Post 344: As the Worm Turns

Stardate:70803.1530
Title: As the Worm Turns
Authors:Lt. Cmdr. Maak and Zanh Liis
Scene: The Arboretum aboard Independence
Time: Following "Beneath, Part Two"
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Maak stood outside the arboretum having a conversation- or rather an argument- with the doors.

He was supposed to meet Captain Zanh inside. This was being prevented because the doors had politely, but stubbornly, refused to open. When he asked the computer about it, it replied that Zanh had locked the doors herself, and that she was with one other person inside.

"If she wanted me to meet her here, why would she lock the doors?"

Before the doors could 'respond', they suddenly parted. A Vulcan male dressed in casual clothing exited. He nodded to Maak without speaking, and went on his way.

"We'll discuss this further at another time." Maak said to the doors before he made his way through the space. He looked around and overhead, taking in the unusual conduits of wiring and pipes above which created lighting and irrigation for the plants within.

"Clever," he mumbled. "Extremely clever."

He found Zanh at last, and observed her a moment without her knowing. She was singing along softly, and mostly on-key, with an elaborate Universal Standard musical selection. She had shining onyx colored hair which hung in a straight line just beneath her chin, with a shock of matching bangs falling just above her eyes, accenting the ridges on her nose.

She was on the ground, and appeared to be struggling with a particularly well-rooted weed. She began mumbling, cursing under her breath in her native tongue, of which Maak knew enough to chuckle internally at her choice of words. She certainly had a colorful way of expressing herself, when she didn't know she was being watched.

"You seem to be losing your battle," he remarked at last. He expected her to jump with surprise at his silent approach, the way most species did. But she didn't flinch. It was as if she'd known he was there all along.

"Maybe so, but, qoS toma 'epaq qaver." She ripped the weed out and held up it up on display (as a Klingon might do with the heart of an enemy) as she was getting to her feet. As she unfolded her long legs with the motion, Maak discovered that she was tall. Very tall.

"You speak Klingon."

"Just enough." She tossed the weed aside and held her hand out toward him, dirt covered though it was. "I'm Zanh Liis, acting captain of the USS Independence. You are Lt. Commander Maak."

He shook her hand firmly, ignoring the dirt. "I am." They both noticed after he withdrew the appendage that mud was now covering it. Maak laughed in a low rumble, and spoke a sentence in the language of her home world.

Liis laughed. "The land and the people are one, indeed," she translated with apparent amusement. "You speak Bajoran."

"Just enough." Maak rumbled agreeably, and took to one knee to dig a finger into the soil, which he tasted. "Nice balance. Good microbial activity. You could use some more worms, though."

The Captain tried not to frown. "Gagh worms, you mean? Because with all the slimy little crawlers that we put into this place along with the plants at the start, I can't believe we need more of any other sort."

She knew that earthworms were a necessary evil, but she really disliked having to handle them herself.

"No, I'm not sure I could set that up in here. Although," Maak looked around, placing his hands up picture frame style. "Maybe. Gagh is symbiotic with a particular tree, you see, and would require a much more acidic soil base. There does seem to be room though, maybe by the roses."

Zanh nodded.

"What you really need here are Red Wigglers." Maak had realized recently that he missed his vermicultural activities more than he had realized over the past years.

"I think we have one of those already," Zanh jested, "She's blonde, has cute lil' spots and usually sits at the helm of this beast." She returned to her weeding. "Did you grow up on a farm Mr. Maak?"

"Oh yes indeed, ma'am. The family stronghold on Q'noS. My house has provided only the highest quality gagh for the Imperial House for well over a thousand years."

"The House of juHmaak?"

"juH means house. Not in the modern sense but as in a real structure. It's a very old designation."

"I see. Are there many people in your house then?"

Maak had sat down and was pulling weeds as they spoke, enjoying this chance at conversation that had nothing to do with torpedoes and high warp maneuvers.

"Well I think we paid out to a total of 583 people at last year end."

"Paid out?"

Maak smiled.

"Just because the Federation doesn't use money, doesn't mean the rest of the galaxy plays that way. Yes, all house members get a dividend. I'm Patriarch, but as a Starfleet officer, there are certain conflicts of interest so the family has a business manager. You'll probably meet him someday."

Feeling emboldened by Maak's genial nature, which was not quite what she had been expecting of the Klingon, Zanh pressed a bit further.

"Are you married?"

The Captain continued pulling weeds, but not quite as enthusiastically or expertly as Maak; a fact which did not escape her notice.

"Not currently. My first wife and the mother of three of my children died many years ago in an attack on the family stronghold. I have one other son, Castor. A baby still, and he is back on Q'noS. I'll show you pictures another time. Fantastic child. Marvelous really. Incredible."

"And your other children?"

"All grown. Cha'tor is my daughter and eldest, she's a direct representative for the Emperor Himself. Then my oldest son is Chorg, he's in the Gamma quadrant working at one of the family shipyards. Then there's Kleeg. He just graduated from the Klingon Academy. First one in the family to do so, I never had the honor, I'm just a simple worm farmer."

"Owning a shipyard isn't worm farming, exactly."

"Well, no. We have many interests through out the quadrant. I can send you a portfolio, if you are interested in investing."

Zanh observed the expression on Maak's face and knew he wasn't seriously asking for investments, just gently teasing. *What an odd man,* she thought, *Unique, and highly amusing.*

"Well, your initial interview is over, Mr. Maak, and I do thank you for your help in weeding this bed. Would you like to know how you did?"

He nodded with all seriousness. "Proceed."

"I think you're going to do just fine here."

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Lt. Cmdr. Maak
Tactical Officer
USS Independence
Soulfleet Division
Starfleet
UFP

and

Zanh Liis
Acting COUSS Independence NCC-90791