A Not So Chance Meeting

Posted on 09 Jan 2013 @ 1:24pm by Lieutenant Jared Nicholas & Crewman Athlen
Edited on on 09 Jan 2013 @ 2:37pm

2,260 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Episode 02 - Resupply
Location: Vega Colony - Sophia's Cantina
Timeline: MD15 1700 Hours

ON:

Jared let out a long breath. His boss, Dr. Panne had suggested this meeting between him and Athlen because she had felt the two could work well together. He knew what had triggered her suggestion, it had been when he had told her of how the study of languages was not just about words one spoke or wrote but the style of language played such a vital part of a race's behavior.

He was in effect for of a social scientist than a chemist or a biologist, so he had suggested that he meet with the ship's resident sociologist and had even sat up this meeting.

Jared wasn't sure whether she had a good idea or a bad idea, but he had never really met a Rigelian, so his curiosity was aroused, both by the man and the language which he assumed would be similar to both Vulcan and Romulan.

The man walked through the doors of the cantina dressed in a simple knit sweater and slacks, off duty as he'd suddenly found himself. Even yesterday he hadn't been taken off duty, but both Panne and Liyar wanted him to take a day so for the first time in fifteen days he wasn't wearing uniform. His hair was down over his shoulders and tucked behind his ears. The only sign of the previous day's events were a slight bruising around his eyes, but otherwise the Rigelian carried himself with zen. He saw the ensign over in the corner and made his way across, smiling warmly and placing a hand on his forearm guilelessly in greeting. "Hello there," he said, bowing his head forward. "I assume you're Ensign Nicholas?"

Jared wasn't sure what to expect when Panne had made the suggestion. Perhaps some guy in his fifties with glasses or some ivory towered geeky looking guy. Whatever he had been expecting, it had not been someone that looked like Athlen. He returned the Rigelian's smile until he took a closer look at the face and noticed the bruising around the eyes. "What happened to you?" he asked.

"Ah, an unfortunate encounter with a bowl of soup," he said enigmatically, but the light in his eyes said it was perhaps a joke, internal only to him. "I'm Crewman Athlen," he introduced himself and sat down, waving over a waitress. "Yes, what is this?" he asked, pointing at a bowl of something that looked like chili pictured on the menu.

"Oh!" the woman said, leaning down to examine it. "It's hevforth, Terrans say it's similar to something called chili?"

"I see, all right," the Rigelian said cheerfully, "I'll have that. And this... iced tea?"

"Yep," she scribbled the order down. "Anything for you?" she asked Nicholas.

Jared remembering the incident with the CSEC Stone a few days past decided to forego anything alcoholic, just in case the two were friends or shared similar philosophies. "I'll have the blackened slichfish with rice and hot cinnamon tea."

After the waitress had left with their orders Jared turned to his colleague, "I was talking with our chief yesterday and she thought it would be a good idea if we got together, I am a language specialist and she thought our two specializations would be a good match."

Athlen nodded deeply. "That seems very reasonable," he agreed, dipping his hand into a bowl of tortilla chips which slowly disappeared. "What linguistic focus do you have?" he asked, speaking in Standard himself. His own accent was subtle and made moreso by the calm way he spoke, but still there nonetheless, Vulcanoid in the elongated vowls and lower register.

"Well, thanks to a former Captain I am rather fluent in Romulan and to a slightly lesser extent Vulcan. I understand that Rigelian is similar to both those languages. Is that right?" he asked taking some of the chips himself.

Athlen tilted his head and shrugged. "We are an offshoot, so yes, our language resembles ancient Vulcan, as Romulan does as well," he agreed with a nod. He took his iced tea with another smile and cupped his hands around the glass. "We however are different, than Vulcans and Romulans. This difference, is very within our language as well. Rigelians are far more open than both," he explained before taking a drink. "So, it is much less rigid, so more like Lieutenant Liyar's language, because we kept the permissive intuitive aspects in, than Modern Imperial or Modern Golic. Your former captain was a Romulan?" he then asked, because that was plain curious.

"Vulcan actually, though he behaved more like a Romulan, he is actually a cousin of Liyar, but the two are opposites. Rhiell, was open, friendly, emotional, caring, protective and just a bit of a pirate, or perhaps privateer." He almost added handsome, but caught himself in time, at least from a verbal declaration.

Athlen had to grin. "Ah, I see you've met Liyar, then." The description of Liyar as the total opposite of friendly, emotional and caring made him shake his head in amusement. "Rhiell was v'tosh ka'tur, then," he determined, but without any of the accusatory subtext. Obviously Rhiell had found a way to subvert his nature. "Was he your mentor?"

"He was, very much a mentor. I would have preferred him to be more than that, but that was not to be. Still I consider him to be a good friend."

The Rigelian looked up while his chili was set down in front of him, well, whatever it was, chili was easier to say. "Well, I am sorry that it did not work out the way that you had hoped," he said sincerely.

"Thank you, but I think part of the problem is he still saw me as a child, someone that needed protection or at least someone he did not want to take advantage of. Unfortunately he did not consult me about his perceptions. Nonetheless that is water under the bridge. I have on occasion, how shall I say this, relieved my frustration, though that is probably far afield of what we should be talking about. Would you like to eat first and then talk, or talk and eat?"

Athlen dipped his spoon into the chili. "Talking and eating is fine with me." He thought to himself that he bet that didn't go over so well with the Vulcan. "So, what is it that you would like to talk about?" he asked, breaking off a piece of bread.

He scooped some rice and fish together. He had to force his thoughts back from some rather graphic images of he and the Rigelian that had nothing to do with a conversation to something safer. "Well I am a firm believer that language reflects or perhaps even shapes a society's culture. Would you agree with that?"

Athlen nodded. "I tend to think that language is a result of a society's inherent neurological bias. For instance, Modern Golic is very formal and very precise. Miri'kahr gotavlu is very informal, and very intuitive. One may or may not, one feels it out," he moved a hand back and forth. "It's an unusual language on Vulcan for that reason, the psionic component. Standard is also rather precise, but at the same time, it is exceptionally adaptable much like Terrans are. Rigelian languages are more open ended, personal," he placed a hand on his chest to signify himself. "Tlingit is very to the point," he put out a fist emphatically. "Imperial is intricate, subtle."

"I actually have a fondness for Imperial for that reason. But I would love for you to teach me Rigelian. I find it easier to learn a language by immersion."

"Immersion is the best way," Athlen said in agreement. "I would be happy to teach you."

"I would like that, and I wouldn't mind getting to know more on a personal level. If you would be open to that."

The Rigelian shrugged and ate some more of his meal. "Our first cultural lesson is clarity," he said with a smile. "As a Rigelian, I value bluntness. The words in our language reflect this quality as well. One unique difference between thrahal'Kan and Standard is that we don't use euphemisms. What exactly do you mean?"

"What I mean is, I think you are a really attractive and sexy looking man. And I wasn't being obtuse, or at least I wasn't trying to be. I meant exactly what I said. I want to know you on a personal not just professional level. Whether that is friends, dating or just sex. I'm open to any or all of those options."

Athlen nodded. "That is what I assumed," he said. "There are a couple of things against that, though. For one, I am bonded." He gestured to the Heran at his ear. "While this normally isn't an issue, it can be very disarming to some people to experience the bond during sex. Another is that we are both in Starfleet, and you're my superior officer," he said gently. "This falls under my oath as a Southern Rigelian in Starfleet, as something I'm not permitted to do." Clearly not bothered or awkward at all, Athlen munched on another tortilla. "I'd be very happy to be your friend, though. Do you know many people on board yet?"

"Oh I've met a number of people; the XO, the head of the department, the assistant head of the department, the Chief of Security and a nurse who gave me my medical. So far the only one I think I haven't pissed off or made myself an ass in front of has been the XO. I'm not exactly winning friends and influencing people. So yeah I could use a friend. As far as the sex goes the bonding bothers me more than Star Fleet regs, since as I read them, while technically your superior, I don't have direct authority over you, so I don't think that rule would apply. The bonding though, unless you are in an open relationship, would be an absolute no casual sex with me. I won't come between people. So maybe we should just start as friends and see what happens from there. Besides I am recovering from a sexually transmitted disease now I picked up on Risa. I couldn't do anything with you even if you wanted for another five days."

Athlen smiled. "The bond is open, or else I would not have mentioned it," he said lightly with a nod. "Which is what I mean. During sex, the bond is open, and you would experience Marivael's presence. Other Rigelians are much the same," he decided to turn it into a small teaching lesson, because he was Athlen, and a nerd. "There is also an aspect of mental bonding that occurs even with casual partners. It is one of the few psionic elements in our culture," he explained while eating another piece of bread. "As for the reg, it does apply to me. I follow an oath that is modified from yours." He was still uncertain of why sexual relations were forbidden between people in various dynamics of Starfleet at least to him, but not all races were as open as the Rigelians. He had been told that their mental health was vastly affected by it, that they placed significance on it beyond something that felt good, so he explained, "You are an officer and I am enlisted. We both work in the same department," he said regretfully. "Starfleet feels this is bad for working relationships. To avoid mishaps, I have limited myself to only civilian encounters and my bonded mate. I am sorry to hear about your status on board the ship so far, though. I think, that it is worth befriending you," he said at long last with another smile.

"Well I appreciate your devotion to duty and your oaths. And I am glad to have a friend. So tell me what things do you enjoy doing? Maybe something we would do together."

Athlen perked up. "Oh, all kinds of things! I planned on exploring the colony here, would you be interested in accompanying me?" he asked.

"Yeah exploring would be fun, I love to try new things."

"I'm glad," Athlen replied. "I have reservations at one of the museums here, I thought it'd be neat to learn about the history of the planet. Okay, so, I'm not very interesting," he offered wryly, "If you have a better idea I am all for it."

"No a museum would be fine. I kind of like that idea actually. Do they have a ballet or opera here?"

"I think they do." Athlen removed a slim PADD from his side pocket and scrolled down it using the buttons on this side. "Yes, it says here they do two shows a night, for Terran audiences. I assume that's what you're referring to? Ballet... an operatic performance," he read off. "La boheme, Giacomo Puccini, 1896," he butchered the pronunciation un-charmingly.

Jared gave him a wry grin, ignoring the misprounciation and not bothering to correct him. "That is a wonderful piece. Do we need to make reservations? I'll take care of the cost if there is any, especially if you can find us a nice Itailian style restaurant, or really any where the food is good and fresh and real."

Athlen rose the PADD in a salute. "Will do."

OFF:

Crewman Athlen
Sociologist, SCC
USS Galileo


Ensign Jared Nicholas
Language Specialist
USS Galileo

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