Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Sharah Fayth (Chief Science Officer) in side-sim From Columbia to Capitol

Posted by Ensign Tabris Asam (Engineering Officer) in side-sim From Columbia to Capitol
(snip)

Julin was always eager to help her and with his boundless energy hopped up and began to clear the toys, and with a gentle reminder from Sharah, he actually put them away. But he did knock over the piles several times. She gave the two older boys hugs as well as they sat down. “I found it while I was on Earth. At this store…it was more like a house....but FILLED to bursting with stuff. Endless stuff. The man said the power source could be converted, but I tried…and…I think I broke it.” Poor Sharah, brilliant doctor, she could piece anyONE back together, but engineering and mechanical stuff was beyond her. “And then there are these,” she rifled through the extra pieces in the box, “But the important part I couldn’t find. I guess it could be replicated, but…” she shrugged. She’d rather the original.

Tabris smiled at the description of the store, most likely an antique shop but the idea of a house tickled him. He squinted at the parts and thought for a few moments before saying, “You know, my dad had one of these when I was a kid, gave me a little box of parts that I’ve kept with me, never did find a use for them.” He rose to go dig through a pile of antiques before returning with a smile, “Looks like an old cartridge that was broken. Here, take this one.” Tabris said handing over the bright blue piece.

Sharah took the piece and looked at it. She had seen a similar one on the device. “I know it works, the man had an old power source and turned it on for me, but…” She was frustrated. She’d had two weeks between finishing her research to find this and it had been 2 days before she shipped out when she found it.

Julin was back and whining, “I’m hungry.” And he was, so much so that Sharah felt hungry. But kids were always hungry. “Neltus, I hear you are a very good cook. Do you think you could make us all lunch?” That would mean he would have to straighten the table to make room for himself to work and make the food. And then a thought from the older boys....guilt! They knew they wouldn’t get away with this sloppiness with Karra. Oh Sharah could play that game. “Have you boys written to....was it Ms Karra? I’m sure she’d love to hear how you all are doing. I remember your dad told me he wrote everyday.” She looks around the quarters and smiles, soft and oh so sweetly, “I don’t know how someone could raise 18 children alone and keep house.”

Neltus and Vedi blushed as they heard the light chastising and the mention of Karra. They looked down at their toes as they wiggled them in the carpet nervously before Neltus said, “I’ll go make something good and then I’ll write to her!” He bounded off towards the kitchen, stopping to grab the dishes and clean up before he started making a lovely soup and some bread for lunch. Vedi took a gulp and said, “I’ll help Julin finish cleaning then I’ll go write too.” He finished his little brother clean then made his way back to the clothes.

Sharah hid her smile but nodded, “I think that would be wonderful. I’m sure she misses all of you. I know I would.”

Vedi ducked his head and took his pile of clothes, he was gone several minutes while he folded and put away every last piece. Julin climbed back into Sharah’s lap and cuddled there, “I miss Ms Karra and Karwiff. But Ms Karra let me be a big boy, I got to help her.” He looks around, “I HELP DADDY ABIS!” And off he went to dig under furniture for toys to put away. Neltus, and his budding empathy blushed for all of them. They knew better. He cleaned the table and put dirty dishes and left over snacks into the recycler and then started to make lunch. Sharah got up, picked Mecona up off the floor where is had fallen asleep and carried her into her room and put her in bed. She returned and sat back down on the couch and grinned at Tabris as the kids got to work cleaning up their mess.
Lt jg Fayth, CSO

Mecona wiggled a little and yawned but was happy to be carried to bed, she could sleep anywhere on this ship it seemed but her bed was always the best place for her.

TGoK

He rifled through the rest of the parts and smiled, “I think a lot of these are spares, you have a suspension belt, a spare motor, a transformer, replacement bearings and such.” Tabris said as he chuckled a little. “Power will be fun, I think that’s back when electricity was measured in volts? And this used to run off of… oh what was it....” Vedi piped up, “Was it 120 dad?” Tabris pointed to him and said, “Yes! How did you remember that?” Vedi smiled and said, “Neltus and I were reading over some of your old books on how to fix stuff.” Tabris smiled and said, “Want to help me fix this up for Ms. Sharah?” Vedi beamed and nearly kicked over the last pile of clothes that had been folded as the boy danced a little jig. “I’d love to dad!” Vedi said as Tabris handed the boy the box of parts and the device itself, “After lunch we can start working on it.” He turned to Sharah, “First off thank you, I don’t know how you managed to get them on task so quickly. Secondly do you have what goes on there?” Tabris said, pointing to the device before Vedi took it away.

Tabris

She couldn’t help but smile this time. The kids wanted to impress their Dad but also loved learning from him and just spending time with them. “Oh, I do! Vedi can I see that.” She placed the thing back on her lap and opened a compartment in the bottom and pulled out the pieces, and passed the item back to Vedi to take. “See, I have all of them…well except the one. I couldn’t find it.”

As Vedi walked towards the table to lay everything out Tabris looked through the collection and said, “Oh.... now that’s something I haven’t seen in a very, very long time. Let me write these down and I’ll take a look later this afternoon? Most of my hold overs from the antique shop are still in Cargo Bay 3.” He looked over and shook his head, “Vedi....” Tabris said as the boy was excitedly laying everything out over every square inch of the table “Yeah dad?” He replied as Tabris said.... “We uh… Nevermind. When you’re done setting all that up can you grab a folding table from the hall closet to eat on?” Vedi nodded and didn’t seem to see the problem of covering the clean eating surface with parts. Neltus stepped out of the kitchen to say, “Lunch is.... Vedi! What the heck are you doing?” Vedi looked up and said, “What dad asked me to… right… ” Tabris stood after handing the items back to Sharah and said, “Boys that’s why I said get the folding table. I’ve got it. Just relax, and thank you Neltus, I’ll have a place for everything soon.” Tabris rose and grabbed a long folding table from the closet and set it up, moving the chairs and such. Mecona at this point was fussing quietly in her bed, something that she did if ever she was alone in the room. Tabris looked at Vedi who was about to go respond and said, “I got it, go help your brother set up for lunch.” Vedi turned to Sharah and said, “Are you gonna have some too?” Tabris walked out with a very sleepy little girl as Julin climbed back into Sharah’s lap.

Sharah hadn’t intended to stay, but Tabris looked like he could use an extra adult, just for his own sanity. And the Julin was in her lap again. Sharah was completely enthralled by the little boy and was well on her way to being wrapped around his little finger. He settled on her lap and she shook her head. “I guess I’m staying,” she said to Vedi. “Sit wif me!” Julin exclaimed tugging on her hand.

Vedi nodded and helped set the table well as Julin bounced up and down, his shoulder length hair bouncing in his eyes as he brushed it out of his face with his other hand.

After the kids walked away she whispered to Tabris, “My gift.” She tapped her head. “You’ll be able to use your empathy to do the same thing eventually. They are very happy here, but watch them....they are curious to how much you will let them get away with just to impress them.”
Lt jg Fayth, CSO

The younger two weren’t really paying attention to what Sharah had said and Tabris whispered back, “That makes sense… I’m not trying to impress them, this is just so overwhelming. There are clothes everywhere and I don’t get how they make that much laundry! Unless we’re going out the boys usually just romp around in the in pajama pants as you saw.” He said referencing when she had just gotten there. “Julin either wants to just roam in his underpants or change outfits 4 times a day, Mecona here is the most sensible and I appreciate that but she and Julin have this bad habit of leaving their toys everywhere while the boys start projects and leave them or get a snack and leave their dishes.” He paused for a moment and sighed, “As long as they’re covering the important parts I don’t care what they wear. If they want to play I want them to play. If they eat something I want them to eat. It’s the cleanup part that gets me. Oh and the socks… don’t get me started about the socks…” Tabris said with a chuckle. as he waved around the room and gave a mock glare to the older two who were dutifully avoiding their dad’s eyes. “I didn’t think they were trying to ‘get away’ with anything, and I’m not trying to let them slide. I think you’re right. I need to practice and I guess toughen up?”

Tabris et. al

Sharah smiled, “It’s not out of being bad, but I get the feeling from them that this is a vacation. Or feels like it. And from what you told me about the orphanage and village they didn’t have a lot of modern luxuries. So here maybe they have a lot of free time. While Julin cleaned up I got the thought from him that he was very excited to help but didn’t know where things were supposed to go. And part of that is this is different. But they are all very happy Tabris. But,” she sighed as she dodged Julin’s head for the 5th time as he wiggled and squirmed excitedly. She stood up, carrying him, quite a feat for how much he moved and set him in a chair to eat. “You know the arboretum staff and I turned arboretum 2 into a children’s garden. There’s a sensory garden and everything is tough. It can be touched, pulled, yanked, stomped and be okay. There are trees for climbing and a couple of forts. The older kids play laser tag there. And some of the families meet regularly for the smaller kids. The nursery visits a lot. It’s also a great place to run and get real fresh air. And every plant there is safe.” Sharah had never been a parent, but she tended to identify well with kids. She was making suggestions based on what she was picking up in the room, hoping she wasn’t coming off as rude.
Lt jg Fayth, CSO

Tabris nodded a little as he understood and listened. “You know it’s not like they were impoverished, but it was very simple back on Delotha, and yeah I suppose that this does seem like a vacation. The boys don’t start school till next week and the little ones have wanted to stay with their brothers instead of going to the preschool and I haven’t had the heart to separate them.” Tabris noted as he carried Mecona over to the chair and said, “Alright honey it’s time to eat ok?” She nodded and rubbed her eyes as Neltus brought out the soup and bread. Tabris looked up at Sharah and said, “Once we all finish moving in we’ll be able to make sure that everyone knows where their stuff goes. Especially the socks…” Tabris said, shooting that mock glare at the older boys who caught it and blushed, Neltus going so far as to say, “Sorry dad....” Tabris’s smile resumed as he said, “Alright, lets eat.”

As they all sat down to eat Tabris heard Sharah’s description of the children’s arboretum and nodded as he said, “I think that those plants will need to be extra hearty if they’re going to survive Julin here.” He said as he rubbed the boy’s head. “I think that’s a wonderful idea, and maybe we should…” a wave of guilt washed over him “Geoff!” He exclaimed as he said, “You’re right! We should all visit the arboretum, I have someone I need to introduce you to!”

Tabris et. al