[JP] Lt Cdr Talia Ohnari & Lts JG Ras El’Heem and Amelia Semara - The Saga of Baba Yaga, Part I
Max
(( Arboretum, Deck 14, USS Khitomer ))
Leaves and tree limbs no longer littered the ground everywhere, the little pond had returned to its normal boundaries, and the stone paths took their usual paths once more, but there were still no flowers. More concerning to a culinarily-inclined Betazoid, there wasn’t any produce.
Despite growing up in the country, Amelia was not an especially adept farmer or gardener. Still, she knew enough to be saddened by the state of the arboretum. It was clean, and the grass was green, but a sort of defoliated pallor stole the usual sense of vibrancy and chaotic life she was accustomed to in wild places - even small ones.
Inspecting the health of a tree at one corner of the space, there was one person she knew to turn to for help. Ras had swung by the lab and helped out with the gel packs, but beyond that she hadn’t seen much of him. In retrospect, maybe it hadn’t been such a good first project to get his help on…
After her conversation with Shayne, would it also be her last project with Ras? Amelia sighed, heartache setting in.
She leaned against the tree, letting its strength support the weight of her body and the consequences her decision would bring. She still wore blue, but for how much longer? How much longer would she get moments like this, where she could simply admire the patterns of a leaf’s veins?
Her fingers dug a little harder at a piece of bark. She still wore blue. The arboretum was still her domain. And Ras’.
Semara: Computer, please locate Lieutenant El’Heem?
She was off even before the computer replied.
((Gamma Module, Medical Pavilion, Bioengineering Lab, Deep Space 33))
Ras flexed his fingers slowly, the fungal sinew beneath the metallic skin shifting in smooth concert with the mechanical components in the prosthetics frame. A gentle pulse traveled up his wrist, where the mycelial network meshed with living tissue. The lighting here was softer than the sterility of most clinics and sickbays due to the filter the lights pushed through to greet the often photosensitive contents of the lab. It did, however, still permeate a sterile smell of antiseptic. Dr. Ohnari stood nearby, a PADD flickering with the results of her latest adjustment.
The tweak had been necessary. In the days since Ras had received his prosthetic, subtle feedback anomalies had started to appear. Miniscule disruptions in fine motor calibration during emotionally heightened states, and boy had he been emotionally heightened as of late. The synaptic mesh that the mycelium made up, though revolutionary and an absolute masterpiece of craftsmanship, was still partially reactive to neurotransmitters incompatible with the composition of the fungus. The adjustment was small and consisted of a recalibrated inhibitor node spliced directly into the fungal network, but the results were immediate. Ras tested his grip on a diagnostic wand and for the first time since its installation, his movements felt quiet. His mind no longer had to strain to reach his hand.
El’Heem: Va'tel M’rathyr! That’s a relief. The extensor digitorum is no longer dystonic.
The Kressari wiggled his fingers freely and rotated the prosthetic around his wrist with no cramping and then looked up at Talia.
Ohnari: I maintain that was a feature, not a bug. Who doesn’t love a jazz finger? Might be a great ice breaker considering all that time shut off in the dark in your quarters with only your plants, might have dulled your ability to talk to other sentient beings.
His hand dropped onto his thigh and he let out an annoyed huff.
El’Heem: No i’m perfectly capab- ::cutting himself off:: You’re just trying to elicit that heightened state of emotion, aren’t you?
Ras’s head fell down sassily and he looked up at her from the slits of his squinted eyes.
Talia batted her lashes innocently. While she said she would accept his decision, she never said a single thing about not teasing him.
Ohnari: ::raising an eyebrow:: Easier to run the diagnostic to check response times now as opposed to waiting until you’re grouchy again.
Her grin was wide.
El’Heem: ::Lifting his head:: If I happen to punch you, it’s another glitch in the prosthetic that needs to be fixed, not intentional, honest.
Ohnari: ::snorting:: Try it mushroom man, you’re still plugged into the neural relay so I’ve got all the control.
To further her point, she tapped a few commands on her PADD as the mechanical fingers responded in a wave.
Just then, Amelia stepped in. In uniform, but her golden leaf heirloom pin glittered richly in her hair. A quick assessment revealed not just Ras, but Ras with a new hand. She smiled broadly - she hadn’t realized. And it was a beautiful piece of work.
Semara: Ras! :: A quick curtsy. :: Commander. :: A slower curtsy :: How d’you do?
After Amelia’s outburst in sickbay, she still wasn’t entirely sure how to be around Talia - and that was after the incredibly involved apology that had taken an entire afternoon to prepare and very steady hands to deliver. Absent clarity, she defaulted to her most courteous self.
Ohnari: ::pushing more commands, Ras’ hand waved exuberantly:: Hey there! And again, you can call me Talia.
Amelia just giggled, quickly catching on. It was a relief to relax.
Feeling the kick under the table, she quickly detached the networking cable allowing for her modifications, and inadvertently his motor functions. She gave a sheepish grin of thinly veiled apology towards the Kressari she’d puppeted moments ago.
Ras swiveled his head to see Amelia, as bright and chipper as ever. She must have somehow pushed her delight onto Ras because he perked up and his eyes flashed a baby blue.
El’Heem: Amelia! ::clearing his throat, betrayed by the primitive part of his brain that controlled emotion:: I mean, Amelia. What brings you to the lab?
Amelia’s smile brightened and twisted the way it did when she was especially happy. Ras even felt whole. It was nothing short of miracle work.
Semara: If Ras is up for it, I actually have somethin’ I could use his particular help with? It ain’t exactly work… It’s the Khitomer’s arboretum. It… needs help.
Ras lifted his shoulders and rubbed his hands together mischievously as he looked to the doctor.
El’Heem: Sounds like an opportunity to put it to the test, no?
Internally, Talia was thrilled. This was the most animated she’d seen him in days.
Ohnari: Uh oh, you said the sleeper phrase and now I’m not going to get the diagnostics done…
Amelia’s dark eyes glittered and creased at the corners as they passed between the two. It wasn’t just the air that smelled like antiseptic… Something tingled at her synapses. The happiness stung, but she was still glad to be a part of it.
Semara: You made the sleeper phrase “arboretum”? :: A chuckle ::
He stuck out his upper lip, in protest like a young child begging his mother for permission.
El’Heem: Oh come onnnnn. I can’t stay holed up in my room forever! It’s the first time in days I don’t feel like jumping out of an airlock. ::turning to Amelia:: And don’t think I can’t feel you prodding at my mind, making me feel warmer and fuzzier than I’d want to.
While he didn’t realize it, Talia couldn’t help but recoil. What he suggested was beyond taboo. It was strictly forbidden, except in the most dire of circumstances, like the Betazoids during the Dominion war, or in the case it was unintentional projection, which it had been when Nolen was locked in a nightmare. However, she could sense no malicious intent with his comment.
Ohnari: ::rolling her eyes:: I do not have the time to tell you how wrong you are right now. ::eyes narrowing:: And that is so going to bug me.
Amelia just snorted. The things some people thought about telepaths! She was just too happy both of them were going with her plan to care. It was exactly the kind of adventure she was hoping for.
Semara: What she’s sayin’ is that nice feelin’ is all you. :: A chuckle :: But I’m happy to see you too, Ras. :: A happy grin ::
El’Heem: I’ll chalk it up to passive empathic diffusion or something. ::pausing:: Fine Talia, let’s run the tests in the arboretum then.
The Betazoid shook her head and snorted. Really? Made it sound like she was a walking empathic air freshener.
Ohnari: ::smirking:: We’re already done. Let’s go! Give me an excuse to check in on Statler.
When on the base, Talia had an agreement with the chief botanist. Since bat guano was an ideal fertilizer for fruit tree propagation, and was a bit hard to come by here in the Isles, once docked, Talia would bring Statler and his accumulated waste.
Nolen was horrified, even though she repeatedly told him it was vacuumed sealed, and he didn’t complain when they had an abundance of fresh produce on the ship courtesy of an elated proprietor.
Semara: Actually… I was thinkin’ we’d try the arboretum over in Beta Module. They have some plants in their nursery we might be able to take. I’ve also got a hankerin’ to see if they’ve got any fruit trees. The Khitomer’s trees lost a lotta limbs. Was thinkin’ a’ tryin’ some graftin’.
Maybe the idea was a little on the nose, but she still liked it. The things she’d do to have fresh fruit aboard…
Ohnari: Ooh are you thinking of trying to set up a mobile orchard on the Khitomer??
Semara: Somethin’ like that… :: A twinkling grin. :: Might try fermentin’ some… I was gonna wait to tell you until we celebrated your graduation anniversary, but Connor and I fixed up the still.
Ras recoiled slightly at the proverbial beans being spilled and tossed a glance towards Talia.
El’Heem: Uhhh…huh…what still?
His eyes bounced between Amelia and Talia in a clear display of guilt, unsure how it was going to be received by space mom.
Ohnari: As the ranking officer in the bunch, I officially cannot condone such actions. ::her smile took a wicked gleam:: But since we’re all off duty, hell yeah let’s make some hooch!!
A sigh of relief oozed out of him a little too eagerly.
El’Heem: I thought I was going to have to change my name and move to fluidic space. Okay, onto the arboretum before this gets any weirder.
Semara: Let’s go then!
Amelia smiled and held her hand out to take Ras’ arm like she had when he’d guided her across to the field of flowers at the Dewitt wedding. Her fingers landed softly in the crook of his elbow, and the three were off.
TBC
---------- ○● ----------
Lieutenant Junior Grade Amelia Magnolia Semara
Science Officer
USS Khitomer - NCC-62400
A239710MA0
and
---------------------------------------------
Lieutenant Commander Talia Ohnari, MD
Chief Medical Officer
USS Khitomer
C239205ME0
and
---------- ○● ----------
Lieutenant JG Ras El’Heem
Science Officer
USS Khitomer (NCC-62400)
K240106RE3