3.6.a - Something in between

[fthelev]

“This,” Frek sighed with a large gesture towards the main viewer, “is boring.”
Boring wasn’t the word. Utter and total mind numbing dullness was perhaps more appropriate. It had been almost two weeks since they had left Beta XIIA and it seemed that after their little ‘incident’ in Betan space Starfleet wanted to make sure they didn’t go causing trouble again.
“This is the fourth planet in this system we scanned today,” Frek continued, “It’s clear that there is nothing here.”
The viewer displayed the planet in question. They had been sent on a survey mission, looking for valuable minerals in systems located in the middle of nowhere. An area where, as everyone basically already knew, was nothing of interest.
“Set course for the fifth planet commander,” Hrisvalar said. Although he didn’t say anything he looked about as motivated as a slug that was forced to cross a salt lake.
A little bit like the rest of crew.
Although some tranquillity didn’t hurt, this was a little but too much of it. It was fine the first few days they got here, but after almost more than a week people were getting a bit restless. All in all, there is not that much to do on a starship.

While the ship broke orbit and set course to the next planet, a bare rock sphere without atmosphere, Captain Jira entered the bridge. He had been trying to get through to Starfleet Command trying to get them on a little bit more suitable assignment.
Some looked up expectantly. “Any news?” Colonel Hrisvalar informed.
Captain Harrias Jira shook his head. “I’m afraid not. Till further notice we are ordered to continue our surveys.”
Someone sighed and muttered something better not said out loud. If this was going to last much longer they either need to find a way to keep the crew entertained or Counsellor Grace Mitchell was going to be very busy soon with people gone insane.
Frek was glad his shift was almost over, not that he had anything special to do, but it was better than doing nothing but staring at a screen while the ship circled around the planet doing the scans. The holodecks had been booked in advance for next twenty years.

The corridor was empty. Most people were probably having dinner or so. He had stopped by in sickbay, but he was told Doctor Lorre Melain had already left somewhat earlier. Despite all the free time they had on their hands, Frek realised he hadn’t actually seen or talked with Melain very much. The times he did see her she seemed a bit quiet.

“Hi Frek.” Frek looked up, his thoughts drifting away.
“Counsellor Grace,” Frek greeted.
Grace smiled. “Frek, I’ve told you can simply call me Grace at least a million times.”
“I know. I’ll try to remember,” he grinned. Somehow he didn’t feel very comfortable addressing her by her given name only.
“You coming from sickbay?” she inquired.
“Yep. But I’m alright though. I didn’t break anything if that’s what you’re thinking. I was just passing through on my way to my quarters.”
“I didn’t say that. How’s Melain?”
“She wasn’t there. The crew’s getting restless,” Frek changing the subject. That included himself, although he didn’t say.
“I’ve been noticing that for a few days,” Grace said as she walked along with him. “It’s not good for the crew’s mental health.”
“Maybe we should have some kind of tournament or something like that,” Frek suggested. He already began having visions about jet powered anti-grav ski competitions. With a little luck it could become the most popular intergalactic Olympic sport.

<tag> Grace.

“My quarters are over there,” Frek said. “Think I’m going to freshen up a bit and get a bite. I’m beginning to get a bit peckish.”
The two officers parted and Frek entered his quarters.
“Lights.” The computer responded almost immediately. There was one good thing about this situation though; engineering finally had found the time to fix everything that was dysfunctional in his quarters before.
The quick and warm shower did him some good. He at least felled a bit less numb again. While he slipped in a fresh uniform he noticed he should take his laundry away if he didn’t want to run out of clean clothes. He stared at the basket for a while and sighed.
“Ah, what the hell,” he muttered, “it can wait till tomorrow.”

The mess hall was pretty crowded. With little to do people tended to end their shift a little early. Frek stood on his toes and glanced around the room, trying to spot some familiar faces. Of course being on the ship for this long most faces looked familiar, most of them he didn’t really know too well. The only one he saw was the little Draudrian girl. He walked over to her with his tray.
“Hi,” he said giving her a friendly smile, “Mind if I join you?”
Massally smiled back but didn’t answer.
He almost forgot she was deaf. Perhaps she could read lips, but it was doubtful she could do that in Andorian. He repeated his question in standard Federation while pointing at himself and at one of the empty chairs. He wondered if she could lip-read standard Federation.
Apparently she understood and signalled he could sit down.
He looked at her plate. “What are you having,” he asked, “Hope Melain didn’t put you on fasting diet as well.”
His own plate more resembled a fast food diet.
The little girl kept smiling. Frankly Frek didn’t really know if she understood or not. “Where is she anyway?”
He pulled out a PADD and put it on the table. “Look at this,” he said showing her some diagrams and drawings. Deaf or not, he simply kept talking to her. “My new improvements on my jet powered anti-grav skis.”
Massally didn’t seem very impressed. She gave the drawings another glance and than looked at Frek sceptically. She pointed at the PADD and successively at his antenna’s before making a motion with her hands as if she was breaking a twig,
Frek sighed. “You gotta have faith. You’ll see. One day they become a real hit and you’ll want them as well.”
Massally smiled and then shifted her eyes to some point behind him.

<tag Melain>

[Harrias Jira]

Lorre's Post

Melain found herself deeply disturbed by Rachel's news. The idea that someone had taken on her appearence and done such evil horrified her. The thought that this was all done by people who believed they where following divine will disturbed her even more.

Melain considerd herself to be an unright, morally consionsess person. She thought highly of her people for sticking to thier values, and proud of them for standing up against oppression, but the Betan's faith scared her. Here was a people, much like her own, they based their actions on what they believed thier gods wanted, they took action when they felt it was against their gods. She was horrified by their inconsideration for those they harmed, and was haunted by the notion that others saw the Bajorans in the same light.

When she was young a man living across the street showed intense dislike for her family, Melain saw him as being insensitive and closed minded. Later her father admited to her that the man had lost his legs in a Terrorist bombing, Bajorans had thought his ship was smuggling supplies to the Cardassian and arranged to have it destroyed. Melain never found out if the terrorists where correct, and it really didn't matter. The fact was her people had killed for what they believed was a good reason, a reason that would not hold up among many cultures.

[Deleted]

OFF, i'm gonna apolgize for not being able to post for the last couple of days, i hadnt had time to do anything, but i thank you guys/gals for keeping me involved

[Deleted]

(O.O.C Thank you Harrias, I geuss Frek and I started writing around the same time.)

It had been two weeks since the ship left Beta XII, the time of cleansing has almost come to a close, and Melain felt no purer then she had at the month's beginning. Fortunatly the current mission was slow and uneventful, there was little for her to worry about in terms of the crew's health. Unfortunatly this lack of action gave her time to dwell on the past few weeks.

She had taken to wandering in a melancholy daze, ritualy tending to sickbay, but doing little else. So much of her urged to take the matter up with Grace, but how could the counsellor understand? There was no monks or Vedeks on board to set her pagh at ease, and to make matters worse she found it difficult to pray or meditate.

Massally was becoming inceasingly bored, and Melain had hit a brick wall when it came to the girl's disability. She wasn't sure how to procede and could not bare herself to sit down and do the required research.

She had just left sickbay for the night when it seemed that the prophet's had answerd her prayers. Toledo Javele nearly ran right into her, his eyes fixed on a PaDD in his hand.

"I'm sorry doctor, are you alright?" He asked, picking up the PaDD from the ground where he had dropped it.

"I'm.. I'm.." Melain felt a wide range of emotions.

"In need of spiritual guidence." Toledo answerd, he reached out one hand and clasped her ear. "Your pagh is deeply troubled, come let me help you."

Melain looked at him, skeptically. He was a navigations officer, not a preist.

"Trust in me Lorre, there is much about me that you do not know. I have a holoprogram you will find helpful, and a listening ear you will find satisfying."

------------------

Melain left the holodeck an hour later, feeling refreshed, refocused and rejuvinated. She had spilled her heart out to him, and instead of finding dissapointment in his voice, she found understanding. Javel, for that was what he asked her to call him, had trained a few years as a monk, before feeling unsatisfied with the life and turning to the stars. He put all her concerns into perspective, and even re-taught her to meditate. They would meet again in two days and she could hardly wait.

In the evening could not go better, she had made a breakthrough in Massally's case. =A=Computer locate Massally=A=

=A=Massally in in the mess hall=A=

Melain took the next left and headed to meet with her ward. Massally was sitting at a table with Frek, looking at a PaDD he was showing to her.

"Not your skies again Frek, I ought to write a paper on you, "An Andorian who believed himself to be invincable despite constant proof otherwise." Melain smiled, for the first time in weeks. "The title's a little long, but it will be dwarfed by the contents"

<Tag Frek>

[gracemitchell]

Frek's post:

"Well, one of my previous Captain's used to challenge some of the crew to various holoprogram's some of them were quite fun. One of my own has skiing, but I haven't ever tried jet powered and don't know that it would be a wise thing to do. The speed with which a person flies down a hill in the first palce is just fast enough for me. Thanks anyway."

"Just on the aside, I have a holodeck reserved for tomorrow, at 1900. Tell you what Frek! I will try jet powered skiing. But first you have to try Hockey! See if you can fing anyone else who would like to try it."

"What is hockey?"

"You'll see! Deal?"

<tag Frek>

[Harrias Jira]

Walking past Grace and Frek, Harrias wondered what jet-powered skiing was exactly... and how long Frek would be spending in sickbay as a result of it. Though, he had to hand it to the andorian. Over the past few weeks, he had managed to stay very much out of danger. This said, Harrias couldn't quite see where there was any danger. Not that that had stopped Frek before...

- "Just on the aside, I have a holodeck reserved for tomorrow, at 1900. Tell you what Frek! I will try jet powered skiing. But first you have to try Hockey! See if you can fing anyone else who would like to try it."

At this Harrias’ ears pricked up slightly. He had played hockey during his time at the academy, and had loved it.

- “Grace, you can count me in on the game. I’m sure I can find a few around here who will be willing to give it a go. And if not, I’m sure I can order a few.” He said with a wink.
- “Now captain, you know you can’t order people to have fun.”
- “I’m the captain, I can order people to do anything.” He said laughing. Then, under her light glare, he amended. “Okay, okay, I’ll just ask. Persuasively.” He was just walking away when Grace turned back to him.
- “What you play?”
- “Nets.”

He left her with the puzzled andorian and continued on his way. He hadn’t got that much further before his commbadge bleeped irritatingly at him.
=/\= Yes? =/\=
=/\= We got the most recent survey results back Captain. =/\=
=/\= And I need to know this? =/\=
=/\= Uhmmm… Procedure says.. =/\=
=/\= Unless they are interesting, just get Vicente to look over them, and then we’ll file them away with everything else. Ye gods why did Starfleet deem us worthy of nothing more than this! =/\=

[Zhukarak Hrisvalar]

Zhukarak rose from the Captain's chair as he noticed Harrias stepping off the turbolift. Theel'zhiin, who had made himself comfortable in the FO chair, had to be aroused from his slumber as Zhuk was making his way over.

"Report!" The standard request was issued as Harrias sat in his chair and accessed his personal information terminal on the armrest.

"As you know, Captain, we have just finished surveying this last moon. No significant minerals or ores to speak of. It is becoming quite mundane, this task. Makes one wonder if we are being punished or if there is something major in the works at S47." Zhuk gave an inquiring look to Harrias, hinting to see if his Captain had any information that he was witholding.

"I honestly don't know anymore than you do, Zhuk. I agree with the monotiny of it all. That is why I am inviting you to come play some hockey with us in the morning. It'll be fun." Harrias gave a knowing smile of bemusement.

"Hockey, sir?"

"You'll se tomorrow. I don't think to care to try to explain it today. Just know that it is played with a stick, a puck, and it's on ice. There, I've said too much already." Biting his lip and covering it with a closed fist as if he was going to blow into his hand, Harrias was doing everything he could to supress the smirk he had while thinking of his two Andorian officers on ice.

Zhukarak had no notion at all of what he was to make of the description of this recreation. It was easy to presume that it was a terran sport. One that was played out on ice with sticks. It escaped him what a puck was. Perhaps the nomenclature of a type of spherical ball or object, as most terran sports consisted of such a thing. Then he remembered that there usually was some type end area that one team or the other always tried to get to. It must be one of those. He would have to wait until tomorrow. Until then, he had time to look it up in the LCARS database.

"Us sir? you mentioned us for tomorrow."

"Yes. Grace and Frek are already on the roster, so to speak, and anyone else I will be inviting by tomorrow. What the heck, I just might get the whole senior staff involved and open it up to the ship's vidcast for viewing for entertainment. It would definitely lighten the mood around here, and I'm sure it'll be talked about for days to come." At that final comment, Harrias couldn't help but let out a small burst of laughter.

Zhuk noted that there would probably be some embarrasing moments involved, especially when it came to the participation of one of his own...Frek. "I can't wait, sir...I think."

[Deleted]

Frek's reply was delayed when the table was approched by the Captain. Melain felt a new found bound to the trill, who had experianced much the same abomination she had, to be misrepresented by another.

Grace had mentioned a holodeck reservation, and this seemed to be what caught the Captain's ear. Melain had heard of hockey and seemed to remember that Rachel mentioned it being a very important pass time for her culture. The Captain seemed to have heard of it before as well, heplayed something called, nets. Melain had an inkling of an idea about what that meant.

"Stick my name on the rooster as well, anything chance to get Frek to exercise is something I endorse whole heartedly." Melain smiled.

"You certainly seem to be in a better mood doctor. I must say, I expected a visit from you and it never came." Grace admited.

"I'm not sure how much you would have been able to help me with, As much as I respect your skills as a counsellor, you are not exactly a religouse leader." Melain replied.

"Ah, yes, speaking of religion is your fast over yet?" Graceasked. "I'll look into delaying the game a few days, I don't want to tempt you with wordly things."

Melain laughed. "I'd hardly consider exercise to be a luxury, but rather a necessity. However it matters not because by 19oo hrs tommorow, the fast will have ended."

Grace nodded "That is good news. I'm hopeing you found what you where looking for."

"I did, it took a while but it came to me." Melain replied. "Speaking of which, Frek I'm hopeing you didn't use up my replicator rations this month because I am in desperate need of a new dress uniform."

<tag Frek>

"Oh, don't use a replicator for that, I know an excellent tailor who can make a better uniform then any machine can spit out." Grace exclaimed. 'otherwsie you'll spend the next diplomatic mission tugging at your tunic and looking for discreet ways to get rid of an itch."

"I'd love it if you could put me in touch with someone, I've got a medical conventioned lined up for a few months from now." Melain replied

[Jamey Gaz]

Jamey had just started his shift as the Nevada was surveying yet another strange but uninteresting planet. The scans showed a class K planet with rings. 'Rings for a class K', Jamey thought ... 'now that is out of the ordinary ... but it doesn't seem to be nothing but left over rock'. 'More than likely it got trapped by the planets gravity when the plant cooled', he continued to think. Life scans resulted in nothing but single celled, mostly in the under layers of rock where water remained.

Jamey spoke to the Commander of his shift, "Class K with a dust and rock ring ... very little water ... only single cell life. Water is underground in what seems to be pockets or caves. The water level is almost to deep for our sensors to detect." Jamey noted into the log all the information and started a scan of the rings.

The ship broke the standard orbit to take up a polar orbit so the poles could be scanned ...


OFF ... just a bit of Photoshop ... everything you see is created from scratch (except the ship that I simply sampled from another image) enjoy ...

[gracemitchell]

Grace gave Melain the name of her tailor, "He's wonderful, a Bolian. In fact he is a distant relative of someone I used to know." Grace also offered to take Melain's measurements and transmit then to the tailor. Frek decided to order a dress uniform as well since Grace had looked quite comfortable in hers.

Then the conversation turned to the up coming hockey game. Frek was starting to look a little green, quite a feat since he was blue.

Melain hazard to ask "Grace, what are nets?"

"That is the position of goalie. The person who guards the goal, which has a net, to stop the puck." Grace answered.

"A puck?" Frek asks

"Yes. It's round but flat on the top and bottom, so it can slide on the ice easier."

"And you have to have skates on?" Melain asks?

"Generally, when you are on ice, skates help you to glide over the ice. It's faster then boots."

"What if you fall?" Frek was now starting to look rather scared.

"This from the guy who wants to use jet powered skis! Don't worry, it doesn't hurt too bad, you wear a lot of padding to cushion your falls and any checks that should happen."

"Checks?" Melain questioned.

"Body checks. Players will throw their body into yours up against the walls or in hockey lingo, boards."

"What other positions are there and which do you play.?" Frek asked.

"There is the Center, my ususal position, right wing and left wing. These three are the main goal scorers. Then you have two defensemen and a goalie. Fairly simple."

"So you need six players, we only have four. I wonder if the Captain has found any more willing to play." Melain said.

"We'll find out. What ever position we can't fill, the holo program will."

"Did you create this holoprogram yourself?" Frek asked.

"No. A former crewmate did, but I had an apptitude for the game. I think I played in my earlier life, or at least watched it."

As they had been talking, Grace noticed Massally, not paying any attention to their conversation. "Melain, have you made any progress with Massally's hearing problem, yet?"

OFF: Jamey that is cool! I wish I had photoshop.

[Deleted]

Melain smiled "I was stuck for awhile, but I believe I may have stumbled on the answer. It uses old technology, but in this case will work perfectly>"

"I certainly hope your not using leeches." Grace laughed, the whole leech thing was a joke among doctors about how far they had come in the past thousand years.

Melain shook her head "No, I got the idea from the Betan's actually, or at least I kind of did. The whole genetic changing thing got my mind on DNA, and I realised that I was working so hard to find a suitable material to create the new bones with, I didn't consider using the material they where meant to be."

"Your going to use bone?" Frek asked. "Isn't that going to take a little skill to sculpt?"

"No, that's the beauty of it. Massally's cells all hold the gentic information for her ossicle bones. I know this because the Betan who imitated her could hear, so the problem is not genetic. I simply need a sample of her DNA, find the information I need, activate it, for lack of a better word and let the process of mitosis unfold. Modern technology will allow me to insure that the bone form correctly and that i can fit it into Massally's innner ear correctly."

"That seems pretty simple, why didn't you think of it before?" Frek asked.

"It's not actually that simple, but I haven't got the time to explain it in depth. I geuss I didn't think abut it because clonning is still considerd morally risky technology, but in this case I see no reason that I should not at least try." Melain reached out and tossled Massally's hair fondly.

"How long do you think it's going to take?" Grace asked.

"Tough to say, I'm geussing I'll need a few trial runs. At least a week at most two months, maybe three depending on how busy we are." Melain replied.

"At the rate things are going now you could have it down tommorow." Frek sighed. "I'll bet Roman Vicente could give you a hand."

"Didn't you here, Roman just got transferred. I spoke with him this morning. I geuss a Scence position opened on another ship and well, it's not like he bonded with the crew that much. He spent the first while in that coma, and then his uncle's death..."

"Still, he was a member of the team and it will be hard to see him go." Grace added.

(O.O.C I hope that thing about Roman is okay, I'm not sure what he wanted his departure to be due to.)

[fthelev]

(OOC: I don’t think he’ll mind. I’ll ask him later.)

Frek looked at the little girl sitting next to him. He wondered if she realised what was coming to her. It must be wonderful to able to hear for the first time.
“Well people come and go,” Frek said in a burst of wisdom. “Do we know who’s going to replace him?”
Grace shrugged. “I haven’t heard anything about a replacement yet. We’ll see. By the way, do you know how to skate?”
“Pff,” Frek said waving the question away. “I was born on a planet covered with ice, remember? Of course I can skate.”
Frek couldn’t skate.
But he thought it would be a bit silly to say that. After all, he was born on planet covered with ice. He never had bothered to learn how, the thought of all that physical exercise alone made him tired and sweaty.
Thankfully he still had about a whole, day to look up the theory of ice-skating. Watch some instruction videos.
But how hard could it be?
“So how are you going to do that?” Frek asked, “You take some bone samples and trigger the right chromosomes to grow it into does ear bone things?”

(OOC 2: it's not much, as is my inspiration at this moment. I'll think of something better next time)

[gracemitchell]

Grace was in her office, finishing up a report on her last patient. Another crewmember who had too much time on his hands, getting bored with the mission. His mind was wondering too much while on duty, causing him too think to much about everthing else.

Although, he had become very excited about watching something on vidcast tomorrow. He also had wished he could be part of the action but hadn't been invited. Ne would be on duty at the time anyway, so there wouldn't have been a possibility for him to play.When Grace had asked him what it was, he just smiled and said it was a surpruse from the Captain and wasn't at liberty to mention it. Then he had gone into a long list of people who had mentioned it to him.

Now that Grade thought of it , he hadn't been the only patient who had alluded to some vidcast rumor going around. Rumors will fly during the more mundane of missions.

"Hmm, none of them mentioned what was presumily going to be vidcast. It's probablyjust a rumor. But if it were true, I could tell other patients who are feeling restless, to watch. I wonder what it is and when it if be vidcast. Maybe I can catch it too! I hope it is before the hockey game." Grace said out loud.

Just then her door chimed, it was her next appointment.

[Zhukarak Hrisvalar]

Zhukarak took Theel’zhiin along to the holodeck to try to visualize what he had learned about the terran sport of hockey. He wanted to get a head start before he was to take part in the game with everyone else. “Computer, display the standard surface for the sport of hockey. Make it half dimension.”

The holodeck emitters transferred the standard grid squares into a half-regulation sized hockey rink. The temperature had dropped quickly due to the ice that Zhukarak was now standing on. It brought back a sense of home, cool and crisp. “Computer, materialize the following standard equipment for this sport, skates, stick, and puck.”

Zhuk put on the skates. They weren’t much unlike the kind Andorians wore back at home. The blades were a bit thinner. Zhuk reached for one of the sticks on the ice and stumbled a little, trying to keep his balance. It had been a long while since he had been on an icy surface with blades on his feet. Regaining his balance, Zhuk lined himself up behind the puck.

Taking aim at the goal, he swung the stick at the puck to send it gliding along the ice. Theel’zhiin took this opportunity to chase the puck down the rink. Paying too much attention to the puck, Theel’zhiin didn’t notice how quickly he had come upon the net until it was too late. Theel’zhiin got caught up in the net, squaking out of frustration. Using his ability to ‘go between’, he dematerialized to only rematerialize just outside of the net. Zhuk found it amusing that his guardian had become off balance, ending up in the net.

“Computer, twenty more pucks.” More pucks materialized in front of him. Slapping them with his stick got Theel’zhiin excited again as he was chasing them all around the ice. Swooping down to snatch them up. Landing every once in awhile to just end up sliding right behind the pucks. It seemed that if Zhuk didn’t find any excitement in this game, he at least found a new past-time for Theel’zhiin.

[Deleted]

Melain's thoughts about ice and skating (which where things she'd only tried in her youth) where interupted by Frek. "“So how are you going to do that?” Frek asked, “You take some bone samples and trigger the right chromosomes to grow it into those ear bone things?”

"Sort of. It's more then just chromosomes. Did you pay any attention in junior high biology?" Melai assumed she didn't need to wait for an answer she already knew. "Chromosoes are groups of DNA, DNA is made up of genes. These genes each hold the information needed to make a single protien type. Protiens make up bones and hair and everything we are made of. I need to locate the right gene to make the right protien to make the right bone..."

"OKay I get the picture, how are you going to get the bone into Massally?" Frek asked.

"That's the tricky part. I"m assuming I'm going to have to use surgery, beaming it in just isn't accurate enough." Melain replied.

"Do you think Massally wants to hear?" Grace asked, Melain was unsure of what she meant.

Melain nodded her head "Sure she does, she's always felt isolated because she's deaf. We have discussed it." Then she thought a moment about the question. "Do you mean, will Massally be able to cope with hearing?"

"Percisely. She's grown accustomed to a silent world, a sudden exposure to sound could be quiet tramatic." Grace pointed out.

Melained looked over at the girl she'd grown so attatched to "I geuss I hadn't really thought about that. Perhaps you will be able to assist me in helping her make the transition, would you like that?"

<tag Grace>

[gracemitchell]

"I would be only to happy to help. Little bits and pieces of my memory come back now and then. Oddly enough, it was the imposter Massally that sparked a memory. It was a memory of me helping a deaf child and her mother in a 21st Century emergency room. I remembered the child and mother using their hands to speak to each other. I knew what they were saying. It's and old language, not used very much any more, I'm afraid."

Melain had a look of surprise on her face "Do you remember this language? And what about the imposter Massally sparked that memory?"

"I don't remember as much as I wish I did. It seemed to me the imposter was listening to a conversation, and I knew Massally had never listened to any conversations around her. I think only you or myself would have noticed it, as trained medical personnel."

"I didn't realize you were so knowledgeable in this area. I guess I should have realized that as ship's counselor, it is your duty to be observant to those around you. How do you do that without anyone knowing you are watching them." Melain inquired.

Frek looked aghast "You mean you watch us closely and we don't know it?"

"Pretty much sums it up, Frek. How you just reacted would be how everyone would react if they knew I was observing them. They would be appalled! Quite frankly, I wouldn't blame them. Besides, Frek, I observe the crew differently then that. I get to know them as much as they will let me. When you know someone, you can tell when they are a bit off, so to speak. It when someone seems off, that is when I nonchalantly observe them. I hope I am never obvious about it."

"Well, I don't think I have ever noticed you observing me, have you?" Frek asked.

"No, but after the hockey game I might, especially if you can't skate, I'll know you haven't always been honest with me. I'll get worried about you. I'll get concerned your jet powered skis will do very harmful damage to you and I will have to exercise my medical authority and ban you from use of the holodeck as you will be too much of a danger to yourself. Just giving you something to think about, Frek."

Melain started to laugh and tried to talk at the same time "You've got Frek's number, Grace."

This made Grace lose control over her barely controlled smile and she started to laugh, too.

<Tag Frek>

Later:
Grace was walking down a corridor when something was tickling her mind, causing her to giggle. She reached out with her mind and found who was tickling her mind: Theel’zhiin!

"Where are you Theel’zhiin? Are you playing hide and seek, again?"

"No! Come see! Come see! Follow me!"

Grace let Theel’zhiin direct her with his mind. He was having so much fun, she had to see what he was doing. She stopped at the door to the holodeck, as she entered she saw Zhukarak hitting a puck and Theel’zhiin chasing after it. They seemed to be having a lot of fun. Zhukarak noticed Grace when she laughed out loud at Theel’zhiin antics.

"Grace, how did you know where to find me?" Zhuk asked her.

"I didn't. Theel’zhiin tickled my mind, I think he was having too much fun not too share it with someone." Grace replied.

"Naturally, he reached out to you. Care to join?"

"Love to. I could use a chance to loosen up before our big game. I'll just go in the locker room and get my gear on."

"You have your own gear here?"

"Sure this is my program, or rather an old friend's program who left it for me."

Grace left Zhuk and went into the locker room to put on her pads and skates. She picked up her hockey stick, it fit her hand like a glove. Grace headed to the ice.

Zhuk passed her the puck and before Theel’zhiin could attack the puck Grace sent it sailing straight into the net.

"Er, Grace could you give me a crash course?"

"I can try, but you know I have no patience!"

"The queen of patience and calm! Ha Ha"

"Okay! Let's play some hockey!"

[fthelev]

A bit sour Frek looked from the one to the other. Honestly he couldn’t see what was so funny.
“My jet powered anti-grav skis are perfectly safe,” he commented.
“I’m not entirely convinced,” Grace replied still laughing.
Frek looked suspiciously at Melain. “Have been showing that newspaper article to people again?”
“No no, really I didn’t,” Melain laughed.
Grace was beginning to get curious. “What article?”
“Nothing important, really.” Frek sighed; this wasn’t going in right direction.
“He tried those skis of him on Bajor,” Melain explained, “Before we came onboard.”
Grace could probably see where this was going. “So what did you break?”
“I didn’t break anything,” Frek said trying to defend himself, “They worked perfectly. It wasn’t exactly my fault my test course ended in a fifteen feet drop, isn’t it?”
“You’re lucky there was that pond at the bottom of that cliff,” Melain commented, “Else you might have broken something.”

For a moment Grace seemed to be considering something. “Perhaps we should ban you from the holodeck.” She switched to a professional sounding tone of voice, “What do you think Doctor.”
Melain tried to keep a straight face. “Certainly Counsellor, we should make it effective immediately.”
“Really funny,” Frek said, “I know you are making fun of me, you aren’t serious…..are you?”
Massally was following the whole thing with interest, although she didn’t quite understood what was going on. Frek padded her on the shoulder.
“At least you’re still nice to me,” he said semi-sad.
He turned to the two women. “Besides have you seen what place I got on the holodeck schedule? By the time I’m entitled to use it I have either died of old age or the ship has been decommissioned.”
He stood up and took his tray. “Anyways, I’ll leave you three alone so you can ridicule me further in peace. See you later.”
A sigh escaped him as put the tray in the disposer. What did he do to deserve this?

Back in his quarters Frek plumbed himself down on his sofa and kicked of his shoes, sending them flying towards a corner of the room. One missed and hit a photograph hanging on the wall. It came down and with a clatter it landed on the floor.
Frek groaned and as he came up again to hang it back on its place. He got himself a cold beer from the replicator and picked up the picture. It was a picture of his graduation from the academy. It showed the four of them, Owen Johnson, Danara, Melain and himself. They all looked happy and were smiling into the camera. He wondered what happened with Johnson. He was the only one of them who didn’t get assigned to the USS Nevada.

He took a swig from his bottle. He was feeling a bit nostalgic. It was hard to believe that was almost a year ago. He grinned at the thought of all the adventures they’ve been through in that one year. He looked at the picture again and realised that before today it had been a long time since he had seen Melain smile like that. He put the photograph back on the wall and sank down on his sofa again and picked up a PADD, established a connection with the ship’s database and uploaded the information about hockey he had requested. With the beer in his hand he went over the data. But he found it hard to concentrate, his mind elsewhere.