Fixed Path

[Nijil tr'Korjata 0]

Nijil sat dejected in his quarters. The room dimly lit. Just as he prefered. The computer consoles hummed again. Their readouts calculated subspace variances and decrypted all manner of Rihan transmission. Machines proceeding without question. Halting only with loss of power.

 

So what was stopping Nijil? Was he some kind of fvadt varuul! Certainly not. Just nervous or gun shy. He laughed at himself about the latter, but perhaps it’s a real question he avoided answering. Annisha deserves the credit. The precocious eight year old knew enough to see an attraction existed and called him on it. Her innocent observation left him with a realization:

 

The next move is his, she won’t wait forever.

 

Jylliene leaving sickbay and walking past her door later that evening marked two moves he failed to make. At medical she at least seemed in a hurry to get back to her shift. The Captain may have granted them some time alone. Nah, more like wishful thinking. The message reply to his request for quarters included a regulation regarding relations with officers. Discouraged only.

 

Passing by her door though...why? The worse thing she could do was say go away. Not this time. Nijil straightened his off-duty attire and headed for the exit. He glanced at the chrono: after midnight. Arriving at her door he lightly rang.

 

“Jylliene, are you awake?”