Assured Collision or Disorganized Grabass

Posted on Fri May 26th, 2017 @ 11:04pm by Chief Warrant Officer Daytona Ral & Akira Zhuri

Mission: Death is in the Details
Location: Corridor on the Hera
Timeline: Prior to Slingshot

Daytona walked through the corridors paying little attention to where he was walking. His direction sense was already acclimating to the Hera's layout so he was beginning to instinctively know where to go. That sense didn't account for other people, though, so really Daytona should have been looking where he was going. But no, he was mentally preparing a report he needed to write about an assignment he had recently completed, lost in his own head. As such, he didn't see the diminutive form of Akira Zhuri walking ahead of him. He was moving rather quickly, more quickly than her, and the right half of his body collided with her. To make matters worse, the natural swinging of his arms caused his right arm to swing forward and he essentially goosed her when that hand went straight up between the cheeks of her backside. He immediately apologized.

"I am so, so, sorry!" he said. "I should have been watching where I was going. Rest assured that I do not normally grope women I haven't met yet."

Akira froze when she felt a hand go where no hand had gone before. Oh my, that did feel... interesting... She knew from her father's memories that a matter of social decorum that hands generally were not supposed to find their way to such locations in public. She looked at the rambling Rigellian and attempted to gauge his sincerity, a talent which she'd had little opportunity to practice so she wasn't very good at it yet, so instead she chose to simply trust that he was truthful and assumed that this was indeed an accident.

"It's alright," Akira replied hesitantly. "I have been told that 'accidents will happen'. With any luck, you have learned from this and the chances of a repeat with be minimal."

Daytona thought this was an oddly phrased response. Almost Vulcan-like. The little...humanoid...whatever she was, didn't look Vulcan.

By the Prime Number I hope she's not a Vulcan-groupie! There is nothing in this universe more annoying than a Vulcan groupie!

"You have no idea how many times someone has said that to me...about things other than this I assure you," Daytona said. "I'm Daytona Ral. I'm newly arrived."

"Akira Zhuri, pleased to meet you," Akira said in response, offering a warm smile that would never grace the features of a Vulcan or a die-hard Vulcan-groupie. She took a few steps, then hesitantly looked back at him to see if he would continue walking as well; if they were bound for the same area, maybe they could talk for a while! Her head tilted curiously as her eyes fell on the grey of his uniform collar. "You are in Intelligence?" she asked.

Daytona happily fell into step with the young woman. She had a nice smile, and not just the one he'd inserted his hand into.

"What?" Daytona said. "Oh...that's right, yes. Sorry, I forgot I was wearing my 'let's announce to everyone in the galaxy that I'm a spy' shirt. Honestly, when I started in Intelligence over a century ago, they didn't even have a color code for Intelligence. We wore command gold, back when gold was command, when we were in uniform. I was hardly ever in uniform. I was part of the clandestine service. When they changed the command color to red, I wore red the few occasions that I had to wear a uniform. People just assumed I was an errand boy for some command officer or a yeoman or some NCO or later warrant from Strategic Operations. It made it easier for me to get around unnoticed. This is the first assignment where I've worn the black. But enough about me. You seem far more interesting. Are you in Operations or Engineering?"

"Yes, this is true, I am very special," Akira affirmed with an innocent cheerfulness. "I was designed for the Sciences, but I wanted to be an Engineer like my father, so Operations seemed to make the most sense."

I'm starting to agree with you, Miss Akira Zhuri. You do seem...special. I just can't put my finger on why...that shining smile is really captivating...

"Was your father a Starfleet engineer?" Daytona asked. "Or was he a civilian?"

"My father was Starfleet," Akira confirmed with a gentle nod, shyly tucking a lock of her dark silky locks behind her ear, revealing just a hint of Trill-like spots down the side of her neck, but none on her face which was a lovely shade of Bolian blue. "He was lost when the Katana's systems went critical, I miss him very much," she admitted.

Poor girl. Let's see...blue skin, dark hair, and...spots? She must be some kind of interspecies love child.
Quite exotic and quite lovely.

"I'm very sorry to hear about your father..." Daytona said. "Wait...the Katana? This just happened then? I am very sorry for your loss, Akira Zhuri, truly."

The Katana...who in the name of the Prime Number was her engineer? Why would I even know...wait...Zhuri...Chief Engineer of the Katana...I read something about him...I think...Oh by the Prime Number, you're an idiot. You've spent most of your life making your living by remembering things and look at yourself now! Gone all vacuum-headed over a pretty girl...a very pretty girl...

"Thank you for your kind words, Daytona Ral," she said, replying in the same 'polite' manner he did. "I am still acclimating to his loss, even though he is always with me," she said in a somber tone, then smiled brightly as she attempted to change the subject. "So what is it like working in Intelligence?"

"Challenging," Daytona said. "Sometimes rewarding, other times boring. When I first started, back in the 2260s, I was assigned to my home system. I hadn't been there except to pass through for about a century. I spent a lot of time there keeping an eye on the Orions, the Klingons, the Romulans, even my own people to a certain extent. My own world wasn't a Federation member yet, you see. There was even a human colony on Rigel IV that hadn't joined the Federation yet. I created a cover for myself as an in-system trader, traveling among the inhabited planets in the Rigel System, trading goods and sometimes services. It gave me the opportunity to observe quite a bit. Legitimate businesses, Orion Caju, Orion Syndicate, the crumbling Orion 'Empire' to use the term loosely. Visiting ships from all over the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. Hard-working, honest people, pirates, cutthroats, slavers, gamblers, various and sundry other criminals. It was actually a lot more fun than when I was an intelligence operative for the government of Rigel V. Later I worked around the Romulan Neutral Zone and even crossed it frequently, posing as a Romulan. I served with covert operations in the Cardassian Border Wars, the Federation-Klingon War, and the Dominion War. Since then I've been doing what you might call 'odd jobs' for Starfleet Intelligence. I've had a lot of different jobs in my life: monk, soldier, intelligence operative for the government of Rigel V, policeman, mercenary, merchant spacer. It all led me to a career with SFI. I've held this job longer than any other and I think I'm going to hang on to it for quite a while longer."

Well, you idiot, now that you've come off like a pompous, self-absorbed, narcissistic, son of a bitch, what will you do for your next trick?

"Listen to me, rambling on," Daytona said. "You asked me what it was like being in Intelligence, not for the abridged version of the last four hundred years of my life! Please, tell me more about you, your likes, dislikes, tell me anything you'd like!"

"Amazing! That sounds so fascinating!" Akira replied with unconcealed enthusiasm. "And four hundred years! The likes and dislikes for one as young as I must be quite boring compared to the likes of you."

Now don't go and get a swelled head...well, Akira is very attractive, so that ship has already sailed. How old is she, anyway? If she were a terran I'd say late teens to early twenties, but who knows what DNA's she's got? And don't go all 'handsome brooding ancient guy' here. Be genuine.

"I have seen a lot," Daytona said. "And done a lot, and had a lot done to me. I've also outlived many friends and colleagues. Some I've see grow old and die, others I simply moved on from, either because I couldn't bare to see them die or because it was just time for me to move on. The hardest thing about having a ridiculously long lifespan is keeping your horizons broad."

What kind of emo bullshit was that???

"My father is...was vulcanoid rigelian," Daytona continued. "So I would have had a lifespan of around 250 years anyway, but my mother is el-aurian. She stayed with my father and their other spouses until he passed, and then she said goodbye and moved on. I was raised as a vulcanoid rigelian, not an el-aurian, but my mother sometimes told me stories, taught me things, explained that I would live a very long time and that I would likely outlive friends, family, and loved ones, but that if I stayed the course or maybe stayed in the game is a better phrase, the universe would show me its wonders. She also said that the greatest wonders I'd every encounter were the people with whom I passed the time. Which brings us back to you, Akira Zhuri...I like saying your name...Akira Zhuri...ahem...anyway...may I ask you a somewhat personal question?"

"Thank you! I rather like my name as well," Akira said with a giggle. "And you may ask, if you wish."

"I can't figure out what species you are," Daytona said. "Not that it matters, of course, but I'm curious. The spots look almost Trill. Some people might call that hair of yours terran or bajoran or betazoid even, but I spent most of my life around Orions and I'd call that hair Orion if I was pressed. The blue skin though...Andorian? Bolian? Something else? Or am I totally wrong and you're not a hybrid but rather a species I've never encountered?"

"Oh, I am a hologram, but my physical appearance is somewhat based on my father's who was half Trill and half Bolian. I am still in the process of refining my appearance; I'm having a hard time deciding what I like and what I do not like, which makes even the smallest decision a challenge," Akira replied. "One of my maternal contributors is an android based on Orion designs, so maybe that is why my hair looks like Orion hair? But if this is the case it was completely unintentional; when I chose a female form, I simply took Father's hair and made it longer."

Daytona blinked, then blinked again.

"Zhuri..." he said. "I am an idiot. A complete idiot. Your father was the sentient holographic XO of the Katana! Arivek Zhuri! I remember reading about him in news article...Federation News Service or something like that. I was sitting in an admiral's outer office waiting for him to call me in and it was on the front page. 'Holographic Officer Makes XO!' Oh, I feel so stupid. Well, to be fair, I was distracted by a beautiful woman...that's you, in case that was unclear. So, wait, you're his...daughter? How did that happen? Who was your mother? Another hologram, I assume. Sorry. Babbling. I have to say, you are a very convincing hologram. You certainly felt real...er...maybe that wasn't the best choice of words..."

Get it together, jackass!

"Akira Zhuri," he said. "I would love to know anything you want to tell me about how you came to be, but if you'd rather talk about something else, if it is too close to the loss of your father, we can talk about something else. I've actually forgotten where I was headed so I am now at your disposal."

"No, he was not a sentient hologram, he was alive," Akira asserted firmly. "He was once a real living breathing person and at the moment of his death his father transferred his consciousness into a holo-matrix. Even as a hologram, he was more than just a mere sentient AI, he was a real person. As am I; I may not have had an organic origin like my father, but I've been told I have a spark of true living sentience, I'm a real person, I'm not just pretty matrix here for people's amusement." She was clearly not happy with his level of exuberance.

"Wait..." Daytona said, genuinely contrite. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you. I didn't know that about your father, that he was once flesh and blood. Not that it makes a difference. I never met your father, but if I had, I would have treated him with the same respect I would have shown to any officer, photonic or flesh and blood. I don't think of you as a matrix here for anyone's amusement. I think of you as an attractive young woman I'd like to get to know better. I'm hoping you'll give me a chance to do that."

"Okay," Akira said warily, then resumed her trek. "One of my mothers is an android named Maica. She was once a holosuite program, but she evolved. And my other mother is Andrea Carter and she is the one who ultimately made my creation possible. She made Mother Maica's android body, and in the process left behind a number of back-ups in Katana's system that contributed to my creation. Mother Maica is serving as the Commanding Officer of the USS Merlin and Mother Andy is there as a research detachment from the Daystrom Institute; Father and both of my Mothers originated from a parallel reality, and Mother Andy's knowledge on Borg and cybernetics are helping to advance technological developments in this reality." She was sharing, but her words lacked the same warmth from earlier. She didn't know why she got so irritated when Daytona talked about her family as he did, but she suspected that the reaction had not been her own, but rather a residual response from Ari when she absorbed his data; he had been quite sensitive about the nature of his existence.

That's it, she hates me.

"What was your father like?" Daytona asked. "As I said, I never met him, but to venture out, dependent on holoprojectors for your physical form, on computers to hold your consciousness...that strikes me as very brave."

"He was a very private person, even before his life as a hologram, but that change made him even more introverted, but when he did make friends he was very loyal," Akira answered, then paused to give the matter some more thought. "I don't think he ever saw himself as brave; if anything, it was the opposite, because he ran away from his family, he couldn't believe what his own father had done to him. It took him a long time to come to terms with what happened, and by then he was in another reality so he wasn't able to make amends. He always regretted that."

"I think I can understand that," Daytona said. "In my experience it often takes distance to gain perspective. Sometimes the larger or more contentious the conflict, particularly between parents and children, the greater the distance."

Daytona cleared his throat.

"I don't normally ask women their age," he said. Unless I'm worried they are not legally able to consent in the society I'm in at the time. "But I'm curious. How old are you?"

Daytona didn't ask 'how long ago were you created' because that would 'de-humanize' her for lack of better world. It was important to him that Akira understand he viewed her as a living being and not a simple hologram.

"I am just a little over four months old," Akira said, smiling meekly. "I am still learning basic interactions and day to day functions, but there is a great deal I still do not understand, so I apologize if that is off-putting. When I first came to awareness, I was quite terrible at conversation, but I like to think that I am getting better with every person I interact with."

Daytona smiled warmly at Akira.

"I think you're doing just fine," Daytona said. "Certainly better than any other four month old I've encountered. I'd interact with you anytime."

Wow. Really? I'd interact with you anytime? Really? I suppose I shouldn't be too hard on myself. It's an honest answer. I would 'interact' with you anytime, Akira Zhuri.

Daytona cleared his throat...again.

"Uhm...speaking of interacting," he said. "Would you like to...take a walk with me sometime in the ship's arboretum? Or do something on the holodeck together?"

"I think I would enjoy that," Akira replied, warmth returning to her smile. "When my father's matrix failed, I took in the remnants of his memories and experiences; it's helped me to understand concepts that would otherwise take me months or even years to understand, but I've also developed a fondness for the peace and tranquility of the Arboretum. I often find myself going there to read as my father once did."

Daytona grinned.

Success!

"Great," he said. "Are you free tomorrow? When you're done for the day?"

"I'll have preparations to make for the Slingshot, but I can make some time tonight," Akira offered in return.

"Excellent," he said. "Shall I come by your quarters and pick you up?"

"If you would like, or I can meet you there," Akira offered in return, not really understanding that the shared walk to the Arboretum was actually part of the date.

Daytona suppressed a chuckle.

Akira is definitely showing her age...or lack there of! I wonder if she even considers this evening a date? Does she even know what a date is? Well, honestly, it's not like she has to go back to her quarters to change first. First woman I've been on a date with that will take less time than me getting ready. At some point I'm going to have to find a balance between treating her like everyone else and acknowledging her differences. Like not needing to have her clunky flesh and blood gentleman caller pick her up, since she can dematerialize at work and rematerialize at the arboretum with greater ease. On the other hand, it's not like she's going to wear herself out walking...

"I'll pick you up," he said, deciding at last. "And we can walk to the Arboretum together. I could use the exercise."

"But I do not require you to carry me," Akira said with confusion.

Daytona laughed.

"No," he said. "It's a figure of speech. I mean I'll come to your quarters when we're off and we can walk to the arboretum together."

"A figure of- oh! Yes, I know what those are!" Akira said with excitement. "I apologize, I forget about such expressions sometimes. I will wait for you at my quarters," she affirmed with a smile. She finally stopped walking, having reached her destination of the Cargo Bay. "I must go to work now."

"Of course," Daytona said. "I'll see you soon."

YES!