LtJg Lera Michaels - The Color of Blood

[steve...@yahoo.com]

((Indulgence of Chocolate-Coated Jama’haron, Deck 47, Balcony Corridor outside rooms 47166 & 47165))

Michaels: ::doing a quick spin around :: What do you think? Do you like it?

Ezra smiled at her, his approval of her dress written all over his face.

Zerva: It’s lovely. You look amazing, stunning and beautiful, all at once. ::Gasping:: Like a fairy tale princess, only much prettier. ::nervous:: How’s about my suit?

Michaels: Your suit is perfect.

Zerva: I was worried it would be too much or not enough. I wasn’t entirely sure what you were going to wear.

Michaels: Worry is not productive and, thus, is to be avoided. :: she gave the slightest of scowls. Too Vulcan, And the last thing she wanted to be this evening was too Vulcan. :: It would be difficult to imagine a better combination.

Zerva: ::smiles:: I’m glad. ::holding out his hand:: Shall we? We don’t want to miss our reservation.

Michaels: I am certain that it will be a good knight :: beat :: sweet prince.

She took his hand and let him guide them to the nearest turbolift.

((Brief Timeskip, Indulgence of Chocolate-Coated Jama’haron, Deck 12, Verdant Garden Restaurant))

When Lera first saw the Verdant Garden, her immediate reaction was "How elegant." She silently and invisibly shook her head. What did she know of elegant? Certainly this was more elegant than anything in Marathon and elegant was not a word that routinely came to mind with the Officer's Mess on Khitomer. Lera modified her thought. The Verdant Garden was very nice.

A young Vulcan woman with an expressionless face greeted them, nodding to Lera and then holding up her in the traditional Vulcan two finger, two finger, thumb spread.

T’Lya: Live Long and Prosper.

Michaels: Peace and Long Life.

Ezra hesitated, clearly uncertain what the proper response for a non-Vulcan would be. Lera gestured moving an open hand from Ezra to the Vulcan.

Michaels: :: whispering almost inaudibly :: You may respond.

Zerva: ::does his best Vulcan salute:: Live Long and Prosper.

The protocol crisis had been averted without bloodshed.

T’Lya: I am T’Lya, your hostess. Your name?

Zerva: Ezra Zevra. Party of two.

Michaels: A slight preference to Terran style seating. :: whispering to Zerva :: Well done, Ezra. Of course, you could have said "may your hemorrhoids shrink without surgery" and her reaction would have been the same.

Zerva: Response

T’Lya: Right this way.

((Brief timeskip))

The meal was delightful. They ate. They chatted about inconsequential matters. They laughed which did attract some attention from the others present. Laughing Vulcans were, as her father might say it, only slightly more common than hen's teeth. Much later after the entrees and the after dinner coffee, Lera found herself becoming serious. She carefully studied Ezra's face to the point where both she and Ezra were starting to get nervous.

Zerva: Response

Michaels: Our afternoon with Tara has prompted a number of serious questions and I am uncertain how to ask them without spoiling this lovely evening.

Zerva: Response

Michaels: Are you certain?

Zerva: Response

Michaels: Very well. Keep in mind that this has nothing to do with us. But her very existence seems problematic to me. I know there are many hybrid individuals including representatives of almost every sentient species in the Federation. There are some well known hybrids involving Vulcans. ::beat:: That seems like that should be impossible.

Lera settled back in her chair. Her face was in fully human mood, frowning, confused, squinting her eyes.

Michaels: The biochemistrys are different. Take blood for example. Humans have red blood. Red from the presence of iron in their hemoglobin. Vulcans have green blood which I understand is that color from copper in the blood cells. What color blood does a Human/Vulcan hybrid have? Do they have a mixture of red and green blood cells? Humans have several blood types and individuals with different blood types can reproduce. But give a human the wrong blood type and they will die. You certainly could not exchange Human blood and Vulcan blood. The recipient would die. I do not understand how that would work. Why do not the white blood cells destroy one or the other?

Zerva: Response

Michaels: There is also the problem of hybrid children. On Earth, there are hybrids of closely related species but those children are almost always sterile. A Terran Mule is the offspring of a Donkey and a Horse. But they almost never have offspring of their own. Do Human/Vulcan hybrids ever have children?

Zerva: Response.

Michaels: I know. It is a theoretical question. If there is one thing I have learned, it is to never say something that is actually happening is impossible. :: she shook her head again.:: It really has nothing to do with us.

Zerva: Response

Michaels: I have been talking too much. But as long as I am demonstrating my vast ignorance, allow me to raise another potentially awkward question. ;; She sighed and looked down at the table for a moment. :: I do not understand the Trill joined / unjoined issue. I have no point of reference about that. Being joined with another intelligence. Not being joined when some people are joined. Can you tell me about that?

Zerva: Response. 

Tags/TBC 

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LtJg Lera Michaels

Engineering Officer
USS Khitomer
K240106LM2