superior ones!" He knew the helmsman well enough to know he wouldn't
take offense at the wisecrack. He was right. Tom snickered his
appreciation of the witticism, but didn't reply to it.
Harry Kim hovered on a level with Malista, fascinated by her impish
smile as she listened to the exchange. She didn't seem upset that
Harry had reprimanded her for climbing the tree. In fact, it seemed to
please her. She also appeared to enjoy the mock arguing with both Tom
and Harry. She darted a quick glance at Harry to gauge his reaction,
as if she wanted to find out if he was seriously angry with her
defiance of his request for her to climb down.
He had the feeling that if he frowned at all, she would immediately
give in and let him take her to the ground to don her anti-grav boots.
But he also had the feeling it would be like caging a wild bird just
as it was about to take flight. He took it as a good sign that she
hadn't immediately yielded to his opinion. Maybe she was beginning to
trust in him enough to disagree with him.
Of course, she'd had Tom's permission to climb, so maybe she was just
trying to make them both happy. Now there was an idea that seemed
doomed to failure! Harry gave her a reluctant grin, snatched another
kiss, and set to work. Sometimes a guy couldn't win. And when he
couldn't, it was smarter to give in. For the time being. Besides,
Malista was more relaxed than she'd been in days and seemed to be
having fun.
He didn't want to think about it right now. He wasn't going to risk
upsetting her again. He still hadn't figured out for sure what had
upset her the last time. Nevertheless, he made sure he stayed close
enough to grab her if she lost her balance.
"Two," said Tom. Another piece of fruit plopped into his sack. He
yawned again.
"Don't strain yourself, Paris," Kim taunted. His friend sniffed and
ignored him. Malista chuckled under her breath, eyes darting from one
man to the other as she waited for the next volley.
************************
Mikel Hudson didn't have to go looking for Ethan Simms to ask him
about Malista Shadow. Ethan came looking for Mikel. And found him
sitting at the desk in his quarters downloading a novel from the
ship's database.
After he'd finished his temporary assignment as a fruit picker, Hudson
had been invited to join Paris, Kim, and Shadow for an impromptu
picnic in the shade of the fruit trees beside the lake. He'd spent
time socially with Paris and Kim before so he was familiar with their
humor and easy manner, but he'd been caught offguard by the change in
Malista Shadow.
When he'd known her in Security during their duty shifts, he would
have described her as cold, distant, and professional. Behind her
back, she'd often been referred to as The Ice Princess. She didn't
make small talk. In fact, he could hardly remember hearing her say
more than two unnecessary words.
After Ethan Simms had befriended her, as much as she'd let him, the
coldness had eased up a little. At least to the point where she
appeared to acknowledge Hudson's right to exist on the same ship by
giving him a civil smile whenever she saw him. But usually only if she
saw him with Simms. He had concluded that she didn't want or need
friends so he'd been polite, but made no overtures to deepen the
relationship or get to know her better.
Seeing her with Paris and Kim, had been a revelation. She fit right
into their comfortable companionship, her sense of humor surging to
the forefront as she used her agile wits to defend herself and Harry
Kim from Paris' playful barbs. And when Harry Kim had evidently
experienced a slip of the tongue and called her 'Cookie', she'd
giggled! She'd actually giggled. And then giggled again when Kim
refused to explain the reference to Paris who'd pouted for at least
five minutes, claiming the pair were ganging up on him and spouting a
playful diatribe on the subject of disloyal sisters and traitorous
best friends.
Until that precise moment, Hudson had never really noticed that The
Ice Princess was remarkably pretty. Beautiful, in fact---when she
forgot herself and that others were watching her. And she certainly
knew her way around a replicator! The lunch had been plentiful and
astoundingly tasty. Paris had frequently bragged on her cooking skills
to anyone who would listen. It was wonderful to find out from first
hand experience that he hadn't exaggerated.
Commander Chakotay had wandered by and was promptly challenged to a
tree climbing contest by Tom Paris. When Paris revealed that he had no
intention of climbing himself, that he wanted Shadow to act as his
proxy and race Chakotay up the tree, Ensign Kim objected loudly. The
contest was called off forthwith.
Malista protested that she thought she could win. Harry Kim frowned
his disapproval---and that immediately settled the issue as far as she
was concerned. It also provided Paris with fodder for facetiously
badgering Shadow about her browbeaten status and ribbing Kim about his
secretly domineering nature. Shadow entered into the argument in
defense of Kim. Paris eventually retired from the lists, smiling
smugly at both of them. Hudson had a feeling there was a subtext to
that whole topic of conversation, but he didn't have the key to decode
it so he'd decided not to worry about it.
Chakotay had departed to check on the other food gathering teams,
shaking his head over the pilot's scandalous suggestions for sporting
events other than tree climbing that could be incorporated into the
harvesting activities. The berry toss, the tuber dive, the tree vault,
a seed expectoration contest....they all sounded messy and a few of
them rather dangerous to Ensign Kim, although Shadow encouraged Paris
to reveal his wildest flights of fancy and occasionally topped them
with one of her own.
Hudson had sporadically entered into the repartee, but mostly he sat
back and enjoyed listening to the other three. Eventually, the
conversation had turned to literature, not surprisingly considering it
was an avid avocation for both Paris and Shadow. They were remarkably
well read and the two of them, joined by Kim had dived into a detailed
discussion---or debate---about a story called "A Tale of Two Cities"
by someone named Dickens and the concept of self-sacrifice as opposed
to enlightened self-interest and the greater good.
Hudson had found himself pondering which point of view he would take
and their conversation about the novel had inspired Mikel to read it.
That was what he was downloading when his partner walked into his
quarters.
"Hi, Ethe, what's up?"
His friend looked faintly anxious, which was unusual enough to capture
Hudson's full attention. Simms hadn't worn that expression since he'd
finally confessed to writing anonymous love letters to Janine Lamont.
Mikel paused the computer and sat up straight. "What's the matter?"
"Uh, Mik, I sort of have this problem..."
"Sit down. Tell me about it."
Simms sat---but not still. He moved restlessly, seeming at a loss for
words.
"What's the matter, Ethe?" Hudson leaned toward his friend, trying to
read his expression.
"I'm trying to think how to say it."
Hudson pushed the annoying curl of brown hair off his forehead with a
sigh of exasperation. "Just say it. Always works for me."
Simms sighed. "It's not my story to tell. Someone told me about a
problem, a friend of mine is having and I'm not sure how much I'm
supposed to tell anyone else. It's sort of a privacy issue." He raked
his fingers through his own auburn curls. "How do I decide how much to
tell?"
"I assume you want to tell me?"
His friend nodded.
"Then tell me anything. I can keep a secret. Discretion is my middle
name. Mikel Discretion Hudson. Who's got a problem?"
"Malista Shadow."
Hudson raised his eyebrows and nodded. "Now there's a coincidence,
Ethe. I was thinking about her today and wondering what's going on
with her. I planned to ask you about it."
"The food gathering parties?"
"Yeah. I was working in the same group with her, Kim, and Paris. We
had a picnic lunch together afterwards."
Simms brow puckered. "Did she say anything?"
"Anything like what? About what?" Hudson queried. "After she got used
to my being there, she seemed fine. But there was
something---something I couldn't quite put my finger on. Something
lurking in the back of her eyes."
Simms nodded. "I know exactly what you mean. A haunted look. That's
how I felt when we were working Gamma shift and I ran into her in the
shuttlebay. Except now I know why she was so---antsy. Someone's been
harassing her."
"Harassing her? How?" Hudson was mildly surprised. It wasn't a common
problem on starships, but then Voyager wasn't exactly the usual
starship either. "We are talking about sexual harassment here, right?
You don't mean Kim---"
"No!" his friend denied hastily. "Somebody has been making suggestive
remarks, sending her messages on her terminal, maybe even getting
physical. Physically threatening."
"Has she reported it?"
"No."
"Why not?" Hudson demanded.
"I'm not sure. Diane wasn't sure who was doing it. Gerron got Malista
to tell him about the computer messages, but she didn't let him see
them. She's just been deleting them as they came in. Diane is sure
it's Starfleet personnel that are picking on her. The Maquis are upset
about it. They've been keeping an eye on Malista, but they haven't
been able to pinpoint the source of the trouble." Simms seemed
seriously disturbed at the idea. "Gerron told Diane that Malista gets
real jumpy around the Starfleet men. Almost all of them."
Hudson nodded. "I noticed that. When I approached her today, she acted
like I was going to hit her---or insult her."
"Maybe because someone else has?"
"But not me! And not *all* the Starfleet guys! Why would she expect it
from the 'Fleeters?" Mikel asked somewhat indignantly.
"Maybe because some of them have done something? Or because she's
Maquis?" Ethan conjectured. At Hudson's questioning look, he
continued. "She may think no one would take her claim of harassment
seriously. In the last few weeks, there have been some stories
floating around---you know, about the Maquis women. Their sexual
appetites." Ethan flushed to the roots of his dark auburn hair.
Hudson suppressed a smile. "There are always those kinds of stories.
But do you mean that someone has been talking about Malista
specifically? I don't believe it could be true. She doesn't have a
roving eye. And if she's supposed to be some kind of sex fiend, what
about the last three years? Or did whoever started this talk claim to
have an explanation for why she just turned into one?"
If anything, the younger man's flush deepened. "I heard some of the
talk, Mik. It's really nasty. There's a malicious edge to it---not
like the usual idle talk. They say she and Dishon were---you know.
That he kept her fully occupied. Dominated her. And when he died---she
went looking for a new owner. Someone who could advance her career.
Somebody has been spreading the story that Malista went after Tom
Paris to try to get on the captain's good side. And when that didn't
work because of Torres, she made a play for Harry Kim. That she'd do
anything to get in good with the Senior Officers."
"Come on! Wouldn't she go after Chakotay instead of Paris? He's the
top male officer. Naw. I don't buy it. I don't think she has that much
guile or ambition." Hudson snorted.
"I didn't say I believed it," Simms protested. "I said that's what
someone has been feeding the rumor mill."
"Somebody with a grudge against Malista?" Hudson said, rubbing his
chin thoughtfully.
"George Natwick?" Ethan guessed, then answered his own question. "Naw,
I don't think so. It's not George's style. If he was going to bother
to insult you, he'd do it to your face, not start rumors behind your
back."
"Someone using Malista to hurt someone else?" Hudson hypothesized.
"Like Harry Kim?"
"Or, more likely, Tom Paris. There are more people who still don't
like him. The morons. Some people would require brain surgery to
change their minds about anything." Hudson turned back to his computer
terminal and canceled the download. "Let's see if we can narrow down
our field of suspects. You said you suspected something was going on
when we were working Gamma shift and you saw her in the shuttlebay.
Now, who was around during Gamma shift the week Shadow began looking
frazzled?"
A list of names of those on duty during that time period began to
scroll down the screen. Mikel hit the pause button and pointed to a
particular name. "Hmm. I spy---something suspicious. He and Dishon had
a bit of a problem as I recall. Didn't they both wind up with a loss
of privileges and doing extra duty? What do you think, Ethan?"
"Do we need to tell Lieutenant Tuvok about this, Mik?"
Hudson shook his head. "Right now, we only have a theory. Let's get
some proof---or at least a few more facts to go on. Someone other than
Malista is bound to know something---facts beyond the rumors. So keep
your ears open. Not that I need to tell you that. Why does everyone
tell you everything?"
"Because I listen?" Ethan speculated modestly.
"Naw," Hudson drawled. "It's that boyish charm---or those kelly green
eyes. You look trustworthy."
Ethan punched his friend's shoulder. "Aw, c'mon!"
************************
Torres did not understand why Voyager's systems seemed to be involved
in a conspiracy to complicate her scheduling of Engineering duties.
She tried to explain her conspiracy theory to Tom Paris during their
shared lunch break.
His first response was that if she insisted on anthropomorphizing the
ship, as he himself was known to do, then this display of temperament
&nb
sp; on Voyager's part provided conclusive and positive proof of his theory
that the ship was, in fact, feminine in gender and disposition.
After he'd finished whining about the bruise beginning to form on his
upper arm, he'd apologized and listened more respectfully as she told
her tale of woe. He even sympathized with her and offered her a back
rub, but she wisely suspected him of ulterior motives and turned him
down---for the time being. Then she returned to duty.
The power coupling problem had been diagnosed and corrected---over a
period of weeks---which had thrown a hydrospanner into the scheduling
for all other repair and maintenance priorities. No sooner had that
crisis been resolved than the environmental control systems in various
sections of the ship decided to randomly develop glitches. The
hydroponics bay wasn't humid enough. The messhall was too hot. Now the
Science labs were reporting fluctuating temperatures that interfered
with accurate results in the experiments being conducted there.
Torres ran her eye down the list of repair requests and summoned her
repair crews. Malista Shadow was assigned to the Biology Department.
Torres thought she caught a flash of discomfort when she made the
assignment so she kept Malista behind when she dismissed the other
crews. "Malista, is something wrong?"
Her stoic mask firmly in place, Shadow looked B'Elanna right in the
face and lied through clenched teeth. "No, ma'am."
Trials 04 Shadow's Trial Page 23