You're a whale expert?

Posted on Wednesday 16 June 2021 @ 21:24 by Civilian Sansa Draxx-Jones

Mission: A Cry from the Darkness
Location: Cetacean lab
Timeline: MD10 0900
2389 words - 4.8 OF Standard Post Measure

On:

Sansa had got up early and headed down to the cetacean lab. Now she was listed as ‘one of the Federations foremost authorities on Humpback whales’ she'd been receiving a plethora of correspondence from various people in the scientific community asking for her opinion and input on their research.

Although it was time consuming, she was enjoying it. She had brought Belle with her and the little pup was curled up on her lap as Sansa was working the computer, her racktajino close by.

Mathias greeted Hamish at his room and soon the two went out to breakfast as planned.

Hamish looked at Mathias. "So this time you kept your promise." he said with a stoic face though there was a twinkle in his eyes. He loved teasing his cousin.

"Yes yes... of course and this time I answered your invite. Which was, I must say, applied with a sledgehammer." Mathias answered.

Hamish laughed, "Come on let's get breakfast, then you can show me the labs I will be working in. " reaching up and tousling his cousin's hair.

"Hey now, cut that out, it took me time to get it tamed before I came to get you." Mathias groused. For some reason, his cousins all loved making his hair stick up. Mad Scientist they were wont to call him.

Hamish laughed, and the two of them walked to get some food.

Later on, they arrived at the labs, Mathias feeling rather proud to show the wonders of the labs. "And here we are at the cetacean lab. I'm sure you will find this fantastic place to do research. " the two rounded the corner and came across Sansa.

"Oh hello Sansa, I'd like you to meet my cousin Hamish, he's the new science officer. The one I was talking about." Mathias introducing her to Hamish.

Now Hamish couldn't see whom Mathias was speaking to, so moved to see whom it was. His congenial smile became rather brittle then it slipped completely away. Hamish staring at Sansa, it can't be, not her!

Upon hearing the door open, Sansa turned her head and smiled when she saw it was Mathias entering. She slipped the sleeping pup onto her cushion on the floor, which she had brought with her and stood up, straightening her dress, and walked over to greet them.

"Hello Mathias. So this is your cousin..." she noticed that the newcomer was just staring at her, his smile seemed frozen in place. He's quite cute she thought briefly as she coked her head to one side, puzzled at the way he was looking at her, as if scrutinizing her.

She held out her hand and smiled politely "Hello, I'm Sansa. It's nice to meet you."

Hamish was still staring at her, almost as if he were ignoring her offered hand. He was deciding to just ignore it altogether when Mathias elbowed him in the rib.

"Don't be an oaf, Hamish. " Mathias hissed at him.

Hamish gave a start and glared at Mathias, "Seriously?" rubbing his ribs, feeling a bit out of sorts, glowering at his cousin.

Mathias looked at Sansa "Sorry he's not normally this rude, guess it is something he ate." turning to Hamish "I told you not to get two stacks of pancakes." giving Hamish a chance to make a better impression of himself.

"Right, er sorry." Hamish took Sansa's hand giving it a quick shake then let go just as quick. "Er, nice to meet you" deciding to be polite, well as long as Mathias was there.

Sansa frowned briefly at the quickness of the interaction. “Has Mathias filled you on the upcoming mission? It looks like we’ll be travelling together to…”

Before she could finish her sentence, Melody’s voice came over the comm.

“Jones to Lieutenant McPhee. Can you join me in my ready room for a moment?”

Sansa glanced at Mathias. “I can fill in your cousin in the mission details while you…. See the Captain.”

Mathias nodded, and turned to leave. He stopped, and took a look back. "Once again congratulations on your doctorate, this means I can call you Doctor Sansa." giving a grin towards his redheaded friend.

Hamish stared at Sansa, wait what? She got a doctorate?

Once Mathias has left, Sansa headed back to the computer on which she had been working. “I just need to finish this correspondence to Dr Blessed on Earth, then we can discuss the mission.”

"You... you are the one aren't you. The one who took my place on that ship!" his eyes narrowed. "I was supposed to be there, and I didn't get to do so. They bumped me off the list just for you." Hamish growled. "I could have been there but no it was you and Mathias!" Hamish was not pleased.

Sansa was just finishing her letter, not really listening. “I thought that trip was put on for Fay. Well, she really enjoyed it and you’ll get your chance to meet her when we rendezvous with the ship carrying the whales.”

Having finished she now gave him his full attention. “Sorry, Dr Blessed was just wanting my input on one of his research projects. Now, did Mathias tell you anything about the mission we’re going on?”

"What makes you so special, Miss Sansa, that this Fay chose you to be her host? Just how old are you? You are maybe 17 or 18 years old?" Hamish completely ignoring her comment. "And how did you get mixed up in all of this?" the jealousy in him was welling up along with the hurt as well.

Sansa’s smile started to slip. She was picking up a lot of hostility from Hamish that, for some reason, was directed at her. She did not comment on her age, deciding to keep her true age to herself for now doubting he could cope with the fast she was closer to 4 than 18. “Fay did not choose me, I volunteered and I would do it again in a heartbeat.” She replied, fixing him with a resolved stare. “And how I got involved? It’s a long story which incidentally, is linked to our upcoming mission if you’re willing to listen?”

Hamish's eyebrow raised, then his curiosity got the better of him, putting his irritation to one side. "I would like to hear about the mission and I'll listen for now." still a grumpy feeling about him though. He still was peeved but when it had to do with the current project he was actually going to be a part of then he will be more professional about it.

"Tell then what it's all about." Hamish then added, "Please" as an afterthought

Sansa tried to keep her face neutral, having scored that small point, she gestured to the chair next to her. "Where to begin?" She asked rhetorically. "I suppose it began when the Merlin encountered the probe sent by the Megapteraians. It was the same probe that was sent to Earth to contact Humpback whales over 100 years ago. We followed the probe back to their homeworld where an away team was sent down to make contact, however they were in danger from The Puppet Master, an A.I the Merlin has encountered before. The Megapteraian resistance used me to warn the away team of the danger they were in and we all ended up in The Etheria, like a collective mental landscape where the higher consciousness of the Megapteraians interact. Once the Puppet Master was exposed and peace was achieved, the Megapteraians required a volunteer to host their ambassador so she could experience our way of life. I volunteered. My mom wasn't too happy at first but she accepted my decision. During this... merger, she learned a great deal about me and I learned much about them. Fay had... unique ability to communicate and sense the feelings and thoughts of Humpback whales and it seems that she has left that gift with me."

Hamish frowned hearing this. "In other words somehow you prevented another so called disaster coming to Earth once more, by merging with Fay and being the envoy. I would have liked to been there. And once again I get..." he bit back his answer. "Just... oh never mind. When will we be meeting Abigale and Fay again?"

Sansa frowned again. Why won't this conversation go right? she thought to herself. "No... That's not what I'm saying. I did not negotiate the peace nor expose the Puppet Master, I merely volunteered to host their Ambassador as a gesture of good faith, to show we were indeed trustworthy and not a savage people." She decided to tackle the issue head-on. "Have I done something to offend you in some way?" She asked him outright, folding her arms across her chest.

"That lovely trip you had, with Mathias and well the oh so lovely Fay booted me off that trip. I was to be there but nope I was dropped off the list. And also you getting that Doctorate, when you've not gone to school to study very hard in order to work towards that. Sure your connection with Fay may have given you... some sort of secret power to communicate with the whales, but why is it when I wanted to actually be there on certain trips, like trying to meet up with my cousin" Hamish said with a sneer in his voice, "You once again superseded that. You may be cute but that doesn't mean your cuteness is going to get you too far. Cuteness dies away in time." Hamish said in a huff.

She stared at him incredulously for a moment. "Easy? You think this has been easy for me?" She started quietly but her voice rose steadily louder as her anger started to flare as she stared daggers at him. "I've had to put in a lot of studying in my own time just so I can converse with all these experts that want to get my advice. You don't know what I've lost and you think I'm going to coast through on my looks?" her face was getting redder and she became more and more agitated. She stood from her chair taking a step towards him, her eyes now blazing. A lot of things were getting vented at him right now, the loss of Hayley... the loss of her childhood... "What I've been through you couldn't possibly understand, you've had years, your full life, no doubt to study, to live and you're upset because you missed one boat trip. Your cousin must have taken all the charm and wit in your family because you seem to be sadly lacking in those departments.... you...YOU ENTITLED... SELF ABSORBED... NARCISSISTICAL...... JERK!" she finally shouted at him at the top of her voice.

Belle was roused from her nap by this heated exchange. Acting solely on instinct, the little pup lept up, placed herself between Sansa and her perceived attacker, couching down, ready to pounce. To keep Sansa safe.

"Now don't you go comparing me and my cousin! I love him but I don't like it when he is held up in high regards and people telling me to be like him! Don't compare me with him, I have my own charms." Hamish said, going into falsetto voice. clasping his hands together. "Oh Mathias you are so adorable, and such a gentleman. Oh, I am fainting, please help me!" placing the back of his hand against his forehead. "I don't like being in his shadow at times. People expect me to be like him! What the heck! I am a scientist in my own right! And you, are you another one who is so charmed by his ways? If so, then you have no chance with me." Hamish looked down at the cute pup defending its mistress.

Hamish stepped back as he wasn't going to accidentally kick the puppy. He wasn't that sort of man at all. At times Hamish felt he got along better with the animal kingdom and not the Human Kingdom. He crouched down low and looked at Belle, "you are so adorable."

Still fuming, Sansa bent down and in a quick motion scooped up the tiny pup and held her. She was breathing hard, still red faced but no longer shouting. "Mathias is ten times the man you are. You're lucky to be in his shadow... and you flatter yourself if you think I'd ever be interested in someone like you. You have your own charms?" She let out a laugh. "You'd be lucky to make it through charm school! I've met Ferengi with more charm than you! If you think I'm going on this mission with you... You can think again buster!" She added as she took a step closer to him, getting right in his face. "I'd rather be assimilated than spend time with you!"

"I'd rather not have to spend time with you either. You are bonkers I tell you!" Hamish rising up. "Maybe if you were assimilated you'd have better manners!" With that Hamish spun around and headed towards the exit.

Mathias arriving back from his errand, "Hey, how are the mission plans go-" he is shoved against the door as Hamish stormed out of the lab. "Hamish?" Mathias being rather confused. "Sansa, what's going on!"

Sansa came over to him. "Mathias! I'm sorry, but your cousin is a complete ASS! If you'll excuse me, I'm going to drop Belle off in my quarters and then I'm going to see Mom and when I'm finished, that man will be lucky if he sees an amoeba on his next mission, never mind anything else!" and with that, Sansa stomped out of the room.

Mathias scratched his head, very confused at what happened. "I thought things would be going well. What happened?" His words echoed in the empty room, as he turned and left, confused and feeling like he was going to be having words with his cousin fairly soon. It seems that Caroline disappears and everything decided to turn upside down.


OFF:

Sansa Draxx-Jones
Civilian
NPC Jones

●● Lieutenant Mathias McPhee
Chief Operations Officer
USS Merlin


●● Lieutenant Hamish Teague
Chief Science Officer
USS Merlin