All of these lovely beings belong to the entity known
as Paramount/Viacom. I just like to
dress them up funny. Any and all feeback is enthusiastically requested.
This is rated R.
Blast from the Past
By Trekki
The
raucous laughter of students erupted through the
The
young Vulcan stared about disapprovingly.
This sort of behavior would not be tolerated in his circles. Not one bit.
Twelve
hours ago, he had been quite impressed with the Vancouver Institute of
Technology. Unfortunately, since the last grades had been posted eleven hours
ago, the normally studious student body had metamorphased
into drunken idiots. Terrans,
he thought. He would never understand
them.
Actually,
he had never felt so Vulcan before in his life.
VIT had an eighty-nine percent human population, but as far as he had
seen this evening, he was the only Vulcan.
He
sighed at his own irrationality. The
fact that there were no other Vulcans present was the true reason for attending
the seminar. Dr. Z'yth'ka's
newest findings in quantum theory were ground breaking, and the application
to warp engines could change the face of interstellar exploration
exponentially. However, he could have stayed
home and bought the taped version instead of frivolously spending his ever
dwindling resources on a round trip ticket.
The travel time from Vulcan to Earth was significantly longer than the
seminar's duration.
He
wanted to explore the galaxy, to taste forbidden fruit, to drink strange water. His father's
cold voice rang in his ears, "The Vulcan Science Academy. *That* is your only choice. The matter is not open for discussion."
At
the moment of his refusal to conform, he was no longer son and heir to his
family's vast estates. He was now the
son living in the room above the flitter containment unit. He supposed it could have been worse, his parents could have made him move into the
subterranean storage area.
He
strongly suspected they were disinheriting him at that very moment. Perhaps
being disinherited and dishonored were not the worst things after all, he mused
as his mood unexpectedly lifted. His
sudden loss of wealth and status could have instantly made him an unsuitable bondmate for she-who-would-be-his-wife.
That
is what Terrans would refer to as the "cloud
with a silver lining". A near smile
crossed his face as he contemplated being able to select his own life
partner. Someone who would complete the
empty parts in his katra, not just endure him once every seven years for the
sake of propagation. He wanted,
no--needed, someone with their own ideas and values. The thought of being paired with a woman who
was only interested in fulfilling her role in Vulcan society, doing only what
was expected and required of her, sickened him. Their joining would be an empty
charade that would suffocate him, until he became as robotic and lifeless as
she.
Angry
voices interrupted his reverie as he saw a young couple stagger around the
corner of a nearby building. Obviously
intoxicated, the young male began to tug on the female's arm.
"Chris..", he whined drunkenly. "I'm sorry. She doesn't mean anything to me. I was really, really, really, drunk at S'yeff's party. I
wouldn't have slept with her, forget it," he interrupted himself, "I
wouldn't have even *talked* to her if I was sober. Honest."
With the last plea, the male's lower lip protruded as his eyes looked
upwards in faux earnestness.
"Fuck
off!", the female exclaimed as she whirled around
towards him. Jabbing him in the chest with her forefinger she advanced. "You pathetic shit head! I have wanted to dump your sorry ass for
nearly two weeks! I was going to wait
until after finals and your birthday tomorrow..." she broke off, looking at the large
clock tower which dominated the campus skyline, "Or should I say
today! Happy fucking
Birthday, asshole!"
With
that final expletive, she turned and ran smack-dab into two hundred pounds of
solid Vulcan. As he helped her off the
ground, the Vulcan road block couldn't help staring into her simultaneously
blue and red eyes.
Fascinating
colors in these people, he thought.
"Take
a holo-vid, butt head, it lasts longer!", she snarled as
she started to wobble away unsteadily.
"My
name is not Butt Head, it is S-", he started.
"Tell
it to someone who gives a crap!"
"Why
would I desire to converse with someone who was handing me..."
"Never mind! It's just an
expression." She glanced at him
speculatively. "Don't you have
anything better to do than spy on people having private
conversations?"
"I
was not spying,"
he replied haughtily, "and at the volume of communication at
which you were engaging, you could hardly consider your conversation
private. I noticed your disagreement,
and was on my way to see if you were in physical danger."
"The
only one in any physical danger was Mr. Happy Pants back there. I held off for weeks breaking up with him,
because I would feel like a bitch dumping him right before his birthday. Then, I find out he's hooked up with at least
two other girls behind my back."
She stopped her angry stride as she looked into his eyes, tears
threatening to spill down her cheeks.
"I was trying to be a decent person, and I got screwed over. It's not fair."
He
looked at he with puzzled eyes. "But, if you wanted him to screw you,
why did you terminate your relationship with him? Is that not counter
productive to your agenda?"
A
sound halfway between a hiccup and a snort assaulted his ears. The strange female then threw back her blue
(?) tressed head and laughed maniacally.
Strange,
he thought. How marvelous it must be to
gleefully release the emotions that others felt it necessary to squelch. Surely it serves no logical
purpose, yet she looks so pleased.
"You!" She gasped, her laughter
subsiding. "You, my friend are a
hoot!" As he was about to question
the topical relevance of nocturnal birds of prey, she continued. "Listen, I know you come from a desert
planet and are probably freezing your ass off.
What's say we go to that really loud party up the street and have a few
drinks?"
"I
do not consume alcohol. Besides,"
he added, noting her dilated pupils, "have you
not consumed enough?"
"My
dear green blooded friend, yours truly is sporting the mildest of buzzes. I will have you know that I was far more
inebriated than this when I earned the highest grade *ever* on the standard
Advanced Xeno-Biology Exam."
"I
shudder to think what the learning curve is here," he remarked dryly.
Chris
drew herself up to her full five feet and ten inches, and found she still had
to look up at the Vulcan. Shit, she
thought inwardly. A prime
intimidation move wasted. Puffing her chest
out with mock-pomposity, she intoned, "The Vancouver Institute of
Technology has been the university of choice of many
high ranking Federation Officials. VIT's alumni lists contain four former presidents, six
Federation Chief Justices, and the guy that started "Durath's
Big & Tall Shops. Let's see the
His
face darkened momentarily. "What
makes you believe I attend the
"Oh,
shit." I apologize. That was really tacky of me. I shouldn't assume things like that. Just because your Vulcan does not mean that
you have to attend the
"I
wish you had been there when I was debating that issue with my father. Perhaps
coming from you, the concept wouldn't have seemed so illogical."
"Ok,
any time I'm needed to be the voice of reason, you know that the situation is
dire at best." she laughed.
"Wait a minute, " she turned and
walked backwards to look at him.
"You had the opportunity to go the
"My
family wanted me to go, but I feel that my future lies elsewhere".
"You
had the opportunity to attend the premiere institute of learning in the freakin' universe and you said *no*! Are you nuts?"
"It
would not be right for me to attend. It
would be wrong for me to usurp the place of a student who genuinely wished to
be there." He stopped and stared
deeply into her blue eyes. "Do you
think I should put my family's status above someone's right to the education
they had earned?"
She
looked at him ruefully and replied, "No I don't. I respect the fact that you took a
stand. It takes a lot of courage to
stand up to family pressure.
Believe
me, I know. By the way, what I said
earlier really wasn't me. I guess I'm
channeling for my sister. I guess once I
start dressing like my mother
and
driving like my grandmother the dark transition will be complete." Chris looked into the stars and laughed
bitterly. "Family: can't live with them, but
it's hard to climb out of the gene pool."
They
walked in heavy silence for a few moments.
"Regarding
your earlier offer," he intoned, "I am really not interested in
attending the party. I seem to have
reached my tolerance level for intoxicated
students."
"I'll
do you a favor and not take that personally.
I'm really not up for it either.
Everyone will either demand a replay of the break up you were lucky
enough to witness, or be at that pathetic, maudlin *We'll never see each other
after graduation* group hug scenario.
And," she added, kicking a pebble with much more force than
necessary, "since I'm three credits short and will *not* graduate with
them next week, I will be the weepy-est one of the
bunch."
"You
are behind academically?", he asked in a
horrified (for a Vulcan) voice as his left eyebrow arched skyward.
"Relax. There's still a good chance I won't end up a
serial killer."
"I
see no need for sarcasm. My culture
places a high value on education and intellectual improvement."
"Yeah,
and my culture invented the bumper car.
Hate to burst your bubble, Sparky, but the reason I will graduate next
semester is not due to failure. I took
some time off during my first semester, and I've had to play catch up ever
since."
"Why
did you not wait until after you secured your degree to pursue other
interests?" he queried.
She
looked down at the ground as they continued walking. "Long story. It
was something I needed to do at the time.
We're here." she announced abruptly as they approached a gray building of
late 21rst century design.
"We
are where?"
"My dorm."
"It
was very enlightening talking with y..."
"Why
don't you come in?" she offered, momentarily shy. "I mean, I really like talking to you
and, she added as she leaned her back against the door, "just because we've reached the destination doesn't mean that
the journey's over..."
He
stared blankly at her until his mind clicked back into gear. "I too, am enjoying this conversation.
You have ...unique viewpoints which intrigue me."
Once
inside the building, Chris led him up a dim, steep staircase. VIT had not changed much since it's inception
in the late 21rst century. Replicators were not available in dorms, and the elevator
was restricted to students with disabilitities. The whole campus had a post-Eugenics air that
he found quite
appealing.
As
he looked toward the antiquted skylights, his view
was obstructed by Chris's leather-clad backside. Not that he was complaining. Not at all. His gaze traveled upwards, past the waistaband of her tight pants, over the pale skin exposed by
her halter top. He got a quick glimpse
of a design on her right shoulder blad before it was obscurred by her indigo mane of hair.
His
hand reached out to sweep away her hair when he froze. What in the name of Surak
was he doing? Why was he entering a
strange building with a very strange young woman he just met twenty minutes
ago? What would his family say? What would his bondmate-to-be
say? How much further away was her room?
Noticing
his hesitation, she turned and asked, "Are you coming, or what?"
"I
am com-, uh...I am walking up the stairs behind
you."
As
they reached the fourth floor, Chris turned he back and keyed her PIN into the
door lock. Politely averting his eyes,
he took in the nuances of the dim corridor.
The multitude of aromas nearly overwhelmed him. Beer, stale food, male and female musk, and
Andorian s'Kreffi were all present in large
quantities. There was also a pungent,
smoky smell he could not identify.
"Voila!"
she chirped as the door opened and she led him into an even darker room. She turned on the lights. He almost wished she hadn't. He now
understood the human saying, "Ignorance is bliss". Clothes, holo vids, and empty bottles littered the floor. The scents he previously believed were in the
hallway were actually emanating from her room and were a hundred times more
intense.
Seeing
his rapidly wrinkling nose, she slyly smiled at him and said, "OK, you've
figured it out. My roommate and I are
less than tidy."
"Less
than tidy?" he echoed in disbelief.
"I am simply amazed that your planet apparently has no
environmental protection services.
Shocking,
considering how technologically advanced your people are. Were you not boasting earlier about your
universally acclaimed "bumper cars"?
"Sarcasm
becomes you. Really. Don't let the taunts of others convince you
otherwise." Shaking her head, she
looked at him ruefully. "What did
you expect? I was still studying for my
final at 11am. This room hasn't been
cleaned in weeks. I can't even remember
the last time I did my laundry."
"The
clothes you are wearing seem to be fresh."
He said, looking at her appraisingly until he caught himself and looked
away.
"What's
the old saying?" she mused, "It's not a problem when you don't have
clean underwear, it's a problem when your roommate doesn't have clean
underwear."
"You
have just given me far too much information."
"You'll
live. Now, the way I see it", she
said as she began cramming everything on the floor under a twin bed at the far
end of the room, "out of sight, out of mind." Once it's under Larry's bed, it's his
problem. Only fair when you consider that the majority of the beer bottles in
the room belong to him."
"There,"
she said as she stood up and brushed herself off. "Much better, wouldn't you say?"
"The
room is still rather pungent," he said as good manners gave way to basic
survival.
"Whine, whine, whine. Here, help
me with these," as she indicated the two windows.
"Your
windows open?" he said incredulously.
"I assumed the building was climate controlled."
"It
is. but there's
nothing like fresh air, especially when yur roommate
likes to...indulge. There are some
scented candles in the drawer to your
left. They should help de-stinkify the room for you."
She
looked up to see him staring into the drawer with a faint green flush on his
cheeks. Catching her eye, he stammered,
"There are only female undergarments in this drawer."
"Look
behind the underwear. The candles will
be in the back of the drawer. I forgot
that underwear was in there. Clean underwear *in* a drawer. What are the odds?"
"I
am somewhat uncomfortable with this situation." he murmured as he reached
through the twisted assortment of silk panties and grabbed four candles.
"Get
over it. What do you think your mother
wears?"
"That
imagery is not helping."
"Paging
Dr. Freud..." she
muttered under her breath as she lit the four eucalyptus candles.
Chris
walked over to what he now assumed to be her bed and took the cover off with a
flourish. She spread the coverlet on the
floor before adding pillows from both beds.
Grinning, she sidled past him to a small refrigeration unit. Producing two brown bottles, she silenced his
protests with a smile. Sitting on the
coverlet, she handed him an open bottle of beer. He
knelt down beside her, awkwardly. He
hadn't sat on the floor since he was a pre-Kahs Wan
child.
"So,"
she said, clinking her bottle against his, let's get back to that fascinating
conversation..."
*****
"And,"
he slurred, "that is how I became bonded at the
tender age of seven."
"You're
kidding." she
exclaimed, her blue eyes wide with amazement.
She peered anxiously into his face, searching for signs of
deception. "You're not
kidding", she concluded. "Are
you two reuniting some ancient dynasty long torn asunder, or is this business
as usual?"
"The
practice is quite common on Vulcan. It
is only logical that clans of similar backgrounds intermarry to insure
compatibility. Otherwise, a bonded
couple would be subjected to differences of opinions and new ideas that would
distract them from their daily routine."
"And
that would be bad, how?" she queried as she opened another bottle of beer.
"My
culture places a high value on domestic stability. If it wasn't for the carefully planned bondings, unbonded males would
be--" he broke off suddenly and became very interested in the label on his
bottle.
"Unbonded males would be what?"
"It
is a private matter. I do not wish to
speak of it further."
"Please?"
"No."
"Pretty please with sugar on top?"
"That
sentence makes no sense whatsoever."
"Ok,
no problem. You don't wish to continue
our current topic of conversation, and I respect that. Here," she said as she brightened
suddenly, "have another beer and a brownie."
"Thank
you."
The
room grew quiet except for the sound of his chewing the dry brownie.
"So," Chris wondered
aloud, "what would your fiancee..."
"Bondmate."
"Whatever. What would she think of you spending time
with me this evening?"
"As
long as we are off-world and she and I have not completed our bond, I do not
believe she would care what I do with you."
She
looked up sharply. "So, what happens off-world stays off-world?"
"I
do not understand."
She
exhaled a long breath. "There is no
need to. I shouldn't attach my culture's
expectations on your lifestyle. Once
again, I wax Terro-centric."
He
sat back against the side of the bed as he pondered the sudden unease between
them. Hoping to return to their earlier
light heart banter, he asked, "Have you ever been to Vulcan?"
"No,"
she said with a rueful grin. "The
furthest I have ever been away from home was a space station in the Denevan System.
Hardly makes me the queen of intergalactic travel. Do you think I would enjoy Vulcan?"
He
glanced away briefly. "No. Perhaps not. While my people embrace Infinite Diversity in
Infinite Combinations in theory, in reality Vulcan is a
difficult place to live if one is ....different."
"Are
you speaking as the voice of experience?"
"No." He stated emphatically, and almost too
quickly. "I was merely thinking of
a boy I once knew who was considered different by his peers, even by his own
family."
"Alright,
if you don't want to discuss it we won't.
Although, I'm sure that *boy* has probably overcome his issues and most
likely has a stronger sense of empathy and personal character due to his
earlier
hardships."
she said as she looked penetratingly into his eyes and softly touched his hand.
His
eyes widened at the unexpected physical contact, and he trembled slightly as he
felt a sensation of compassion from her.
"Does
it bother you that I am bonded to another?" he asked.
Slightly
startled, she replied, "Sort of. Only because you seem so unhappy about it."
"Vulcans
do not experience happiness or unhappiness."
"That
would have sounded much more credible pre-beer." she replied with a
grin. "I mean,
hell. Are you two going to ignore each
other until she strolls down an aisle in a big, poufy,
white dress?"
"Vulcan
women do not wear big, poufy...Poufy. Pouf-ee" he
said drawing out the last syllable.
"That is such an odd word. I
do not believe there is an
equivalent in the Vulcan language. Poufy..."
"That
brownie hit you rather quickly, eh?" she asked with a smile.
"Actually,
I ate more than one. Three
to be precise. I thought it only
wise since I was consuming alcohol."
He looked up, suddenly having difficulty looking into her eyes.
"And..."
she gently prompted.
"And,
I did not eat today. Yesterday."
corrected after viewing the chrono on the wall.
"They
don't serve meals on shuttles anymore?"
"Somehow
the staff at BudgetWarp thought <Vegetarian>
was synonymous with <Kosher>. It
really isn't." he
added.
"OK,"
Chris giggled nervously as she glanced around at the empty beer bottles and
brownie pan. "Empty stomach,
eh?"
Precariously
climbing to her feet, she clumsily made her way to the com. "I think an ancient earth delicacy is
called for. You are in no shape to
wander
around scavenging for food, and you will become quite hungry in the all too
near future." Double and triple
checking the codes, she looked over her should at the stunned Vulcan. "Relax," she said with a smile,
"You
are
going to be here for a while.
Leaning
over him, and affording him a definitely non-bondmatesque
peek down the anything-but-demure neckline of her halter, she asked. "What do you like on your pizza?"
"Surprise
me." he said, surprising himself in the bargain.
*****
The
pizza turned out to be the finest he had ever tasted. Tangy, green peppers, smoky portabello mushrooms lovingly caressed by sweet, Sicilian
tomato sauce were bound together by rich T'Nel Tha Cheese (Trademarked motto: T'Nel Tha, as close to Mozzarella as genetic engineering will
allow.) The heady combination was
sending his taste buds, nay, his very
essence into Warp 10. As he took
another sip of his beer, because it was prudent to ingest liquids with solid
food, he took the opportunity to surreptitiously look at his companion.
She
sat cross-legged on the floor across from him.
The expression on her face as she consumed her fifth piece could only be
described as rapturous. Eyes closed, she
began to lick the remnants of the tomato sauce off of her long, elegant,
fingers.
He
stared fixedly at the interplay between the tip off her very pink tongue and
her silver painted fingertips, and wished for the first time in his existence
he had been born a tomato instead of a Vulcan.
She
opened her eyes and a wide smile spread across her face when she noticed his
intense gaze. As he
leaned toward her, propelled by unfamiliar desires, her eyes widened in
surprise. Grasping her hand and
bringing it
toward his face, his tongue snaked out to taste the unseen sauce on the back
of her hand. He felt her shiver as he
erased the culinary evidence, and sought
to
immerse himself in the flavor of her skin.
Chris
remained seated, yet her legs twitched restlessly in response to his oral
ministrations. She had leaned back
against the side of the bed, eyes now
closed as she moaned quietly. As his
eyes fell upon her pink mouth, he was once again compelled to taste more, to
know her more intimately. Leaning
forward, he stopped mere centimeters from her face, allowing the warmth of her
breath to fan against his skin.
Missing
his tender attentions on her fingers, she opened her eyes to look straight into
his. He saw many emotions warring in
those blue mirrors of her
soul. Desire, trepidation and the
unreal dreamlike state of her mild intoxication battled for control.
He
started slightly when he felt the coolness of her hand travel up the back of
his neck as she snaked her fingers though his hair. A tiny, still rational, part
of
his brain cried out to him as she began to pull him towards her. "I am," he whispered hoarsely,
"bonded to another. I should
not--"
"She
doesn't seem to be in the room right now," Chris purred as she pushed
herself toward him. Their lips met,
clumsily and hungrily. He lost himself
in the warm silk of her lips, until his own parted to admit her persistent
tongue.
Adrenaline
shot through his body like wildfire. He
clutched at her, desperate to feel more of her body against his own. Leaning back, he pulled her on top
of
him as he swiftly ran his hands over her body.
Firm, long muscles under smooth flesh imprinted themselves into his
memory forever. His hands
caressed her bare shoulders as he marveled on how much smoother they were
compared to her silk halter top.
As
she writhed pleasurably on top of him, his hands traveled further down, across
the cool skin of her back, down to her firm, leather-clad buttocks. He
gripped her cheeks hard, reveling in the way they yielded under his fingers as
he manipulated her against his hardness.
He
felt her stiffen at the indisputable proof of his arousal. Chris broke the kiss and pulled back, looking
at him searchingly. Sweeping her eyes
across
his
face, her blue gaze fell on his elegantly pointed ear tip. A small, sensuous smile flickered across her
face as she leaned forward again, gently pushing his chin to the right.
He
gasped loudly sa the tip of
her tongue made contact with the tip of his ear. Her tongue gently flickered around the
sensitive tip in light flutters, punctuated by random strokes toward the inner
chamber. Trembling, he lost himself in
the sensation of her earlingus.
Intense
waves of pleasure rippled through his body for minutes, hours? He couldn't tell. Time, Vulcan, the shaky state of his future;
meant nothing compared to the newly discovered erogenous zones. He gripped her
thighs harder as he ground himself against her pelvis. After many wonderful
moments, he felt her hands press against his shoulders as she pushed herself up
to straddle him. Smiling a smile that
could only be described as kittenish, Chris reached behind to unclasp the back
of her halter. The multi colored
scrap of silk floated gently to the ground as he lay there, speechless.
She
gently clasped his hands and drew them up her slender torso. His hands reached her breasts, tentatively
brushing her hard nipples, as she began to
move against him, rocking in ancient rhythm against his hardness.
He
watched her in stunned silence. Her
flesh was warmer now, no where near Vulcan warm, but warmer than she had been
moments ago. The pale ivory of her skin
was flushed pink, reminding him of the d'Hyt Ra
flowers that grew in the deserts east of Shi Kahr.
A
low moan from Chris pulled his attention back to her. He felt a surge of adrenaline shoot to his
groin as her steady rhythm became a frenzied spasm. She collapsed on top of him as he wrapped his
arms around her, rejoicing in the unfamiliar intimacy of physical contact.
She
turned her head to look him in the eye.
"That was terrific," she said with a lazy smile drifting
across her face, "but I think it's your turn." she kissed
him,
with a satiated lethargy that invited him to take his pleasure. He responded to the touch of her lips as his
hands once again traced patterns on her bare, flushed back.
She
broke off the kiss and pushed away from him slightly. He jumped as her fingers unfastened the seam
of his shirt. Chris's eyes lit up as she
gazed at
the
smooth expanse of his chest and lowered herself on to him, flesh to flesh.
A
myriad of images flashed through his mind; the pet sehlat
he had a as child, a burgundy hued sun set over the P'Leth
Tower in the ancient province of T'Elniar, his bondmate's
chronically disapproving countenance...
Mentally
shoving that last memory aside, he grabbed Chris more forcefully and rolled
over, turning her beneath him. His
technique became more assertive and hungry.
As he trailed his lips down her jawline to her
throat, his fingers teased her nipples into hardness again.
He
felt her responsive moan shudder throughout her body. He pulled back slightly to look into her blue
eyes and saw passion and desire that rivaled his own. He froze momentarily to
get his bearings, and as he would later realize, to give her once last chance
to end this delicious insanity. His
patience was rewarded by the feel of her fingers tugging at the opening of his
pants. The opening was simple, but her
compromised coordination caused her fingers to fumble tantalizingly at his
groin.
He
drew in his breath an let it out slowly as he made his
decision. Reaching for her, he
unfastened the catch of her leather trousers in a precise, and
deliberate fashion.
They
rolled apart, to divest themselves the the rest of
their clothing. That finished, they once
again turned as they visually explored each other's bodies.
Surprised
crossed both of their faces as the simultaneously exclaimed...
"Green?"
"Not
blue?"
*****
His
first coherent thought upon awakening was that a diseased le-matya had broken into the dormitory and defecated in his
mouth. He cracked one eye open warily
and surveyed the room. From his vantage
point on th floor, he spied
clothing thrown askew, several empty beer bottles, and discarded food
containers--all illuminated in the hideous light of day.
He
shivered and drew the comforter closer around himself and his companion. He looked down at her sleeping form, while
attempting to catalogue the events of last night. Food, alcohol, more food, more
alcohol, intercourse, intercourse, inter--no.
He was fairly certain he had lost consciousness by that point.
He
stretched and suppressed a wince at the pain due to his ethanol ingestion. "Illogical," he thought to himself,
"that such an intelligent species used such a
poison as their recreational drug of choice.
He couldn't suppress the next wince as he realized he was now included
in that category. He was contemplating a
rather difficult discussion with his bondmate, when
the woman beside him stirred.
"Oh
god...." She murmured as she curled
herself in a tighter ball.
"Oh god?" He
repeated. "You said that many times
last evening. Have I inadvertently
intruded on a day of religious observance?"
"I'll
answer anything,"
Chris replied, "but please quit shouting." She sat up, fists balled against her temples
and eyes squeezed shut. As she rose
unsteadily to her feet, his eyes took in her nude form. The discomfort of his hangover subsided as
last night's desires returned.
She
stumbled to the lavatory, and turned on the light. "Crap," she mumbled. "Lights at thirty
percent. I don't know why Larry
insists leaving them on one hundred. The
light of day isn't all it's cracked up to be."
He
heard fumbling noises and expletives punctuated by the sounds of items hitting
the hard tile floor.
"Found
the ethanol absorbers,"
she exclaimed. "OK,
the label says for Humans, Klingons, Orions, Caitans, and Nortanians. It doesn't even mention Vulcans."
"I
do not believe my people are their target demographic," he replied.
"Well,
better safe than sorry. It looks like
you will have to endure your hangover at full force," she retorted while gulping down three
capsules.
"If
I may stay here for another two hours, a glass of water and a healing trance
would make my symptoms... less
distracting."
"Two
hours? Sure, no problem. I have to run several errands this morning,
anyhow. Will you be all right here
alone?"
"The
only thing I require is silence." he replied neutrally.
"OK,
but..." she
broke off as she took in the Vulcan's rigid form and closed eyes.
"Must
be nice to be able to check out without the baggage," she mumbled, heading
towards the shower.
*****
He
felt himself rising, the hot sand of Vulcan falling away from his body as the
blistering wind bore him aloft to the crimson sky. He gazed up into the white hot sun, warmth
pleasantly coursing through his nerve endings.
As he drew closer, he closed his eyes as he attempted to breathe in the
scorching vapors. "Odd", he wondered , "when did the sun start smelling like
beer?"
He
awoke with a start and glanced around the filthy room. Judging by the angle of the sunlight on the
carpet, several hours had gone by. He
rolled to his side and ignored a mild wave of nausea.
"Greetings, stranger." a mocking voice intoned as a boot top came into his line of
vision.
His
gaze traveled up the dark gray pant leg of a surprisingly conservative
suit. A bigger surprise followed when he
noticed the once blue hair was now a
pale blond.
"Like
it?" she
queried as she spun around on her tip toes.
The movement did little to abet his already compromised digestive
system.
"I
will say whatever you like if you and the room would both stop moving."
"All
right, someone's a cranky boy in the morning."
"Vulcans
are not cranky. We merely do not engage
in frivolous pleasantries."
"I
dunno," she said with a mock leer, "you
seemed frivolously pleasant last night."
"And
you," he countered, "seem to have a more positive outlook than you
did earlier last night."
"It's
amazing how six orgasms and gainful employment can change a girl's day."
she replied with a smile.
"Six? But we only--never mind" he said hurriedley, as understanding spread across his normally
stoic countenance.
"I
had a last minute job interview this morning and had to pretend to be a
responsible adult." she said as she picked up some of the empty food
cartons and stuffed them down the recycler.
"A responsible adult? How long do
you think you will be able to maintain the charade?"
"Hopefully
long enough until my new boss realizes I'm indispensable. I give it two weeks, tops."
"Will
you change your hair back to blue at that point?" he said. There was no logical reason for it, yet he
found her change of appearance disquieting.
"I
don't know. Possibly. For some mysterious reason," she
started, as she knelt down on the blanket and slowly unfastened her collar,
"I seem to be
obsessing over the color green."
"That
sounds fortuitous for me."
*****
He
glanced at the dancing shadows on the cluttered floor.
"What
time is it?" he asked as he stroked the hair of the drowsing woman in his
arms.
She
stifled a yawn and replied, "A little after two. Why?"
"My
ticket... I should be on the 1600
shuttle to Alpha Centauri."
"Four
o'clock??" She yelped as she sat
bolt upright. "You'd better
hurry! Hop in the shower and I'll toss
your clothes in the fresher." she ordered, climbing off his prone form and
attempting to sort his once clean clothing from the soiled garments on her
floor. The station is only a half hour
walk away, but it's usually bedlam on the weekend."
"I
said," he replied slowly, putting emphasis on
each word, "I *should* be on the 1600 shuttle to Alpha Centauri. I did not say I *had* to be..." he broke
off, looking around the room with uncertainty in his
eyes.
"Well,"
she said as she tossed his clothes on her bed and rejoined him on the floor,
"I'm going to start the department orientation for my new job tomorrow
afternoon, but if you just want to hang out for another day you could
stay... Oh." She said flatly as she caught the quickly
suppressed yearning in his eyes. "Uh...", she started nervously, "I think we need to
talk."
"We
talked for hours last night."
"We
also did a few other things last night that probably warrant discussion."
"Last
night..." she
began again. "Last night was
wonderful, but..."
"But?"
he prodded.
"But
we each have our own lives to return to.
You have a lot of things to resolve with your family, not to mention,
your bondmate.
My priorities are keeping my new lowly and menial job to fund the one
stinking course that is standing between me and my degree."
"You
have no funds to further your education?" he asked in astonishment. He had assumed she had earned her right to
enroll on her intellectual merit, not her ability to purchase her
education."
"It's
not quite that dire," she said with a droll look on her face. "I'm here on a partial scholarship. I really don't have a great relationship with
anyone in my family. They would pay for
my education, if I asked, but emotionally the price would be too high. Once I was no longer a minor, which was last
year..." she grinned at his suddenly nervous expression, "I
left."
"Left?"
he said, aghast.
"Left." she repeated firmly.
"Packed some clothes, sent my sister a subspace message so she
wouldn't worry, walked out the door, and never looked back."
She
drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly.
"Independence is not easy, but when it comes down to it, it's all
anyone ever really has that's worth
fighting for." She grinned
suddenly, but the smile didn't reach her eyes.
"Sorry to go all group therapy on you."
"You
mentioned a sister," he said.
"Could she assist you financially."
Chris
snorted. "Possibly, but her idea of
helping is an application to Starfleet Academy.
Thanks, but no thanks."
"Starfleet Academy? I never
would have thought of that as an academic option."
"Well,
they're majorly humping for scientists right
now. Apparently they've got their fill
of the Terran, spit and polish, soldier-drones quota,
and are
actually actively recruiting scientists and non-Terrans. Hell, even I could get in through those
loopholes if I wanted to" she said derisively.
"You
would not consider it?" he wondered.
She
spared him a withering glance. "Why
the hell would I want to join an organization that brags that I will do more
before 0900 than most people do all day?
That's hardly a selling point."
He
suddenly stood up, dropping the comforter and beginning to dress. "Am I to infer", he asked coldly,
"that you no longer want to see me?"
"Don't
be like that. I would like to see more
of you. Actually," she said as her
eyes predatorily roamed over his nude body, "I'd like to see a lot more. But I've made some promises to myself and I
need to focus on my goals right now."
Smiling, she continued, "I would find you to be too deliciously
distracting."
He
stopped fastening his pants momentarily and sat on her bed. "I've never been described that way
before."
"Don't
let it go to your head." she warned as the tension eased and she once
again felt the rapport they shared the night before, "It's just the
post-coital
euphoria talking. When do you think you'll be on Earth again?" she asked,
hopefully.
"I
do not know. As you said, we both have
much to think about." he replied.
"Fair
enough." she said, more than a little crestfallen. "I really like you, and I don't want
this to end badly, but I just can't honestly promise you anything right
now."
"I
do not wish to cause you distress. Last night has left me with so many
questions. I am," he said as he
drew her into an embrace, "pleased that I spent it with you. I hope to emulate your integrity and strength
of character when I speak to my family.
My family," he continued, "especially my father will not be
pleased with what I must tell him.
However, I do not wish to attend the Vulcan Science Academy anymore than
I wish to remain bonded to T'..."
"Shhhh." She said as she snuggled in closer. "I really don't need to know her
name."
He
was about to inquire as to the logic of her statement, when he was suddenly
distracted by her lips.
*****
"I
do not believe I have time to use your shower" he said as he struggled
into his clothing.
"Probably not." she agreed, laying with her back against the pile of floor
pillows and marveling at the Vulcan's stamina.
"Would you like me to go to the station with you?" she asked.
"Your
presence would serve no logical purpose, however I would like it. Very much." he added, almost shyly as he
fastened his boots. "Unless
you will be late for your new job."
"That's
not until tomorrow, and my classes don't start until Monday. So much for my much needed rest." she
finished glumly.
"You
sounded more enthusiastic earlier." he noted.
"Don't
get me wrong, I'm happy that I was able to find anything at all at the last
minute. Studying for my finals was my
priority, so I didn't get my job application to the admininistrative
department by the deadline. Which," she finished, "is how a nice Bio-Chem major like myself got stuck in the Archaeology
Department."
"Do
you anticipate difficulty due to your unfamiliarity with archaeology?" he
asked.
"No. I'm pretty sure I'll be busy doing mundane
office work, rather than actually dealing with artifacts. The department head, however will take the
assignment of a Bio-Chem student as a personal
insult. Apparently this schmuck goes
through assistants the way the rest of us go though toilet paper." she
said conspiratorially.
"Charming
imagery." he remarked drily.
"Yet
true," she countered. "It says
volumes that none of his grad students or TAs wanted the job. Also," she began, "borderline
reliable campus rumor has it that his wife is not renewing their contract,
which will make him an even happier camper."
"That
does not sound promising." he observed as he emerged from the bathroom,
drying his face on one of her cleaner towels.
"I
can tolerate anything for a finite period, my friend." she said
haughtily. "If it is my destiny to
work for a cranky old fart, I'd rather get it out of
the
way now while I'm young. When I become
Dr. Christine Chapel, the most sought after research scientist in the galaxy,
he will be lucky to be a
humorous anecdote in one of my many books." Eschewing the now rumpled suit for a pair of
shorts and a t-shirt, she surveyed her companion. "You look darn close to presentable, my
friend. No one would ever suspect you've
spent the last several hours in a drug and alcohol induced sex-fest."
"Good,"
he replied smoothly, "it will give me something to discuss with my fellow
passengers on the long journey back to Vulcan."
She
gaped at him for a full three seconds before doubling over in laughter.
"OK",
she gasped, "that was just plain mean!" As her laughter subsided, she
impulsively leaned over and hugged him.
"I know it's trite and cliched, but I'm
going to miss you. I really,
uh..." She pulled back from him as
her cheeks and other parts of her still partially clothed anatomy blushed a bright pink.
"What
is wrong?" he asked as concern tinged his normally neutral tone.
"This
is so embarrassing." she said as her eyes darted around nervously. "Forget embarrassing," she added,
"this is downright tacky."
"What
is?" he demanded as his innate curiosity got he
better of him.
"Um,"
she started as she proceeded to turn even more pink,
"what's your name?"
With
an uncharacteristic twinkle in his blue eyes, he replied, "My name is Stonn."
FIN
_____________________________________