Talking about Books [Part II]

Posted on 09/09/2024 @ 11:21am by Ensign Rugasi Kiyo & Ensign Dennis Pearson
Edited on on 09/09/2024 @ 11:23am

2,504 words; about a 13 minute read

Mission: Mission 23:Pages...
Location: Holo-Suite

Continued

Establishing a connection was simple enough, like you would expect with a PADD. But the moment Dennis tried to access the first document the screen went blank and a question appeared. Moments later a holo image of the late Jackson Porter read the question aloud.

”I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body, but I come alive with the wind. What am I?”

Kiyo stared at that screen and the holo image of Jackson Porter, "I feel that we are looking at a ghost!" giving a little bit of a shiver from the icy cold fingefrs that ran up and down her spine. "Okay so... speaking without a mouth,... hear without ears. Come alive with the wind." Kiyo went quiet for the moment, thinking of what this could mean. "Wind... alive... Wait does he mean an echo?"

Before Dennis could say anything the holo image of Jackson Porter reacted to Kiyo’s question.

”Correct! You’ve heard the call where others might falter. In this ancient place, the walls have ears, but it is you who has truly listened and understood.“

Kiyo's mouth dropped open and she glanced from the image to Dennis and back to the image. "Okay what next and oh my gosh this is quite the adventure!"

The holo image’s response was swift and witty: "Fear not, noble seekers, for in this holodeck odyssey, every answer unlocks more than just data! Onwards! Let us see if you can answer me this. In Denmark's court where shadows loom, a prince ponders life's endless gloom. With soliloquy profound and tragic flair, whose melancholy tale unfolds there?"

"That is from Hamlet, To be or not to be as he contemplates mortality and whether it is better to live or die." Kiyo answered, "This kinda profound in nature as to what we are dealing with Dennis." the woman looking at the man she is with. "Could this be actually prophetic?"

The holo image flickered momentarily before answering: ”Bravo! You have the wit of a court jester and the intellect of a scholar. Indeed, it is Hamlet, the prince of ponder and procrastination. Now, prepare yourselves, for the plot thickens. One last challenge: I am cast but not caught, chased but not sought. I follow you everywhere, in darkness and light. What am I?”

"This is a tough one." Kiyo commented narrowing her eyes and her brow furrowed as she mused over the riddle. "The most simplest answer is a Shadow. That is the only answer I can give. I don't know if that is right though." looking at Dennis. "Maybe you can give a shot in answering that one." Kiyo having a rather worried expression in her gaze.

“I can’t think of a better answer.” Dennis said after a few seconds if thought. “I would say shadow as well.”

The PADDs screen lit up with a bright flash. The holo image came to life once more. ”Congratulations! Your minds have proven as agile as any Starfleet officer's should be. You are indeed worthy of the Quantum Key. To reveal its location, heed this final verse:

In wisdom's hall where thinkers rest,
An ancient sage guards knowledge best.
Seek the gaze that never blinks,
In the eye of stone where wisdom drinks.
There you'll find the hidden prize,
The Quantum Key before your eyes."

Kiyo stared at the hologram image of Jackson Porter, with disbelief then turned to Dennis, "And here I thought last riddle was a tough one." She breathed in some air, held it in her cheeks going round, then let it out with a puff, as she went over the final riddle in her mind. "There is his book called the Quantum Key but would it be this easy to answer? I do have that book in my quarters, also he was to give a reading of said book. The one I wanted to get autographed. Um... Wisdoms Hall where thinkers rest. that sounds like a library, we are here in a library. So we need to go look through this setup, and find the Ancient Sage. What do you think Dennis? Looks like we're now going on a treasure hunt here."

Dennis rubbed his chin thoughtfully, his eyes narrowing as he considered the riddle. "You're right, Kiyo. It should be somewhere in this library. But 'an ancient sage'... maybe it's a statue or a portrait of a famous philosopher or scholar? And 'the gaze that never blinks'—that has to be something with eyes that are always open. A statue, definitely."

Kiyo held out her hand towards Dennis, "Okay, you lead I will follow.." her fingers intertwining with his and giving a gentle squeeze. Her heart was now beating quickly, filled with excitement not only due to them solving a mystery and also, holding his hand.

“Let’s go then.” Dennis sported a boyish smile while looking at Kiyo. It was more than a pleasant surprise to feel her hand in his. “I might be wrong, but I think I saw a rather large statue on one of the upper levels of this library.”

A little squeal from Kiyo a happy smile as she went with Dennis to their next objective. "I feel quite relieved you are here with me."

“And I’m happy you chose to experience this holo novel with me.” He squeezed her hand slightly after which he led Kiyo up a grand, winding staircase to the first level of the old library. The air was filled with the musty scent of ancient books. As they ascended, the vast collection of knowledge housed within the towering shelves seemed to whisper secrets of times long past.

At the top of the stairs, they entered a spacious, dimly lit gallery. Shadows danced along the walls, cast by the flickering light of antique chandeliers. In the center of the room stood a towering statue, its presence commanding and serene.

"There it is," Dennis said, pointing towards the statue. It depicted a tall, robed figure with an expression of calm wisdom. “You know,-“ he said while he looked at the face of the person carved out of pitch black stone, “I think this is Surak.”

Silently filled with awe, Kiyo stared at the statue, her eyes being drawn upwards towards its face. "Sarak. He was said to be someone who was rather wise." the area echoing with her softly spoken words. "Dennis do you see anything?" craning her neck and moving forward to get a closer look.

“The holo image talked about the eye of stone.” Dennis walked backwards while keeping his eyes on both eyes of the statue. “Maybe it’s in one of the eyes.” He walked back as far as he could, but didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. “Nothing. If it’s there then one of us has to climb the statue.”

Kiyo looked at the statue then at Dennis. "I can climb it but you're going to have to help me. Shall we? I can get on your shoulder or you can give me a boost. Or both" taking her shoes off not wanting to get Dennis all dirty. "I've never scaled a statue before, and I can put this as a first." giving a nervous chuckle.

Dennis chuckled softly at Kiyo’s enthusiasm, appreciating her adventurous spirit. "Well, I’ve never scaled a statue either, so this will be a first for both of us," he said, grinning. He stepped closer to the statue, eyeing its surface to figure out the best way to help her up.

"Okay, let’s do this," he continued, turning to face her. "I’ll give you a boost, and if you need it, you can climb onto my shoulders. But if things get tricky, let’s not push our luck. I don’t want either of us getting hurt."

He knelt down slightly, readying himself to lift her. "Just hold on tight, and I’ll make sure you get up there safely. And don’t worry about me getting dirty—I’ve been through worse," he added with a playful wink.

Pausing for a moment as she regarded Dennis, then Kiyo
quickly gave him a kiss on the cheek before she carefully got onto his back. Balancing herself "Okay lets get this done." feeling slightly wobbly then steadied herself.

Dennis froze for a brief moment, completely caught off guard by the unexpected kiss on his cheek. His heart skipped a beat, and warmth spread across his face. It wasn’t just the kiss—it was the fact that Kiyo had kissed him.

Recovering quickly, he flashed her a boyish grin, trying to mask the flutter of excitement that surged through him. "Well, that was a nice surprise," he said, his tone light and teasing, though his eyes held a softness that revealed his true feelings.

As Kiyo carefully climbed onto his back, Dennis braced himself, making sure he was steady and balanced. He felt her wobble slightly when she tried to stand, so he kept his stance firm. "I’ve got you," he assured her, his voice calm and steady. "Take your time."

With Kiyo now balanced on his back, Dennis focused on keeping steady, his mind still replaying the unexpected kiss. He couldn’t help but hope this was just the beginning of more surprises to come.

Kiyo could feel her cheeks heat up when she heard his comment. Now though, there was a task she needed to concentrate on. "Thank you." With the help of Dennis, Kiyo pulled herself up and found herself eye to eye with the statue of Sarak, it was an odd sensation for her to be staring into his eyes. "Okay I am looking into the eyes of the statue. I don't quite know how I feel about this, almost like having a staring contest where the end result would be the statue winning. Miser Jackson Porter is most assuredly a man of mystery here."

“Can you see something in one of the eyes? Or feel something with your hands?” Dennis asked curiously. “If it’s not there then I don’t know where it should be.”

"I'll do so, I don't know why its giving me shivers in doing so but, I'll do it." Kiyo runs her fingers along the features of the statue, then explores the eyes. She felt a little shock giving out a gasp as one of the unblinking eyes seemed to come alive. "Uh, Dennis? I think I did something, and the right eye is glowing. There is something there!" as a strange bluish symbol floated out of the eye Kiyo just staring at it, then she held out her hand and it settled down into the palm of her hand. "Oh oh okay, uh Dennis, I'm climbing down" she maneuvering then she lost her balance still hanging onto said object, giving out a scream as she fell, landing on Dennis sending him tumbling to the floor, with her on top of him.

Dennis barely had time to react before Kiyo screamed and fell, sending them both crashing to the floor with a thud. He found himself lying on his back with Kiyo sprawled across his chest, her breath coming in quick gasps as she clutched the glowing symbol. The shock of the fall reverberated through him, but he quickly shifted his focus to her, concerned more for her well-being than his own.

He groaned, more out of surprise than pain, and blinked up at Kiyo, who was sprawled across his chest, still clutching the glowing symbol. “Well, that’s one way to make a discovery,” he said with a breathless laugh, trying to make light of the situation despite the rapid thudding of his heart.

He met her eyes, the adrenaline from the fall mixing with the lingering effects of their earlier exchange. “You okay?” he asked, concern in his voice as he gently reached up to brush a strand of hair out of her face. “That was quite the landing.”

His gaze shifted to the glowing symbol in her hand, a mix of awe and curiosity in his expression. “Looks like you really did find something,” he added, a note of wonder in his voice. “Is that.. Is that the Quantum Key?”

Catching her breath, she glanced over at the item in her hand, then back to him. "We both found the Quantum Key." her voice filled with awe, then she kissed him. "Thanks to you we were able to find it." another kiss then eyes widened. "oh my!"She rolled off of him, still holding the Quantum Key. "I am alright. Are you?"

Dennis blinked in surprise, his heart racing as Kiyo’s lips met his not once, but twice. The rush of emotions from the sudden kisses mingled with the awe of what they’d just uncovered. For a moment, he could only stare at her, a stunned yet elated smile spreading across his face.

“The Quantum Key,” he repeated, his voice soft with amazement, glancing at the glowing symbol in her hand. “We really did it.” He sat up slowly as she rolled off him, still trying to process everything that had just happened—both the discovery and the unexpected affection.

“I’m okay,” he assured her, catching her gaze, his smile growing wider. “Better than okay, actually.” He looked between her and the Quantum Key, the weight of their shared moment sinking in. “We make a pretty good team, don’t we?”

He stood up and offered her a hand, helping her to her feet as the holographic library around them flickered slightly, signaling the story’s end. “Looks like we’ve reached the end of this adventure.”

As the Holodeck program faded and the simulated library dissolved into nothingness, Dennis expected the Quantum Key to vanish along with it. But when he glanced down at Kiyo’s hand, his eyes widened in disbelief. The Quantum Key was still there, glowing faintly in her palm, as solid and real as ever. "Wait... that’s not supposed to happen," Dennis muttered, his voice filled with surprise. He looked at Kiyo, then back at the shimmering object, the reality of it sinking in. "It’s real. The Quantum Key... it didn’t disappear." His mind raced, wondering how something from a simulation could exist in the real world, and what that meant for them both.

A nod from Kiyo, as she held his hand and gazed at the Quantum Key in her other. " Lets get this to Captain Letsul. She will need this." a tug from her and they stepped out of the Holodeck, Kiyo said quietly, "this was an end to the mystery, led by the ghost of Jackson Porter. " giving Dennis an embrace as it was the end, for Jackson Porter's chapter but maybe the beginning of a new chapter in both Dennis and Kiyo's lives.

END

Ensign Dennis Pearson
Operations officer
Poseidon station

Ensign Rugasi Kiyo
Diplomatic Aide
Poseidon Station

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