Atone

Posted on Tue May 5th, 2020 @ 8:55pm by Lieutenant Commander Chire & Lieutenant Dylan Blake
Edited on on Wed May 20th, 2020 @ 1:40am

2,513 words; about a 13 minute read

Mission: Genesis
Location: Sickbay / Personal Quarters
Timeline: 2430-01-09, 01:10

Chire opened her eyes when she heard the doors to sickbay open. She hadn't been sleeping, merely resting her eyes as gadgets whirled about her checking on various things. She was sure she was about to be released though. All the synthehol was out of her system now. She glanced toward the door and paled. Dylan was standing there. She sat up. "I am sooooo embarrassed and so sorry. I had no idea of what my drink had in it and my behavior towards you was totally unacceptable."

The human shook his head; "I'm just glad you're alright. We figured you'd be better here than your quarters," he explained stepping closer. "Just in case, you know? Normally I'd just tuck you up in your bunk and let you sleep it off but, well, none of us really knew what had happened to you so this was the best course of action."

He glanced at the readings bouncing across the screen beside her: "You don't need to apologize, Zarland, the barman has done more than enough already. I think he felt guilty, he said the fruit had been soaked in synthehol for the event where normally it wouldn't have been." Dylan shrugged his shoulders: "It not the first time someone has gone a bit doolally on me after some drinks," he chuckled at the memory. "Both men and women, that was a strange night."

"That's the first time I've ever taken flight in a room full of other beings and called someone my mate however, so I still think I have plenty of reason to be embarrassed." Chire sighed. "I do like you, but I would never presume . . . . and we don't know each other well. That was completely the synthehol talking," she finally sputtered out, her wings dropping back behind her, coming unclenched and flowing to the floor.

"Oh, my wounded heart!" Dylan joked clutching his chest.

That was no the response she had anticipated at all. Her eyes popped open wide in surprise and she merely stared at him for a moment. She thought he might be embarrassed, or shy, or any number of other reactions but this wasn't one of them. The stress of the situation almost made her giggle at being startled. "So . . . . anyway, I guess we can still associate with one another. In other words, friends?"

Blake smiled at her giggle, it was good to see her bounce back from the embarrassment. "I hope so," he shrugged. "You being my superior kinda makes it hard if I wanted to avoid you."

"True." Chire stood up, her wings still draped down followed her over the biobed. It felt good to leave them like that for the moment but she knew they would need picked up when she started walking. "I'll return to my quarters and we can begin again tomorrow . . . with no synthehol."


"Good idea. Wouldn't want you to earn a bad reputation," he teased. "Would you like me to accompany you?"

"Do you want to?" She realized that wasn't exactly an assertive response. "Yes, just in case something like this happens again, you know where to drop me off." Chire didn't really think that anyone would be dragging her back to her quarters anytime soon. She tucked her wings up and began to move. "Tell me about yourself, where do you come from?"

"There's not much to say really," Blake fell into stride beside her. "I'm guessing you've not read my file yet?"

"Umm, no. It's been a bit of a whirlwind since I stepped on board, but I plan on it soon. I'm curious to see what you would say about yourself though."

"Technically I don't really have a home, at least not a fixed one," he continued at her becking. "I was born on the USS Cooper where my parents both served, its all I've known, chasing the stars just moving from one place to another. So naturally I followed suit."

"There's nothing wrong with thinking that a starship is home." Chire responded. "I was merely curious. I grew up on a planet called Bairl, it is the only planet that houses my species. It's a world of caves and very tall trees that create a canopy over the sky, blocking a lot of the light from the ground. I am my parents only child." Chire said, wondering what else she could tell him that was relevant.

"Sounds fascinating," Dylan replied. "I love to explore, those caves sounds just my sort of thing. Why did you leave?"

"I suppose because I was different and I was tired of being stared at. My coloring is the result of a genetic mutation, a gene that both of my parents carried and was unknown to my species before I was born. There are no other orange Creoli in the universe. Most of them are gold or shades of brown. So," Chire said deciding to tease him back a little. "That feather I gave you is extremely rare. Perhaps you can trade it for a bar of latinum in the future."

"Oh really?" he glanced over shoulder as they left sickbay and towards the tubolift. "I'll bear that in mind should I find myself in a jam one day. "Must have been tough with all that unwanted attention back home, and I would guess you've had plenty since you left. I'm sorry about that, some people are still a bit narrow minded even with all the wondrous discoveries over the centuries not everyone has the same philosophy as Starfleet."

"True, but it's all right. I like the life I've built for the most part. It's bit different but that's what makes it interesting." Chire shrugged. "Even in Starfleet I've been known to get a few looks," She smiled.

"You might get a few more after today," Dylan added as the lift car arrived. "Most though were just worried about your welfare, you certainly know how to crash a party," he grinned.

Chire's wing untucked itself and swatted Dylan gently on the back of the head before tucking itself in again. "Yeah, thanks. When get to my quarters I'd like your opinion on something I've been thinking about." That was the only thing she could think of to say at the moment so she decided to ask him a random question. "So your parents were in Starfleet and you followed in their wing path . . . er footsteps. Why operations though?"

"Hey!" He laughed at her banter and deliberately stumbled into the open car. Patting his hair flat again he answered her question as the car went into motion: "Dad was science and Mum engineering, I enjoyed learning more about nodes and power relays than micro organism and stella phenomenons. Dad would try to teach me, get me interested in what he was working on but I'd rather tinker with models and see a more physical result than data and speculation." Dylan shrugged his narrow shoulders: "I like to fix things I suppose, be a bit more of Jack of all trades than an engineering officer."

"I used to take things apart when I was a child, I had more trouble putting them back together again. It drove my parents mad. A couple of the objects were things they used often and since I had taken it apart I was supposed to make it right. One of them never worked quite right after that." Chire had a bit of a grin on her face. "But I've had some instruction since then." When the lift stopped they walked down the corridor toward her quarters. "Come inside and wait a moment if you would? I want to see if something is acceptable." Chire disappeared into the bedroom.

"Yeah sure," Dylan replied and perched himself on the sofa while she was gone. He eyed the room enviously: "So this is what I should aspire to," he commented. "Privacy, no more shower sharing and all not snorting from my roommate."

"Well," Chire said coming out of the bedroom. "I honestly don't use the bed much here. Because of my wings I prefer to sleep sitting upright. You're welcome to it when you feel the need for a good nights rest." She wore an old style dress uniform that was adapted so her wings could slide through slits in the back while it zipped up in the front for easy access. "What do you think? I was wondering if perhaps wearing a uniform would make people more comfortable?"

"You mean you don't hang upside down like a bat?" he joked. "I'm flattered about the offering but we barely know each other, staying the night would be...well... people would talk," he teased further.

"More than they already will after a good portion of the ship saw me make a fool of myself flapping around and calling you my mate?" She retorted because of the bat comment.

Dylan laughed openly at that: "Very true, we're be the topic of the week, providing the conference goes without a hitch."

"The uniform looks great, a bit dated compared to this," he tugged at his own tunic. "But I can't imagine the Admiral would complain. If he did maybe Galatea or someone else could commission you something more comfortable."

"Yes, that's an option. I just wanted an opinion on the type of uniform. This just seemed easier than a jumpsuit or pants." She untucked her wings with a sigh. "Anyway, thank you . . . . for the conversation and your opinion on the uniform. Did you want something to drink?"

"A nightcap, perhaps." Dylan agreed feeling it rude to reject her offer. "It's quite late."

"What would you like?" Chire asked, stepping over to the replicator. She ordered a hot jobril juice for herself thinking it would do her throat some good. it was a bit scratchy from the synthehol she'd unknowingly ingested.

"Call me stereotype I'll have some hot coco," he grinned sheepishly. "I'm just a kid trapped in an adults body."

Chire didn't think there was anything wrong with that. "On my planet everyone from the smallest child to the eldest adult drinks jobril juice. Of course it's native to my planet. I had to teach the replicator how to make it and I think I got it right now." She ordered the hot chocolate and carefully handed it to Dylan. "How old are you if you don't mind me asking?"

Blowing on his steaming drink he eyed her's with interest as she programmed it herself. "Twenty-three," he answered a little curious to her inquiry but didn't comment.

"I am three of your Earth decades old. Our years are of course different. We are not considered adults until our second decade is established and I had to get special permission from my parents to attend the Academy before that." Chire settled down on the floor across from him, wrapping her wings around her in the front. She looked like a cone shaped jack in the box style toy with only her head sticking out. "But they gave it. So . . . I was able to graduate with other my own age."

"I was wondering if you aged differently," Dylan lowered his mug. "How did you learn about the Academy? Your race and homeworld aren't exactly well known. I think I'd remember you from my studies. Must have been scarcely leaving home at a young age to leave so far away especially with alien races."

"We have had dealings with Starfleet for as long as I have been alive. But only two of our race has ever entered the fleet. I am the second. It was intimidating," Chire admitted. "Mostly because I had to get used to walking everywhere instead of whipping my wings out. I swear sometimes they still have a mind of their own." While she was talking one of her wings extended toward Dylan and hovered there in the air within his reach as if expecting him to hand it something. She glanced over. "See? I do that without even thinking about it."

He chuckled at her comment. "Some would love to trade places with you and be able to fly unaided around the sky." His gaze lingered on her elongated feathers: "I think they'll beautify."

"Thank you," Chire answered with a small smile. "Are you one of those people?" Her mind was suddenly a flurry of activity about how she could give him wings if he really wanted them. No surgically implanted of course, but some kind of contraption. They were operations officers after all. "Perhaps we could make you some."

The idea lit a light behind his eyes. "That would be amazing," he smiled boarded than before. "We knew we've cracked it when I can beat you in a race."

Chire seemed to brighten as well. "Do you want some that are motorized or ones you use under the power of your own? As long as we take precautions and use a holodeck character to test them. I see no reason why you can't learn to fly. May I see your arm?" She asked as she stood up and approached him.

"I guess whatever works best following our testing," Dylan stood obediently and held out his arms as if to compare wingspans. "I defiantly vote we use the holodeck, I don't fancy breaking bones in the process."

"No, absolutely not. May I touch you?" Chire asked wanting to feel the mechanics of how his arm worked. She knew it didn't have to be all done tonight but she was intrigued and very interested in carrying out the experiment.

"Yeah sure," he nodded. "I am a bit ticklish just to let you know."

She gave him a funny look but used her hands to cuff his arm and feel how the muscles were connected under his clothing. "I'll begin work on it immediately." She said as she sat down on the other end of the sofa and picked up a PADD. "Can you meet me after your shift tomorrow in the holodeck?"

"Of course," Dylan replied a little surprised she was wanting to start straight away but excited all the same. "This will be cool," he beamed and started to flap his outstretched arms as if imagining they were wings. "I can't believe I've never thought of this before."

Chire chuckled as she watched him move his arms. "I should probably sleep though and get started on this when I wake. I only require about four hours though. You can take the bed if you like, I prefer to sleep sitting up as it's more comfortable for my wings."

"Oh, yeah." He stopped his inane flapping having lost track of the time becoming carried away with their project idea. "It is quite late we should get some kip, big day tomorrow and all that. I should head back to my bunk before I'm reported MIA by my roommate, thanks for the offer though."

"Sure," Chire said getting up again to see him off. "Have a pleasant evening."

"Thanks, you too. See you later boss," Dylan smiled. "Try to keep out of trouble this time."

 

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