...This in mind, Pike escorted Bado into the bar, offering him a drink as they waited for Uhura to arrive. Still standing near the reception, Spock found himself looking carefully through the glass doors.
The Travelers Café, so aptly named for its proximity to the Town's main bus station, was the smallest but most popular eatery in Kitui. The restaurant was family owned, as such it was not as 'high tech' – as the owner so often put it - as the other buildings in the area.
There were no replicators inside the Café. Each ordered meal and drink was made by hand, and served with a wide smile. The interior was decorated in the style of the 21st century. Wooden panel walls, a highly polished bright laminate flooring, frame photographs of Earth's most well known landmarks. There were no standard issue chairs fastened to the floor, instead the small space was filled with large oak tables and soft padded sofa's. Even though the décor was distinctively European, the owners had placed elements of the native country in aesthetic positions around the bistro.
A large feathered ceremonial headdress was fastened above the main desk, the intricately carved features drawing the eye off all who entered the doors. The Bamileke feathers contrasted vividly with the dark walls, drawing attention to the two large wooden Tji-wara that sat on fastened shelves.
Several large Kuba clothes lay draped over the larger of the sofas, each decorated with geometric and bold designs.
In short, The Travellers Cafe was a very happy place. Even when the first roll of thunder announced the approach of the summer storm, the customers inside the the building did not leave. When the sky darkened and the first curtain of rain fell to the ground and bounced against the glass windows, those sitting inside watched with amusement, some even toasting the rain in thanks. For many of them, local to the area and close friends to the bistro owners, the rain was welcomed. There were worst places one could be trapped inside during a thunderstorm.
The rain had been beating a steady rhythm against the ground for half an hour when the Cafe's door swung open, revealing the breathless and considerably wet form of Nyota Uhura.
From behind the main serving desk, a short yet happily plump women let out a sound of indulged amusement and appeared in front of Uhura. A large white towel held ready in one hand. Uhura raised her head to looked rather woefully at her mother, her hair having fallen out of its ponytail during her hurried dash from the Town Hall. Now several strands of dark hair clung to her face, molding the shape of her nose and chin as the strands stuck to her skin.
"Asante Mama" The drenched young woman said thankfully. She lifted her hand to take the towel, then let out a small squeak of surprise as the older woman threw the soft fabric over her daughters head, using both her hands to vigorously rub the towel over her hair.
"Honestly child...I told you to take an umbrella" M'Umbha scolded lightly. She ignore the amused glances from the customers around her, and the embarrassed sounds coming from somewhere beneath the towel.
Sighing, M'Umbha whipped the now damp towel from Uhura's head, smiling in amusement at the state of her daughters hair. Uhura glared indignantly, raising a hand to her hair in an attempt to control what she knew would be a very unsophisticated mess.
"Thank You Mama" She muttered. Her mother laughed and patted Uhura affectionately on her cheek.
"It is a mothers duty. Now, tell me! How did it go? Are you now the first Uhura in Star Fleet?" M'Umbha asked excitedly. Uhura rolled her eyes, brushing past the older woman to make her way towards the rear of the Café. Her mother followed her eagerly.
"You know it doesn't work like the Mama. I won't know until later" Uhura said. M'Umbha snorted and made a batting gesture with her hand.
"Nonsense. Nobody deserves that potion more than you! Now tell me, oh talented daughter of mine, what happened? Who interviewed you? Were they nice? Who was the competition?" M'Umbha asked, firing questions at a very impressive speed. Uhura sighed and raised an eyebrow. Then lifted her hand, pointing at each of her fingers as she tried to answer the many questions in the correct order.
"It was a standard interview, Commander Spock interviewed me, Yes - he was very polite and informative, and Kuvuli Bado was the other candidate. Anything else?" Uhura laughed. M'Umbha frowned slightly.
"Kuvuli? You mean Msitu's boy?" She asked. Uhura nodded.
"He's also applying for xenolinguistics" She said. M'Umbha's eyebrows raised.
"Xenolinguistics? That foolish boy? He could barely spell his name when he left school!" The older woman said, her voice tinted with disbelief.
"Mama! That's mean!" Uhura gasped. M'Umbha shrugged, and stepped around her daughter to reheat the vacuum coffee maker.
"Mean but true. Are you sure it was Kuvuli? Remember, I taught that boy for five years. He's hardly Star Fleet material" She sniffed. Uhura scoffed and shook her head. As far as her mother was concerned, she could be 'competing' against Jonathan Archer himself and she would still win. Uhura presumed it was something to do with the unyeilding pride a mother had for her youngest child.
"It was defiantly Kuvuli. He greeted me by name. I didn't recognise him at first...he doesn't look a thing like that skinny boy I went to school with" Uhura said absently. M'Umbha paused in the progress of lifting a large round cup from the shelf above her, she then placed the cup on the table with a little to much force, before turning towards her youngest daughter with her hands on her hips.
"Nyota Kwani Uhura! If your about to tell me your attracted to Kuvuli Bado, I'm swapping you for a cow" Uhura blinked, then left out a soft snort at the very serious expression on her mothers face.
"Mama..." It was all she had to say. M'Umbha turned away with a jaunty expression on her face.
"Your to good for him Ny. You need to get yourself a nice Star Fleet man. You can judge a man by his uniform you know. Was that Commander Spot a looker?" She asked, turning her head to wiggle her eyebrows. Uhura sighed and rolled her eyes.
"Spock. Not Spot. And he's Vulcan mama"
M'Umbha turned, her eyes wide.
"A Vulcan. Well, that's rare. But that doesn't answer my question. Was he cute?"
"Ugh...Mama..." Uhura moaned. Her mother chuckled. Uhura was saved by further questioning for a short moment by the loud hissing of the coffee maker. She watched as her mother pulled a small lever, filling a cup with dark liquid. She then moved the cup to underneath a second nozzle, pulling its attached lever and filling the cup with frothing milk. She kept the cup tilted as she filled it, then as the drink reached the brim of the mug. She then levelled the cup and moved it quickly beneath the nozzle, moving the small cylinder sideways until a the milk formed the shape of a small leaf.
Staring down at her creation for a moment, M'Umbha studied it with an eye that had been sharpened through many years of work. Then, deeming it acceptable, she reached into a large brown box that stood next to the coffee maker, removing a long cinnamon stick and placing it in the coffee. She then past it with a dramatic flare to her daughter.
Uhura sighed and shook her head at her mothers antics. Blowing softly on her drink, she mentally counted the seconds it would take her mother to restart with her questions.
"So, is Commander Spock cute?"
Three and a half. For her mother, that was a new record.
"You met him once before" Uhura said casually. M'Umbha's eyes widened.
"I have? When? I would have remember meeting a Vulcan"
"He's Amanda Greyson's son" The woman very nearly lost her balance.
"Mandy's son?! Oh oh oh! That little boy! The one you fell over when you were a mtoto?!" M'Umbha feet barely touched the floor as she bounced around her daughter.
"I don't remember 'falling over him' but, yes, that's the one" Uhura laughed. Her mother suddenly span on her heel and gripped Uhura's fingers – and the large mug - in her hands.
"You know this is fate don't you?" She beamed. Uhura pulled a confused face.
"Fate? Wha- no! Mama no! Please don't start..." Uhura whined. M'Umbha laughed, seeming delighted with herself.
"I want grandchildren Ny. And oh could you imagine little babies with those adorable Vulcan ears?!" Her mother laughed. Uhura had to resist the urge to bang her head against the closest wall.
"You have grandchildren Mama. Three of them. I'm going to ignore you from now on" Uhura scowled.
"Let an old woman dream dearest" M'Umbha laughed, patting Uhura absently on the cheek.
"Now I have more of a reason to ask. I dimly remember that boy...but I do recall he was the cutest little thing! Standing there in his robes. Has he grown up well?" Uhura let out a long defeated groan and let her head fall back in annoyance.
"Vulcan's are not 'cute'. I think they'd be quite perplexed to be refereed to as such. Can we move on to a different subject now?" Uhura begged. M'Umbha cut her a look.
"No"
"Mama..."
"Don't moan. Remember I'll only get to see you on your holidays when you join Star Fleet. I have to get all the teasing out of my system"
Uhura groaned and raised her hand to rub the bridge of her nose tiredly. Suddenly the new semester start seemed way to far away.
It was only the personal com-link call from Commander Pike that allowed Uhura to leave the Cafe earlier that night. Her mother had all but physically blocked the entrance with a chair, claiming that she would not allow her daughter to leave the safety of the bistro given how severe the weather had gotten.
Even though she had complained, Uhura understood her mothers worry. In the eight hours since her interview, the rain and wind had become severe. The road outside the Café was invisible from the doorway, even with the storm lights that had been built into the concrete pathways on every main road in the small town.
The noise made by the rain battering against the Café's windows had become almost deafening, the small droplets of water having solidified to ice and hail with the sheer cold the storm had veiled across the country. The sky above was nothing more than a never ending blanket of black. Broken only by the silent and jagged flashes of lighting that churned and raced through the clouds.
The inhabitants of Kenya were used to such weather anomalies. Many of the major buildings in the area had been reinforced to be able to withstand any severity of weather. Business owners knew to always prepare for the unexpected.
As such, Uhura had not been surprised when her mother had informed the seven customers still inside the Café that they were not leaving that night, and had each one assist her with rearranging the furniture. She had also given a detailed explanation on how to set up the beds that were folded into each of the larger sofa's.
When it was close to the time for her to leave, all of those who had transport now trapped inside the Café had offered to drive her the short distance to the Kiembeni Country Hotel. Uhura had politely refused, stating that it was barely a ten minute walk, even in the rain. She should make it in five, if she ran.
Her mother had still needed more convincing. In the end, it was only by accepting to wear a large jacket that belonged to her father that M'Umbha had allowed her to leave.
As she had stepped out of the warmth of the bistro and into the sharp icy coldness outside, Uhura was for once very thankful that her mother worried about her so much.
The strength was of the wind was astonishing. She had barely made it five steps past the first safety light when a gust blew past her, so strong it caught the oversized jacket and propelled her forwards.
Letting out a startled gasp, Uhura hopped dangerously on one foot for a moment before regaining a balance. Back on two feet, she lifted her frozen hands to grip hold of her hood tightly, sending a venomous glare up at the sky as she did so.
This was ridiculous! There was no way she was going to be able to make it to the hotel in these conditions. Maybe she should turn back? Shaking her head, Uhura pulled her coat tighter around her and forced her legs to keep moving forwards.
She would not cancel or reschedule a meeting with members of the Federation simply because of a little rain. Commander Spock was the head of the xenolinguistics department, he would be her tutor and commanding officer for the next three years of her life. It would not be a very good impression to make. In the line of duty she would be required to be ready to face any situation that came before her. How was she supposed to be able to work efficiently on a Star Ship during an emergency if she could not handle making a short walk through the rain?
Wrapping her arms as tightly around her body as possible, Uhura bowed her head and forced herself to concentrate on translating the Romulan syntax and morphology transcript she had read the day before last. Sounding each word and syllable inside her head carefully, making sure she enhanced and twisted each syllable precisely.
Her distraction worked fairly well for the first three quarters of her journey. As she approached the road that passed the Kiembeni Market, she did not notice the several inches of rain water rushing past her feet, nor the overturned and in most cases missing market stalls that scattered across her path.
Pushing onward, she instinctively turned left towards the main road that would take her past the National Bank, which in turn led almost directly to the hotel. She made it as far as the bank before she was forced to stop.
Well...that was a little bit of a problem. The turn off that led to the Hotels main entrance was...missing.
The Kiembeni Country Hotel sat of the edge of a large sloping hill. Its placing had been highly discussed when the original hotel had been torn down and the new one built. The position was meant to create an aesthetic view as possible for those who stayed there. During the heat, it was a very pleasant place to stay, with the town spread out below it. When the storms came, it was one of the most dangerous places in Kitui.
Due to the hotel being built upon a hill, when the rain became to heavy, the sloping hill acted as a drain. Diverting the water away from the town centre.
Uhura could not see the pathway in front of her. Without the guidance of the storm lights, the night in front of her was black, marred only continuously moving cascade of water racing past her feet and down the naturally built surface.
It would be a very foolish action that could result in her being seriously injured if she went any further. If she placed one foot wrong, the strong current (even though the water level barely brushed her ankles) would knock her over and send her over the edge of that hill.
She had no choice, she had to turn back. Hopefully the Commanders would understand when she called them on the Cafes com-link.
Internally grumbling at her misfortune, Uhura very careful twisted herself around, her eyes squeezing shut as the wind threatened to knock her over. She stood very still as she braced herself, her coat whipping around her violently.
When she deemed it safe enough to continue, she did so carefully. Placing one foot in front of the other.
She didn't see the car until it was three inches away from her.
The only warning she had was the very sudden and bright explosion of light, that small moment of pure shock as what had before been a completely invisible and unheard vehicle turning on its headlights to their highest ability.
Uhura acted with reflex. She threw herself bodily sideways, uncaring of where and how she landed. The oddly icy cold pressure expelled from the boosters beneath car brushed over her leg, instantly melting her trousers and burning the thin material deep into her skin.
She did not have time to react to the pain. Her entire body suddenly shifted, her legs dropping violently downwards as the heavy current pulled and tugged at her body. It was with a sense of detached surprise that Uhura realised she was hanging over the side of the hill.
It took two seconds for that thought to register within her mind. When it did, she did something she had not done since she was five years old.
She screamed.
Adrenaline slammed through her system, forcing her hands to start clawing desperately at the eroding earth around her. Her frozen fingers acted like a shovel, dragging the saturated earth away from the ground in large clumps. Her legs kicked uselessly, feet trying to embed themselves far enough into the hillside to balance herself. It was like swimming upstream whilst dressed in every article of clothing she had.
A slim shadow momentarily blocked the painful light still beaming so powerfully from the now stopped vehicle.
Uhura's head shot up, her hand instantly reaching out for help.
For the shortest moment, her panic blurred vision cleared, and she took in the features of the man standing over her.
Her eyes widened, mouth hanging agape. Then he was gone, becoming smaller and smaller as the rain finally won its battle against her struggling body, and wrenched her with glee into the darkness.
AN: I have no idea where that came from. I am really sorry! My brain thought: Lets throw Uhura down a hill! And my fingers replied: OK!
Bit of a long one this isn't it? Well, even if it seems a bit random and may effect the opinion many of you have of this story, it was truly a pleasure to write. I had thought about making a note that I would re-write it if I received to many negative reviews. But do you know what? I REALLY like this! It is the most dramatic piece of writing I have done in a long time.
Even so, let me know what you guys think. Have I made Uhura to OOC?