Spectrum - Part 2

Posted on 14 Apr 2013 @ 2:41pm by Lieutenant Commander Amynta Markos & Petty Officer 1st Class Siren Hex Saalm

1,793 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Episode 03 - Frontier
Location: USS Galileo: Deck 2 - Mess Hall
Timeline: MD 03 - 19:20

OLD:

"Yes. But I like it..." she touched her hand, standing. "Come along then, Red."

"Yes, Sir," Siren hopped up from the stool, setting a good pace to the door on heels that she seemed surprisingly light footed on. She cast a look back over her shoulder at her, motioning with a finger.

NEW:

Amynta followed, her eyes warm as she moved to her side. "I hope you have good drink, Red."

"I should bloody hope so. I made it myself," Siren laughed, leading her into her uniquely decorated quarters, draped with fabrics wherever possible.

Amynta smiled, touching the fabrics...she liked it. It was sensual. "You like comfort...this is your safe haven."

"Absolutely, my time alone," Siren admitted with a chuckle, moving across the room and bending down to hunt out the bottle and a couple of glasses. "And I hate metal rooms."

"Me too," Amynta admitted softly, looking around for a long moment. "I like feeling luxury against my skin."

"Is that all?" she teased, kneeling by the small, low table and pouring them both a glass. "Now careful with this. I won't be held responsible if you end up in Sickbay."

Amynta smiled as she watched them for a long moment, her eyes shining. She moved to the table and removed her heels before kneeling, watching her for a long moment. "I have a strong stomach."

"Good girl," she grinned to her, offering a glass before lifting her own to tap to hers. "Cheers."

Amynta smiled as she nodded before knocking it back, closing her eyes. It was strong. But she liked it.

Siren smiled warmly at her reaction, enjoying the fact she liked something she'd made herself. "Not as sophisticated as yours though."

"I like it..." Amynta said and smiled as she shook her head. "It has a nice flavour after the burn."

"Plum," Siren motioned to it with a warm smile at that. "I like plum. Didn't have them back there."

She smiled as she nodded, searching her eyes. "Plum...I like plum. You'd look good in it too."

"I hope you're talking about the colour now," she winked to her. "Just the sheer amount of - stuff you can get in the Fleet is overwhelming. Food, drink, clothes, make-up, shoes..."

"I know...makes it strange to think there's people out there working so hard, but get nothing. And take any job to be able to...eat proper," Amynta said and nodded, holding her eyes.

"Pretty much," Siren frowned, shaking her head as she curled her legs round to get more comfy. "Man with a boot in the other man's face."

Amynta nodded, looking into her drink for a moment. "When I went to Earth for the first time, I wanted to be a dancer. I was good. But it didn't pay the bills. Neither did the stripping. And that is how I joined Starfleet."

"Stripping?" Siren said with surprise, leaning to her as she arched an eyebrow. "You did that? You?"

"I was young," she said and sipped her drink. "I liked the attention back then. Then I realised...that I had power. And I could do better. So I joined Starfleet."

Siren tilted her head as she watched her, puzzled. "You liked being a stripper?"

"I was good at it," she said and smiled gently. "And it was honest."

Siren nodded, watching her with awe for a long moment, tilting her head. She hadn't thought of it like that. "Sorry, I'm being rude."

"No," Amynta said and smiled weakly. "My happy face and my angry face are the same. I do cold bitch well...I'm hard to read. But I don't consider questions being rude."

"I meant more me, of all people, questioning what you did," she chuckled, shaking her head as she watched her.

"What works for one doesn't work for all," she said and smiled gently, arching an eyebrow. "I'm many things, Siren. Been a lot of things."

Siren nodded with understanding at that, refilling their glasses as she watched her carefully. "It is different where I'm from," she admitted, to try and explain her surprised reaction. "Pleasure girls and boys, well, let's just say you end up doing that because you couldn't join or couldn't make it in a gang."

Amynta nodded as she watched her, her eyes gentle. "It's the bottom of the ladder, where the broken things go...am I right?"

"Well, there ~is~ lower," Siren chuckled softly, arching an eyebrow. "But basically, if you're there, it's because you haven't had a choice."

She nodded, watching Siren for a long moment. "You were good though...you were part of a gang."

"I got lucky and learnt quickly," Siren corrected, shaking her head as she sipped her drink. "I was picked up as a kid by the gang. Trained up to be a Hex."

She watched her, taking her glass and knocking it back as she watched her. "You were skilled. Luck isn't real."

Siren laughed, tapping her glass to Amynta's. "I like that. I'll remember it. See, people thought it was all in the brutality. No way. You want to get to climb the ladder? You have to work people's heads."

"Manipulation," Amynta said and smiled warmly, holding her eyes for a long moment. "I can see you have the talent."

"Not in a horrible way I hope," she laughed but nodded all the same. "But in a human kind of way. And it can be good. Sometimes the right words can make someone brim with confidence to do something they were struggling with."

Amynta nodded as she smiled warmly. "In the way we get on with life," she said and shifted, leaning against her arm as she stretched a leg out. "It's not a bad skill to have. It is another way of influencing people...working behind the scenes."

"I suppose that's what the Intelligence department is sometimes about, right?" Siren asked quietly, watching her face.

"Yes," she said and shook her head. "We are just...making sure no one can take us by surprise."

Siren laughed softly at that, watching her with shining eyes. "You're a fighter, if ever I've met one."

She met her eyes, holding them. "I'm in it for me," she said, as if it explained it all. "But I am loyal to this crew as well."

Siren nodded, able to understand that easily, taking a deep breath. "We'll be okay," she said softly, nudging her with her elbow. "I grew up being taught you had to be 'the boot'. I don't want to be the boot, but hell if I'm going to be the face."

Amynta smiled as she watched her before reaching to take her hand, meeting her eyes. "You are going somewhere special..." she said softly.

"Hopefully it's no out the airlock," Siren laughed warmly, watching her with a bright smile. She leant against the table, stretching with a sigh and a smile as she touched the bottle of drink she'd made herself. "I'm going to grow you fat you know. All of this food and drink I've never had before. I'm obsessed with fruit. I can't help it. So sweet and juicy."

"Full of the sun," Amynta watched her with a small smile of amusement. "Nothing like picking fresh, real cherries under the sun. Sticky cherry juice is the start of summer."

"I wouldn't know, we didn't really have summer where I came from," Siren shrugged lightly. "Not that could be enjoyed anyway. People that went above ground and outside did it quick and stealthy."

"No summer?" Amynta asked softly, shaking her head. "I suppose that is how it must have been at times...so how was it? Growing up like that?"

"Well, it was just life to me," Siren shrugged, looking to her. "We lived mostly underground, it was safer down there. I was a lucky one; an orphan picked up by a gang. Meant I had their protection, which was better than being out there on your own. Don't worry, I know it's not exactly what Stafleet and the Federation want to hear from a human colony."

"Hey," Amynta reached out and grabbed her wrist, meeting her eyes. "I don't care what they want to hear from a human colony. Most people out here, especially colonists, have no idea about how hard the real world is where there isn't some starry flag draped over their cribs to protect them from harm. So don't hold back on it..." she gently let go, instead stroking her arm reassuringly. "You had someone having your back and you learned skills that made you survive. It's part of your beauty. Never apologise for that either."

Siren watched with surprise at the words, her breath stuck in her throat. "You're so different from most people," she said softly with awe.

Amynta met her eyes before shrugging, her eyes studying her closely before she sighed. "So I am told. It's not always a good thing. But I don't care. I can't change who I am."

"And so you shouldn't," Siren said firmly with a sharp shake of her head. "Frankly? It's refreshing. Don't get me wrong, in most ways, Starfleet is a thousand times better than what I came from. But sometimes? Well, the politeness and protocol and niceties and political correctness just makes me want to shout - well, it wouldn't be politically correct for me to say what I would shout," she winked.

"I am not very politically correct," Amynta said and shrugged. "I have a lot against attributes of many species. Including my own. But I tend to dislike singular people more..." she winked, watching her for a long moment. "You, however...I could not dislike you, Red."

Siren shook her head with a soft laugh, folding her arms as she turned to tuck her legs the other way under her. "Just you wait and see."

Amynta smiled as she arched an eyebrow, sitting back as well. "Now, now...if you try to purposefully anger me, I will have to return the favour. And we are two strong women...it would end in blood."

"I don't usually have to try and do it purposefully, it just sort of ends up happening by accident," Siren laughed softly, but looked down with a warm smile. "I'm glad you're around. You're not like other officers."

"I wasn't planning to be like them either..." she pointed out as she studied her. "I like you, Red. I like your passion, I like you know who you are."

Siren smiled at that, watching her with keen eyes. "We'll be okay. I'll keep you sane - and your paperwork down."

OFF:

Lieutenant JG Amynta Markos
Intelligence Officer
USS Galileo

Crewman Siren Hex
Intelligence
USS Galileo
(PNPC: Lt JG Scarlet Blake)

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