Making Friends?

Posted on Thu Jul 26th, 2018 @ 12:42am by Commander Abigail Prescott & Commander M'Mira
Edited on on Mon Sep 3rd, 2018 @ 3:43pm

3,124 words; about a 16 minute read

Mission: Mission 1: The Return to Faltan
Location: Transporter Room
Timeline: MD02 - 1100

Mint wandered into yet another dusty room and peered around. This one had little to no lighting, which meant until she let her eyes adjust, Mint could see only what was illuminated from the hallway behind her. There wasn't much to see, a few dusty consoles and an old PADD balancing on the end of one. She wondered who was using that PADD and if they had forgotten to bring it with them when they left.

Mint reached forward to pick up the PADD, but the door closed behind her and she could no longer see where it was. Instead of grabbing it, she sent it crashing to the floor. 'Stupid... why didn't you turn on the lights first?' She mentally berated herself while her ears still rang from the sudden noise of the PADD hitting the floor.

The Captain had told M’Mira to check the transporter logs. And so, she did.... She went through line by line, scanning for any abnormalities or tampering with the transporter or their records. There was only so much of this that a sane Caitan could take. And, she had already spent the morning before the Captain had arrived inventorying the station and cleaning up. Of course, she also needed to thoroughly sterilize and clean the chair she had curled into a ball upon and promptly fell asleep.

She was not certain when she dozed off, but she was certain about the noise that woke her and sent her springing from her chair. M’mira Looked around in the darkness, her eyes focusing on the intruder. Annoyed, she hissed, “Who are you and what are you doing here? And do not think you can hide from me. I see you clearly.”

Mint froze at the voice. It was definitely a Caitian, that she was sure of. "Sorry, I didn't expect the door to close so fast," she held up her arms to show she meant to harm. "Commander Abigail Prescott, Executive Officer....and Chief Engineering officer temporarily," she said hoping she was facing the other woman. "Oh, sod this. Computer, lights to half, please."

Once the lights slowly came up, Mint finally got a look at the Caitian woman. "Ah, there you are..." she smiled. "And who might you be?"

If she ruined one of my nails, I shall be most put out. M'Mira slowly arched her head to one side and then stretched to the other. The effect was a combination of inquisitive and sensual. "Commander?" She approached the slightly taller woman cautiously, her pupils contracting in time with the lights. Looking at Mint, she noticed that she was young, possibly younger than M'Mira was. Her eyes narrowed as she inspected the Commander more closely - muscular and attractive.

M'Mira's hair started to rise. There was something about this woman.... Something wrong. Something she did not like. She gave a wide grin, her canines showing. "I am Commander M'Mira. Chief of Operations, 2XO. You are my superiorrr officer. How may I be of assistance?"

Mint noticed the subtle change from inquisitive to almost hostile and gritted her teeth. The toothy grin didn't help the situation. 'Great, this isn't going to end well,' she thought bitterly. "Well, seeing as I was just exploring, I do not require assistance. You can go back to whatever you were doing when I arrived." She tried hard to seem nonchalant, but her demeanor gave away that she'd picked up on the Caitian's disdain.

"Did the Captain not inform you of the situation?" M'Mira asked suspiciously. What is it about this woman? Something's off. Then it occurred to her, it was the pheremones of desire, of sex. Surely she does not wish to breed with me. She audibly sniffed the air again, the smell becoming more and more pungent.

Mint noticed M'Mira sniffing the air and mentally checked herself. She realized she was letting of more pheromones than normal and bit off a sigh of frustration before regaining control of her body. 'I must be nearing a heat,' she thought bitterly before going back to the conversation at hand. "He did, however, I figured I would explore the area to see what I could find the 'old fashioned' way. And, so I could familiarize myself with the station."

“I see,” M’Mira answered skeptically. “I was here before the Captain and you. Would you like me to give you the tour?” She paused for a moment and remembered herself, “sir? I am more than certain you will see a great sea of my footsteps in this,” she flicked her claws disgustedly, “filth.”

Mint nodded. "I do not want to intrude on your work, if you're busy, I can show myself around," she smiled and looked around. "I'm sure we'll get this filth cleaned up quickly. As for your footsteps, I assumed the administrative staff left before the dust settled, therefore I wouldn't expect to see their footsteps in the grime. However, things left laying around, like the PADD I knocked over, could be of some use."

You don't want to intrude on my work. But is that not what you just did by entering? Unbelievable! "I was sorting through the transporter logs for clues. I also was gathering medical data on the staff that was here before us. However, I do not mind stretching my legs." To emphasize her point, she stretched out one hairy leg in a beguiling maneuver that emphasized her sinewy frame. Her tail swished behind her, purposefully, almost as if it was daring Mint to try and out-attractive its owner.

Mint raised an eyebrow. She'd never met a Caitian who acted quite like this before. "Right, well," she said after a moment. "Having a guide is always nice," she gave an uncertain smile, "I do tend to get lost in new places until I learn the lay of the land, so to speak." Still feeling uneasy, Mint turned toward the door, hoping the Caitian didn't try anything. But then she turned back, as if realizing something. "Oh, and I really like your nail colour, it really makes them pop!" Mint gave a genuine grin, hoping her theory was right.

Curiously, M'Mira tilted her head to one side and then the other. Well, perhaps there is some hope for this smelly human after all. A contented purr escaped from her before she could stop it. She was supposed to not like Mint, right? Cooing, she replied. "Rrrreally?" She held out a paw, extending her painted nails for Mint to see better. "It is a ruby red. I had considered wearing a blackberry red but I did not think that the silver star accents would work as well. What do you think?" she asked curiously.

"Hmm, yeah, the ruby does allow the silver to stand out," Mint examined the nails closer. "Oooh, my sister adores painted nails and has a large collection of designs. She sends me them despite the fact that I'm hopeless at painting my nails. Would you like them?"

This human is not so bad and she doesn't smell as badly anymore. Why was it that I disliked her again? M'Mira's head moved slowly and showed that she was much more intrigued. "Yes.... Yes, I would. Thank you," she purred. "Perrrrhaps I could paint your nails for you. Would you like that?"

Mint grinned, her theory had been correct. This Caitian was definitely a diva and she knew exactly how to talk to them, her sister was quite similar in personality. "Sure, that would be fun," she nodded. "By the way, you can call me Mint when we're off duty," she stepped through the door and into the light of the hallway. "Shall we start that tour now?"

"Cerrrrtainly," M'Mira purred. "Mint, why...?" She stopped as the corridor's light poured over Abigail. "Are you sick? Your skin is...." She thought about the scent again and combined it with the odd shading of skin of Mint's skin. "You're not human, are you?" M'Mira's ears perked up and her head abruptly cocked slightly. "You're something else. Your scent...."

Mint watched the dawning realization cross the Caitian's face and only then did she remember that the feline-like species didn't see colours as well as Humans. "I'm half human, half Orion," she practically spat the last work but contained her emotions. "I'm sorry if my pheromones are bothering you, they get harder to control when I'm nearing a heat cycle," she admitted.

The grin returned. This time, something she did with her lips made it friendly rather than menacing. "You have overcome your unfortunate heritage. I accept your apology. Genetics are what they are." She made a dismissive gesture with her right paw. "I will have to talk to medical and see what they can do to assist in this situation. It would not do for us to have issues working together. Do you agree?"

"Fully," Mint grinned as well. "I shall speak with medical as well, I will see if there is anything on my end I can do to ease the issue. After all, I don't want to suddenly be in hot water because my pheromones are having an undesired effect on," the look on her face was now conspiratory, and she giggled before finishing her sentence, "... certain crew members."

M'Mira's head nearly tilted upside down as she wondered about which crew members, Mint was particularly referring. Clearly the intent was not malicious as Mint giggled. Her head rose back to a 45 degree angle tilt from her right shoulder. "I think that would certainly make you the most popular being on the station. I would say that is an unfair advantage. But, that being said, there's so few of worthy quality. Quantity makes it more difficult, I think." She sighed and inspected a claw. "Never found one, yet, worth my undivided attention."

Mint nodded though she didn't fully understand the Caitian. "I have trouble choosing just one person to give undivided attention," she admitted. "However, I try to keep my pheromones in check so I don't become the object of men's desire and women's hatred. It's a constant struggle, one that's gained me more trouble than anything else in this life. I don't understand why I get so much malice, it's not like I chose to be half Orion, or even that my mother chose my father," she stopped and shook her head. "Sorry, sore subject that usually leads me down a venty path..."

Curiosity got the best of the Caitan, "Feel free to vent. I find your story fascinating."

"Maybe another time," Mint sighed, she just didn't want to get into her life story with someone she'd only just met, and especially with someone she'd end up working with a lot. "For now, let's just check out this rust bucket and see if we can find any clues to the admin team's disappearance."

M'Mira's ears peaked as much as her curiosity. She simply had to find out what this story was. Sidling up to Mint, her tail flicking interestedly, M'Mira said, "More like a dust bucket, than rrrrust bucket. So many things here just need to be cleaned, sanitized and rrrepaired. It is appalling how this place was kept." She sniffed in disgust. "The first thing that I did was have my team start cataloging and then cleaning operations. From there, we might be able to determine the extent of damage."

"As an engineer, I feel the need to dive into the repairs," Mint admitted, "but I thought I should learn the layout of the station first. Also, being Executive Officer and temporary Chief of Engineering is going to take some getting used to." She tried to keep the topic on the station and not her life. "So how long have you been here?"

"I have been here only a few hours since before the Captain arrived. And, Commander, while I am certain that you are an admirrrable engineer, I am more than certain that you have more pressing duties. If required, I could see to your stations immediately, unless you wanted to tackle those on your own."

M'Mira, however, would not allow the previous conversation to drop. "So, are you distrrressed that you were born? Or you would preferrrr to be of another species, like a Caitan?" she asked before laughing. Her laugh sounded half a hiss and the other half like a cough.

Mint sighed and tried hard not to groan. "No, I just wish I didn't have to deal with the pheromones," she licked her lips quickly, moistening the now cracking surface of them. "Like I mentioned earlier, they've caused more trouble for me than anything else. See, the pheromones cause most females to hate me, and I don't know if you know what human females are like, but they're not all sweet and flowery when they're angry at you. I've had some pretty nasty rumours spread about me and how I've managed to advance in my career so quickly. They don't see all the hard work I've put in. No, they choose to say that I've only advanced because I've used my body and pheromones to get further than them."

She flipped her hair over her shoulders in annoyance at the subject. "Look, I really don't want to talk about it all right now," she sounded sad more than anything else. "All that stuff? That's the reason I literally jumped at coming out to a derelict station to help rebuild. I practically demanded I get a position here. As for my stations, I will see to them myself. No need to spread your people and the engineers here thin when I am fully capable of setting things right myself. Besides, it'll make me feel more useful."

"I know human females," M'Mira said laughing. "I cannot understand why they are referred to as catty, as they lack any such qualities." Her purrs indicated a high level of amusement. "I know you desire the subject dropped, but have you used your body and pheromones to get ahead? Does it really matter? Do you dislike who you are?"

The Caitan shook her head. "I think you should own yourself, not let others own you. Be who you are. I would never be anyone else," she purred happily.

"No, I haven't, and it does in a way matter," Mint frowned. "My actions, my accomplishments are completely undermined by these false rumours."

"Fools will always be fools," M'Mira told Mint. "You cannot hope to educate those that do not wish it." She shrugged and said, "And, if they get too bad, I'll just claw their eyes out. Would that be sufficient?" To emphasize the point, she flexed out her left paw and made a clawing action. Her nails, though printed, looked as if the red nail polish would hide the blood of a human if one of those sharp claws even lazily connected with skin.

Mint snorted trying to not laugh too loudly. "I don't think it's their eyes that cause the problem," she giggled, "but they're probably easier to destroy than their pheromone receptors."

"Well, they are rrrrather stinky," M'Mira admitted. "I think I have found my nickname for you." She snorted.

"If you call me Stinky," Mint warned playfully, "I'll keep the nail designs to myself."

The Caitan's eyes grew big in mock horror, "You wouldn't!"

"Try me," Mint laughed at the Caitian's reaction, it was even better than she'd expected. "And that goes for any variation of the word," she teased.

"I can see that you'rrrre nobody to be trifled with, Mint." She stuck out a tongue at the Commander. "Glad you'rrre on our side."

Again, Mint laughed. "Well," she shrugged. "I did learn some tricks over the years," she stopped at a junction and looked around. "So, promise not to call me by any insulting name, and I'll promise to deliver those designs."

"I perrrsonally thought it was cute, but if you insist...." She exhaled a deep breath. "Do you see something interrresting?" M'Mira asked when she noticed Mint looking around. "Most of the station is the same. Dust, debris, and disgusting. I do not see sleeping for weeks."

"I don't think it was cute," Mint raised an eyebrow and shrugged at the question. "No, I see lots of similar corridors, but plenty of potential. And of course lots of dirt."

"We'll have to work on your accepting terms of endearment," M'Mira concluded before returning to the subject of the status of the station. "Disgusting, isn't it? This seems like an inordinate amount in the time that the others have lost contact. What, six months, did the Captain say it was?"

"Six weeks," Mint corrected. "Which is even worse of a timeline for this level of grime to develop. Deepens the mystery, that's for sure."

Nodding, M'Mira agreed. "It almost makes you wonder how a jungle did not grow in here too." Hoping that Mint understood M'Mira's sense of humor, she continued. "Do you think it was possible that they never actually used the station and were responding from elsewhere? Even so, why would they do that?" A low growl erupted from her vocal chords. "Nothing makes sense about any of this."

"Hah, I think this dust choked out any other life," Mint teased. "And you can say that again! I do not like the possibilities this level of decay suggests."

Hastily, M'Mira checked her nails. The enamel did not seem to have worn off or decay in any way. "Odd. I will solve this mystery if it is the last thing that I do," M'Mira swore. "My curiosity is peaked. So, shall I show you to your office, so you can get working on your own cleaning or was there something more that you would like to see?"

"Well," Mint thought for a moment. "I'm actually quite curious to see the Engineering Hub. I will eventually get to my office."

"As good of a place as any to start," M'Mira said smiling, her canines gleaming. "In the Academy, I specialized in that and science. I could not decide which I preferrred." The word "preferred" came out sounding like "purrrferrred."

"Get out!" Mint laughed heartily. "I specialized in engineering with a sub-specialty in science! I knew I wanted to be an engineer like my dad, but I also thoroughly enjoyed the sciences!"

"This is why we are going to best friends," she growled affectionately. "My specialty in science was physics. You can look it up. We just were meant to be."

Mint grinned at M'Mira. "This is going to be a lot better than I anticipated! Shall we go see the engineering hub?"

"Absolutely!"

 

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