It's been a while...

Posted on Friday 24 July 2020 @ 16:46 by Commander Save'ena (Sav) Tillatix & Captain Melody Jones

Mission: A Whale of a problem (We're going to need a bigger boat)
Location: Captain's ready room
Timeline: MD1 1100
2479 words - 5 OF Standard Post Measure

On:

Sav was relieved at the Helm for the day. She stood up and started to head off the bridge, but then with seeing Miles in the Captain's chair, figured she may drop in on Melody to see how the marriage was going, and if she had shared anything more with Draxx. She missed coming by to visit Melody, but wouldn't until approached by Draxx saying for her to come by. However, the Ready room was NOT Melody's quarters... sooo.

Sav came up to the ready room annunciator and touched it.

Melody was immersed in historical records, studying everything she could find on the Whale probe incident, Starfleet Commands reports into the incident, Captain Kirk's own logs and reports on his trip to twentieth-century Earth and what had happened in the aftermath when her door chime sounded. She called out "Yes?"

Sav called out, "Captain, it's Commander Tillatix. Nothing official is needed, I'm just wondering if you would want a friendly visit?"

Melody smiled "Of Course, Come in Commander."

Melody rose and walked round to the other side of her desk as Sav entered. As soon as the doors from the bridge had closed again, Melody walked over to her paused and said "In that case, we're both off duty for half an hour." and then embraced Sav warmly. "Hello Sweetie." She released her and gestured to the couch "Come sit with me. We haven't caught up recently." She picked up a coffee pot from her desk and poured herself a cup. "Coffee?" she asked as she picked up an additional mug for Sav. "So How are you and Rejal getting along?"

Sav was at first surprised by the hug, but then she melted into it and churred, wrapping her arms around Melody to return it. She nodded to the 'sit with me' and went to the couch first as Melody did a side trip. Sav churred and responded to the 'Coffee?' with "Yes, please, black."

Sav received the mug while chortling in humor at Melody's question about Miles. "Well, he is still hanging around, even with earlier we tried to get a little more intimate, but it didn't work out so well.. too soon. However, he is still there, not minding taking it slow with me, so that is all good. *sip* OH! He met my Sister, Kendra, during a communications during some down time from last mission. Reverse my colors, change my forehead birthmark to a splotch like New Zealand, with a couple wiggles in the facial stripes, and that is her. They hit it off, so that is a good sign as well. So, I progress, and only time will tell if he feels I am worth it to stick around with, eh?"

Melody smiled at her "If he's smart, and I get the impression he is. He'll stick around and yes, you are worth it."

Sav took a sip of her coffee, then shyly looked at Melody. "How is Sansa doing? And your Beau? Ummm, the reason I haven't visited unless invited is when I first ran into him,... he didn't know me as you never talked about me. Sooo, have you told him anything about me yet, or am I still a stranger?"

Melody reassured her. "Yes, I told Draxx about us. He understands it's in the past and that we will always be friends. He's a good man. Gentle and kind and he looks after me well. I think he's rather upset that he didn't get to experience Sansa growing up. I suppose I share that sentiment."

Sav snorted a Chortle-Churr as she finally relaxed with Melody present. "I understand, I would have wanted to be there more for Sansa as well." She paused, then said, "I am so glad you cleared up our relationship with Draxx, that we are close, and are best friends forever. I hated staying away, and not being there for you, Melody. However, please, let me know, I sense a change in Sansa that is not... normal dating. Please, share?"

Melody took a sip of her coffee. "There was an incident on Risa. A Ferengi male tried to use Sansa for Jamaharon. Needless to say Sansa resisted and he didn't take kindly to that. Luckily, our chief of security was there and intervened. She's since started teaching Sansa self-defence so she can take care of herself and Sansa is in love with her."

Sav shuddered slightly, her eyes closed, as her own personal experience came to the fore. She opened her eyes, then said, "I am glad she is taking self defense classes, and realizing there are those out there who are not, shall we say, looking out for best interests. I wish I, or Draxx, or you could have shown her the way first, but real world experiences trump all."

Sav sighed, then touched her abdomen, then looked at Melody. "Believe it or not, I am finally getting past what was done to me by the Federation elite and cover-up Starfleet directives. I .. am getting to the want of wanting a boyfriend and the intimacy that entails. I.. wish we could have experienced that together, but time change. I am very happy, very, that you have a husband, daughter, and a family to experience and enjoy.. that is the desire for any Mephetian, and I hope, human."

Melody took her hand a squeezed it. "Thank you for understanding. You know I shall always be there for you and I know Rejal is a good man who will treat you with the love and respect you deserve. As for Sansa and Hayley, If that makes my daughter happy then I support her 100%. I think her father is going to take a bit more persuading before he is more comfortable with the idea."

Sav squeezed Melody's hand as she tried to place what that last statement was for... maybe Hayley was not a guy? Then, no grandchildren and also not a nuclear family... and so why not comfortable yet. She managed out, "Yeah, I could see that."

Still holding her hand "Come with me, I want to show you something."

Melody led Sav to holodeck one. They entered and stood in the bare holodeck grid. Melody addressed the computer. "Computer. Can you show me a humpback whale please, actual size."

The floor of the holodeck remained but the walls and ceiling vanished. It was necessary to accommodate the enormous 15 meter long creature that suddenly materialized next to them, suspended in mid-air. Melody and Sav found themselves stood next to a very large eye near an even bigger mouth, long pectoral fins, and a powerful looking tail.

Although she knew what one looked like, it's sudden appearance and size caught Melody off guard. "Wow." She muttered as she turned to Sav "This is a Humpback whale."

Sav stepped back when the whale first appeared. She stared at the large eye, her mind and eyes catching up to the body, and she responded to Melody with a "Whoah.... that's big..." Her mind began performing spatial dynamics over the creature. "Ohh, definitely sea creature to support its size. This, is cool... but, Captain Kirk had to go back in time to get a pair because they were extinct. But... but.. why wasn't anything built into the probe to figure out the colony, or whatever, could have had a chance of no longer being on the planet. Something.. is off."

Melody nodded sadly. "In the past, these creatures were hunted by man and slaughtered in their thousands for their meat and blubber. Eventually, a total worldwide band whaling was enforced but by that time, the damage had been done and in the late 21st century these beautiful creatures were extinct." She looked at Sav "It took a long time for us to grow up."

She went back to looking at the whale. "The humpback repopulation program has being running since Kirk returned from the past with George and Gracie and now the oceans are alive with them once more. One problem is communication. We're never been able to communicate with the whales, who communicate with what we call whalesong. What was said between the whale and the probe we still haven't been able to translate. I'll demonstrate. Computer, can you play some recorded humpback whale song please?"

Since Melody had asked for the whale to be life-sized the computer beeped a warning "Whalesong will have to be modified for amplitude and some frequency range may be inaudible."

"Acknowledged." Melody turned to Sav "The computer is just saying is some of the frequencies are outside human and Mepehtian hearing and if it played it at it's the normal volume at his range, we'd probably end up deaf with our brains dribbling out of our ears, it's that loud!"

Sav grimmaced and replied, "Yeah, that wouldn't be good. I like my brains being right where they are. Okay, let's hear them."

The mournful cry of a whale could be heard. and series of long tones that rose and fell in pitch. Even with the computer reducing the volume, Melody could feel the lower base frequencies vibrating her gently to her core. Melody moved closer to Sav as they listened. "We still have no idea what it means or how to translate it."

Sav closed her eyes and listened. At first, the whale song seemed to be a mournful cry of melancholy, but then as she felt it as well as heard it, she could 'hear' a joyous undertone of being alive, of living, all the while with a searching of meaning behind it. As it played, her spatial sense began placing the notes amongst a 3d plane following time. The various tones began their siren call to her, and so she began moving gently along the low notes, her tail and head following the higher notes, as she 'danced' towards and around Melody.

Melody had turned her attention back to the whale and was surprised when Sav cam dancing up to her. She looked at her, slightly bemused.

Sav felt a sense of need, of belonging, her familial instinct brought to the fore as she moved up to Melody and sniffed of her neck. 'Female, not male, family' flashed through her subconscious. She took Melody's hands and began to dance, yet, making sure to enclose Melody with her tail, keeping her family safe, yet dancing in the joy, sorrow, and longing need, oh a great longing need, of familial gathering to be alive and there. So much was lost... so much was lost. Tears of sorrow and longing were dripping down the sides of Sav's muzzle. The song was a spatial flowing of familial need, of those lost, and of feelings of joy/sorrow/regret/longing impinging itself upon Sav's unique birth defect/adaptation.

Initially, Melody went along with the dance but after a while, she said “I think that’s enough for now.” When Sav didn’t seem to hear her she became slightly concerned. She called out “Computer delete audio.”

Sav had not heard Melody. She was feeling the music moving through her and following it when it suddenly disappeared. Sav felt the loss within her as well as her mind. The spatial dynamic picture of the song within her head went away and she now saw the room again, with Melody before her.

The whale song stopped and Melody looked at Sav slightly concerned. “Are you ok Sweetie? You seemed rather caught up in that for a moment.”

Sav blinked as her tail twitched with each eyelid flutter. She opened her mouth, shut it, then shook her head to clear it. She blushed lightly as she was finally able to get out, "I.. I heard the music, felt the music, and I saw the music... I literally saw the music."

Melody's look changed from concern to amazement. Obviously, Mepetians had not had any contact with humpback whales, let alone their song. Melody was quite intrigued that it affected Sav'ena in such a way. "You saw music? That's incredible. Could you describe it?"

Sav pointed to her head and said, "My spatial sense. Remember I keep talking about my golden and silver threads when flying? When I fly with the Merlin, I see a 3d spatial map of the Merlin's surroundings that my mind creates as my spatial ability real time makes a path through that map, my golden thread for fast and best, and silver threads for alternate routes. With the Whale song, my mind built up a spatial representation of the song, and I flowed with it. Behind it was sadness, longing, need for family, and need for being a part of a community. I.. got lost in it, sorry."

Melody reassured her. "It's quite ok. But this presents a unique and quite unexpected opportunity. Sav, this is the closest we've come to getting a glimpse into whale song in over 100 years. Maybe if you listened again, perhaps with Caroline or Doctor Ki present they could see how is affecting you. Just try not to lose yourself in the 'music' ok?"

Sav grew very interested in what Melody was saying. A smile grew broadly about her muzzle as she responded while nodding, "Yes, yes, that sounds like a really good idea. I liked being part of the song.. just, not being lost in the song. I'll get with them for another listen." She churred lightly, then added, "Thanks for introducing me to this."

Melody thought for a moment. "I should be getting back. We'll have to catch up some more later when we're off duty properly. Also, keep me informed of your research. I take it Mepetians have never really interacted with any species of whale, let alone Humpback whale?"

Sav shook her head, "No, we haven't, well, as far as I know, we haven't. But, Mephetians are more in tune with their environment, and feel lower tones much more easily than many other races due to being a climbing race. We run across the tree roads, and need to feel out how the vibrations are differing so as to make decisions on the fly for if a branch is sound, how much weight it is bearing, and if there is any dead branches being stepped on, near. So, that might be helping." Sav sighed, then pointed to her head, and added, "However, remember Melody, I am the one with the Birth defect, my psionics turning to cyberapathy and spatial navigation, so I am the very rare one out here for this."

Melody gave Sav one last hug then spoke up "Computer, end program."

Sav flowed into that hug, happy to feel Melody against her once again. While they would not be part of a familial grouping, they were still special friends. Sav churred gently, the looked up at Melody and stated, "Annnnnd, time to get back to work."

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