Literary Challenge 68 - STO Halloween
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"And that's why we call it 'Halloween'". Kathryn smiled, then sipped from her short glass.
Staza Murai returned the smile then looked out the window of Headsail Lounge. Located on Deck 15 to starboard side, the large windows revealed streaks of light as Solaris traveled at a lazy Warp 3. The majority of the ship's crew was due for shore leave and Risa was their destination. As the Diplomatic Attaché for the Klingon Empire on board the ship, Staza made effort to learn from the crew of a Federation vessel. Her association with the Captain of the vessel was expected and Kathryn was very approachable, rumors in the Syndicate notwithstanding: the "Scarlet Scorpion" was not the crazed rogue captain Staza was told would be at the helm.
Kathryn lowered her drink. "What about you? Any traditions from your culture to share?"
The Orion casually shrugged. "Oh, I'm sure there is plenty in the Federation's cultural records."
"Reading about it from an anthropologist is not the same as hearing it from a direct source. Wouldn't you agree?"
Staza looked back to Kathryn and thought for a second. "Yes, I agree. Good point." Sitting straighter and facing forward, Staza reached for Kathryn's drink and took a sip. Kathryn did not blink, as if she expected it.
Smiling a little then looked at her arms, Staza said, "tell me, Captain, do all Orions have green skin?"
Kathryn sat straighter, surprised at the question. "I ... I've seen different shades of green. But, yes,"
"Ah, then you would be wrong."
Leaning forward, Kathryn was wide-eyed.
The Orion leaned forward and lowered her voice as if telling a secret. "Orions were once three sub-races: Green Orions like me, Grey Orions and Ruddy Orions."
"Ruddy?"
Staza looked around as if Kathryn spoke too loud. "Yes. Yellow to dark red skin tones. They were created by the Preservers to be the leaders and administrators. To accomplish this, they enslaved the Green and Greys as they needed. Also, biased and unjust laws kept them in power until uprisings and mass exodus left them with no labor force. They didn't know how to 'do' the things needed to maintain a civilization. With enough time, they became extinct because of their greed for power and control at the cost of the resource they exploited."
"And what of the Greys?"
Green lips curled as if disgusted. "They were pitiful in their own existence. Genetically altered by the Ruddy's to be smart and inquisitive, they handled the technical and scientific aspects of our culture. Ironically, their intelligence was their doom: to keep them in line, the Ruddy's also modified their genes to be very vulnerable to disease and illness. Some Greys were born so susceptible, they were confined to live in hermetically sealed housing their entire lives. Oh, there were a few lucky ones, but they were extremely rare and faked illness so not to stand out and be 'special'. Staza shook her head. "Needless to say, they are extinct because their genetic malfunctions simply eroded their ability to successfully reproduce."
There was a moment of silence as the two women stared at each other. Kathryn took a sip from her drink. "I had no idea."
Staza traced an infinity loop absent-mindlessly on the table while smiling. "No one does."
"What do you mean?"
"As I'm sure you are aware, Orions, by our nature, are secretive and revel in playing 'the long game' in everything we do. So it was the Green Orions that orchestrated the other's demise. Nordell The Calculating, a Green, laid the framework for the genocide of the Ruddys and Greys in his apocryphal 'Gri Ando Meli Entro', or Plan of Grand Revenge. You see, Nordell considered the Green Orions as the superior race, so he created a plan that, over thousands of generations, have led to the Orion culture as you know it."
Kathryn's jaw dropped. "That's incredible!'
The Green Orion shrugged. "Well, the truth is actually less colorful."
"Wh ... what?"
"Orions are just another space-faring race, that has an eccentric way of doing business. From a certain point of view."
---
Cast:
Kathryn Beringer - Rachel Nichols
Staza Murai - Sarah Lind
---
"And that's why we call it 'Halloween'". Kathryn smiled, then sipped from her short glass.
Staza Murai returned the smile then looked out the window of Headsail Lounge. Located on Deck 15 to starboard side, the large windows revealed streaks of light as Solaris traveled at a lazy Warp 3. The majority of the ship's crew was due for shore leave and Risa was their destination. As the Diplomatic Attaché for the Klingon Empire on board the ship, Staza made effort to learn from the crew of a Federation vessel. Her association with the Captain of the vessel was expected and Kathryn was very approachable, rumors in the Syndicate notwithstanding: the "Scarlet Scorpion" was not the crazed rogue captain Staza was told would be at the helm.
Kathryn lowered her drink. "What about you? Any traditions from your culture to share?"
The Orion casually shrugged. "Oh, I'm sure there is plenty in the Federation's cultural records."
"Reading about it from an anthropologist is not the same as hearing it from a direct source. Wouldn't you agree?"
Staza looked back to Kathryn and thought for a second. "Yes, I agree. Good point." Sitting straighter and facing forward, Staza reached for Kathryn's drink and took a sip. Kathryn did not blink, as if she expected it.
Smiling a little then looked at her arms, Staza said, "tell me, Captain, do all Orions have green skin?"
Kathryn sat straighter, surprised at the question. "I ... I've seen different shades of green. But, yes,"
"Ah, then you would be wrong."
Leaning forward, Kathryn was wide-eyed.
The Orion leaned forward and lowered her voice as if telling a secret. "Orions were once three sub-races: Green Orions like me, Grey Orions and Ruddy Orions."
"Ruddy?"
Staza looked around as if Kathryn spoke too loud. "Yes. Yellow to dark red skin tones. They were created by the Preservers to be the leaders and administrators. To accomplish this, they enslaved the Green and Greys as they needed. Also, biased and unjust laws kept them in power until uprisings and mass exodus left them with no labor force. They didn't know how to 'do' the things needed to maintain a civilization. With enough time, they became extinct because of their greed for power and control at the cost of the resource they exploited."
"And what of the Greys?"
Green lips curled as if disgusted. "They were pitiful in their own existence. Genetically altered by the Ruddy's to be smart and inquisitive, they handled the technical and scientific aspects of our culture. Ironically, their intelligence was their doom: to keep them in line, the Ruddy's also modified their genes to be very vulnerable to disease and illness. Some Greys were born so susceptible, they were confined to live in hermetically sealed housing their entire lives. Oh, there were a few lucky ones, but they were extremely rare and faked illness so not to stand out and be 'special'. Staza shook her head. "Needless to say, they are extinct because their genetic malfunctions simply eroded their ability to successfully reproduce."
There was a moment of silence as the two women stared at each other. Kathryn took a sip from her drink. "I had no idea."
Staza traced an infinity loop absent-mindlessly on the table while smiling. "No one does."
"What do you mean?"
"As I'm sure you are aware, Orions, by our nature, are secretive and revel in playing 'the long game' in everything we do. So it was the Green Orions that orchestrated the other's demise. Nordell The Calculating, a Green, laid the framework for the genocide of the Ruddys and Greys in his apocryphal 'Gri Ando Meli Entro', or Plan of Grand Revenge. You see, Nordell considered the Green Orions as the superior race, so he created a plan that, over thousands of generations, have led to the Orion culture as you know it."
Kathryn's jaw dropped. "That's incredible!'
The Green Orion shrugged. "Well, the truth is actually less colorful."
"Wh ... what?"
"Orions are just another space-faring race, that has an eccentric way of doing business. From a certain point of view."
---
Cast:
Kathryn Beringer - Rachel Nichols
Staza Murai - Sarah Lind
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