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 Seventeen: Time's Arrow
"He wants to make Plomeek soup," I told Jala as we sat together in my room.
"Tell him to go for it," Jala insisted. "I like Plomeek soup."
"Ok," I muttered.
"What does Ston do again?" Jala asked thoughtfully.
"He's a historian," I said indifferently.
"Really?" Jala asked in excitement. "One of my previous hosts was a historian."
It almost seemed like Jala had more in common with him than I did. What did I have in common with him?
As time drew nearer to Saturday, I began to feel ill-at-ease. It seemed time was just going too fast. I didn't look forward to the date as I should. I wasn't excited. I was dreading it. Why? I had no idea. Maybe I just didn't like Ston anymore. Maybe this wasn't what I had in mind when I thought to pursue something with Ston.
I was on the holodek, standing in the snow, when Ston came up to me. I was quite surprised to see him aboard the Wasatch. He looked different. I'm not exactly sure how, just a different air about him. He reminded me of Hitchcock.
"I have to leave the date early," Ston told me matter-of-factly. "I don't want to lead you on. I just can't be interested in a girl who foolishly throws herself at me. So I'm just going just for the free food."
Tears stung my eyes. "Don't bother coming at all!" I cried. "I won't be there!"
With that, I ran out of the holodek.
I awoke with a start. My throat was feelings very sore and my mouth was dry. I thought back on my dream and couldn't believe how upset it had made me. Ston didn't even talk like himself. And reminding me of Hitchcock? The two couldn't be more different. Then I thought about the things he said to me. Ston would never say anything like that. He wouldn't have agreed to the date if he didn't really want to go. It was just my insecurities invading my dreams.
My sore throat did not cease with my getting out of bed or eating breakfast. I had been sipping rekja tea all morning. My mother always used rekja to cure our childhood illnesses. It wasn't widely known how good rekja is for swollen glands and respiratory infections.
I didn't feel like going to my last shift of the day, so I decided not to. At least this time I actually felt unwell. The idea kept coming to me to go see Sisma in sick bay, but I just didn't want to. I didn't want to be sick, but I didn't want to make any effort to not be.
I finally decided that I really should go talk to Sisma, so I started for sickbay. Tiffany from Aeroponics came running up instantly.
"Hey, Lina!" She said with a big smile. "You know that date you asked me to set you up on before shoreleave? Well, I found a guy I think you'd like."
I had to take a minute to remember what she was talking about. It was not very long after Malk, and I wanted to forget him. I couldn't believe it had taken her so long.
"Oh, ok," I muttered. "Who is he?"
"His name is Joel," she told me. "He works in Engineering."
"Human?" I asked by the name.
"Yeah. Does it bother you?"
I shook my head indifferently.
"He's a really nice guy," Tiffany assured me.
"What's he look like?" I asked out of curiousity.
"He's tall," Tiffany began. "He has light brown hair and I think brown eyes. I set up the date for friday. Is that ok?"
"Yeah," I smirked, thinking of the idea that I was having two dates in one weekend.
"Great!" Tiffany exclaimed. "I think maybe we'll go to Deep Space 4 for dinner and then go skating in a holosuit. What do you think?"
"Sounds good to me," I shrugged.
"Great! I'll tell him," Tiffany told me, and then continued on down the hall.