Hitching a ride

Posted on Sun Apr 21st, 2024 @ 11:48am by

836 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Rescue Interruptus
Location: USS Avalon
Timeline: Before present mission

ON:

“Oyasumi o bāchan” Kaori bowed to her Grandmother on the view screen.
(Goodnight Grandmother)

“Shin'ainaru jibun o daiji ni shite, watashi ga itta koto o kangaete kudasai
(Take care of yourself dear and think about what I said)

The transmission cut between them and she leaned back in the small cabins desk chair. So, her mother had drafted her grandmother in now to her quest to have her marry and give her some grandchildren it seemed. She wondered if Minka her younger sister. was also experiencing the same treatment. She would have to ask her the next time they caught up.

Briefly she considered giving her a call now but after calculating it was the middle of the night at Styx station, Minka wouldn’t thank her for the call. And if she was by some flux awake she would probably be crawling through some Jefferies tube covered in grease anyway. It would have helped pass the time. Perhaps a walk and some dinner. She could find this ships lounge.

Slipping off her slippers she pulled on her outside shoes positioned by the doorway and headed out narrowly missing being knocked over by a blur of blonde and hideously coloured tiki wear.

“Hey,” she yelled after the young man. “People are walking you know.”

He turned round and still running backwards smiled at her. “Sorry maam but it’s the big Kahuna. Gotta practice for my next attempt at the golden surfboard.” His shaggy almost over regulation hair bounced as he turned round again and disappeared round the corner.

“Maam,” she didn’t know whether to take that as polite or an insult. She was only 28 after all. Perhaps her female family were right and she was getting over the hill.

Instinctively she found herself pulling her hair down from its neat knot and shaking it out then chastised herself. The plan, Kaori. Make Commander then worry about a husband. But what if Commander was too far away. After all it had taken 5 years to make Lieutenant from Ensign. Perhaps she needed to rethink “the plan” or she would be a very old bride.

The Camelot bar, apparently more affectionately called the “Tor” by the Avalon crew as one of the barmen informed her was pretty busy but she managed to get a small table and order a Yuzi cocktail and Udon noodles with a side daikon salad.

“May I join you? It’s pretty crowded”

She looked up. He was in Engineer colours. It would be unpolite to say no with it so busy. She nodded and stood bowing respectively.

He looked surprised but awkwardly returned the gesture which she appreciated. “Trey,” he smiled.

“Kaori,” she stated seating herself again.

“Are you new crew?” he asked taking his own seat.

“Just hitching a lift,” she replied as her food as if by magic appeared next to her. The waiter didn’t hang around having a further plate in his hands darting off in a blur before she could even thank him.

“Oh, so your one of our guests we are transferring to the Athena at Star base 312,” he said. Another blur and a different waiter dropped a further plate in front of him. So, he had already ordered.

“One yes,” she said. So, she was not alone.

“I met the surfer yesterday,” he said. “In the holodec. A beach programme. Athena security will have a handful with him. So much energy.”

“If its who I think it is, he nearly mowed me down earlier,” she said dryly spearing some daikon radish and bringing to her mouth. It earned her a grin.

“And your field?”

“I’m a doctor,” she said after swallowing.

“Engineer,” he replied driving a sharp knife into a huge steak. She winced inwardly a little as sauce and some blood pooled out. People didn’t savour their food. Always rushing and making a mess. At least it wasn’t Klingon food and squirming she reasoned trying to push the annoyance away.

She smiled politely and used her chopsticks to pick up some Udon.

“My sister is an Engineer on Deep Space twenty-one,” she said after a minute. “She can do the telling speed with her feet thing.”
He looked pensive for a moment. “So can I and now you mention it we just increased speed to …….” His face looked more serious ….” warp 7, no we are going up to warp 8.

Kaori looked out the window and sure enough the stars were moving faster than before. Then there was an announcement.

“This is the captain. There has been a disaster on one of the planets in sector 8597. As we are one of the closest ships in range, we are having to divert course and will be rendering aid. All personnel with medical experience can you report to sickbay.”

“It was nice to meet you,” she said to him standing up. Then bowed once more. Her ride it seemed had got a little more interesting.

OFF:

Dr Kaori Sato
Incoming CMO, USS Athena

 

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