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A Davis

No Word for "Secret" in Nijil's Dictionary

No Word for "Secret" in Nijil's Dictionary

by Nijil and Amanda

 

Aegis's expansive arboretum was a place of refuge for Amanda. It was not only beautiful, but its selection of species rivaled some of the Federation's best collections and its expanse provided seclusion for many a recluse - and today Amanda felt much like a recluse. She lingered by the water garden, its trickles soothing her soul as she fed the harlequin salamanders. She stopped for a chat with Jahn Lee in the orchid garden - always a blessing. Then came the rose garden; that's when nostalgia took hold, urging her toward her favorite willow tree. Its branches brushing the ground with a comforting swoosh in the artificial breeze reminded her of Wales. Amanda wrapped her skirt around her legs for a bit of warmth and stretched out beneath its soothing boughs and closed her eyes. Within seconds she had put aside the stress of their upcoming mission; she was back home, playing in her childhood garden.

 

 

* * * * * * *

 

Nijil needed to get away from the metal. The alloys started to get on his nerves. Corridors, shafts and bulkheads. All of it. This stroll marked his first time in this part of the station. Nearly like home. Just nearly. The paths were marked by either polished concrete or, for the more adventurous, flat stones. He took one of these paths to avoid running into others.

 

As he trekked through the winding passage of thick plantlife thoughts of Jylliene filled his mind. She would adore this place. Nijil smiled and made a mental note to choose a prime location. He stopped to get his bearings, noticing a large willow tree afar. The tree grew larger the closer he walked. It may very well be the centerpiece of the entire arboretum.

 

The path of stones ended on the concrete again, but a new one started on the other side. The willow lay dead ahead so the engineer leapt across and rejoined the stone path. He ran faster, skipping the multitude of delightful flowers lining it. The feeling of running felt really good. The run probably meant he did not exercise nearly enough. The corridors, as long as they were had nothing on the beauty of...

 

"Ooof!" Nijil tripped over something not quite solid. His face hit the ground first before he realized what happened. Now he knew why he only jogged when he was late.

 

"Oh, my! Are you alright?" Amanda jerked up, tucking her legs beneath her to help the young Romulan who had just tripped over her outstretched limbs. I'm so sorry. Please tell me you are alright."

 

He lay motionless for a moment, taking in the closeness to the ground. Feeling if he indeed had feeling in his legs...or face. "Oh..oww," he groaned. His world had gone black or dark green.

 

"Oh, dear. You're injured. Should I call the doctor?"

 

"Na, I'm fine." He flipped himself over and looked to the sky. The willow tree was overhead. His breathing raced as the tiny cuts on his face started to share their pain. "I am na fine." He remained on the ground.

 

"I was going to say you didn't look fine. Where do you hurt? Or... I suppose I should ask, 'Where do you hurt most?'"

 

Memories of his past falls, of which there were many, crossed his mind. "My pride." He looked at the person he tripped over. Not Rihan nor Trill. Human? He did not remember her face.

 

"Well, if only your pride hurts, then you'll be fine," Amanda replied in relief as she removed her silk scarf, dabbed it in the fountain next to her, and began to clean his face. "I must say, even for a Romulan that much green does not do you justice at all."

 

"Ha, I have heard that one before," he quipped. Manners, he heard his mother say in the back of his mind.

 

"Really?" she replied, bemused. "Are you in the habit of falling face-down in the arboretum, then?"

 

"This is my first time here, so no. I did not know anyone was here," he started to pull himself up. "Are you injured?"

 

"Me? Oh, my no, unless you consider embarrassment a 'hurt.'" Rocking back on her heels, Amanda rinsed the scarf, gave it one more dip in the fountain and moved to complete her task. "I'm embarrassed and sorry that I had my legs stretched out so far as to trip someone. Hold still, now, and we're almost done.... There." She checked her work. "Just the right amount of green."

 

"Nijil. Engineer." he said as he extended his hand. "Thank you."

 

"Oh. Of course." Amanda wiped her hands before offering hers. "Amanda. Aegis's counselor in residence, or as some call me, 'the resident shrink.'" She laughed. "Nice to meet you, Nijil. Have you been here long? On Aegis, I mean."

 

His eyes widened. He knew the Rihan definition of "counselor," but not the Federation's. "Oh, well. I've been here for a few months around the time of the last refugee arrival." He now sat with his knees pulled up a bit toward his chest. She must be human, he thought. "Human?"

 

"Yes. Terran, actually. From Wales, a very small country with many flowers and trees such as they have in this area of the arboretum. That's why I come here. It reminds me so much of home." Another pang of homesickness hit her and she leaned into the comfort of the willow's trunk.

 

"I'm sorry," she sighed. "I'm being so selfish. I imagine you're more than a bit homesick, and I shouldn't be. At least I have a home to return to. Please accept my condolences on your loss, Nijil."

 

"Yes, you would have to remove all of this plantlife with a gamma ray burst to get the same look as my home. The Breen were responsible for the eventual damage. Not the Federation or Earth." His sickness came not from landscapes or plants, but family he could not find. "My parents were farmers, my sister in education. They are my real losses."

 

Apparently at a loss for words, Amanda watched him a moment, then ventured, "They must have been wonderful family. Can you tell me about them?"

 

"Wonderful is not the ideal word I would use. Perhaps Jentela. She's the closest to wonderful. She taught at a local primary school just over a set of rolling hills past the farm. Was with child at the time of the attack." Nijil imagined the destruction. "She had a comfort around children don't have. The children liked her, alot. Quite the opposite of my father with respect to kids.

 

"Niilan. Father. He took a rather distanced approach to raising the three of us. Very proud. Very Rihan. He'd blow a plasma manifold if he knew I was involving myself with a Trill. Not that I ever listened to him. Taught me everything I knew about farming and enough to know I did not want to follow in his boot steps." He became lost in thought regarding his parents. Jilliene did not ask about them. She knew they were missing. The engineer pressed on.

 

"Our mother raised the three of us. Great cook. Knew more about how to combine their flavors better than my father knew how to keep them growing." This made him smile even with the tinge of their loss. "Barissa, that's her name, was the driving force for me getting into the military and engineering. 'Forge my own path out of the fire,' she said. I wonder if she was talking about the fire of plasma coursing through starships?" He shook his head, "Anyhow, she steered me straight, talked to the right people and here I am... alive when they may very well not be."

 

"Then you're not certain they are dead, are you?"

 

"No," he answered.

 

"And yet, from your expression you don't seem to believe they might still be alive."

 

"I've been searching subspace transmissions for months and have not found anything. Short of hacking the resources of the station's computer cores it will take some time to scan them all." He had lost hope these past months. "I've not even resumed the search...." His voice trailed off as he realized his search had been replaced by the involvement with Jylliene. He began to feel a bit of guilt.

 

"Nijil." Amanda waited for his attention, then met his eyes with all sincerity. "It's been only a few months. Not even four. I know that's a long time when you're worried, but there are many reasons why you may not have found them yet. They may have taken refuge on a beautiful planet somewhere, but without the resources to even begin to think about subspace communications, without the ability to contact anyone. Your parents, as you describe them, are strong and resourceful. Your sister, more than able. You mustn't give up hope, Nijil. There is always hope."

 

"Jylliene," Nijil stated, not answering a question.

 

"Jylliene, our new operations officer?"

 

Startled, "What about her? Do you know her?"

 

Amanda hazarded a smile. "Well, I do communicate with station operations occasionally," she teased. "I've met her, but I don't believe you could say I know her."

 

"Oh, she's very nice. I think she's why I stopped my search. She has distracted me," he said with a grin. Amanda reminded him a little bit of her. Perhaps Terrans and Trills are closely related.

 

"Well, that's a good distraction, then, isn't it?"

 

"I suppose so. I don't think I've been this close to someone in a long while. It makes me uneasy. I've been involved with someone before and it did not turn out well."

 

After a thoughtful pause she said, "It isn't my place to pry, Nijil, but may I ask you a personal question?"

 

"For a Romulan you've asked many personal questions, but," Nijil brightened, "I'm not like many Romulans. What is your question?"

 

"Would you consider your relationship with Jylliene one of good friendship? And by that I mean: is she a nice person to be with, do you relate well to each other, and most of all, do you seem to understand and respect each other?"

 

"It has been that way as far as I've known her. She's not kicked me out when I've fallen asleep in her quarters. Did not leave me when I got hot sauce on her at dinner." He looked up in thought for a moment. "A Rihan woman would have protested or stalked off by now. As you know I'm a... 'klutz?' She has a high tolerance for my foolishness. We are at a point I've not been with someone before. It's uncharted territory."

 

Amanda flashed an impish smile. "Well, then," she cleared her throat and straightened up into the stereotypical counselor. "Uncharted territory or not, in my professional opinion, Nijil... only my opinion, mind you... you have not only the good beginnings of an excellent relationship, but you might even have enough courage within yourself - non-Romulan that you are - to nurture that relationship into something that lasts. I mean, seriously? Any lady who can endure having a dinner dress ruined by hot sauce is certainly worth pursuing. At least that's my opinion."

 

Nijil decided to get up on his feet. The pain of his fall remained, but he felt better about Jylliene than before he arrived. "It's good to have someone think a relationship could work. I should be talking to her about this. If it weren't for this mission... that I should not have said. Pretend I did not say anything."

 

"Say what, Nijil?" Amanda's smile broadened. "And before you see Jylliene, stop at the gazebo in the orchid garden. Jahn Lee, the gardener there, is always looking for someone to admire her orchids and use them for a good cause."

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