Lily meets Siora

Posted on Wed Feb 23rd, 2022 @ 11:02pm by Lieutenant Lily Marlow & Lieutenant Siora Carberos

Mission: A New Beginning
Location: Mess Hall, USS Majestic
Timeline: Before Three parts make a whole
2369 words - 4.7 OF Standard Post Measure

Lily was looking through the medical records of the ship, noticing that there were a few newly arrived people. Most of them had been checked out by Lhaes, and some by her. She noticed that there was a new Chief of Operations officer and decided to go meet her. She checked with the computer to find out where Siora Carberos was at, and also checked the time. It was getting near lunch time and what better way to meet someone than during a meal break.

Siora's stomach had been rumbling like a Tark looking for its next kill. She had been in Jeffries tubes all morning replacing components and such. Don't get her wrong she could have easily gotten one of her staff to do it but she liked the intimacy of the more enclosed spaces of the ship, the internal parts of the girls she kept the lights on for and the hum she made when she powered back up parts she'd fallen asleep on.

The mess hall, her favourite second home, after her actual home, and the place where the social centre of the ship was at. There were the usual cliques, people seemed to sit very nicely with their colour coded departments. Yellow with yellow, blue with blue etc. For the moment she waited in the line getting her own meal and she kept bobbing up and down on her tip toes, a habit of hers that she never realised she did.

Lily arrived in the mess hall and scanned the area, then her eyes stopped on the person whom she was looking for. She smiled watching the Chief of Operations for a moment then made her way towards her. "You are going to find that the best chow is made here. Patrick is the chef and his cooking is divine. Just don't go into the kitchen as it is his domain." she remarked. "He is very protective of it."

"That is a brave claim to make." Siora said as she turned to see a slightly taller dark haired woman next to her in line. She took the sight of her in before a smile formed on her face. "You'll have to suggest something you like as a show of your claim, miss?" she asked.

"I'm Lily Marlow, Assistant Chief Medical officer." giving a light laugh "And the stews are really good along with his biscuits. Tres Magnifique!" kissing her fingers. "Anyway, I do know that you are Siora, the new Chief of Operations. I figured I'd see if you were here." the line was moving forward quickly enough. "So, hello" giving another laugh.

Siora went into a faux swoon and batted her eyes at Lily. "Aww, it is always nice to have such a beautiful stalker." She teased. "Especially one who knows how much I do love to eat... I have an addiction to chocolate that must be kept secret." She whispered.

'Oh so now I know how to bribe you, if I need something worked on in medical." Lily laughing. "That is very nice to know. How much have you been able to see of the ship and have you met Murphy? He's quite the engineer." the line moving forward once more. "He was pretty interesting when I first met him. He looked like he wanted to toss me out on my ear. But when he found out I loved going into engineering and had an affinity to it, he figured I was okay."

"I suspect you wouldn't need a lot to bribe me, Lily." Siora replied as she headed to the front of of line. She ordered what stew the chef was making and a chocolate sundae naturally for dessert. "I met Murphy earlier actually, he too tried to throw me out. I think he assumes those who enter the cherished domain of the warp core must be tourists on a trip." She said teasing once more as Lily ordered. "Apart from that I've seen sickbay and the bridge, captain's ready room. That kind of thing."

"I also have a massage therapy area as well." Lily remarked once she received her food. She noticed an area where they could talk quietly and not be disturbed. "Let's go have seat there." leading the way after they got their drinks. "It was set up before my friend, the last Chief Operations officer had left." giving a slight sigh. "she had to leave unexpectedly. And we had become friends pretty quickly. And then it ended quickly as well. I don't blame her though that Adna station was enough to send people running away."

Siora made a mental note of that massage area for later. She usually needed that after spending time bending over relays, and on her knees fixing conduits. Was a mucky business keeping the power regulated on a ship.

"Oh, I'm sorry they left. I'm not trying to replace anyone. Although I am not familiar with the story of Adna station but if it makes anyone leave their post it must not be a nice one." Siora said with a hint of remorse. "There are many things in life that are sent to test us." Her own with the Borg was enough for her first 200 years of life, that was for sure.

"I 'm not worried about you replacing her, as you have your own personality and your own wisdom. Adna Station was a station run completely by holograms. And the AI that ran the station had gone insane. So much so that the safety features were barely on. It appeared that people had died but didn't. It was horrific." Lily giving a bit of a shudder at the memory of Lhaes being attacked by that Vampire and disappearing.

"That does sound rather disturbing." Siora admitted. "No offense but I am glad I was not on this ship when that happened. Holograms can be unpredictable if their programming exceeds their limits. I have heard of that before but never seen it."

"Well thankfully it wasn't exactly on the ship but that station. It took a huge team effort to take down that AI. And the station has been shut down and a group had gone to help clean up the mess." Lily stated. "The AI wanted to become a real person. She was wanting to get DNA and make a body." Lily shuddered.

Siora nodded as she listened. "It is kind of sad in a way. Almost like your Earth's Pinocchio and wanting to be a real boy... a hologram that wants to be a real person." she said in a sort of wistful way as she saw Lily's head pivot. "Oh, I am not for one second condoning what they did. It is sad on all sides, but I can imagine the sadness that comes with wanting to exceed expectations and not meeting them."

"I agree, but it was certainly quite frightening to say the least, to experience it first hand. Commander Aldrich as well as Commander Murphy did a great job in dealing with the troubles that we'd been facing. Every last crew member did marvelous." Lily giving a smile, before she started eating.

"Oh I am sure they did great! I had heard this crew was good before I transferred here. Already I feel made at home by most I've encountered." She added taking a bite of her stew. "Quite a friendly bunch."

"Yes they are, they looked at me like I was strange as I had offered fresh fruit from my family's farms and orchard. It was quite entertaining in seeing their reactions when I offered the fruit." Lily giving a laugh. "I still have some if you are interested. I've got them in stasis to keep them fresh."

"Oh I love fresh fruit! What kind of things do you have?" Siora asked quite enthusiastically leaning in.

"Apples, red, yellow and green plus some pinks. Along with some peaches and nectarines. Also have oranges, lemons, limes and some tangerines. My Aunt has the citrus orchard, my parents have the other orchard. Its been fun being able to just enjoy having some fruit from my home." Lily remarked with a bright smile. "If you'd like some of them, we can go to my quarters and I can give you some of the fruit."

"Wow, sounds like you brought the whole orchard with you." Siora laughed softly. "Oh, inviting me to quarters already... and we haven't even had dessert yet." She joked as her eyes lit up over her definition of fruit in that instance. "But yes, I think I'd like some."

Lily stared at Siora being confused for a moment then it dawned on her and she laughed, "Only to get some fruit I am not going to seduce you. " She ate more of her food, "and yes I sort of brought the orchard. My family were rather insistent."

"Shame... I like a little seduction here and there." Siora said as she absentmindedly stirred her fork in a circular motion. Her imagination got a bit of the better of her, as it often did, and she shook her head a little to come back to reality as Lily spoke. "Parents like to look out for their children I suppose. I mean, they are making sure you at least eat a little healthily by making you bring it with you."

Lily smiled, "Well, that is true, my mother is a doctor of natural medicines. Homeopathic as well as Oriental Medicine. And I also have a degree in that regard along with acupressure and acupuncture. Plus shiatsu and reflexology. And there is also aromatherapy to." Lily broke up some of her roll she had gotten and crumbled it into the stew, stirring it around, then took a bite of it, and added a light dash of salt to it along with some pepper. Then she tasted it again. " Sometimes I like to add more salt to the stew."

Siora nodded as Lily spoke. Sounded like she was good with her hands and had a good knack for helping people relax. "Acupuncture, that the one with all those needles you stick in you body?" she asked as she watched Lily sprinkle some more salt into her food. "Nothing wrong with spicing things up a bit."

Lily looked up from her stew and laughed, "Well yes, those needles that are the thickness of a hair or even thinner. I've been told that when I put the needles in, they can't be felt when going in. And that is a good thing. If it hurts then it is being done wrong. Tell me what sort of hobbies you are into?"

"Well not getting jabbed with hair-like needles." Siora said with a little shiver up her spine. The image she had in her head was one of torture, even though she knew it was meant to be therapeutic. "I like Il'ea, it is a form of yoga I have learnt and it keeps me flexible and relaxed all in one nice pink haired package. I love to read, properly read. No PaDDS but books and paper, history fascinates me. Like did you know that your Earths Napoleon was once attacked by a horde of bunnies?" she looked at her in shock. "I mean those little cute big eared things?" she shook her head with a small laugh.

"I remember reading something like that, I don't quite remember how that happened. Such strangeness. I do like books as well, the ones you hold in your hands, and can smell the paper in it. I'lea yoga? I would love for you to show me that. I can even take you to my massage therapy room. Its pretty lovely." Lily responded. "And I promise I won't make you have acupuncture needles at all." giving a smile.

"Yes, there is something about the tactile touch of a book, the smell of its pages. It is almost as good as the stories and facts the books hold." Siora almost gleamed. "I think I'd like that, on both counts. Showing you the yoga and going to your massage therapy room. I have been told I carry the weight of the Gods on my back sometimes and as long as there are no needles present then I am happy."

"Its a deal." Lily replied. "I still have to unpack my books, I've just not gotten around to them as of yet. I have to decide if I want a makeshift wall to make myself a book cubby hole with a comfy chair or... just have a mini library/cave for me to retreat into. Still trying to come up with ideas."

"I like the mini cave idea. Somewhere cosy to hide away in, soundproof so no-one can bother you. Candlelight reading is honestly so relaxing that sometimes I am glad that I use holo-candles." Siora leant in a bit and whispered. "Sometimes I fall asleep with them on... did that once with real candles. Quite a mess."

Lily's lips went into an 'O' shape, "I've done that, and yes it can be a mess. I will say holo-candles are much more safer. I'll have to get your input then in working out a design." giving a brilliant smile. "You know come to think of it, I haven't even gone to look to see if there is a library on this ship. My brain must have been scrambled after that incident with that Adna station."

"Well how about we finish up here and go hunt down some books?" Siora asked.

"I am all for that, hey an adventure upon the ship, nice!" Lily responded with a laugh. She then proceeded to finish up her food in anticipation of exploring the library.

Siora rose from her seat almost at warp speed. It made her a little dizzy if she was honest, which was an achievement for someone of such small stature... not a lot of places for the blood to rush quickly. She extended her hand towards Lily. "Let's go book hunting!" she said, her eyes alight with excitement.

Lily took her hand, feeling like a kid getting ready to explore with a friend. "Yes let's do this." laughing. She was looking forward to this exploration.