What the Duck

Posted on Thu Nov 14th, 2019 @ 5:04pm by Major Cornelius Tremble
Edited on on Mon Nov 18th, 2019 @ 4:06am

1,544 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Episode 8 - The Silence
Location: Marine CO's quarters
Timeline: MD006 1800 hrs

Neil sat at a work station, knife in hand as he considered the duck.

Well, it was a block of basswood but there was a duck in there someplace and he was determined to find it. It had been three years since he’d finished a carving and after giving the masked duck to Jayna, he’d decided having a hobby again might be a good thing.

Turning the block, he shaved off long strips of the blonde wood with the roughing knife. Years ago, he’d even made the knives himself, forming them to fit his hand comfortably. The annunciator went off and auto-opened and he looked up, smiling as Tallida came in.

Tallida was in deep thought to the point that she hadn't realized that she hadn't going to her quarters as she had planned until she heard Neil's voice. She looked up with a confused look on her face as she looked around the quarters. "This is not where I live." She said it very matter-of-fact but couldn't help but smile when she saw his face.

Neil's smiled widened slightly as he noted the distraction in her eyes and he asked innocently, "So, your more basic instincts kicked in for a change and it's only happenstance that you still have your clothes on? "

Tallida rolled her eyes as her shoulders slacked in resignation as she looked behind her at the closed door. She let out a sigh as she moved towards him. "what ya working on?" She asked.

"Well, there's a duck in here," Neil began. "So, you carve away the wood until you find it. After I gave that bandit duck to Jayna, I realized I hadn't picked up the knife for too long and thought I'd try my hand again."

"So you made her stuff and just broke mine?" She asked flatly. More out of an absentmindedness than jealously. She didn't feel right and her mind was elsewhere regardless of her attempts to be present.

Neil raised an eyebrow toward her and said teasingly, "Well, as I recall Counselor. We broke things...and I gave you something several times. All Jayna got was a duck."

Tallida looked at Neil and then a scoff escaped her lips before she broke into a full fit of giggles. Moving towards him she placed herself in his lap and kissed him. Gone was the distracted girl from before almost as if a switch had been flipped.

Neil dropped the wood and knife immediately, his hands going to her waist as they kissed. After the kiss broke moments later, he reached to the table and picked up a glass, offering it to her. "Bourbon, two cubes and splash of water," he informed Tallida. "Now that you're actually, fully here. Want to tell me about it?"

Tallida smirked at him as she took the glass and lifted it to her lips. The amber liquid warmed her as she thought over his question before shaking her head. "Nah, it is just medical stuff." she replied with a slight dismissive air before kissing him again.

"Ahh, along the lines of wanting to play doctor with your favorite Marine. Discussing that, in fact, that is not a duck in my pocket and so I am happy to see you." He looked at her and cocked his head slightly, "Or don't you think my poor brain couldn't handle the details," he queried, lightly.

Talli hummed contentedly as her arms came to rest on his shoulders as a smirk crossed her lips. Her fingers twirled the hair as the base of his neck absently. "Just don't want to bore you with all the details."

Neil shrugged, taking the glass from her and taking another sip, "Seems fairly distracting, given you showed up here without really thinking about it. I thought that brain of yours would keep you multi-tasking in the here and now rather than far off someplace."

"I was heading home," She replied honestly. "And somehow I ended up here." She shrugged. "Really, I don't want to bore you with it all, it is just psychological mumbo jumbo." She smiled. "How was your day? Ducks and all."

Neil considered his answer while taking another sip and offering the glass back to Tallida, "Same old thing really," he said finally. "That's what marines do: work our way through the boring everyday until it's time to get in the game." He picked up the block of wood and turned glanced at it. "The duck, I don't know. Best thing about them is if you screw it up, you can burn the mistakes and start over."

Tallida laughed as she looked down at the block of wood. "Oh, I am probably squishing you and, I interrupted what you were doing." she gave him an apologetic smile as she took the glass. "I can move." She offered.

His hand tightened on her side and he shook his head, "No, I like you here. I survived where the furniture did not, thus I am not very squish able. As far as interrupting, the only time you wouldn't take my full attention is when I'm on duty. Then all bets are off." He shrugged slightly as he simultaneously let the block rest on her own lap and his other hand dropped to her hip.

"You like the fact that you broke my bed," She teased before resting her forehead against his. "I can't wait to see your duck." She added.

Neil couldn't resist, a grin washing over his lips, "OK. That is a duck in my pants..."

"Hmmm," She started, "I am pretty sure I have seen that duck." she gave him a quick kiss. "Do you want to eat first or go straight to sex?" she asked bluntly and less elegant that normal.

Neil leaned back then and the smile faded, "Ok, what's wrong Tallida. First you're spacey and now you're sounding short. I have been around the block a few times and even if I can't understand the fancy doctor stuff, I can follow generalities. Something seems to have crawled up that perfect nose of yours."

"Perfect?" Tallida asked obviously annoyed. "I am not perfect, nothing about me is perfect." She scoffed as she forced herself from his lap. "Genetic alterations and medical manipulation do not mean I am anything more than an experiment." She resisted the urge to state she was a failed experiment as Merriam hated it. "Being made versus growing, such a great achievement."

As she stood, Neil followed her to his feet and tossed the wood aside. "That again? Tallida, you never asked for any of it and you have to live your own life now. You're not some patient zero."

"No, I am just a freak of non-nature." She let out a sigh. "Because of my non-normal ness," She started very uneloquently. "Being special as one who isn't would say, just makes you a target for other races who see Terrans as the mundane pets they can be." She huffed. It wasn't his fault and she knew that, but you lash out at those you love.

Neil's lips skinned back over his teeth and he bristled a bit. "Mundane? Yeah there are whole hosts of species who have found out we're a bit more than that. I may not be some Princess Petri dish, but I've had plenty of beings try for my skin to their detriment. I've never felt sorry for myself about my mundaneness either. It must made me get better at doing what I do best."

"You know what," She started with resignation. "You are right. I could learn sooo much about how to be normal and well adjusted by following your example." She moved to grab her coat that had been thrown over the back of a near by chair. Princess Petri Dish That simple phrase hurt more than she wanted to admit. "You know what, I didn't even mean to come here..." she turned and headed for the door.

Knowing he had gone too far, Neil couldn't help himself as he called after her, "Running again, Tallida? You are right. You probably could learn some things from me. Running is what you know though and sticking to that is like a warm hug though, right?"

Tallida paused her egress, tears brimming in her eyes. She had trusted him with the story of her and Vox and how she had ended up on the Pioneer. She turned too look at him, the betrayal and hurt in her eyes as a tear slid down her cheek. Without saying another word she left.

Neil stared for a moment at the door and gritted his teeth, starting to berate himself. His mouth had run wild and now he had this...

"Well, shit," he said, picking up the block of wood. After turning it in his hands for a moment, he walked to the recycler and shoved it in.

A Joint Post By

Lieutenant Tallida Ovaa
Chief Counselor, USS Pioneer

Captain Cornelius Tremble
Marine Commanding Officer/Second Officer, USS Pioneer

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