life's blood

[warpfairy]

They're not near Cardassian Union space.

But then, they're not near Federation space either. This ship has as much right to be in this system as they do.

It makes Isabella nervous, anyway, and she's just about to suggest leaving and coming back another time, when the Prometheus is hailed.

They're armed. She can't warp inside a solar system.

She answers the hail.

"Hello, Federation vessel," says one of the three visible Cardassians in bad but intelligible English. "What're you doing out here alone?"

Isabella swallows. "This is the deep space survey vessel Prometheus," she begins.

The computer lets her know that they're charging weapons.

"We have no hostile intention," she says.

Comments

[dream_me_up]

He wakes up after a little while.

He looks at her.

He doesn't say anything.

[warpfairy]

She doesn't say anything either.

For someone who almost never practices, she has emotional suppression down cold, even if it seems to take everything else with it.

[dream_me_up]

Yep.

"I'm going to make food," he says. "Want any?"

[warpfairy]

"Yes. Thank you."

[dream_me_up]

He makes breakfast.

He brings her some.

It's tasty.

[warpfairy]

She eats it. When she has finished eating, she thanks him again.

[dream_me_up]

"You're welcome," he sighs.

[warpfairy]

On they fly.

The next planned system wasn't far away from the abandoned one. Isabella sets about surveying its component parts, efficiently and silently.

[dream_me_up]

Lalita stays out of her way.

[warpfairy]

Isabella will also accept lunch and dinner, if he offers them. If he does not, she warms things for herself between planets.

[dream_me_up]

He does in fact provide both lunch and dinner.

[warpfairy]

He is thanked accordingly.

She is halfway through the system (it has a lot of moons, and a big asteroid belt) when she goes to bed again.

[dream_me_up]

Lalita stays up the rest of the night finishing the survey.

[warpfairy]

In her "morning", she observes that he has finished the job, thanks him, and proceeds towards the next system.

[dream_me_up]

Lalita makes her breakfast and then goes to bed.

[warpfairy]

Isabella reads. She makes herself lunch.

[dream_me_up]

When he wakes up, he makes her dinner.

[warpfairy]

"Thank you."

[dream_me_up]

He shrugs.

[warpfairy]

There is more interstellar space between the last system and the next. They are not there yet when she goes to bed.

[dream_me_up]

Lalita sits in the copilot's chair and does nothing.

When she wakes up, he is still in the copilot's chair, crying into his hands.

[warpfairy]

Isabella - stands behind her chair, looking at him.

"...What has distressed you?" she inquires softly.

[dream_me_up]

"Nothing new," he says hoarsely, sniffling. "You can ignore me if you want. I'm just gonna - " and he gets up and stumbles to the living quarters, where he curls up in bed to cry some more.

[warpfairy]

Isabella stands still, and thinks, for a minute.

And then she follows him. "Something has changed. Today you are crying. Yesterday you were not."

[dream_me_up]

He buries his face in a pillow.