Civilian Sh'eik | "Dreamscape" Part 1

Posted on 241503.12 @ 10:54am by Cadet Sh'eik

Mission: Holy Cow
Location: Kitty Head
Timeline: The Past

=/\= Starship Persephone - Stardate 240901.21 =/\=

His lungs and heart pounded as he tore through the corridor on deck 4, after his brother D'Triiq.
Every moment of his life, he'd lived on this ship. He knew every crawl space, every Jefferies tube, every room he had access to. There was no escape!
He skidded with an adorably meek kitten roar as he rounded a corner and pounced... on thin air? His left ear flicked a few times as he turned his head to lo-

*poke* "I win." D'Triiq looked far too pleased with himself.
Sh'eik panted softly, grinning at his brother, "Alright, fine. You win. I'll hide this time. 60 seconds, NO CHEATING!" He poked D'Triiq in the muzzle.
D'Triiq wrinkled his nose as if he'd smelled a bad odour and stuck his tongue out, "Go hide, Tiny."
Sh'eik's eyes narrowed but he held his tongue, he was the runt, and subject to such taunts, "Fine."

Sh'eik trotted off, distracted by the small insult from his brother.
He turned and tapped a com panel, waving to Ensign Monroe as she walked by, opening Jefferies tube Alpha 2, before grabbing a rung and pulling himself up.

He and D'Triiq had always been close. He knew his brother was only teasing, but it stung just the same. All his littermates were easily inches taller than he was, though he'd caught a conversation between the medical staff stating they were all above average in height and build, for their age and species.

He crossed to Jefferies tube Gamma 6 and made sure to close the doors behind him as he went, then turned right at Bravo 2. Another 5 meters and he was behind the exit to his family's quarters on Deck 3. Obvious hiding spots were always the best, because they were always over looked. Sh'eik knew he had just seconds before D'Triiq would start coming for him and he thumbed the Jefferies tube exit, which whisked open, letting in the sound of heated talk. He paused, one footpaw out the hatch.

They were in the dining room, out of direct sight from this hatch, which his parents had opted to semi hide behind a sofa. He considered back tracking but realized he'd likely run right into D'Triiq in the process. So there he stood, left ear flicking, listening to his parents quarrel. Which in and of itself was odd. They NEVER fought.

"We have a commitment! We can't just up and leave because you're restless!" His mother hissed.
"You have a commitment. You don't need me here, endlessly pouring over useless reports about... fauna." His father lamented.
"And what of the cubs? I can't raise them on my own, with a full time duty position as well. This ship was never equipped for long term family support. There's no school or nursery!" His mother was quickly sounding more hurt than angry.
"Shan'ik, I love you. Truly. But this science mission is wearing thin. I'm just not as excited about creatures that don't matter, on planets no one will ever visit, as you."
The female Caitian bristled, you could almost hear her hackles go up, "Fine. Don't like them. I'm not asking you to like the work, or even do it. I'm asking you not to abandon me here, alone, with four cubs and no clan to go home to."
"and here comes the guilt trip..." The Male rolled his eyes.

"THE GUILT TRIP?!? I gave up everything for you. My clan, my career, my home..." Shan'ik's voice trembled, something Sh'eik had never heard before.
"I didn't hear you complaining about it at the time..." The male sounded disinterested at this point, something else Sh'eik had never encountered.
And then she dropped the bomb.

"When you defected from Kzin, all you wanted was a better life, a slower pace, relief from the constant struggle of life you had." Shan'ik's voice was more level now, she was speaking from the heart. Off in the corner, Sh'eik couldn't breathe, eyes wide as saucers. This was NOT a conversation he was supposed to be hearing.
"And I had no one. The federation granted me asylum, but no one on Cait would take in a dirty Kzin... yes yes, your benevolence, pity and sacrifice are noble and I am forever in your debt." The male chuffed and Sh'eik could hear a few steps on the floor and the whir of a replicator.

"K'Tan, your guilt is your own. I've never looked at you and seen a 'dirty Kzin'. The things they make people like you do, as a matter of society, beat you down. You rose above it all and took things into your own hands. You were my hero..." Shan'ik grew quiet as she trailed off.
K'Tal sounded frustrated "How is running away from my problems heroic?"
"This isn't about being frustrated with the work, or me and the cubs, is it?" Shan'ik sounded tired now. They both sounded tired now.

K'Tal sighed, Sh'eik heard the clink of a glass as it was placed on the counter, "I'm having real difficulties... shutting out the rest of the crew. I'm being bombarded constantly by their thoughts, desires, emotions. On Kzin, I didn't even have a name. Kzinti like myself are regarded barely above women. In my culture, I am so worthless I am not allowed a name. We are all simply called 'Telepath'."

Shan'ik didn't pry into what he meant by Kzin's views on females of the race. It was one of many contentious issues that kept Cait from reconciling it's common ancestry, with Kzin, and one of many reasons that Caitians as a people viewed the Kzin as barbaric, savage, and uncivilized. She knew just as well that Telepaths were treated with little more respect than women in Kzin culture, as they were seen as weak and broken.

"The joy I felt, from your friendship, and the day you gave me a name... I wept. The guilt I felt when your clan turned you out for befriending and defending me..." K'Tal's voice broke now.
"There's no counselor here to help you with mental disciplines. It's been unraveling this whole time... your ability to block it out... why didn't you say something?" Shan'ik embraced her mate, all the anger gone, all she wanted to do was help. His poor tortured mind, on this remote journey, had been slowly coming apart, without the support he needed to overcome the mental obstacles from his former life.

K'Tal hung his head, "I didn't want to worry you, I... I had hoped I could handle it on my own. I didn't think I would be this overwhelmed. And... I am ashamed."
All three sets of ears in the room, folded back. One set in shame the other two in love and pity.

"I'm going to ask the Captain to relieve you for the time being, and reduce my duties. And, we'll see about long range consults, with a federation counselor. Just please, talk to me, in the future. We love you, we are not ashamed of you, or burdened by you, and it would be of great pain to both myself and the cubs, if you weren't here with us. Especially if it were because you believed yourself unworthy of us."
K'Tal nodded quietly keeping his eyes low.

"K'Tal, look at me," Shan'ik broke the embrace, holding her Kzinti mate's handpaws in her own "This is not Kzin. You are not worthless, and you do not have to be alone. You are NOT alone. We are here, and we. love. you. I will do anything I can to help. I just need to know when you need it. I can't read YOUR mind."
He smirked a little at that, feeling childish and playful all of a sudden, but fighting the urge to pounce on her like they were pre-schoolers, "I'm sorry Shan'ik I love you. I don't want to hurt you, or the cubs..."

Sh'eik slipped slowly back into the Jefferies tube, quietly thumbing the hatch closed behind him and retracing his steps to the corridor.
"Hey!" D'Triiq came bounding up, "Where were you? I couldn't find you at all?"
Sh'eik's ears were still back, a solemn look on his face, definitely lost in thought, "I, uh. Sorry? I'm sorry, D'Triiq. I'm feeling kind of hungry, wanna hit the crew lounge?"

D'Triiq's ears went back now too, it was obvious something was weighing heavily on his brother, "Yea, sure! Ensign Monroe showed me the recipe in the replicator for Cashoot and Cranburly Scissor Salad, yesterday. It's even got a vegetarian dressing, so we can eat it!"
Sh'eik smiled, despite himself, "Sounds interesting, let's try it."

As they waited for the lift, it built up inside D'Triiq until he felt he was going to burst... and then it did and he randomly pulled his smaller brother into a tight embrace, "Please don't be sad, I'm sorry I called you Tiny."
"Wha-? D'Triiq?" It was all Sh'eik had not to collapse under the sudden display of affection and apology. He blinked, realizing that he probably looked pretty brooding at the moment.
He smiled and hugged back, "It's not that, but thank you for worrying about me. Can we t-" His stomach interjected audibly, eliciting a giggle from the larger brother, "er, can we talk it about it after we eat?"

D'Triiq nodded as the turbolift doors whisked open, marching purposefully through them, "Yea, I can't think on an empty stomach either."
Sh'eik laughed, following him into the lift, "Fatty."
D'Triiq bristled, sucking on his finger rapidly and shoving it in his smaller brother's ear.

The lift arrived on deck two and the doors opened with the two wrestling and playfighting their way across the threshold and out into the corridor.
This was brought quickly to a halt, when someone raised their voice, "Ahhhtennnntion!"
The boys snapped up immediately, they knew that voice.
Captain Webb was a stout, portly, Bolian man, good natured, but strict, and with an odd sense of humour. It was difficult to gauge his responses sometimes.

He looked down at the boys, regarding them critically, "What do we have here... Looks like I've got two recruits, breaking Starfleet regulation 469 section 2."
Their ears went flat, as he paced in front of them, making an exagerated production out of it, "Yes sir! Sorry sir!"
"And what praytell, is Starfleet regulation 469 section 2?" The Bolian asked as the crewmen in the hall looked on with faux looks of shock and horror.
"Regulation 469 Section 2: There will be no rough housing on the Lounge Deck during dinner hour, sir!" Sh'eik piped up.
"That's right!" He kneeled down so they were all on eye level, and smiled, "I think we'll skip the court martial, THIS time. Just be more careful in the future. Dismissed!" The boys milled around him and off into the crew lounge, as the crewmen in the hall chuckled.

Webb then boarded the Turbolift with his XO in tow. The brunette woman shaking her head and smiling, "There is NO regulation 469 section 2."
Webb smiled back, "Kids love a production. Bridge!"

* * *

~End Part 1~

Sh'eik
Civilian
USS Enterprise

=/\= United Confederation of Interstellar Planets =/\=