Eriecho - Star Trek Kelvin Timeline fanfiction

Recessive - A First

Her blonde hair was long, and she kept arranging and rearranging it, over and over again.

"Eriecho!" Saddik called. "It is time for the evening meal! The siren has already rung out once." It was a siren that called them to the evening meal at the sanctuary. There could have, perhaps, been a more pleasant way of getting across that same message, but the siren loudly and efficiently pierced the Martian air. And so, even if one was practically on the other side of the planet – or at least the compound – or deep in meditation, it was possible to hear that the communal meal was ready.

He repeated himself. "Eriecho, you have arranged your hair in many different styles. I am concerned that we will be late for the evening meal, for I have heard the siren already."

"I understand. And I have heard that self-same siren. It will be all right. Just, just a moment." She was wearing a white shirt with a bit of an abstract design. Tiny earrings adorned her pointed ears. The tiniest bit of pinkish-tinged lip balm was on her mouth. But then there was the matter of what to do with her hair. She was about ready to call it quits when she tried one more method. There was a green ribbon she had replicated, intending to possibly make it into something. This time, she pulled most of her hair back, except for a few front wisps, and tied it all in the back, making a small bow. "There!" They made their way to the evening meal.

There were the benches, as always; and there was a setting for everyone in the sanctuary. Eriecho glanced around, her eyes finally lighting upon Sollastek. He was wearing a newly-replicated tunic and pants. Unlike most of the other men there, he was growing his hair out a bit, but his ears were still visible. He gestured subtly, for the two of them to come over and sit with him.

Colonel Jack Shaw, the sanctuary's administrator, stood at the front of the room. "I'm glad to see everyone," the human began. "I have some reports from our many eager volunteers. There were sixteen births today! I'm sure you'll join me in your thanks to these many surrogate mothers, who are giving of their time, and their attention, and their bodies, to assist in restoring your species to its pre-Nero numbers. They are building your future." He paused, as if expecting applause.

"I saw that the community gardens are doing particularly well. Today's meal comes mainly from the sanctuary's own patch. Instead of a plomeek broth, we will have a mild tortilla soup. Then there will be vegetarian tamales with guacamole, plus black beans and rice on the side. I hope you enjoy a little taste of Mexico. I've asked the staff to put bottles of hot sauce on all of the tables. I won't be offended if you don't take any. Me, I love the stuff. Enjoy."

There was a moment of silence as they remembered the billions lost to Nero's madness. Then the soup course was brought out. As Shaw had predicted, no one so much as touched the bottles of hot sauce. No one, that is, but Eriecho. She squirted a tiny bit onto her spoon and tried it, and then added perhaps a half a teaspoon to her soup.

Scandalous.

As they sat and ate, and Vulcan matrons none too subtly clucked and scolded and looked down their noses at Saddik and Eriecho and Sollastek, the courses appeared. The human wait staff carefully explained that the masas – hollow leaf husks – were only for cooking and presentation, and not for eating.

Eriecho carefully tasted her meal. There was something called polenta in the tamale, but it was bland. Again, she added a dab of the hot sauce, and was secretly pleased when her sensitive ears picked up those same matrons and their carefully controlled semi-horror at her continued addition of something so, so human as that species of flavor.

"I will tell you," Eriecho stated abruptly, as there had so far been no other conversation, "of how I keep my garden."

"Oh?" inquired Sollastek. "I have determined that your produce is larger than the median. The haul must be rather bountiful indeed."

"It is," she replied, "for I utilize a growth solution. Private Theo Carter of the MACO unit assigned here, he showed me. He explained that the sunlight is dimmer here than on the Earth. And so the plants that have been transplanted to Mars have been bred and hybridized for the specific purpose of surviving under such circumstances. But they still require some chemical assistance."

"I see," responded Sollastek. He looked both ways before touching the bottle of hot sauce. "Is it very spicy?"

"It is not too bad," Eriecho stated, "Make certain to only take a small amount." He did as she had advised and discreetly gulped it, and then drank his entire tumbler of water. "Perhaps that was too much to start. I am sure it takes a little getting used to."

"Indeed," interjected one of the matrons.

"It would probably be of help," Eriecho opined, loudly enough for the matrons to hear, "if such experimentations were not attempted in front of a critical audience."

The matron who had spoken up turned back to her companions and shook her head subtly, her white hair moving ever so slightly.

"I am certain you are correct," Saddik said, looking over his shoulder a little. He looked around, his eyes scanning until he could locate a few of the women he had been looking at since their arrival. His eyes alit upon the shortest of them, a woman of Vulcan youth who had larger doe eyes and sloping shoulders. She had recently come, and was even newer than they were. He held her gaze very briefly, before she looked away.

"And that one," the matrons' voices were louder again, and they were speaking with reference to that woman, "I hear there are Pon Farr comforters here. The very idea is ... unsettling," the others at her table murmured their assents.

"A transfer from the sanctuary on Andoria, I am led to believe," added another matron, "much like ... those." There was a nod in the general direction of Eriecho, Saddik and Sollastek. "Common laborers, convicts and Pon Farr comforters – it seems this particular sanctuary is a repository for the very dregs of Vulcan society. It makes me wonder at Colonel Shaw's plans, or his understanding. The level does not appear to be too advanced, I believe."

"Human foods," bellyached another, pushing at her plate with her fork, "as if the sanctuary were on Earth itself. The Colonel does not seem to comprehend the digestive tracts of proper Vulcans. He does not appear to be able to visualize us as anything other than humans," the change in her pitch was slight, but telling, "with dissimilar ears. There seems to be little point to attending these evening meals, if they are going to replicate what it is like on," again, her pitch changed a tad, "Earth."

"Have you ever traveled to Earth?" Saddik inquired of Sollastek.

"I have not as of yet," the younger man stated, "but I believe it would be of interest. Despite others'," his eyes shifted for a second in the direction of the area where the old biddies all sat together, "opinions to the contrary, I feel that an enormous amount of care and concern has been placed into these sanctuaries. Even if the execution is imperfect, I still think it would be polite, and most educational, to visit their home planet on at least one occasion. But I would not know the best place to see."

"I have heard there are places with gardens," Eriecho informed them. "One is in a city called London, and another is in a place that Theo Carter is from. It is called Delaware. And there is a place known as the Big Canyon. I understand it is very red and purple with mesas, not unlike the parts of Mars that are not yet cultivated."

"A place with a garden would be of great interest," Saddik agreed, "And there are oceans of course. I should like to visit one that is designated as the Pacific. I have been told that many parts of it are a bit cold, though." He went back to eating.

"Does Theo Carter converse with you a great deal?" Sollastek asked.

"Not too often," Eriecho explained.

"Is his company agreeable to you?"

Even the old biddies seemed fascinated by Eriecho's anticipated response. Very quietly, she stated, "Not even half as much as your own."

They passed the remainder of the meal in silence although, just before the flan was brought out – which even Eriecho did not venture to try – Sollastek stated, extremely quietly, "Your hair is arranged most becomingly this evening."