Following In His Footsteps
Posted on Tue Feb 7th, 2012 @ 4:21pm by Cadet Senior Grade Eli Ziyad & Cadet Senior Grade Chance Conradi
Mission: Sections of the Delta Quadrant
Selim passed along the corridor that housed the cadets, his pace casual. He was in non-descript clothing, as his own Enaran garb would have been too easily picked out by any who knew anything about his planet, and he had to assume for safety's sake that Eli's friend did. The thought brought a grim smile as he rounded the corner. Friend? He wondered idly if the parents of the Enaran refugee were truly aware of just how deep that friendship went.
He spotted the doors just ahead and slowed his steps. If his research was correct, Eli was already gone and his friend would be leaving any moment now to get to lunch. It had been his observation that this Cadet Conradi liked a Promenade stroll in the afternoon and he intended to keep tabs on him while Turgut went back into their quarters to look for his coin.
Right on cue, the doors ahead slid open and Chance stepped out. Down the corridor past the doors, Selim could see Turgut approaching, though he gave no sign of recognition.
Stepping out for his afternoon constitutional, Chance idly walked away from his quarters. Normally, his routine was such that he'd head to the Promenade, where he'd 'study' alien anatomy and interactions. Today, though, with his sister off the base as part of Admiral Hawke's entourage, he was headed to her quarters to check in on Iggy. Completely unaware that he was being watched, or timed, he headed off.
As he passed by, Selim turned to face the opposite set of doors, leaving his back to Chance, thus hiding the faint tell-tale Enaran forehead mark. He rang the bell, knowing full well that the two who lived there had departed already. He stood waiting as Chance passed on by and rounded the corner. Turgut had reached the boys' quarters by now.
Thirty minutes, no longer, Selim advised him mentally. And do not trash the place this time, I want no traces. Turgut nodded and Selim was off to follow Chance.
Getting on the turbolift and back off on the deck where Zeferino's quarters were, Chance didn't notice that Selim went right along with him. He was busy thinking about ...well, other things. It wasn't until he was just outside his sister's door and about to key in an access code that he realized someone had asked him a question. "Sorry, been cobweb-hunting. The Promenade? Ah... no," he shook his head, unsure who this person was, or why he was answering his questions. "My sis... ah, Commander Zeferino is off-base and I'm here to feed her pet."
"I see, I am sorry to have bothered you, Cadet." Selim bowed, his shaggy hair hanging down over his forehead and effectively covering the spots. "I must have gotten turned around and lost my way. Not surprising, given the size of this station. And please give my respects to your esteemed sister, she is spoken highly of here."
"Yeah, she is," Chance agreed, not catching that the stranger knew Oralia was his sister. "And no worries on the getting lost thing - my first few weeks here, I ended up in places that I still can't find now. Turbolift's easy to find, at least - right back down the hall here. Can't miss it."
"You are most kind." Selim smiled, bowed again, and as he silently withdrew, the memory of this little encounter was pulled from Chance's mind completely.
Selim hurried off to the cadets' quarters, taking the shortest route possible. The affable stranger who had conversed with Chance might seem confused, but in truth he knew this station like the back of his hand. Now he intended to lay low and watch in order to give Turgut as much time as possible.
Chance, meanwhile, went about with what he was supposed to be doing: tending to Iggy. He entered his sister's quarters and looked around cautiously. While he wasn't entirely in the know about what had happened, he knew that something had happened with Iggy, Connor, and the Chiefs of Science, Ops and Intel. Whatever it was that had happened, it had resulted in Iggy being 'grounded' in Oralia's apartment.
The grounding had left the spider grumpy and bored. Indeed, Chance found evidence of her boredom as he stuck his head into Oralia's bedroom - and right through a mess of spider silk hanging from the top of the doorway. "Augh!", he snatched at the sticky strands, yanking them away from his face (unsuccessfully). "IGGY!"
What? Her sibilant mental voice answered him.
"What are you doing?"
With the doorway? Testing myself, she replied with a non-answer, something she was getting good at doing.
"Are you hungry? What do you want?"
Yes. I want to take a walk on the Promenade, like you, she said, her grumpiness transmitting through her voice. Let a few roaches loose. I'll hunt them in the next day or two.
"Yeaahh... Not sure Oz'd appreciate that." Chance could just imagine the roaches getting out, breeding, infesting the Senior Officers' deck. Then again... as a practical joke? He chuckled to himself and, after a few more minutes of conversation with Iggy, he left.
* * * The Promenade * * *
Eli was in a hurry. He was supposed to meet Chance fifteen minutes ago but he'd stayed to assist Raxim with some clean-up work after a flight sim. Finally he reached the Promenade and darted through the throng of beings that seemed to be constantly milling about there. He spotted Chance sitting at a table and picked up his pace. A gentleman in front of him zigged when Eli zagged and they bumped into each other.
"My apologies," the man said.
"My fault, no worries." Eli barely glanced at him as he hurried on past. If he had, he might have noticed the telltale Enaran markings. Finally he reached Chance's table, ran a hand over his shoulders and dropped into the opposite chair. "Sorry I am late."
"No worries, Eli," Chance answered, slightly distracted.
"Uh oh, I know that tone. What gives? A waitress had appeared from the coffee shop and now hovered at the table giving a smile to first one then the other. "Two Sunari Surprises, extra strength," Eli ordered. Once she was gone, he turned back to Chance. "Spill it. I can see and smell smoke in there."
"Hmm? No, none of the above," Chance blithely shook his head. "I'm just a touch tired. I had to clean up after Iggy, which, frankly, isn't fun."
"Iggy? That's the giant spider?" Eli wasn't so sure about the idea of a spider, especially a big one. The waitress returned with the drinks, set them on the table, then pushed a slip of paper to Eli. Once she departed he looked at it and groaned aloud.
"Yeah, big spider," Chance would have continued to complain, but his lover's reaction to the paper intrigued him. "Is our server passing love notes to you?"
Eli slid the note across to Chance. It was handwritten and said: I'm off in two hours. Meet me at The Wormhole, got something to tell you.
"What do you think, Chance?"
"I think she has a crush on you, dear," Chance grinned. Should I call one of my sister's minions? Darwin, maybe? He and I could flirt while you get chatted up by Miss Coffee.
"Nah, I doubt I need a security guard to protect me from a waitress. I am curious, though. Will you come?"
"Of course," he laughed, "As if I'd let you go off with some pretty, flirty girl."
Eli shrugged. "I bet she asks me how to get closer to you." He grinned at Chance. "But the wording is odd, so maybe Darwin or someone is a good idea, given the break in." He pocketed the note and took a sip of his drink. "You have work to do still today?" Or are you free.....
"Work? Me?" Chance feigned looking startled. "As if I ever do any work. Of course I'm free. And I'll chat up Darwin, see if he is, too."
"Thanks." Eli reached over to touch Chance's hand, the touch light, then went back to his drink.
From the coffee shop window, the waitress watched the two young men, curiosity lighting her eyes. A few tables over, another figure watched them, just as curious - Selim.
*********
Eli Ziyad
Still A Magnet
Chance Conradi
Drawn
