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[chaotica]

Cambridge really hates it here.

He supposes, on some level, this is mostly petty spite. Starfleet ships aren't that different, really; while one might have a more informal atmosphere, and another goes purely on ceremony, and another contains families and the other just a scattering of scientists, they all have certain commonalities, in atmosphere and content. For example, most ships are more like each other than they are like Starfleet Medical, where Cambridge spent twelve years before being assigned to Voyager.

But, he hates it anyway. There's something missing in the atmosphere, and while the gel packs on Voyager don't have a smell of sorts, he imagines that there's a scent of ozone that's not there that should be. The uniforms look all wrong, and Cambridge resents it every moment, from bustling, bright ensigns to non-coms repairing open conduits.

Eventually, he settles on working on unsolved archaeological mysteries from the last few centuries. Alien, not human. It's at least something to do, and it's well within his area of expertise. Part of the time, he works in Ten-Forward, at a table with a handful of PADDs, frowning fiercely, cross-referencing. "No," is what he says to anyone who approaches him. Without looking up from the PADD.

The rest of the time, he works in his quarters, which he has to himself. And when he works like this, so intently, he doesn't care much for the organization of his room. Things end up on tables, on the floor. At one point he kicks a pair of pants aside, towards the doorway. Unfortunately, the next time the door opens and closes, the cloth gets in the way. So the ankle of the pants sticks out into the hallway, like a flag.

Comments

[chaotica]

He releases Emma's hand, again, satisfied that he's helped calm the immediate disturbance. He can't soothe the underlying memory, obviously, but at least he can help a bit.

He props his chin on his hands and regards Faith.

"Want everyone to see it?" he asks. "Or are you having trouble finding your door?"

[diamonds_are_forever]

"Both," Faith admits. "All the doors look the same."

Emma nods as well. Cambridge seems like a decent enough person, but how he treats Faith will tell her a lot about him. She sits back a bit, her eyes on both of them.

"Back in Sparta we had a really nice place with a dog and my stuff was all there. Then we were home and I had my own room and there were a lot of cats and momma's fish. I don't have any pets here and the doors are all the same and they 'whoosh' and I don't like it." Faith pouted at the end of the spiel, shaking her head. "I wanna go home but momma says we can't."

[chaotica]

"She's right," says Cambridge. "Someone brought you here, and it's up to him when you go home. But, if it helps, he usually puts things back where he found them, even if he takes a long time."

He talks to her like a person. A small person, and one with a not-so-extensive vocabulary, so he noticeably simplifies the way he talks, but he doesn't talk down to her.

"Do you know any adventure stories, Faith?"

[diamonds_are_forever]

"All kinds!" She chrps. "We used to tell stories around the fire, but I don't know all the right words. Do you wanna hear a story, Mr. Guy?"

Emma chuckled softly. She'd allow Cambridge to introduce himself.

[chaotica]

"It's Cambridge, actually," he says, "but you can call me Hugh, if you'd like. You know how in the beginning of an adventure story, everything seems awfully strange? And scary. Because the hero's left their home." Thousands upon thousands of stories follow that general theme; Joseph Campbell, etc., but he's hoping Faith has at least absorbed a little bit of the general shape of it, in her life.

[diamonds_are_forever]

Faith absorbs that and nods eagerly. "Yes. Like Arthur Dent. Momma says this is a lot like the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy."

They were in the middle of reading it at the moment. It seemed like a good way to get Faith to cheer up when she was lonely or afraid.

[chaotica]

"Well, there you have it," he says. "You're clearly on an adventure. You just haven't gotten to the adventures part yet."

He hasn't got the foggiest idea what the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is. Sounds fun, though.

[diamonds_are_forever]

Faith beams, clearly cheered up by this. "We're like dad, then? Are we gonna fight Persians?"

Emma's expression turns a bit sour and she shakes her head, stepping in. "No, sweetie, we're not going to fight Persians."

[chaotica]

Persians? That's unexpected. He wonders if something's gotten lost in translation for her, or if the Persian Empire is actually functioning in the 21st century where they come from. That would be interesting.

"Well, you've got to do as your mother says," he says, still addressing Faith, "but. We can go visit ancient Persia on the holodeck. Who knows, there might be an adventure or two waiting there."

[diamonds_are_forever]

"Not Persians," Faith says, frowning deeply. "They almost killed my dad. But I can show you Sparta! My mom helped me make it in the holodeck."

Emma notices his confusion and sighs softly. "This is not our first time being transported through time. Faith was born in Ancient Sparta, just before the Battle of Thermopylae. Her father decided he had to be a Spartan soldier so I used my powers to help him do it." There's a lot of anger and bitterness being suppressed, but her tone is still clipped and annoyed.

Faith makes a small face and goes back to her coloring. "When is Daddy gonna get here?"

[chaotica]

Incredible. "Well, then," says Cambridge, "you probably know more about it than I do." He admits ignorance easily, even to children.

[diamonds_are_forever]

Emma takes a minute to compose herself before reminding Faith, "We don't know if your father's ever going to come here."

Faith sighed and nodded, looking sullen for a moment. Then she remembered what Cambridge had said and she looked back at him. "Wanna see? We can go now!"

Fade to black as they head off to Sparta?

[chaotica]

He blinks, but it only takes about a half-second of consideration. He'd been bored. One thing that's fantastic about children is that seeing your world through their eyes is just about as un-boring there is.

He glances over at Emma to attempt to divine if she has any objections to this plan, and if he doesn't think she does, he looks to Faith and says, "Absolutely. Let's go."

Sure!

[diamonds_are_forever]

Emma nodded and stood, motioning for Faith to lead the way. The little girl bounced to her feet and took Cambridge's hand. "You've made a new friend, it seems." Emma was pleased with how friendly her daughter was. She hoped the little girl never lost that.