Getting Lost Part II
Posted on Mon Jul 24th, 2023 @ 1:22am by Captain Edmund Merrick & Petty Officer 1st Class Kaylara Loran
Edited on on Mon Jul 24th, 2023 @ 8:53pm
0 words; about a 1 minute read
Mission:
Episode 14 - The Poseidon Adventure
Location: Arboretum - Center Core Deck 77 - Poseidon Station
Timeline: MD008 1800 hrs
"Touché'" he stated. "And I agree. However, old habits are hard to break especially when a person has to be on guard quite a bit. We almost lost him completely, due to a damned attack at the research facility he was at, on an icy planet that had geo thermal activity. Does something to a person. And yes, he went on his own, away from us. Him becoming rather dark, dour, sliding in a depression, due to losing a loved one. And him not remembering. So yeah, maybe we became mother hens."
Stefan gritted his teeth "We are all that we have of our family line. Horatiu, would like nothing more than to wipe out the memory of our father and mother, who he had murdered. " he looked away, it had registered on Stefan that Kaylara said she liked him, hence why she agreed to meet him. He looked back into Kaylara's eyes, just to see what was there.
"I'm sorry your family's been through so much," she said quietly. "Although I still feel the same about your brother. He won't come back until he's ready, and the way you're trying to find him isn't helping. He needs someone else, someone not from his family or his past, to help him find himself again. As for the rest," she shook her head, sympathetically. "I'm sorry." She wasn't sure what to say. Everyone grieved in their own way, and her experiences were nothing like what he'd been through. She looked at him, trying to read his thoughts in his eyes.
"And you do have a valid point." Stefan replied, his eyes were revealing a lot there. Worry, sadness, a genuine warmth and interest in her. A tender expression of actually caring for her feelings. Also, there is an inner struggle in keeping the door through his wall open. He's had that wall up for quite some time and only a select few he's let through the small cracked open door into his inner sanctum. Very few.
Kaylara was caught by the changing expression in his eyes. She couldn't find the words to respond, or how to feel--if she should let herself feel at all. She took a half-step forward and stopped, still unsure what to believe or trust.
Stefan reached out his hand towards Kaylara uttering softly, "Ask me some questions, I'll tell you no lies." Most times the comment a simple sentence from a song would be 'Ask me no questions, I'll tell you no lies,' but his statement was simply an opening for her to find out some answers.
They both heard someone walking toward them. "Maybe...not here." She wasn't sure what she wanted to ask, but she didn't want anyone on the station overhearing the answers.
"Where do you wish to go? You have the helm Kaylara. You have the lead and I will go where requested." Stefan simply answered, his ears keeping track of the person who was nearing them.
"I...don't know. This is your station. I'll leave that up to you." She knew she was giving him an open-ended invitation, but she could always walk away.
"Two possibilities a temporary quarters for you on the station, I can set that up for you. We could also talk in my quarters. Or thirdly we can speak in a conference room that isn't being used." Stefan answered.
Did she want temporary quarters? It might be nice not to have to go back to the ship and explain things to Jayna. Stefan's quarters would remind her too much of the last time she was there. And a conference room was a little too impersonal. She sighed. "Temporary quarters will do."
Stefan gave a nod, "Won't take but a moment to get arranged." pulling out his padd, and making a quick investigation. " Okay there is one on level 95, it is clean neat and tidy. Let’s go there, and it does have a view outside to the stars. That is if you would like it." looking towards Kaylara.
She nodded. "Sounds perfect." One way or another, she wasn't going back to the ship tonight.
Stefan walked along side Kaylara, he did have things to say but, too many ears and there needed to be just the two of them to sort out things. Stepping into the lift he gave the command "Deck 95" and the turbo lift moved downwards. With them being alone in the lift, Stefan remarked, "You have been rather good at shedding light, calling me out on things that needed to be said."
She smiled ruefully. "I don't know if I'd call it good. My parents have always said I'm a bit to blunt and rebellious for my own good." It was for that reason they were surprise she chose to join Starfleet and even more surprised she chose to not go through the Academy.
"It depends on the person's perspective is it not? " he stopped speaking as the turbo lift paused, to let a few people get on it, and then it continued downwards. The lift stopped, and let the other passenger to leave, but two more arrived. They were going down a lower level than 95. The lift doors opened; they were now on deck 95. Stefan waited until Kaylara stepped out then he followed after. The lift closed its door and then continued on.
"The room is located on the right." Stefan informed Kaylara.
She nodded and looked at the numbers until she came to the one now assigned to her. Why was she feeling skittish? This was not like she'd picked up some guy from a bar--which she never had. Until Stefan, that is. But that was not, technically, a pick-up. She placed her palm on the plate and the door opened. "Well, at least we're in the right place," she quipped, walking in.
The lights came on, revealing a standard-sized room--for a starbase. It was larger than the one she had on the Pioneer. She went over to the couch and sat down on one end, wanting to pull her knees up to her chest defensively, but not while she was wearing a short leather skirt. The thought made her smile.
Stefan stepped inside of the quarters, the door sliding closed behind him. Gone was the self-confident Pirate King from the holodeck and even his confident smile was not there when they first met. Instead, there was not much of an expression there, Stefan moving to the other end of the sofa. He looked over at Kaylara, still as beautiful when they first met, gazing at her person as a whole.
He sat there in silence for a moment or two then he uttered, "Would you like to ask me some questions?"
She nodded, not quite sure how to take this Stefan. "Tell me about your family."
He had said he'd not tell lies and so he won't. "There is much to be said, it’s a strange tale to be told. Hopefully I can give a very abridged version. Lucien, myself and Camelia are triplets. We are the only children of Marku Alexandru Zamfir and Ilinca Lenuta Dragos Zamfir."
Our father was a baron, he was killed and his pregnant wife, our mother; was accused and found guilty of having him murdered. She was taken to a prison hospital where she ended up dying, after we were born. She was murdered. Our Aunt, Tatiana gave up everything to raise us three. She was and is our mother figure." he took a breath then continued.
"Horatiu, the one in that pirate program, he was the one who had done the deed. He has quite a few connections. He got away with murder for a time until we found evidence to put him in prison." his voice was filled with a great deal of emotions.
"That hadn't been found out until we were in our teens. Before that, however we had to go into hiding. Horartiu, he wanted to raise us in his own image. We needed to not be where we could be found. So, Aunt Tatiana. Mom, she went into hiding with us." he paused and looked at Kaylara. "Sounds like something out of a storybook, eh? However, this is all true." Stefan rose up from the sofa, walking over to where he could look out towards the stars. "So much had happened and we at the time had or maybe still have, that mentality of us against the world. Who can we truly trust? " he turned to look at Kaylara. "And yet I am telling you things I've told only to a few."
"But surely, once he was arrested for murder, your lives could go back to normal?" she asked. She still wasn't sure what to think of...well, everything, but this was a start. She still didn't like how quick she was to accept him at his word.
"Not when the family ends up becoming part of intelligence. Also, Horatiu even if he is imprisoned, he still has connections. We did come out of hiding so to speak but we all joined Star Fleet. First started in intelligence then Lucien went to Science, Camelia went into Operations and well, Aunt Tatiana and I, we stayed in Intelligence." Stefan stated. There was no indication of him lying. All that he was saying was truth.
She understood the complexity, being in intelligence herself. "Why did he murder your mother when she was already convicted?"
"Kaylara, we were born in prison. He killed her after we were born. Aunt Tatiana, she broke into prison to save mother and us. she was there when we were born. And that is what happened." Stefan replied
"Yes, but do you know why he chose to kill her after you were born? Was it just to take you away from her?"
A Joint Post By
Petty Officer First Class Kaylara Loran
Data Systems Analyst, USS Pioneer
Lieutenant Junior Grade Stefan Zamfir
Field Agent, Poseidon Station
RSS Feed