Curiousity and a Cat

Posted on Wed Apr 28th, 2010 @ 4:13pm by Ensign Velia Moretti & Commander Christopher McNeil

Mission: Episode 1.1 - "Now Boarding"
Location: Starbase 386; Meyer's Mercantile
Timeline: Shoreleave 03; 1400

ON: [[Meyer's Mercantile, Starbase 386, Shoreleave 03, 1400, Backpost]]

It was too early to go back to her room, but after the irritating holosuite incident Velia found she wasn't really in the right mood to do much else on the bustling promenade. Nothing about any of the shops she was passing incited any interest in her. The art shop looked slightly interesting, however it touted personal works of the owner and Velia couldn't see spending time involved in a conversation of why the artist was inspired and having her tell Velia what her pieces meant. Velia held to the idea that the point of art was that it spoke differently to each one who viewed it. She slowed her stride as she approached the storefront proclaiming to house Meyer's Mercantile. That one looked half way interesting. It beat wandering aimlessly anyway. Upon entering it occurred to her that this place seemed more thrown together than orderly. She liked that; if she found something worthwhile here it would validate the hunt. Almost immediately a piece on a nearby shelf caught her eye. Her fingers brushed over a length of what appeared to be glass, though it wasn't rigid and almost responded to her finger tips. She inspected it to see if there was some sort of release mechanism or anything that was a movable part on it. To her untrained eye, it resembled a glass version of a Chinese finger trap.

Thomas Meyer spotted the young woman enter but didn't approach immediately. He had long ago learned that most customers wanted to be left alone for a few minutes to look around. He would only approach someone as soon as they entered if they looked distraught, suspicious, or lost. This young woman certainly seemed to have a lot on her mind, but seemed perfectly happy to browse for the moment.

"Weird," Velia muttered, replacing the object to its spot. She moved a little farther down the display. The knick-knack type items were cute, she guessed. If one was into that kind of thing. She felt eyes on her; slowly she looked around to find the source. "Can I help you?" she asked the man.

Tom smiled his most endearing smile. "I was about to ask you the same thing," he replied as he walked over to her and extended a hand. "Thomas Meyer, proprietor of this establishment, such as it is."

"I see," Velia eyed him hesitantly. Deciding he didn't look like a biter she extended her own arm. "Ensign Moretti. I'm waiting to leave on the USS..." the pleasantries were cut short and Velia's voice rose several octaves due to the sharp stabbing pain in her calf. "SON OF..." she glanced down to see movement ... a flash of orange fur. "What was THAT?!" She doubled over to console her throbbing leg.

"That," Tom sighed, "is my son's cat. I do apologize, he's usually not so unfriendly, but he's been in a bit of a foul mood ever since he had to be dragged into one of the emergency shelters when the Elyshans were here a few days ago."

"You may wanna have him checked for distemper," Velia muttered, sure she'd find strips of flesh hanging from her leg under her uniform. Animals had never been particularly fond of her, but neither had they been so overtly hostile.

"I'll do that," Tom answered quickly. "Can I get you a med kit? Or help you with anything?"

“I’ll live,” Velia growled, shooting a look in the direction of the assassin cat’s flight path. "What is this?" she motioned to the tube she'd been inspecting before the mauling.

"This," Tom said, picking up the piece in question, "Is a Tholian Crystal Harp. You'll notice how it moves in reaction to touch. If my hands were anywhere near as warm as a Tholians it would also emit a quite enchanting noise. A similar effect can be obtained by using a pair of thermal gloves, but it takes quite a bit of practice to produce anything that a Human wouldn't consider ear-splitting. I'm afraid I never got the hang of it, myself."

"Really?" Velia eyed it. "I don't suppose it produces different colors with different notes does it?" It was an interesting piece. "Do you have anything else in here similar to it?"

"No, on both counts, I'm afraid," Tom replied. "I have a few Human and Vulcan instruments, but nothing quite like that."

“What about books?” Usually Velia could sniff out a well loved tome quite literally. They tended to have a worn aged scent to them. She wasn’t seeing any compiled in great volume. Her eyes caught upon a candlestick, sitting off to the side of one of the shelving racks. It was … well almost disgustingly bulbous in shape, but with the intricate detailed carvings it couldn’t be mistaken for anything else aside from the owl it was meant to represent. Forgetting her previous query, Velia approached it hesitantly, as though it may come to life and take flight. “Where did you find this?”

"I did a salvage run a few years ago... stumbled across a wrecked freighter in the Antares sector," Tom replied. He never had figured out what had happened to the crew of that freighter. "That was one of the few salvageable items from the hold."

The style of the art, the nature hued dyes … carefully Velia reached for it, running her fingers over the depressions that accentuated each feather. “How much?” This candlestick had come from her birthplace, of that she was certain. Why she suddenly needed to have it however, she wasn’t so sure of. A memory of her past? To keep in mind the reason for her future? She hoped the shopkeeper had no idea of what he had in this odd and repulsive pottery piece.

"It's yours," Tom replied with a smile.

She replied with a nod as she carefully picked it up. His answered had translated in her mind that he'd sell it to her, but a moment of irritation passed when he didn't follow it up with a price. "Yes," she said turning to him now, still finding it difficult to stop staring at it, "but for how much?"

"Nothing. Take it with my compliments." Tom smiled his most endearing smile. In the several years he'd had that item on the shelf, it had never received more than a passing glance. He wasn't about to charge someone with such a keen interest in the item when it hadn't cost him anything to get.

Velia wasn't sure what to say aside from "thank you." Carefully cradling the owl she turned back and also picked up the harp. "I'll take this as well then," it was kind of pretty even if she herself couldn't use it as it was meant to be used she wasn't about to leave this shop without paying the man something for his troubles. Her pride simply wouldn't allow it.

That one is two hundred credits... or 5 strips of Latinum." Tom resisted the urge to smile at her choice. He was cutting her a slight deal if she paid with Latinum, and he knew it, but this close to contested space, hard currency was much easier to use than the numbers in a computer bank that made up the Federation's financial system.

Velia handed the shop keep his due and took her items. She nodded in parting and left the store, turning back for her quarters. As she passed a receptacle, she threw the small glass tube into it, its purpose served.

OFF:

A JP

by

Ensign Velia Moretti
USS Pandora
Intelligence Officer

and

Thomas Meyer (NPC)
Starbase 386
Shop Owner
(Played by: Cmdr Christopher McNeil)