Star Trek: Erin

Part 57: Three on Leave

     We got to Blyve II without incident, which was impressive for us.

     The planet was the second in a binary system, large swathes of its surface covered in what looked like inky black foliage from the orbiting station. Beaming down, we arrived in the undercover Starfleet facility in the town of Stykn and exited one by one into the streets with half an hour between. I went first—probably since I was so good with people—and ended up loitering just across the street for an hour, taking in the new surroundings.

     I spent the first ten minutes trying to stealthily adjust the translator in my ear and wincing repeatedly. Thing is, it didn't filter out the dialogue it translated, so I was hearing everyone around me in both the traditional language and the whispered translation in my ear. Eventually I got a headache and turned it off for the time being.

     And I watched.

     Watched the people, a dominant population of long-limbed, almost insectoid humanoids. I recalled from the briefing package that they had a modicum of control over facial structure, and many actually resembled humans. Enough that we weren't out of place. The architecture was wide and low to the ground, with undulating designs rising from the dusty foundations. A mixture of something sharp and grassy, sour smoke, and soap sat over it all. I found myself growing disappointed. It was still... familiar.

     Nowak noticed when he joined me. He watched a transaction taking place, the gestures heavy with symbolism but with a resemblance to familiar ones that was just a little too obvious to ignore. "What could they have been had the Federation not arrived?"

     "Exactly." I glanced at him. "Do we stagnate societies?"

     I expected a non-committal answer, or at least an argument for both sides, but he surprised me by nodding immediately. "It is like the quantum world. There are wonders taking place, but we cannot stand not knowing. We interfere, and we break it." His head tilted. "Your translator is off."

     "All the voices were giving me a headache."

     "Ah." He deftly showed me how to turn down the translator range to those within speaking distance.

     We continued watching in silence until Gabriel arrived, glancing distractedly back at the facility. "They really need to get out more."

     "Huh?"

     "The personnel stationed here. Asked about local sights and they couldn't come up with a single thing."

     I grinned. "Maybe they were intimidated by you. Did you have your scary face on?"

     "I don't have a scary face."

      "Since you got back from Starbase 14, you definitely do."

     "It is true," said Nowak. "You have a presence."

     Gabriel threw up her hands. "Fine. Let's settle and then explore, eh? At least the briefing recommended a place to stay."

     "It's probably boring though. Starfleet likes playing it safe." I scowled. "Hate feeling like a tourist."

     Nowak patted my shoulder.

     We maneuvered through the streets, which were remarkably spacious, and earned only a couple curious looks. Nowak was wearing his culturally appropriate hat, which was basically a blue cube with side curtains that covered his pointed ears. It perched on his head and looked terrible.

     I discovered Gabriel had an excellent sense of direction, and we arrived at a decent-sized, motel-looking building without getting lost. The grass-like designs were more prominent on its exterior. Painted black and rimmed in ivory, they had the look of writhing eldritch tentacles from farther away.