Conjugation
Posted on Mon Feb 3rd, 2025 @ 8:22pm by Lieutenant JG Stefan Zamfir & Petty Officer 3rd Class Emiko Marley
Edited on on Tue Feb 4th, 2025 @ 7:00pm
2,301 words; about a 12 minute read
Mission:
Episode 16 - Silent Cries
Location: SCIF - Deck 9 - USS Pioneer
Timeline: MD003 1300 hrs
Emiko was miffed. It had been more than 24 hours and Edmund had contacted her. Didn't he care about her? Hadn't he told her how good she looked? Did he not want to play with her anymore?
Practicing her Romulan conjugations, she started muttering to herself in that language as she walked up and down the paths of intelligence. Out loud she finally said in Romulan "Isn't I cute enough? Isn't I smart enough?"
"It is, am I cute enough, Am I smart enough." Stefan passing by Emiko on the way to one of the consoles. "I take it you're learning Romulan, Petty Officer Marley?" The dark-haired man pausing for a moment to regard Emiko before he keyed in his code for the console. "I'm Lieutenant Zamfir, Assistant Chief of Intelligence." He said over his shoulder then looked back paused towards the young woman, he added, "Those are interesting sentences you are stating."
"I would swear that is what I said, 'Am I cute enough' and 'Am I smart enough.'" She shook her head and said, "Romulan conjugations are giving me a bit of difficulty and I have no idea why. Most languages come to me lickittysplit."
She then put her hand on her slender hip and stuck it out. I wonder.... He's not horrible looking. Could I use him to make Edmund jealous? She changed the conjugation so that it was correct in Romulan and repeated, "So, do you think I am cute enough and smart enough?"
Stefan had once again turned his attention to the data stream he was reading, put it on pause. Shifted his body to where he was facing Emiko once more. "You are in intelligence, so that should prove to you, you are smart. As for being cute enough, I am a little bit confused as to why you are asking this. However, yes you are attractive."
The young petty officer might be suffering from a little bit of a confidence issue as to her looks. She is attractive, I will not tell her any different. Tread carefully Stefan, she looks like she could easily get herself into trouble.
Delighted, Emiko smiled prettily at Stefan and straightened up. If her mind was not set on Edmund, she might consider Stefan. In the meantime, he could be rather useful. "Thank you," she told him with a small curtsey before rising again. "So, you speak Romulan, apparently a bit more fluently than me. What other languages do you speak?"
"I know seven other languages and am working on others. The other languages I know are as follows, Klingonese, Hungarian, Romanian, Japanese, Italian, Spanish and French, besides the one we are currently speaking." Stefan giving a shrug. "I also can write in those languages. Always a good thing to know the written word as well. What languages do you know how to speak and can you write them as well?"
He turned to shut down the information feed he was perusing pulling over a chair to pay attention to Emiko to watch her body language.
"Me?" she asked in an innocent tone, daintily putting her fingers above her chest. "Well, I fluently speak English, French, German, Hebrew, Japanese, Russian, Spanish, Klingon, Andorian, and Ferengi. I can read and write in most of them. Languages just come to me!" she continued with a beaming smile, her hand coming off her body and raising it to her face with the fingers forming in a "V" shape.
"Well then, looks like between you and I we have a few of the languages covered just in case there isn't a universal translator available. Probably need to learn more as time goes by. Is this ship your first assignment?" Stefan would like to get as much information he can before he looked at her records.
Emiko brought her hand down. "God no," she replied with a small giggle. "Do I seem that new?" she asked with her face turning into a pretty pout. "This is my third ship. I was on the Idaho and Eclipse prior to this after basic training.
She took a small step to the side, her knee bending, giving her some more shape. "And yes, I have dreams of going undercover someday with all of my language skills. Even if we went somewhere new, I'd likely pick up the language quickly. I just have a gift for it."
"That is a good thing to have. How about the skill for sign language? Do you think you would be able to learn that? Or do you already know it? After all there are other ways of communicating." Stefan decided he wanted to get a bit more information as to her knowledge base. He also wasn't blind to her body language. The way she changed her posture seeking to gain his interest. The art of attracting attention, probably she's been successful at some point and time.
"There are a number of different sign languages and I cannot say that my strength lies there. The spoken word, though...." She shrugged her shoulders, prettily pinched her eyes and smiled. "Just my thing...."
"Sounds like you are a savant." The girl needs some training if she wants to try to seduce someone successfully or generate interest. She needs to learn a bit more subtleness. She will need to find a teacher. I won't be that teacher though, no not at all. Stefan gave a slight raise of one eyebrow. "So, is this innate familiarity for languages does it run in your family?"
"No," she answered quickly. Changing the subject quickly from her family she said, "How did you get to learn so many languages?"
"It was how I was raised." Stefan responded. "I had a teacher who made certain for me to learn and be prepared for whatever position or field I chose." he mused to himself 'Interesting, she quickly changed the subject from her family. Must be something going on with her family. I need to dig further, as time goes on. '
"Really?" Emiko answered curiously. "Who was this teacher? How did you acquire the teacher?"
"My Aunt, she made certain that I received a tutor for language learning. How about you? Did you have a tutor for the first part of your language training? Or did you learn from a holographic tutor?" would Emiko actually give some other information? Stefan still studying the young woman.
"I just learned in school and then for fun, ran some conversational programs and picked them up." She shrugged. "It really was not any big deal." Once again she shifted the focus to Stefan. "Why did your aunt do it and not your parents?"
"My parents are not in my life anymore. They had passed on. What did your parents say as to your gift of languages?" This was certainly the sort of game how much can a person find out about the other, by asking twenty questions. Just how long would it take for him to go resort to gathering intelligence on Emiko.
"Not a lot," Emiko replied with an apologetic shrug. "I guess that it was just expected." She looked up at Stefan with a suspicious glance. "What does it matter?"
Stefan gave a quiet chuckle. "It matters to me, I am just seeing if someone had truly recognized the talent you have. At times there are parents who just don't recognize the gift that their offspring has. Which is sad to say the least." Stefan preparing to turn back to his console.
"Well, you did," she answered with a satisfied tone. She thought for a moment and said, "Maybe you could tutor me on my Romulan conjugations. It has been a long time since I have had any issue with any language."
"I could tutor you, but there is another person who could teach you even better. Perhaps you could ask Pettty Officer Loran if she would help you out with that as well." He turned the chair back around to face Emiko.
Why doesn't he want to tutor me? Am I not worthy of any male? "Are you not willing to do so?" Her eyes grew larger.
"Oh, don't get me wrong, I don't mind helping you out on your studies, however, I had thought of Petty Officer Loran to be a better teacher due to she is Romulan. Hence my suggestion." Stefan knew he needed to be a bit more professional.
"I see...." Emiko replied thoughtfully. "That might be helpful but I think that the more teachers, the better, don't you?"
Stefan slowly gave a nod. One thing about being an assistant department head, the better trained a person is, the stronger the team will be. "I will help you out with the language. Just make certain you also attend the other lessons that are recorded, and you will succeed."
"Oh, I will," Emiko replied confidently. "I'm usually scolded for working too much."
"Is there a reason why you work so much? Don't you try to maintain balance between work and personal relaxation?" Stefan leaning against the back of the chair. his arm crossed around his chest.
"Work hard, play hard," Emiko answered with a small smirk.
"A workaholic." Stefan gave out a laugh. "Just be sure you don't burn yourself out, Ensign Marley. Too much of anything will make you spread yourself too thin, and you won't be able to concentrate on things that matter. Take time to enjoy your surroundings."
"We're in a tin can flying through the vast emptiness of space. There's not a lot to see until we get somewhere, and, if I want to experience something, I go and do it. I've never been one who likes to wait."
"If you get too impulsive and too impatient, you're going to miss details that you need to see and find out. Learning patience is something that everyone needs to learn though unfortunately not eveyone wants to cultivate this." He regarded Emiko, "Who are you working up to learning Romulan for? A handsome Romulan to charm?"
Emiko started giggling furiously when he suggested that she was trying to charm a handsome Romulan. Once she settled down, between giggles, she said, "Oh, goodness, no. I just like languages and want to be prepared. I do specialize in communications."
"If you say so." Stefan gave a slight shrug. "I can tell that you do like communications and enticing allure in learning other languages. I also know that besides working on languages in order to go under cover, another reason is a person believes that it is a way to woo someone as well. This is why I asked that question. Learning the language out of respect and honor. Just as long as you don't mangle it at the first encounter."
"I say so," Emiko said rising to her full five feet in height. "I have no need to woo anyone in particular, if you must so know," she replied somewhat indignantly. "I think I should be offended by the implication!"
"I did not mean to offend Petty Officer, I was just making an observation as to why some others learn another language in order to speak the language of love. Such as, there are what is referred to as the romantic languages, IE: French, Italian, Spanish. Of which I do believe you know of them. I do know those languages." He looked apologetically towards Emiko.
Emiko bent a knee and put a hand on her hip, slightly mollified. "I'm well aware of these things. Do you think that I am ignorant merely because I am younger than you?"
He pulled out a small notebook and pencil from his pocket and made few notes in the notebook. Stefan had a bit of a smile as he wrote, "Firey temperament" while looking up at Emiko. "I do not consider you ignorant, not at all. I was just giving an example. And I gave you credit figuring already that you would know them. As I stated earlier, of which I believe you know those languages. I have not read your dossier at all, instead getting to know you right here. You are definitely showing that you are intelligent. Also, I am not someone who considers anyone younger not knowing anything. Never underestimate a person even if they are younger." His small smile broadened.
"Well, good," she responded as fiercely as her squeaky voice would allow. "And you should call me Emiko when addressing me on non-duty matters," she added belatedly.
"We are here on duty, Petty Officer Marley, and even though we are speaking about what you consider non-duty matters, I will use your rank, and the same I expect of you where I am concerned. We can continue this conversation after our shift is done, right now I do need to go over the data that is coming. Are you agreeable to this?" Stefan giving a slight tllt of his head.
"Yes, sir!" Emiko answered with a bit of snark and a smart salute. "May I return to my conjugations, sir?" she asked tossing the "on-dutyness" back at him.
"Yes, you may, and I will get back to my work." Stefan turned around to get back to reading over the data that was coming in. Over his shoulder he said, "We can practice your Romulan after work later on this week."
"Yes, sir!" Emiko replied with notes of happiness entering her response. Without another word, she returned to her station to work.
A Joint Post By
Petty Officer Third Class Emiko Marley
Intelligence Communications Specialist, USS Pioneer
Lieutenant Stefan Zamfir
Assistant Chief Intelligence Officer, USS Pioneer
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