An Image Of The Past (Tess)

[Rayek trLhoell]

Fabiano Moreno
[Ba'ku - Hillside outside the Village - Year 2376]

Following the children up the mountainside, Fabiano observed their interactions.  Rahul obviously had a soft spot for his sister.  The young man took his responsibility to care for her quite seriously, yet would more often than not give in to her whims.  When Tess handed over individual flowers for Rahul to hold, rather than tell her no, the boy sighed yet obligingly held the flower.   Soon Rahul had an entire bouquet.

However if Fabiano thought he was in the clear on this flower pick expedition, he was sorely mistaken.  Fabiano quickly came to the realization that Tess had both of them at her beck and call  - holding flowers and listening to her animated conversation.

By the time they arrived at the spot nearly that had Tess' specific flower, nearly an hour later,  Fabiano had a bouquet of his own.  When Tess called out that she'd found them, Fabiano headed over to take a look.  The flower was iridescent, the likes of which were rare on Earth - changing colors with his position and the ambient light.

He carefully set down the bouquet that he had over the course of the hour long walk been handed, and drew out his note book and colored stylus to sketch out the flower for his own notes.  A tricorder would have done a better job of capturing the details of the plant.  It could have even assigned it a scientific name based on it's genetic make-up... assuming it didn't already have one from when the scientific team was still in operation.

Fabiano enjoyed sketching and was fairly good at it.  When he was done he showed it to Tess.

"What do you think?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rahul Skuyanhjin (16 years old)
[Ba'ku - Hillside outside the Village - Year 2376]

Rahul watched his sister as she showed the Starfleet officer the pearlescent flower. She took such delight in the simplest of things.  It reminded him of his mother.  She too used to love walks up the mountain to pick flowers for the dinner table. Rahul when he was younger... about Tess' age... would often go with their mother.  At the time his interest had been in all the different insects he could find, rather than the flowers.

While Tess and his unwelcome guest were looking at and drawing flowers, Rahul set his own bouquet down -  how was it that Tess managed to get him to carry that thing for her? -  and decided to test his memory on all the types of insects.

The flowers were a great source for several types of insects.. the pollinators mainly - like this innocent and completely beneficial nectar fly.

As opposed to the more dangerous and aggressive arachnids of the area.

[Tess tLhoell]

Tess Skuyanhjin (7 years old)
[Ba'ku - Village - Hillside - Year 2376]

Tess watched with the biggest of interest while Fabiano worked on his drawing, now and then pushing a few strands of her out of her face when the wind blew through the locks of her long hair and commenting enthusiastically on how well he drew the flower. When Moreno asked her how she found it she beamed up at him with childish excitement over something trivial like a drawing. "That's the prettiest drawing in the world!", she beamed, then tilted her head again to take another look at it. "Pretty drawing of pretty flower! Do you find it pretty?" She asked him curiously. "I know they are quite hard to find but I always look for them around the trees, I find them there often!"

She glanced over to where her brother was - quite far away from them. Despite her young age she sensed that her brother was different recently, but she couldn't imagine why that would be. To her life was now even more magical and fuller of questions and mysteries than ever before. It was thrilling.

Then her attention was drawn away from Rahul when she spotted something orange in the grass right next to Fabiano and herself. Her eyes went wide with excitement as she crouched down in front of a culm.

"Look at that Rahul!", she called out, knowing her brother was interested in such crawlies. She watched it as it slowly crawled it's way up and Tess started to giggle helplessly. "It looks so fluffy" She reached her hand out to try and touch it, unaware of what that even was.

[Rayek trLhoell]

Fabiano Moreno
[Ba'ku - Hillside outside the Village - Year 2376]

Following the children up the mountainside, Fabiano observed their interactions.  Rahul obviously had a soft spot for his sister.  The boy... young man... was protective of her and of his younger brother too.

Fabiano hadn't had seen much of the youngest child during his time with the family because Benjin was often in the care of his nanny/wet nurse during the day and only was brought home  in the evening when Ishto returned - which should be anytime now judging by the position of the sun in the sky.  The sun's position was not quite in the same position as it was back on Earth but close enough to still have the light scattering at similiar angles so the afternoon sky was blue.

Later the sunset would be hues of purple and lavender. Fabiano liked sunsets here.

After showing Tess his drawing he was pleased that she liked it.  "I also find it very pretty." Fabiano commented  "If you like it I will give it to you after I take a picture of it back at the house with my PADD. It can be keepsake to remember me by."

At this time, Fabiano didn't expect to be remaining on Ba'ku for long...  a week?  two maybe?  a month max.  Little did he know.

He wasn't sure if Tess heard his offer because it seemed like her entire attention was on a brightly colored fuzzy caterpillar that was close to him.  He smiled when she called out to Rahul to take a look.  He'd rather be shown flowers over bugs, anyday!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rahul Skuyanhjin (16 years old)
[Ba'ku - Hillside outside the Village - Year 2376]

Tess' call drew his attention and Rahul came over at her prompting though he moved almost reluctantly so.   He hadn't missed the man's comment about his using technology back when they got home.  It bothered him that his father allowed such in the house, especially around Tess.  She was much too curious about such things.  He'd heard her questioning the teacher earlier today ... asking about what happened to the ships that had once brought the Ba'ku to this planet centuries ago.

Looking at the single larva - that's what caterpillars were the larval stage of the insect - he found the color pattern and distinct hair tufts very intriguing.

"I think that's a Yellow Queen."

From his pack, in which he had packed water and snacks for Tess, he also retrieved a hide-bound book.  He opened the book carefully the parchment being very precious and turned the pages until he found the one he was looking for.

Reading from the book while he showed the hand-drawn picture of the adult butterfly to Tess, Rahul described it's lifecycle to his sister.  He found it all so fascinating.

[Tess tLhoell]

Tess Skuyanhjin (7 years old)
[Ba'ku - Village - Hillside - Year 2376]

Tess was excited to hear he would use his PADD later. She desperately wanted to see that thing. When he then said she could keep the picture to be keepsake to remember him by a frown showed on the little girl's face. The thought he would be leaving again didn't come to her mind. She thought he was going to stay with them forever.

But before she could phrase any of these emotions out loud she was distracted by the special caterpillar and soon Rahul joined them. Tess stretched her little neck to take a look at the picture in the book - it was old and precious - and then listened to what Rahul read to her about the butterly that caterpillar would become someday.

When Rahul finished Tess she started to wander around the tree a bit while she listened, curious what other flowers or insects she would find. She didn't pay attention how far she moved away in the process, following a butterfly that fluttered by, stopping now and then when she found something else interesting. Along the way she picked new flowers for Rahul and Fabiano to carry for her.

She was a good distance off though still within sight when she reached a group of trees with a bush growing next to it, carrying bright orange berries.

Tess picked one and looked at it curiously. The sound of someone quickly moving through the foliage quite close to her made her look up and she spotted a figure running off, his back to her, the stranger disappearing deeper into the woods. Tess froze for a moment as she stared after the individual, unsure what was happening. Although the person moved to walk away from her, Tess turned her head to shoot a slightly fearful glance back at her brother - good, she could still see him. But did he see that too what she saw?

[Rayek trLhoell]

Rahul Skuyanhjin (16 years old)
[Ba'ku - Hillside outside the Village - Year 2376]

Rahul, his focus on his reading since he did find the information interesting, didn't pay close attention to his sister as she began to wander around the trees.  It was only as he came to the end of the page that he glanced up from the book and noted with a moment of alarm that Tess wasn't in the immediate vicinity.   Fabiano was present his attention on yet another drawing he was making.  So Tess wasn't with him...

[color=dodger blue]"Tess?"[/color] he called out for her.

Even as he did so movement caught his eye.  There she was!  In eyesight, but barely.  She'd definitely gone too far for his liking.   Especially when her glance towards him seemed a bit scared.

Rahul dropped the book he'd been reading and hurried to meet up with his younger sister. "Tess? Are you okay?"  She'd looked frightened before which spurred him to run.  "I'm coming.  What's wrong?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fabiano Moreno
[Ba'ku - Hillside outside the Village - Year 2376]

Rahul's concerned call for Tess pulled Fabiano from his art.  He saw the teenage boy bolt off into the trees.  It took a second for Fabiano to spot Tess along the path Rahul was headed to.   Jogging to catch up, Fabiano also headed over to where Tess was.  "Hey kiddo,  what's up?" he asked as he got near.

[Tess tLhoell]

Tess Skuyanhjin (7 years old)
[Ba'ku - Village - Hillside - Year 2376]

Sensing her brother's alarm, Tess got even more scared because she thought something really was wrong. She ran the last bit of the way towards him. It might not have been anything dangerous at all but a figure in the woods suddenly showing up and the strange behaviour of running away made Tess feel uneasy.

"I don't know", she said clearly insecure and pressed herself to Rahul. "Suddenly there was a man ... " She trailed off, not sure how to describe why she was scared. "He startled me. Why did he run away?", she asked in a small voice as she looked up at her brother, still living with the deep-rooted confidence that her big brother would have all the answers. "Was he one of the ... So-..na?" She wasn't sure if she got the name right. She saw them once the day the Starfleeters saved them and she found them scary as hell.

[Rayek trLhoell]

Rahul Skuyanhjin (16 years old)
[Ba'ku - Hillside outside the Village - Year 2376]

Rahul met his sister halfway and took hold of her shoulders protectively as he looked her over.  She didn't seem hurt.  It took her a moment to reply to his question and while doing so she pressed closer to him until he realized she needed a hug from him -she was that shaken up.  He knelt down and opened his arms to her, wrapping her in a protective, brotherly hug.

Her mention of a man up here in the mountains who ran away, caused a frown.  Tess, even with her young age, wasn't given to making things up out of mischief.  If she said she saw someone run away, then he believed her.  Her suggestion that it could be one of the So'na wasn't all the far fetched.

Rahul didn't know all the politics behind what went on earlier but he had been told some of the Starfleet personnel had been working with the So'na.

Rahul cast a distrustful glance back towards their house guest.

"I don't know Tess, but who ever it was obviously didn't want to be seen by you. We should head back and tell Father.  He'll send up others to check it out."

Rahul gently released his hug and stood up offering his hand out to his sister.  "Come on, Tess.  Let's gather up your flowers and my book."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fabiano Moreno
[Ba'ku - Hillside outside the Village - Year 2376]

Overhearing the children, Fabiano walked passed them on their way towards where Rahul had dropped his book.  "Don't wait for me, I'll catch up." he told Rahul in passing.  He then jogged over to where he'd last seen Tess and searched about a bit farther looking for signs and tracks in the mountain field.  He wished he had his tricorder.  Determining if the fleeing man was a rogue So'na somehow still left on the planet would be so much easier with 24th century technology. But without it, Fabiano had to play detective.  Good thing he was a scientist.  He prided himself on his observation skills, alertness and attention to fine details.

It didn't take him long to find proof of Tess' claims... recent footprints in the dirt - much too large to be any child's and not at all like the small dainty prints of their adult teacher which he could recall following along the path up here.  He could only follow the trail a short distance before the ground became too rocky to make out more.  A tricorder could have followed but not his basic field training.  It was time to head back and retrieve his hidden tricorder from his room and come out later - after ensuring the children were safe back at the village.

True to his word, Fabiano hurried to catch up with the children.

[Tess tLhoell]

Tess Skuyanhjin (7 years old)
[Ba'ku - Village - Hillside - Year 2376]

Tess fell into her brother's arms without hesitation, staying leaned against him as they spoke. In his embrace she didn't feel scared anymore. When Rahul suggested to go home, Tess nodded and slowly pushed away from Rahul to take the offered hand and walked beside him. Then she noticed that she still had some of the orange berries in her other hand. That was when Fabiano caught up with them.

"Do you want some berries?", she asked Fabiano as they headed back to where they have left the flowers and the book. "I found them over there." She motioned behind herself.

"Have you seen the man too?", she asked Fabiano when they reached the spot Tess had shown him her favorite flower. It was now more curiosity than fear as she asked. It was amazing how fear faded quickly from children when they were with people they trusted and felt safe with. Tess ran about, gathering the flowers she had given Rahul and Fabiano before and then gave them back to them so they could carry them for her and Tess could pick more flowers on their way back home.

[Rayek trLhoell]

Fabiano Moreno
[Ba'ku - Hillside outside the Village - Year 2376]

Fabiano smiled at Tess' offer of the berries.  "Why thank you! They look like Cloudberries, which are native on my home planet, Earth.  I'll bring them back to the house and check them over to be sure they are safe for me to eat.  You know to do that too, correct?  You never eat anything growing in the wild before checking with your Father first to be sure it's safe."  He made sure he caught her eye to show that his words were serious.

At her more curious than fearful question about the man, Fabiano shook his head.  "No Tess, I didn't see him but I did see his footprints so it wasn't your imagination.  Probably it was just someone from the village.  But it's getting late and will be dark before long so we should head back."

He looked to Rahul.  "You'll lead her down. I'll follow behind." He would make sure that whoever had run away wasn't going to attack from behind on their way back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rahul Skuyanhjin (16 years old)
[Ba'ku - Hillside outside the Village - Year 2376]

Rahul glanced over to Tess when she offered a handful sunberries to the Starfleet officer.  "Those are sunberries.  It's okay, Tess, they are safe to eat.  Delicious too.  Mother used to make pies from them." he added with a reminiscent smile.

As he gathered up his book and the many flowers Tess had handed him during their outing, he glanced over at Fabiano a bit troubled.  He didn't like that the man felt it was his place to tell his sister what she should or shouldn't do.  Yeah, sure Fabiano was an adult but, he was also a stranger - to not just their family but their planet.  The man didn't even know about sunberries!

With book and flowers in hand, Rahul held out his free hand back out to Tess, even has the Starfleet man tried to order him now too.

"Do whatever you like, I'll get Tess home with or without you." It was a bit rude but the man's assumption that Rahul would follow his orders rubbed him the wrong way.

[Tess tLhoell]

Tess Skuyanhjin (7 years old)
[Ba'ku - Village - Hillside - Year 2376]

Tess beamed when Fabiano seemed to be delighted by her gift of the berries. She listened with curiosity as he told her about the counterparts on Earth. "Cloudberries? What do they look like? Are they orange too? Do you have orange clouds on Earth?", she asked excited.

Rahul then clarified what those berries in her hand were. When he told her they were safe to eat she popped one in her mouth without hestitation or doubts her brother could be wrong. "Hmmm!", she exclaimed at the very sweet and slightly sour taste. The information that their mother had used to make pies out of them was something she saved in her memory ... and she would remember that even when she was grown up. Tess had been very young when their mother had died so she always loved to learn things about her or hear her brother or her father tell stories about her.

Tess noticed the slight tightening of her brothers grip around her hand as he walked with her as he told Fabiano he didn't care what he was doing. Casting a brief glance back at Fabiano Tess walked along with Rahul down the hill and towards the village as the sun began to set at the horizon.

[Rayek trLhoell]

Fabiano Moreno
[Ba'ku - Hillside outside the Village - Year 2376]

Fabiano looked on in concern as the little girl happily munched on the berries that her brother claimed were safe to eat.  It wasn't that he thought Rahul would ever wish to harm his sister but from his experience some berries looked alike and without a proper scanner to tell toxic ones from good ones he worried that Tess might have eaten the wrong kind.

He would have to be certain he checked Tess over thoroughly when they got back to the house.

[Ba'ku - Village - Skuyanhjin home - Year 2376]
The sunset was beginning to set as the trio arrived back at the village and back to the Skuyanhjin home.  He was relieved to see that Ishto was back from his late work.  He had with him Benjin, the youngest of the Skuyanhjin.  The child was barely a year old, but had the same startling blue eyes that were noted in all the others.

Ishto.             Benjin

"Ishto, I'm glad you are here.  I'd like your permission to do a quick scan of your daughter. While on our hike, she ate some bright orange berries before I could be sure they were safe. My scanner would be able check her physiology to be sure that nothing she ate was toxic to her.  Will you permit this?"

Ishto looked towards his oldest son with a look of surprise, that he might let Tess eat something dangerous.

"They were just sunberries! The interloper just wants an excuse to use his stupid tech!" Rahul snapped, seeing the uncertain look his father wore.  He turned on Fabiano.  "Show him the berries you kept! He can identify the berries just as easily as I.  And we don't need no machine to tell us it's safe!"

"Rahul! Your behaviour is rude! Go to your room and think on how we treat guests in this house! Now!" Ishto was angry.  He didn't like his oldest being so confrontational to their guest.

Rahul stormed away, leaving Tess with the adults.

Fabiano retrieved from his pocket a couple now half-squished berries. "These are what she ate.  I'd still feel better if I could check... know for myself that they are safe."

Ishto considered the officer before him a moment before nodding.  "Then bring out your machine and check.  I would not have you worry, if there is a means to assure you that she is indeed fine.  But my son is correct those are sunberries and are perfectly edible."

At the permission given, Fabiano nodded thankfully and left to go fetch his scanner from his room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rahul Skuyanhjin (16 years old)
[Ba'ku - Village - Skuyanhjin home - Rahul's room - Year 2376]

Rahul entered his room and slammed his door with such force that the clay pot that he'd crafted last summer jostled on its shelf and nearly toppled to the ground.

"Like as if I don't know what a sunberry looks like.  He never trusts me!" the teenager vented pacing the room like a caged animal.

Rahul's angry grumblings continued on like this for a long while.

[Tess tLhoell]

Tess Skuyanhjin (7 years old)
[Ba'ku - Village - Skuyanhjin home - Year 2376]

Coming home Tess stormed to her father and hugged him happily. "We went hiking and I picked flowers! And we saw an orange fluffy worm, Rahul said it will be a butterfly someday! And there was a man up in the hills, he startled me at first, but then he ran away", Tess chattered to her father, then she ran to Rahul and Fabiano to get the flowers she picked. She knew they needed water so little Tess went to get a vase out of the cabinet - one she could reach - filled it with water and put the flowers in there.

While she did that Rahul, Fabiano and her father were talking. Suddenly the atmosphere changed and Rahul raised his voice. He sounded annoyed. He became always so angry about the tech stuff. Tess glanced over to them while her father told Rahul to go to his room. Her dad was angry, Tess could tell.

Tess looked after her brother who stormed out of the room. A moment later there was a loud bang when Rahul slammed the door shut with force. Baby Benjin, who was sitting on the floor, looked around unimpressed and then went to pull himself up to his feet on the sofa. He stood for a moment, knees wobbling, then he landed on his bum again. Making a confused noise he rolled over to crawl on hands and feet to his favourite toy that lay near Ishto's feet.
Tess chuckled as she observed her brother. She was about to go and play with him when she picked up on their visitor and her father speaking about Fabiano using his machine.

"Can I watch, pa?!", she squealed and bounced excitedly around him.

[Rayek trLhoell]

Fabiano Moreno
[Ba'ku - Village - Skuyanhjin home - Year 2376]

It didn't take Fabiano long to retrieve the scanner from its hiding spot.  Yet even as he did so he could hear Tess' young voice excitedly asking her 'Pa' to be allowed to watch.  Fabiano knew that many on Ba'ku were distrustful of technology - preferring a less computerized way of life.  Which is why he'd had to ask permission to even have access to the scanner while among the Ba'ku.  It's usage was meant for 'Emergency only'.   Fabiano personally thought that ensuring the safety of a child could be considered an 'emergency'.

As he retrieved the unit, he heard Ishto comment back that 'yes she could not only watch... but would likely be the subject on which the technology was used so she had to behave and listen to what Mr. Moreno told her.  Her squeal of delight was almost ear-splitting but was tamped down almost immediately.

Fabiano could imagine her father giving the little girl a significant look, like as if to say...  'What did I just say about behaving?'   The science officer returned to the main room moments later where Ishto was guiding the hyper little girl to sit down on the couch, while at the same time  gathering up his youngest.  A moment later the three were seated on the couch facing Fabiano.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rahul Skuyanhjin (16 years old)
[Ba'ku - Village - Skuyanhjin home - Rahul's room - Year 2376]

Rahul was glaring at the bedroom door... half hoping his father would come in to apologize, when he heard Tess' squeal.  Despite it's happy sound, Rahul was off his bed and pulling open the door a moment later, just in time to see the starfleet officer leave the guest room with a computerized box in hand.  What?!  Quietly he followed behind and peeked around towards the main room to see what was going on.

[Tess tLhoell]

Tess Skuyanhjin (7 years old)
[Ba'ku - Village - Skuyanhjin home - Year 2376]

When her father ushered her to the sofa Tess sat down but barely was able to sit still. She slid to the edge of the sofa, slid off, stood and then hopped on the sofa to sit back down - she was a bundle of excitement as she watched Fabiano returning with with his machine.

He eyes were glued to the thing. "What is that? What does this thing do?", she asked excitedly, pushing a few strands of her out of her face. "Pa said you're gonna using this on me? Will I become invisible like the star people?" She meant Starfleet but for her it was just 'star people'. The personnel had worn suits to make them invisible so they could move about the village without to be seen by the Ba'ku. Tess had witnessed Cmdr. Data 'decloaking' himself in the middle of the village and shooting on the rock that eventually revealed the hidden cultural research facility of the Federation. Seeing a single head appearing, hovering in the air, had been scaring her. Her brother had tried to make her go into the house, but Tess had not been listening to him.
Once she had found out that the 'star people' were nice she had been quite fascinated by them and their technology.

Benjin wriggled slightly in his father's arms. He wanted to play with his toy which still lay on the floor. He started to whine a little bit but was distracted by his sister's excitement and his attention turned to the odd looking box the man had in hand.

[Rayek trLhoell]

Fabiano Moreno
[Ba'ku - Village - Skuyanhjin home - Year 2376]

Fabiano smiled at Tess' excitable questions.  He looked to Ishto to be sure it was okay for him to answer.  The father nodded silently, as he set down his son so that Benjin could go to distant toy.

Fabiano crouched down in front of Tess to answer her questions in a quiet calm tone, hoping it might settle her some.  "Well, Tess this is called a tricorder.  Right now I have it set to medical mode.  With this machine I will scan you for all the various medical information it can collect.  No, it will not turn you invisible.  All this does is gather information.  You know how a symptom of someone being sick is a fever, yes?  Well, this can check your temperature at a distance."

Fabiano tried to explain the function of a medical tricorder in simple terms.

"I'm worried that the berries you ate might not have been safe and this will help be check you for any symptoms of an upset tummy."  He smiled at her then held up the tricorders sensor probe.  "May I?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rahul Skuyanhjin (16 years old)
[Ba'ku - Village - Skuyanhjin home - Rahul's room - Year 2376]

Peeking around the corner, Rahul saw his father and Tess seated on the sofa.  The Federation officer was crouched in front of Tess speaking quietly.  But what caught his attention most was that the officer had the machine he's spied earlier in one hand while his other hand held some smaller part that the man was pointing towards Tess.

"What's going on here?  Father!?  What's he doing to Tess?"