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.
Roon: Vulcan as a Mother*bleep*er
(LD S04E05: "Empathological Fallacies")
2381
USS Cerritos (NCC-75567)
Beta Quadrant
Roon slid into the lounge's booth and regarded the resident Vulcan lower decker with interest.
"So, your emotional problems overflowed and almost caused an international incident," she said without preamble. "How does it feel?"
T'lyn eyed her with one raised eyebrow. "Why the sudden curiosity? You have made your own attitude toward me abundantly clear."
Roon leaned forward. "You got as close to going Abyssal as a biological can." Her voice gained a taunting lilt. "You almost became public enemy number one on board."
"Ah," T'lyn said. "You seek to compare my emotional state to yours and understand why we both have been forgiven for our transgressions."
"What?" Roon sputtered. "No! I was clearly trying to taunt you about your obvious failings!"
"Curious. This must be why Tendi spent 27 minutes explaining the ancient human cultural concept of tsundere to me after I expressed my interest in you."
"I'M NOT TSUNDERE!"
Everyone in the lounge stared at Roon, and T'lyn raised her eyebrow again. Roon sat back in the booth and folded her arms defensively over her chest.
"We shall table this discussion for another time. Yes, I did inadvertently put the ship at risk, but it was due to an undiagnosed medical condition. Captain Freeman was therefore lenient, though she mandated that Doctors T'ana and Migleemo help me cope with my Bendai Syndrome. Though I fail to see how my emotions are akin to a fondue."
"See, you biological organisms get all the breaks. If a shipgirl did that, we'd be packed off to Memory Alpha and locked away. I'd still be there if not for my captain."
"Mr. Boimler is quite capable, but I believe it was your own efforts that convinced Starfleet Command to take another chance on you."
"I told you to stay away-did you just compliment me?"
"Yes. I spoke to Lieutenants Tendi, Mariner, and Rutherford about you. Lieutenant Mariner was especially forthcoming and her family connections and proclivity to 'snooping' gave her valuable data."
"Ooookay, this is starting to sound like stalking."
"I believe that is, as the human saying goes, the 'pot" accusing the 'kettle' of hypocrisy."
Roon blinked at that, but let it go.
"Another way that our situations differ is that you sought to avenge the deaths of your crew against an enemy in a time of war, continuing until your hull became inoperative. At no point did you put anyone else at risk, nor did you cause an international incident. It was only Starfleet's erroneous assumption of your destruction that led to your abandonment and, given the data they had at the time, that assumption was not unwarranted."
"How did this become an analysis of me?"
"Because I am interested in you and, I quote, 'Vulcan as a mother*bleep*er.'"
Roon stared at T'lyn, who remained completely expressionless. Then Roon barked out a laugh, almost despite herself.
"You've got depths, T'lyn... strange, dark, and foreboding depths, but still... okay, we can be friends, but don't come after my captain! Do you hear me?"
"My hearing is not affected by my medical condition," T'lyn said. Then, a little softer. "Thank you."
"Just friendship! Try anything and I'll get you transferred to Belfast or Yorktown."
After a few more minutes of conversation, Roon went chasing after Boimler, leaving T'lyn with her tea. T'lyn picked up her datapad and entered a query about the AIs Belfast and Yorktown.
Both of the Vulcan's eyebrows nearly reached her hairline.
"Perhaps I am not that 'Vulcan as a mother*bleep*er,'" she muttered.
By jhosmer1
