Subject: Grey Stars 6

From: [email-masked] (shimkevi)
Date: Wed Jun 24 18:17 EDT 1992

(A view of Kazhar passing over a house at the foot of a small hill. As the Bird
of Prey goes down, we see two small figures running up the
green slope. One is a little girl, the other one is a large black dog.

The Bird of Prey lands on top of the hill. Pelle jumps out of the airlock and
looks around.

The girl and the dog reach the top.)

Girl: Daddy! (launches herself at Pelle)

(The dog is running around, barking)

Pelle (staggers back from the impact): Hey, you've grown, ai'ni. (holds her in
his hands) Not a little girl anymore, aren't we? 

Arisia: No! I am a big girl now! 

Pelle: So, when should I say "Happy Birthday"? Now or tomorrow?

Arisia (thinks for a moment): Now! And tomorrow, too!

Pelle (laughs): Happy Birthday! (throws her up and then catches
her) 

Arisia: Waah!

Pelle: You scared?

Arisia: Me, scared? No way! I am never scared!

Pelle (winks): That's the spirit, ai'ni.

Arisia: Why didn't you come earlier? Your stupid business again?

Pelle: Yeah...I am sorry.

Arisia: I was afraid you won't come back...like Mommy.

Pelle (forced smile): Don't worry, ai'ni. I will never leave you.

Arisia: You promise?

Pelle: I promise.

(The dog comes up to Pelle and starts sniffing him)

Pelle: Hi, dog. What's up?

Arisia (grabs Bruno, the dog tolerates it stoically): I can't ride Bruno
anymore. 

Pelle: Would you like a horse, ai'ni?

Arisia: No, I don't like horses, they are stupid. I want to ride Bruno.

Pelle (smiles): Hmm, you can put him into a landmate.

(Fortunately, the dog doesn't understand what is being said :-)

Arisia (clearly imitating someone): Oh, Daddy, the people here are so
backward, they'll never get it.

Pelle (laughs): You think so?

Arisia: That's what Aunt Dingyi always says.

(Pelle chuckles.

Arisia's bracelet beeps.)

Female voice: Did you get your dad, Arisia?

Arisia: We're coming, aunt Dingyi!

Dingyi: Tell your dad to hurry up. Everyting is cold already.

Pelle: Don't worry, Dingyi. We're coming.

(Pelle and Arisia are walking down the hill, followed by Bruno, who is
sniffing at the holes left by some burrowing creatures.)

Pelle: So, ai'ni, how's everything?

Arisia: It's all right...It's boring here.

Pelle: Yeah, I know...How 'bout this: when you finish school, I'll take you to
Rocinante for a week or two.

Arisia: Wow, really? You promise?

(Pelle nods)

Arisia: But...the school has just started.

Pelle: Well, you see, I have to do some work myself, so when your vacation
starts, I'll be done as well and we both go to Rocinante. Deal?

Arisia: OK, deal. (shakes Pelle's hand)

(Pelle and Arisia now approach the house. It is fairly large and is surrounded
by a weird-looking fence. They walk up the stairs. Arisia puts her hand on the
head of a stone gargoyle at the door. The door slides open. Pelle and Arisia
walk in and are met by a middle-aged couple. They exchange greetings.)

Pelle: So, how is everything here?

Chen: Slow as always. Nothing changes around here...Well, that's why we moved
here in the first place. How about yourself?

Pelle (shrugs): Lots of things out there. Just trying to keep up with the
times, really.

Dingyi: First, let's sit down. Have some real food for a change.

Pelle: What? You've got a multi-scan food processor?

Dingyi: I said REAL FOOD!

(Pelle, Arisia, Dingyi and Chen are sitting at the table. Arisia is bored and
is playing with her empty cup.)

Arisia: Daddy, can we go for a walk?

Pelle (eating): Just a second, ai'ni.

Arisia: Want to see something?

Pelle: Sure, what is it?

Arisia: Can we go, Aunt Dingyi?

Dingyi: You can go. We'll be coming shortly.

Arisia: Quickly, right?

Pelle: Right.

Arisia: Bruno! (runs out of the room. the dog follows her).

(A couple of minutes later there is an agonizing howl from the dog.)

Pelle: Looks like she's really hard on the dog.

Chen: Well, it can't be helped, really. She's just stronger than a human child
her age.

Pelle: I should bring her a sehlat next time.

Chen: Good idea. I hope Bruno lasts till then. (smiles)

Dingyi: The neighbours will just love it...Besides, isn't this climate too
cold for a sehlat?

Pelle: They have some specialized breeds - made for Vulcan families that
work off-planet. The climate shouldn't be a problem. What about the
neighbours?

Chen (sighs): Well, it's a rather...quiet place. Most of the people here
haven't been off planet once in their lifetime. She just stands out, that's
all. 

Pelle: Has there been any problems?

Dingyi: With the neighbours - not really. We're telling everybody she's half
Vulcan.

Pelle: Good...Is the school all right?

Dingyi: As far as the kids go - fine. She's much stronger than her classmates,
anyway (smiles). They don't try to tease her anymore. It's a teacher -
doesn't seem to like her. Especially since she came into school wearing that
landmate.

Pelle: What's wrong with a landmate?

Chen: Well, she had a really large water gun attached to it, Mrs. Evoni
thought that it was a phaser rifle and...became really nervous. 

Pelle: They don't even know how a real phaser rifle looks like...Happy people,
what can you say.

Dingyi: They are...happily isolated...and she's reminding them of the outside.

Pelle (looks down): I know. But she should learn to accept what she is. This
is a good place to start.

Dingyi: Having her father around for more than two weeks a year would also
help.

Pelle: Yeah, I should spend more time with her.

Dingyi: You said that the last time and disappeared for seven months...If
things keep going the way they are, one day you won't come back. Have you ever
thought of that?

Pelle: In this world it is dangerous just to be alive.

Dingyi: Let me tell you something. You are becoming to think that you are
invincible. Arsha thought that, too - and now Arisia is without a mother...
It's been really hard on her. She still cries at night sometimes,
tries not to show it, but we know. 

Chen: Stop that, Dingyi.

Dingyi: Even if Kazhar is the best ship around, it did not protect Arsha and it
won't protect you. If you don't want your daughter to become an orphan, you
should stop - now.

Pelle: I will. After this mission, I will.

Dingyi: I hope you mean it. For her AND for you.

Pelle (looks up): Yes, I mean it...By the way, did they get any planetary
defences here?

Chen: No, not really. Still squabbling whether to repair that satellite.

Pelle: There was a Starfleet report that I've intercepted. One of their
research outposts was wiped out by a snowflake. Not that it was anywhere near,
but still... 

Dingyi: Are you serious? This is horrible!

Pelle: I brought something with me...just in case.

(Arisia appears in the doorway)

Arisia: You all are still here!

Dingyi: Sorry, dear. We and your dad had to discuss something.

Arisia (suspicious): Did you tell Daddy about yesterday?

Chen: No, we didn't.

Pelle: Hmm, and what happened yesterday?

Arisia: It was not my fault!

Chen: She was suspended from school for a week. (smiles)

Arisia: It was all Molly's fault!

Dingyi: It's that new girl in class.

Arisia: She called me "long-ears", so I punched her nose.

Pelle: Yeah?

Arisia (with a guilty look): It...it broke, and Mrs. Evoni got really mad at
me. But it was all Molly's fault, really... Are you gonna be mad at me?

Pelle (picks her up and winks): Me, mad at my ai'ni?

Arisia: You are not angry, really?

Pelle: Just don't do it again, OK?

Arisia: No, I won't!

Pelle: So, what is it that you wanted to show me?

Arisia: It's in the garden.

Pelle: All right, let's go. (to Chen and Dingyi) Excuse us.

(Chen and Dingyi nod. Pelle and Arisia leave the room.)

-----------------------------------------------------------------

(Later at night. Chen and Dingyi's hovertruck is standing in the backyard.
Pelle and Chen are dragging something large out of the truck. Dingyi is
standing nearby, "coordinating" the efforts.)

Pelle: Uhh...I could have tried a phased pulse.

Dingyi: They still might detect it. The governor's really nervous every time
you come.

Pelle: They didn' have any transporter restrictions the last time.

Dingyi: Is it THAT heavy?

Pelle/Chen: Uhhh...

Pelle: Where now?

Dingyi: Put it in the shed. We'll think where to install it tomorrow. (looks
at the device on the back seat) What is this thing?

(Pelle and Chen put their load down)

Pelle: Oh, this is a circuit breaker override. It switches off all the users
on the power net except for you. With it you'll be able to power the bank
directly from the planet's power station.

Dingyi: Illegal, I'll bet.

Pelle: Eh, it's a new one. They haven't had the time to outlaw it yet.

(The door opens. Arisia walks out of the house.)

Arisia: Dad? Uncle Chen? What are you doing?

Dingyi: Arisia? You should be in bed!

Pelle: Oh, this is just some equipment for the house that I've brought.

Arisia (comes close and looks at the thing that Pelle and Chen have just been
carrying): Wow! A phaser bank!

Dingyi: Now, how do you know that? (looks suspiciously at Pelle)

(Pelle gives her an innocent look)

Arisia: I saw Mommy calibrate one before...(sniff)...Mommy...

Pelle (comes close to her and puts his hands on her shoulders): I know. It's
hard for me, too.

Arisia: (sniff) Could you walk with me?

(Pelle nods)

Dingyi: Go ahead, we'll manage ourselves.

(Pelle and Arisia are standing under the night sky. Far, far away there are
the lights of the house.)

Arisia: Will you go out there again, Daddy?

Pelle: It will be the last time...I promise.

Arisia: Is it true that you can meet the souls of the dead among the stars?

Pelle: Some people say that.

Arisia: Did you ever see Mommy's soul out there? Just once?

Pelle: ...No...I haven't.

Arisia: Will you look when you go this time?

Pelle (takes Arisia's hand): Yes...I shall always look.

=============================================================================
=============================== THE END =====================================
=============================================================================

Copyright 1992 by Sergei Shimkevich ([email-masked])