A Curiosity

Posted on Sat Jan 18th, 2014 @ 8:48am by Lieutenant Commander William Harding M.D.

Mission: Breaking New Ground
Location: CMO's Office

Dr. William Harding sat at the desk in his office, looking across it at the man who sat before him. He was smiling as the man, make that Starfleet medical officer Lt. Commander Solis, spoke. Solis had been talking for a good five minutes and Will still wasn't believing what he was seeing. The man across from him had long hair, waist-length even, earrings in both ears and a small ring in his nose. He was dressed casually, since he was on vacation, despite being Fleet. He was animated and smiled...a lot.

And he was Vulcan. Will was having a hard time getting it all to track. It just made no sense and it was interesting as hell to see in person. According to Solis, he had grown up on a colony quite a distance from Vulcan and only been to the home world once. Well, that explained a lot.

Will watched as Solis continued to talk and swung his long hair back over his shoulder. The short sleeves he wore shifted, revealing a large and intricate tattoo on his shoulder and upper arm. Will blinked. What was next? What was next was silence and he realized Solis had asked him a question. He'd been so mesmerized that he'd missed it.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

Solis' smile returned. "Daydreaming Doc? Or is the workload that heavy?"

Will found himself smiling in return. "Neither, really. I'm sorry, I am just taking a few to adjust to a smiling Vulcan."

"Gets you, doesn't it?" Solis laughed, then relaxed back in his chair. "Don't worry, you'll get used to me."

That would take a while, Will thought. He'd have to get over the urge to stare and quick.

"I have no doubt about that, Dr. Solis. What brings you out this way for vacation? We're not exactly on the beaten path." Then again, nothing about this man was on the beaten path. The thought brought the urge to laugh but Will repressed it.

"One of your JAG officers, actually. My fiancee." Solis waved his hand a moment. "You get the idea. She was transferred here not long ago and I am finally getting out to see her. I thought I'd drop in to meet you and let you know I'm here in case something big goes down and you need an extra pair of hands. I understand one of the docs left with the away team?"

"Dr. Mi, yes. Our Chief Ambassador is with the away team and pregnant. And half-Klingon." It occurred to Will that this station was full of oddities, including a Klingon Chief Ambassador, a newly-alive Chance, a former Black Ops agent who now owned a nightclub, and now a Vulcan who looked like one of Earth's rock stars. Fitting for such a far frontier.

Solis gave a low whistle. "No wonder you sent a doctor along. Wait, your Chief Ambassador is half Klingon?"

"She is also part human. So you can understand the situation."

"I can. Well, the offer is open if I'm needed in an emergency. Otherwise I'll be exploring the station and likely the planet below. I've heard the beaches are awesome."

"They are." An image rose in Will's thoughts of Solis in wild-patterned shorts on a surfboard. He could totally see it. "Here on the station, you have to get to The Nexus Club and Lao's. Best Chinese food I've had in years. And the Wormhole bar if you want something a little more rowdy. And if you want really rowdy, head below the equator to the Cherry Pit." If anyone could fit in down there it was Solis, and he wouldn't be thought strange in Saturnalia as Will was when he ventured down there.

"Thanks, Doc." Solis rose and gave Will a mock salute. "See you around. Maybe you'd like to join us at the Nexus?"

Now that was something Will would like to see. "I'd be delighted." As soon as the words came out of his mouth, he realized how stuffy he sounded. "Just let me know when."

"Will do." Solis turned and sauntered out of the office, leaving Will in silence and a bit of culture shock.

The silence was broken a few moments later by Kiere. "Who was that?"

Will looked up and smiled at Kiere. "That was Solis. Dr. Solis...Lt. Commander Solis to be exact."

The answer clearly surprised Kiere. "Fleet? Umm..wow. Okay. New transfer?"

"Vacation and visiting a friend here," Will answered. "Never a dull moment here on 900 is there?"

Kiere nodded. "You can say that again. Are you ready for lunch? I ordered Italian today."

"That sounds yummy." Yummy? He smiled again as he rose. Seems Solis had rubbed off a little and that wasn't entirely a bad thing. "Let's do it."

Kiere gave him a strange look, then turned to lead the way to the break room.

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Lt. Commander William Harding
Lt. Commander Solis
Yin & Yang