Semblance of Shared Qualities

Posted on Sun Feb 23rd, 2025 by Ensign Dexter Elliott & Ensign Narvo Tohl

1,083 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: M01 - The Hooke
Location: Shared Quarters, USS Hooke
Timeline: Present

Dexter had gotten up early and now laid on his bunk reading the same data pad that he'd been reading for the past two days. This was perhaps his last chance to figure out how the engine system aboard an Intrepid-class worked, though he presumed that it was possible to read it again tonight.

The sound of the sonic shower turning off told Dexter that his roommate had finished in there. Dexter wasn't dressed in his uniform because he was waiting for Narvo to get done in there. Dexter slid the pad underneath his pillow and rotated in order to sit up. It wasn't long and out popped Narvo fully dressed in his uniform. "Do you shower in that thing?"

Narvo looked at Dexter while smoothing the front of his jacket, "Sometimes I even sleep in it you know," He quipped. "It's your turn, you read that mechanical engineering technical manual all night. I don't know how you get any sleep."

Dexter had a slight grin on his face, "As wrinkled as the front of your uniform is it wouldn't surprise me if you did sleep in it." He headed toward the sonic shower and disappeared.

Narvo grabbed the data pad on the table next to one of the chairs where he sat down. He had hours before beta shift started, though he was also considering getting something to eat for breakfast. Narvo wondered just how much could happen when they still had several days before they arrived in the Terra Nova system.

"Not much," He mumbled under his breath. Narvo started to read the book he'd uploaded into the data pad he was holding. The crew mess would be jam packed with everyone trying to get something to eat. Narvo had little question that this was the case.

Dexter came out of the sonic shower, got dressed, then walked into the main part of the shared quarters. He noticed the Trill sitting there reading, "It must be nice to just lounge around all day." He found the other chair and sat down in it.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Narvo said without looking up from his data pad, "Shouldn't you be on your way to engineering by now?"

Dexter nodded, "I should be. He remarked, however, I still need to get something to eat before I head that way. And besides Lieutenant Baird has me assigned to one of the Jefferies tubes today. I don't know how much maintenance a ship needs when it comes out of drydock, but she wants me to check out the systems."

"At least it'll be quiet," Narvo told him. "The bridge is rarely ever quiet. Even if nothing is happening, everyone is talking up a storm." Narvo would have preferred the peace and quiet.

"Choose your career path, choose your fate." Dexter told him with a laugh. "Sometimes being an engineer means I can isolate myself from others, and sometimes that's not the case. I suppose I drew the right straw this time to get some quiet."

"As small as this ship is," Narvo started, "The harder it'll be to find such opportunities. Though, I suppose there aren't many people on board either so that might be a little different than a bigger ship." In some ways Narvo was glad to be on the ship he was on rather than a larger ship. In other ways Narvo wished he could have been assigned to something like a Galaxy-class ship. Piloting one of those would be fun in his opinion.

Dexter resisted rolling his eyes, "This is our first ship," He pointed out. "We just graduated from the Academy a month ago and received our assignments shortly after that."

"I know," Narvo told him.

Dexter hadn't met Narvo during their academy days, he didn't meet his roommate until after they'd been assigned to the Hooke. "So you're not joined?" He asked. It was a question that had been on his mind for quite a while.

"That is correct," Narvo told him. "I'm probably one of the only Trill you'll ever meet that doesn't like the idea of a worm in my body."

Dexter tried to not laugh, "Worm?"

Narvo nodded, "That's how I refer to the whole joining process. I've personally never seen what they look like other than pictures during grade school. Everyone was so thrilled to see them, and they were disappointed when the class field trip to the pools had been canceled."

Narvo continued to speak on the matter, "I think I was the only one in my class that was disgusted by them. My parents were kind of surprised because most Trill anticipate seeing those things, but not me." He shook his head and turned up his nose at the thought of them. "I mean, sure it's a great honor and blah blah blah... I happen to disagree."

Dexter hadn't heard a Trill talk about the symbionts, much less one talk so poorly about them. "That's an interesting take on them," He said. Dexter made a mental note to do some research later about them, "Certainly you aren't the only Trill that feels that way about it?"

"Perhaps not," Narvo told Dexter, "I've personally never met another Trill who didn't dream of being joined. A small portion of the Trill population are even capable of being joined, or at least that's what they say."

"You don't believe that?" Dexter asked.

Narvo shook his head, "I don't believe it one bit. I think the opposite is true, but for whatever reason the Trill government keeps us from finding out. Not that it really makes any difference to me anyway, I don't want to be joined."

Dexter nodded, "What if there was a dying Trill on board that was joined and you were the only option. If you didn't join then the symbiont would die. Would you do it then?"

Narvo frowned, "Hypothetically speaking I probably would do it. But, that's the only way someone is putting a worm in my body. Besides," He said to Dexter, "The odds of that happening are slim to none." Narvo got up, "The line for breakfast is probably died down by now. Want to get something to eat?"

"Oh yes," Dexter said. He'd been ignoring the growl of his stomach for several minutes while he spoke to Narvo. Dexter still found Narvo to be quite odd for a Trill, but the young man seemed decent enough, and so far Dexter really liked his roommate.

 

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