a doctor rushed to her side.
"Hay doc, what did you give me? I haven't felt like..."
The doctor held up a hand. "The river Temarc, in winter."
"Oh. I get it. That means, shut up.'
Gently he took her chin and examined her face.
"Zinda, his face clear, eyes bright." He examined her left arm. The ripped flesh was completely healed. "Out of darkness, life rejoices."
"That means I'm OK. I haven't felt this good since that day in the academy when my roommate snuck some Cinnamon flavored schnapps into the dorm. I only had one or two shots, maybe it was five or six, I can't remember. See my pointed ears? I'm part Vulcan. We don't handle alcohol too good. I felt really good, until the next day. I was sooo hung over. My cadet Captain, he yelled at me, called me stupid. But he was cool. Gave me a day off. Told my instructors I had an Arctuirian stomach virus. Which wasn't much of an exaggeration. See, the day before, me and some friends went to this little Arctuirian restraunt in Oakland, right at the foot of the Bay Bridge. Ya know. That's another funny story. Some people call it the Emperor Norton Bridge. He was this crazy man, back in the 1880's he rode around San Francisco on a tricycle, claimed he was the Emperor of North America. Told San Francisco to build a bridge to Oakland. They did a century later. And today some people still call it the Emperor Norton Bridge. It's funny how crazy people can have so much influence."
She wasn't sure if he even comprehended what she said, but he seemed to enjoy listening. He chuckled.
"Emperor Norton. Loshi at the three peaks. His lake half full."
"Lake half full? That's like being a card short of a full deck. I like your language, it's gonna fun learning. Oh, there was this other time, one of guys got hold of a bottle of Romulan Ale, I knew better than to drink any, but let me tell you..."
The face of the Temarian Captain appeared on a nearby screen.
"In winter." The doctor said. He turned to the screen, stood at attention and bowed.
The Captain's expression was grave. "Valli, at Tokmah, the volcanoes where continents meet. Onmash, the tsunami of Momay. The multitudes cried out before silence."
The doctor's head sank, he murmured in sorrow. Then ask, "Mirab, with sails unfurled?"
"Two moons of Nibbi, when they pass three times. Of the Federation an explorer?"
"Out of darkness."
"With sails unfurled, to the Green Path.". The screen went blank.
Frantically the Doctor motioned Ahida to get up.
"There's been a natural disaster, hasn't there?"
"Mirab, with sails unfurled. Onto the Green Path. Nishi's people, ones who where lost, followed the Green Path and found their place of belonging."
"You're sending me home." She slid off the bed and fell into the Doctors arms. "Hello, I'm gonna need some help getting down that path."
With the Doctors help, she staggered down the ship's main corridor. A transporter pad sat in the middle of an intersection of two corridors. The doctor helped her on and steadied her.
The Doctor glanced at the operator. "Mirab, with sails un..."
"In winter." The younger man Ahida met on the planet rushed up. He held out a small paper log book. "Timba with arms wide."
"Thank you." She said, as she grasped the book.
"Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra. Darmok and Jalad on the ocean."
"My eyes opened." Ahida said.
"Mirab, with sails unfurled." The Younger nodded at the transporter operator.
A moment later she was standing in front of the main view screen on Excelsior's bridge. Sulu leaped from the command chair and ran around the navigation console.
"Lieutenant, are you alright?"
"Hikaru, am I glad to see you. And yep, out of darkness."
"Captain," the Weapons Officer shouted, "their shields are down. Shall I open fire?"
"Noooo." Ahida shouted. She started poking Sulu in the chest. "Hikaru, is your lake not full? I come home and you want to start shooting at those peaceful, ferocious fighting people. Wait. That doesn't make sense. But you get the idea."
"Stop that."Sulu said as he grabbed her finger. He looked at her closely. "Are you drunk?"
"Damn straight."
"Captain, the Tamarian vessel." On screen, the ship pivetted around on its axis and jumped to warp. At the Science station Tuvok read out the data.
"Warp seven... eight...nine...out of sensor range. Wherever they are going, they are in a hurry."
"I heard them talking about a major natural disaster."
"Can you understand their language?" Sulu asked.
"Some of it."
"I think you need..."
"To go sleep it off?"
"No. Sickbay."
"A place of healing. A logicaller choice. That's why they made you Captain. You're pretty logical, for a human."
"That's it, let's go."
The next morning, after being released from sickbay, Ahida was reviewing the recording of the two Captains trying to communicate. It was incomprehensible. Her door chimed several times before she realized it.
"Come in." She said. She stood up as Captain Sulu entered. He motioned for her to sit down.
"Captain, I'm so sorry for the way I behaved yesterday."
"You couldn't help that. I just spoke to Dr. Pholaun. She found traces of venom in your blood. What ever the Tamerians gave you to counteract it, had the unintended side affect of, a very powerful intoxicant. You had the equivalent of three bottles of Romulan Ale in your system. It's a wonder you were able to stand."
"That's not the worst of it. I've lost my short term memory. I only remember bits and pieces of what happened. I remember being on the planet. Trying to speak with two Tamerians, scientists I believe. I was just getting a grasp of how they communicate. Some sort of creature attacked. Then I'm on the bridge making a fool of myself. Captain, I know I had a handle on their language. But I've lost it. I blew a chance to to make valuable new friends. Now we don't even know where they went."
A tear trickled down her cheek.
"Hey." Sulu said as reassuringly as he could. "You may have averted a war. I was ready to blast them out of space. You probably saved lives on both sides." He reached over and switched her computer off. "Take a couple of days off to unwind. Maybe it'll come back to you." He gave her a hug and left.
She reached into her pocket and removed the small log book the Younger had given her.
On the first page was a series of lines, innerconnected with squares, circles and triangles. It made no sense. It looked more like an electronic schematic than a language.
She stared for a while. The lines seemed to flow and morph together. Then Ahida smiled. It told a story.
The story of: Ahida at El-Adrel.