Lt. Kim Stapledon - Cultural Exchange?
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John Smith
Jun 26, 2026, 10:56:35 AM (yesterday) Jun 26
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((Chief Minister Zishi’s Office, Voth City Ship Ruttu, Delta Quadrant))
Kim was trying her best to get information while not divulging any herself. So far their captors were either not interested in keeping them in the dark or even in using them for some purpose or they were extremely bad at this. She thought for a brief moment of the Gray alien first contact scenario and kept herself from smiling at the memory of Ning's cackling in her earpiece.
Stapledon: For what purpose?
The chief minister stared at Kim for an awkward moment. For her own part Kim noted that even in good light there were some mysteries to the Voth face and its expressions.
Zishi: As I said, to bring our people home. ::he looked at Kettick:: Will your people get involved?
Was that question intended as a threat?
Kettick: The final decision rests with our Captain, but unless and until one of your factions calls upon our help, I believe we have no business interfering. As long as our crew is retrieved safe and sound, we will be content to leave you in peace and be on our way to the nearest Starfleet outpost.
Kettick had tipped their hand -- if they had a hand worth tipping. The Voth had abducted them both and then asked casually "So are you guys planning to get involved in our little forced repatriation?" Her combat games back home New Cyprus would have included some threats of violence at this point followed by some pointed message being imparted for them both to bring back to Captain Adea -- perhaps "If you people interfere we will destroy you" or some other such menacing threat.
Zishi: As I said, to bring our people home. ::he looked at Kettick:: Will your people get involved?
Was that question intended as a threat?
Kettick: The final decision rests with our Captain, but unless and until one of your factions calls upon our help, I believe we have no business interfering. As long as our crew is retrieved safe and sound, we will be content to leave you in peace and be on our way to the nearest Starfleet outpost.
Kettick had tipped their hand -- if they had a hand worth tipping. The Voth had abducted them both and then asked casually "So are you guys planning to get involved in our little forced repatriation?" Her combat games back home New Cyprus would have included some threats of violence at this point followed by some pointed message being imparted for them both to bring back to Captain Adea -- perhaps "If you people interfere we will destroy you" or some other such menacing threat.
Kim had to content herself for now to trying to get as much exposure to Voth faces and interior decorating in good light.
Stapledon: Agreed.
The security officer raised a weapon. Kim forced herself to remain calm.
Tobrak: I will go to the Igirni and find the Starfleet crew. Along with this Elder. I'll bring them here before they cause any more trouble.
They were causing trouble? That could be useful information. On the other hand, if she and her crew truly had no idea of the nuances of what they were getting into they were no better than the Gray aliens, causing trouble by sneaking into 20th century Terran bedrooms at night and, more often than not, leaving evidence enough to stir up a hornet's nest of three-letter agencies and shadow governments.
Zishi: Good idea, go. Take Xarrin with you - their knowledge of the Igirni will be useful.
Kettick: Begging your pardon, Minister, but unless it happens to be a state secret, where are we exactly?
Zishi: You are in the Delta Quadrant, ::he typed a few keys on his desk’s keyboard, and the screen behind him showed a large galactic map:: you can see behind me here.
Kim allowed herself to nod pensively as she looked over the map.
Stapledon: Looks about right. I see the little star cluster where PQ-227 is and that tracks with what we detected earlier.
Stapledon: Agreed.
The security officer raised a weapon. Kim forced herself to remain calm.
Tobrak: I will go to the Igirni and find the Starfleet crew. Along with this Elder. I'll bring them here before they cause any more trouble.
They were causing trouble? That could be useful information. On the other hand, if she and her crew truly had no idea of the nuances of what they were getting into they were no better than the Gray aliens, causing trouble by sneaking into 20th century Terran bedrooms at night and, more often than not, leaving evidence enough to stir up a hornet's nest of three-letter agencies and shadow governments.
Zishi: Good idea, go. Take Xarrin with you - their knowledge of the Igirni will be useful.
Kettick: Begging your pardon, Minister, but unless it happens to be a state secret, where are we exactly?
Zishi: You are in the Delta Quadrant, ::he typed a few keys on his desk’s keyboard, and the screen behind him showed a large galactic map:: you can see behind me here.
Kim allowed herself to nod pensively as she looked over the map.
Stapledon: Looks about right. I see the little star cluster where PQ-227 is and that tracks with what we detected earlier.
She did her best to say it pleasantly.
Xarrin gave what looked to be a wince and then they and Zishi exchanged looks.
Xarrin: ::to Kettick:: There was no other way. Truth be told I did not anticipate I'd grow to respect you so quickly. For what it's worth I'm sorry. I wish we could have met under better circumstances.
They respected Kettick. That was good news.
Zishi: I am sorry too. But what’s done is done.
Kim nodded, a look of sympathy crossing her face. She forced herself not to think of the Gray alien again and especially not Ning's laughter.
Xarrin gave what looked to be a wince and then they and Zishi exchanged looks.
Xarrin: ::to Kettick:: There was no other way. Truth be told I did not anticipate I'd grow to respect you so quickly. For what it's worth I'm sorry. I wish we could have met under better circumstances.
They respected Kettick. That was good news.
Zishi: I am sorry too. But what’s done is done.
Kim nodded, a look of sympathy crossing her face. She forced herself not to think of the Gray alien again and especially not Ning's laughter.
Kettick: Response
There was a snort and a dismissive wave. Kim catalogued these in her mind.
Tobrak: Enough, Xarrin. Come with me, you are to report to the Circle of Archaeologists for debriefing.
Xarrin looked confused.
Xarrin: Not the Circle of Engineers, but...
Tobrak gave a laugh that was at once pitying and disdainful.
Tobrak: Your ship is a living museum. Hardly worth bothering the engineers about. Now, follow me.
Xarrin looked defeated. The political sorting out of the people involved in this debacle was beginning. Xarrin had lied to Starfleet and deceived his own people. It seemed Voth were just as wont to despise a traitor as many other bipedal species.
Zishi: Apologies. Many, many apologies. ::he narrowed his eyes:: There is a small Starfleet presence in the Delta Quadrant - we can contact them and have them collect you.
Kim allowed herself a gracious and diplomatic smile. She imagined herself on another failed first contact mission, staring into the large eyes of several grays. "We apologise. All we wanted was the bovine. Your involvement in this was accidental." She did her best to stuff the intrusive thought down again as she grabbed for the first gracious thing that came to her mind.
Stapledon: These things happen...
Kettick: Response
Zishi: There’s nothing else I can do - all I want is the Igirni and her inhabitants. I have no interest in you, you have nothing I want.
Kim knew there was probably something behind that. What she had read of the Voth had included a healthy dose of skepticism toward the existence of her species. Kettick might be a different matter, but homo sapiens and the whole descending from primitive mouse-like things while the dinosaurs ruled the earth had not been a narrative that had gone over well among the higher echelons of Voth society.
Kettick: Response
Kettick: Response
Zishi: There’s nothing else I can do - all I want is the Igirni and her inhabitants. I have no interest in you, you have nothing I want.
Kim knew there was probably something behind that. What she had read of the Voth had included a healthy dose of skepticism toward the existence of her species. Kettick might be a different matter, but homo sapiens and the whole descending from primitive mouse-like things while the dinosaurs ruled the earth had not been a narrative that had gone over well among the higher echelons of Voth society.
Kettick: Response
Still, there was something incredibly intriguing about this entire situation. She and Kettick had been accidentally dragged into the moment when a titanic civilization got the chance to reunify.
Stapledon: Well... Like cultural exchanges?
Zishi/Kettick: Response
Stapledon: Oh.
Zishi/Kettick: Response
She wondered how much it would be wise to divulge about parallel historical situations to what was happening at present.
Stapledon: Well... Sort of... The Atlantic Ocean separated two places... Europe and North America. And then the discovery of peoples in North America started a lot of soul searching. There was a man named John Locke who wrote a lot about the peoples discovered in what was basically the forgotten content of North America in his essay on human (or was it humane?) understanding, and what he said would eventually feed into early anthropology on Earth. But you see, he was struggling against the ideas of someone named Plato, who said that everything comes from ideal--
She wondered how much it would be wise to divulge about parallel historical situations to what was happening at present.
Stapledon: Well... Sort of... The Atlantic Ocean separated two places... Europe and North America. And then the discovery of peoples in North America started a lot of soul searching. There was a man named John Locke who wrote a lot about the peoples discovered in what was basically the forgotten content of North America in his essay on human (or was it humane?) understanding, and what he said would eventually feed into early anthropology on Earth. But you see, he was struggling against the ideas of someone named Plato, who said that everything comes from ideal--
Zishi/Kettick: Response
Lt. Kimberly Stapledon
Chief of Science
USS Eagle-A
I238601KB0
Pronouns:
Character: She/Her
Writer: He/Him
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