4th January 2024 Writings

[fardell24]

Excerpt from: On An Alien Beach
“Are you sure you haven’t done anything like this before?” she asked.

“No,” Tendi admitted. “Not even on a holodeck!”

As illogical as it seemed. Tendi had a point. Even with the dramatic improvements over the past two decades, Holodeck experiences were still a pale imitation of the real thing. “Of course.”

Mariner then came up to her. “Want to go for a swim?” she asked.

“That’s an illogical request,” T’Lyn responded.

“Why?” Mariner asked.

“You would recall that Vulcan is a desert world.”

“Oh.”

“The Vulcan fleet also doesn’t train its officers for aquatic duties,” T’Lyn added.

“Sorry, I didn’t know.”

“Apology accepted.”

“But maybe it’s not too late to learn?” Mariner asked.

“Maybe not, but socializing on the beach is what I came down to do.”

“Sure.”


Boimler had overhead T’Lyn and Mariner’s conversation. It was too bad. He wanted T’Lyn to join in, if only to help tone down Mariner’s competitiveness. ‘Oh boy!’


T’Lyn sat near where Tendi was building her sandcastle. It was already quite large.


A few more officers came along. “Barnes?” Boimler asked.

“Hi, Boimler,” Barnes said. “I thought I would join you lot.”

“Really?” Boimler asked with a smile.

Barnes nodded.

“Can you swim?” Boimler asked quietly, hoping that T’Lyn wouldn’t hear. (Though one always underestimated Vulcan hearing.)

“Of course,” Barnes answered at a similar volume. “Trill has similar coastal regions to Earth. I even brought my surfboard.”

“Surfboard?” Boimler asked.

“Yes. Surfing came to Trill late last century,” Barnes answered.

Words: 248


Excerpt from: Spider Quinn
“Such as?”

“Um…”

Quinn could tell Stacy wasn’t really sure, that she couldn’t put her finger on it, so she let it be. “Don’t worry. I’m sure I’ll find out quickly.”

Stacy relaxed.


It wasn’t long before they arrived at the Pizza place.

Tori greeted them as they entered as she had been busy through the school day. “What did Ms. Li want?” she asked.

Quinn filled her in on about the three misfits.

“Oh, Anna. I heard that she’s into New Age stuff,” Tori said.

“That could be weird, but that’s what my parents were into, when they were younger,” Quinn said, her voice trailing off.

“Really?” Tori asked.

“They were hippies in college,” Quinn answered quietly.

“Sorry for bringing that up,” Tori said, as they came up to the counter.

“You couldn’t have known,” Quinn said. “What about the other two?”

“Ben gets freaked out by anything, not just insects. Animals and birds, some plants too,” Tori said.

“I see,” Stacy said.

“But Gerald, I haven’t heard much about him,” Tori said.

“That’s fine,” Quinn said.


As they waited for their pies, Quinn noticed Daria sitting by herself at a nearby booth, reading a book. ‘Isn’t Jane usually here with her?’ she wondered. She went over. “Daria?”

“Quinn?” Daria asked, with slight concern on the face. “Did the Principal have bad news?”

“She didn’t,” Quinn answered.

“So, what did she call you in for?”

“Join us and I’ll tell you?”

“Quinn?”

“I know you’re lonely, and that Jane isn’t here.”

“Sure.”


Tori saw Daria sit across from her. “Hi, Daria.”

“Hi,” she said.

“Tori.”

“Right. So, Quinn?”

Quinn then filled in her sister about the Principal and the three misfits.

“I see. I have heard about Anna, but not the other two,” Daria said.

“Right,” Quinn said. “Why isn’t Jane here?”

“She’s working on some art with her mother. Something she rarely gets to do.”

“Mrs. Lane is rarely home,” Tori said.

“Oh.”


The quartet talk for a while as they eat their pizzas, although Daria is the quietest.


What they didn’t realise was that Sandi was also at the Pizza place. She was also wondering why the Principal had called her into her office. “What is going on?” she wondered to herself. She had also seen Daria sit with the other three. ‘Of course she acknowledges that weird girl is her sister,’ she thought. She ate her Pizza in silence before stalking out of the store.


Quinn left the Pizza place ahead of the other three and changed to SpiderGirl behind some bushes. She then swung away from the strip mall the Pizza place was towards Dega Street, where she was sure criminals were hanging out.

Stacy saw SpiderGirl swinging away as she left the Pizza place. “Oh!” she commented. “Where is she going?”


SpiderGirl saw some people scatter as she swung into Dega Street from Second Street.

Words: 481


Total: 729