First Time For Everything

Vulcan Embassy

2295.106

1555 hours

Emma and Terry stood at the transporter pad in the embassy waiting for instruction from the specialist. Emma had beamed many times during her time working at the Mars Colony, but Terry never had, and was anxious. She glanced at the young Vulcan female behind the transporter console and leaned closer to Emma.

"Does it hurt?" she whispered.

"No, it's like the tickle before you sneeze. By the by," Emma beckoned her close to her, "Vulcans have remarkably sensitive hearing."

The color drained from Terry's face. "That is good to know," she said in a normal tone of voice, the transportation specialist keeping herself politely busy, not acknowledging the conversation.

Sarek and Soran walked into the room. As Soran initiated contact with the waiting vessel, Sarek observed his wife, wearing one of her new robes: soft brown, tailored beautifully to her body shape, their family name embroidered on the front panel.

"Vulcan Embassy to USS Intrepid II," Soran stated.

"Intrepid II, go ahead," a female voice answered.

"Two passengers and subsequent cargo are ready for transport."

"Stand by for cargo retrieval."

"Affirmative," Soran replied.

Sarek paired his fingers with hers, as the whir began and their luggage and instruments vanished.

/Emma, I await your return to me, and any news that you may bring./

"Embassy, we are ready for transport of passengers."

"Acknowledged," Soran answered, "stand by."

The transportation specialist assisted Terry to pad one, and then spoke to Emma. "T'Sai, you will use pad number two."

Emma nodded to her, and Sarek released her to step onto the unit.

"Mene sakkat ur-seveh, Adun," Emma said softly, her hand raised in the Vulcan salute.

"May your journey be informative, Aduna."

Just as the tickling sensation started in her feet, she smiled that particular smile, and then vanished.

Emma opened her eyes to the brightly lit transporter room of the Intrepid II. She inhaled deeply, and noted the familiar odor of well-filtered, recycled air. Not much had changed since Mars.

"Wow. That was fun." Terry chuckled softly. "My hands are itchy, though."

"I thought you'd like that." Emma smiled back at her. "You'll get used to it."

A young Vulcan female approached them. "T'Sai? Ms. Behrens? I am Yeoman T'Yen. I am assigned to assist you during your travels aboard the Intrepid II."

"Nemaiyo, your service honors us," Emma said, formally.

"The honor is mine," she said, looking at Emma briefly, reading her lapel. "We are currently on deck nineteen. Please follow me; I will show you to your quarters."

As they entered the hallway, life was busily moving around them in preparation for departure. Yeoman T'Yen directed them to the side of the corridor as three crewmen moved heavy equipment past them with anti-grav units.

"We will leave orbit in eighty-seven minutes," she explained as they continued toward the turbolift. As the doors opened, several crew stepped aside to allow them entrance. "Deck five," she instructed clearly.

A few moments later, the turbolift came to a halt and the doors opened. "Your quarters for the outbound and inbound journeys will be here: deck five, port forward, central corridor."

Emma noticed the nameplates identifying each room's occupant. They stopped in the hallway, across from Spock's quarters.

"Yeoman, are we not in guest accommodations? These are officer's quarters," Emma asked, confused.

"T'Sai, Captain Spock instructed that you would occupy this suite. These are your quarters, and Mrs. Behrens, yours are immediately to the right. You each have a private bedchamber and sitting room, and share bathroom facilities. Do you require any further assistance at this time?"

"No, thank you," Emma said. She walked into her quarters, checking out her temporary digs.

A few minutes later, her door chimed. "Come."

Terry walked in, animatedly excited. "Emma, they have an observation deck! I'm gonna go watch the dock departure! Come with me?"

Terry's first trip in space was proving to be almost as much fun for Emma to watch as for Terry to experience first-hand. "You're like a kid in a candy shop. Let's go."

Walking inconspicuously down the hall, and largely ignored for all the preparations taking place, they found their way back to the turbolift. Two crewmen were waiting, and they smiled at the women.

"Can you tell us which deck the observation lounge is on?" Terry asked, excitedly.

"Is it your first trip out, ma'am?" a young Andorian male asked.

Emma piped up in response. "Her, yes; me, no."

The other crewman, a Human male, spoke up. "You can find the observation lounge on decks ten through twelve, but I personally like the view from deck eleven."

They boarded the elevator with the crewmen and were on their way.

Stepping off the lift, they thanked the young men for their assistance and walked out into the lounge, finding comfortable seating with a stellar view of the moon; it was, after all, an observation deck. Emma walked to the food service unit and ordered two cups of coffee, handing one to Terry.

"Em, thanks for inviting me. This is a journey I will never forget, I should think." She took a sip of the hot beverage. "Mmm, good coffee."

"Terry, you are the only pianist I enjoy working with. Let's toast Vivaldi, eh? I just hope that our audience understands the importance of the dialogue in the music."

Emma paused as a flush of temperature raced through her.

"Are you ok? You look a little overheated."

"I've been feeling off-kilter. It's the dizziness that bothers me more than anything. It got bad enough in the past couple of days that I thought Sarek would not allow me to go today."

Terry looked at her for a moment, incredulously. "Allow? Emma, seriously? He doesn't strike me as the controlling type. Is that why he makes you walk behind him?"

"Oh – I could have said that better. Don't misunderstand, Terry; he isn't controlling of me at all. A bonded Vulcan male perceives his highest priority to be provision for and protection of his wife. She belongs to him, yes, but not in a malicious manner - they don't mistreat their wives."

"What does that mean?"

"It means exactly what it means, my friend. Regarding walking behind him, it's so he is aware of any potential threat to my safety. It is not a disparaging statement of my status in the relationship."

The ship-wide communication alert sounded, and Spock's deep voice resonated. "Attention all passengers and crew: docking clearance is granted. All hands to final departure stations."

As the ship moved silently through the solar system, Terry was engrossed at the window, overwhelmed with the view of Jupiter on the port side.