Charlene was on her way to her office when she saw Nyota coming out of the housing office. She sighed, wishing she had been as bold as Nyota when Spock made his pass at her. She was both enamored and terrified of the Vulcan. Her curiosity got the best of her. Before she knew it, he had pushed her onto the bed and ripped her panties off. Then he impaled her.
The next day, Spock showered the blood from his body and left for the Vulcan embassy. Spock knew Sarek would be angry. Most often, he took his prey to a club frequented by off-worlders who liked human flesh. Sarek always said, "You don't shit where you eat." It was a vulgar human expression, but Sarek took it to heart. He never took humans to the embassy. He had them brought to the grotto beyond the presidio.
"Nyota," Charlene called out. She trotted over to see the woman who would have been her friend had she not betrayed her.
Nyota turned and looked at Charlene. She looked different. Something about her had changed. Just the same, Nyota felt that Charlene was willing to feed her to the wolves and she could not be trusted.
"What is it? I have a train to catch." Nyota was not too excited about riding the train since the accident, but she was scared to be alone in that building.
"Where are you going?" Charlene asked. She rolled her eyes. She wouldn't blame Nyota for not trusting her.
"I am going to see a friend," Nyota said.
"I should have known you had a boyfriend," Charlene said.
"I don't. I am staying with my mentor. I don't feel safe here." She said. She looked down at her watch. She had ten minutes to spare. Nyota began to move toward the station.
"Can I give you a ride?' Charlene asked.
"To the station?" Nyota replied.
"Anywhere, I just need someone to talk to." She shrugged. "I broke up with Boma." She paused. "I told him it was a break, but I realize that we are not right for each oth3er."
Nyota looked at her watch again. She was no longer paying attention. She stepped up her pace.
"I really need to catch this train. Can we talk tomorrow?"
Charlene stopped and burst into tears. Nyota rolled her eyes and went back,
"Okay, give me a ride to the station." She said.
Charlene nodded and the hurried to the hover-car. On the way to the station, Charlene rattled on about Boma. She thought she loved him until he confessed his feelings. That is when Charlene realized that she didn't love him at all. They arrived at the station just as Charlene was wrapping up her rant. Nyota thanked her and jumped out. She just made it to the train.
The ride to the city was thirty minutes, but Nyota had to transfer to a shuttle to get to Mrs. Welred's home. It was a small tucked away in one of the older, less expensive communities. The house had been passed down from generation to generation. Martha Welred had no mortgage, but the taxes that were required to live the collective lifestyle of United Earth took up most of the credits she was allocated through her work. Nyota realized that this was why many people pursued Starfleet as a career. Those who served lived tax-free until they retired. Even then, the tax burden was reduced.
By the time Nyota got to Ms. Welred's house, the sun was setting. Nyota hadn't even worked that day. She left campus in the early afternoon, but it took three hours to get to her friend's house.
"Come in dear, you must be exhausted." Martha said when Nyota arrived. "I wish my car was running, I would let you use it."
Nyota stepped inside the home. It was cozy, with books and art lining the wall. This was the home of a person who loved learning.
Nyota followed Martha the patio. There was a large herb garden interspersed with flowers. It was quickly becoming Nyota's favorite places.
"You have a large garden," Nyota remarked as she looked around.
"I use the berbs for cooking. The excess, I convert to oils and I sell at the market. You are drinking a mint blend tea I made." She said.
Nyota inhaled the aroma and felt calm.
"Wow, what is this?" she asked.
"It is a spearmint and peppermint blend. Peppermint clears the mind, soothes the stomach, and spearmint calms the body."
"It smells a little bit like the candy my parents gave out at during the winter solstice," Nyota said.
"Many years ago, people ate peppermint sticks!" Martha said with a chuckle. "It was a Christmas holiday favorite."
Nyota stopped smiling. She remembered hearing stories of her ancestors who were persecuted for their faith when the Federation began to promote atheism. It was the solution to religious persecution, but it only led to more persecution of people who practiced religion. The war was overshadowed by the Eugenics War, so. It was discussed much, but Nyota's ancestors had been devout Christians.
Nyota's face shifted from a smile to a pensive look. Martha looked into her cu[board and pulled down a jar. She took out a small white ball and handed it to Nyota.
"Chew it, but don't swallow," Martha said.
Nyota bit into the ball and she was met with a burst of flavor. It continued for a few minutes and then it faded.
"It was called chewing gum. It was used for headaches and then later as a breath freshener." Martha said.
"I can see why, Nyota said as she inhaled deeply. "My sinuses are so clear."
"One more." Martha handed Nyota another ball. This one had a slight green hue. "You can swallow this one. It is a sweetie."
Nyota chewed the taffy life object. It stuck to her teeth and she giggled. She finally swallowed and they went to the kitchen to make dinner. Nyota wished she could stay, but the commute was too long. She had to find a place closer to the academy.
"Would it be okay to visit on the weekend? Nyota asked.
"Of course, dear. You can stay as long as you need to," Martha replied.
The women finished dinner. Welred gave Nyota a manual she had written about her herbs and many more.
"Why haven't you published this?' Nyota asked.
Martha shrugged. There is really no interest in herbal remedies anymore. People just want the synthetic drugs…"
"and synthetic food." Nyota chimed in. "I think it is disgusting. The only thing I like about my unit, is it has a small Juliet balcony. I could put a few herb pots out there." She said.
"Maybe you should," Martha mused, but she said nothing.
Nyota cocked her head. There was something unsaid that intrigued her.
"Well," Martha tapped the book and stood up. "I will leave you to your reading." She made her way upstairs. Nyota closed the garden doors and hurried up to her room.
Nyota woke up at sunrise. The book, half-finished, was on her chest. Nyota sat up and rubbed her eyes. In the book, there was a small sachet filled with dried herbs. She looked down at the page. It was all about the mint varieties. She quickly dressed and carried the book downstairs. It was the first day of work for her. She had to get back to the campus, dress and get to the lab.
"I packed breakfast and lunch for you. It is real food. That synthetic stuff will make you fat."
"Thanks, I wish I could stay. I have some savings; maybe I can look at the car." Nyota said.
Martha shook her head. "It would take a fortune to fix it, and the taxes would be enormous," Martha replied.
Nyota looked in the bag. There were two solasitc containers with white and green balls. There was a tin of loose tea and also a bottle of oil.
"What is this for?" Nyota pulled it out.
"It is mint and eucalyptus oil. Put it in your bath if you get a cold or add it with Epsom salts if you have muscle aches." Martha said.
Nyota shrugged.
"I have a small bag in there too." She said with a grin.
Nyota was close to tears as she left her mentor. She missed working with her, but without a library degree, she would be stuck as an associate forever, even with her degree. Besides, Nyota had decided on a career in space. She was finally on her way. She just needed to avoid men, males in general.
Nyota was walking from the station to the academy when she saw a cadet getting out of the vehicle of a Deltan. Vulcans were bad, but Deltans were notorious for unbridled lust. The girl was wearing and cocktail dress. Her heel snapped as she stepped off the curb. He drove off. Nyota was appalled. She helped the girl up and took her to the infirmary. Then, she jogged across the campus to Providence Hall. She changed into a fresh uniform, popped a mint gum in her mouth and tucked her lunch and the tea into her backpack. She arrived at the lab with five minutes to spare, but the rest of the staff were dressed in white lab coats, and they were prepared to work.
Nyota took a deep breath. The mint gumball had a cooling sensation. She found her locker, put her bag in it and tucked the tea in her pocket. Then she put on her lab coat and arrived at her station as Spock and Pike arrived.