First notes of Friendship

Posted on Sat Jul 6th, 2024 @ 11:36pm by Lieutenant JG Camelia Zamfir & Lieutenant JG Vanya Karolyi

Mission: A Day In The Life
Location: somewhere on the ship.
1916 words - 3.8 OF Standard Post Measure

ON

From a spot somewhere on the ship, violin music could be heard playing. The melodic notes of a tune from Phantom of the Opera wafted its way through the air. The song being played was 'Think of me'. The player of the music had her eyes closed as the bow danced over the strings, while her fingers moved pressing down to formulate the tune.

Vanya was aware of Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber, but she preferred Puccini. Even more, Sherlock Holmes playing Puccini. But she was curious to learn who was playing. She decided to use her hearing only to track down the player rather than just ask the computer and began to triangulate the location.

The music continued to play then a voice of sweet pure sound began to sing.

"You were once my one companion
You were all that mattered
You were once a friend and father
Then my world was shattered

Wishing you were somehow here again
Wishing you were somehow near
Sometimes it seemed, if I just dreamed
Somehow you would be here

Wishing I could hear your voice again
Knowing that I never would
Dreaming of you won't help me to do
All that you dreamed I could "

The singing stopped when a slight shriek of a note being played wrong upon the violin. "Blast it!" came a frustrated feminine voice.

A blonde female wearing a green tee shirt and jeans, sat upon the floor with her back against a wall, she had her forearms supported by her knees, her hands dangling over, one hand still holding the bow. Her head was hanging down low, she was just sitting there.

Vanya was coming down the corridor when she heard the sour note and smiled. Mistakes were something every performer learned to deal with as perfection was often illusive. And seldom during practice.

She slipped silently through the door and observed the woman on the floor for a moment. "That was very nice. Thank you."

Camelia slowly raised her head to look at the unknown person. "Thank you." she tilted her head to one side, "What's your name? My name is Camelia Zamfir." she stated, "I am part of the operations team, a lieutenant junior grade. " she moved to place her violin in its case as well as the bow. She snapped the case closed, then gave a smile. "Do you play?"

"I'm Vanya. Vanya Karolyi and yes, I play."

"I would like to hear you play, is there a particular piece you like to play?" Camelia giving Vanya a scrutinizing gaze.

She considered the question for several seconds. "How about something by Niccolò Paganini?" She liked his style and was familiar with his music. "Perhaps solo violin caprice number 24 in A minor?"

"That sounds lovely, care to use my violin?" Camelia queried, giving a small smile, reaching over and opening up her case. "That is, if you don't mind using mine."

Vanya looked at the violin and smiled. "Not at all. Thank you." She gently took out the violin and bow, then tested it as it wasn't familiar to her. She nodded once and began to play, closing her eyes as she let the music fill the room.

Camelia watched as Vanya played for a few moments, then her eyes closed, listening to the music echoing where the two ladies were. She even felt the music, as is wound its way around them. Images went through Camelia's mind and she smiled as one of the images, a memory, came to her. It was that of when she had attended a concert with her brothers and aunt, in Vienna’s Musikverein their fabulous concert hall. All of them dressed in appropriate fine clothing. When the piece came to an end, Camelia clapped, a shimmering of tears in her eyes. "That was very beautiful." she commented softly.

Vanya carefully set the violin and bow back in their case and smiled. "Thank you. We should play a duet some time--if you'd like."

"I would like that, to be honest. I used to perform with my brothers, its been too long. We'd just pick up an instrument and just play music. I've not heard from them for a little while." Camelia stopped there, realizing that she was revealing a bit more than what she had intended. She could blame it on the music connection she and Vanya made?

"I travel too much to have someone I can play with. I envy you that." It was true, Vanya hadn't been in one place long enough to make a good friend. There was one assignment where she and the chief intelligence officer became friends, but they'd both gone their separate ways and lost contact. Maybe she should search for Scion to say hello. "I'm sorry you've lost touch with your family. Starfleet can do that sometimes with all the travel and transfers. Do you still keep in touch?"

"I do with my Aunt Tatiana, and my brother Stefan. Though I haven't spoken to him recently, it's been a few months since we last spoke. My older brother it's been longer since we have spoken." Camelia then looked at Vanya, " Do you have family? "

"No. My parents died in the Dominion War. My brother and I were sent to live with different families and we lost contact. I haven't heard from him in a long while."

"And you don't know if he is alive or dead. I can see why you said you don't have family. I am sorry for your loss of your parents. Orphans, something else we have in common besides violin" feeling a smile develop.

"Friedrich Nietzsche said, That which does not kill us makes us stronger. Or something like it." She smiled back. "Perhaps being orphans makes us a family of sorts? United by bonds of death and separation. And music. Some of the greatest music also comes out of tragedy."

"I kind of like that... and also you are dangerous" giving a teasing wink to Vanya. "You can put a person at ease and can draw information out of them. Is that your specialty?" putting away her violin.

"It's more like being brazen and watching the reaction," Vanya replied, grinning. "I'm an archivist and analyst, so I mostly deal with data, but it can be fun from time to time to be outrageous." She looked at the other woman. "What do you focus on in your work?"


"Well I do like to make certain things are running at their optimal functions adjusting the output of power to the different sections of the ship. It is nice and quiet compared to what I used to do. Granted at times it was quite exciting, other times it was mostly gathering information, when out in the field. Have you ever lived in a colony?" Camelia asked.

"I come from a small colony. Romanov. Most have never heard of it, which is why we like it," she said, grinning. "We are generally a private people. Why do you ask?"

"Romanov, that is a lovely name, It reminds me of the name of the place I am from. Romania," Camelia answered. "I lived in a colony for a little bit myself. You seem to have that air about you, a down to earth sort of person and maybe its sort of a takes one to know one?" giving a light laugh. "My mother was part of the USS Arctowski crew one of the scientists there which went to a planet that was terraformed to establish a colony there. The name of the colony was Minunat. And it lived up to ithe meaning of the name, 'beautiful'. "

"Romania on Earth?" Vanya asked. "My people came from Russia. The colony was named for the last emperor. I have always had a love of information and so I left to learn more." She spread her arms out. "And Starfleet is a good place for that. So, what brought you to Starfleet?"

"My adopted mother. Tatiana Dragos. She is really my aunt but she is the only mother I ever knew. And yes, Romania on Earth. Myself and my brothers were born in prison there. And my Aunt she is part of Star Fleet. So in essence my family and I grew up in Star Fleet." Camelia responded.

"It's a very different life from a colony, but I find I enjoy meeting new people." She also enjoyed wordplay. Starfleet gave her a better opportunity to meet them.

"I did enjoy life in that colony, even if it were for four years but Mom wanted us to get a better education and to get to know others of different races. " she looked at Vanya "What else do you like to do?" Camelia asked.

"Music, of course. I play several stringed instruments and hope to learn more. Beyond that, puzzles and mysteries." She laughed softly. "And wordplay. There's nothing like a man with a quick wit." Then she raised an eyebrow as she considered Camelia. "And you? What do you enjoy?"

"A man with a quick wit. " Camelia said thoughtfully. "Wordplay is fun to do but, I'm not that good with it. Well I don't think so at any rate. Its fun though to hear the back and forth repartee that others do and the groans they elicit when the pun battle get rather fierce. I do like going through some mysteries scenarios. I also do like listening to old Earth musicals. There was an animation that was a musical called Gay Purree. i don't think it is as well known as other animations that have music connected with them. I also like to well pretend to be a swashbuckler."

"I know some of the older musicals that have continued through the centuries like Phantom of the Opera and The Scarlet Pimpernel, and Jekyll and Hyde. The harmonies are magical." She cocked her head to one side. "Swashbuckling? Like Robin Hood and Pirates of Penzance?"but I do love puns.

"Yes, like Robin Hood, and Pirates of Penzance. My brother Stefan, well the whole family used to do a pirate sailing scenario that was great fun. We did boarding parties, got into the clash of steel, taking over a ship." Camelia giving out a sigh. "Those were fun times. "

"That does sound like fun. Where is your family now?"

"Well, when I last heard, Stefan is assigned to SB 50, fondly termed as Poseidon Station. My aunt I do believe is on the station currently. As for my older brother, Lucian. I do not know. I haven't heard from him in a long while ever since he and Stefan got into a fight."

Vanya grew somber. "I'm sorry. I know what it's like to not know where a brother is. I hope you find him. In fact, if there's anything I can do to help, let me know."

Camelia gave a slight smile, "I certainly shall do so. This has been a pleasant conversation, I probably should get some shuteye before I go to check on Aurora and the others."

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Camelia. We should get together and play. Maybe we could start something like a jam session in the lounge and see if there are otheres on the ship who play as well." She knew her new boss did. If they set this up, she'd definitely invite him. "Until then, sleep well."