<USS Avalon> All Aboard the Merlin Express

    
 
  
All Aboard the Merlin Express  
by Li Vilya, Alexis Cazook, James Henderson, Paul Laurents,  & Siobhan 
Finklestein
 
 
 
 
After she and the ensign very politely shoved their spider guest out of the  
shuttle bay (because it was really something like she'd seen Quark do:  
welcome to Avalon.  Now when are you leaving?),  Vilya bolted toward  the other 
shuttle bay.  She was fairly infuriated to learn that the three  most important 
men in her life wouldn't be on board with her.
 
"What sort of idiot separates a mother from her child?" she grumbled as she  
dropped into the pilot's seat.
 
Alexis was sitting next to James when she heard someone grumbling up front.  
She stood up and made her way to the front to see what was going on. "Is there 
a  problem, Ensign? Something I could perhaps help you with?"
 
Vilya raised one fine auburn brow.  "Begging the lieutenant's problem  but 
I'm a lieutenant second class and a pissed off one at that," she  grumbled.  
"My 
husband, son, and father are on another shuttle and I have  no way of knowing 
if they're alright."
 
"I'm sure that everyone is okay. However, if you want to check why don't  you 
try to comm the other shuttles. I would think that someone, somewhere would  
be trying to make sure everyone is accounted for. I don't mean to imply that 
you  wouldn't have thought of that, merely making a suggestion." Alexis knew 
she was  concerned, but she didn't have a husband, father or son to worry about.
 
James walked up to the front and sat down in the co-pilot's seat. He began  
to run a tactical analysis of the shuttle. He wanted to make sure all was in  
proper working order before they took off. God forbid if the shuttles were  
infected. He turned to look at the Lieutenant sitting next to him. "All systems 
 
appear to be working order Ma'am." He wasn't exactly sure what he should do  
next, so he just kept his eyes on the console.
 
"First thing's first, though," Vilya said steadily.  "If we don't get  this 
thing off the ship, it won't matter if they're safe or not."  Oh,  Benjamin, 
you had best be watching over my family. You can't want them back so  soon.
 
"Then let's get going." Pauly said as he walked up behind the small group.  
"Once a place has had spiders it's never the same anyway."
 
"Our roster's not complete," Vilya muttered as she prompted the shuttle's  
start up system.  Ming's had better be.  He and Daddy had better be  with my 
baby.  "We're waiting on one other I think."
 
 
Alexis looked at Vilya and at James.  "Well then, I will leave  you two to 
your duties. I will be in the back going over the medical supplies.  If you 
need 
anything just give a yell." Alexis turned and scooted her way down  the 
cramped aisle to the back where she began to check out the medical supplies.  
She 
hoped that Georgia, Skyler and her sister Melanie were all okay. They  weren't 
her family but she felt close to both Skyler and Georgia. She knew that  
Skyler would be worried about her sister and Georgia.
 
James looked up from the console and spoke to Lieutenant Vilya.   "Ma'am, I 
have managed to pull up a roster of who is assigned to this shuttle if  you 
would like to take a look at it." He transferred the information to the  screen 
in front of Vilya for better access

 
 
"Thank you," Vilya said, nodding sharply.  As she suspected, there was  one 
more they were waiting on.  "We're waiting on a medtech and we're out  of here."

 
"Someone take roll call," Pauly teased and then tapped James on the  
shoulder. "Since when do we call officers by their first names?"
 
Vilya snorted, glad for a bit of amusement.  "Only if we sleep with  them."
 
James turned beet red with embarrassment. "I sincerely apologize,  
Lieutenant. It won't happen again." He returned to his console where he felt  
more 
comfortable. To himself he muttered, Way to go idiot. Make a fool out of  
yourself 
in front of everyone. Smooth move.
 
"I can think of a couple I wouldn't mind calling by their first names."  
Pauly grinned. "Though I think I'd know the difference between a first name and 
 a 
last name and the cultural traditions behind said naming. Though, I have  
messed up a time or two myself. Word of advice, never mistake a London accent  
for a Liverpool accent and then ask said person with said accent if they saw  
Liverpool mop the pitch clean with Man. Unt." Paul shivered at the memory.
 
"Then pity my son when he's old enough to answer people when they ask him  
his name, Ensign. Li Nalas Zachary Kabuki is a mouthful even for my  husband's 
family," Vilya said fondly.
 
Alexis had wondered back up to the front when she heard a conversation  going 
on. She was actually quite bored in the back. "I think it is a lovely  name, 
Lieutenant. Your son should be proud of such a name. He is lucky to have  such 
a loving parent as yourself. My only regret is never having a family of my  
own. I suppose I could call Starfleet my family." Taking a deep breath Alexis  
sighed at the thought.
 
"It's never too late," Vilya mused.  "Our family on Bajor isn't quite  as 
large as my husband's.  They've tracked their family tree since the  middle of 
Earth's twentieth century."
 
"It's a nice thought however I think I am a little too set in my ways to  
attempt  to start a family. I don't think I could find anyone who would be  
willing to put up with my idiosyncrasies. I have enough problems living with  
myself." Alexis grinned at her companions.
 
Siobhan had been assisting in transporting patients to their assigned  
shuttles, which was a monumental task without the use of transporters or  
turbolifts; she skidded into the airlock of her own assigned vessel and flung  
her small 
duffel into a storage compartment.  "Reporting for evacuation,  sirs!" she 
announced breathlessly.
 
Vilya thought about that very first date she had with Ming.  A ride on  San 
Francisco's famous trolley cars.  What was it the conductor shouted  before the 
car moved?  "All aboard?"
 
"Yeap," Pauly replied looking around. "Lets  go."

Other related posts: