"Laarell Does Hawaii"

[Guest Laarell]

"Laarell Does Hawaii - Part I"

Lt. Laarell Teykier

April 24, 23--

 

Six years ago...

 

-Saturday Morning-

 

"Laarell, I hate to be cruel, but it's either that we leave now, or we spend Break Week playing chess on the SFA Library computers!"

 

The Horta's metal arm reached out, poking the sleeping Orion. "Laarell!"

 

Something ... someone ... was waking her up. Most of the cadets had already shipped out for their wild weekends away from campus, leaving only a few studious Vulcans and late departers behind. Thus considered, the intrusion in her quarters was either a dear friend, or it could be a bad guy, intent on destroying the entire facility while it was at its lowest population.

 

"Mmph," she mumbled, blindly slamming whatever it was with her pillow. That'd hold the intruder at bay.

 

The mechanical voice of the Horta manufactured a chuckle. "Get up, Greenie, before I head to the shuttle without you." He glanced at the chronometer, worry evident even in his mechanical wheeze of a voice. "The shuttle lifts off in fifteen minutes! Fifteen!"

 

"For gods' sakes, would you stop shouting already?" The Orion opened one eye, peering out at the source of the racket.

 

"You're awake. Good. Fourteen minutes."

 

She leaned up, trying to make sense of the digital chronometer display. "Eleven forty-six. I'm not getting up this fracking early."

 

"But... Laarell!"

 

"It's Break Week. Go back to bed, Kahrak."

 

The Horta called Kahrak sighed. "You're the laziest Orion I know. Actually, make that the laziest cadet." Teykier muttered something about also being the only Orion he knew, pulling the blankets over her head to shut out the light. "And yes, it is Break Week, but it's also Hawaii week, you green vegetable."

 

Yanking the covers off her head, she sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Hawaii?! Why didn't you just say so?

 

Shuffling towards the door, Kahrak sighed again. "I'll be waiting in the corridor. And make it snappy. We lift off in twelve minutes!"

 

* * *

 

-Saturday Afternoon-

 

 

The cool sapphire waters of the south Pacific sparkled beneath the shuttlecraft as it approached Hawaii, the lush verdure of the island contrasting against the ocean it rested upon.

 

The friendly voice of the pilot sounded over the communications system. "We'll be setting down in just under ten minutes. Please remain seated for the descent."

 

Laarell yawned as the shuttle dropped in altitude. For all of the Federation's technology, they still had to perfect a way to keep passengers' ears from popping on civilian transports.

 

"It says here that the Hawaiian Islands were formed by volcanic activity," she remarked, thumbing through her PADD of travel literature regarding the Hawaiian Islands.

 

Kahrak bobbed up and down, his silicon species' way of expressing an affirmative. "One of the best examples of a volcanic island arc you'll find anywhere in the Federation."

 

"Sounds frightening!"

 

"Don't be silly, Laarell," he gently chided.

 

"I'm not being silly," she retorted, crossing her arms. "Unfortunately for us carbon-based lifeforms, we can't take a dip in Lava Lake without disintegrating."

 

The Horta began to chortle. "My dearest Laarell, you have my pity. You hear volcano, and you think 'pain and death'. Unfortunately, you will never be able to experience the sensation of digesting volcanic residues with your own acidic carapace. You poor creature."

 

She looked at her companion with an odd expression on her face before bursting into laughter. Crazy rock...

 

The sun was directly above them as the cadets exited the shuttle. Rich floral perfumes hung in the air, intoxicatingly sweet with their exotic scent.

 

A traditionally dressed greeter welcomed their little group as it stepped onto Hawaii, hanging a lei around each visitor's neck. For the lack of an alternative resting place, he wrapped the fragrant string of flowers around Kahrak's voice transmitter. The quirks of working in the 24th Century's tourist industry.

 

"Charmingly sweet," Laarell commented. "What kind of flowers are these?"

 

"Orchids, I believe. Such a beautiful culture, isn't it?"

 

A light stream of acid followed the Horta as he slid along next to his green friend. Not for the first time, Laarell found her friend and she to be the objects of some curious glances, and they didn't cease now. "I want to see Hawaii, its nature and culture, not the dime-a-dozen resorts."

 

"Well, we'll be seeing many attractions on this island, since our housing is on Hawaii. Tomorrow I have planned a daytrip to Kauai, and Monday will be taken up by historic Oahu."

 

The Orion grinned. "Really, though, I do want to save time for the volcanoes. The only ones I've ever even seen are a few dormant ones on Qo'NoS and Vulcan."

 

"Hmm. Mauna Loa's been a little ouchy lately," he said, cautiously, "and you don't want to be nearby if it starts getting really feisty."

 

"I can handle a feisty mountain, Kahrak. I am, after all, a scientist. Believe me when I say that I am more than capable of protecting myself from volcanoes, lava, and any poisonous gasses that might arise when Elai wakes up from her nap."

 

"Elai?" His pizzalike form turned in Laarell's direction; his mechanical voice expressing confusion. "Elai is your middle name..."

 

Chuckled slightly, Laarell shook her head. "Named for the volcano goddess, my dear."

 

"And there you have it! A perfect explanation for your temper," he deadpanned. "But yes, we will save plenty of time for you meet a volcano up close and personal. Wouldn't be a Hawaiian vacation without a little lava action."

 

After a little time gawking at the various gardens at the landing port, the two Starfleet sophomores head off to check into their seaside cottages. The kind proprietors gave them no hassle, and the two headed off to the hotel's beach.

 

They were pleased as punch that their oceanic view was in a perfect spot for watching the sun set. Perfect ending to their first day on the islands.

 

"Reminds me of the Kooav Isles," Laarell commented as the sea breeze gently streamed through her hair.

 

"On your homeworld?" he asked, curiously.

 

She nodded, smiling slightly. Laarell seemed to be lost in thought for a moment, on a world many light-years away from Earth. "I spent most of my life on Qo'NoS, but deep down inside, Taraallan was my home, even if I wasn't there very often."

 

"It's something instinctual, I would think," Kahrak said, his blob of a body starting to scoot towards his cottage. "We have an early morning, Laarell. It'd be best to get some sleep."

 

Turning away from the sunlight waters, she smiled, yawning. "It has been a long day..."

[Guest Laarell]

"Laarell Does Hawaii - Part II"

Lt. Laarell Teykier

May 26, 23--

 

Six years ago...

 

-Sunday Morning-

 

"Bombs away!"

 

The Horta's rocky form dived from the rocky precipice he had stood upon, to the refreshingly cool waters of the Pacific below, the water unleashed from his collision sent a clear spray across his companion.

 

Laarell, previously having been sunning herself on a beach towel while pouring over the first few paragraphs of a classic Tolstoy novel, slammed the volume shut, tucking her feet under herself as she grumbled. "It's soaked! Soaked! Gods, Kahrak, you've done that at least two dozen times by now!"

 

His voice generator made a gurgling sound as it discharged water from its innards. Thank gods it was waterproof. "But I make such a good cannonball!"

 

The Orion shook her head, rolling her eyes. "Come on, the morning's half over and all I've done is watch you go diving and experiment with sunblocks. We should be getting out, away from the hotel..."

 

A few inaudible grunts arising from the Horta, he made his way over to Teykier, when her eyes caught sight of a certain oddity. "Kahrak... what is that on your voice generator?"

 

"What is what?"

 

"That... clear thing. It looks like some sort of old plastic bag got stuck to it. Come here." She knelt next to her hard little friend, poking at the thing that had somehow attached itself to his vox. Laarell ran a hand against it, starting to lift it from the device when she let out an ear-piercing screech, shattering the serenity of the beach. "Gods! Get it off! Get it off!"

 

A lazy tentacle stretched over the speaker, slight movement in its main body accompanying the Orion's frenzied running. Laarell had the sudden urge to be far from the sight of the jellyfish, and far she intended to be.

 

Kahrak chuckled. "It's just a weird little sea creature. No weirder than you are on Earth," he jested, going back into the ocean to rid himself of the transparent entity which had so scared Teykier.

 

Laarell eventually made her way back over to the drying Horta a few minutes later, hands on her hips. "I'm weird now? Look who's talking, overgrown pizza, you!"

 

The living rock sighed, something that still surprised her. Wasn't often a rock could exhale with such... force. "Fern Grotto's next today, isn't it?" she asked.

 

"Mmhmm. I hope you like boats. It's a boat-only trip."

 

"And once only royalty were permitted there," the Orion supplied, straightening and beginning to walk very... regally.

 

"Yep. Now it's primarily used for weddings, mainly because of its beauty."

 

Laarell chose not to unleash a barrage of Orion-Horta marriage jokes that would have made Kahrak blush. Not that it was physically easy to tell when he did, but... his shy demeanor gave it away. "Yeah, let's get to the transport strip. There should be another shuttle to Kauai in about an hour. Can you be ready by then?" It wasn't as if he really had a lot to do to get ready... the question was more rhetorical, if anything, aimed at herself.

 

Jogging, she hoofed it into the kitchenette of the cabin, packing a few sandwiches for herself, a thermos of raktajino, and a rather sour-looking apple. Bag lunch'd be cheaper and easier than finding some high-brow restaurant. As for Kahrak... Laarell poked her head out the window window before heading out to gather a satchel of lavarock. That'd have to do.

 

-Sunday Afternoon-

 

The fair weather of the morning had turned to cloudy weather for the afternoon. Not that it was a bad thing, the mist just enhanced the beauty of the small jewel of an island.

 

Flying over the water like a bird, the shuttle made quick time of the distance between the islands of Hawaii and Kauai. A good thing, too -- the transport station on the smaller island was jam-packed with travelers, slowing Kahrak and Laarell's goings to the Fern Grotto.

 

Moving through the swirling mob, the cadets were approaching the exit when a little human boy started gesturing towards them, excitedly. "Mommy! Is that a Horta?"

 

The child's parent didn't look up, dragging her son by the arm moving towards the exit as she shook her head. "For heavens' sakes. I need to talk to your teachers about filling your mind with such rubbish."

 

"But... but... Hortas are real! That's one right there!"

 

Rolling her eyes, she lightly smacked the boy on the side of his head as they moved towards the exit. "And if rock creatures do exist, what's one doing here? Be sensible. It's probably just the green lady's suitcase."

 

Kahrak was silent for a long moment, Laarell barely suppressing a spasm of laughter. He paused in the middle of the terminal, unmoving.

 

Doubling back a few feet, the Orion poked the Horta with her foot. "Come on, luggage boy." Snickering, she moved a few feet away, lest he spew rock-dissolving acid in rage.

 

He shuffled after her, his voice even flatter than its usual mechanical sound. "I never called you 'Broccoli', even after the other first-years took to it."

 

"Didn't have the same ring to it."

 

"Neither does luggage boy."

 

She smirked, widely, looking down at him. "Au contraire, mon petit Horta..."

 

To be continued...