Chapter 4 - The New Dance
Shafts of sunlight covered the room inside a unit of the Pierce Valley Apartments, illuminating the table where Mei-Wan sat working on her report. She looked at a clock on the wall and sighed. She still had a quarter of her presentation to prepare and it needed to be finished by three the next afternoon so she could load her materials into the computer system at the Conference Center.
She had come to the apartment to be alone after her talk with Kyle. Too many of her thoughts afterward had troubled her, but the ones that tantalized her and caused her heart to beat faster truly disturbed her. Most reached her consciousness for mere moments before being pushed back into the turbulent sea of the darker parts of her mind. She tried passing them off as memories of an old friend--- mere echoes of a life long gone. A part of Mei-Wan McCall was afraid it was more than that.
The chime to the front door sounded causing her to stop her work.
"Will I ever get a chance to finish this thing?" she asked herself as she walked to the front hall. "What is it now?"
The door slid open revealing an Asian man of about sixty with graying hair. "You used to hate being sent to your room to do homework. Don't tell me you like it now."
Mei-Wan's eyes widened as she wrapped her arms around the man in the doorway. "Dad!"
Sheng Lau hugged his daughter tightly and smiled. "That's more like it."
They ended their embrace and Mei-Wan motioned her father into the apartment. "When did you get in?"
"Well, the transport vessel entered the system last night. I was only able to make it to the surface three hours ago."
"Sorry. A lot of people are here for the Conference," she said as they both sat down on the couch in the living room.
Sheng smiled. "That must be some presentation you're going to give for all these people to come here."
Mei-Wan rolled her eyes. "That is if I can ever get it finished."
"Am I keeping you from it?"
"Not really. I needed to take a break anyway," Mei-Wan said. "Where's Mom?"
Her father looked down. "On Earth, back in the hospital."
"Again?" Mei-Wan asked.
"I'm afraid so. The doctor detected more nerve damage last week, so he's got her in for treatments again," he said with more than a touch of worry in his voice.
"Dad, is there more to this than you're telling me? This has gone on for more than twenty years. It can't be a case of radiation exposure."
Sheng leaned back in the couch. "It was a warp field generator, Mei. The doctor thinks there may have been subspace fields generated in the explosion that humans aren't usually exposed to."
Mei-Wan nodded, but wasn't satisfied. She never liked how her parents kept her mother's medical condition hidden from her.
"She wanted me to tell you how sorry she was she couldn't make it out," Sheng said.
"That's okay." But Mei-Wan knew it was just her father covering. If it hadn't been the hospital, it would have been something else. Bao-Yu Lau had never shown any real interest in her daughter's career. "I just hope the doctor finally figures out what the problem is."
"As do we all."
"Can I get you something to drink?" Mei-Wan asked.
"No, I'm fine. I had a lot of coffee waiting in orbit." His eyes searched about the apartment. "Jack isn't here?"
Mei-Wan looked down. "No. He had meetings over at Starfleet's offices."
"Is everything alright?"
"There's evidently quite a bit of political disagreement in Starfleet about the Oceana class and I think Jack's getting caught up in it."
Sheng nodded. "I heard the Federation Council had a few heated debates about those ships last month."
"Jack's afraid they'll want to decommission the ship."
"I hear that won't be much of a concern for you in about a week or so," Sheng stated.
"What do you mean?"
"You're leading the expedition back to that planet, right?" her father asked.
"I haven't decided yet," Mei-Wan said without making eye contact with him.
"Why not? It's what you've dreamed about your whole life, Mei."
She stood and walked to a window. "I just haven't decided yet, Dad."
He took a deep breath. "Is Jack trying to talk you out of going?"
"No, he isn't."
Sheng walked up next to his daughter. "What has he said about it?"
"Almost nothing."
"I would think he would be supportive."
Mei-Wan looked down. "It would mean more than a year of us being apart."
"I realize that, but if he cares about you, Mei, he'll accept it as a part of your career." Sheng turned back into the room. "Perhaps you should..."
He didn't finish whatever it was he was going to say, and for that Mei-Wan was glad. She suspected another lecture on the rashness of her and Jack's marriage.
Mei-Wan stared out the window as the sun set behind the taller buildings of the city. She knew she wouldn't be able to put off the decision about the expedition for much longer. She would have to make a choice, but she was afraid it would be the wrong one no matter what she decided.
***
Hank Evans made his way back to the table where Loftus waited for him to arrive with their drinks. The Warp Nine Club had been her suggestion for their first stop of the evening. Hank thought that title was the most absurd name for a club he had ever seen, but it wasn't targeted at thirty-six year space veterans like him. This was one of those all show and little substance establishments meant to appeal to recent Academy graduates on their first assignments. The music was loud and the drinks overpriced. Fortunately, Hank had money to burn and he didn't at all mind spending it on the lovely Bajoran woman he spent much of his free time with.
The music that blared loud enough to make Hank's skull rattle was worse than he had expected. The atonal pounding rattling his teeth made him want to kill someone. If it came to that, his first target would be the imbecile who chose the music.
He made his way through the shoulder to shoulder crowd and reached the table where Loftus rocked back and forth to the rhythm shaking everything else in the club. He sat down and handed her a drink.
She took a large drink from her glass. "Isn't this place great?"
"I've had more fun under torture," he replied.
She shook her head. "Don't start showing your age with me, Evans."
"It has nothing to do with age," he shouted over the din. "I just like to be able to think straight."
She smiled and edged neared to him. "Who needs to think?"
Hank grinned as he noticed the closeness of her body to his. "I see your point."
She finished her drink and set the glass down on their table. "Let's dance."
"To that noise?"
She smiled slyly as her eyes gazed at him intensely. "Not worried about getting worn out?"
"I'll accept that challenge," he said as she slid out of her chair and out to the dance floor.
Hank downed the remainder of his drink. "This woman is going to kill me."
He followed her toward the center of the floor, but was stopped by the lithesome Ensign Natalie Fowler who wore a tight one-piece outfit.
"Commander Evans?" she said as she smiled.
"Hello Ensign," Hank replied.
"What are you doing here, sir?" Fowler said as she started moving to the pulse of the music.
"Enjoying myself, I think."
Loftus came up behind Hank and put her arm around him. "Trying to duck out on me, Hank?"
Fowler turned to the Bajoran woman. "Commander Kadan? Is the whole Chamberlain crew here tonight?"
A young Andorian walked up to Fowler and handed her a tall glass of glowing orange liquid. She took a small sip and her eyes widened.
"That's great!" she shouted to the Andorian.
Loftus smiled. "Don't drink that too fast, Ensign. It's not synthehol."
Natalie laughed. "It's okay. I don't have to be anywhere until 0900."
"You're not on shore leave?" Hank asked.
The young Ensign frowned. "Technically no. I'm helping Lieutenant McCall prepare for her presentation for the Conference." She smiled. "You two coming to hear her speak?"
Hank nodded. "Yeah, if we can get in."
"Come by the Center about forty-five minutes early and I can get you good seats," Fowler said.
"Thanks," Loftus replied.
Hank saw his lady was getting impatient. "We'll see you around, Ensign."
Fowler nodded as the Andorian put his arms around her. "Oh, Starfleet is requiring all officers who come to the Conference and the reception afterwards to wear dress whites."
Hank rolled his eyes. "Thanks for the warning."
Fowler and her friend wandered off into the crowd while Loftus nudged Hank. "You owe me a dance, mister."
***
In the officer's lounge on Deck Nine of the Chamberlain, the half-Human, half-Vulcan, Lieutenant Commander Melissa Vargas, and Chief Engineer Kristen Bishop walked to a table near the window of the otherwise empty room, each carrying a tray of food.
"I've never been here when it was this quiet," Vargas stated as they sat down.
"I've never been to this lounge at all," Bishop said.
"You spend far too much time in Engineering, Kristy."
They both started to eat their food. Bishop watched Vargas closely.
"So, have you talked to Lee McGuire?"
"No, I haven't. What exactly am I supposed to say to him?" Vargas asked.
Bishop shook her head. "I just think it would be a shame to let what happened ruin your relationship."
"We don't have a relationship anymore," Melissa stated as she took a sip from her glass.
"You aren't giving up that easily are you?"
"It doesn't look like I have much choice."
"He's a man, Melissa. He'll get over it eventually."
"I don't think so."
"You were following the captain's orders. Can't he understand that?"
Vargas took a bite of her salad. "I searched through his private communications, Kristy. I don't think any kind of excuse is going to help him get over that."
Bishop ate a portion of her potato and decided to let the subject drop. She could tell she wasn't going to get much of anywhere while Melissa remained resigned to things as they were.
"So how's the repair work going?" Vargas asked.
"Its not. We've taken the entire plasma synchronization system apart and I still can't figure out what the problem is."
"This sounds like its more than that power surge we were hit with," Vargas said.
"The crew at Delta Ophiuchus Shipyard are beginning to think it’s a design problem, but we had the system working perfectly for a month and a half," Bishop said.
"That doesn't make much sense."
"I know. There's got to be something we're missing."
The two women sat silently eating their food for nearly a minute. Bishop took a deep breath. "So what's the deal with the captain lately?"
Vargas lifted an eyebrow. "Why ask me?"
"You are friends with his wife, right?"
"Yes."
Bishop waited, but with no answer forthcoming, "So, what's his problem? He's been real moody the last month or so."
"Mei's had an offer to lead an expedition back to the planet we explored a few months back and I don't think either one of them is looking forward to being apart for a year or more."
Bishop nodded. "When's she supposed to leave?"
"I think before we're scheduled to depart," Vargas replied.
"I hope I've got the engine problem worked out before then. I'm not looking forward to a depressed captain riding my ass for the next year."
Melissa grinned and returned to her food.
A young male lieutenant entered the lounge and walked up to their table carrying a PADD.
"Commander," he said as he handed the PADD to Bishop. "This just came from the captain."
"Thank you," she said as the lieutenant left the lounge. "He's kind of cute."
"Be my guest," Vargas said.
"I meant for you, Melissa," Bishop said as she started to read the text displaying on the PADD.
Vargas smiled. "So what's that all about?"
Bishop's eyes widened. "I can't believe it."
"What?"
Bishop smiled. "Someone has figured out how to fix our synchronization system!"
The Chief Engineer stood from her chair with the PADD in hand. "Excuse me, but I have to get back to Engineering. Want to get together for drinks later?"
Vargas nodded. "Sure."
Kristen Bishop sped out of the lounge, leaving Melissa alone to finish her meal.
