Calling Oz
Posted on Tue Jun 23rd, 2015 @ 11:17pm by Cadet Senior Grade Eli Ziyad & Jackson Banning V & Commander Oralia Zeferino & Cadet Senior Grade Chance Conradi & Ignatius Reilly
Mission:
Further Challenges
Location: Federation Shuttle Lapidus
“Call Oralia? But you.... okay, okay, I’ll act as a go-between,” Chance held up his hands in surrender to the little beastie perched on his chest. “Lemme get up and see what time it is on the Station. She might not even be home yet, you know.”
She is, I am certain. Iggy shuffled off of his chest, stepping over his arm and down onto the bunk. She waited for him to pick her up before speaking again. I am sure she would like to see us.
"Great, I'll hold you up in front of the screen, then." Chance carried her to the shuttle's comm console, asking Eli to come with on his way.
“Wha…? Oh, sure.” Eli crawled out of the bunk and pulled on pants and shirt. They still had another day to travel and he’d ditched the uniform. He rubbed his eyes to wake up a little, ran his hands through his hair and followed. “What’s up?”
"We're calling Oralia," Chance answered. He tapped some keys and soon had a channel open to his sister.
"Chance? Hey, little brother," Oz smiled. "I hear you ran off with my spider."
"Not by choice, really," Chance grumbled then grimaced, "Iggy says hi. She misses you." He set the spider by the console.
From Oralia's point of view, long hairy legs and beady black eyes invaded the screen on one side. "The feeling's mutual. But you three are off on an adventure, right? A safe one, at least."
“That’s the plan, Oz,” Eli responded. “Welcome back. Maybe Jackson will settle down, now that you’re home. Everything turn out okay?”
"Yeah, if you count nearly having your thro--," she stumbled, staring at Chance, "ah... Being stabbed in the side, okay, then yeah things came out fine. Suresh is dead, that's all that matters."
As she had continued, Chance sat forward and stammered, mostly because he had both his own surprise and Iggy's chattery worry going through his head. "Iggs! Stop! Oz, you were stabbed? Was anyone else hurt?"
Eli groaned aloud and added his own questions. “You told Jackson this? Did his head explode? Did he threaten to lock you in a closet?”
"Heh... All but the closet, Eli." She chuckled. "No, Darwin told him as we were in transit home. He made us stop at Nelvana III to get medical attention," she waved it away. "Li was hurt, too, but mentally. The hazard of being a telepath." She gave Eli a concerned, 'be careful' look.
Chance spoke up, "Iggy demands proof you're okay."
"What? Iggy, you can see me. I'm right here. I'm fine!" Oralia shook her head.
“I don’t think she’d lie to you Iggs.” Eli frowned a moment, catching Oz’s look. “She wants to see apparently.”
Sighing, Oz shifted, lifted her shirt and showed the three a scarless side. "Really, see?"
"Okay, Iggy, see?" Chance nodded at Oz.
Jackson’s face appeared in the screen, smiling. “Trust me Iggy, I did a thorough exam an’ she’s in fine shape. I checked every square inch of her.”
Chance facepalmed, groaning. After a moment, he nodded, "Iggy accepts that. And adds that you need to make sure she stays in one piece, Jackson."
“I’ll do my best, ya know that.” Jackson’s attention shifted to Eli and Chance. “You two ready for this? I’m not so sure it’s gonna be a welcome home parade son.”
Eli shrugged. “We’ll get through it and then get out of there. Chance and Eric will be watching my back.”
"You better believe I'll be watching his back," Chance quipped, laughing.
It was Oz's turn to groan then she laughed as the screen blacked out slowly. Iggy was crawling across it.
Though Oz and Jackson couldn't see him, Chance winced and glanced at Eli. "Ah... Iggy wants to know how Jerry is doing and whether her eggs have hatched."
"What? What eggs?" Oz sounded a touch panicked.
“Oz?” Eli called out. “You still there? The signal’s gone wonky.” He looked over to Chance and nudged him. Do we really want to get into this now?
"Oh, look at that!", Chance tapped at the console, misaligning the Commander. He called, "Oz, Jackson! We'll talk later!" He closed the comm link. "Oh man... I thought she'd know by now!"
Eli shook his head. “I suspect that when Oz got home, Jackson’s mind was on other things that didn’t involve spider eggs. Iggy, if you want, we can put through a call to science and check on them later.”
Do you believe they will be safe? Will the science bipeds feed them? Iggy still clung to the console's screen, but she could see both Eli and Chance, and, though not as well, Eric at the helm.
Chance picked her up. "They'll be fine. Safe, well-fed. You'll see when we get back."
“They’re probably enjoying it, Iggy. I mean, they are going to be present for the first offspring of the Federation’s newest species. That’s something they’ll be watching and recording very closely.” Eli smiled at the spider. “Besides, they won’t want to have to face you if they screw up.”
The large arachnid swiped at her fangs with her pedipalps. No, they do not wish to have me displeased.
Chance shook his head and muttered, "You can be so creepy, Iggs. C'mon, back to bed with you; I'll spell Eric for a bit at the helm."
“I’ll come up too, if you want?” Eli smiled at Chance. “You hungry?”
Yeah, but not for food, Chance thought at Eli and grinned.
Eli laughed softly as they moved to the front to relieve Eric. Once we are home...trust me.
Home! You're killing me! Chance shook his head, dismayed.
I would have no choice but to watch. There is no privacy here, Iggy reminded them.
It was Eli’s turn to facepalm. I don’t think Eric wants to watch either and after your last time, I’m just fine without an audience, thank you very much. A thought occurred to Eli now. Iggs? When we are home? You’ll have to keep your unfiltered thoughts on Chance and me to yourself. Please?
I know. I will reveal them only to bipeds of our persuasion. Do not worry. Unless there is beer, Iggy promised.
“Our persuasion?” Her statement surprised him.
"Uh... That's my doing. Remember? Eric used that phrase?"
“Oh yeah.” Eli nodded. “Very well.” He reached the front finally to settled in beside Chance. “How much longer till we arrive?”
Chance waved to Eric as they switched places. "Looks like ...three hours?" He grinned at Eli. "This will be good."
“Depends on what you mean by this?” Eli nudged him, then watched as he re-set the autopilot. “Everything under control?”
"Yup. And by this, I mean this trip, going to Enara Prime, seeing your family," he rubbed Eli's shoulder.
“I’m not so excited about that, but maybe it will help smooth things over.” Eli reached up, caught Chance’s hand and raised it to his lips. “At least you’ll see them and meet my brother.” He almost added ‘one last time’ but changed his mind.
"Someday, we could visit my folks. Or maybe get them to come out this way. And then he human mating ritual of meeting the parents will be complete." He laughed.
“Is that important to humans? Have they met Jackson?” Eli wanted to know. “It’s not such a big thing with us, as long as they come from the right family.”
"Actually, I'm not even sure she's told them they're married. If they've met Jackson, it's only been by comm. Though our investigator brother, Harry, has probably researched the hell out of Jackson and his family. And Arch is a Captain in the Fleet, so he's probably done the same."
“Will they do the same with me?” Eli squeezed Chance’s hand. “If so they might not like what they find.”
Looking sheepish, Chance busied himself with something close to nothing on the helm. Finally, he sighed and admitted, "Yeah, they already did that. Oz talked Mom down and assured her there's no danger because of you."
“I see.” Eli wasn’t sure whether to be worried over the reaction or flattered that Chance’s family considered him important enough to investigate. Those thoughts were passed to Chance and then the rest of what he’d said sunk in. “Your parent’s don’t care that I’m not a woman?”
"No, they don't care. Humans went through that bit of prejudice eons ago. It's an accepted fact that genetics determines one's 'persuasion'. Plus, the onus of producing grandchildren is on Oz. She's the only daughter." Chance shrugged. "We can just adopt."
Eli sat unmoving for several seconds as he took that in. Adopt? Chance had already considered the options for children? He turned in his seat to face Chance. “You’ve planned that far ahead?”
Chance was a little flustered by the question. They were awfully young to start thinking of children. "Well, no... but unless there's something about male Enaran physiology that I haven't discovered yet, how else would we get kids?"
Eli laughed for a moment. “No, it just surprised me that the thought had crossed your mind. I’m flattered.” He reached over and grabbed Chance’s shirt, pulling him in for a kiss. “I’m glad your mother no longer thinks I am a criminal.”
"Thank Oz for that, Eli. Mom thinks I just love bad boys. Plus, you know, the whole dying thing..., she was ready to make Starfleet send me home. Good thing they don't answer to her." He chuckled and kissed Eli, turning the moment into a make out session.
Behind them, the panel began to beep as Chance pressed something that didn’t think it needed pressing. Eli began to laugh and reached around him, silencing the beep. He was suddenly anxious to reach Enara Prime and get off the shuttle.
****************
Cadet Junior Grade Eli Ziyad
No Longer A Criminal
Cadet Junior Grade Chance Conradi
No Babies on the Brain
Oralia Zeferino
Ignatius J. Reilly
Hatchlings on the Brain
Jackson Banning V
Owner & Inspector
The Nexus Club
