The Illusion of Diplomacy

Posted on Sun Jul 12th, 2020 @ 10:11am by Sunak

481 words; about a 2 minute read

Mission: The Saga Begins
Location: Science Dept USS Ganymede
Timeline: Present

ON:

Ensign T’vok [NPC] turned the three-dimensional display above the science console, his eyebrows arched in concentration as he studied the breakdown of the Bose-Einstein condensates, checking the qualative difference of the macro-properties involved.

“Hey, T’vok” the Vulcan Ensign’s concentration was rudely shattered by Chalmers, her chaotic mass of red hair as ever is mad disarray. “You’ve got to see this!” she exclaimed excitedly.
T’vok shook his head with a sigh Humans! he thought though he let himself be led away from his studies as he followed Ensign Chalmers to where she’d been studying the holographic emitters in the Science departments main area. Holographic emitters which, without any explanation in the ship’s design schematics that T’vok has seen, had been installed throughout the USS Ganymede.

“Ta dah!” Chalmers announced with the aplomb of some third rate conjurer and swiped at the controls of a nearby science station.
For a moment there was a shimmer of light in the air and, from the corner of his eye, T’Vok caught the holographic emitter sparking into life with a pale blue light.

Then, standing before them, there was a tall Vulcan male with dark hair slightly tinted with grey and a steely blue/grey eyed stare above a hooked hawk like nose. He was adorned in officious, almost monk-like looking hooded robes that draped his tall form to his ankles. The Vulcan hologram touched his lips with his fingertips as if in deep concentration and then looked around as if seeing the two young Science Ensigns for the first time.

“Greetings, I am Diplomatic Officer Sunak” the Vulcan hologram announced in the deep, steady and resonating voice of a trained orator. “How may I help with your diplomatic mission” he continued as if he was reading from a set script.
Sunak then blinked as he took in his surroundings, one eyebrow arched as he looked to Chalmers and then T’vok with his piercing gaze.

“Location… Science Department, USS Ganymede” Sunak muttered to himself his broad shoulders slumped slightly as he looked at the two junior officers with what appeared to be something very near to contempt. “May I ask why you deigned it as a good time to initiate the Ganymede’s Diplomatic Hologram? Are you in need of my voluminous knowledge of diplomacy and alien greetings. Perhaps for my extensive translation capabilities of exo-languages and in-depth insight into the multitude of universal forms of communications? Or, more likely, but to gawp like a pair of basking Barracudia!”

“Farewell” the Vulcan DH muttered somewhat sourly and faded from view.

“Bloody hell, he sounded pissed off” Chalmers muttered pushing a hand through her tangled mane of hair.
“Indeed” T’vok mused. “And, for a diplomatic hologram, though most ambassadorial in appearance, seemingly not diplomatic in nature. Our diplomatic hologram may prove… interesting”

OFF

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