Meeting an Uncle?

Posted on Sat Apr 6th, 2024 @ 4:33pm by Lieutenant Sineade Darnel

2,033 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Ghost Hunting Season
Location: Holodeck

**=/\\=Begin Joint Log=/\\=**
*Meeting an Uncle?*
**Cdr Sineande Darnell and Ens. Soan th'Hanera (NPC Guest Commodore Holden)**

Sineade walked down the corridor pushing the triplets in their hover-stroller. She stopped in front of the holodeck and pulled up the program Flower had left for her. "Computer begin Darnell-Soan1." The computer responded, "Holoprogram has initiated." She turned to the doors and they opened, she pushed the stroller into the holodeck, and smiled.

Standing inside, leaning agaist a tree, was the holographic image of Soan th'Hanera, a cadet promoted to ensign post-humously. He was wearing the simple loin cloth that fell to just above his knees.
Soan pushed off the tree, and walked toward Sineade and the triplets. "What have we here," he asked, a smile on his face and looking into the hover-stroller.

Sineade smiled, "Hello Soan, these are your unofficial nieces. The one with the pink skin is Thorasa Rosemary, the one in the middle is Thosso Cornflower, and this little one is Tholel Bluebell. I thought it was about time they met their Uncle."

A look of surprise came across the Andorian's face. "Uncle, eh?" he questioned. "I'm honored, but what do you suppose they will think, later on, when the only time they can see their, favorite, uncle is on the holodeck?"

Sineade chuckled, "Favorite huh? You might have to fight Sean for that honor. " She looked down at the triplets and shrugged, "Well, it will be better to only seeing their grandparents on a small communications screen. They can interact with you and learn from you as they grow."

"Correction," Soan put in, "Sean will have to fight me, for that honor." He left the statement there, and simply looked at the girls. "I would ask to hold them, but... Number one, I've never held a real live baby, before, and... Two, I wouldn't know which one to pick up first."

Sineade smiled, "I know that feeling sometimes." She reached into the stroller and lifted Tholel out and held her nestled in the crook of her arm, supporting her head. "This is one way to hold them. " She looked at Soan and slightly lifted Tholel towards him. She gave him a quick glance up and down and chuckled, "You know I can modify the program to allow you to choose different attire if you wish."

The holographic Andorian stood up. He extended his arms to take the baby. The exchange, between Sineade and Soan, was a bit awkward, but Soan finally tucked the child into his arms, as he had seen Sineade do.

"My attire is, entirely, up to you," he replied, not taking his eyes off the baby. "Uzaveh the Infinite, but she is beautiful. Is this all she does? Sleep?"

Sineade smiled, "No, She tends to cry and mess her diapers a lot too. They all do." Sineade picked up Thorao Rosemary next, "And they are becoming more interested in their surroundings. I think they are starting to... well not exactly crawl, but scooch around." She Placed the baby on her tummy on the ground. Then she lifted Thosso and placed her down as well. "While I think you look quite handsome in what you are wearing, I thought giving you the choice would be nice."

Soan set the baby, he was holding, on her stomach next to the other two. He watched them for a moment, then looked to Sineade. "I am comfortable with whatever," he replied. He then looked down his torso, and held his hands out at his sides. "How would I even change?"

Sineade Thought about that a moment, "Well, I can program several different clothing options. Writing the subroutine to allow you to select from the list. Might take me a bit to figure it out, but I am pretty sure I can." She watched the triplets as they began to pull themselves forward, their little antennae swiveling all around. Sineade frowned slightly, whishing she knew what that meant. "can give you Jeans, t-shirts, swim trunks, shorts, polo shirt, tank top, uniform, and of course your current attire," she said distractedly.
She looked up at Soan, "why do they move their Antennae like that?"

He looked at Sineade, his own atennae swiveling about, easily. "Our antennae have nasty little habits of showing our emotions. If they are swiveling, easily, like that, we are usually pretty content. If they bend forward, slightly, it is showing curiosity. You will know when they are angry, as well. We can also sense some of our environment, with them, but we are not telepathic."

Sineade breathed a sigh of relief, "I know Tholan's were quite sensitive." She blushed at the memories of what had transpired. "I bet when they are straight up is when you are mad. I've seen them doing that a few times."

Soan nodded. "Yes, that is correct. Flower could have told you that, as she has seen... that side of me a time or two."

Sineade smiled, "Flower mostly spoke of how much she cared about you, and how you helped her through the academy. I hope you are okay with me asking about Andorians and their physiology. With out Tholan here, I have no idea if some things they do are normal or not, so you are the only one I can come to.

"Of course, I do not mind," th'Hanera replied as if what she said was the most ridiculous thing. "You are Flower's friend, and that makes you, my friend."

Sineade smiled, "You don't know how glad that makes me, Soan. I really wish I could have known you back at the academy. Unfortunately, I was on the Mars location." She looked down at the girls and chuckled as she watched Tholel pull herself right on top of Thorao and try to give her baby kisses on the top of her head.

Soan, also, glanced down to the girls. "Tholel looks like she's hungry. She's trying to eat her sister."

She laughed at Soan's comment, "It does look that way, doesn't it. But that her way of giving a kiss. Baby kisses are very messy at this age." Sineade sat down next to the girls and pulled Tholel off and placed her back on her tummy next to her sisters. "What I find really interesting is that they seemed to be doing things sooner than human babies can do them. Sometimes that scares me."

Soan sat down, as well. He sat cross-legged, and picked Thorao up. He cradled her, as he had been shown before. "IT does not surprise me," he simply said to Sineade. "It is well known hybrid children tend to outperform pure-blood offspring at many levels.." He looked to the engineer. "I'm sure you will be keeping an extra-careful eye on them as they grow."

She smiled at Soan, "As much as I possibly can. If there is a way to watch them, I will find it. Maybe that will make me an overprotective mother, but I am all they have. Well , they do have Sean. And maybe Tholan, if something happens to me."

The hologram nodded. He glanced down at the baby, wiggling, in his arm, and brought his finger to her belly, lightly tickling her. She giggled. Soan looked back to Sineade, wonder in his eyes. "She laughed. That was so cute."

Chuckling herself as she nodded, "I do love the sound of a baby's laugh. I could listen to that for hours. Sadly, they tend to cry more often. When they are hungry, or have a dirty diaper, or gas, or just because they want to be picked up."

Soan's anttenae swiveld, lightly, then bent forward, slightly. "How can you tell what they want, then?"

Sineade smiled a little, "It's sort of a learning experience. I've learned they have a slightly different cry for each of those. With Gas their legs also tend to be pulled up tight." She looked down over her two little girls still on the ground, "Although there are times when I've done everything I can think of, and they are still crying."

"Maybe, sometimes they just need to cry," Soan suggested.

She gave a little huff and looked at Soan, "Sometimes I feel like that too. So maybe you are right."

Soan gave her a grin. His antennae swiveled quickly. "Now, you're talking," he teased, playfully. He took on a slightly more serious look. "Sometimes life is just like that. I can remember times, on Andoria, when I felt that way, so it happens to us all."

Sineade looked over at Soan, "And there another subject I really know nothing about. Not even sure how to tell the girls about their father's home world."

"Well, one thing, you can tell them, is it is a giant ice ball," he quipped. "But, seriously, I'm sure there are plenty of holo-programs of different areas on Andoria. You could always run them, and make certain I am part of them, as well. When the girls are old enough to understand, Uncle Soan can tell them all about it."

Sineade smiled, "That is a great Idea. I'll have to look for all those programs in the holodeck files." Thosso let out a huge yawn, followed quickly by Tholel. "Looks like they are getting a little tired out."

The holographic Andorian smoothly got back to his feet. He gently placed the baby, he had been holding, in the hover-stroller, then went to retrieve one of the others.

"I am really glad you brought them here for me to meet," Soan said to Sineade. "They truly are beautiful."

Sineade smiled sadly down at her triplets, "Yes, they are. And it breaks my heart to think their Father might never get to hold them or see them."

Soan looked to the Aldrin's chief engineer. There was genuine sorrow in his eyes. "I can understand that sentiment. I think it is his loss, if he decides he does not want to see them. But, they will know they are loved, with you as a mother, and with Sean as their uncle."

Sineade looked up at Soan, "But I don't think it's his choice! He was recalled back to Andoria, and he said they allowed him contact while his children were being born. " She sighed, "I have no idea if he even gets the messages I send."

The holographic Andorian's atennae drooped. "I'm sorry, Tinker," he said, gently using the nickname Flower always used with her. "I wish I could call someone, or do anything, to help you."

Sineade smiled at the use of her nickname, "You don't know how good it feels to hear that name. And I know you would if you could, and that is just as important." She looked down at the now sleeping triplets all snug in the hover-stroller. "I know he loves us. He just can't get to us right now.."

"Keep those thoughts in your head," th'Hanera suggested. "He sounds like a good one, and he will show you, one day, how much he cares for his offspring."

She smiled up at Soan, "thanks. Now I know why Flower still comes to see you." She leaned over and wrapped her arms around the Andorian in a hug.

Soan accepted the hug, and returned in in a brotherly fashion, holding her securely. "I realize I am simply a hologram," he told her, "but, I am always here, for you." He broke the hug and looked her in the eyes, his own eyes holding a bit of mirth. "So long as you take the program wherever you go." He smiled and winked.

Sineade blushed, "You know I will, and you are much more than just a hologram to me. "

"And you are much more than just a solid to me," he responded, his antennae swiveling easily.

Sineade rose to her feet and took a deep breath, "I think I better get these little ladies to their own beds. I'll bring them back to see you real soon." She called for the exit and began to push them towards it, stopping and looking back at Soan, "Thank you, for everything. "

Soan gave a small smile, and a wave. "My pleasure," he simply stated.
**=/\\= END JL =/\\=**

 

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