Is It a Sign?

Posted on Sat 27th Apr, 2013 @ 7:16am by Meryret Penre
Edited on on Sat 27th Apr, 2013 @ 5:52pm

1,544 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: https://sb109.sim-station.net/index.php/sim/missions/id/3
Location: Signs of the Prophets, Deck 641
Timeline: Md 05, 1015
Tags: Jade, Meryret

Wondering if it might be a good idea to have a Bajoran on the Tivoli Gardens committee, Jade ran her eyes down the list of shop owners in the Promenade. Several were Bajoran, but her eye paused on Meryret Penre. Bajoran names were patronymic first, but Meryret didn't sound like a last name. So was it Ms Meryret or Ms Penre? Or was she even Bajoran?

Jade read the name of the shop. "Signs of the Prophets," she murmured. "Definitely Bajoran, and possibly too religious?" She debated for a few minutes, thinking of a Vedek she'd known who had no sense of humor and berated anything that seemed at all enjoyable. She knew most weren't like that, and it was unlikely the shop owner was a Vedek anyway. "I think we'll go check this one out," she said aloud.

A few minutes later, she stood outside the shop, on Deck 641.

The entrance was situated between two large windows behind which hung wind chimes, small, delicate bells, and wall hangings in shades of russet and gold, picked out with the circular Bajoran 'sunburst' design that was their representation of the Celestial Temple. A light fragrance of spicewood and ginger tea floated through the doorway.

The shop contained racks of books, small figurines of historical religious figures and the B'halan Bantaca spire, prayer rugs, jewelry, altar cloths, figurines of the ten Orbs, and meditation music. The books were surprisingly low-tech, a holdover from the days of the Occupation.

Comfortable chairs and benches were scattered throughout, and there was a table near the center of the shop where the ginger tea was kept warm in a dispenser.

Inside the shop, Penre Meryret noticed the woman looking in and realized with surprise that it was the lady who ran Orchids and Jazz. The music was not really to her taste, but she did like the orchids. Meryret strolled over to the shop entrance and smiled. "Good morning. Would you like to come in?"

The woman was quite lovely, Meryret thought. She had thick brown hair, full lips, and large, arresting eyes of a greenish-gray.

Jade nodded. "I was about to, but I got distracted by the displays." She stepped inside the shop, looking around at the pleasant visual effect or the displays, and breathing deeply of the rich scents. The woman was definitely Bajoran, and many of the artifacts displayed appeared to apply to the religion held by most occupants of that planet. Deciding on a few minutes of conversation to get to know the woman, Jade ambled over to the display of books.

"I haven't seen many shops carrying actual paper books, though there is a Vulcan who runs a book shop, somewhere around Deck 638, if I remember correctly," Jade commented, looking through the titles available.

"I always used to prefer paper books, but the first time I got an electronic reader, I fell in love with it," Meryret admitted. "The books I sell here are printed versions of books we used to hand-write and stitch together ourselves during the Occupation. I still have some of the ones I wrote. Most of the ones here are devotionals to the Prophets, but I also have some poetry, some essays, and even a few of the more popular novels and children's books we used to barter for.

"I haven't met the bookshop owner yet, but I've heard of his shop. The Promenade decks are so numerous that I almost think it would take a lifetime to explore them all. And, of course, shops come and go, so there's always something new to explore, even after you'd swear you've seen everything."

She leaned her head to one side and then asked, "Is there some particular faith that interests you? Most of my merchandise celebrates the Prophets, but I do have a section devoted to major non-Bajoran religions, as well."

"Oh, no, not really. I've had a long interest in hearing about other people's beliefs, however." Jade set the book of poetry back on the shelf, making a decision about the woman. "Actually, I came here today with an entirely different purpose in mind.

"I don't often get out to see other shops, and, as you've said, there are a lot of wonderful places. I picked your shop for a reason today, however. Have you heard of the gardens we are going to build? Tivoli Gardens?" Jade asked her.

"Yes, I've heard something was being planned--a sort of park and residential section combined, taking up several decks?" Meryret glanced at Jade. "It sounded pretty ambitious. Are you involved with it somehow?"

Jade smiled, "Somehow. There are 5 decks which will include all kinds of landscapes, a river, a train and, yes, some villas, a fishing village." She waved a hand. "Lots of things. What I'd like to do is invite you to be involved with it. We're forming a committee of shop owners and Starfleet personnel to do the planning of exactly what the Gardens will become. I'm here to invite you to join us on that committee." She ran her hand along a shelf and picked up a beautiful earring. "Tell me, is there anything left of the caste system on Bajor?"

Meryret blinked at the sudden change of subject. "Not really," she said. "There are a few hold-outs, but for most of us, the Occupation forced us to all learn labor that wasn't necessarily what our D'Jarras would have dictated for us. By the time the Cardassians left, enough children had been born who knew nothing of the D'Jarras and to whom they made no sense, that we have chosen to abandon them, for the most part. The last attempt to restore the D'Jarra system failed by a significant margin. I don't foresee the question arising again."

Meryret gestured farther into her shop. "Would you like some tea, Ms. Lantz? I'd be interested in having a cup and hearing more about this project of yours and what part you think I could play in it."

"Interesting. Times change everywhere, I suppose." Jade put down the earring and turned to follow the Bajoran woman. "We have a basic outline of what the Gardens will be. We have the science of how it will help the air and water systems, as well as how it will provide relaxation and commerce to the base," Jade told her. "What we need are people of imagination to make the place come alive, to decide what it is that people want or will appreciate. In other words, I suppose you could say we have the skeleton, but it needs muscle and skin to cover it. A brief look around your shop was all I needed to tell me you have the imagination and would be an asset to the group I've gathered."

"Well, it sounds like a project that would interest me," Meryret said. "Thank you for thinking of me for it." She poured some ginger tea into a cup and offered it to Jade. "There's sweetener and cream if you like them," she said. "I usually just put honey in mine, but it's too messy to use here in the shop." She poured herself a cup and inhaled deeply of the scent before taking a sip.

"When do you want us all to begin meeting to plan this?" Meryret asked.

"Thank you," Jade said, accepting the cup, but leaving out any sweetner. "The first meeting will be in a few days. I'm coordinating schedules the best I can. You can imagine with the variety of people involved, it takes some juggling." She took a long sip of the ginger tea, holding it in her mouth a moment to get the full flavor, then swallowing.

"That's quite good," she said and took another sip before putting the cup down. "I'll send a bulletin to your computer as soon as the date and time are set, but in the meantime, think about the idea - resort, playground, retreat ... all of those and more. I'm sure you'll think of something quite wonderful to contribute. Sadly, I really must be going, but do you have a box of this ginger tea for sale before I do?"

Meryret smiled. "I will be happy to contribute however I can. And let me show you where the teas are." She walked with Jade over to the third aisle from the left, where not only teas and tea supplies could be found, but also a small collection of wines and candies from various worlds.

"Oooh, Galadian Chocolates! I'll take a box of those, too. That could make me a continuing customer for a very long time!" Jade laughed.

Meryret chuckled. "Always happy to oblige. My favorite are the Vulcan mint lozenges. Trust Vulcans to deny that they would ever consume anything so illogical as candy, but call it a sore throat lozenge, and then it's permitted. I think that's half the charm of those lozenges, for me."

She walked with Jade to the check-out counter, scanned Jade's credit chit, and handed Jade her purchases in a bag. "It is a distinct pleasure doing business with you, Ms. Lantz, and I look forward to working with you on this Tivoli project, too."

Penre Meryret
Owner
Signs of the Prophets shop, Deck 641
SB-Protector

 

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