STAR TREK: EQUESTRIA

by Alicorne


Chapter Thirteen- A Reunion...Kinda

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

A REUNION…KINDA

The curio took up residence on a stand next to the door to our cabin and was promptly forgotten when the ship put in to Starbase Two that evening.
Shore Leave was authorized for the few days we’d be there. I elected to stay on board though I did promise Sunny that we’d take in dinner and some shopping on the last day. Heck, we’d hardly been on board long enough to need a change of scenery. Sunny agreed with me content just to be where I was, bless her heart! “Wait till we’ve been in here a year or so.” I warned her. “You’ll be begging for a spacewalk! I promise not to turn down the next Shore Leave no matter where it is, fair enough?”
“’Tis a date then!” She said breezily. “Speakin’ o’ yon, ye’d best put a wiggle in it if we’re no goin’ t’ be late.”
“I wasn’t the one who had to style her mane.” I pointed out delicately, tactfully omitting her insistence on getting her wings preened, too. “Sheesh! It’s not like we’re meeting the Federation President.”
She slipped the bangle she’d chosen from her collection over her horn and tilted her head this way and that, admiring the polished gold and little sapphires in front of the mirror.
“Fiffle!” She admonished. “No reason not to put our best hoof forward, isn’t it? We dinna want these Science-types t’ think we’re a lot o’ barbarians in Starfleet, now don’t we?” She touched up a few stray curls that dared to almost deviate from perfection. …Alicorns!
“They’re civilian scientists, Sunny! Like as not they’ll have eyes just for our equipment.” I chided.
“Precisely!” She declared. “N’ I want t’ make sure all me equipment is in top-notch order!” She snerkled and fluttered me a wink. I gave her tail a yank.
“Steady on! Took me th’ better part o’ an hour t’ comb that out!”
“I know, I was here all the time! And I hardly think a Vulcan is going to interested in your, uh, personal equipment anyway.” I loomed over her shoulder and patted my own mane into place before giving her lovely neck a nibbling smooch that made her giggle like a filly. Then I gave her bottom a swat. “’Sides! I thought I had first dibs on your ‘equipment‘!”
Sunny gave me a full dose of reflected megawattage from her eyes as she dimpled. “Just keepin’ ye on yer hooves, Dear!”
“But he’s a Tellarite, for goodness sake!”
She turned and bopped the end of my muzzle with a finger. “Oh dinna be such a bigot! Sure an’ they can’t all be that bad! An’ ye bein’ a Starfleet officer!” She tsked.
“It’s not bigotry.” I insisted. “It’s bitter personal experience. I was stationed with Tellarites for two years, don’t forget.” I held my hooves up in surrender. “For your sake I hope I’m wrong! Just let’s not be late, okay? Why push our luck?”
Sunny, ever the optimist, gave me a peck on the cheek. “Stuff n’ nonsense! It is th’ twenty-bloody-third century, Starry! Now come along n’ quit dawdlin’!” She waited for me to offer her an arm and we left.
The nearest transporter station was two decks down and I kept us to a brisk pace until we got there. The transporter tech, a blue and orange Unicorn in a red jumpsuit was going over his board as the doors parted with a subdued whoosh. He nodded, smiling to both of us.
“Commander, Doctor. Starbase Two just signaled that they’re ready to teleport.” Being a Federation Starbase they had plenty of Unicorn arcano-techs around so, naturally, they’d opted to use a teleport spell rather than the beam transporter system. I nodded to him.
“Very good, Mr. … Puzzle, is it?”
The young buck blinked, obviously surprised. I made it a point to try to remember all the crew’s names. After all, we all depend on each other, right?
“Yes, Ma’am! Gee! We’ve hardly met for more than a minute days ago. I’m surprised you remembered.” He fumbled for a moment, suddenly realizing he was talking with a superior officer. I waved away his embarrassment.
“Don’t worry about it. We’re all crew here, right? Is this your first deep-space posting?”
“Yes, Ma’am. It’s an exciting job.”
“Let’s hope it doesn’t get too exciting!” I offered him a knowing smile before getting back to business. “Who do we have coming up?”
Puzzle consulted his display. “A Mister Sekkack of the Vulcan Science Academy and a Mister Bors Bogan of the Science Ministry of The Unified Families of Tellar.” He recited, looking up as I flinched.
For my smile froze as a shiver went up my spine when I heard the Tellarites name.
“That name rings a bell, doncha know?” Sunny mused. “I seem t’ recall that Merry was tellin’ me that there was a Tellar fellow by that name back when ye were here durin’ th’ War…”
“Can’t be the same person.” I cut her off, shaking myself. “The Bors Bogan I knew was a glorified shipping Forepony, er, foreperson! A bureaucrat, not a scientist. The name is pure coincidence. Lotsa Bogans on Tellar.” I tried to sound confident but I suddenly taken with a sense of foreboding. I drew myself up and gave Puzzle a wan smile. “Spell them aboard, Mr. Puzzle. Cast away!”
“I should hope ‘tis another Bogan!” Sunny chuckled. “Did ye no stuff that other laddie in cargo container when he got a wee boisterous? Ye’d make a grand sort o’ Diplomat, wouldn’t ye?”
I shushed her and came to attention as Puzzle concentrated on the spell. Teleportation is basically instantaneous. In situations like this, teleporting from surface-to-ship, two unicorns cast the spell simultaneously after making magical contact with one another. One ‘transmits’ while the other ‘receives’. Otherwise the Unicorn on the surface would have to guess where exactly to deposit his charges. Magic, for all its advantages, has its limitations.
An orange aura built up around the transporter platform as Puzzle cast his half of the spell. Within it there arose a dark blue glow. (The Unicorn down below having, apparently, a dark blue or violet horn. Hard to be sure, it being seen through an orange filter as it were.) Hardly more than a pinpoint at first, it expanded almost instantly until it touched Puzzle’s glow whereupon both fields collapsed in a two-toned flash of magical luminescence. Two figures stood on the platform, one blinking away the afterimage and the other gazing serenely about him.
Puzzle toggled his communicator. “Hermes confirms successful spellcast, Starbase Two.”
“Copy that, Hermes. Starbase Two out.” The voice of the unknown Unicorn from below signed off as I put my best professional face on for our two guests.
The Vulcan, an aged and frankly portly Sehlat (As opposed to the reptilian Le-Matya that comprised Vulcans’ other intelligent species.) wore various shades of brown and pale orange under a long tan cloak. His eyes were mild brown, his fur just a few shades darker. His ears were round and comparatively tiny in relation to the size of his head, a biological adaptation to the hot, dry climate of his homeworld no doubt. Back in my youth (Was it really only ten years ago?) I once had a Vulcan described to me by a Terrestrial Trader Pony as looking like a ‘Teddy Bear’. …On Vulcan, though, the Teddy Bears have six-inch fangs! He inclined his head gravely in my direction. I maintained a respectfully neutral expression since only a real derp would smile at a Vulcan!
The Mare on my minds Bridge facehoofed as she noticed Sunny treating him to her trademark smile complete with the full effect of both lovely, lavender eyes! Sheesh! How could you be in Starfleet and not know anything about Vulcans? Still, I mentally chuckled when I realized that this was one person who wouldn’t notice her ‘equipment’!
He did notice her, to give him his due. His gaze went from me and lingered on Sunny for perhaps a whole second. Maybe he felt something from those eyes… (Again, Starfleet should really look into that Alicorn Effect!) He didn’t smile, of course, …but his head did cant slightly to one side for just a moment and I caught a glimpse of something I couldn’t identify. Amusement? Appreciation? It was gone in an instant as he came closer.
“Greetings, Commander. I am Sekkack, son of Serik. Peace and Long Life.” He raised his left hand and made a vee by splaying the his ring and middle finger in the Vulcan version of a greeting hoofshake.
I’d tried to copy the gesture before and never could get it right so, rather than make a mockery of the gesture, I gave him a courteous half-bow.
“Welcome aboard the Hermes, Doctor Sekkack. I am Commander Starry-Eyes. Science Officer and First Officer for this voyage. I look forward to working with you. Your reputation in Cosmology precedes you.” The Vulcan inclined his head modestly at the compliment. I turned, indicating Sunny. “And this is my wife, Doctor Solar Cross. She’s our Chief Medical Officer.”
Sunny put a hoof out and I cringed inwardly. “How d’ye do, Doctor? This is a treat! I’ve never met a laddie from Vulcan before. I hope ye enjoy your stay on the Hermes.”
To my surprise, Sekkack grasped Sunny’s hoof, he obviously had experience dealing with the protocols of alien culture, though he did give a minute quirk of an eyebrow at her speech.
“I am quite well, thank you. I am sure my stay here will be very productive.” He paused for a moment, tilting his head ever-so-slightly. “I have never had the occasion to make the acquaintance of a member of your sub-species before. Alicorns are a comparative minority of Earth’s population.”
“Oh, aye! Well we like t’ think we make up for in quality what we lack in quantity, doncha know?” Sunny chuckled and treated him to a dazzling smile. Inwardly, again, I facehoofed.
“Indeed?” Sekkack intoned. “Perhaps we may meet later on and discuss some of the particulars regarding our cultures. I would find that most interesting. You and your spouse are representative of two fascinating cases of cultural development. For now, though, He swept one arm out gracefully to indicate the Tellarite. “… May I introduce my colleague, Mr. Bors Bogan of the Ministry of Science on Tellar.”
I’d intentionally been avoiding looking that way because I was suddenly taken by a feeling that the Universe was going to take it out on me today. Now I had no choice. With a resolutely calm and benign expression I turned my gaze squarely to Sekkack’s companion. The Mare in my head raised the shields and went to Yellow Alert…
The figure on the transporter platform was as short as I remembered, but several inches wider in circumference and was stuffed into a pale mauve outfit trimmed in equally pale yellow of some shiny synthetic. The red-gold fur was tinged in grey now… Tellarites age faster that Ponies… and was getting just a little bit thin on top. The scowl on his short, frankly porcine muzzle was sickeningly familiar, though, and those beady, close set eyes glared at me balefully. Yep, Not. My. Day.
My polite greeting never made it out of the hangar…
“Where is the Captain?” Bogan demanded in that hectoring, reedy voice I remembered so well. “How is it that such important and prestigious guests are met by mere subordinates?” He locked me with a defiant gaze.
I spent a fraction of a second utilizing a few mental disciplines to will myself calm before answering. “Welcome aboard, Mr. Bogan…”
Doctor Bogan!” He corrected me with an added layer of glare. “I am a scientist now and will be treated with the proper respect.” His eyes dared me to say something, just anything, wrong. I backtracked and started again.
“Welcome aboard Hermes, Doctor Bogan. Captain Caper was not able to come because of events connected to an unfortunate encounter we had shortly before our arrival. He has asked me to apologize for his absence,” I lied. “And to extend to you both our best hospitality.” I smiled a thin, artificial smile. “May I introduce my wife and Chief Medical Officer, So-”
“Yes, yes! I heard already!” He made an impatient gesture, sparing Sunny not even a glance. I wondered if he would still fit into a cargo container… and how much fun it would be to find out!
Sunny, bless her heart, stepped right up and extended her hoof again. “Oh, aye! Well what can ye expect from a lot o’ soldiers, after all? Pleased t’ meet ye, Good Doctor Bogan, n’ welcome aboard!”
Maybe she was a little concerned because her eyes had no apparent effect on the Vulcan. It seemed to me, though, that she put everything she had into the dazzling smile she offered the Tellarite…
Bogan finally spared her a glance… and stalled in mid-rant! The blustering bureaucrat-turned-scientist blinked rapidly several times. Slowly, his scowl receded. His thick eyebrows drew apart gradually and an unrecognizable, utterly alien expression crept onto his face. Sweet Solar-Flaring Celestia… he was actually smiling!
He took the proffered hoof in one three-fingered hand and patted it gingerly with the other. For an instant I swore he was actually going to kiss it! Instead, though, he gave a peculiar sort of cringing bow before addressing my beloved.
“Thank you, Doctor Cross. Yes one must make allowances, mustn’t one? How wonderful to see that not all Starfleet personnel are barbarians!” He shot me a very brief, annoyed glance.
“Oh ye dinna ken th’ half o’ it!” Sunny said airily. “We must compare notes some time! Right now, though, I ken ye’ll be wantin’ t’ see your staterooms n’ get settled in before dinner. They’re just along this way on deck three. All th’ comforts o’ home in deep space!” She began leading the Tellarite toward the door, tossing me a triumphant look as she passed.
Bogan was, frankly, entranced. “What a delightful accent you have, Doctor Cross. I don’t believe I can place it… “ The doors swooshed shut as they passed through leaving the rest of us stunned.
Puzzle was staring with his mouth open. He shut it quickly and made a show of being busy with his board. I looked to Sekkack to find him staring at the doors with slightly widened eyes… the Vulcan analog of slack-jawed amazement, it would seem. From his posture it seemed to me as if he was getting ready to speak, no doubt to put some Vulcan oil on the troubled waters. Something, I had no doubt, he’d had to do all too often working with Bogan. Sunny, it seems, had caught him flat-pawed.
Before I could look away he darted a glance at me. He looked away quickly, drawing a deep breath and serenely tucking his paws into the cuffs of his sleeves. If it were anypony else I would say he was embarrassed. When he looked back he seemed to be ready to ask a question about what just happened. I saved him the trouble.
“Alicorns!” I shrugged and gestured him to the door.
Sekkack digested that for a fraction of a second and nodded thoughtfully.
“Fascinating.”