Post by Scribe on Aug 11, 2009 8:48:51 GMT -5
Earth Quarter
New Earth Colony, Gaia
Stardate: 2178
Putting her sneakers on the u-bend of the thick pipe, the girl pushed herself up to the window sill as she had done many times before, using the gutter to brace herself the rest of the way. Wearing jeans that cut off just beneath the knee and her favourite pink shirt, she scrambled through the open window into the bedroom on the other side. Side stepping the clothes, books, a skate board and whole bunch of other rubbish that only boys liked, she went to the bed and plonked herself on the mattress, sheeny dark hair bouncy on her shoulders as she landed.
“You were supposed to stay up!” She nudged the sleeper in the bed. “I told you I had a surprise!”
Impatiently, Lexie Merrick waited for best friend in the world (and dork) Chris Hayes to wake. “Come on get dressed already.” She nudged him again and waited impatiently.
"Huh? Whaa?" Sitting up, half awake, Chris blinked back the darkness that did nothing for his eyes. "Mom?" His mother wouldn't be this close. "Lexie?" He stretched and yawned, "Whatimeisit?" Chris mumbled, plopping his head back on the pillow.
"It's past bed time, silly baby." She retorted. "Come on, get dressed. We got to go." She got off the bed and went to the window sill where she had been sneaking into his bedroom since she worked out she could do it. "And be quiet. You don't want to wake your dad and get us brigged."
"Shhh…I don't want to go on one of your crazy hikes." He pulled the covers over his shoulder. Lexie was nuts sometimes and tended to lead him into trouble.
"We're not going on a crazy hike," she groaned. "Come on...its surprise, if I told you, what fun would that be?"
"Fine." Chris grumbled and grabbed the corner of the blanket and tossed them off. "Scoot." He slept-walked across his room, grabbing his favourite hoodie zipper instead of a shirt and changed right in front of her into his swim trunks. Just in case. "Do I need socks and shoes or can I wear sandals?"
"What are you some kind of girl?" Lexie stared at him. "My daddy says real men wear shoes, not sandals." She whispered.
"So does my dad," he grabbed the sandals, with a smirk, "It's why I wear them," Lexie was a tom boy. Chris was a growing rebel. At the end of their day, they listened to their dads who were legendary MACOs.
"See, they both can be wrong...." Lexie waited impatiently at the window sill. "Jeez hurry up, if Mira hears us, she'll want to come too and we can't bring a baby."
"She's seven, two years younger than you." he defended his sister. He was one year older than the pushy tomboy. "And at least she wears dresses."
"A baby," Lexie said defiantly, folding her arms and staring him down. They had been play dates for as long as she could remember and though he was a total spaz, she loved Chris in the non cooties ways of course and made sure bullies got their noses broke if they messed with him in school.
"Whatever," he muttered and tossed the hood up, heading out the window first. He was careful going down and jumped to the ground waiting.
Once he was out the window, Lexie clambered out after him, landing on the soft grass. "Come on," she said trudging away from Earth quarters across the grass under the moonlight.
She took off and he put his hands in his hoodie pockets, trudging along. Chris yawned and followed.
They walked across Eden Park, making brisk pace along the way two nine year olds who were way out past their bed time could. Lexie had led Chris on these kinds of adventures before and so far had not managed to get caught yet. With parents who were Sharks, stealth was something both of them had done well to learn. They walked until they arrive at the fence line that indicated the boundaries of Brasov Space Station and a damage section that was just small enough for them to fit through. "Come on."
"We can't go through there." Chris crossed his arms and halted his sandals.
"Yes we can," she said slipping through without hesitation.
"Lexie! Get back here!"
"Come on you big chicken!" She prompted and was already walking across the compound.
"I'm NOT chicken! My father said NO to entering there!" He slapped his sides in exasperation. "And you know I'm not chicken! I'm not allowed to fight in school!" Angered, he growled "Arrgh," and followed her inside.
"For a rebel you sure do what your dad tells you," Lexie challenged, knowing the way to get Chris to do stuff was to throw that in his face.
"Shut up, I don't have a choice. He gets mad enough and my mom supports it." A sigh, he went after her. Upset but liking it, not that he'd let Lexie Merrick know this.
Hey," she came back up to him, "I know that," she smiled, showing him the same smile she used when she'd share the lunches her dad made (which always had the good stuff) with him since his mom always made the nice healthy stuff that just sucked.
"I'm just messing with you. I promise this will soooo good."
"Then why do you bust me up all the time?" Chris sighed and tossed a hand through his hair, which meant it was getting too long and he'd be told to get it cut. "I hate that."
"Because," she nudged him and kept going. "Just because." Boys could so suck sometimes. Dad was right, she should join a convent.
"Urgh!" He hated when she did that too and followed again. "If we get killed my dad's going to murder your dad." He smirked, using his father's rank against hers.
"Oh yeah like my dad's going to care," Lexie snorted as they walked across the tarmac in the dark. In the distance, ships were coming and going.
"Besides no way Aunty Ren lets that happen." Aunty Ren was like Aunty Sloan, balls to the wall MACOs who didn't take shit off anyone. At least that's what Derick always said. Sigh….so dreamy.
"Hey" Chris grabbed her arm, stopping her. "You hear that?" His eyes intent and ten-year old ears listening. "Shhh Lexie..."
"What?" She asked looking at him. "You mean the ships. Of course they're ships silly. That's what we're here to see."
Chris frowned and released her, grabbing hold of rock and climbing to see. "What are they doing?"
"I'll show ya" she flashed him that smile again; the one her father would have told him was the million dollar smile.
Grabbing his hand, they ran to one of the tall warehouse type buildings where Lexie lead him up some rickety metal steps that took them all the way to the top and onto the flat roof. From that vantage point, they had a panoramic view of the whole space port, which ships coming and going, it was an amazing sight. To a nine year old at least.
"Whoa!" The little rebel yelled. "Those are huge!"
"Isn't it so amazing!" She smiled staring at the ships, flying off to the sky. "My mom was Starfleet you know," she stared at the ships flying off into the sky, a wistful expression on her face.
"Everybody's Starfleet."
"Now yeah," Lexie looked at him like he was retarded or something. "Didn't always use to be that way. My daddy says that they were fleet and there were sharks. Your mom was one too."
"I'm not stupid Lexie. I'm older than you, you know. I've known longer." He smirked and climbed higher to sit.
"Just by a few weeks," she grinned and followed him. They got to the very peek of the thing and Lexie sat down, cross legged, watching. "Now is this a surprise or what?" She looked at him...eyes twinkling.
"Yeah," he gave in, "This is pretty cool and you were born almost a YEAR after me. I'm ten. You're the baby at nine." He watched the ships being built, lost in them. "I'm going to serve on a ship someday. Like my dad."
You're going Fleet?" Lexie stared at him dismayed.
"Everybody's Fleet," he reminded. "My dad served on a ship Lexie. Don't go all weird on me again. I want to get off Gaia and onto a ship."
"But you're still going to be a Shark right because I got it all planned, you and me we'll run away to the Barn and join the Sharks and go fight the Klingons or the Rommies together."
"Maybe," Chris didn't look at her and watched the ships. "Maybe I'll be Fleet. Fleet get to be Captains."
Lexie fell silent. "Captains die."
He looked at her and felt bad immediately. Not saying a word, he reached over and held her hand.
Lexie beamed, million dollar smile for her best friend as she took his hand and watched the ships in the distance, taking them both in their heads to far away places.