"Heavy Consideration"

[Guest Sar'vek t'Jhiin]

Sar'vek glanced across the dimmed Science Lab to where a single illuminated console played across her fellow Arrain's face. "t'Valae," she addressed, casually, considering for a moment before taking a seat a few chairs over from her. "I have na yet received any information regarding aur journey planetside, past what's been funneled through the grapevine already."

 

Rhean shrugged. "There is na much to tell," she replied, without looking up from her screen. "I was scarcely involved, truth to tell."

 

"Na?" She looked curious. "And what of the others? Impressions on them?"

 

Now she did look up, fixing t'Jhiin with a politely startled look. "Au know them as well as I, rekkhai."

 

"I was na there. Io can behave differently under stressful situations."

 

Thoughtfully t'Valae said, "I would na call it 'stressful', precisely."

 

Sar'vek frowned. "Au do a menkha dance around the question. Unless au do na feel inclined to share aur opinions." She inclined her head. "In which case, I would respect aur wishes."

 

"Someio told me," Rhean began, smiling thinly, "that it is wisest in the Galae na to have opinions on io's crewmates."

 

"Perhaps wise, perhaps na," she replied noncommittally, "Do au follow that advice?"

 

"I trust the source," she replied.

 

t'Jhiin regarded the other woman for a long moment. "Very intelligent of au, I'm sure. But au evade that question as well. There's an art to it -- an art au've mastered." She smirked. "I frankly, have na. I prefer to be direct if I choose na to disclose something. But... we are both na y'ya, so perhaps there is something to be said for both manners of conducting ioself."

 

"So it would seem," Rhean answered politely.

 

Sar'vek continued her observations. "Au're more closed than I am." She let out a small chuckle, almost nervous. "And that alone makes me worrisome. Should I be worried?" she asked, pointedly.

 

"Na, rekkhai."

 

* * *

 

Clearly, she was worried.

 

Picking at a few stray pieces of viinerine, the Rihan female sat in the mess. She was alone -- it was a little after midway on a late shift. Most other insomniacs had already satisfied their m'Unchies, and those who followed normal sleep cycles were, rationally enough, sleeping.

 

Sar'vek supposed she could have gone to the evil maenaks for something that would assist with her sleep, but... her lack thereof was merely caused by too much on her mind, and unless t'Ksa could brainwash the other scientists into na being threats... well, they'd have to be strong medications to knock her out with that constantly hanging over her head.

 

What was Sar'vek doing that had earned the misgivings of t'Valae so easily? Or did it just boil down to pure ambition? Or was it... Rhean really was just quiet, and thus enigmatic? Perhaps na a scheming scientist after all...

 

Hard to get a read on, that io. But na worse than Sar'vek.

 

She had na been entirely truthful when she said that she was io to always tell some io her thoughts. She was nearly the opposite, in fact. But it was a menkha misconception to establish, and if the majority of people believed her, then, mission accomplished.

 

What a mess. It made io want to be a janitor.

Edited April 26, 2007 by Sar'vek t'Jhiin

[KhreRiovtRex 0]

Very nice log!