Revelations, Part Two
Posted on December 24th, 2003 by Adam Drake and T'Kirr

T’Kirr and Adam Drake

The lower decks were a bustle of people and supplies, all moving around each other in a writhing mass. Engineering had its fair share of the load, doorways crammed with people going in and out. At least they were moving. A deadlock would have been unacceptably inefficient.

T’Kirr moved with the inward flow, reading over the PADD in her hand. It didn’t really need reading, as she knew what she had recorded on it. However, it seemed the most interesting thing to do at the time. Then, with strong disapproval, she realized her mind wasn’t even picking up the words anyway, having not recognized the last line as one she had read. T’Kirr relaxed her arm, instead looking at all the people around her as she flowed toward the Chief Engineer’s office.

Fortunately, the office was empty. She didn’t feel like speaking to anyone. Idle chatter would be an inefficient use of time. Other, more important matters needed tending to. Like going over the repair updates. Again. And…maybe again.

Stepping into the quiet of the office, T’Kirr laid the PADD on top of the piles of other pressing issues covering the desk. She was being illogical. She knew full well she didn’t want to speak with Lieutenant Major Drake. What she didn’t know was why. Avoidance of the issue was easier, but hardly logical. However, when thinking about actually facing the issue, she knew she didn’t have the strength to respond logically.

Perhaps that’s what scared her the most.

Adam Drake had thoroughly engrossed himself in his work. Ensigns past by meaninglessly and he accepted PADDs from people that he’d never met. Adam surmised that Starbase personnel had begun to outnumber his own people at least three to one. One face would just melt into the crowd and he didn’t – couldn’t – take the time to learn every new one. There was one thing on his mind and one thing only to worry about, repairs.

Looking for something to distract her from her thoughts, T’Kirr gazed blankly out the large windows of the office. People rushed about, carrying this part and that tool, to their destinations. The warp core was dark, an unusual sight. Men passed things up and down stair ladders and over railings. One figure stood particularly still, holding a stack of PADDs, while deftly prodding a tool into an open panel. It was Drake.

T’Kirr flinched at the unwelcome pain in her gut the sight of him caused. Whatever was wrong with her, she would meditate on it. In fact, right then sounded like a good time. After all, her work was clearly compromised by the problem, and she was unwell. It wasn’t physical, so she thankfully wouldn’t have to visit Sickbay, but she needed to be alone. It was difficult to find time with so many things to be done. A small panic at the thought of her incompetence to do what she needed to welled up, which she smothered, if with some difficulty. A light sweat broke over her bronzed skin.

She moved to the door, but found a rather large, heavy unit being moved all too slowly past it. She waited impatiently, but the people were having problems of some kind. Turning back around, she looked at the consoles of the walls that played a vital part in running the ship, and could think of nothing but the most illogical problems she had ever faced.

Adam fumbled with a stubborn piece of equipment and then tossed it aside. He was almost tired of fighting with hostile control panels and systems that didn’t want anything to do with him. A migraine was beginning to nag at his already throbbing skull, but the soothing sight of a familiar face brought him much needed relief. Brushing himself off and picking himself off the deck he walked to his office door.

“Lieutenant?” Adam stepped into his office to see the Chief Science Officer delicately placing a PADD on the top of the mounds of work to be completed. He perked an eyebrow towards her and tapped a PADD that he already had in his hands. Things were becoming extremely busy and there wasn’t a damn thing that he could do about the current situation.

Diagnostics for all departments were under way, reports from all areas of the ship were coming in on every channel that he had available to him, and to top it all off he had a handful of security officers monitoring his every move. If it weren’t for the fact that the major had ordered them there, he’d have thrown them out in a heartbeat. Adam surmised that the major was worried about something, but the fact that they were docked in a Starfleet Starbase seemed to negate the fact that security was an issue.

T’Kirr whirled around, startled. “Mr. Drake. I…was just dropping off this report for you. You didn’t need to be bothered with it right away.” She tried to keep her eyes on him, to show she was paying attention, but knew she must appear uncharacteristically nervous.

“Actually I’m glad for the interruption, Lieutenant. It’s been nothing but non-stop work for the past two days and I’m beginning to forget what having a life actually means.” He smiled and took the PADD and sat down at his desk. Adam avoided reaching out with his thoughts, but he was picking up some uncomfortable vibes from her, but it wasn’t his place to say out loud that he was picking something up. “What brings you down here?” His eyes returned to the material on the PADD.

She swallowed. “Just the report.”

His eyes lifted to hers again and he smirked, “And here I thought that you’d trudged down from science with the whole goal of talking to me. I guess that I can take a look at this stuff; it shouldn’t take me all that long. Would you want to grab dinner later and possibly we could go over this?” He tapped the PADD almost violently against his palm.

T’Kirr swallowed again. She was too busy to have a social dinner, but he meant to speak business. At least she would be doing something useful. She should be over whatever problem she was having by then. She needed to face the problem. “Lieutenant JG Ellis requires my assistance in the morning. When will you finish your shift?”

He smiled at his apparent victory, but he needed to keep it strictly professional. He did, though, note that she was acting extremely uncomfortable. “In about an hour, I’ll meet you in ten forward. Does that sound like a plan to you?” She was almost fidgeting and it struck Adam as odd. “Are you OK, Lieutenant? You seem a bit on edge.”

She met his eyes, straightening in an effort to calm her appearance. “I’m fine, Mr. Drake,” she said quickly. Then, in a quieter tone, “I’m…in need of meditation. It has been a hard several days.” She forced to keep eye contact.

“Maybe we could meditate together. I hear that dual meditation is extremely relaxing and better than doing it yourself.” He was genuinely honest with her and he had every intention of meeting her for dinner. “I remember meditating with a friend when I was on vacation at home on Betazed. It was the most relaxing feeling of my entire existence. What do you say?”

The panic returned to T’Kirr, and she had to check herself before responding too anxiously. What he said was true. Meditation with a partner could benefit in ways being alone could not, and vice versa. But surely not with someone you were nervous being around. “Perhaps…another time,” she responded simply.

Adam nodded once more, “Sure, whatever works. Are we still up for dinner?”

She nodded, once, back. “In one hour.” That would be enough time. “Approximately.”

Tapping the PADD as he smiled at her, Adam sat down and propped his feet up on his desk. “Then I will see you then, Lieutenant, have a good day.” He had to fight to not wink at her, and for a moment before his eyes dived back into the seemingly endless amount of information, Adam basked in the glory of her beauty.

T’Kirr bowed her head to depart, and caught his gaze on her before turning around. Her stomach loosened somewhat after exiting the office, taking some of the strain off of her heart near it. As she made her way numbly to her quarters, his words repeated in her head. He seemed genuine enough about his intentions. And why not? He wasn’t having the problem, she was.

Her quarters were quiet and dark, and she lit the single, scented candle. Confusing emotions swirled around her mind, calling out to be understood. She would prepare herself for the simple meeting to come, and would find the clarity she needed. It was only a matter of time.