<USS Avalon> "The Captain and the Librarian"

"The Captain and the  Librarian"
Skyler and Miriam  Francher   
 
Watching as Tavi trotted back to her room Skyler  thought perhaps she should 
talk to this librarian. It seemed that she had a lot  of influence over Tavi. 
Walking to Tavi's room, she stuck her head in and told  her, "I have a quick 
errand to run and then I will be back. Try not to cause too  much trouble." She 
smiled as she turned to leave for the library.  
 
 


Miriam Francher had just arrived for her duty  shift and was checking the 
ship's library for anything unusual.  The past  few days, she'd sometimes found 
terminals turned on that should have been off,  or vice versa, and once she'd 
come across a food wrapper that she knew had not  been there the previous 
evening.  But this morning, everything seemed to be  as it should be.  Miri 
went 
into her little office and logged the morning's  report. 


After leaving her quarter's Skyler made her way to  the ships library. She 
had to admit that this was probably the first time she  had even been there. 
Upon entering she didn't see anyone and the place seemed  empty. "Hello, is 
anyone here? This is Captain Skyler." She waited patiently for  a reply. 


Miri hurried out of her office when she heard  Skyler.  "Captain.  How can I 
help you?" she asked, concerned.   It was unusual for command officers to 
visit the library except on  inspections.  


"Are you by chance Miriam Francher? I believe we have  a common friend. Her 
name is Tavi. I was wondering if you had a minute to talk  to me about her?" 
Skyler looked at the librarian and tried to imagine *music*  following her.  


At the mention of Tavi, Miriam became even more  nervous.  Had she done 
something wrong where the little girl was  concerned?  A thin thread of music 
twirled around her, and her hair,  tightly braided back from her face, began to 
move of its own accord.  Miri  clenched a fist and forced her hair to behave, 
but 
she couldn't control the  music.  "I... of course," she stammered.  "I hope 
everything is all  right..."   


For a moment Skyler actually thought she heard music  then noticed that her 
hair was moving of her own accord.  "Everything is  fine. I'm not sure if you 
are aware that Tavi is living with me and that we plan  to adopt each other and 
become a family. She has been telling me some  interesting things about you. 
How has she been doing in her school work?" Skyler  didn't want to rush right 
into things even though she was tempted to.  


"Very well," Miri reported, a little relieved  that the question was a simple 
one.  The music reflected her relief.   "She's a very motivated little 
student.  Very interested in math and the  sciences."  She smiled.  "My dad 
would 
love to have her in his classes  -- he's a math professor, back on Earth."   


"She does seem to want to get through her school work  and pick up what she 
has missed. She tells me that you want to go to the academy  as well. Is this 
true?" Skyler noticed Miri relax briefly.  


She half-shrugged, half-nodded.  "I applied  for the Academy originally, 
Captain, but since I've already got a junior college  degree, the placement 
officer said I was more needed on active duty.  So I  was posted as a Yeoman, 
and 
I've been taking the Academy extension  courses."  The music got a little 
louder, and she managed to damp it down  to barely-audible again.   


Skyler wasn't sure how to broach the next subject.  "Ms. Francher, Tavi tells 
me that you are able to move things and float off the  ground. She also says 
that music follows you around. I want to believe her, but  I am sure you can 
see how it must seem to someone like me who has never seen any  of this. Can 
you explain it to me?" Pulling up a chair Skyler sat down and  waited.  


"Well..."  Miri blushed deeply.  It  wasn't a secret, exactly, but she didn't 
advertise either.  "My People  have... certain abilities.  We try not to show 
off..."  Now her braid  did lift up and curl around her shoulder.  She 
grabbed it and kept it from  unbraiding itself.   

Watching intently as the  librarian tried to control her hair, Skyler could 
see how Tavi could become so  taken with this woman. "I am very sorry that I 
have not gotten down here sooner  to meet you. You seem to be a very 
intelligent 
and delightful person. I can see  how Tavi has become so attached to you. If 
you don't mind could you tell me more  about your peoples abilities? It could 
be very important."

Miri couldn't imagine why it would be very  important, but she calmed herself 
in order to talk without having her hair go  out of control or otherwise 
showing how nervous she was.  Some  Communicator you are, she chided herself.  
"I 
suppose most of it you'd  call telekinesis," she said.  "Moving things, and 
ourselves.  And  we've a knack for languages, probably tied in with low-level 
telepathy, although  most of us are only telepathic with each other, not 
with..." --she had to bite  back the term Outsiders-- "anyone else."

"That is very interesting. Tavi thinks that you  could be of use to us on an 
upcoming away mission. What with your special  abilities. We are returning to 
the Avalon-B to retrieve what we left behind when  we had to abandon her. Tavi 
seems adamant that I ask you to join us. I don't  even know it you are 
interested? Would you be willing to join us on this  mission?"
 
"If it's needful, of course," Miri  answered without hesitation.  The People 
had a long history of helping  wherever help was needed, and she had no reason 
to do otherwise  now.

Smiling Skyler nodded. "I am glad to hear it and  I know that Tavi will be 
glad as well. I have one other favor to ask of you, if  you don't mind? Tavi is 
determined to go back aboard with the away team. Would  it be an imposition 
for you to watch out for her while we are there? I know she  is my 
responsibility but I am going to be rather busy."

 
Although she was an only child, which was relatively  rare among her People, 
Miriam had plenty of baby-sitting experience.   "Tavi's no trouble at all," 
she assured the Captain.

 

"I'm glad to here that. She is going to want to wander into  her old haunts 
aboard the ship. That much I can already guess about her. If  possible I would 
like to leave in the next 10 minutes or so. I know that is  short notice but 
can you be ready?" 
 

Glancing about the library area, Miri nodded  slowly.  "I guess if someone 
needs assistance here it can wait," she  said.
 

Looking around Skyler didn't see anyone but she wasn't  really looking. "You 
will need an EVA suit which you can pick up in the shuttle  bay. I really 
appreciate this Ms. Francher. Tavi will be excited you are going." 
 

"EVA suit?"  She was surprised.  "Are there  bacteria, or viruses that can be 
transmitted to people?"

 

"The ship was disabled by somekind of infectious process.  It disabled the 
bio gel packs causing system wide failures. The EVA suits are  essentially a 
precaution. Our science officer is going to look into what caused  the gel 
packs 
to become infected." 
 

The young librarian nodded slowly.  If everyone  else had to wear a suit, she 
would wear one, too, even though she trusted her  personal shield at least as 
much as a suit.  But it was best not to be  different and call attention to 
herself.  "Do I have to get the suit from  the quartermaster, or is there a 
storage I should go to?" she  asked.

 

"You should be able to get one out of storage in the  shuttlebay. I hope it 
isn't going to be a problem going on this mission?" 
 

"Oh, no," Miriam hastened.  "Should it be?   I mean, I haven't done anything 
like this before in any official capacity, but I  can follow orders and look 
after Tavi.  Ma'am," she added as an  afterthought.

 

Skyler paused a moment. "There really isn't going to be a  great deal for you 
to do, unless you want to access the computers for any files  you may find 
useful for the library. I am hoping we can restore enough power to  get the 
computers working. This should be a simple retrieval mission." She hoped  
that's 
all it would be. 
 

"I don't know of anything that we don't have here  already," said Miri 
honestly.  "But I think watching Tavi will keep me  busy, especially if she 
wants to 
roam a bit."

 

 "I really appreciate this. So I  will see you in the shuttlebay as soon as 
possible? I need to head back to my  quarter's and pick up Tavi and head to the 
shuttle bay myself." 
 

"Yes, ma'am.  I'll just close up my office and  go find one of those EVA 
suits," Miriam promised.

 

"Great. I will see you in the shuttlebay." Skyler nodded  and then turned to 
leave the library. She needed to go get Tavi and make her way  to the shuttle 
bay. 




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