Worlds Apart part 1

Posted on Sat Apr 8th, 2023 @ 11:50pm by Petty Officer, 3rd Class Lottie Daglish & Ziu'Liherasefra

Mission: Sojurn
Location: Relea
Timeline: Day 333
3370 words - 6.7 OF Standard Post Measure

It had been a gig that had started as several weeks and slowly cemented into months on end, not necessarily through any sense of choice though an opportunity to accumulate currency certainly hadn't gone astray. Ship upgrades came with a hefty price-tag and mistakes could end up costly. Then the festival had begun its slow and insidious domination of everything and the expected spike in tourism had created a fervour in the market that had permitted a renegotiation of terms. I'll leave next week had become a standard mantra that had started over three weeks ago.

As she went through the motions of packing away her inuli into its case, Hera didn't pay much heed to the slow exodus of patrons who were moving from the meal portion of their evening in search of the night's frivolities. Some would branch off towards the theatrical precinct in search of a live show, others would opt for the hustle and bustle of bright neon over near the casino and surrounding nightclubs. The more sedate would head towards the art and culture pavilion to peruse the galleries and museums, or seek refuge in the vast library that surrounded the Central Archives. Some would simply head home. One thing the musician had learned early in her rounds of the planet was that the festival brought with it behaviour that wasn't customary during the rest of the year. Almost everyone ate-out, the prospect of staying shut away indoors seemed almost sacrilegious if she was reading the nuances correctly. Now that visitors had started to arrive, it was hard to imagine this was ever a metropolis that maintained a fairly mellow buzz the rest of the year. She'd already overheard some new arrivals claim an intent to stay awake until they fell over.

With the harp-guitar securely locked away, Hera turned to survey the rest of the stage, conscientious enough to want to leave it ready for whoever was booked for the morning session. Swinging the case onto her back, she stepped off the stage and wandered over to the bar. A drink and then she could decide what the rest of her night was going to look like.

Lottie had been stood up by the only marine she could stomach most the time but that was okay the woman was not getting another chance. So she decided to stay and listened to what this world considered music as part of her growing need to explore more about the universe other than patching up people. She was just about to leave when she turned and bumped in someone coming towards the bar in her haste to escape. “I am so sorry.” Lottie explained quickly.

Tired and hungry, Hera found herself in need of a deep breath before she could relax into an appropriate response. The apology seemed heartfelt, after all, and it was hardly one stranger's fault that the entertainment hadn't managed a meal before serenading others through theirs. "No harm done," she reassured with a smile, reaching out with a hand to touch the other woman's elbow. "Are you okay though? I've dropped this case on my foot enough to know how hard it is." The words tumbled out effortlessly and, now committed to the exchange, Hera visibly relaxed, her disposition falling in-tune with the cadence of her tone.

“I am tougher than I look. Have to be in medical.” The nurse assured quickly looking down at the hand on hers before glancing at the case. “You are the woman on the stage? I was facing the bar but I listened.” Lottie revealed that she had been there at the bar not one of the many people eating. Not that she thought it made much of a difference but the music had been beautiful and why she had stayed when she had been stood up.

Easing the large case onto the ground to rest between her feet, Lihera studied the other woman's face as she considered her answer, an impression of distractedness that eventually gave way to a faint smile tinged with approval. "Listening is all that's required, I hope you enjoyed it." Staring a moment longer, an intensity of scrutiny that didn't appear to bother the woman's sense of social decorum at all, a pair of delicate eyebrows hitched upwards. "I don't think I've seen you around here before." Which was, admittedly, a stretch. Hera had hardly memorised the faces of every single tourist but she was acquainted with the species who tended to make the journey. There was something familiar about this woman, whose features were not overtly dissimilar to her own, but her accent was entirely foreign. An indication that the translation protocols were working overtime. "I'm Hera."

“Petty Officer Lottie Daglish… Earth Starfleet.” Lottie said smiling as she shook her head. “First time on this planet let alone this place. I was meant to be meeting someone but she stood me up.” She shrugged at that part of her story. It was not the first time and she was pretty sure it was not the last. “I did enjoy it. Why I stayed… comforting.” Was all she good sum up how she felt about it.

None of the woman's explanation meant anything to Hera, which instantly made her the most interesting person in the room. The openness also helped, being entirely reminiscent of the Ziu'ni's tendency to 'overshare', whatever that meant. "I'm not sure they serve fools here anyway," she replied, an ostentatious compliment to accompany the quirk of her lips. With a nod towards the bar, Hera added, "I was about to have a drink, you're more than welcome to join me. I'd love to hear how you got here, it's not very often the Realians are visited by entirely new species these days."

Lottie laughed at calling the marine she had been meeting a fool. She very well might be right about it but it was shame as Lottie had thought there had been a connection. “You might be right. Maybe why she never turned up.” Lottie looked around for a moment before she shrugged. “Sure why not. Got no where else to be now.” She admitted with a shrug. It was not often she for a night off let alone more time where she could just go with the flow.

Hefting the case up and holding it against her chest, Hera moved to the final two seats against the wall and leaned her inuli against it out of the way. A passing greeting in fluent Realian hinted at her familiarity with not only the planet, but the establishment and its staff, and when she nodded and slipped into one of the seats, it seemed to be an agreement of sorts over a suggestion of drinks. The proof arrived very quickly in the form of two tall glasses filled to the brim with a shimmering, iridescent liquid that turned from blue to green to purple depending on how the light hit it. The planet's signature cocktail.

"So, what is an Earth Starfleet then?" A sip through a straw was just the soothing ice-cold numbness that Hera's throat had been screaming for. She turned to face her new acquaintance, perched in a way that their knees almost touched as the live music was replaced by synthesized mood music through the overhead speakers. It was just loud enough to enforce intimacy, which was entirely intentional given the switch over in timeframes.

The familiar clicks of Realian were almost soothing in the way that they were familiar like almost dolphin clicks but unless translation units dotted around the place allowed it did not allow them to be understood in Earth standard. It was bizarre and no one could work it out from the Captain to Diaz could work it out. Lottie wore jeans and a nice top with her work boots seeing the only other pair of shoes she could fine were trainers which in her opinion did not look nice as they were her exercise shoes for running deck E. It gave her a less elegant look to everyone else but it stood out for being different. “Earth is my planet and Starfleet is the organisation that came together to explore the universe.” It was the easiest way to explain it all.

The look of startled astonishment on Hera's face was expressive without slipping into pantomime. Oddly enough, her stage presence had been far more soothing, which made sense given the music she'd been employed to provide. Here, allowed to step into a more typical guise, she was animated and curious and already several sips through her drink. "So you're an explorer? You're here with others then?" She lifted her hand and then dropped an index finger as comprehension dawned. "The person you were waiting for, I take it."

“Yeah, her and 70 or so others. We did not end up wanting to be explorers but we are. Very lucky that the Realians have offered us help to get our ship back into action. But what about you? You are not Realian?” Lottie said turning the storytelling back on the woman as she took a sip from the drink. It was a strange combination of sweet and sour in her mouth all at the same time.

"Oh enu, no."

It was not as silly a question as some might assume, not when it was quite common across the sector for planets to house more than one endemic sentient species. Her own had several, distinct from each other yet as native as the next. It became a common mistake for others to believe something similar of this planet because so many used it as a central port, and others had chosen to settle here for the business opportunities. True Realians were one species alone, however, and Hera didn't have the clammy skin or large, liquid eyes to qualify.

"My home planet is several systems away, I haven't been back in a bit over a year now. I don't know that you could call me an explorer, I tend to just bounce around until I run out of funds and wind up back here." Eyes a current shade of vivid lavender studied the human's features intently. This time, she caught herself staring and, whilst she didn't make any effort to stop, she at least addressed it. "Sorry, I'm just trying to wrap my head around how familiar you look. You've probably noticed," Hera added, amused, "That the species around here tend towards the more unique in appearance."

“Familiar story. It’s the way of a lot of travellers.” It was a story that was similar to any of the ones back on Earth when people travelled. It was most likely one of the oldest stories in the universe of how people moved around or stayed where they were. Lottie found herself running her tongue along her teeth to check there was nothing there when the woman explained her staring. “Everyone seems unique for sure. But a lot of our allies in Earth Starfleet are similar looking or at least what we call humanoid shaped.” She shrugged and smiled.

"I've just been dealing with Odekans for too long probably." It was a vague and entirely unhelpful explanation but it was all the human was getting. Instead, Hera smiled around another sip and concluded, "It's certainly not a complaint anyway." Direct eye contact remained her preference. "You're definitely stunning enough that whoever stood you up had better either be dead or booked in for personality maintenance." An attempt not to laugh with a mouthful saw Hera hunch up for a moment, the back of her finger pressed to her mouth and she reached out with her other hand to lightly touch Lottie's arm. "I'm sorry, that's rude. It's a shame your spouse didn't show."

The woman raised an eyebrow at the word Odekan but said nothing more around it when it seemed like it was something that was not going to translate properly and was either going to get herself into trouble or just end the conversation. At the word spouse the nurse nearly spat out her own drink but quickly swallowed it and laughed at what had to be the translation unit not translating properly. “Spouse? Oh… goodness no. Friend with benefits possibly but no, not spouse.” Lottie explained quickly before making a face at the phrase friends with benefits. It was describing herself as not the best representation of her species or ship.

Unlike Lottie, Hera's trust in the Realian communication infrastructure didn't leave her pondering gaps in language translation, though she was perhaps lending it a little too much credit for adapting to an entirely new language so swiftly. Her interest was more sparked by what she perceived to be cultural nuances, specifically those that were vastly different to her own or, better yet, entirely reminiscent. Amusement rendered her eyes a softer lilac as Hera pieced together what she assumed was a decently accurate interpretation. "And yet a little less of the friend right now, and rather lacking in...benefits." The Ziu'ni took another sip of her drink. "Still, I shouldn't be so judgmental, it's something I'm trying to work on."

Mostly, she was just trying to soak in the familiarity of the woman's features, the contrasting duskiness of her complexion amidst a world of blues and greys, and attempt to process the fact that this stranger from a place far enough away that Hera had never heard of it was probably the most beautiful woman she'd seen in months. The musician certainly wasn't against the idea of an attractive race putting in an appearance.

"So, if this is your first time here, do you know anything about the planet at all? Or the system, or the sector for that matter? How far have you travelled?"

When the friends with benefits was put like that the woman shrugged a little - it was a honest rendition of what was happening. “Not in the slightest. We were several systems over when a Realian ship came across us coming into the sector. We were brought here as our ship fell out of warp by the Realians to fix somewhere stable.” Lottie admitted turning her gaze away from the woman to consider the drink again. It was creating a heightened sensation of confusion in her mouth to say the least. She was not sure she would have another but it was a good thing to try different things. “We got lost in space nearly a year ago. We’re from a world a long way from here.”

Typically speaking, the ebb and flow of a Ziu'ni woman's metachrosis was subtle, with each possessing a certain colour palate that became either saturated or muted depending on intent. Hera had always been unusual in that she manipulated a fuller spectrum, able to dabble in most hues though she typically defaulted to the fair pastels. Her hair, unless she chose otherwise, shifted between white-blonde and shades of diluted magenta whilst her eyes were a natural shade of unusual periwinkle blue that adjusted the levels of purple to suit her mood. The ombre that occurred during a shift was striking, though not always easy to notice unless a person knew to watch for it specifically. In Hera's case, her penchant for direct eye contact tended to make it a simpler task, and as it happened, when she was deeply invested in her own curiosity, her palate rippled in a way that was very difficult to disguise. In her astonishment, she forgot that the effect could be confusing to those who had never encountered her people, too swept up by the notion of meeting someone whose homeworld was a long way away from here.

Hera had opinions about experiencing the parts of the universe that were a long way away from here.

"What happened?", she eventually breathed, her investment in the woman's story entirely sincere despite the overt expressiveness of her reaction. "How did you make it out this far to get lost if none of you intended to explore?"

“Your… eyes and hair?” Lottie could not hide her own expression or astonishment at the sudden shift that she stumbled through her words. “What… how? It’s beautiful…” Lottie nearly reached out to touch the woman’s hair before she remembered herself.

A dimple appeared, Hera's smile deepening rather than taking any offense to the compliment, or the intrusion on her personal space. There was still a hint of sheepishness to her realisation, however, though she promptly dealt with it by concentrating to replicate the sweep from dusky pink hair to almost-white. "It's something female Ziu'ni are born capable of. I can do it on purpose but it also tends to happen when I get distracted." She regarded the human with bold frankness. "And you are very distracting. It's not every day I get to meet exotic beauties from far away lands." Her tone was teasing though her admiration was palpable.

“Thank you.” Lottie blushed deeply and looked away to look around a little before she looked back at the now white haired woman. She was not complimented often let alone the word exotic or beauties used. It was an unusual place to be. “It’s a nice ability to have. So Ziu'ni is your species hmm?” She wondered not able to stop herself from at least asking that.

Hera laughed softly as she nodded. "Yes, I suppose I didn't make that clear. This is very novel," she added. "Most of the time, I only meet people who are familiar with other travellers. I come from Aona, the largest planet in the Su'kna system." Pale blue eyes scanned the air for other details that might be pertinent. "The Odekans I mentioned are another local race, they live in our mountains. Big horns, smushed-in faces." Her dimple reappeared, delight at the prospect of speaking with someone who knew nothing about any of what was so easy to take for granted gifting the Ziu'ni a writhing sense of enthusiasm. She squirmed in her seat and finished off her drink in one long gulp. "You must be finding everything so overwhelming. It's easy to forget just how much history and culture the Realians collect."

“Just a little bit. My species have only had contact with other species for the last 80 years. We only just became warp capable in 2063.” So much had changed in that time but it was hard to imagine how different life was from then. So many advancements and improvements to everyone’s life. “But I am enjoying the exploration of this world. Some very interesting characters.” She said smiling more at the woman watching her finish her drink.

"Then let's make sure that doesn't stop." Reaching across to set her glass within easy reach of the passing staff, Hera slipped from her stool in a way that left her standing very close and, given the height of the seating, put her close to eye level. The dip of her eyes took in several key details of Lottie's features before she grinned slowly and leaned forward to combat the sudden increase in music volume. "Come out with me. We can do whatever you want, there are some great dance clubs along the entertainment strip, or we can find a live show, or just sit and talk more."

Lottie considered it for a moment before nodding. “Is my outfit suitable for where you want to take me though?” Lottie had not actually dressed for partying or anything other than meeting someone and heading back to hotel room that they had been given.

The slow rake of Hera's gaze to consider the question resulted in an expression that pulled no punches. "I think you look great," she grinned, turning to pick up her instrument case again. "But I need to drop this off at my place anyway, if you want you can check out my wardrobe and freshen up." Pausing for a moment in contemplation, Hera then reached out her free hand with wriggled fingers, an invitation. "Let's go find some fun."