Chapter Two--Carrie Kim

Year: 2418

Derek and Miral's quarters-0756

Carrie stood in loose black pants, a loose blue long-sleeve-shirt and a black vest with a back pack over her shoulder. She was average height for someone her age, but a little skinnier than average. She had almost black hair, crisp blue eyes, and subtle Klingon cranial ridges. She had been stopped by her mother calling her name. She turned slowly and bellowed back, "Ma! I'm gonna be late!"

Carrie's mother, Miral Paris, walked in adjusting her uniform jacket and hair. "Calm down, so am I." Miral put her hands on her daughter's shoulders. "I was once your age and . . ."

Carrie interrupted her mother with a heavy sigh.

Miral glared at Carrie before continuing. "All I meant to say was don't sass and be nice. Hold your temper and hold you tongue," Miral said gently.

"Did Dad tell you to say that?" Carrie raised her eyebrow at her mother.

"He might have," she confessed nonchalantly.

"Aha!" Carrie pointed at her mother.

Miral tapped her daughter's cheek lightly and turned her around, facing the door. "Get to class"

The next thing Carrie knew was that she was in the corridor outside her quarters and her mother was rushing the other way.

Carrie sighed and checked the ancient chronometer on her wrist and saw that she had four minutes to get class. She hitched up her back pack and jogged to the Mess Hall for a quick breakfast.

She hoped Neelix was in because he always had an orange waiting for her. If another Chef was in, she would lose precious time.

Carrie slowed from her jog and entered the Mess Hall, not short of breathe thanks to her third lung. Low and behold, the 'Kitchen Rat' was standing behind the counter.

"You're late," he said holding out the citrus fruit to her.

"You think I don't know that?" she responded blandly.

"Hold you tongue," Neelix shook his finger at her.

"Have you been talking to my Dad too?" she sounded almost genuine.

"Get to class." Neelix pointed to the door.

Carrie walked out, tearing the orange into bit-able pieces. She rushed to the nearest Turbo Lift and pressed the call button. Surprisingly she was greeted by her Grandfather.

"You're late," Tom said coolly.

"So are you," Carrie smiled at the old man. "Deck Four."

"Your mother told me that all the time."

"And now I am, oh." She smiled and wiped a fake tear from her eye and wrapped her arms around her grandfather. "Let's have a moment."

The door opened but Carrie did not let go. She began to laugh as Tom tried to pry her off of him.

"Get to class."

Carrie smirked. "Take it easy, Old Man." She jogged to Astrometrics.

"You're not kidding," Tom muttered,

Astrometics-0805

When Carrie arrived Seven was explaining some sort of solar phenomina that Carrie already amply understood.

"Carrie, you are late," Seven said bluntly.

"So I've been told."

"Perhaps you would be our first volunteer to demonstrate how to measure increased gamma emissions from a solar flare?"

Carrie smiled at the simplicity of her task. She stepped up to the console confidently.

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