Chitty Chatty Bang Bang

Posted on Sun Sep 1st, 2024 @ 6:59pm by Commander Tamarra James

1,834 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Joint Logs
Location: Science Lab
Timeline: After the events of "The Thunder Child"

A joint Log between TJ and Ezrin Ezee.
Set after the initial tests on the Thunderchild.


Tamarra James leaned against one of the windows, her hands flat against the tempered material that was all that stood between her and the outside. She put her forehead against the window and took a deep breath. She had new orders, but before she left she needed to take care of some business.

She turned and walked through the ship to the science labs. Which was the last place her target had been working. TJ’s lips quirked slightly.

It would be a good talk with Ezrin Ezee. A necessary one.

Ezrin Ezee was still working in the labs, currently organizing a pristine set of tools into very specific places within easy reach in one of the new workrooms. They were singing to themself as they went, in their native language. Armellian had a fluidity to it, and many layers of meaning that made the song beautiful, even if they hadn't practiced nearly as much as their family-unit would have expected of them.

“H’san, I’m looking for Ezrin,” TJ said to one of the scientists working on deck 3.

H’san, a tall spindly being with whorls of deep green in H’san’s skin, simply pointed at one of the doors. H’san bowed slightly, blinking second eyelids rapidly.

“H’san is of aid.” H’san said and then carried on with the task at hand.

TJ pressed the button that would open the door. She poked her head in, looking around.

“Nice work,” she called out into the room. “It’s looking good. I need to have a quick discussion about something. In here alright with you or would you prefer to come to my office?”

Ezrin looked up, a look of startlement on their face; they hadn't been expecting anyone to come in. Most of the scientists working under them knew they didn't like to be disturbed while working unless it was urgent.

The lighting in the room was minimal, perfectly comfortable for a being who had spent most of their life in the semidarkness of a jungle, and their usually teal eyes had a reddish tinge to them, lending them an almost feral appearance. That was, until they recognized TJ, and they smiled brightly, the expression transforming their face to one of childlike joy. Continuing to smile in genuine welcome, they flicked a manual switch to raise the light level to a brightness that most species of the Federation found comfortable. Their eyes lost the reddish tinge as they adjusted to the light.

“Ezrin gives fair greetings, commander-being-friend! Ezrin says we are being happy to be having speakings! Ezrin says to be having seatings,” they gestured at a couple of backless stools that were next to a workbench. They bounced around the room, putting a few more things away before they sat down themself. Almost immediately, one of their legs began bouncing, as always when they were seated.

TJ took her time heading through the lab. Personal labs were such an indication of the person in them. Departmental ones were, in her opinion, usually a bit boring in comparison. Ezrin seemed to have an eclectic taste in experiments.

Perching on the stool, and then wriggling back to be more comfortable, she regarded Ezee steadily.

“Look, I’d rather be blunt and clear than dance around and maybe not get what I need to discuss taken care of,” she started. “We are in a precarious position, at the front edge of a war none of us really want to have, but one that is necessary. In the last few months, you’ve questioned just about everything I have said, or suggested, or ordered. I need to know what the problem is.”

Ezrin’s face became more serious as TJ spoke, and their leg stilled it’s movement. They regarded TJ with an even expression. “Ezrin asks if you are knowing histories of Armellia-planet-home?” They asked, unexpectedly.

“Only the surface information. Your people are generally private, and relatively new to the Federation. Coalition. Whatever-tion.” TJ replied. “It may be a surprise to you, but I prefer to take people as they are. Alright, let’s see. I recall that your people have some significant history with the plants on your world. And I vaguely remember some mention of wars and that’s why you choose your leaders the way you do. How close am I?”

Ezrin nodded. “Ezrin says you are having more knowings than most beings,” they acknowledged, “but is not being all knowings. Ezrin says many year-timings ago, there is being warrings. Ezrin says is being...bad.”

They looked away then, their expression closed, like they were seeing something unpleasant that was only visible to them. “Ezrin says both sidings are having bad thinkings and happenings, but each timing one side is doing a bad happening, other side is doing worse. Ezrin says this is meaning that warrings are lasting many, many year-timings, and is only when is threatening to be killing all Armellia-planet-beings, including plantings, small-furs, big-furs, sky-flappers, and hard-outsides-soft-insides that they are sitting and having speakings.” Ezrin looked up at TJ again. “Ezrin says that to be preventing beings from doing happenings again, Wanderer is choosing leader-beings from small-beings, at point of Crossings of old leader-beings. Ezrin says we are being chosen for this timings, and Wanderer is giving us...what is wordings...past-mind-pictures, from beings who are having livings during war-timings.”

As they spoke, they pulled a pendant from beneath their uniform, of a purple leaf encased inside amber, set in a brass casing on a sturdy leather cord. They held it like it was a small, precious life entrusted to them. “Ezrin says warrings of timings past are nearly destroying Armellia-planet-home, and this is being only one planet. Ezrin says happenings now are being...too much same for us to be having comfortings, but Ezrin is also knowing conflictings are being necessary. Ezrin says we are trying to be stopping happenings from being so bad we are destroying ourselves, and having forgettings of who we are being and what we are trying to be doing. Ezrin says this is meaning not having...ess-kal-ations of happenings.”

They looked at TJ then, frankly. “Ezrin says is being duties of leader-beings to be seeing end resultings of happenings, and this is being what we are having questionings of. Ezrin says we are having knowings that we are being bad at speakings in strange-concepts-standard, and we are giving apologies if is seeming we are having questionings of you.”

TJ listened, nodding occasionally. After Ezrin finished speaking, she stayed silent for a moment or two. She considered carefully what she had been told.

“Yes, that makes sense and fills in some gaps in my knowledge of your world,” she said. “And clears up some of the impetus that drives your - questions - as you say. They feel like lectures, not questions, incidentally. The thing is, I have a very specific role on this ship, and an even more specific position within the organization. Right now, I am the second in command. It wasn’t that many years ago I was the Captain that traveled across known space to rescue this crew and bring them home to Federation space. I did that because what makes the crew of the Potemkin, or Thunderchild, or Tethys is so important to the heart of the Federation was worth risking my life to bring you… them… back.”

She paused, and pulled her yawara from the knot of hair at the nape of her neck. She turned it over and over in her fingers as she spoke. “Questioning I understand. What I do not understand is why only me? Why not James, or Anya, or Soori?”

Ezrin smiled faintly. “Ezrin says we have been having questionings of other beings, also.” They replied softly. “...Ezrin says we are not trying to be giving lecturings, and we will be trying to be not doing in future-timings.” They looked at TJ then, again. “Ezrin asks if you are being second-commandings before now-happenings?”

“As in have I ever been a second in command before, or was I the XO on this ship before the crisis?” Teagan shrugged slightly, and tucked the yawara back into her hair. “Yes. Many times. Far too many times. And for the second option? Well, I was sent to the ship for a reason.”

TJ’s face grew solemn, and she sighed. “Well, right now I’m it. Until we can locate Jayla and get her back. Of all the times to have been off the ship, it had to be right as we deserted.”

She smiled at Ezrin. “Thank you Ezrin. For listening, and explaining. Do me a favour, keep asking questions, but keep the more lecture type ones to private. And remember, some time I will have to give an order you don’t like, and there won’t be time for questions.”

Ezrin nodded, slowly. “...Ezrin says we are knowing this. Ezrin says we are having understandings of how command-beings are needing to be doing. But Ezrin wonders...” they trailed off and shook their head, choosing not to say what they were thinking.

“Wonders what?”

“Ezrin asks to be having free speakings.” They asked, formally, a first for them.

“I don’t do formal terribly well, in case you haven’t noticed. Just ask, and deal with what you learn. I asked, and have to deal with what I learn. Why should you be any different?”

Ezrin smiled faintly. “Ezrin wonders if you are having knowings of how close your speakings are some timings being, to other-mean-being?” They asked, gently.

TJ chuckled. “Well of course… We are, technically, the same person. We just grew up in vastly different ways. The biggest difference is that I learned how to love and I’m intensely loyal to the people I care about. She isn’t.”

TJ stood up and looked around again. She nodded in approval, just like she did when she walked in.

“I have to go and read reports on how the tests went. Thank you for the talk. Enjoy making whatever it is you’re making.”

She turned to leave, and paused before the door.

“Hey, Ezrin Ezee. You ever studied for the bridge exam? Want to?”

Ezrin blinked. “Ezrin says we are not having thinkings of before. Ezrin says we were not even being adult-being when we are having learnings at academy.” They considered it, now. “...Ezrin says we are wanting to be doing.” They replied, somewhat surprising themself.

“Good. Got a few things to take care of first, like ending a war before it gets out of control. But then.. You’ll be great at it.”

TJ left the lab, and walked to her office. The conversation was a start and it would do. For now.


Ezrin watched her go, thoughtfully. They would get no more work done tonight.


(With thanks to Ezrin!)

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