Afternoon Distraction

Posted on Thu 21st Sep, 2017 @ 9:14pm by

597 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: Unity Week
Location: Deck 625, Museum of Natural History
Timeline: Day 5, early afternoon

Needing a break from her sisters, Ischemia Addams was wandering the Promenade. There were stores of every kind, and had she been a shopping maven, she would have been in raptures over the items for sale everywhere. But she wasn't. That was dear Pru. No, Ischemia wanted quieter waters to soothe her senses, and she'd found this museum.

Being in a backwater of the galaxy, it wasn't a branch of the Smithsonian, but whoever had planned it had done a good job. There were models of most of the major dinosaurs found on Earth - of course the actual bones were all still on earth, but the models were quite realistic ... if you found skeletons to be realistic representations of a species.

She came across a small theater at the far end of the floor containing Tyrannosaurus Rex, once thought to be the most fearsome of creatures. He never met an Addams, now did he? she thought.

Studying the holographic poster next to the entrance, she discovered there was a documentary playing in a few minutes ... something that showed what modern scientists thought was a pretty accurate portrayal of the life of a T-Rex group in its heyday. She wandered in and took a seat in the still-lit and small theater. Plush blue seats in three rows of about eight seats faced a screen across the disguised bulkhead.

Already seated in chairs in the front row was a family of four, with the father giving instruction to two children who were probably in their early teens. The middle row was empty, but the back row was occupied by a man appearing to be about fifty. He sat in the exact center seat, and Ischemia hesitated a moment.

The man smiled at her and said, "I don't bite. Please, join me."

His accent was not exactly Earth British, but there were overtones of that in his voice. She came down the aisle and sat to his right. Holding out her hand, she said, "Ischemia Addams, of the New York Addamses."

"Howard Taft of the not-at-all-well-known Tafts of the Confederated Martian Colonies," the man said, taking her hand for a moment. "The New York Addamses, you say. Any relation to Perverto Addams?"

"Would I admit it if I were?" she answered without answering. His introduction provided her with the reason for his familiar accent that wasn't quite spot-on British. Every colony departed from its origins.

Howard laughed, "Well, perhaps not. You are certainly easier on the eyes than he. I haven't seen him in quite sometime." Changing the subject, he asked, "What brings you into this particular museum today?"

"Oh, mostly the fact that it isn't bustling with people, I expect," Ischemia shrugged. "Strange how even on a remote starbase, people can seem ... overwhelmingly numerous."

"Indeed. To those of us who like our own company, or" he nodded at her graciously, "the company of a fair companion, even a dozen can seem too many. Actually, I've made quite a study of these dinosaur creatures, and I'm fascinated by this film. I've seen it three times already, and I'm looking forward to the fourth. Have you any interest in the dinosaurs themselves?"

"A passing interest, yes. Its amazing to me that something as large as this Tyrannosaurus fellow, or the Allosaurus, for example, could move as quickly as they supposedly did. I thought the film might be an interesting distraction," Addams said, far more honestly than she normally would.

The lights began to dim. "Then, by all means, let us prepare to be distracted," Howard said.

 

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