Chapter Two
Proposal
The Mess Hall, at oh-seven-hundred, had long since been returned to its usual purpose, and the crewmembers who had seen the previous evening's entertainment in person were engaging in friendly torment with those who, due to limits in space and duties, had to defer the pleasure for an evening, with stories of 'what they had missed'.
There would, of course, be a later presentation this evening, such was only fair, but for now the concerns of the morning were breakfast and upcoming duty shifts.
Hoshi Sato brought her tray over to her usual table where she, along with Tia Anlor and Ensign Elizabeth Cutler, both of Life Sciences, normally shared meals, lately with Trip, Shamus and Malcolm. Tia was already there, having just beaten her by a matter of seconds, and the Linguist hid a smile as she noticed how carefully the young Auran seated herself.
"So…" Hoshi began, setting her tray down and sitting opposite the girl. "How's your sulyas now?"
"Exhausted!" Tia exclaimed, looking up at her in mock accusation. "You help were nyasi."
Hoshi grinned "Believe me, from the look in your eyes, you wouldn't have wanted me to help."
Tia looked down, but then met her eyes again when she was sure she would not blush. "Right you are, but tired I am."
"When did you get to bed?"
She smiled. "To bed, 2245. To finish?" She looked at the chronometer. "Fifty five minutes ago."
"You made love for nearly seven hours?"
"Did you not?" Tia asked 'innocently', but Ensign Liz Cutler's arrival cut off Hoshi's answer. Liz set down the tray with a 'good morning' that tried very hard to pretend it wasn't somber. She sat down with about the same level of pretense.
'Well, I don't have to ask who didn't get any last night.' Hoshi thought, schooling her expression. Not for anything would she ever say it out loud. "Any word from Phlox?" He had not arrived all evening, much to Liz's disappointment.
"Not a trickle. Maybe someone developed a hangnail." She bit it back. "Forget I said that, that was catty. You know, he's a Doctor, he's going to be busy, and it is not like we actually have anything going on, we just agreed to have an evening together and maybe it's my own fault setting my sights on someone like him because a Denobulan who does not like to be touched is not going to be big on cuddling but damn it, just once I'd like to hope –." She bit back her breathless rant as she saw Lts. Reed & O'Cathain arrive.
"What would you like to hope?" Malcolm Reed asked solicitously of his friend.
"Nothing." She replied, looking down at her breakfast. Seamus, sitting down next to Hoshi, was about to give her a good-morning kiss, and was surprised to feel her push him away below the level of the table.
For a moment there was an awkward silence, the two men knowing there was something wrong but having no idea what, nor how to help, so Reed spoke up as quickly as he could: "So, what did you think of the music?"
"I liked it." Hoshi said with false brightness, taking Seamus' hand briefly under the level of the table.
"You seem to have been having a good time." Reed observed to Tia with a grin. "I saw you dancing about. For a minute I thought we were going to wind up in an old time Revivalist meeting." She was about to answer, but stopped, not knowing what to say to this perplexing observation.
"Will you stop that?" Hoshi exclaimed. "You know, sometimes I think you do that on purpose."
He smiled. "Maybe I do." He looked at Tia. "You know, you're cute when you're flummoxed."
"Better not let Trip hear you say that." Liz observed.
"He's not the jealous type." Reed looked about. "By the way, where is he?"
"Shar-les very tired is."
"Yes, he was up all night lubricating some systems."
Neither man knew why Tia and Liz almost fell to the floor in hysterics.
x
Before they could recover their composure the room exploded into spontaneous applause, and everyone not part of the initial outburst looked to the door to see a very embarrassed Ann Anderson covering her face to hide, though she did peek out between spread fingers at the celebrants. When she could put her hands down she thanked everyone, partially torn between wishing she was not a spectacle and reveling in the adulation. "Speech! Speech!" Some wags called from various parts of the room.
"Thank you, everyone. Like I said last evening, I'm a woman of few words, and the word is 'no'." Several laughed; her closer friends led another round of applause, which she tried to wave down while secretly hoping she would not get them to stop. "I'm just happy everyone enjoyed themselves. For those who missed it, the next show is 2000 hours this evening." A final spattering of applause died down enough for the woman to get her breakfast from the buffet table.
"That was nice." Liz Cutler observed to her friends when the room quieted.
"Everyone appreciates it when someone goes out of their way to make others feel good." Reed replied. "She put it together on her own time, just so people could have a good time."
"I idea had no, what music was you liked." Tia said.
"Last night's was pretty antique; two centuries, but still a lot of fun. I have to admit I was not really an enthusiast, but it was good."
"What is the music like on your planet?" Seamus asked.
"Different. On Aura, different it much is." She looked around, slightly uncomfortable. "I wish some I had." She finished wistfully.
"I'd love to have heard some."
"So I would. Favorites many I had; miss them I do."
"What favorites?" Under the table he felt a boot press firmly against his leg. He looked at Hoshi, but was not about to change the subject – not when doing so could not fail to be obvious.
Tia smiled slightly. "One I had; favorite very. Sing it to myself I sometimes do; when alone I am."
"How does it go?"
The golden girl closed her eyes, taking a relaxing breath, and started to sing softly in her native Auran. With the UT off, they heard the words and melody, but did not understand; and they very quickly decided they did not need to.
It was well that the young woman sang with eyes closed, for if she had seen the expressions on the faces of her friends she could not have continued. Where her normal tones had been described as 'ear candy' by several, her voice was now nothing short of astonishing, and her friends sat dumbfounded, listening in absolute silence.
As Tia drew more deeply into it, she did not realize her voice grew slightly louder, until she was completely unaware that it was the only sound in the large room. Engrossed in her feelings for a favorite nostalgic memory of her long gone home, she was aware of nothing else. The others at her table, however, in addition to being astounded at the unexpected flavor of her voice, could see that the entire room was transfixed, watching and listening in rapt attention to every note until, for many seconds after the last of the haunting tones faded there was utter and absolute silence.
The room exploded in thunderous applause and cheers and the girl's eyes flew open in shock, staring in horrified disbelief at the mad throng. She covered her face much as Anderson had done; turning to hide but not finding a corner not filled with new fans. She tried to wave them away; knowing she was blushing bright gold and horrified that they might see her eyes, which she kept covered as she put her head down to the table in hopes of escape.
The others at her table signaled to their shipmates, and the tumult quieted in short order, normal conversation resuming a few seconds later. But Tia could not uncover her face, knowing as she did what the conversations must be about. "Know they could hear I did not." She whispered. "Realize nyasi!"
She could feel the blush fade all too slowly, but could not dare to trust it until she felt Hoshi's hand on her shoulder gently pulling up, and she turned to her, letting the Linguist 'pry' her hands far enough apart so she alone could see her face. "It's safe." Hoshi whispered, and only then did the girl lower her hands.
"Nik muulyissi." She whispered unable to express to the others that she felt 'so embarassed'.
"You don't have to be embarrassed."
"No," Reed agreed, "that was beautiful."
"Kiru yintu nyasi!" She exclaimed, so ashamed she was unable to remember the English words to express 'did think not.'
"You didn't have to think. Sometimes it is just right to do."
"Sul nyas; qualsia!" She shook her head, trying hard to remember the English words. Finally she could implore her friends; "More no; please!"
But though her pleading wish was granted by her friends, she did not really know the significance of the way Seamus O'Cathain continued to stare at her. Neither could she interpret the speculative look in his eyes, which grew more intense as the meal progressed.
xx
Tia walked down the corridor toward the turbolift on her way to Life Sciences, having left the table immediately after eating. Truth be told, she couldn't get out of the room fast enough, so she was rather surprised to be called to just before she stepped up to the lift door. She turned, seeing Lt. Seamus O'Cathain coming up behind her. "May I have a word with ye, lass?"
"Lass?" She asked, mystified.
He smiled self-consciously, knowing she had enough trouble with colloquial English without adding anything more into the mix. "Miss, rather. The fact is; if you are willing I have a proposition for you." She stared at him, taking a step back, astonished and horrified. This, at least, she understood.
"You me to wish to propose?" Her thoughts flashed instantly to Shar-les and Hoshi, and complications she did not want to get involved in.
"Err, not exactly. Listen…"
xxx
"You know, Lieutenant," Captain Jonathan Archer addressed his subordinate in his ready room, "if it was anyone else, I'd ask 'are you kidding?' but I've come to know you far too well."
"I'm just thinking of the crew's morale." O'Cathain explained. "We've been away from Earth a long time, and people did enjoy yesterday's entertainment."
"We're not exactly talking about the same thing. Besides, I remember the last time you came to me with a morale suggestion; it was part of an elaborate scheme to use 'Henry the Fifth' to ask Ensign Sato for a date."
"Nothing so grandiose this time. I have no need of elaborate schemes, and you have to grant that the play was the thing." Archer tried very, very hard not to smile at the allusion; O'Cathain didn't need any more encouragement; and he had to admit he could see nothing wrong with the idea.
"All right, if you're on the level, and can get some participation, I see no reason why not. Just keep me informed."
xxx xxx
Jennifer Farber sat down on her bunk and pulled down the long zipper of her uniform boot, removing it with a long sigh. 'Alright', she had to admit to herself as she removed the other, 'Starfleet boots are supposedly made for comfort, but they say nothing about fourteen hours in them.' She spent a few moments massaging her feet, wishing she did not have to put anything else on in place of the boots.
She was, however, in a very good mood indeed, and the prospect of seeing Travis Mayweather in just a very few minutes only heightened her feelings. It had been a wonderful evening, and if their time together at the party that followed was any indication to her, it was going to be an even better night.
She went to her closet, humming one of the tunes from the show, and considered what she should wear instead of her uniform, looking through her small collection of off-duty attire. Nothing seemed quite right.
Her eyes fell on a small bottle of rose perfume sitting untouched on her table. Several weeks ago, for no explained reason, he had made her promise never, ever to use it; but that had been after the most unexpected and memorable afternoons she had had with him in a long time, so she considered …
What could a few drops hurt?
But before she could pick up the bottle there was a chime at the door, and she realized both her decisions had been made for her in the time it had taken to consider them. She would dispense with the perfume, and hopefully she might get lucky and not 'need' it; not that she ever did.
Going to the door, she pressed the button to open it, and as it slid aside she felt her heart leap in anticipation.
The long blade flashed in and pierced her abdomen, doubling her over with a strangled cry as it buried itself deep into her chocolate flesh. She staggered backward, clutching her stomach, grimacing in breathless agony as she fell backward onto the floor. The man dressed in a Starfleet uniform knelt beside her and yanked the long blade out of her, slicing her hands as it went. He covered her mouth, leaning into her as he brought the blade down hard between her breasts as she screamed shrilly into his muffling hand. Pulling the long knife out, he slammed it down again into her chest, up and down, over and over again even long after she had stopped screaming.
Standing up, the blade in his hand dripping red blood upon the motionless body, he watched the blood pooling and flowing to cover the front of her uniform from more than twenty deep wounds.
