An enchanting meeting

Posted on Sunday 29 November 2020 @ 16:13 by Commander Caroline Miller

Mission: A Whale of a problem (We're going to need a bigger boat)
Location: Arboretum
Timeline: Before return to Earth
2830 words - 5.7 OF Standard Post Measure

ON:

The sound of panpipes could be heard coming from the atrium, the enchanting melody could be traced to a tall ginger haired man, leaning against a wall. The song ended, and the player lowered his pipes, feeling pleased. It seemed the acoustics here, was perfect for him to play, the notes dancing amongst the plantlife housed inside. Turning towards one of the plants there, a flowering bush, he remarked to it. "Shall I play another tune for you, or shall I see if someone would like to come enjoy my music?"

Mathias, for it was he who was playing, lowered his head close to said flower, as if listening to its quiet message. "Ah.. so whom was it you think I should invite? Ah... Caroline Miller, oh what's that? I see, Commander Caroline Miller. Indeed, I have not met her yet officially and it seems I have been neglectful on my part. I shall send an invitation to her to meet me here. Or if she desires me to meet her in her office then I shall obey her wishes." he chuckled warmly.

He sent out a message to Commander Miller, " My esteemed Commander, I would like to have a moment of your time, we've not officially spoken and I have been remiss on my duties. Would you like to have me meet you in your office, or, would you like us to converse in the Atrium. That is where I am currently. Please let me know. Regards, Chief Science Officer, Lieutenant Mathias Keane McPhee."

Once that was sent, Mathias placed his panpipes back to his lips and began to play once more.

Caroline was intrigued. Usually people didn't seek her out and invite her to places. Usually they balked at the thought of counsellors. "I'll be right there," she sent back.

She had heard they had a new science officer but never imagined what she found when she walked into the atrium. The music was serene and beautiful. She walked around the beautiful plants trying to find him. It was an intriguing game of hide and seek. Finally though she spotted a head of light red hair.

She smiled. "What's the song?"

The music stopped, and Mathias smiled, then gave a rather graceful courtly bow. "Enchanted World by Edward Simoni. " was his reply. Straightening up, he walked towards Caroline. "It seemed fitting for this enchanting area, and there you are, someone who adds to the beauty of this fairy grotto." taking one of her hands; his hand warm, strong, yet gentle and placing a kiss upon her knuckles.

"Commander Miller, a pleasure and forgive me if I am being too familiar." his eyes sparkling with delight, he released her hand. "Thank you for agreeing to come here." he cast his eyes around and they settled upon a nearby bench. "Care to sit down?" indicating it with a sweep of his hand.

Caroline nodded. Well that was quite the welcome she mused. Her hand seemed to throb from where he had placed a kiss upon it.

"So what can I do for you Lieutenant?" she asked sitting down cross legged.

"I wished to meet you." His bluish green eyes looking into her brilliant blue eyes. "I know it is a formality for new crew members to meet with the ship's counselor, and quite a few people tend to avoid them." giving a bit of a smile, the corners of his eyes turning upwards. " I am not like that." he taking a seat near her, laying down his panpipe in his lap.

"I feel it is better to meet with the counselor, for they take care of the heart and souls of those upon the ship they serve on. Such a difficult task I've been told, to be the keeper of secrets, to try to ease another's pain, to help them come back into the sunlight, out of the darkness that has bound them to their own personal hell. "

"That's a really lovely way of describing what I do," she smiled. "And thank you. Yes a lot tend to run from me. This is a very welcome change.

How are you settling in?" she asked.

"I am settling in well enough, thank you." Mathias replied. "I haven't explored the whole of the ship yet, I have been to engineering briefly, saw the bridge on the way to the Captain's Ready Room when I first arrived. It seems that I came smack dab in the middle of a rather intriguing, and yet harrowing, conundrum. "

A small worried furrow appeared between his brows, "Are you alright from that experience? I am not certain just what happened, but I am hazarding a guess that you had to possibly deal with something like that living stone trying to swallow up this ship."

"Oh I was planet side and we did have rather the strange experience. Our consciousness was plugged into something call the Etheria where the aliens could communicate with us and the rest of the Darwin crew were also there. Having been there for over a century. I believe it was the aliens creating the stone effect the ship was experiencing," Caroline shared.

"By the stars, sounds like you went into the Dreaming." He responded. "Well, make that a mindscape. And your team broke the enchanted sleep the crew of the Darwin was in. Must have been a great wizard to have wrapped you in the living stone." he pondered upon this then something occurred to him. "Did you come across someone like Mordred, someone who was treacherous, and cunning?"

He ran a hand through his hair, making it more unruly than what it was before, with the other holding onto his panpipes. " I am hoping there wasn't."

"We came across the puppet master," Caroline sighed. "Luckily he didn't manage to possess one of our people this time. Mordred?" she queried. "Are we talking Arthurian legends?"

"Yes, the varied tales of King Arthur and his knights of the round table. Mordred being connected to traitorous acts. " Mathias stated. "As a matter of fact, I feel that its my destiny to have been transferred to this ship. With the exception of my cadet cruise, the names of the ships I served on seemed to have a pattern. The first one was the USS Broadsword, the second one was the USS Nimue. Nimue, being one of the names of the lady of the lake who had given King Arthur, the Excalibur."

He addressed the other subject that Caroline had mentioned. "The puppet master, I've not heard yet about the fiend you just mentioned. However, just to mention, I am in some aspect a puppet master. I put on puppet shows for those who are stationed on Starbase 308. That is where I was stationed before coming here."

Caroline was not expecting such an eclectic personality. She smiled. "Its an entity in a previous mission. I'm not sure if Mordred like but certainly angry and evil. Nimue .. she was Merlin's lover. Well in some accounts. How strange that you would end up on ships called the Broadsword ... perhaps a nod to Excaliber and the Nimue. And then end up on the Merlin. Its almost as if the universe is helping force a path of connections there."

"I feel that is what the universe is trying to do." giving her another smile. He rose from the bench, placing his panpipes upon it.

"My lady, would you care for a dance?" giving her another courtly bow then extending a hand towards her. "I know that we've only just met, and this is probably out of the ordinary, but please would you dance with me? If you need some music, I can hum a tune."

He gestured around the Atrium, "The surrounding is beautiful and here you are. Imagine if you will, a lovely gentle breeze; the evening stars have just come out. I see you there sitting, admiring the luster of the stars against the velvet blackness of the night sky. The moon is high, its light falls upon your beautiful hair, the color of finely spun gold, giving it an ethereal silvery sheen. My lady, would you like to dance?"

"Well with the charming effort you just put into all those compliments how can I resist?" she laughed. He was certainly different. She allowed him to pull her up and into a dance frame. "So your a romantic and a poet?" she asked.

"Some say, that I am a romantic and a poet. Others say I am nonsensical. I dare say, that I am those two things hopefully." he chuckled warmly. "I am what I am." he stated, then started humming a tune, while they began to dance.

The tune was the beginning refrains of 'Pure Imagination' from Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

Then he sang the words, leading Caroline through the atrium in their graceful intricate dance. At the end of the dance they wound right back at the bench, Mathias taking her hand and kissing it gently.

"You dance divinely" he murmured softly.

"Actually I'm a little rusty but I'll take that," she grinned. "So how long were you at 308?" she asked.

"A year. I was there when the So'Na attacked the Starbase." his smile fading. "I am glad that the USS Andromeda had been there to forestall it from being more disastrous. It was terrible, there were many who were in shock as to what happened. However the people did end up girding up their loins and immediately got to work in repairing things there. My cousin Randolph, he is part of the Starfleet Corps of Engineers who are assigned to the starbase."

He moved to sit back down on the bench, picking up his panpipes.

"Captain Reynolds was not wanting to accept that award the star base gave him, but I agree with you. If they hadn't off been there and taken action several more bombs would have gone off and there would have been a lot more damage. Your cousin and his colleagues did an excellent job going by what I saw during shore leave," Caroline said.

"I shall convey your sentiments to my cousin." Mathias responded. "As for Captain Reynolds, he managed to escape the pomp and circumstances of the award ceremony." Mathias chuckled. "I had heard rumors of a wedding that had taken place and he was officiating it. Then like a true hero, he slipped away, not wanting to be in the limelight. I can well imagine someone asking him someday, "Why weren't you at the ceremony, and he might have said, "I was only doing my job. Nothing more, nothing less." Mathias smiled, "That is the sign of a true hero."

Mathias changed the subject, for he had the desire to know more about the lovely lady seated next to him. "Counselor, or may I call you by your given name? Caroline. A beautiful name, with a wonderful meaning; A song of happiness or joy."

Caroline couldn't help but smile. "You may call me Caroline. What should I call you?"

"Mathias. My full name is Mathias Keane McPhee. However, Mathias is sufficient." giving a chuckle. "Caroline, do you have a middle name?"

"I do. Its Anne. Nothing to exiting. After my grandmother on my fathers side. It would have been Helga," she giggled, "If they had decided the other way."

"Hmmnn..... Ann is actually a lovely name. Its meaning is favor or grace. A song of joy, happiness and grace." he mused then added, " Helga means blessed. I actually like the name Helga too." he gazed at Caroline, taking in her whole being, then gave a nod. "Caroline Ann, it suits you the best."

"Well thank you. That's good to know," she smiled brightly. "What does Keane mean and Mathias out of interest?"

Mathias smiled and it could be seen he was blushing just a small bit, clearing his throat before speaking.

"Well, Mathias means Gift of God, and Keane has several meanings. Tall and handsome in Celtic; in English it means sharp and in Irish it means Ancient fighter, sharp or keen of wit or eye."

Giving a bit of a shy chuckle at speaking of those meanings of his names. "Most times I don't bring those up. They could sound rather conceited or narcissistic to some. " rubbing the back of his head.

"Oh no your not. I have your number already. Your a romantic and a poet," Caroline said. "And spiritual it seems. How do you marr all that up with working in science?" she asked.

"Why would that marr things? Science is a wonder, in and of itself. Even magical. Just the fact of having technology where you can gaze into another world, or gain a different perspective on things is just amazing. For example salt crystals forming underneath a microscope. Absolutely amazing!" he breathed out as he envisioned said process in his mind. He turned his attention back to Caroline. "Yes, science is filled with facts, proving theories. Its an adventure. It is almost like being one of the old explorers when seeking out new lands. It can even lead to creating extraordinary things. Like for example, Leonardo Da Vinci and his designs for a parachute."

He gazed out into the arboretum, a distant expression in his eyes. "He was a scientist, as well as a painter. An artist, all those worked hand in hand." Mathias looking back to Caroline once more. "I read about a man who was both a poet as well as an astronomer. He was a Persian by the name of Omar Khayyam. Let me see if I can remember one of his quatrains (or rubais)"

He closed his eyes, as if to focus, then spoke.

" Come, fill the cup, and in the fire of spring
Your winter garment of repentance fling.
The bird of time has but a little way
To flutter - and the bird is on the wing"

He opened his eyes once more and gazed into Caroline's. "Those words are truly beautiful and come from the mind of a scientist."

"If you like poetry," Caroline told him, "You should come to one of the open mike nights at the Round table. Once of the nicer aspects of my job is helping set up and link people in with some of the social groups and activities on the ship."

"That sounds like a divine idea, I would love to do so. And as for you Caroline, what do you like to do, and what would be your favourite foods and drinks? I'd like to learn more about you." Mathias asked, smiling.

She certainly was enchanting, there was a light within her that spoke to his soul.

"Ahh well that would be coffee, chocolate and an Andorian sunrise," she said cheerfully. "Nothing more beautiful that watching that drink. Poetry in motion right there," she joked. "Have you tried one?"

"I have never tried an Andorian Sunrise, it sounds like it is magic." Mathias stated. "And what is it made of? Is it made with real alcohol or Synthehol?" Mathias trying to imagine what it could be like.

"It can be either and lots of delicious tasting things. The beauty is in using the spoon to activate the effect. All the colours swirling beautifully. It takes a skilled bartender to make one not using a replicator," she commented.

"When we get to Earth, I know a good place for a real one. I would be happy to show you," she suggested. Everyone in her eyes should have the experience of having a real one at least once.

"That sounds sublime, I would love to experience that with you. It's a date then. You, me and an Andorian Sunrise. Actually sounds rather romantic."

He looked into her eyes, feeling like he was being drawn into them, their warmth, gentleness and a spark of fire he could see there as well. Then his eyes wandered down to her lips, wondering how they would feel against his. Mathias brought his mind back from that pathway, hopefully sometime, he will have the chance to taste of her sweet lips.

Mathias then slightly tilted his head as if he heard something, and gave a slight sigh. "I have probably taken up enough of your time, and honestly I could just sit here and speak with you more and listen to the musical nature of your voice. However I feel I need to let you get back to what you were doing." his voice softened, " I would love to get to know you more, maybe have dinner sometime?"

Caroline found herself nodding despite having said she wasn’t going to date for a while after being dumped and ghosted by Ki. But there was something serene and intriguing about this man. Magical almost, if you believed in that. “That sounds sublime,” she mirrored his words. “Let me know when you want to do that.”

She rose to her feet. “Oh and welcome aboard Lieutenant.”

OFF: