[JP] Lieutenants JG Ezra Zerva & Amelia Semara - Looking for (Check) Mates, Part 2
BC Cooper
(( Looking for Mates Chess Arena, Indulgence of Chocolate-Coated Jama’haron ))
Amelia’s eyebrow lifted a little before a tiny smile tugged at her lips. What had Ezra gotten himself into?
Semara: Shouldn’t’a done like takin’ food and drink into the pool, or shouldn’t’a done like movin’ too fast with a girl and now she’s obsessed with you?
The feeling of shadowed burrowing of Ezra into himself hinted it was something a little more serious, so Amelia did her best to make light. There was hardly any point in judging.
Zerva: Do you remember those mission logs from the Ouachita we found last mission. You know the ones that are personal messages?
Semara: :: A little nod :: ‘Course.
She moved a piece somewhat arbitrarily, more concerned with Ezra balling up than the game. Those logs were highly classified now, but Ezra had them on his own PADD before uploading. It wasn’t hard to imagine how he obtained them.
Zerva: ::grits his teeth:: Yeah well I uh, opened one of them.
Semara: :: A little chuckle shaking her head. :: Well then. That was not what I was expectin’. How much you read?
Zerva: ::beat:: It was just one! I swear I didn’t open any other messages. ::mutters:: None of them had my name on them anyways, unlike the one I did open. I already got the lecture from Doctor Ohnari.
Amelia sighed, grateful Ezra had the good sense to tell one of the senior officers - and Talia, too. She’d have to consult with the doctor, but there wouldn’t be new paperwork to file. That was the last thing Amelia wanted to do to Ezra. It might have been a foolish thing to do, but he’d always had his heart in the right place.
Semara: That’s good. So you’ve told Talia, and now me?
Zerva: Yeah and Lera too. She’s the one I went to first after I opened the file. I figure if anyone understood besides Lera, it would be the parents of our resident time travelers. Wherever they might be now.
Ezra had been curious as to what had become of the three visitors from a future that would never come to pass anymore. He had heard rumors of course as one does on a starship, but he didn’t want to speculate. He also didn’t want to pry.
A hum buzzed in Amelia’s nose as she leaned against the giant queen piece. It was sort of sweet that Ezra went to Lera first, but it was another person who probably shouldn’t be looking at those logs. Still, not too bad.
Semara: So what’s got you so wound up ‘bout this file from another future?
Zerva: It was a medical file and after reading it, I had this dream about an opera singer who is like fifty plus years dead.
Semara: :: An amused huff. :: Okay, weird…?
Zerva: Oh it gets weirder. The opera singer was a joined Trill, the third host of the Lyr symbiont. The dream felt so real like I was there. That's when I headed over to Lera’s guest room after I woke up to talk to her about it.
Semara: :: A playful grin. :: And she uh… Consoled you?
For some reason, the idea of Lera arriving at a “logical method of distraction and relaxation” amused Amelia a great deal.
Zerva:Yes in a way. I kinda lost it emotionally in her room. It was about as close as we got so far, minus the after dinner kiss. She let me get it all out. Crying on her shoulder and all. She let me stay in her room, but all we did was sleep. Foxy Lady was our chaperone. She was sleeping between us and keeping an eye out. But I’m getting ahead of myself. The medical file was written by our own resident CMO. It was a medical procedure to transfer the Lyr symbiont, just a day from tomorrow!
As Ezra talked, Amelia’s eyebrows dug a little lower.
Semara: Which obviously ain’t gonna happen. We ain’t even got a Lyr.
Zerva: Because he transfers from DS33 as a transporter operator right before we crashed. I’m guessing because of the timey wimey stuff he doesn’t get his transfer papers. It happened just after the Khitomer crash in this other timeline. But to sum things up, the surgery was performed on myself and one Dex Lyr. The fifth host of the Lyr symbiont. Dex was dying and the good Doctor needed to save the Lyr symbiont and yours truly got the Lyr Symbiont. I was the only qualified unjoined Trill, otherwise Lyr would have passed on. I have the PADD in my back pocket if you want to read the file.
Semara: No need. I can get copies.
Copies? Did she have a copy of the messages as well? He didn’t recall her using a PADD at the runabout to download anything. Did she find a way to hack into his PADD? Or was there something here she wasn’t telling him?
She was one of very, very few who could. It was compartmentalized information well beyond simply “top secret.” After filing an analysis on the engineering similarities of the time-travelling Sencha emitter attached to the Ouachita and the designs the Corps of Engineers cooked up for the emitter probe and Khitomer’s own SDA, someone with authority in Starfleet Intelligence had quietly agreed with her that it was useful to hold onto the files and keep an eye on the present-day research. Something of what she’d told Shayne had made it up the chain of command. She grinned a little as the level of authorization she carried shined a new light on the revelation of her transfer.
Semara: Anyway, it’s besides the point. :: Beat, softening :: When I met Tori, I wasn’t thinkin’ about havin’ a daughter, much less while still servin’ in the fleet. But now the idea’s there, and it’s hard not thinkin’ ‘bout what that was like. If I was happy in the future. If I was a good mother to her. If I made the right decisions with her… :: An inquisitive little smile. :: So lemme guess - this file’s gotten you thinkin’ too? About a symbiote, perhaps?
Zerva: :: slowly nods:: Yeah it does. ::feeling a bit teary eyed:: I… I don’t know what to do.
Sensing what it meant to him, Amelia crossed the chess board through the thicket of looming life-size pieces. She sighed, then grabbed his shoulder, searching for his eyes.
Semara: Ezra… Trust me. I’ve twisted myself up over that other life and then some. But I know I can’t do anything else for Tori or her timeline now. We only got this one. But you got time now to think about what it means to you. :: Beat, hand dropping :: If nothin’ else, I say: Sounds like the other Ezra went through with the joinin’ to save the life of a symbiote. That’s noble, and it sounds like you :: A soft smile. :: Have you thought about joinin’ before?
He never thought about it like that before being noble and all. Semara was a good friend. He was glad to have her here to talk to about this stuff. But joining? That was a sore subject for him.
Zerva: My father failed the trials to become a joined Trill and then he turned around and put that pressure on me. I’ve always resisted the idea of being joined. I’ve resisted the idea, especially because of the amount of pressure I've gotten for years. Not to mention, I’m not sure if I want a symbiont inside of me squirming around and all those voices in my head.
Amelia lips rolled around - she knew what family legacy meant and the pressure it could mean better than most. But then it was something she wanted. It was tough to imagine the reverse.
Semara: You ain’t gotta get joined. Your parents prolly just wanna see you happy, and think joinin’ll help with that somehow. But it’s your decision. And a big one with no goin’ back. If you ain’t sure, then it ain’t on you to defend or justify not wantin’ it to anyone.
All true. Once you become joined there’s no turning back. It was another in a long list of reasons for him to think about.
Zerva: I appreciate you telling me that it was a noble sacrifice to save the Lyr symbiont and all, but you saw those reports. ::beat:: Most of us died. After Doctor Ohnari in this other timeline performed the surgery that saved Lyr, placing them inside of me, there is no mention of me in any other logs. Does that mean I saved a life, but then lost mine too? ::getting teary eyed once more:: What good is being noble and all if all I did was give Lyr only a short amount of time to live?
Her eyes creased, sensing the sideways slide into free-fall, and her fingers gripped a little harder. The cascade was a little too familiar.
Semara: Woah, easy there Ezra. :: Softly. :: We don’t know everything ‘bout what happened. We don't know what will happen now. We can’t. So just take a big breath for me, nice an’ slow. You’re here, right now. That’s all you gotta worry ‘bout.
She let him have a moment to work through it, knowing this would take time.
Semara: :: A little smile. :: Want a hug?
Zerva: ::gives her a big hug:: Thank you. I really appreciate it. I don’t get a lot of hugs and it means a lot when I do.
Semara: :: Squishing tightly. :: Well I love hugs, so you came to the right place. :: A happy chuckle. ::
Zerva: ::pulling back from the hug, wiping away any tears:: My family isn’t much of a hugging type or for that matter emotionally expressing themselves. I’ve been working with Counselor Dewitt on that. I even managed to get a hug out of my mom last year on my birthday when we were on earth for the Dewitt’s wedding. Mind you it was kinda awkward and not like the couple of ones I've had from members of this crew when I needed it.
Amelia beamed for a moment. After a long, twisting shore leave it felt like finding a piece of herself again to be able to help out a friend with just a few kind words and a little outside perspective.
Semara: We’re all here for you, Ezra. :: A sharp smirk. :: Next time, just tell someone before you open logs from the future? :: A chuckle ::
Zerva: I will, that’s a promise. ::smiling:: Thanks again.
Ezra’s eyes looked over Semara’s shoulder. He noticed for the first time that his side of the board was in trouble.
Zerva: ::laughing:: Would you look at that! The student has taught the teacher a move or two. See where your knight, pawn and queen are located on the board?
Semara: :: A step back and turning to look. :: …And that’s good?
Truthfully, she had no idea.
Zerva: You’re in a position to take my king’s knight and then one more move away from putting my king in check with your queen! Not too bad for your first time. What say we continue this game another time and grab a drink on me? I’ve got a regular sized chess board in my quarters on the Khitomer, if you would like to play again some time?
Semara: :: A little chuckle. :: Sure, why not?
Zerva: ::smiling:: Great! Then it’s settled.
Ezra made his way to the exit with Semara at his side, a grin escaping him as they left.
Zerva: So how many drinks will it take before you spill the beans on what Captain Shayne really has you doing in your off hours when you're not in the science department? ::laughs::
Semara: :: A sideways half-smirk. :: Cute.
Zerva: Okay, okay. Maybe we can start with a little lighter subject. I’d love to know more about this daughter of yours. If you’re willing to talk about her?
Amelia slowed a little on her way out the door, eyes lifting. In the back of her mind, she could still find a little tickling whisker of feeling tugging on her. Tori was out there, somewhere.
Semara: I never could’a imagined what it feels like to have a daughter. :: Turning to Ezra :: I’m proud of how brave she is. :: A growing smile. :: I’ll tell you what I can…
END
---------- ○● ----------
Lieutenant (JG) Ezra Zerva
Security Officer
USS Khitomer (NCC-62400)
A240101EZ2
AND
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Lieutenant Junior Grade Amelia Magnolia Semara
Science Officer - Special Projects
USS Khitomer - NCC-62400
A239710MA0