Music to My Ears

"Multiple auditions for the Arcadia Symphony will be held tomorrow in holodeck three, one hour after each duty shift change."

Fade had a copy of the message sent to every occupant of the ship who had ever registered as having been part of a band, orchestra, and the like. It was a complicated algorithm that scanned personnel files and everyone's permanent record. Any not receiving the message could see the announcement on the ship's public forum. Fade did not play a musical instrument, but he wanted too. Not used to breathing, many instruments were out of his ability, although there were many that did not require a working set of lungs.

Few things moved him like sitting before a live cello performance. He was sure if there was magic in the universe (and there was) part of it happened then. And so, to recreate such a moment, Fade tried to help kick-start the process by bringing together the musicians on-board. He didn't feel the same watching a playback. Once he'd seen the performance, the next viewing held no interest, nuance, or emotion.

It was the voice of Ensign Steed, manning the operations office. Steed actually excelled in sitting at post, and directing calls to the personnel in the department. It was the operations of operations.

"Why?" Fade was already walking starboard, and of course he wanted to know what situation he was about to face.

"And so you called me, for my lengthy experience in handling delicate matters, my impartiality, my ability to be objective and fair. Good call, Ensign." Fade entered a turbolift, but the conversation continued.

Arriving at the checkpoint, Fade recalled this was the final link to the station. Everything was loaded that was purposed to be loaded. With departure so close, all personnel had been checked in, and while some were still in the process of 'moving in' there should be no real activity and no real problems. What Fade saw was clear, a large Klingon (weren't they all?) was wearing ice skates on his hands, and a human female was yelling and gesturing frantically. The Klingon wore a security uniform, while the woman's uniform had the color for science, which Fade's eyes translated as blue, but it was dark, and this SIM is kinda meta-quirky (in a good way) so who really knew?

"What is the nature of this dispute?", Fade asked the woman, as she was the more vocal, and he hoped once she got her side of the story out, she'd be quiet long enough for Fade to hear the other.

"I went back to my station quarters because I forgot my skates.  HE TOOK THEM AND WON'T GIVE THEM BACK!!"

"Please." Fade used his hands to indicate a lowering motion, which sometimes calmed people down. "Lots of caps indicating yelling isn't pleasant. Now, you."

"These are unregistered bladed weapons. Sharp and lethal." The Klingon swung the skates around in long arcs, to demonstrate his point.

Fade looked at the Klingon. Next he looked at the woman. Then back to the Klingon. "Come with me." He told the woman, and they walked a few paces to get out of ear-shot. Fade lowered his voice, "Do you like to have your hair pulled?"

"WHAT?"  The wide eyes and open mouth pretty much said everything for her, indicating exactly what Fade had guessed to be correct.

"He likes you." Fade continued, "He is flirting."

She looked back down the corridor at the security man now checking his sharp teeth in the reflection of the skate's shiny blade. "Really?"

"Punch him." Fade said, "if you want to reciprocate. If you don't, then I'll get him to give you the skates, and life goes on."

"Just get me my skates please."

Fade nodded once and returned to the post. "Put the items back in the carrying case. Record this in your log, so they have now been documented, satisfying your department's requirements."

"Aye."