Memories
Posted on March 23rd, 2016 by Ilaihr

“Well this is most enjoyable.” Ilaihr said cheerfully as he worked away under the holodeck, disconnecting the information relays between the hologrid and the main computer. The data cores from Gencodia were set up, powered and ready for the psychonautic exploration of their vast stores of information.

“May I be honest, my dear?” He paused, as if waiting for a response. “You are not the best conversationalist.” He was met with ever present hum of the ship. “You are a fine ship. Maybe I just haven’t been with you long enough, or perhaps it’s your relative youth in comparison to Betty. She had many stories to tell, and always replied with more than a gentle hum.” He crawled further down the Jeffries tube, working away as he went. “But she was already old when she was new, even older when I acquired her from the Syndicate; she was the last of her class.”

He gave a long sad sighed, and patted the bulkhead. “I apologise for the melancholy, my dear; this old fool has alot on his mind. You have many tales to tell, and I predict many more will come your way over the coming years. I have enjoyed this recent mission, being more involved, interacting with the crew as I once did.”

The Captain trotted down the corridors, his trustworthy cane in hand and skip in his tripedal step. The lights were dim, an unravelled mess of wires extruding from the bulkheads and numerous scorch marks plastering the walls like a mosaic. Despite the obvious flaws, there was something strangely homely about it; like the walls actually talked. Suddenly, a shadow loomed around the corner and a Breen appeared, storming down the hall. Iliahr planted the foot of his cane on the wall, blocking the Breen’s path.

“@&#¡=+? ¥^€” It barked.
“Good morning Mr Thott.” Ilaihr replied in a pleasant, yet stern manner.
“*%€~* &$@ #°¥^¢”
“Your apology is accepted. And no, I do not know where Mr Grott is, I would assume the gym. Another disagreement?” Thott simply nodded at Ilaihr in response. “No trouble.” He inserted with a sage look, before allowing the Breen to pass.

“Tholl Grott and Groll Thott; the twins. If there’s anything people should say about the Breen, they are the highest calibre of warrior; and those two are the amongst the bravest and most loyal men I have ever encountered. To supplement the fact that times could get quiet, they often started the day with a punch up that was only nebulously related to something said the previous day.”

Further down the corridor, as Ilaihr chuckled about the twins a dozen three foot tall bugs scurried along the floor and ceiling, followed closely by an Efrosian, two Targs and a Deltan.

“Sa’taldez! Who the blazes let the hatchlings out! They shouldn’t out of the incubation room!” Ilaihr’s morning laugh turned into a groan.
“The damned things ate through the door panel!” Shouted back the Efrosian, as he vanished around the corner the the Targs.
“Well Get them back. They need to be in there another two uninterrupted months!”
The young Deltan stopped, and smiled at the Captain in embarrassment. “We shall reacquire them sir, I promise.”
“I know you will, my girl .” He placed his hands either side of her almost polished head, and touched foreheads with her. “I have faith in your abilities. Now off you run Einin, those rascals wont catch themselves.”
She nodded happily and respectfully. “Have a good day, sir…. I wont let you down.”

“Oh we had some characters aboard. The large bugs weren’t regulars though, they were more of a favour. A damaged Xindi ship, full of Insectoid incubation pods, that wouldn’t make it to New Xindus in time, because they weren’t permitted to enter Federation or Klingon space. Our payment ended up being a stack of dilithium and half a dozen, fully grown Xindi-Insectoids.” He chuckled. “I know I said large bugs werent regulars… but giant ones were.”

He finished disconnecting the last connection to the main computer, smiling at all the memories he was having. “You had grumpy people like Sa’ and his targ pack; can’t expect much from a tracker I suppose. Absolute jewels like Einin, who by appointment of her mother was getting some first hand starship experience. And you had riff-raff…”

“Zid ziih!”
“Kessel… how may I help you.”
“You haven’t been for your monthly check up yet… are you avoiding me?” Kessel asked with utterly no enthusiasm.
“I’m a busy man, Moran.”
“I know, I know. I am booking you an appointment though. Could you hold this for me a moment?” He asked, passing Ilaihr a mug if coffee. “And this….” Also passing him a cup of tea. “HEY, what the hell is at thing.” He squealed pointing down the corridor.

In the moment it took Ilaihr to turn around, Kessel had whipped out his tricorder and scanned the old man, took a blood sample as he turned back, grabbed his coffee and scampered off like a whippet.

“Check up complete.” He called back, from the other end of the corridor.
“This isn’t over doctor!”
“Really?! Seems like I won, to me.”
Ilaihr shook his head. “Blasted El-Aurian!”

“That blasted El-Aurian…. And he wasn’t even the worst one aboard.”

Ilaihr’s last stop on a usual Betty day, was to personally make a wake up call to the most treacherous and dangerous member of his crew. He entered a short code into the panel of what appeared to be blast doors, they clunked and hissed open, revealing a red and misty room behind a forcefield.

“Mr Zzyxzzt. We are coming up on the Sheliak border, your presence is required on the bridge.”

A number of orange lights could be made out in haze, shimmering at the back of the room. A number of clicks and high pitched screeches called out passed the forcefield.

“Remember your place! You are here as punishment by the Assembly. You will follow my orders. Do you understand?” He replied calmly, without reservation or fear.

An ear shattering screech cried out, as the unmistakable spider-like body emerged into view, followed by a slower and more controlled pace of clicks.

“You can refer to carbon based life in what ever manner you like when you are off duty… but you will still follow my orders, and show some restraint and respect when you are on my time. Do you understand?”

The Tholian moved away from the door, returning a few moments later, stepping through the forcefield in it’s protective exosuit. “AS… YOU… COMMAND… ZID… ZIIH.”

“Oh Atlantis… I dont why I’m telling you all of this. I suppose I am lonely. As well as I seem to get on with much of the crew, I am an eccentric old man to them… and I am dying. All the memories that are on my mind, are the last of my prized possessions… and I need to spend my time making more… before I cannot even remember my own name.”

“I said Kessel was riff-raff… but he is my oldest living and surviving friend. The work he and Solir did for me when I first awoke, was important; formative. His medication has me in a stable condition right now, but it won’t last forever… and I do fear that day and the day the others find out about my condition.” He leant on the bulkhead, patting it with a sad sigh. “Until then… lets make some memories together, with the crew. I have disconnected the holodeck from the rest of you, now we just have to plug our minds into it.