Do You Have a Moment?

Posted on Sun Aug 2nd, 2020 @ 12:16am by Galatea & Lieutenant Commander Lily Snow PhD, MD

1,291 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Exodus
Location: MTAC, USS Enterprise
Timeline: 2430-01-09, 14:00

Having finished their meeting, Commander Galatea knew that there was one thing that she had to do. It was something that had been important to her ever since the Preserver vessel, ever since she had been perverted into a weapon of war. She saw Commander Snow and looked at the Scientist with a friendly smile.

"Do you have a moment?"

Lily cocked an eyebrow at the AI as she turned at looked at her. "I have a some time." She stated. "How can I help you?"

The hologram wasn't good at this type of thing and she knew it. She shifted her simulated weight from one foot to the next as she stood there, wondering how she would come across. She was a soldier, a warrior bred for war and plunged into the role of peacekeeper.

"I wanted to speak with you regarding the Preserver vessel."

Lily could tell that this was something that weighed heavily on her mind. "You are concerned that I know how to cripple or shut you down or my former ties to Section 31?" She knew that someone involved with that away mission was going to confront her about this.

"Actually I had never thought about that... well until now at least," she tried levity before falling into reality. She had never considered that the Science Officer had the ability to disable her - she suspected but never was certain. Section 31 involvement never worried her - especially with their prior involvement with the more clandestine part of the Federation and Starfleet.

"Kidding aside I wanted to thank you."

"You're welcome," Lily started, "and I wasn't kidding. As I don't kid with important things."

The hologram shifted her weight from foot to foot uncomfortably - a replica of how a traditional humanoid may feel but there was more to it for her. It was genuine. "I never imagined I could go so Jekyll and Hyde. It's nice to know that someone cares and was willing to go to bat for me - especially with how some view your former benefactors."

"No one ever does." Lily said feeling a little bad and a little uncomfortable. "Everyone sees you as a member of this crew. Bloody hell, the Admiral himself wanted to go and rescue you." She stated. "I reveled my past to the crew on the away mission. I was placed under house arrest because of it. I still get some cold shoulders from others because of it."

She was surprised by that. The Admiral and she had had little contact, they actually acted as if they hated each other more often than naught. "Just know that you have a friend in me. I won't forget what you did for me."

She gave an odd little smirk. "It is strange that I heard almost those exact words from 2 others on board." Lily stated. "Truth be told. I didn't really care about making friends when I came to this post. But...." She said thinking. "But... But something had changed sense coming aboard.... well.... you." She said as her cheeks darkened. "I even found someone I'm interested in and he with me." Her cheeks darkened even more as she blushed.

"That can be a blessing," she answered processing views on relationships from throughout the galaxy. "I blame this ship though as it has a habit of breaking even the toughest of icy demeanors," she continued as she stood nearby, "There are many good people on this ship and they do care about you."

"Good answer. I think it has something to do with the name Enterprise." Lily said. "You have many who cares about you too. I barely know you and I know I've started to care." She stated. "I've been described as the Ice Queen, the Icy Bitch, and a few other unflattering statements."

The hologram immediately laughed out loud at hearing that, with a broad smile stuck on her face afterward. "I knew that there was a reason that I liked you." She thought back through her history on this ship and all the times that she had been called something unkind. "I care for you too, my friend." She looked around the room, thinking about everything that had just happened, "I only hope that we don't lose anyone on this mission though. Genesis... reborn."

"I pray to god that we never lose anyone every night and twice on Sunday." Lily stated truthfully. "With you liking me, you are but one of the few who do."

"I think that more people care about you than you may realize," Galatea answered. "Sometimes people have trouble expressing their thoughts. For a nonmilitary vessel... we certainly are military oriented."

"Well cold shoulders, whispered words, and glares tells me that a lot of people likes me." Lily said. "Granted I have given them the almost same treatment." She stated. "This is caused by how I was treated as a child in school."

The hologram was curious regarding this. "You were treated differently?"

"Yes I was. You see I entered University at the age of 8 years." Lily stated with her British accent. "So many in the University where put off because this little girl know more about medicine in their first year then they did in 4." She sighed. "So they started to treat me like an outcast. It was this way in high school as well. Once they found out that I'm very religious, that was only the icing on the cake. I was the little freak know-it-all."

"I see," Galatea answered reflecting on her own experiences. "We outcasts need to stick together though. Perhaps that's why we get along. Most people are afraid that I'm going to go homicidal every time I come online and take out everyone aboard the ship. It's only happened twice," she smiled, "and thankfully you were able to help stop it the last time."

"Barely." Lily said. "I was ready to issue the override codes to cripple you." She stated flatly. "I would have done it to protect my family from the war that would have happened." Then she sighed. "I do believe that we should change those override codes or Section 31 might decide to use them and take out the President or kill us all."

She nodded, "That may be prudent, especially with most of 31's views on the Admiral following his betrayal of the rest of the organization." She thought back to the reunification mission, remembering full well the hazards and challenges they faced. She could still see the President's meeting, still hear the words that they all shared. She shuddered seeing the President only a short time later, a victim of her own hubris.

"Don't forget there views about me." Lily said. "Now the possibility could be that 31 had built in a back door into your program, that isn't your override codes." She stated. "I have begun research on AI programming, and it is fascinating."

"It can be. I always suspected I began life as some experiment for an intelligence department. Hopefully my diagnostics could find it if there was such a thing," she smiled knowing they were too creative for such a slip up. She sighed, "At any rate we do have ourselves a mystery far more concerning than 31 at the moment. The Dominion could be a risk," she thought back to the last time she was out this way. They had, after all, captured the Enterprise during that mission. She hoped they didn't have a repeat.

The hologram paused as she reviewed new data, "I'm sorry to say though the Admiral has called me away to assist him with a project. Good luck with the others and your research. If you need me just ask."

"Of course." Lily simply said. "Same to you."

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