07-18-2024, 01:35 AM
== Apologies for the silence. Reality bites sometimes! ==
"It's perfect and agreed it is a start," Aeryn replied.
Mara nodded.
“We’ll get there,” she said coolly.
The Bandaran was already regretting going in so hard on the doctor. Since her promotion had been confirmed, she had been trying to dispel any rumours about a culture of ‘ruling by fear’. She didn’t blame anyone for being nervous about that. The new COS was known more for killing Cardassians than the warm and bubbly presence that her predecessor had brought to the role, and the fact that Aeryn was still on the crew only served to make the difference between the two women even starker.
Lot of work still to do there she thought to herself. I have to put my own stamp on things. I can’t be Aeryn. But I can win people over. I just have to get out of my own way.
“Okay everyone! It’s time for even better fun! I’m going to get us started with Karaoke!! Lets crank it up!”
The voice was Ju’s as the hostess took to the stage. Calleja smiled as she watched the exuberant performance, the young Korean woman clearly having an absolute ball up there.
I am so jealous…
As Mara turned away from the stage, she saw that the group had been joined by a man who was clearly trying very hard to be stylish. The Bandaran definitely wasn’t an expert on such things - she would have deferred to Beka there - but she felt he was trying that little bit too hard. She was quiet as he introduced himself - the name didn’t mean much to her, but the only science officer she knew hadn’t been a scientist until last week - and listened as he bantered with Aeryn.
“Doctor Sydesh. Chief Calleja. Nice to meet you,” he said, holding out a hand. Mara shook, taking great pains to resist the urge to give him a bonecrusher of a greeting. “You know, a few weeks ago I did a study on how drunk people returned to their quarters at night. The results were staggering!”
The Bandaran groaned and shook her head with a chuckle.
“That was terrible,” she replied, silently regretting the decision not to splinter every metacarpal in his hand.
"Will you be singing some Karaoke, Tarek?" Aeryn asked.
“If I may? I have someone in mind for next!” The speaker was another new arrival to the group, a very short Bolian woman in a purple dress. Mara and Beka immediately recognised Ensign Halee, the ship’s unofficial music teacher.
“Hey Halee. Good to see you,” Mara said guardedly. The Bandaran had been getting vocal coaching from Halee for the last 9 months or so, and the Bolian was one of the few people who knew Calleja well. The garrulous Support officer and taciturn Chief of Security weren’t an obvious mix but they got on surprisingly well with music as a common interest.
“Hello Mara dearie,” Halee said with a beaming smile, drawing a wince from Calleja. “And Beka too,” she continued. “Doctor, you should come and see me more! You were doing so well. Although now I get to meet Commander Miller, I understand why your priorities might not be singing,” the Bolian teased with a curtsey to the Chief Science Officer. “But you can make it up to me. I’m here for a reason…”
Halee looked pointedly at the stage, and then at Mara.
“Remember how I told you that my next goal was to get you to perform in public?” Halee said. “And, well, here we are!”
“Oh no, I am not getting involved in this again!” Beka said sharply, putting herself on the other side of Aeryn from the glowering Mara. “I made that suggestion and she would have broken my legs if Aeryn wasn’t here. But for what it’s worth, I agree. I would love to hear this secret voice.”
“Don’t push your luck,” Calleja said to Sydesh, but there was no venom in it and the faintest hint of a smile started to form on her lips. “If you don’t mind, me and Halee need to have a little chat.”
She wrapped an arm around the Bolian’s shoulders and politely but firmly steered Halee a few feet away.
“OK, what are you doin’?” Mara asked. “I am in no way ready to stand up in front of my friends and shipmates and start beltin’ out numbers! We’ve had this conversation.”
“You said you’d be willing to think about it,” Halee replied. “Well? Now’s perfect! You can follow Ju, who was really good.”
“Yeah, I said I’d think about performin’ in front of a few strangers. This most definitely ain’t a few strangers! Most of my few friends and a good chunk of the department I’m now head of, are all in here.” Mara was trying to dig her heels in, but Halee was still beaming at her.
“Well, you are wearing a tank top with a chainsaw unicorn on it, so if you were going to ‘rule by fear’ it might be a little late,” Halee replied. “If you want I can go and get a few more of your friends to twist your arm? You’re so ready for this! We even worked on some of the songs you could do.”
There was a moment’s pause, and then Calleja glared hard at the Bolian.
“You set me up!” she said accusingly. “That stupid Korean song you had me learn the other day. You knew about this, didn’t you?”
“Yes. You told me,” Halee replied innocently, with the air of a poker player laying out a winning hand. “I think you set yourself up, and you did it very well!”
Mara looked at Halee, and then up at the stage which was suddenly looming large in her future.
Well, I did say I was jealous of Ju. And it would certainly help burst that whole ‘big scary monster’ bubble. But if I get it wrong and make an arse of myself up there, never mind anyone else, I’ll never let me forget it.
She looked back at Halee. For the first time in a long time, Calleja seemed almost vulnerable.
“You’re sure I can do this?” she asked.
“Yes! Absolutely!” The Bolian gently took the noodle bowl out of Mara’s unresisting hands. “I know you can. I’m not just saying that to fluff you. Go. In your own words…” The singing tutor suddenly did a very very good impression of Mara’s accent. “Fuckin’ knock ‘em dead!”
That sealed it. The COS laughed, shook her head and then made her move. She stepped easily up onto the stage, made a few tweaks to the karaoke machine and then adjusted the stand to bring the mic up to her height. Looking out over the gathering, and some of the confused and quizzical expressions that had greeted the Amazonian woman’s decision, she nearly bottled it. It took a real effort of will to bury the self doubt deep down.
“So I’m pretty sure you weren’t expectin’ to see me up here,” Mara said into the mic. “And as of about ten minutes ago, neither was I. But hey. Let’s do this shall we?”
The music started up, a slow and deliberate guitar riff. It definitely wasn’t Korean, but anyone into their classic Earth rock would have immediately recognised Aerosmith’s Dream On.
“Every time that I look in the mirror,
All these lines on my face gettin’ clearer.
The past is gone…
It went by like dusk to dawn
Isn't that the way?
Everybody's got the dues in life to pay, yeah…”
It was an uncertain opening. Mara was a little shaky as her self-doubt got the better of her, missing notes she could have hit in her sleep. Her frustration was clear in her expression but she kept going, even if the next couple of verses were much the same.
Oh fuck this. I’ve got to go for it. No more holdin’ back.
She closed her eyes and launched into the chorus. If the performance so far had been weak, what followed was anything but. Unleashed, Calleja’s voice was strong, clear and powerful. There was natural talent in abundance but it was harnessed by years of coaching. The Security Chief’s secret was out - she was an incredible singer.
“Sing with me, sing for the year,
Sing for the laughter and sing for the tear.
Sing with me, if it's just for today,
Maybe tomorrow the good Lord will take you away…”
As her confidence built, somehow she found another gear as she opened her eyes and faced people with a renewed determination.
“Sing with me, sing for the year,
Sing for the laughter, sing for the tear.
Sing with me, if it's just for today,
Maybe tomorrow the good Lord will take you away!”
The smile on Mara’s face rang out in her voice as she held the note. This was suddenly going way better than she’d ever dreamed it could, and stood right at the front Halee was beaming like a proud mother.
“Dream on, dream on, dream on,
Dream until the dream come true!
Dream on, dream on, dream on
Dream until the dream come true…”
Effortlessly she moved up several octaves, hitting a pitch-perfect falsetto.
“Dream on, dream on, dream on
Dream until the dream come true!”
She landed the final chorus, grinning to herself as the instruments faded away in the background.
“Thanks for bearin’ with me,” Mara said. “I got there in the end! I’ve been hidin’ that I could do that for so long, and stood here now, I really don’t why I was so hung up on it.” She laughed softly. “Anyway. I sang that song so that I could sing this one. Ju, I’m sorry, my pronunciation is gonna suck, but I’m gonna give it a good go.”
The electronic keyboard started up on the backing track and it was the original K-pop song. Calleja grinned before giving the party Gangnam Style.
Her Korean was actually reasonable, although that was mostly due to an anglicised version of the lyrics scrolling across a discrete autocue. The Security Chief had the flow of the song down, even if it was a far cry from the rap battles she’d been in and around as a teenager.
She built up to the chorus with a deadpan expression.
“Areumdawo, sarangseureowo!
Geurae neo, hey!
Geurae, baro neo, hey!
Jigeumbuteo gal dekkaji ga bolkka…”
Mara grinned.
“Oppan Gangnam style!”
Without missing a beat she hit the dance moves, delivering the chorus with the full invisible horse routine from the viral video, complete with lasso.
“Gangnam style!
Op, op, op, op, oppan Gangnam style.
Hey, sexy baby…
Op, op, op, op, oppan Gangnam style!”
Calleja dropped out of character for a moment.
“Come on, get up here if you know the moves!” she called. “And if you don’t, what the hell, try it anyway. Beka? You owe me! Bring Aeryn! Ju? You gotta know how this goes…”
She picked the song back up as people started to move…
"It's perfect and agreed it is a start," Aeryn replied.
Mara nodded.
“We’ll get there,” she said coolly.
The Bandaran was already regretting going in so hard on the doctor. Since her promotion had been confirmed, she had been trying to dispel any rumours about a culture of ‘ruling by fear’. She didn’t blame anyone for being nervous about that. The new COS was known more for killing Cardassians than the warm and bubbly presence that her predecessor had brought to the role, and the fact that Aeryn was still on the crew only served to make the difference between the two women even starker.
Lot of work still to do there she thought to herself. I have to put my own stamp on things. I can’t be Aeryn. But I can win people over. I just have to get out of my own way.
“Okay everyone! It’s time for even better fun! I’m going to get us started with Karaoke!! Lets crank it up!”
The voice was Ju’s as the hostess took to the stage. Calleja smiled as she watched the exuberant performance, the young Korean woman clearly having an absolute ball up there.
I am so jealous…
As Mara turned away from the stage, she saw that the group had been joined by a man who was clearly trying very hard to be stylish. The Bandaran definitely wasn’t an expert on such things - she would have deferred to Beka there - but she felt he was trying that little bit too hard. She was quiet as he introduced himself - the name didn’t mean much to her, but the only science officer she knew hadn’t been a scientist until last week - and listened as he bantered with Aeryn.
“Doctor Sydesh. Chief Calleja. Nice to meet you,” he said, holding out a hand. Mara shook, taking great pains to resist the urge to give him a bonecrusher of a greeting. “You know, a few weeks ago I did a study on how drunk people returned to their quarters at night. The results were staggering!”
The Bandaran groaned and shook her head with a chuckle.
“That was terrible,” she replied, silently regretting the decision not to splinter every metacarpal in his hand.
"Will you be singing some Karaoke, Tarek?" Aeryn asked.
“If I may? I have someone in mind for next!” The speaker was another new arrival to the group, a very short Bolian woman in a purple dress. Mara and Beka immediately recognised Ensign Halee, the ship’s unofficial music teacher.
“Hey Halee. Good to see you,” Mara said guardedly. The Bandaran had been getting vocal coaching from Halee for the last 9 months or so, and the Bolian was one of the few people who knew Calleja well. The garrulous Support officer and taciturn Chief of Security weren’t an obvious mix but they got on surprisingly well with music as a common interest.
“Hello Mara dearie,” Halee said with a beaming smile, drawing a wince from Calleja. “And Beka too,” she continued. “Doctor, you should come and see me more! You were doing so well. Although now I get to meet Commander Miller, I understand why your priorities might not be singing,” the Bolian teased with a curtsey to the Chief Science Officer. “But you can make it up to me. I’m here for a reason…”
Halee looked pointedly at the stage, and then at Mara.
“Remember how I told you that my next goal was to get you to perform in public?” Halee said. “And, well, here we are!”
“Oh no, I am not getting involved in this again!” Beka said sharply, putting herself on the other side of Aeryn from the glowering Mara. “I made that suggestion and she would have broken my legs if Aeryn wasn’t here. But for what it’s worth, I agree. I would love to hear this secret voice.”
“Don’t push your luck,” Calleja said to Sydesh, but there was no venom in it and the faintest hint of a smile started to form on her lips. “If you don’t mind, me and Halee need to have a little chat.”
She wrapped an arm around the Bolian’s shoulders and politely but firmly steered Halee a few feet away.
“OK, what are you doin’?” Mara asked. “I am in no way ready to stand up in front of my friends and shipmates and start beltin’ out numbers! We’ve had this conversation.”
“You said you’d be willing to think about it,” Halee replied. “Well? Now’s perfect! You can follow Ju, who was really good.”
“Yeah, I said I’d think about performin’ in front of a few strangers. This most definitely ain’t a few strangers! Most of my few friends and a good chunk of the department I’m now head of, are all in here.” Mara was trying to dig her heels in, but Halee was still beaming at her.
“Well, you are wearing a tank top with a chainsaw unicorn on it, so if you were going to ‘rule by fear’ it might be a little late,” Halee replied. “If you want I can go and get a few more of your friends to twist your arm? You’re so ready for this! We even worked on some of the songs you could do.”
There was a moment’s pause, and then Calleja glared hard at the Bolian.
“You set me up!” she said accusingly. “That stupid Korean song you had me learn the other day. You knew about this, didn’t you?”
“Yes. You told me,” Halee replied innocently, with the air of a poker player laying out a winning hand. “I think you set yourself up, and you did it very well!”
Mara looked at Halee, and then up at the stage which was suddenly looming large in her future.
Well, I did say I was jealous of Ju. And it would certainly help burst that whole ‘big scary monster’ bubble. But if I get it wrong and make an arse of myself up there, never mind anyone else, I’ll never let me forget it.
She looked back at Halee. For the first time in a long time, Calleja seemed almost vulnerable.
“You’re sure I can do this?” she asked.
“Yes! Absolutely!” The Bolian gently took the noodle bowl out of Mara’s unresisting hands. “I know you can. I’m not just saying that to fluff you. Go. In your own words…” The singing tutor suddenly did a very very good impression of Mara’s accent. “Fuckin’ knock ‘em dead!”
That sealed it. The COS laughed, shook her head and then made her move. She stepped easily up onto the stage, made a few tweaks to the karaoke machine and then adjusted the stand to bring the mic up to her height. Looking out over the gathering, and some of the confused and quizzical expressions that had greeted the Amazonian woman’s decision, she nearly bottled it. It took a real effort of will to bury the self doubt deep down.
“So I’m pretty sure you weren’t expectin’ to see me up here,” Mara said into the mic. “And as of about ten minutes ago, neither was I. But hey. Let’s do this shall we?”
The music started up, a slow and deliberate guitar riff. It definitely wasn’t Korean, but anyone into their classic Earth rock would have immediately recognised Aerosmith’s Dream On.
“Every time that I look in the mirror,
All these lines on my face gettin’ clearer.
The past is gone…
It went by like dusk to dawn
Isn't that the way?
Everybody's got the dues in life to pay, yeah…”
It was an uncertain opening. Mara was a little shaky as her self-doubt got the better of her, missing notes she could have hit in her sleep. Her frustration was clear in her expression but she kept going, even if the next couple of verses were much the same.
Oh fuck this. I’ve got to go for it. No more holdin’ back.
She closed her eyes and launched into the chorus. If the performance so far had been weak, what followed was anything but. Unleashed, Calleja’s voice was strong, clear and powerful. There was natural talent in abundance but it was harnessed by years of coaching. The Security Chief’s secret was out - she was an incredible singer.
“Sing with me, sing for the year,
Sing for the laughter and sing for the tear.
Sing with me, if it's just for today,
Maybe tomorrow the good Lord will take you away…”
As her confidence built, somehow she found another gear as she opened her eyes and faced people with a renewed determination.
“Sing with me, sing for the year,
Sing for the laughter, sing for the tear.
Sing with me, if it's just for today,
Maybe tomorrow the good Lord will take you away!”
The smile on Mara’s face rang out in her voice as she held the note. This was suddenly going way better than she’d ever dreamed it could, and stood right at the front Halee was beaming like a proud mother.
“Dream on, dream on, dream on,
Dream until the dream come true!
Dream on, dream on, dream on
Dream until the dream come true…”
Effortlessly she moved up several octaves, hitting a pitch-perfect falsetto.
“Dream on, dream on, dream on
Dream until the dream come true!”
She landed the final chorus, grinning to herself as the instruments faded away in the background.
“Thanks for bearin’ with me,” Mara said. “I got there in the end! I’ve been hidin’ that I could do that for so long, and stood here now, I really don’t why I was so hung up on it.” She laughed softly. “Anyway. I sang that song so that I could sing this one. Ju, I’m sorry, my pronunciation is gonna suck, but I’m gonna give it a good go.”
The electronic keyboard started up on the backing track and it was the original K-pop song. Calleja grinned before giving the party Gangnam Style.
Her Korean was actually reasonable, although that was mostly due to an anglicised version of the lyrics scrolling across a discrete autocue. The Security Chief had the flow of the song down, even if it was a far cry from the rap battles she’d been in and around as a teenager.
She built up to the chorus with a deadpan expression.
“Areumdawo, sarangseureowo!
Geurae neo, hey!
Geurae, baro neo, hey!
Jigeumbuteo gal dekkaji ga bolkka…”
Mara grinned.
“Oppan Gangnam style!”
Without missing a beat she hit the dance moves, delivering the chorus with the full invisible horse routine from the viral video, complete with lasso.
“Gangnam style!
Op, op, op, op, oppan Gangnam style.
Hey, sexy baby…
Op, op, op, op, oppan Gangnam style!”
Calleja dropped out of character for a moment.
“Come on, get up here if you know the moves!” she called. “And if you don’t, what the hell, try it anyway. Beka? You owe me! Bring Aeryn! Ju? You gotta know how this goes…”
She picked the song back up as people started to move…