Venturing To Empok Nor Part I
Posted on Mon Dec 16th, 2024 @ 12:53am by Lieutenant Narin Valen & Lieutenant Mignon Mejia
Edited on on Tue Dec 17th, 2024 @ 10:42pm
1,966 words; about a 10 minute read
Mission:
Episode 16 - Silent Cries
Location: Various - Promenade - Empok Nor
Timeline: MD001 1100 hrs
Narin arrived at the door at exactly 10:59. He was dressed in slim black trousers, a white crewneck T-shirt, and a fitted forest green jacket. A pair of black leather sneakers completed his outfit. He wanted the second tick to 11:00. At exactly 11:00 he pressed the button beside the door announce himself and waited for Mignon to answer. The two of them had plans to explore the station.
Mignon was dressed casually in a pair of dark blue denim pants and a purple cotton shirt with a tiny embroidered dragon poking its head out of the breast pocket. It wasn't quite as casual as the paint-spattered jeans and Hobbit t-shirt of the other day and would hopefully be appropriate for a day exploring the starbase. Finally, she slipped on a pair of comfortable walking shoes and ran her fingers through her hair. When the door chimed precisely at 1100, she took one last look in the mirror and answered the door.
As the door opened, he greeted her with a smile. “Hi. Ready for some exploring?” He stepped back, giving her room to join him in the corridor. He noticed the embroidered dragon poking its head out of the pocket immediately. “I think I’ve got the perfect place in mind for us to get visit when we are ready to eat.”
"You do? Good. I have no idea what's available." Even though the Pioneer had docked here before, she hadn't done much exploring. Generally, she went straight to the shop she wanted and then back to the ship. It wasn't that she didn't like browsing, it was more there was so much to see and so many people, and so many other projects that needed to get done that exploring hadn't been top of her list. Which basically meant she had no excuse.
“Don’t worry, I’m in the same boat,” Narin admitted as they made their way to the station “I only heard about this spot because I overheard a couple of crew members talking about it.”
When they arrived at the promenade, it was alive with energy. People of all species strolled past. Some were in Starfleet uniforms, others dressed in civilian attire. Rows of shops lined the walkways, offering exotic clothes, foods, jewelry, and rare artifacts from far-off planets. Nestled between the shops were restaurants and cafes, serving everything from Earth’s pancakes to Klingon gagh.
Narin looked over at Mignon. “Where should we start?”
She looked at him, wide-eyed. "I have no idea. Maybe start with something we're both interested in, like a book store, then go from there? I've only been here a couple of times and I go directly to the shop I want. I haven't really looked around."
“A bookstore sounds like a good place to start.” Narin said.
After a short walk down the promenade, they arrived at a cozy bookstore located between a café and an art shop. Its storefront was simple, with floor to ceiling windows displaying vintage book covers. Above the entrance, a small, softly glowing sign read, Stellar Stories.
Narin glanced over at her. “Shall we take a look?”
Mignon grinned. "With a name like that? Definitely." She loved the look of the place, too. As far as she was concerned, there was always room for more books in her quarters.
Narin stepped up to the door first, holding it open for her. Once she’d stepped inside, he followed, letting the door close quietly behind them.
The interior of Stellar Stories glowed warmly with soft, ambient lighting. The light highlighted rows of shelves stretching from floor to ceiling. To the left, a section dedicated to sci-fi and fantasy. The shelves on the right were filled with historical texts and alien anthropology works. A faint aroma of aged paper and fresh coffee filled the air. And a gentle instrumental melody played in the background.
Narin took in the space. It reminded him of the bookstores he’d explored on Earth and those his mother had introduced him to as a child.
"Why did I not know of this place before?" Mignon whispered. "It's amazing." There were so many books she wanted to look at and touch. She smiled at Narin. "I promise not to get lost in here."
Narin glanced at her with a smile. “So, see you in a couple of hours?” He took in the rows of shelves once more. “Or maybe three?”
"I can come back later." She flashed him a cheeky grin. "Anything here you're interested in?"
Narin gave her a look, then smiled. “Oh, I’m sure you’ll be back.” He nodded toward the sci-fi and fantasy section. “I’ll be over here.”
She gave him a cheeky grin and headed for the history and alien anthropology books first. She quickly scanned the spines, pulling out a book here or there for a better look. if the subject caught her interest, it went in a pile on the floor. When she finished her quick perusal, she had three books she wanted to purchase. Now she could have fun in the fantasy section. "See anything you like?" she asked when she found Narin.
“I’ve found a few.” Narin replied glancing over at her. He nodded in the direction of a smalls stack of books. There were a few classic fantasy novels, and a couple of sci-fi titles in the stack. On top was Legends of the Lost Sky. “This one caught my eye.” he said, lightly tapping the top book. “It’s a sci-fi fantasy novel about exploring a mythical world called Athera.”
"That does sound interesting." She picked up the book and turned it over so she could read the back. "Be right back." Then she went to the shelf to find a copy for herself. She also found three other books that caught her eye. "I have to stop," she said, going back to Narin. "Otherwise, I'll have another twenty books to keep me company."
Narin smiled. “I’m trying to pace myself. I still have the books you lent me to get through. But this one,” he said, lifting Legends of the Lost Sky “was too tempting to pass up.”
"It does look good. Sadly, so do several other books." She glanced at the shelves around her. "I'm going to get their information so I can order more from the ship."
Narin smiled as he watched her head off to get the information for the other books. Turning back to his own stack, he placed all but the one he intended to purchase back on the shelf. While waiting for her to return he made his way to a large, cushioned reading nook in the back corner of the store. Sinking into the cushions, he got comfortable as he waited.
She purchased the seven books and arranged for them to be sent to the Pioneer, along with information on how she could purchase books in the future and have them sent to the ship even when it wasn't docked at the station. Yes, she could replicate any book she wanted, but she liked to buy them from actual book shops to help keep them in business. Besides, replicated books didn't smell the same as printed ones.
When she was finished with her transaction, she went over to where Narin was seated. "All done. Where do you want to go next?"
Narin looked up from his book as she approached. He closed it slowly and looked at her with a thoughtful expression. “There’s something I want to ask you,” he said, hesitantly. “And try not to think I’m completely out of my mind.” He moved over making room on the cushions for her.
She sat down next to him. "Okay. What is it?" She wasn't sure why she'd think he was out of his mind, but she was curious.
Narin turned slightly to face her. “The past few nights, I’ve been having dreams, more like nightmares, and I was wondering if you’ve had any?"
Mignon thought for a moment. "I'm not sure... I haven't been sleeping well. When I wake up, there are vague memories of something, but I can't remember what they were." She shook her head. "You've had them for several nights? The same one?"
As he listened, it seemed she wasn’t having the same nightmares. Or maybe she was, and couldn’t remember? His theory that it affects every telepath didn’t seem to pan out. Narin sighed. Recalling the nightmares was painful for him due to their connection to his sister and family. He looked at her. “Not quite the same, but similar theme. If that makes sense.”
"It does make sense. I don't know. Maybe I am having similar nightmares and my recent battle with BIID is why I can't remember." She shrugged. "I'm sorry you're having them, and I'm sorry I can't remember." She wished she was, if for no other reason than to assure him he wasn't the only one.
A flicker of disappointment that she couldn’t confirm his theory, but he was relieved she wasn’t burdened with the same troubling dreams. She’s been through enough already. Getting up from his seat. He smiled and extended a hand to help her up. “Enough about that.” He said happy to change the subject. “Let’s see what else we can discover.”
She took his hand, sensing his disappointment but unable to help. "Yes. I think the next stop is up to you."
Narin nodded, gathering her books along with the one he’d chosen. After purchasing their finds, they stepped out of the bookstore. He made a mental note to return. As they stood outside, he glanced up and down the promenade, considering their next move.
“I don’t have a specific destination in mind just yet,” he admitted. “What do you say we just wander for a bit and see where we end up?”
"I think it sounds great. It'll be an adventure." She smiled. Sometimes exploring was the best way to learn about a place.
Over the next couple of hours, they wandered through the promenade exploring various shops that offered everything from clothing and jewelry to spices and food items from across the quadrant.
Narin had felt himself getting hungry. “Are you ready to eat?”
Mignon grinned. "Yes. Now that I know what I've been missing, I will have to come back here more often, but for now, I'm ready for a break--and food."
“The place I heard about is just down this way,” Narin said, leading them toward the restaurant. The restaurant wasn’t particularly fancy, but it had a charm of its own. That charm was that it specialized in Earth cuisine with a menu that changed daily. It featured dishes from different Earth cultures and today was their lucky day as it was serving Mexican food. As they approached the place the aromas of the place greeted them.
"Mexican food? It smells heavenly." She looked up at Narin, her eyes sparkling. "If it's as good as it smells, it'll be perfect."
“It does smell amazing, doesn’t it.” Narin remarked, taking in the aroma as they approached the entrance. He hoped that the flavors would live up to the promise of the aroma. As they reached the entrance, he gestured for her to go in first and followed closely behind.
A Joint Post By
Lieutenant Narin Valen
Assistant Chief Science Officer, USS Pioneer
Lieutenant Mignon Mejia
Alien Archaeologist/Anthropologist, USS Pioneer
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