Disclaimer: Don't own anything. :)
AN: Switching gears for this chapter, and it's not as short as I thought it would be. So, yay?! I'm taking the liberty to do what I want with the Karidians..so beware. Thanks, DLB48, for being an amazing beta. We will return to the Enterprise after this chapter. ;)
Chapter 5
As the crew of the Enterprise were given unforeseen revelations about their captain, Lenore Karidian was on the planet, Revlair, thinking of what transpired to bring her to this ice planet.
Lenore had agreed to accompany her father to Revlair, this planet the Federation knew nothing about, because she was bored to tears with her life at the university. The first thing her father had told her was to say nothing about their trip to Revlair. His insistence that lives could be endangered had at first made her laugh. Her father, actor Anton Karidian, was awfully dramatic. She rolled her eyes and agreed though, for the sole purpose of ensuring her new adventure. He had arranged for her temporary leave from school, a miracle in her mind, and he'd told her to pack warm clothing.
The ship ride to Revlair had been the longest she'd ever had. It'd been boring as she had no interest in space- her thirst for knowledge was directed towards her own planet, Earth. Therefore, she was almost rueing her decision to accompany her father.
After they'd landed, and she'd seen all there was to see (which was ice and snow- just ice and snow), her father told her that her background in anthropology could be an asset to the issue at hand as well as an asset to her own future. How an uninhabited ice planet could teach her anything, she did not know. And then...
As she thought back to the last couple days, she now realized the secrecy was, indeed, vital to the individuals living on the planet. For Revlair is not uninhabited as the Federation thought.
She'd not expected to be greeted by half-Vulcan, half-human children on the ice planet, either. Well, that explains the facility's name- The Green Gate. It was quite common knowledge even among her Earth-focused friends that Vulcans had green blood. She'd never met one but had mourned for their loss of their planet, Vulcan.
The children appeared unusually acclimated to the weather, with no concern as they tumbled out the doors in thinly clad feet, across the walkway which spanned a good quarter mile over ice in a hue Lenore had never seen before- light blue. Lenore, freezing in her coat and gloves when they children came rushing at her outside, was startled to see they only wore shirts and pants and thin slippers. The snow had no affect on them.
Lenore had also been extremely touched at their emotion- a simple but subdued delight. They were in awe of her long, curly red hair, reaching small hands to her locks. Weren't Vulcans taught to withhold emotion? It was nothing less than confusing and as her father and she were ushered inside, she'd begun her study of her new life.
"We'll be here indefinitely, Lenore," her father said when she asked for the duration of their stay. After receiving a name tag, Lenore and her father were silently shown where she would be staying giving her time to contemplate this new environment. Seeing those children and learning later they were orphans who had endured a biological travesty made her wish she could stay forever.
"What will you do here, father, at The Green Gate?" Her father had held a wide range of jobs- from engineer, sailor, and now actor, though not well-known as he'd liked.
"I'm tying up loose ends with a certain matter I could only do from upon Revlair." He patted her head, as he had throughout her childhood. The only physical touch she ever received from her father.
His answer seemed odd to Lenore, but her father was...odd. It's why her mother had finally divorced him when she was eight years old. As a toddler and preschooler, he'd leave for months at a time. She hardly remembered him. She usually avoided being in the same room with him, for his temper troubled her and worried her mother.
"Lenore," her mother would say. "It's best if we let your father be by himself. Let's go visit your grandmother." It wasn't until she was ten that she began to live with him, following him around with his acting troupe. They'd welcomed her because then her mother had died. She'd gained a friend too, who lived with the troupe- Memphis.
Maybe that was why she felt some sort of connection with the children here. She understood loss of a parent. And a great disconnect with the other.
After a day of getting used to the temperature, which was lower than anything she experienced inside a building, she realized why Revlair was described as uninhabitable. These orphans were an anomaly of sorts, and whether the Federation did indeed know of them or not, they were here to be cared for in an environment which allowed them to live life to its fullest by an organization with power. They were treated with great compassion and concern. Six doctors lived on the campus. Twelve nurses, and two dozen others, including Vulcans and humans, lived in Wing B of the facility. Lenore assumed the scientists who came in and out of Wing B and disappeared into Wing A throughout the day were trying their best to help the children. Wing C contained the elements to ensure the children's education. Wing D was enormous and she was told held supplies.
Her father was right. She could benefit from this experience and utilize her love of anthropology. Even if she could never speak of it again.
"Father, I confess. You did a good thing, bringing me." She'd smiled at him and he did his usual absentminded nod. No matter. The children are captivated by me, and I by them.
"Lenore, you won't be seeing me for a few days. Don't be concerned. Stay within the confines of Wing B or C, with the children, until I return."
Sure. Typical. No matter.
At the end of the first night, Lenore decided she'd take as many notes as possible and learn what she could to help the children. There were only fourteen of them. Eight were boys, and the rest girls. When Lenore had begun to sing any childhood nursery rhyme she could remember to the littlest child of two years old, all the children had sat around her. It had been remarkable to have the attention of the children and see their quiet happiness, and more than that, she'd gain a nod from the head Vulcan.
"The children would like you to sing to them again tomorrow, Lenore. Could you?"
"I'd be happy to," Lenore replied.
The very next morning coming out of her room, she met Kevin Riley. Absorbed in his PADD as he walked, he ran straight into her. Granted, she had been absently looking at the skylights and then the amazing holograms around the hall.
"Oh, I am so sorry." His glasses skewed, the young man offered her an arm up.
Yes, of course I showed how klutzy I am. Her pride a bit bruised, she noted the name tag on his shirt.
"That is alright, Kevin," her eyes crinkled at him. He smiled back at her but went right back to reading.
"I'm Lenore."
He hesitated but looked up. "Nice to meet you. Are you a new caretaker for the children?"
"I'm just a visitor, but have been invited to help with whatever I can," she offered. "Yesterday, I sang for them."
"You're the one who sang," Kevin said. "I heard you piqued their interest in the arts. That's unusual at the moment."
"Why? What has happened to these children?" Lenore hoped her sincerity did not come across as naive eagerness for gossip.
"Well," Kevin said, nervously touching his glasses. "I really can't say, Lenore. I'm sorry."
Lenore sighed. "I figured. I don't mind being in the dark. I see they are well-cared for here, on an ice planet. In the middle of nowhere. These half-human, half-Vulcan children who smile."
"You really are curious, aren't you?" Kevin laugh had a melodic quality and Lenore almost blushed. Almost.
"Totally."
"I can't tell you, but I can help show you around the place and meet some people, okay?" Her people skills assured her Kevin was a confident and helpful young man. Memphis had been like that, until he became slightly obsessed with her. Memphis. It is good to be away from him for awhile.
"Sure. But first, can you tell me a little about your job? Not, everything of course, since this is top-secret and all, but..maybe something?"
Kevin stared at her- hard. Lenore thought maybe pushing him again for information had made him angry, but then he nodded. "Alright, but first, tell me about yourself. Over coffee."
"I have some time. I'm early." This is exciting. Coffee with a cute boy my second day here.
"Me, too. Come on. I'll show you the break room with the best replicator in the quadrant." He waved for her to follow. The hall was quiet, only a few workers talking with some of the older children with PADDS in their hands.
"So here it is," he said, thumping the replicator.
She smiled at his enthusiasm over what was truly not the best replicator she had ever seen. The thing looked like it had fallen down one of Revlair's ice cliffs. He knew it and grinned.
"Perfect," she laughed.
That simple word she said stayed with her the rest of the day, for it described that little bit of time with Kevin. Their coffee break only lasted thirty minutes. Way too short. But perfect. They shared jokes, their biggest humiliations, and best ideas.
"So, how did you get clearance to come to Revlair, anyways," Kevin asked. "It's pretty tight. I mean, you shouldn't even be here if you're a visitor. We rarely have visitors."
"My father said he'd been working with someone for years who is now connected to Revlair. And that person owe him a favor. He wanted to share the experience with me." Lenore shrugged. "That's my dad for you. He has connections everywhere. I overheard him on his comm, about new ships he owns. My dad's hardly ever talked about space, and here we are. Believe me, I'm confused too.
"Well, I'm glad you're here." They paused then to take sips of their coffee. After a quiet moment, Kevin shared with her, finally, that he was a scientist. One of the few who were making headway to decrease the children's "symptoms."
"I knew you were smart. I could tell."
"It's the glasses," Kevin sighed.
"Not only those. You can just tell."
"Well, either way, I got glasses."
She leaned forward. "Are you self-conscious about them, Kevin? I like them."
"I am. I didn't always need them and I keep having my eyes fixed but the procedure never holds." He frowned. "But never mind that. I will talk with you later? Maybe at dinner?"
"Sure. My father won't be around to sit with, so that will be nice to have a friend."
"See you then, Lenore."
Only she hadn't. It didn't seem to be his nature, to stand someone up, so she gave him the benefit of a doubt. After she ate dinner, alone, she asked everyone if they'd seen him. No one had conversed with Kevin nor seen him since right after he had begun his daily work. She walked the halls and entered all the rooms she could in Wings B and C. One of the Vulcan caretakers, who would not tell her his name, walked with her. They checked his quarters. No one answered and the caretaker went inside.
"He's not there?"
"No. He has not been in his quarters since this morning." The Vulcan's eyes drilled her but she did not flinch.
"I told you before, we were only in the break room. He asked to eat dinner with me later. Is it unusual for a scientist to disappear?"
"It has never happened here," he said. "Therefore, it is a concern."
The Vulcan escorted her to her room. "Do not come out until one of us meets you here in the morning."
"Why?"
"We have a security breach, and since you are a visitor, you shall remain in your room."
"The children?"
"They will not be alarmed. They require as much normalcy as possible. Any alert would harm their development."
The disappointment did not come that Lenore thought she'd have at being stuck in her room. Instead, waves of fear set in.
A scientist is missing. For a girl who had lived a fairly tame life, this was quite a change.
Where are you, Kevin?