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 sits quietly for a little while, calculating the odds that he's being monitored right now and examining the room for likely avenues of surveillance.

[alicornucopia]

Apparently the room-shuffling required to put him adjacent to Isabella - presuming he really is - put him in a room without an interior camera, although there are microphones - perhaps originally intended to allow voice commands to the computer, but easily repurposed if they so chose.

[dream_me_up]

So if he wanted to, say, circumvent the lock, all he'd have to do would be keep nice and quiet about it.

That's no trouble.

But he doesn't try it yet. So far they've been surprisingly nice, for Cardassians.

[alicornucopia]

Kelvok's back a few hours later, apparently having had a nap.

[dream_me_up]

Lalita decides to be welcoming.

[alicornucopia]

Kelvok feels so welcomed! He is very pleased with this idea he had. He talks occasionally, in Cardassian, not expecting Lalita to understand him - it's mostly compliments.

[dream_me_up]

Well, that's sweet of him. Lalita is slightly charmed. He hopes he won't end up having to kill this guy.

[alicornucopia]

Kelvok is quite ignorant of that even being on the table. Unless Lalita has been demonstrating unusual-for-humans strength?

[dream_me_up]

His unusual-for-humans brain tells him that that would be a bad idea, not that he really needs augmented cognition to deliver that fairly obvious warning.

Anyway, for now, if Kelvok is going to be sweet then Lalita is going to be sweet right back. And Lalita has a lot of sweetness to offer.

[alicornucopia]

Sweetness all around, then.

This continues in shifts - visits from Kelvok, departures thereby.

The room next door is silent. If Isabella is even sleeping, then the walls are too thick to convey the talking in her sleep that she always does. If she's there.

[dream_me_up]

Lalita does not like the sound of that. Or lack thereof.

It's probably still better to cooperate, but... probably.

[alicornucopia]

Kelvok makes no remarks about Isabella at all.

[dream_me_up]

Given that they don't share a language, that's not a surprise.

There is an amazing amount of communication that can take place without a common language, but most of it is about things less abstract than 'what is your friend doing to my friend where I can't see them?'.

[alicornucopia]

Yep. Kelvok is not even slightly trying to communicate on that subject.

[dream_me_up]

Can't blame him, really.

[alicornucopia]

Lalita is very distracting.

[dream_me_up]

It is one of many skills on which he prides himself!

[alicornucopia]

Time wears on.

One day there are noises from the adjacent room.

They aren't... really... Isabella noises.

[dream_me_up]

Kelvok is present at this time.

Lalita gives the wall a suspicious look and pushes him away.

[alicornucopia]

Kelvok looks at the wall, and at Lalita, and frowns at the wall again, and pounds on it a few times. "Hey!"

The noises fall silent.

Kelvok reaches for Lalita again.

[dream_me_up]

Lalita hesitates, then draws back, shaking his head. Clearly this is not a sufficient reassurance.

[alicornucopia]

"Brol, you idiot, he heard you!" Kelvok snarls through the wall.

"She's quiet as can be! Get Janor to tell him the difference!" comes Brol's muffled voice. "What's he gonna do, frown at you?"

[dream_me_up]

Lalita does, in fact, frown.

He also gets up and goes to the door.

[alicornucopia]

"Lalita," says Kelvok. "Lalita." He doesn't say anything else, he wouldn't expect Lalita to understand him.

[dream_me_up]

He shakes his head. He points at the door.