ReInflections

Posted on 06 Mar 2020 @ 4:23am by Commander Amelia Fox & Lieutenant Commander Aidan Datari

Mission: Mission 3 - Whom gods destroy ...
Location: Holodeck
Timeline: MD5 1800
1912 words - 3.8 OF Standard Post Measure

ON:

Amelia noted in her calendar that there was a training session with Aidan marked down. She hadn't wanted to cancel as she had been looking forward to sparing with him again although she hadn't had a chance to speak with him alone since she had come back on board. With the revelation from Syvar that her Mirror counterpart was pregnant with Aidan's child, this might make things awkward. Still, she needed to clear the air with him.

She changed into a form-fitting light gray workout outfit and headed down to the holodeck.

The appointment was there, but Aidan didn't hold any hope of Amelia turning up. He would understand if, after her ordeal, she would choose to stay home and rest. Forgoing his skates this time, he stepped onto the ice, smiling slightly to himself as he slid across the surface. He looked up as the holodeck doors slid open, then continued with his warming up. "I would've understood if you had chosen not to come," he said, though he avoided looking at her.

"I've been looking forward to this." She answer as she looked around at the landscape. "Breathtaking scenery. There's not many big lakes near where I grew up but we did go on holiday several times when I was younger up North where there was a massive frozen lake. It was a novelty got our family to go skating but I found that I was rather good at it and I also enjoyed it. Not bad for a girl from Texas eh? So what made you choose this particular setting." She added, still avoiding the elephant in the room.

"I love the cold, and I grew up in the Arctic regions of the Trill homeworld. My foster father is Andorian." He smiled at some fond memories as he stared off in the distance. "We could skate of you prefer?"

“It might be nice to warm up with a couple of laps around the lake.” She said before she addressed the computer. “Computer I need two pairs of ice skates. One pair for myself and another for Lieutenant Datari.”

Near a bench at the side of the lake, two pairs of skates appeared. Amelia walked carefully and sat, taking off her pumps and started tiring up the skates. When she had finished she stood quite confidently and said “Come on...” as she glided of gratefully.

Aidan quickly put on his and followed her with practiced ease. "Can you dance?" he asked suddenly, "on ice, I mean."

“I never really thought of dancing on ice” she admitted. She managed to pull off a reasonable spin, but was a bit wobbly on the landing. “I’ve always wanted to learn ballroom dancing as it looks so... elegant.” She cautiously lifted one foot into the air and managed to glide on one foot for a distance, before she lost her balance and had to put a hand on Aidan to steady herself.

“I think I’ve got some way to go before I can dance on here.’ She angled her skates and came to a stop.

Totally in his element, Aidan grinned at her. "Let me show you..." He went off to give a little demonstration, going into an intricate pattern of circles, spins and jumps. Unlike that one time with Emme, he actually made a perfect landing and finally skidded to a halt in front of Amelia. "This is ice dancing," he said seriously, "though I'll admit it takes practice. I think you'd prefer fencing, for now."

Amelia let a whistle of respect and gave him a round of applause. “Very nice, but I think you’re right. Let’s stick to the fencing for now.”

After removing her skates, she spoke to the computer again “Computer. Remove the skates and give me two swords please.”

Two swords appeared on the bench. She carefully picked one up and handed it to Aidan before she picked one up for herself. “Ready.”

Getting down to bare feet, Aidan accepted the offered sword then offered a small bow to her before taking up a ready stance.

After their previous lesson, Amelia had done some practice and she was getting more confident with a sword. Her moves were developing some grace to them and she tended to fight with a glint of humour in her eyes, enjoying each parry and thrust. She was starting to anticipate his attacks better.

"You've been practicing," he noted, not without a hint of deja-vu. He parried several of her swings and strikes, easily side-stepping a few others. "Let's see how well your defense is," he then said, moving from a defensive pose into a flurry of attacks.

Amelia kept up with most of his attacks, though it was pushing he to the limit of her technique. “Hah! Is that the best you’ve Oooff!” One of his attackers stuck home and caught her off balance, she toppled and landed on the ice on her rear.

Slightly deflated she looked up at him good humour “I guess pride comes before a fall.”

"Seems so," Aidan chuckled as he held his sword safely away while holding out his hand to help her up to her feet.

She was going hold out her hand then she saw something that made her grin. As she had fallen, it had cracked the ice and Aidan was standing over one of the fault lines. It might throw him off balance she thought to herself. She brought the hilt of her sword down on the ice Which cased to crack to expand and to her shock and surprise send Aidan into icy water below.

Though the holodeck safeties would prevent him from drowning, Aidan went completely under and reflex had him gasp and get a mouthful of water as another flash of deja-vu crashed over him. At least this time he didn't have his heavy skates to drag him under further.

She got up and went over to him immediately. She held out her hand to him, a concerned look on her face. “You really made this realistic didn’t you. Here let me help.”

Treading water, there was a look of fear as he watched her outstretched hands for several long seconds. Finally, he grabbed it and allowed her to pull him back onto the ice. He shivered violently, wrapping his arms around himself. "The safeties are on," he offered, his voice shaking, "but otherwise it's open for action and reaction. That was smart thinking, without safeties I would've drowned."

Amelia didn't hear the compliment, she was more concerned with getting Aidan dry... And the look of fear that she had seen in his eyes.

"You really made this program realistic didn't you?" She tried to joke to lighten the mood but there was concern creeping into her voice. "Computer Replace Lieutenant Datari's wet clothes with dry ones and modify the program so it's not possible to break the ice or fall through it."

The computer beeped in response.

Amelia gestured to the bench. "Come let's sit for a moment. We need to talk."

She sat and shifted uneasily "I don't tend to trouble myself with regret... It's a waste of time. What's done is done. If I made a mistake, I learn from it and move on. I don't mean I 'm not aware of how my actions affect other people, nor am I immune from the consequences. Now I've got another person who looks exactly like me, going around creating chaos and seemingly not giving a damn who she's hurting and I'm also paying for her actions.

She sighed "I've been in battles and I've seen off bullies and people who look at me with fear and loathing and that doesn't bother me but, I'm having trouble with my friends and colleagues looking at me now like I'm going to kill them... or worse. I've seen that look in Syavr's eyes and in yours just now. Syvar... He... he showed me what she did to him, rather graphically I might add." She looked at him and there tears just below the surface of her eyes.

"I know some of what she did to you. I'm sorry."

"Why should you be sorry?" Aidan sat next to her. "I know very well how you feel. When I was possessed by an AI I nearly killed one of my best friends. He wouldn't look at me for months, it was really hurtful. I wouldn't do that to you ma'am. I don't blame you for what your counterpart did. My reaction was rather... automatic because she did exactly the same thing. Except, where you reached out almost instantly, she did not."

He paused. "I'm sure Syvar will see that too... eventually. Just give us some time, but don't eat yourself up on it. You're not her."

"That's what Syvar said." She mused also ignoring that he called her ma'am. "Just how similar are we though if I'm doing that same moves as she does? Deep down, am I capable of such..." She shuddered at the thought. "She could have killed everyone on board." Looking him in the eye "Do you think she's telling the truth. You're the child's father?"

"I think she does think so," Aidan answered, "but I don't believe her. I don't even believe she is pregnant even though the evidence found in her... Your.. quarters shows that she did take my DNA, and she did inject herself." He shrugged. "If she is pregnant with my child, I'm not sure I want any part of it."

She nodded thoughtfully. "I believe Syar has confirmed she is pregnant but it's too early to tell much more than that. I understand how you feel but, I'm not sure I'd be happy about any child being cared for by her. Would they be safe? I haven't even spoken to her yet."

"I have Emme and our own child to consider too," Aidan replied thoughtfully. "I wouldn't be able to look at this child the same way. Either way... We'll see. I'm not going to work myself up about it. How do you feel about this? She's your counterpart... What would you consider more likely?"

"I would like to hope that there are some limits that even she wouldn't cross, but... I Don't know. I just don't know." She rested her head in her hands for a moment. "I've never really thought about having children up till now." She took a deep breath. "Come on, I think I need a drink. Join me?"

"No, I probably should go home if we're done. Emme's probably waiting for me soon with dinner." Aidan seemed to consider something. "Would you acknowledge the child, should we convince your counterpart that it's better off here?"

Amelia stopped in her tracks and looked at him as if he had grown a second head. That she had not considered. She opened her mouth several times but no sound came out.

Finally, she found her voice. She managed to get out "I'll think about it." She smiled at him "Have a good evening and say hello to Emme for me."

"Yes ma'am," Aidan smiled, answering more out of habit than anything else. He could see he'd given her something to consider. "You too..."

OFF:

●● Lieutenant Amelia Fox
Executive Officer
USS Andromeda


●● Lieutenant Aidan Datari
Chief Science Officer/2nd Officer
USS Andromeda