A/N: As a reminder, this weird version of Star Trek is based on my life, so there's no telling what will happen because life is unpredictable.
Ode to A Starship by Lina Shay
Chapter Six: The Wonder of Life
All during my shift that morning, I kept wondering how I got myself into this life. I knew I wasn't what Starfleet wanted. I didn't care about my job. I didn't care about exploring. I wasn't self-motivated. I wondered if I should have been a civilian, if I should be a civilian. I wondered about leaving Starfleet.
I was sitting by myself, reading some astrometrics report in the mess hall, when Hitchcock came up. He asked if he could sit down and I said he could.
"How's your console doing?" Hitchcock asked.
"It's fine now, thanks," I told him.
"And how's working with that crazy Hiliian chick?" Hitchcock smiled.
I laughed a little. "Andrannon is tolerable."
I noticed he had a datapad in his hand and I asked about it. He looked at is as if he hadn't realized it was there. He had to read a little bit before he could answer.
"Oh, it's information about Bajor," he told me.
I sat there and stared at him. For a moment, I was flattered he had interest in my people until he added, "The captain said if I'm going to transfer to the Deep Space Nine, I should know what I'm getting myself into."
"You're transfering to Deep Space Nine?" I asked in surprise.
He nodded as if it wasn't a big deal. Why was it such a big deal? I didn't know him well enough to like him, or did I?
After a nice conversation, I left the mess hall. I wanted to go see Sisma. She wasn't home, so I waited next to her door until she did arrive. She seemed happy to see me. She seemed happy in general, more than usual.
"Guess what?" She said as we entered her quarters. "We're approaching Vega. I'm going to go see a friend of mine. Do you want to come?"
"We're not going to orbit, so we won't be in transporter range," I told her, making sure she knew.
"No, we're taking a shuttle," Sisma insisted.
"Has the captain cleared this?" I asked wearily.
"We only have to clear it with the captain if it disrupts our duty or if we use a starfleet shuttle," Sisma laughed and went over get some things packed.
"But I thought you said we were going to use a shuttle," I said, confused.
"Not a starfleet shuttle," Sisma rolled her eyes. "We're going to use Peter."
"Peter?" I repeated, not comprehending.
"When I transfered here, I brought my shuttlecraft with me," Sisma explained. "His name is Peter."
"Is he like your pillow?" I asked with suspicion. "Where it looks like an inanimate object, but it's really some strange animal from Rascalia."
"Peter is just a shuttlecraft," Sisma laughed at me. "But that doesn't mean he isn't alive." She went off into the other room. I was confused. Sometimes I wondered if she liked it when I was.
When B'Liz got off work, we all went to the shuttlebay. I was surprised when I saw Peter. He was a very old, yellow shuttlecraft. Sisma went in and started up the engines.
"Oh, no!" She cried. "Peter is hurt!"
I waited for more information.
"There's a power failure in one of the engines," Sisma said as she came out. "Does anyone know anything about fixing shuttle engines?"
"No," I muttered. "Can't we call someone?"
"I don't want to take anyone away from their duties," Sisma told me.
The vague thought of Hitchcock passed through my mind, but I shook it off. It would be a good idea, but I didn't know him well enough to ask him for favors. Darren, though, I knew long enough. I hit my communicator.
"Shay to Darren," I said.
"Yes, Lina?"
"Do you know anything about engines?" I asked.
"A little."
"Could you come to shuttlebay three?" I requested.
"On my way."
"Are you sure it's not a bother to him?" Sisma asked in concern.
"I'm sure he doesn't care," I insisted, not fully sure.
Darren came into the shuttlebay a few moments later with a datapad in his hand. "So what's wrong with it?"
"There's a power failure in the engines," Sisma told him.
Darren played with his little datapad. "All right. I'm going to need an adjustable spanner and triaxilating modulator."
Sisma got them from her shuttle's toolkit and handed the instruments to him. He looked over the datapad for a moment.
"I need to get to the flow generator," he muttered. "And that's under the main engine case."
Darren looked down at the engine case blankly.
"Well?" B'Liz said impatiently.
"I don't think I can get to it," Darren admitted. "We might have to lift up this side of the shuttle."
"Are you crazy?" I blurted.
B'Liz rolled her eyes. She went over to the shuttle, braced her back against the hull and with a loud grunt, pushed the shuttle up to give him access to the underside of the engine case. Darren hurried over and got to work, fumbling with his datapad the whole time.
"That ought to do it," Darren said, backing away from the shuttle.
"B'Liz, you can put the shuttle down now," I told her.
B'Liz gently let the shuttle rest the engine case. Sisma rushed inside and started up the shuttle.
"It works," she shouted. "He did it."
Darren smiled boyishly and tapped the datapad against his hand.
"What is that?" I asked, indicating the datapad.
"Instructions," he said with a shrug.
I shook my head at him.
"Thank you!" cried Sisma. "I owe you cookies! Do you want to come with us? We're going to Vega."
"No, thank you," Darren insisted. "I have work to do."
B'Liz and I followed Sisma into the shuttle, and then we disembarked. The journey to Vega wasn't long, and we soon landed near a small house. Sisma led the way to the door and knocked. A woman with metalic silver hair answered. She hugged Sisma instantly.
"Hey, come in," she invited with a welcoming smile.
I liked the feel of the house instantly. It was different from the Starship or even Bajor. It had this lovely homey quality which invited one to be at ease. A small Vegan baby crawled over and stared up at me with silver-cobalt eyes. Sisma picked him up instantly.
"Oh, Jakom!" She cried, hugging him. "I've missed you so much."
B'Liz sat in a chair put her hands behind her head in a relaxed manner.
"Oh, Lina," Sisma began, remembering me standing there. "This is my friend, Laurna, and her baby, Jakom."
I smiled at the child. He was so cute. When Sisma put Jakom back on the floor, I sat down beside him and just enjoyed watching him play with various toys. Sisma spent the time talking to Laurna about old times. A man came in not very long after we arrived. He had copper hair and carried a strange dead animal over his shoulder.
"Bem, we have company," Laurna told him. "Did you catch enough for everyone?"
"Probably," he said simply.
Laurna rolled her eyes at him.
Laurna cooked the meal while Bem sat and worked with some leather material. He seemed like a very quiet man. It was such a peaceful place. I didn't wonder why Sisma wanted to come here whenever she was in the system.
"Bem," Laurna began after we had eaten. "It's your turn to give him a bath."
"I did it last night," Bem reminded.
"Are you sure?" Laurna asked doubtfully.
Bem just nodded.
Laurna picked up Jakom where he was smacking down the block sculptures I made. I resented that she took away my playmate. Laurna took Jakom to the other room.
"We should head back to the Wasatch," Sisma said.
I didn't want to leave, but I knew Sisma was right.
"Thanks, Laurna, for dinner and for tolerating us," Sisma called into the other room.
"Any time!" Laurna called back.
We said goodbye to Bem and all went back to the shuttle. I watched the little house out the window of the shuttle and wondered if I would ever have a life like that.
A/N: Just so everyone knows, my friends think my story is hilarious. Mostly because it's about them, but anyway. If you don't think it's funny, it might have to do with the fact that you don't really know these people. That's bad writing on my part. But from the beginning, I said this was a story for my benefit and the entertainment of my friends. So I really don't care who does and doesn't like it. Reveiw or don't. I couldn't care less.