No one is drowning

Posted on 06 Jul 2016 @ 6:53pm by Lieutenant JG Eelim Galan & Commander Allyndra illm Warraquim

2,425 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: Episode 11 - Divinum Mundi
Location: USS Galileo - Arboretum
Timeline: MD18 0630

ON:

Technically her shift went for another hour and a half but after the first few days and the long hours, Allyndra decided she could cut it short by half an hour. Ibbs was coming along and the resident she had left the chore of updating records. Mott would probably be in, in about an hour, he was never on time for his shift, but she figured there was little the resident could not handle.

She was used to gamma, as she had asked and gotten that shift both for her research but also for the quiet time it afforded. Thus though the days had been long, she was not yet tired enough to turn into her quarters. She needed a distraction, something to forget the ship, the patients and the duties of here and on her world. A child of sea and sky, she yearned for the open spaces which on this ship were few and far in between. The energy requirements meant the holodeck was out. She thought about where she could relax and she remembered the arboretum. As the thought entered the urge to stretch wings and water dance was like a flame to the moth.

It had taken her only a fraction of time to replicate a flight dress and hurry down to the forested place. It was not quite dark, the time being set to early dawn and a pinkish red glow dominated to herald the day. Already there were stirrings of creatures as those that woke greeted the day and those that loved the night said their final farewells to find their lairs or places to sleep.

She strecthed and shucked off the cares of the days and warmed her flight muscles moving the great translucent wings back and forth.

She sang a prayer to the Twins and then with a leap jumped into the air. Wings caught the air and she soared upward and then allowed herself to drift downward to come to a hover. Touching one toe to the water she smiled and then began to sing and then dance, kicking streamers of water in well practiced arcs.

Galan had had a quiet shift for the most part. He'd requested Gamma because...well it's a shift he'd been used to and had worked on most of the ships he'd worked on. It was usually quiet and it gave him time to think.

His insomnia was back. He'd hoped to go back to his quarters and rest but his thoughts and body took him towards the arboretum. He'd found a nice little tree to sit under and meditate. Everything was going well for a while. His meditation was interrupted by what sounded like someone struggling in the water?

Galan jumped to his feet and followed the sound worried that someone was in trouble. He ran towards the sound and much like an elephant crashed through a bush yelling "I'm here. What's wrong!"

Allyndra continued to dance becoming less concerned with the practice and just enjoying the feel of the coolness of the water on her feet. All was well when she heard someone shouting and spun in the air. The sound of something heavy emanated from the foliage and she hovered toward the middle of the pond, though there was shouting as well.

A large Cardassian male burst through and she peered at him. She did not remember a Cardassian on board and wondered who and how. "Who are you?" she demanded now feeling a bit vulnerable in the light dress with a person from a species known to be antagonistic to the Federation. He did not appear to be threatening but there was no reason to take a chance until she knew more. A hollow boned Akkadian was no match physically for a heavy built Cardassian male.

"Who's drowning!" Galan yelled.

"No one that I know of," Allyndra replied and noted the uniform still a bit puzzled but moved toward the edge of the pond.

For the first time he looked at the hovering pixie like woman. "OH!" The big pale Cardassian turned red and turned away when he got a good look at Allyndra. "I'm sorry...I thought you were drowning." He closed his eyes even tough he was turned away from her. "I'm Lieutenant Junior Grade Eelim Galan, security ma'am." He started to move away only to crash into a tree and fall back. He gave himself credit for keeping his eyes closed. "Um... you are real right? I'm not just seeing half naked pixies from lack of sleep."

Allyndra laughed that musical laugh somewhat akin to Terran birds. "Last I knew I was real." She landed and retrieved her slippers. "You can open your eyes.....Eelim was it?"

Galan did as she asked. He tried for a smile "Yes ma'am. Eelim Galan."

"Good day, then Eelim. I am Allyndra, the Chief Medical Officer. I did not mean to cause alarm. I was," she waved a delicate fingered hand toward the pond, "water dancing. It has seemed ages since I had a chance and thought I was alone. If I am not mistaken you are Cardassian?"

"I am indeed Cardassian." He did the gentleman thing and he took off his jacket and offered it to her. "It's chilly. You'll catch cold."

"No, no" Allyndra replied. "I am fine. My kind are not endothermic." Allyndra cocked her head slightly. "You must be new. I would have noted you otherwise coming by sickbay. Well welcome Galan, might I ask what brings you here so early in the morning as well?"

Allyndra moved toward a grassy area and sat down and patted the area next to her. "Sometimes it is nice to just have a talk with someone else and I must admit I am terribly curious about others, if you do not mind."

Galan sat down by her and smiled. "People aren't usually curious about me cause I'm a Cardassian, usually they kind of walk in the opposite direction. It is nice to speak with someone new." He smiled to himself. This was the easiest transition to a new ship he's had. Perhaps things were finally looking up for him. "I don't mind curious."

He looked out at the pond, "Well as to your question I just ended my shift. I'm Gamma shift. I couldn't sleep so I figured I would meditate and maybe get some writing done. How about you. You are here early." He wasn't used to people just talking with him. Work and about work he could handle but chit chat he'd never been good at. He'd always been a loner as a kid, a nerd, someone who preferred studies. This was....nice. He looked a his seat mate.

Allyndra replied, M’aia’aloi m’iana m’aikia l’ikia ‘aoleia." She said with full sing song Akkadian and then translated. "From a height the ocean all looks the same but is not. A saying to remind ourselves that we are all different and not judge the many as the same. As for me, I am gamma shift as well. I requested it as it gives me time to think, do a little research and sometimes," again she waved a hand toward the pond, "water dance. I am sorry if I disturbed your mediation."

He smiled. "I like the gamma shift too. The water dance seems interesting. You are lucky that you have wings. It looks like fun." He shrugged at the meditation comment. "I wasn't getting any meditation done anyway." He thought for a moment. "I'm not very good at ...conversation outside the work place but I appreciate the practice." He smiled. "So you are the chief medical officer. That must be interesting. Why did you choose to be a doctor?"

"I have a talent...." Allyndra decided that trying to explain the A'ksu was difficult and not worth it right now, "for science. Our kind when we get to maturity do not age, we can regenerate even the gravest of injuries, thus I was interested when others could not if one could transfer that." She took a chance and touched his arm. "Now you say your not a conversationilst, but you are doing just fine. Your turn, tell me a bit about about Eelim Galan."

Galan smiled, genuinely pleased with the conversation compliment. He didn't get many. "Nothing much to tell really. He found the crew really easy to talk to in general on the Galileo but he still wasn't used to opening up. He kept to the safe topics. "Well I'm in security as you know. I'm very by the book person, I love chocolate, I like to read, paint, meditate. I have a fiancée. Pretty boring guy." He thought moment. "Can ask you something? What's it like to have wings?"

"A pain sometimes, especially in closed spaces and a joy other times. Though highly exhausting I would not trade the chance to use them for water dancing for anything." Allyndra replied but there was something that had caught her attention. "Paint? You like to paint? My husband was a painter."

"Well they are nice wings," He smiled. He thought for a moment. "I love to paint. It's relaxing and it let's me capture the beauty of the subject. It's almost like...when you paint you get in touch with the elements of nature, the soul of the subject. Really fun. What kind of painter was your husband? What was his favourite subject?"

Allyndra noticed the quick turn back but she answered. "He specialized in a form of painting in which the pigment was all water based. He should me but I found it difficult to keep everything from running all over the paper." She laughed a moment. "I am not sure he had a favourite subject. Most was what was required with comissions, some landscape, some portrait. And you sir?"

"Please, call me Eelim. I like all kinds myself. I mostly work with oil paint. I paint whatever strikes me. I recently finished a painting of the ship. I've been painting since I was very young." He thought a moment. "I'm sorry to have disturbed you today. I should let you get back to the...water dancing."

"Not at all, having someone to talk to without asking: 'Where does it hurt' is a nice change of pace," Allyndra replied and then added, "perhaps you might let me see some of your work?"

"Of course." He had just had a brilliant idea. He stood and offered her his hand as aid to stand.

She held a hand out as he stood and used it to rise herself. "Stay for moment longer." She backed a little bit away and then with a whir of translucent wings hovered. She recited: 'Thank you for wind and wave, mind and body that like the Twins we may dance our joy.' Flying in hover backwards was hard but she had much practice and again she touched the water's surface with her toes and then begin to dance letting little arcs of water fly here and there but it was a sort of artistry to it.

Eelim watched fascinated. Quickly he grabbed his little cross body bag that he carried when off shift and pulled a sketch pad and pencil. He smiled as he sketched trying to get the wings and the water splashing just right. He would paint it after... he could see the colours now. He'd add forest background. He madly sketched first his new pixie friend and then the background.

Allyndra noted Eelim stayed and then started doing some sketching. She went slowly in her dance. She remembered Galan would ask her to sit still or position a certain way as well. She went for a bit longer but dancing was tiring work and finally she called it quits.

She got her slippers back on and then came over and asked, "May I see?"

Eelim had been madly sketching. He used shading to show the water splashing up from the fountain, the wings had a three dimensional fluttering look to them. He'd added detail and painted the expression of pure joy on Allyndra's face. In the background he'd added a forest and used his imagination to add in creatures, elements of swirling wind, torches of fire, a starry sky. He looked up at her question. He'd been so wrapped in drawing that he hadn't seen her come up to him. He stood and offered her the sketch. "When paint this the colours will give it a real feel."

Allyndra perused the sketch. It reminded her so much of the stuff Galen used to do. "It is very good. The background is interesting, if anything I would say that it only lacks the Queen of Night's promise." She knew he had no idea what that might be and explained. "My world has a set of rings and they become visible at night, one of my favourite times is Ring Rise. It is when the tilt is just right and from near invisibility the rings catch the light, it is like watching a titanic silver rainbow form arcing from horizon to horizon. Perhaps sometime you can stop by my quarters and I can show you a vid of them and a picture that my husband once painted of me."

"Must be wonderful. I believe that I would enjoy seeing that." He thought for a moment. "Once this sketch is converted into a painting would you like to have it?"

Allyndra made a formal curtsy like one would to an honoured Guild Member. "I would consider it an honour Eelim." She straightened and smiled though it was a bit wistful. "Call on me anytime but unfortunately, the day has been long and tiring and all too soon duty will call upon both of us again." She made a small bow of the head and turned taking several steps before stopping and looking back, "Do you enjoy fancy cooking?"

He smiled and gave a nod. "I do indeed." He stood up and headed towards the door. He figured he should go to. He had a few calls to make before he turned in.

"Then when you have the painting finished give me a notice so I can prepare something. Doctor Mott says my French haute cuisine is coming right along. See you then and and pleasure Eelim."

Galan smiled. "That would be wonderful."

OFF:

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LCmdr Allyndra illm Warraquim
Chief Medical Officer
USS Galileo

&

Lt. JG Eelim Galan
Security / Tactical Officer
USS Galileo

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