Searching for a Dragon

Posted on Friday 10 December 2021 @ 19:32 by Lieutenant Liodra

Mission: First Contact
Location: Science labs
1873 words - 3.7 OF Standard Post Measure

Mathias was looking around in his belongings searching for something he was missing. It was the dragon puppet he had when he had come aboard the Merlin. With a disgruntled snarl, he re-packed his portable puppet theater not finding the dragon there. "Blast it, where was the last time I saw you, Ferdinand?" for that was the puppet dragon's name. Named by one of the children on SB308.

His mind thought back over the last time he had seen it, then it hit Mathias. The last time he had the dragon in his possession was when he had been the Chief of Science. That was how long ago? It was definitely before the time he got shot by the Klingon disruptor. Well, in his mind, that was the most logical place to start, and so he went there. Poor, poor Ferdinand. He must be lonely! Mathias chuckled at his thoughts, as he headed towards the turbo-lift to get to the science department.

Mathias arrived there, and began to search going into his old office, well it was Hamish's office now but his cousin wasn't there for now.

"Ferdinand, where are you!" he crooned out, giving a bit of a whistle as if calling for a canine.

"Lieutenant... What are you doing back here?"

Liodra had been working on the sensor scans from her shift on the bridge, trying to glean just a little more information about the incredible phenomena they had been witness to.

There was a distinct thunk and an "Ow!" Mathias had hit his head on the bottom of the desk he had been searching under. He was startled hearing another person's voice there. He crawled out from under the desk and made his way over to where Liodra was, rubbing his head. "Hello Lieutenant, sorry to have disturbed you. I am looking for my dragon, Ferdinand. He is missing, last I saw him, I was Chief of Science." Mathias gave a smile.

"Oh, I haven't seen any form of large lizard roaming about the lab!" her eyes started to scan the room to see if she could spot him. "What species, perhaps I can help you find him!"

Mathias's cheeks turned red in color, and he cleared his throat. "Well, actually there isn't a lizard roaming around the lab. It's a puppet dragon. My apologies for not being clear. I do performances for the children on SB308 via view screen. I used to do that when I served on the base." giving a smile. " They have been asking me when I would continue my puppet show with Ferdinand and I had to let them know that I had to find him. As he had gone on an exploration of where I now live. They accepted that explanation." giving a warm chuckle. "I am wondering though if he had indeed gone on an adventure without me though. I have found him in odd places from time to time. It seems some people love to try the puppet out."

"Ah!" was all the El'Aurian said wondering if the ship had a mental health facility that he might have escaped from or was he simply that eccentric!

"Well, either way, I think next time I had better just put a tracker on Ferdinand this way I can find him easier. Maybe I had put him on the uppermost shelf." walking to where there were some books were and some papers and a piece of cloth there. He reached up to bring them down, to see if somehow the dragon was up there. It was only a scrap of material. A bright green piece of paper fluttered down as he precariously made to put the books and papers into a semblance of order, his back being turned to Liodra.

The bright green paper the size of an index card fluttered down towards the floor near Liodra.

Liodra saw the card in time to scoop it directly out of his erratic descent to the deck. She turned it over in her had not having seen any paper in several centuries. It almost seemed quaint to her now but one feature caught her attention, delicate and exquisite penmanship, as if done by an old earth feather quill 'Ferdinand made his way to the Arboretum'.

"Lieutenant, I may have an answer to your missing...", she paused a moment trying to find the right words. "Friend!"

Mathias turned to look at Liodra. "You do?" his unruly red locks looking a bit more awry. "What, well how... What's the answer?" the chief of operations definitely keenly interested in this piece of news. He set down the books and papers, along with the bit of cloth upon an empty spot on the desk.

Liodra simply passed the slip of card between two of her fingers to Mathias before putting her hands behind her back and clasping them together, keenly interested in how this would unfold and still highly perplexed at why this adult was looking for a toy.

Accepting the card from Liodra, Mathias looked at what was written, getting a thoughtful expression in his eyes. Lifting his eyes to Liodra, "It looks like the game is afoot then." a slight smile lifting up the corners of his mouth. "Care to come with me on this little dragon chase?" an eyebrow-raising and having a slight tilting of his head.

"You are a peculiar man Lieutenant", was all she said as she placed her PADD down on the nearest workstation. Her decision was fueled by curiosity but also out of discomfort at allowing him to roam the ship alone should he be someone who had escaped from the Sickbay... Should she place a discreet call to Doctor Anya was also a question at the forefront of her mind! "Lead on!"

Mathias flashed a smile, "I have been told that many a time. Plus eccentric." he responded, as he headed for the Atrium. He hoped that he would find the dragon puppet there, but he also had a feeling he was going to be going on a treasure hunt. "Apparently the fame of Ferdinand has spread through the ship," he commented as the lanky redhead made his way out of the science lab to the turbo lift. "I had caught someone watching a video that I had made for the children back on SB 308." he entered into it and spoke the destination number for the lift and it went down two levels the doors opening up.

Liodra remained silent as the slender eccentric man led her on a chase around the ship. She was often someone of few words, not that she was genuinely going to be able to get many words in between Mathias' torrent of stories and anecdotes.

When the doors to the lift opened to the appropriate level Mathias stepped off to one side for Liodra to exit, then stated as he resumed his walk towards the lower Arboretum level, "Please tell me if I run off at the mouth, too much. I tend to get into story mode and I have to be reminded to just go silent for someone to get in a word edge-wise. Well, that does depend on the situation. At times I can be rather quiet." flashing a smile at Liodra before they entered into the Arboretum. This was where Mathias did go silent, he gazed about the area, for this place was one he truly loved to be inside. It was where he had first met Caroline. He wandered about half looking for the next clue and half remembering when he had met her.

"Lieutenant, my species are a race of listeners... To us, it is the height of impolite to cut someone off while telling a story!"
She then flashed a warm smile, something about her just radiated calm, dignity, and wisdom. Certainly a product of her species. The problem was she was relatively new to the Merlin and in her consideration of the Lieutenant she had stopped looking where she was going. Her foot touched something slippery and quickly lost her step, yelped, and ended up sitting in a most undignified manner in a pond!

The splash and the yelp brought Mathias out of his reverie and he immediately waded into the pond and held out his hand to assist Liodra up out of the water. "Allow me." he gallantly said, taking her hand to pull her up. Now whether it was due to him not being at the proper angle or the pesky law of Murphy deciding to hit, Mathias found himself in the water next to Liodra, setting off quite a splash having gone face-first into the water. He rolled to a sitting position wiping the water from his eyes. "Botheration!" he spluttered, spitting out some form of vegetation that had gotten in his mouth. Upon his head was a lily pad that had a flower resting there.

"Well, that was dignified... for both of us!" Liodra laughed, a melodious, mirthful sound that seemed completely in contrast to her usual reserved appearance.

Mathias looked at Liodra for a long moment, then he grinned brightly. "You have a lovely laugh Liodra." giving a laugh that resonated from his belly up to his chest. He reached up and carefully lifted the lily pad off his head and tipped it like he was wearing a hat. He then gently placed it back into the water, then he paused, exclaiming. "Eureka!" reaching over and moved aside the reeds that were there. "I have found the next clue!" pulling out a bottle that had a cork in it. Inside was a piece of paper rolled up. He tossed the bottle, softly towards the shore where it landed upon a small patch of grass. Then rose to his feet, once more offering his hand towards Liodra. "You must think me daft." pulling her upright from the water. "Shall we make our way to shore?"

She accepted his hand, the water dripping from her hair and having soaked her uniform, already it feeling cold, but her amusement at the situation couldn't be denied.
"Daft, certainly not. Quirky, definitely".

Another warm chuckle, "I most assuredly resemble that." he looked down at the sodden mess of his uniform, then looked at her. "Shall we get out of the pond and see what that clue has to say, then I think both you and I need to get into some dry clothing." carefully wading towards there was a slope which they can get of the pond. Once safely on dry land, Mathias opened up the bottle and read the message there. Once again seeing the feathery scrolling of the penmanship. The message read, "Ferdinand has decided to have dinner in the Round Table, he is waiting for you."

"Well now." Mathias remarked, "Would you like to meet Ferdinand?" turning to Liodra. "You and he may get along quite nicely." he looked once more down at his uniform. "That is after dry clothing is obtained."

END

●● Lieutenant Mathias McPhee
Chief Operations Officer
USS Merlin


●● Lieutenant Liodra
Science Officer
USS Merlin (PNPC - Doctor Anya)