Title: The Tricameron
Author: D. Lerious
Rating: G
Summary: Beka, Trance, and Rommie tell stories.
Disclaimer: Andromeda is owned by Tribune.
It was late at night at the Andromeda Ascendant. Since there was nothing of importance to do, Rommie decided to go join Trance in the Hydroponics garden, for some "girl talk".
"Hey," Trance said as Rommie walked in without turning around.
"Almost done?"
"Just about," Trance replied as she pruned some more Castellian flowers.” Let’s go talk in the Maru"
Rommie shrugged her shoulders. "Sure."
"Is Beka joining us?"
"In about five minutes."
Time passed, and all three women of the Andromeda were sitting around in the Bunks of the Maru.
"I've got an idea!" Beka exclaimed. "Let's each tell a story!"
"A story?" Rommie was puzzled.
"Yeah," Beka said "All we've been doing latly is talking shop,"
"She's right," Trance agreed.
"What's wrong with that?" For Rommie, work was life, all to often.
"I just need a break, okay?"
"Fine." Rommie was rather reluctant.
"Why don't you go first?" Beka asked Rommie.
"Me?" Rommie gave a look of annoyance. "It was your idea!"
"Which is why," Beka shot back with her playful smile "You should go first."
"If I go first, would you be willing to trade shifts, if I asked you to?"
"Uh..okay." Beka shrugged with a smile.
"Right..." Rommie started. At first, she struggled with what kind of story she would tell, then thought about the plot, characters, and setting. Since this all this thinking took about 5 seconds, Trance and Beka did not have to wait long before she started.
"I've got it," she remarked simply. "Here's a story that takes place during the height of the commonwealth and one of the main characters is a Highguard ship named Mercury.
"M, as the avatar preferred to be called was done for the evening, when she decided to go to storage bay 12 to go get something that she needed. When she got there, she sensed that something was not quite right.
'Mercury' M called to her hologram, who appeared within seconds.
'Do you sense something odd?'
'I do.'
'Are you thinking what I'm thinking?' the avatar asked.
Then, someone came out, someone rather familiar to the two.
'Oh!' M exclaimed. 'What are you doing here?'
'Well... you see..'
'We must report his presence to the captain!' The hologram said in her bossy voice.
'No.. wait!' O looked scared. 'No one must know I'm here. You two must promise me that you won't let anyone know I'm here!' his repetiveness was a result of anxiety.
'I can't make any such promise.' the hologram replied.
'Either you do,' M said rather impatiently ' or the captain will know that someone has been gambling on Edaws racing, despite its illegality.'
'Aren't Edaw's those little creatures that run mighty fast?'
'Yes' the hologram said with a glare to M. 'Fine, I shall not tell the captain, for now'......"
"Rommie, I need to see you in my office." Dylan's voice surprised them.
"Dylan?"
"My office." he sounded annoyed.
"What do you think he wants?"
Trance just shrugged, while Rommie went to go to Rommie's office.
"I'll continue the story later" Rommie said as she left the room and the doors closed behind her.
Soon, Rommie arrived at Dylan's office.
"You wanted to talk to me?" she asked as she came up to his desk. She noticed that his face looked grim.
"Would you care to explain this?" he asked with suppressed anger, as he threw down a flexi. Rommie picked up the flexi and was surprised at what it had
It was a picture Rommie, and someone with the reddish hood and robe of a Wayist monk
"Who is he?" Dylan had reason to suspect that it was Maxwell Davis a Mobius intelligence agent turned rogue, but he wanted to hear it from Rommie.
"Someone who said that he was a monk," Rommie said simply, "And needed assistance."
"You know that's funny," Dylan started to say " You never mentioned helping a monk."
"He wanted me to not mention it to anyone, unless I absolutely had to."
"I see. What did you help him with?"
"I'd rather not say."
"Why?"
"I promised to be discreet."
"Rommie!" Dylan's patience was thinning and the decibal of his voice was rising "Tell me! That's an order!!"
Suddenly, holo-Andromeda appeared.
"Captain, a Castalian diplomatic ship has intercepted us and its captain would like to have a word."
"Have the captain meet me at the observation deck," Dylan answered with a sigh, then turned to Rommie. "We'll finish this conversation, later." With that he left his office, with Rommie trailing behind a minute later to get back to the Maru.
Soon, Rommie was back at the Maru.
"What was that about? Beka asked, as the avatar came in.
"Nothing I want to talk about right now." she replied.
Trance just shrugged and said, "Okay."
"Fine," Beka answered, raising her arms a bit and pointing her palms outward. She figured that she'd try to find out what happened later.
"Why don't we continue with the story?" Trance suggested, knowing that Rommie wanted to change the subject.
"Sure" Rommie responded. "Anyway, O stayed for a day or two then left, as suddenly as he appeared. Two days later, M, who is in human form, by the way, was dressing as she was going soon on shore leave at the Orbital habitat, Pern.
"Who's your date? The hologram of the ship asked as the avatar dressed."
"A sentient male"
Suddenly, M saw Mercury scrunch up her forehead.
"What is it?"
"I have an urgent message.. for me. I'd better take it." With that she dispeared.
The one who was calling her was The Venus, who was also docked in Pern.
"What is it?" she asked, communicating with the sentient ship version of telepathy, though it was really the ability of ships to use their short range communications systems to talk to each other discreetly.
"There's going to be a game of Kalderan blade fighting. The Ceres, the Neptune, among other have a betting pool going? Wanna join?"
"Sure. How much?"
"250 thrones per person."
"You'll have the electronic transfer within the hour.
Two hours later, M was at Pern, but at a rather shady bar, when someone came up to her.
"Ready for another high?" the person asked.
M just gave the fellow a dirty look.
"That's not funny"
"It was for me!" he replied with a grin.
"How are ya? How's Mercury?"
"Gambling as usual."
"What a surprise!" his voiced was filled with dry sarcasm.
"Where's Fred?"
"Rommie! Dylan called, on the com. "Please join us at the observation deck"
Rommie just sighed, and went on her way to the observation deck.
As she came in to where Dylan and the Castellian captain was, the latter looked at her.
"That's her!! She was with Borek, lending him money."
"Please excuse me." Dylan said in his host voice. "Rommie?" he looked pointedly at her.
As soon as they were in the hallway, Dylan suddenly stopped and looked at her.