The Other Torres | A Star Trek Fanfiction *Book 1*

Learning Curve-Chapter 41

[Mess hall]

Tuvok is at the other side of his usual table, staring into space. "I feel that my services as Morale Officer are required." said Neelix walking over. "I assure you, you are wrong." Tuvok says bluntly. "Oh really? One, no cup of tea. Two, no PADD. Three, you're sitting on the opposite side from usual. All of that tells me you've got something on your mind. And what tells me that it's making you miserable is that cloud of doom that's rising from you like a ground fog." Neelix observed. Amanda, Tom and Harry enter the Mess Hall, Amanda was laughing at something Tom said, the three often ate together and B'Elanna would most of the time join them. 

"I cannot imagine that there are visible emanations which allow you to interpret my mood. You are making wild assumptions." said Tuvok. "Ah, ha. Maquis trainees getting you down?" Neelix asked making the connection. "I do not believe they are responding well to my instruction." Tuvok responds. "What seems to be the problem?" Neelix asked. "That is what I have been trying to determine, and I'm afraid I am at a loss. I have taught literally thousands of cadets and I have never encountered these difficulties. My methods are sound and time-honoured. I insist on strict adherence to rules and protocols. I never waver from that approach. I have always been successful in honing each cadet into a Starfleet officer." said Tuvok. "Come with me, I want to show you something." Neelix said.

Neelix takes Tuvok to a flower arrangement by the counter. "These are Keela flowers. Beautiful, and remarkably strong. The stem is flexible, impossible to break. But occasionally on the same plant there's a bloom whose stem is not so flexible. Ah, here's one. And when the stem is brittle, it breaks." Neelix said. "You're saying that the Maquis crew is rigid and inflexible. That they will never adjust to Starfleet rules?" Tuvok asked. "No, Mister Vulcan, I'm saying that you are rigid and inflexible, but maybe if you'd learn to bend a little, you might have better luck with your class. Those Maquis aren't Starfleet cadets. You can't treat them the same way. Get to know them, try to find out what they're like inside. You might discover a better teaching method." Neelix. "I am not sure if I have the ability to find out what they are like inside. Mister Neelix, what is that?" Tuvok asked. An malodorous mound of stuff. "Brill cheese. I made it from that schplict we brought on board last week. Ensign Ashmore asked for something called macaroni and cheese." said Neelix. "Cheese. You must cultivate bacteria to make cheese." said Tuvok. "Of course." said Neelix.

"Captain's log, stardate 48859.3. Lieutenant Tuvok has reported what may be a possible explanation for the infection in the bio-neural gel packs. I have asked Lieutenant Torres, some of her team and Cmdr. Torres to investigate Neelix's kitchen." Janeway said in her log.

[Mess hall kitchen]

"Get me a schematic of the airflow patterns for the whole ship." said B'Elanna. "Aye Sir." a crewman replied. "The cheese is full of volatile bacterial spores. It has to stay isolated in this portable containment field." B'Elanna explained. "What is this?" Amanda asked. "That's just a Laurelian pudding. It has to simmer for four hours." Neelix said. "The spores must have travelled through that intake and then into the ventilation system." Amanda said. "Where they were disseminated throughout the ship, subsequently infecting the bio-neural circuitry." Tuvok added. "I feel awful about this. I assure you I had no idea." Neelix said.

The lights go out. "More gel packs must be down. If this is getting to the environmental systems we may be in more trouble that we thought. Neelix, this wasn't your fault. The important thing is that we found the source. Get the cheese to Sickbay. The Doctor should look at it as soon as possible." said Amanda to her sister and a crewman. "Yes, Commander." said the crewman.

[Holodeck, Sandrine's]

"You may break, Mister Dalby." Tuvok states. "Okay." said Dalby. "Do you play pool often?" Tuvok asked. "Not really. I did when I was younger." Dalby says. "Do you have a family?" Tuvok asked. "What is this all about?" Dalby asked suspiciously. "Pardon?" Tuvok says. "This little exercise. Are we testing my social skills? Does Starfleet have rules about them too?" Dalby asked. "I had thought we could get to know each other. Perhaps then our relationship would function more smoothly." Tuvok said. "Get to know each other? Okay, here's the brief history of Kenneth Dalby. We lived on the Bajoran frontier. It was a hard life. I coped by getting into a lot of trouble. I was angry at everybody and everything, till a woman came along and taught me about love. For a while, I wasn't angry any more. Three Cardassians raped her and smashed her skull. I joined the Maquis and tried to slaughter as many of them as I could find. How about you? Any family?" Dalby asked.