NAZGUL #13: The Shiny Penni

Posted on Fri Nov 15th, 2024 @ 12:35am by Lieutenant JG Griffon Resch "Nazgul" & Lieutenant JG Ainkara "Kara" & Penni {P.E.N.N.I.}

Mission: NAZGUL: {CD&MISSION} Return to Basics
Location: USS NAZGUL
Timeline: Current

ON:

Griffon Resch had taken the morning and afternoon for himself aboard USS Nazgul. He read some things, went to the gym, and even went for a hike in Glacier National Park in the holodeck. After showering and taking a nap, he got up and refreshed, getting into uniform, and then left his quarters heading in a specific direction. Arriving in Security he went to the armory and checked out an equipment belt with phase pistol, tricorder, and PADD, donning it and buckling down the tactical holster. Pulling the phaser free he then set it for heavy stun, making sure it was fully charged. Once that was done he holstered his sidearm and left the department, again heading in a specific direction. This time his path led to the door for Lieutenant Kara, seeing his two sentries on duty as they chatted and leaned back on the wall. When they saw him approach they stood up straight, both apologizing for slacking.

Resch waved it off with a grin. "Boring duty post, fellas. I get it. Go ahead, take the rest of the night off. I got this." Both gave him a look of surprise since he tended to be pretty hard-nosed about security protocols. But, neither gave an argument and departed quickly. Once they were gone Griffon turned to Kara's door and hit the chime. It took a moment before he heard "enter" come through the speaker. He stepped inside to a polite distance, glancing around for the occupant, or occupants, since the Penni girl-bot was currently a resident of USS Nazgul and the cabin of Ainkara.

Kara had come out of the 'living room portion of her quarters, her eyebrows a bit raised at seeing him. Penni was staying behind a potted tree, its leaves and branches providing a bit of cover for her peeking around it to see what was going on. "Griffon. What brings you here in the evening?"

Resch remained casual, answering and allowing himself to just be himself. "I decided to cut the sentries a break and let them have an evening off. I'll be the one standing watch tonight."

"That was nice of you," said Kara, moving to her kitchenette area. "Would you like something to eat or drink?" She motioned at the replicator.

"Sure," said Resch, his face showing he was in a lighthearted mood. "Cranberry juice, please." He came further into the quarters, angling towards the four person dining table every department head's quarters had. His head turned slightly, locking eyes with Penni. "You can come out, sweetheart. I'm not here to hurt you." Showing his actions were matching his words, Griff sat down in one of the dining chairs, motioning for Penni to come out and do the same.

Penni, on alert since the door chime sounded, had hidden herself behind the partial cover of the plant when Resch came in. She listened to the exchange between Kara and this man, the Security Chief she had been told, Mister Griffon Resch. He was a soldier, his body language and stance told her so. How she knew that she could not recall, but it was there in her memory. When he had said what he said to her, then went and sat down, offering her to do the same, Penni straightened up and came around the small tree, hands clasped in front of her waist, chin down as she walked forward, her eyes angled mainly at the floor. She was the epitome of the nervous teen. With slow and deliberate movement, she took the seat next to him, angled more to face him since these two chairs had been used by herself and Kara as they had gotten to know each other better. Kara had angled the chairs more to facing on this side.

"Hey," said Resch, dipping his head down to try and look up into Penni's lowered eyes. "I mean it, kiddo. I'm not here to hurt you. Don't let my rough exterior fool you, I really am a nice guy." He grinned and winked at her.

Kara delivered his pint of cranberry juice, herself with a mineral water, and sat down. Penni already trusted her, so Kara let this exchange go on between Griffon and Penni. She needed to feel safe with as many people as possible.

When Penni saw him grin and wink, her face came up and she gave a nervous grin in return. "Are you here to take me away?"

"What?" Resch asked, not expecting that. "No. Why would I take you away?"

"Kara says that some people will be afraid of me," said Penni. "Because of what I am. I'm just a girl. I don't want to hurt anyone, promise."

Griffon could not help but admire her honesty and it made him smile. He sipped some juice and then set his glass down. "Penni, we are always nervous or anxious at finding new things. We all deal with it differently. You're right, some people will fear you simply because they can't help it. It is how they developed. Myself, on the other hand, I don't fear you. I am concerned about you insofar as a possible security risk, nothing more. Not because I want to be this way but because it's my job to keep people safe. Does that make sense?"

"It does." Penni answered, her own anxiety now diminishing as this man was being honest with her. At least, as far as she could tell. His chemistry and physiology showed no signs of anxiety or deception. "May I," she asked, motioning to his glass. He handed it over and Penni drank a mouthful, finding this cranberry juice quite flavorful. "It's good." She gave the glass back to him with a smile. "Yummy."

That made Resch giggle. "You didn't backwash, did you?"

Kara gave him a scrunchy, humorous expression, mouth agape. "Griffon! Be nice." For the first time ever, in front of others, Kara gave a giggle.

Penni, confusion etched on her face, glanced back and forth at them. "Were you being mean?" Then to Kara. "Was he being mean?" Back to Resch. "What is backwash? I can assure you that all my fluids are securely sealed within my body." The poor girl's face was showing worry along with confusion, now.

That look on her face was partly due to Resch cracking up when she asked about backwash, and then explained she was leak free. Although she was an android, the very Human way she said it caught him off guard and he had to laugh. "I'm so sorry, Penni. I am not laughing at you, I am laughing at what you said. Not because of content, but because you are so sincere. My brain had to remember you are an android."

Her expression changed instantly as Penni took in what he said. Her eyebrows and countenance became one of anger and frustration as she got laughed at. "What is wrong with being an android!?" Her voice had raised with her anger.

"Penni, relax, let us explain," Kara pleaded, having not seen this side of Penni, yet.

"Whoa!" Resch raised his hands up in a sign of surrender, his face showing concern for having insulted her. "I didn't mean to insult you. Settle down so I can explain, okay?"

Penni gave him a slow nod, her eyes locked on his, as if daring him to insult her again.

Kara watched with concern having never seen Penni get angry before, the vehemence in her voice tone unmistakable.

"If you had been Kara, and said that same thing to me, I would have laughed. I found it amusing because my brain envisioned you springing leaks everywhere and fountains of liquid popping out." Explained Resch, bringing his hands down to his thighs and laying them flat upon them, giving her a smile. "The same thought would have been seen in my brain if it were Kara. So, please, understand it was meant to be funny, not insulting."

Just like that, Penni's entire posture and countenance changed as her speedy brain took in what he said and applied it to her reason, her memory core bringing up humor, and what a difficult concept it could be at times. Her mind even showed her what it would look like in her imagination, if she had sprouted fountains of cranberry juice, as he had described. She giggled, all pretense of anger vanishing. "Okay, I understand, now. My own mind gave me the same image with your description. Thank you for that and, I'm sorry I got angry. Please, forgive me?"

Resch gave Kara a quick sidelong glance, as if asking 'is this for real?' before his eyes focused on girl-bot. His worry upon their first meeting had just expanded a bit. If nothing else, this girl-bot was quick to anger and volatile. That, in itself, could be a danger. "I forgive you. Just, please, next time ask for clarification before you get mad, okay?"

"Okay," said Penni, her smile wide and true. "I already know I am different from everyone else. Being reminded of it, like I am some kind of mindless machine, made me angry. I am NOT a mindless machine." She was still being friendly, but the part about 'I am NOT' was said with finality, in a way that said don't ever say that again.

"Tell you what, I'll make it up to you." Resch said, grinning to put her at ease. His eyes being playful to show he was hiding something. She read right into it which surprised him.

"How would you do that?" Penni asked, her eyes narrowing at him mockingly even as she kept a grin on her face as she waited to see what he would say.

Resch stood up and extended his hand for her to take, wagging it as a signal to do so. "Come on, I'll take you for a walk. You've been in this cabin since you arrived. Would you like to see more of the ship?"

Penni's hand shot out and clasped his as any normal person would, allowing him to pull enough to get her to her feet, then she pulled it back. "Really?! I would love that." Then she got pseudo-cautious with him, trying to be playful. "Wait, is this a trick?"

"Not at all," Resch chuckled at her sense of humor. If he wasn't careful she'd figure out his sense of humor and read right through him every time. "I'm the Security Chief, so I can let you do some walking around as an escort until the Captain clears you to do so by yourself. That will take an interview between you, me, and the Captain. Possibly others. Kara will be in on that meeting, too, since she found you and brought you home." He waved all that off. "Anyway. A walk. Yes, or no?"

"Yes!" Penni clapped her hands twice excitedly, looking at Kara like a mother observing. "Can I go, Kara?"

Kara gave her an odd look. "Of course, Penni. I only keep you in here due to the restrictions. Once those get lifted you can come and go as you please."

"Woot! Thank you." Penni gave Kara a hug, who gave Resch a look of confusion over the girl's shoulder, which he waved off for now. Penni broke the hug and turned for the door. Resch looked to Kara. "We'll be back after a while, Kara. No worries." The two of them left the quarters and began to walk the corridors.

Once in the hallways, Penni's eyes were wide open in wonder with each passing minute, her interest and curiosity having her stop at every control panel and every other technical station as she looked them over, commenting on how awesome they were, and precise in their use. Griffon commented here and there, but mainly watched his ward as she got to peel away some layers of curiosity. In time they were down around main engineering, the big double doors leading into the compartment and warp core chamber locked open. He got them to stop, turning to face the entrance as they both looked in from a distance. "That's the warp core, Penni. The heart of the ship. Without it main power closes down and we can't achieve light speed. Are you familiar with anything like this?"

"I am," said Penni, the wonder in her voice heard as she spoke. "I've just never seen one in person." She took one step forward and a hand came down on her shoulder causing her to stop and look up and back over her left shoulder.

"Sorry, hon. You have to look from here. That's a classified area of the ship." Resch instructed.

Penni's face went to one of disappointment, of sadness. "It seems my curse will always remain."

Doing so gently, Griffon got her to turn and face him. "What curse?"

Both her hands flailed as they motioned at herself. "This. I can see that being an android makes people nervous. So, I am barred from seeing the wonders of technology."

Resch had to take in a breath, clearing his throat lightly as he rubbed his brow a moment as he tried to figure out how to proceed with this topic. "Okay. First. This is a classified area for anyone who is not a member of this crew, no matter what they are made of. Two. Get over yourself. This pity me bullshit is a bit much. You want to be taken seriously? To have people see you as just another being?" She nodded at him, her expression showing surprise that he was speaking to her so abruptly, like a parent scolding his child. It made her like him more, unbeknownst to Resch. "Alright, then. Take what your told as instruction, not some ruddy curse, got it?"

"Yes, Sir." Penni said, deciding to giver him puppy dog eyes. Her memory core said this was the best way to appease him and make him sympathize with her. So, she did it. "I'm sorry."

With a growl of frustration, not anger, he looked her in those big, brown eyes. "That's another thing. Stop apologizing for everything. People make mistakes, and when they do, they get forgiven. No need to apologize for each one."

"Okay," said Penni, quiet and shy-like, playing his emotions as her memory core instructed her. "I'm so..." She stopped when she saw his pseudo-glare as his head cocked, waiting for her to finish the apology and ready to pounce on her for it. Seeing that made Penni purse her lips and use her teeth to bite down gently on the inside of them to prevent the smile from coming to her face, even as her eyes were full of mischief. Locking her fingers together in front of her belly she began to sway her body back and forth, right to left, as any girl would when trying to act innocent.

"You little shit," said Resch, tongue in cheek as he could not help but grin at her. "Are you messing with me?"

Lips still pursed, Penni answered him. "Mmm-hmm." This came out in an affirmative tone, her own head cocking to one side even as her eyebrows raised in mirth. "Is it working?"

"That isn't, but your playfulness is." Resch admitted. "Come on, we got more to see."

As he turned and began to walk down the corridor, Penni took another look into main engineering, taking in what she could see from this angle. That glitch came again, the entirety of her vision going to red even as machinery and personnel were blackened and outlined in white. It lasted a second and then was gone. Thinking nothing of it, Penni followed her guide and caught up to him at a lift. When she got back to Kara's she would run a full system diagnostic on herself and see if there was a problem with her synaptic pathways. She was designed to self repair in such cases, after all.

OFF: