<USS Avalon> =/\= Luncheon in the Library =/\=

=/\= Luncheon in the Library =/\=
by Kaera Ashayu and Camdell Loyen


There was something odd going on in the library. Not with the data systems 
themselves, but in the rooms. Kaera would come in, or wander from her office 
into the main library area, and catch a not-quite-glimpse of someone or 
something 
moving... just in the corner of her eye. When she tried to catch whoever it 
was, there was no one there. Of course, she wasn't exactly quick on her feet 
these days, with twins growing (and growing, and growing!) in her protruding 
belly. But the mystery puzzled and frustrated her. She invited Cam to have 
lunch 
with her in her office, hoping she could explain it to him, and maybe he could 
figure out the puzzle.

Cam had brought some food with him and set it on the table. It was nice to 
have a flexible schedule so he was able to eat with Kaera when she wanted to 
have lunch or dinner with him. Things were going along fine between them. He 
was 
happy. But that she was having some sort of problem in the Library up set him. 
He knew it could be dangerous both for her and their unborn children for her 
to be having added stress at work

"It's not dangerous, I'm sure," said Kaera as she brought drinks from the 
replicator. "Just puzzling. Not only who would be hiding from me, but why?"

"You sure it isn't just a strange shadow you hadn't noticed before?" he asked 
as he took a small bite of the food.

"Positive," she insisted. "If it was a shadow, how would it run away when I 
went to investigate? And why would I see it in different places?"

Cam nodded. "There are less public places to hide though," he said.

"Especially on this ship," Kaera agreed, picking at her lunch.

Behind a vent grille, Tavi listened to the conversation. She'd have to be 
more careful not to be seen. But the library had lessons, for learning to read, 
and finally Tavi was doing more than painful sounding-out of letters. And the 
replicator in this office didn't require a comm badge or security code...

Cam had that eerie feeling that you get when someone is watching you. But he 
couldn't explain it. "Well," Cam mused a moment. "We could have one of those 
security people come down and take a look around," he suggested. "Or you could 
just change the schedule around so there was always someone down here."

"Who would I ask to be here all the time?" Kaera asked practically. "It's me 
and Miriam. Two of us can't cover three shifts."

"You could extend her shifts a little," he mused wickedly. "Or we could put a 
few plans in motion so that its impossible to do anything in here without 
either you or Miriam here."

"I'd rather just find out who's sneaking around, and why." Kaera had given up 
on eating, her stomach was as touchy now as it had been the first few weeks 
of pregnancy. "There's no need to sneak around. It's a library."

"Well, I am more concerned about your safety," he countered. "And if they 
aren't here legally, we need to be careful."

"How could someone not be here legally?" she asked, puzzled. "It's a 
Starfleet ship... everyone is carefully checked before they come aboard."

In the air duct, Tavi curled up tighter, listening.

"Maybe they snuck aboard at our last stop," he mused. 

"Why?" Kaera leaned back and rubbed her belly, trying to alleviate the 
feeling of tightness.

"If you had seen an opportunity to get away from the refugee camp and all you 
would have had to do was sneak aboard a ship," he said slowly. "Wouldn't you 
have done it?" he asked.

She smiled. "The camp they brought me to was a thousand times better than 
being on the streets," she said. "But if I'd had any chance at all to get off 
the 
streets sooner... yes. I would have done it. Still, I think it would be 
rather difficult to get aboard this vessel in particular."

"Every ship has its weaknesses. Its vulnerabilities. It's a matter of finding 
them and exploiting them," he commented. "But overall, yes, I suppose this 
might be a more difficult ship to sneak aboard."

It hadn't been difficult at all, Tavi thought to herself. Of course, it 
helped to be small and know the tricks of cargo handlers.

Kaera nodded, still rubbing her belly gently with both hands. "I don't feel 
so good," she admitted.

"I think we got you upset talking about whoever it is that is sneaking around 
in here," he said. "We should just get out of here," he suggested.

"I'm a little sick to my stomach," she said, hauling herself to her feet. She 
suddenly had an odd feeling, as if someone else was nearby and she could feel 
their emotions, but when she tried to focus on the feeling, it vanished.

Cam reached and tried to help steady her on her feet. He absently looked up 
to the vent not having been able to shake that feeling that he was being 
watched. ~~I feel like someone is watching us~~ he told her silently.

Kaera nodded. It was exactly the feeling she'd had for several days. "Maybe 
we ought to go to Sickbay," she suggested, and turned suddenly, groping for 
something to retch into as she heaved. There wasn't enough in her stomach for 
anything to come up except a little bile, though.

"Come on," he said once she was done heaving. "We'll get you to Sickbay."

"I hope everything is all right," Kaera said quietly. She glanced back into 
her office as they left, wondering if the unseen watcher was causing her to be 
ill.

Tavi sighed with relief as the two departed. They were perilously close to 
discovering their stowaway, and that couldn't be allowed to happen. Not yet.

=/\=

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