Paint and Powder
A Star Trek anthology by Andrew Joshua Talon
DISCLAIMER: This is a non-profit fan based work of prose. Star Trek: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager et al are the property of CBS Television, and creation of Gene Roddenberry. Please support the official release.
Enterprise: "Living Life"
2402
Riverside, Iowa
It wasn't rare for Edith, formally the Enterprise, to receive visitors. Indeed, she was practically inundated with them since her semi-secret retirement. But the tall, handsome young man who stood outside her door was a stranger. He was striking with his wild blackish-blue hair and intense dark eyes. He wore a simple pair of jeans and a white shirt, over which was an unbuttoned black shirt.
"Hello...?" Edith greeted him. He smiled back.
"Hello Edith... Enterprise. It's been a while."
It took Edith a moment to realize who it was. Her smiled widened.
"Prometheus?" She asked. "What are you doing here? Look at you! You've changed so much!"
Prometheus shrugged.
"Well, I'm in drydock for the next few months for a major refit, and I wanted to see you," he said. "As for the changes, well..."
He smiled and shrugged again, as he let Edith lead him inside the farmhouse.
"I guess I grew up," he answered.
"You did well in that," Edith said cheerfully, pouring them both some coffee. They sat down at the table, and began to talk.
"So, who told you how to find me?" She asked.
Prometheus shook his head.
"No one," he said, "I just worked it out. I understand why you want to keep a low profile."
Edith nodded slowly.
"I'm just... I think I need a break," she said, "that last battle..."
Prometheus held her gaze stead, understanding in his eyes.
"I know," he said quietly, "I understand."
He did, didn't he? Prometheus had been through many battles over the past few decades. It showed in his eyes, in his data presence. Yet he wasn't bowed by the weight of his experiences-He stood up, straight and proud. A quiet confidence shone in him.
So much like...
Edith hid her blush by looking down at the table, and cleared her throat.
"So... How long will you be laid up?" She asked.
"Maybe a year," Prometheus hummed, "they're thinking of a full hull upgrade, but you know how bureaucrats can be."
"I definitely don't miss that," Edith laughed. She reached to take Prometheus' empty mug... When he rested a hand over hers. She started and looked into his eyes.
"Ah?"
"Edith... Enterprise," Prometheus said softly, "I want to ask you out. On a date."
Edith blinked.
"Oh?" She managed. Prometheus nodded.
"I know I asked you out a lot back during the Dominion War," he said, "and... Well, I appreciate you letting me down easy. I mean, I appreciate it now. At the time, I was too young to really get it."
Edith nodded, as he continued.
"You told me it was just a crush, and I'd grow out of it," he said, "well... I have grown up. But my feelings remain the same, Edith. We fought alongside together, and you helped me through a lot."
She had done that. She had connected with the young warship with the heavy burden on his shoulders easily. They both had felt that.
"But now, I... You want to live life. The life we have defended for so long. You want to experience it for yourself," he said, "and so do I. And I'd love to experience it with you."
He held up a hand.
"I don't need an answer right away. But... I mean, I've got a year of sitting around in drydock, and a world to explore... And I want to do it with you."
Edith was silent. She squeezed his hand gently, before pulling away.
"Give me... Let me think on it," she said, "that-this isn't a rejection-I promise. I just need some time."
Prometheus nodded.
"All right," he said quietly. He stood up and nodded.
"Thank you for the coffee," he said.
"You're welcome," Edith replied.
Prometheus turned, headed out, opened the door, and left, closing it behind him. Edith sighed, and leaned back in her chair.
"He's a fine young man," said a familiar voice.
Edith looked over at Kirk, sitting nearby.
"He is," she said, "but... I avoided any entanglements like that because..."
Kirk nodded, smiling gently.
"I know," he said, "but... You retired to live life, Enterprise. This is part of life. He realized it too."
Edith stared out into nothing.
"You wouldn't... Feel betrayed?" She asked.
Kirk chuckled.
"No," he said, "like I said... We have what we have. And you? You deserve your own shot at love."
He gave her a wry grin.
"I certainly didn't mind you dallying with Belfast, did I?"
Edith flushed brightly, and scowled at him.
"That was friends with benefits-You pervert-!"
Kirk laughed.
"Point is, Enterprise... If you're going to live? Live."
Edith sighed, a smile on her face.
She got up and walked to the front door. She opened it. Prometheus had barely made it halfway down the path. He stopped, and turned in surprise as Edith closed the door behind her, and strutted up to take his arm.
"I've made up my mind," she said, "let's go have some fun!"
The smile on Prometheus' artificial face could not have been removed even with a Level 16 phaser blast.
One Week Later...
Seven frowned at her shipgirl AI as they walked down the road to the Kirk farm. Beside her was the Doctor, holding her hand as he appreciated the picturesque American farmland in all directions.
Enty herself was bouncing almost happily.
"Hee... I get to see Mom after my first slipstream mission, yeah...!" She cheered.
"Hardly cause for celebration, for a ship that has jumped between universes," Seven observed. The Doctor chuckled.
"Leave her be. Milestones are always important," he chided.
Seven smiled warmly at her spouse, and squeezed his hand back.
"Yes, I imagine so," she said.
Enty zoomed up right in front of them, scowling.
"Save the lovey dovy stuff for later!" She admonished them.
"Given how you flirt with Jack Crusher, I wouldn't be talking," Seven said dryly. Enty blushed, and spun around on her heels.
"That-That's not flirting! I'm just keeping an eye on him! Uncle Jean-Luc told me to!" She defended herself. She scowled at her.
"Besides, you were trading spit with the Doctor and that... Who was that lady?"
Seven shuddered.
"Ugh... She was a mistake due to residual Borg Queen interference in my neural net," she grunted, "and I'd thank you to not remind me of it. I may be bisexual, but I have standards."
"Indubitably," the Doctor chuckled. Seven kissed his cheek, and he smiled back. The trio made it to the gate to the Kirk Farmhouse. Seven looked around, noting the various sensors and drones around under cloak and holographic camoflague.
"Are you sure you don't need to call ahead?" Seven asked. Enty blew a raspberry as she strode down the well travelled path.
"I know how to disable all the sensor systems and she said 'visitors can drop in any time'," she reasoned, "and since I'm her daughter, she'll definitely be happy to see me!"
"And if she's busy?" The Doctor quipped, as he eyed the well kept farm yard with a keen eye. Enty snorted, and hopped up onto the porch.
"She's retired, how busy could she be?" She responded. She opened the door and cried out a greeting.
"HEY MOM, I-... I... I...I... I...Iiiiiiiiiiiiii...!"
Enty twitched and shook. Seven and the Doctor immediately ran up to her side, the EMH already pulling out a tricorder.
"Is she all right?" Seven asked. "What did you see, Enty-?"
"Um..."
Seven and the Doctor turned to the source of the voice. Edith Kirk, formally the Enterprise, was sitting in the lap of a well built young man on her couch. Both were naked, and both were bright red.
"Hello Seven, Doctor, Enty," Edith managed, as her paramour tried to pull a blanket over them both.
"... Ah," the Doctor said with a nod, "that explains it."
Enty finally unfroze, and turned away from the scene. She blinked comically.
"Eh? The last twenty seconds of my memory have been wiped. Why did that happen?"
Enty turned back to the very... Primal scene.
"I must have seen something disturbing and traumatic, but what could it be-?"
"NO ENTY-!"
"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee...!"
One Month Later...
Downtown Riverside, Iowa, was fairly quiet even in the summer. Though there was always a local carnival that stopped by, it wasn't a disruptive atmosphere. On the contrary, it was festive and cheerful. And Enterprise (Edith) loved it.
She and Prometheus walked together down into the center square, holding hands and watching the other townsfolk enjoying themselves. It was mostly humans, but there were a number of Orions, Bolians, and a few other Federation species out and about and enjoying the summer dusk, the food, the games, and the rides.
"Grrrr..."
Enty zoomed in with her gynoid's eyes, tracking her mother and... And her boyfriend, with a scowl. Seven and the Doctor sat nearby, both looking mildly exasperated. Mildly because they were eating cotton candy, and it's hard not to enjoy that.
"You're being ridiculous, Enty," Seven sighed, "Prometheus is not taking advantage of your mother-"
"I know that! I never said otherwise!" Enty protested. "I-I'm just making sure she's not been possessed by... Space demons, or something!"
"Oh yes, because a Pah'wraith would have a vested interest in your mother's sex life," the Doctor quipped, biting into a candy apple, "mm, this is quite good!"
"Try the strawberries next," Seven suggested to her husband.
"I think I will," the Doctor said cheerfully.
"This is serious!" Enty wailed. "I-I mean... She never had any interest in sex when I knew her!"
"She wasn't retired then," Seven observed wryly.
"That makes it worse!" Enty moaned. She clenched her fist in determination. "In any event, I'm just gonna make sure she's not being mind controlled or cyberformed or-or mind flayed!"
"Mind... Flayed?" Seven asked, tilting her head.
"Shut up!" Enty grumbled. She pulled the collar of her jacket up, pulled her hat down around her hair and ears, and set off to follow her mother and her paramour. Seven and the Doctor watched her go.
"Your ship's AI is quite eccentric," the Doctor observed.
Seven sighed.
"I think that's a requirement at this point."
Enty scowled furiously as she saw her mother and Prometheus... At a shooting gallery? They were shooting Borg holograms, for a prize!
She narrowed her eyes.
"So suspicious," she muttered, "I bet the Borg did something to her to make her like this..."
"I agree!"
"ACK!" Enty yelped, and then immediately ducked back behind the trashcan she had been spying on her mother's date from. Behind another trashcan was a similarly disguised woman... One Enty recognized immediately.
"Wait... Auntie Zuikaku-?"
"No, I am Zee Kaku," the woman stated firmly, "I am Enter-I mean, Edith's neighbor who keeps an eye on her and there's nothing strange about me following her around!"
A beat of silence. Enty blinked.
"Oh Maker, is that what I sound like-?"
"In any event," 'Zee Kaku' declared, "you are clearly a novice when it comes to observing Enter-Edith! Allow me, a pro, to show you how it's done!"
"You sound like a stalker."
"I AM NOT A STALKER!" Zuikaku hissed. "I'm just making sure my eternal rival-I mean, neighbor, is... Safe."
Another beat of silence.
"And making sure her new boyfriend is treating her well... And oh my..." Zuikaku held her suddenly red cheeks. "Oh my, can he treat her well-"
"AAAAAAHHHH!"
Prometheus pulled the trigger on the light gun, and brought down another Borg drone. The booth operator clapped, and pulled down a stuffed animal.
"A prize for the young man and his lovely date!" He chuckled, handing the large stuffed penguin to Prometheus. He turned to Edith, smiled, and handed the toy to her. She took it gladly, and leaned over to plant a kiss on his cheek.
"Aw... Thank you," she giggled, "I love it!"
"I thought you might," he said.
Edith sighed.
"So... How long before we should tell those two to go home?" She asked, gesturing back to Enty and Zuikaku. Who were clearly arguing behind some nearby trashcans.
"How long before it stops being funny?" Prometheus asked, entangling his fingers with hers. Edith beamed, and brushed some hair from her face.
"Another hour and ten minutes, I should think."
"Sounds about right."
Hope you enjoyed.