Ensign Tho’Bi - Prophet Meris and The Blue Giant

[Tobi]

((Computer Core - Sub Levels, Boraxian Vessel 'New Hope'))

He swung around the doorway, his phaser trained and centered upon the shudder. Paler, but better, finger ready to squeeze the trigger. It felt so natural. As the snow fell, as the wind stung, so did the blood spill. Ka leshra sharneth, ka felketh thlekra, ek shral shrenuth.

Frightened eyes stared up at the Andorian. Knees pressed to their small face, with one pair of arms wrapped around those knees, and a second pair of arms wrapped around their shins.

The mess of movement and motion continued out in the corridor, but the Andorian Ensign's attention remained with the quiet hexagonal room of the Computer Core. 

Meris: Tho’Bi! Wait!

The panicked urgency of the Ensign's words sounded odd to the Andorian, as though belonging to a different plane where time hassled and hurried those, victim to its unyielding clocking of causality. And he wondered if this was how all other species experienced violence, a bewildering rush of action and emotion, where perception and thought struggled to maintain pace.

Ages passed. The shudder of the child's wrapped arms. The synchronised pulse of the twin Computer Core. The steady shift and luster of metallic colours cast about the six walls, ceiling, and floor of the room. The shimmer of countless lines of optical fibre, crisscrossed between subprocessors. An expanded temporal landscape of fractions of seconds, laid out and explored to the count of that distant frozen moon. 

Then the Chief spoke.

Silveira: Watch your fire, we are on a civilian ship.

Storm: Response.

Paler, but better, fingers holstered the phaser. A steady deep breath pushed the frozen moon back down, deep inside of him. The Andorian crouched, trying to appear smaller to the Yurum child, but, in truth, still towering above them.

Tho'Bi: ::softly:: It is okay, little one. I am Tho'Bi ::hand to chest:: 

The Andorian projected his voice out into the corridor as quietly as practically would allow, so as not to alarm the child. As he did so, his antennae sensed the practiced movement of a phaser being holstered. The Chief, the Andorian presumed. 

Tho'Bi: Sir, there is a Yurum child in here.

Scared eyes looked back at the Andorian, but the child did not speak and did not move. They clung to themselves, as though their whole world had slipped away, and they could find no firm ground to which they could anchor; though perhaps it was not their world that had slipped away, but that they had slipped away from it.

The Artemis Helms Officer stepped past him and closer to the child. The Andorian sensed a slight relaxing of tension in the little one's rigid frame. Evidently, Ensign Meris’ smaller statue was already a calming presence for the Yurum child. 

Meris: I am Meris from the Federation vessel Artemis. We're here to help. It would be an honor to know and be known.

Then followed a gesture, strange to the Andorian. He could only guess it must be familiar to the child, as the child rushed to Ensign Merris. All four arms flung around the Helms Officer and clung for safety. 

Meris: You are safe, child. What is your name?

Child: I am Zaralehn. It is an honor to know and be known, Meris of the Artemis.

The Chief smiled, bowed, and rested his hand on his chest. 

Silveira: Hello Zaralehn. I am Silveira, also from the Artemis.

The Andorian switched his attention to accessing the input logs of the four hexagonal columns that acted as Computer Core Control Consoles. Perhaps, like Starfleet Vessels, Boraxians used command codes unique to each crew member. Perhaps he could isolate any command inputs made by Dariell. 

Storm: Response.

Though his back was turned, the Andorian sensed the interaction between Ensign Meris and the Yurum child continued.

Meris: Are you okay? Are you alone?

 

Child: I am okay. But I am not alone.

Shunt. The shuttered cooling grate that sat from deck to one third up the main Computer Core panel pushed and swung open. 8 small arms and four small legs crawled their way out of the cooling duct.  

The two Yurum children looked up at the blue giant, stood in the middle of the four hexagonal control columns and gasped. Their feet shuffled to join their fellow Yurum, gathering around Ensign Meris like disciples around a prophet.  

 

Silveira: Well Zaralehn, you and your friends also frightened us. 

The three Yurum glanced a rising glance at the blue giant and then cast a disbelieving look at the Lieutenant Commander. The blue giant thought it best to continue his search within the Computer Core control systems. Lines of electric blue Boraxian Symbols cascade-tumbled into Starfleet Operational Base Code on his PADD. 

Storm: Response.

The Lieutenant Commander knelt.  

Silveira: So, now that we are all here perhaps one of you can help us. I have a feeling you shouldn't be here.

The children remained hustled around Prophet Meris.

Silveira: How about we let you go, and keep this as our secret. But I will ask for a favor. ::turning to his team:: We can all agree that's a good solution. 

A series of command code entries had caught the dark blue eyes of the Andorian Engineer. Without disengaging from the task at blue hand, he signaled his agreement to the Lieutenant Commander. 

Tho'Bi: ::without looking up - gives a thumbs up::

The Andorian could sense the children's cautious eyes switching their attention between the wheeling and dealing Lieutenant Commander and the strange flat rectangular Computer PADD in the blue hands of the blue giant. 

Storm/Meris: Response. 

Silveira: We are looking for a friend. Perhaps one of you saw him. Dariell. 

Anteana twitched. Movement. Hesitant. Small. One of the Yurum children had stepped forward and away from Prophet Meris.

Child: I saw him. He was with Kulpadu. 

Storm/Meris: Response. 

Paler, but better, fingers skimmed across the PADD display; each movement isolated another sub system command protocol, switching from electric blue to electric yellow.

Silveira: Thank you… I am Silveira of the Artemis. Who is this Kulpadu, another Yurum? 

Cryansa: I am Cryansa. It is an honor to know and be known, Silveira of the Artemis.

Kulpadu is not Yurum, he's Boraxian. I saw him with Dariell in Seedery.

Command protocols isolated, a pair of paler, but better, fingers enlarged the isolated protocols so they filled the display. Fingertips skipped across the PADD. One by one, a Command Protocol was highlighted in orange; next to the highlighted protocol, a rapidfire series of specific function schematics flickered in electric blue. 

Silveira: Seedery? 

Cryansa: Yes, that is where the grown ups grow our food. Kulpadu works there.

Vitor arched an eyebrow as he looked at the others. 

Silveira: I think we need to go there and find this Kulpadu. 

The three Yurum children leaned back, wide eyes, and huddled close to Prophet Meris as the blue giant approached Lieutenant Commander Silveira. 

Tho'Bi: ::quietly:: Upon our departure, Dariell came here and instigated a series of specific command protocols ::beat:: each relates to a different secondary system ::tilts head:: Unfortunately, it will take time for our computer to extrapolate their function.

Silveira: Response 

Storm/Meris: Response

The blue giant threw a cautious glance at the Yurum children. 

Tho'Bi: I also found a series of anonymous inputs, made just before we arrived ::beat:: they do not relate to any ship system… but rather to a… collection of puzzles or games ::glances at children:: It appears access to these games had been denied to save system resources.

The children shuffled on their feet.

Silveira: Response 

Storm/Meris: Response

Tho'Bi: Now the Computer Cores are synchronised, there is no need to save system resources. ::glances at children:: I have reinstated access to the games on the habitat levels ::bows in direction of children::

The three Yurum children gasped at the sight of the bowing Andorian, a big blue tower, toppling towards them. They shielded themselves behind Prophet Meris. 

The one meter ninety centimeter tall Andorian shuffled a little himself. 

Tho'Bi: ::to Silveira:: Given my… effect on the children ::tilts head:: perhaps it is best if I scout ahead to the Transport Capsule? 

Silveira: Response 

Tho'Bi: ::nods:: Aye, Aye, Sir. 

The Andorian did not scout ahead. The Lieutenant Commander remained resolute in not splitting up the Away Team. Instead the young Ensign did as he was instructed, and mapped out a route to the Seedry.

Tho'Bi: It appears food travels between the Seedery and the habitat levels by automated container. ::beat:: Crew access appears to be limited to a series of …ladders. But… These ladders are clearly designed for Boraxian and Yurum physiology.

A shimmering shuddering, liquid metallic, three dimensional projection depicted a seemingly never ending four-sided tube of ladders, with each individual ladder forming one side; and in taking full advantage of the Boraxian and Yurum physiology, the ladder tube did not just run vertically, but rather turned a right angles, pitched down steep slopes and sharp inclines.  

It was going to prove hard going for species limited to only two arms.

Silveira/Storm/Meris: Response 

TAGS/TBC

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Ensign Tho’Bi

Engineering

USS Artemis-A

A240203T11