Title: Curious Geordi and the Mostly-Klingon Child
Author: Singing Violin
Series: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Rating: K
Summary: Worf has a problem with his son, but Geordi can help. Inspired by the Bring Back Reading Rainbow Kickstarter campaign.
Disclaimer: Neither Reading Rainbow, nor the characters and universe of Star Trek, are mine. I am borrowing them without permission, but hopefully the people who do own them won't mind.
As he walked along the corridor, flanked by his best friend, Geordi La Forge contemplated for some time before finally speaking. "Data, did Worf seem more...surly than usual tonight?"
The android turned towards his friend and eyed him curiously. "His mannerisms were slightly uncharacteristic, but well within expected error. The variation could be due to his cards."
"Yeah, that's the thing," Geordi replied. "His cards were bad, for sure, but usually he reacts to that. Tonight he was just sullen. He didn't even try to bluff! I mean, ever since we convinced him that bluffing wasn't dishonorable, he's used it to his advantage...except tonight."
"His presence tonight precluded a crisis," Data pointed out.
"He wouldn't have been there if there'd been something more pressing," Geordi translated, eliciting another curious look from his friend.
"I believe that is what I just said," Data stated coolly.
The engineer ignored the android's last statement. "I think I'm going to talk to Counselor Troi, just to make sure everything's all right," he decided out loud.
Data stopped walking and quizzically eyed his companion, who also halted. "Is that ethical? Even if she knew something, she would be barred from speaking with you about it due to doctor patient confidentiality."
At that, Geordi smiled. Data seemed to be picking up on more intricacies of human behavior every day. "Right. But in case she's unaware, maybe she'd like to know, just in case she wants to speak with him."
"Ah," Data answered, seemingly understanding as he began walking again with his human friend shadowing him. "In that case, it seems like a wise choice. Though I do wonder why you would not speak with the lieutenant directly."
La Forge smiled again, realizing that his friend still had a long way to go when understanding human — and Klingon — behavior. "Let's just say that would be a less wise choice," he stated without elaboration. His immediate answer was yet another curious stare, but through years of getting to know the engineer, Data knew when to stop asking questions.
"Geordi, what a pleasant surprise," stated the counselor as she received her unexpected visitor in her quarters. "Can I offer you something to drink?"
"No thanks," he answered awkwardly. "I'm actually here on behalf of someone else."
"Oh?" Deanna answered, raising an eyebrow. "Have a seat," she directed, gesturing at her couch, and as Geordi sat, she sat in an armchair facing him.
"It's Worf," the engineer continued directly. "He seemed ill-at-ease at poker last night. I was worried."
"I'm sorry I missed the game," she answered kindly, "but I had an appointment. You do know that if I sensed anything from him, or if I'd spoken with him, I wouldn't be able to tell you about it, right?" Deanna asked pointedly.
At that, Geordi chuckled lightly. "That's exactly what Data said. But I told him that maybe, if you didn't know anything, you could look into it. I mean, if you're as worried as I am."
Deanna smiled sweetly at him. "It's very nice of you to be concerned," she told him, "and I'm sure he'd appreciate it if he knew. Maybe," she continued with a meaningful look and a twinkle in her eye, "you ought to talk to him yourself."
La Forge thought for a moment before nodding. "Got it. Thank you, Counselor." With that, he rose.
"You're very welcome," she stated as he departed.
"What can I do for you, Commander?" asked the Klingon as he greeted the engineer at his door.
"This isn't official business," Geordi stated directly. "I was hoping to speak with you in private."
"Come in," Worf stated gruffly, gesturing for his visitor to enter. "Sit."
Resisting the instinctive bristle at Worf's brusqueness, Geordi surveyed the room for a moment before deciding upon the least uncomfortable-looking perch and alighting upon it. Worf sat down across from him.
"What is it you would like to discuss?" asked the Klingon.
Geordi took a deep breath, steeling himself for an anticipated attack. "Actually, I was wondering if there was anything you would like to discuss. You seemed...not yourself at poker the other night."
Worf sighed before replying. "I appreciate your concern, Commander, but there is nothing to worry about."
Geordi shrugged. At least he'd tried. He was about to give up directly, but then reconsidered...as long as he was here, he might as well go for broke. "I just thought, whatever it is, maybe I could help. I mean, I'd like to help if I can."
The Klingon eyed him suspiciously, but oddly, did not dismiss his statement as impertinent. "Do you know anything about children, Commander?"
"A little," La Forge answered. "Are you having a problem with Alexander?"
At that, Worf looked over his shoulder and lowered his voice, causing Geordi to suspect that the child was in their quarters out of earshot, most likely sleeping. "And if I were?"
"Again, I would offer help. I'm not sure I can help, but I could definitely try."
"Very well. Alexander refuses to learn to read. Other children his age are reading already, and he is not. I do not know what to do to entice him to study."
"Hmm," Geordi replied. "Have you spoken with Counselor Troi?" He neglected to mention that the counselor had subtly implied that he had.
"Yes," Worf answered frustratedly. "Her suggestion was not to push him, that he would eventually learn when he was ready. However, I disagree. I believe it is necessary and appropriate for him to learn to read now. I do not want him to fall behind."
"And did you have Doctor Crusher check him for learning disabilities such as dyslexia?" La Forge asked.
"My son does not have any...learning disabilities," Worf stated, his careful pronunciation of the last two words revealing complete disgust at the utter concept. Geordi swallowed, wondering whether this was a professional opinion, or the Klingon's inability to accept any perceived weakness. Then he decided it didn't matter; he could work with the child, either way. He'd soon find out, in any case.
"Well, to tell the truth, I have some experience with teaching children to read," Geordi explained, "and I'd be happy to try speaking with him."
"I would...appreciate that," answered Worf. "Can you be here tomorrow at nineteen hundred hours? I shall...make myself scarce."
Geordi nodded. "It's a date." And with that, he rose and left.
The small child sat across from the engineer, looking every bit as sullen as his father. At least I know where he gets it, thought Geordi. "So, Alexander, do you know why I'm here?"
"My father thinks I'm dumb," said the child.
La Forge's eyes widened. "Your father does not think you're dumb, Alexander, and he wouldn't have asked me here if he did. He's concerned that you haven't learned to read yet, but he believes the problem is motivation, not ability."
"I guess I'm just not interested in books," said Alexander.
"Hmm," answered Geordi. "What are you interested in?"
"I dunno," mumbled the child. "Art, I guess...drawing and sculpture. And starships. And different animals and plants from different planets."
"Well, Alexander, there are books about all those things. If you're curious about them, the best way to learn more is to look in a book. But, in order to be able to look in a book and find out what you want, you need to know how to read."
Suddenly the child looked up at him curiously. "Do you like to read, Commander La Forge?"
Geordi sighed. "First of all, Alexander, please call me Geordi. Second," he broke into a wide grin as he spoke, "I love to read."
"Really?" questioned the child. "Can't your visor read to you? You know, beam the words directly into your brain or something?"
The engineer gasped slightly, then checked himself. "Well, yes, it could, but there are many reasons I prefer to read than to make my visor do the work for me."
"What reasons?" asked Alexander.
"Well, first of all," said Geordi, "if I make my visor work too hard, it uses a lot of energy...a lot more than my brain would use doing the same thing. So it's more efficient to have the visor transmit images of print directly to me and allow my brain to process them."
"But energy isn't exactly scarce," the child pointed out. "We waste energy on replicated food, light, heat, and unnecessary travel."
"Those aren't wastes, Alexander. It's important to be healthy and comfortable, and exploration is what we do, it gives us a purpose in life. But you're right that with so many sources of energy, starting with solar from all the suns in the galaxy, we need not worry too much about conserving energy. Still, it's a good idea not to be wasteful, because someday energy might be scarce."
"Well, what other reasons do you have for reading?" asked the child.
"Sometimes I get a headache from interfacing with my visor," he said. "So I try to minimize what I need it for."
"My dad says that it's important to be tolerant of a lot of pain, or else you can't be a good warrior."
"Well, I'm not a warrior," Geordi pointed out. "I mean, sometimes I have to fight battles, but there's no good reason for me to live with pain on a day-to-day basis. Do you want to be a warrior, Alexander?"
"No," he quipped. "But my dad wants me to be."
Geordi made a mental note to add books about warriors, especially Klingon warriors, to the list of books to explore with the child later. He'd also have to brush up on his Klingon; Worf probably wanted the child to learn to read in Klingon as well as Federation Standard, and it was always better to read books in their original languages, when possible. Something was always lost in translation.
"Alexander, you can be anything you want to be. I think your dad just wants you to be happy, and if being a warrior won't make you happy, then I think he'll accept that. But also, I'm sure you don't want to make up your mind now; you have plenty of time to change it, especially after you read about being a warrior."
"Okay," Alexander conceded. "But what other reasons do you like to read?"
"Well," Geordi began, grinning once again, "books can take you into another world, one you might not have the chance to visit in person, or one that doesn't even exist. And when I read directly, something happens in my brain to create that world inside me, something that doesn't happen as much when my visor 'beams the words directly into my brain' or when I use a holonovel. It's simply more stimulating to read the words and have my brain conjure the ideas."
"What's the point of visiting a world you'll never see?" asked Alexander.
"Good question," said Geordi. "Aside from the fact that some people find it pleasurable, books have allowed people to imagine things that weren't possible at the time, but became possible later, and pass those ideas down to future generations with better technology, people who could actually build what their predecessors had only been able to imagine. I'd be happy to show you a few books that predicted future technology, along with the technology they predicted."
"So, if they hadn't read it in a book, they may never have built it?"
"Exactly," Geordi smiled. "Now, have I interested you in learning to read?"
"Maybe," said Alexander, "but also, it's hard to learn to read. I don't know if I can."
At that, La Forge frowned worriedly. "Almost everyone can learn to read, Alexander, but it is difficult at first. With practice, it gets easier, and in no time, you'll be reading completely effortlessly. Did drawing and sculpting get easier with practice?"
"Yes," Alexander admitted. "But I like to do those things!"
"And you'll like to read, too, once you get the hang of it. How about if I start by reading you something, and then we can go from there?"
"Okay," the child agreed.
"What would you like me to read to you?" Geordi asked.
"Anything, I guess," said Alexander, seeming unconvinced.
"All right. Let's start with one of my favorites: The Lorax by Dr. Seuss. It's about an ecosystem that gets destroyed due to one man's greed, and the hope for repairing it."
The child perked up at the description. Wow, he's actually interested, thought Geordi. This might actually work.
Over the next few months, Geordi came frequently to Worf's quarters and read to the Klingon's son. After just a few days, he began to point at letters and explain what sounds they made. In a few weeks, he was pointing at entire words and Alexander was identifying them by sight. He sometimes noticed Worf skulking in the shadows, surreptitiously listening along and observing his son's progress, but didn't let on that he knew, hoping the child wouldn't notice and be deterred. At the end of every session, he promised the child, "I'll see you next time."
Not one year later, Geordi came by to read to Alexander. He brought Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Alexander grabbed the book out of his hand and said, "Actually, Geordi, I think I want to read this one to you." Over the next week, with Geordi helping him patiently and kindly each time he struggled, they finished the book, then went on to the next one in the series. When they had finished the entire series, the child surprised him yet again.
"Can you teach me to read in Klingon now?"
He was about to answer when he thought to glance across the room, and spotted Worf sitting quietly in the corner. "Actually," he stated, "my Klingon's a bit rusty, but I know someone else who I think can help." He gestured to the Klingon man, who approached. The son eyed his father dubiously.
"If you would permit me to do so," stated Worf, "I would like to teach you to read in Klingon."
Alexander looked first at Geordi, who attempted to silently convey his encouragement, then glanced back at his father. "I'd like that," he admitted.
"And that's my cue to leave," said La Forge. "But I'll still be around, in case you need my help again, or just want to hang out."
"You have my gratitude," Worf said as he began to leave.
Geordi winked. "I'll see you both next time."
"How's Alexander doing?" Deanna asked the engineer across the poker table. "I heard you've been quite the tutor."
"At this point, I'm not doing much," admitted Geordi, "and I think he's doing great. But...you don't have to take my word for it." With that, he nodded at the Klingon security chief, who grunted his assent.
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Author's Note: This story was inspired by the Reading Rainbow Kickstarter campaign. Congratulations on all the milestones they hit, and I look forward to seeing the new app. :)