Interview With a Clone

Posted on Mon 16th Dec, 2019 @ 9:02pm by

1,233 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Resolution
Timeline: MD 1, 1428

They walked hand in hand, like lovers, through the market place. Those who knew of the Besm might have expected the two young women with white hair to have the same face, but they didn't -- in fact, other than the color of their hair and their species, they seemed to have nothing in common. One wore a linen skew-collar Cossack shirt embroidered in black and red; the other, a yukata in fall colors. One had jade-green eyes, the other's were opalescent.

They passed the Presleyterian missionaries busking by an ornamental orange tree, smiling gently and shaking their heads as the barker in a sequined white jumpsuit offered them a tract. They passed among booths made of wood and canvas, carefully designed to make this section of the promenade resemble an outdoor souq. "Oh," said one, tugging her companion in the direction of one of the stalls, "The Girl Goes Dancing; I do love their clothes!"

After interviews with some long-term market booth owners, Caroline was getting an overall view of the place, and its customers when her eyes were caught by the two young women passing a few feet from her. "Follow me, Handsome, and find the views I'll like."

The man with her just nodded and kept getting background footage, including the two attractive women, as Post did an about-face and followed after them, looking for an opening to appear. She was rewarded when they stopped to check displays in a clothing display.

"Excuse me, could I ask you a few questions? Caroline Post, FNS," she held out her hand in a traditional human greeting, supposing they would respond to it. "I'm doing a news piece on the market and those who shop here. Since you're new to the base, your input would be of interest."

The two glanced at each other, and the one with opalescent eyes turned to face Caroline, accepting her hand and inclining her head in a very shallow bow before releasing the handshake. "I am not new to the base, Ms. Post; my sisters and I have a restaurant on deck six-six-six."

"Oh, do you?" Caroline said, wracking her brain for what restaurant it might be. "I'm sorry to say I've never been to a restaurant on that deck, but I don't actually socialize much with all the work of news gathering. Though I've read about your people, there isn't much out there to read about your culture and lifestyle. So, what kind of restaurant is it?"

"You would probably call it 'Asian fusion,'" the young woman answered, "though in truth, it is the cuisine of our home world. The restaurant is called 'pearl with a chainsaw,' and I am Charlotte Pearl."

"It's very nice to meet you, Ms Pearl. I believe I have heard the name of your restaurant before. I would think that the fact that your family is here indicates there must be something that will be of interest to others of your species. Were you at all instrumental in getting a colony of your people to come to the base?" Caroline asked.

Charlotte smiled coyly. "We did attempt to be memorable when we chose the name. And I don't think I had much influence..." she glanced at her companion, and then back to the reporter. "I wrote a few letters to friends back Home, telling them what a lovely, welcoming place One-Oh-Nine is." She shrugged.

"I'm glad you find it that way, too" Post said, nodding in agreement. "It must be quite different from your home world, specifically because it isn't a planet. Are your friends among those who have come to try things here? What do you think they will find the hardest adjustments to make?"

"Some of them are, yes," Charlotte agreed. She turned and nodded to the young woman who was not her clone-sister. "This is my friend September Winter. We grew up together in Noble Dragon Creche number six, in the city of Landing, at Home."

The second white-haired girl smiled, and it didn't reach her eyes. She raised a hand in a sort of wave, but offered nothing to the discussion.

"As for the most difficult adjustment... none of you look alike! It's remarkably problematic to discern what family grouping you belong with!"

Caroline chuckled, "I hadn't ever thought of it that way, but truthfully, we aren't usually stationed with extended family ... or Starfleet isn't. Children do look like their parents, but you won't see large family groups together, for the most part. However, it might help to look at the color of the uniform and the patches to find family grouping of a different sort. If you see the teal uniforms, for instance, you have at least narrowed things to the medical or science fields, and there may be patches that help narrow to one or the other."

Consulting her notes, Post looked up again. She noted that Winter didn't seem interested in participating in the conversation, and she wasn't going to push her to do so, as the name rang a bell in the back of her mind, and it dealt with disaster. Her look took in both women, but she spoke to the restaurateur. "Just one more question, and I'll leave you to your enjoyment of the promenade. What's the general opinion of your people on having a colony on our starbase? Was there any political division, or discussion among your people, or any opposing viewpoints on that?"

The two young women looked at each other and laughed. "My sisters and I argue about whether we should have omelettes or oatmeal for breakfast!" Winter said, contributing for the first time.

Pearl nodded, adding, "There was of course a great deal of debate. In the end, it was solved by simply canvasing for volunteers. A sufficient number were interested, so the Senate voted support. It didn't hurt that we had the Admiral on our side."

Caroline smiled at the practicality of making decisions in such a manner. "It sounds as if a lot of species could learn a thing or two from you. Certainly, you appear more reasonable than many ... reasonable with one another, I mean. I notice you used the word debate and not argument. Is there ever enough disagreement on something, other than breakfast, of course," she nodded to September Winter in acknowledgement, "to argue instead of debate reasonably?"

"Not really," Pearl answered. "Not recently. We're very community-oriented, on the whole." Winter smirked and looked away.

There were probably a dozen things the reporter hadn't thought to ask, things she'd want to know later. She had a feeling these people were going to stay around, so she'd ask them in her next interview. "Before I let you get back to your shopping, is there anything I should have asked that you think people on the base should know about Besm? Anything that would make your group's integration into life here easier or more pleasant for you?" Post asked.

"Just remember that we're new. Not just to the station, but to life outside our dim, heavy little planet. We would like to be good neighbors, but have patience if we have to fumble a little to figure out what that means," Pearl answered. "A little patience and a little goodwill go a very long way in any social situation, don't you find?"

 

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