Lt Zenno - Unexpected Mail Call
Cobalt Penumbra
((OOC The Wiki explains more on the significance of Bolian Water Sculptures, if that’s of interest. This sim is a follow-on from the earlier one, Supplication Snafu.
And this sim also relies upon knowledge of the Theta Reticuli trip, covered in the sims below
JP Part 1: She Ain’t Heavy, She’s my Sister, Parts 1A and 1B.
JP Part 2: Serendipitous Shuttle Shenanigans, Parts 2A and 2B.
JP Part 3: Don’t You (Forget About Me) Parts 3A and 3B.
OK, back to IC now))
((Zenno’s Place, Deck 3, USS Arrow))
He sat in silence, just contemplating the box on his desk. His heart was racing and he was taking deep breaths. It was here. Without any advance notice, not even a shipping message. He knew the Ajahi Mailos were a peculiar bunch, but he had expected there to be some logistical messaging. There was none. He wasn’t upset, just surprised.
He didn’t know what to expect inside. Artisan Rexxa had shared some drawings and asked a great number of questions. But the drawings were no more than concepts. The sculpture inside would be a revelation, and Zenno hoped a welcome one.
Zenno wondered if he should record this for Mother? She would be very interested and would want all the details that were permissible to know about. But what if he didn’t like the art? It was probably best to look at it all first, and then send some images home.
Zenno: Well, enough worrying. Let’s get into this.
He opened the package and to his surprise, there were two smaller packages inside. Of course! Rexxa’s workshop had sent both hers and the other one from her apprentice. He decided to save Rexxa’s for last and opened up the first one.
The inspiration for this commission came from his and Saava’s trip to Theta Reticuli. Of course the Parrises Squares Classic was the reason for the trip but the cheating scandal they had discovered had ruined the entire shore leave. Zenno had been prescient in collecting some rain water from the planet before they had left. Otherwise, no water sculpture would have been possible.
While holding his breath, he unlatched the first box and the top slid open.
He reached in and gingerly picked up the art inside. It was a mostly wooden sculpture, about 15 centimeters tall and perhaps 10 on the long side and 7 on the short. A stone base sturdily sat on the table. From the left side, a long stone projection shot upwards, vaguely suggestive of a Parrises Ion Mallet. And on the top, held in place with a metal brace, was a small globe that could be a planet or sun. Perhaps even a Parrises Shuttle. Giving the sculpture a little shake, he heard the water splashing around inside the globe. On the right side, a wooden projection came from the base that depending on how one looked at it could be a tree trunk or perhaps an arm reaching for the shuttle. There was some ambiguity. It was… perfect.
Zenno picked up an attached note.
—————
Honored Client Zenno:
Thank you for the chance to work on this commission.
I know that you did not have the opportunity to shop, as Artisan Rexxa commanded me to make this for you. But I will tell you that I have apprenticed to the Artisan for almost 7000 tides. And this was the first time I was permitted to craft to my own vision.
It was my honor in the making. And may it give you infinite joy in the having.
If the work pleases you, I would be honored to be considered for your next Ajah Mai.
Ajahi Mailosin Vomm
—————
Zenno just sat and looked at the work. The stone was from the Rapor Archipelago, his family’s ancestral home on Bolarus IX. He could see the unique striations that gave it away. The wood was from the Sagwa tree, also from the homeworld. With his eyes, he traced the shape of the piece, from the base all the way around to the top and back down again.
If this had been all he had received, he would have been overjoyed. But there was another sculpture, this one from the Artisan herself. What could surpass the beauty and resonance of this first one? Zenno was lost trying to fathom it.
Quite by surprise, Rexxa had accepted a different commission than the one he had offered. This one was about how he was going to miss going to see the Squares with his friend Saava. They would likely not ever go to a match together again, or even play together and he was still quite raw about it.
With great care, he gingerly opened the second box, careful to protect the contents. It was wrapped in a protective cloth and a temporary forcefield, probably for shipping. Or the Artisan was just being dramatic. Zenno would not venture which was more likely.
Placing the wrapped art on the table, he assessed the size. It was bigger than the first one, but only slightly. Before he turned off the forcefield and removed the wrapping he tried to guess what the design might be. A giant Starfleet Delta? No, too simple. Maybe a representation of the planet Theta Reticuli? That would be hard. Given the rules of how Ajah Mai were to be made, there could be no way of making the sculpture distinctive enough to represent any given planet.
Zenno realized that guessing was beyond him. After all, this is why we have the Ajahi Mailos in the first place. They are the artisans who have the vision. He was just a second son from an unremarkable family that no one had ever heard of. Art was not his forte.
Removing all the wrapping and protective forcefield, Zenno gasped when he beheld the art inside.
A wooden base, but not from Sagwa tree like the first sculpture. It was a bright, blonde wood. Very unlike anything from his world. And coming up from the base was a fine clay shape, vaguely triangular. It was the majority of the design. An arm projected from the top, giving it the piece its height. Clear tubules descended from the arm into the center of the triangular shape. Zenno could make out stains on the clay, meant to evoke a wooden look.
Zenno: What are you supposed to be?
He slowly and gently rotated the art around, taking in every detail. With nothing else being revealed, he considered.
Zenno: So, where is the water? What did she do with it?
He sat with his arms crossed, pondering Artisan Rexxa’s work. Without any thought, he reached out and ran his finger up one of the clear tubules. That momentary and gentle agitation was enough, as the water, no doubt the rain water he had collected from Theta Reticuli, began to move up some of the tubules and down others. The water coming down emerged and was collected into a basin on the stand.
After staring for a moment in puzzlement, all became clear. It was a Vulcan Lyre, and it was crying. Zenno’s hand involuntarily covered his mouth and quite unexpectedly, he began to cry too.
NT/END
LT Zenno
Acting Security Chief
USS Arrow
A240006Z13