The event was quite busy, and the public areas around it were crowded with people who needed to catch some fresh air for everything happening. Grab a snack, a drink, or maybe those cute, overpriced gifts at that Ferengi shop. Everyone was looking for something the science conference couldn’t provide immediately. Leaning on the railing, Arwa looked at the passing ships visible from the outside. “Even in space, it is busy…” She muttered to herself as she slurped from her drink. 

Shenzi strode down in Arwas direction. She might not have looked like she was paying attention, carrying a large box with the image of a green, cyclopian humanoid machine on the front, but she was acutely aware of absolutely everyone around her. She looked up at Arwa, taking a sip from an energy drink, and said “Well, didn’t expect to see you here”

Looking over her shoulder in the direction of the voice, “Ahhh, Lieutenant, it has been quite some time.” Arwa gave a soft smile in her direction and turned around while still having the straw of her drink in her mouth. “How are you doing? don’t tell me you are working on a festival day like this?” 

“Ah, well, since I’m a fighter pilot, technically I’m always working. Doesn’t mean I’m not smart enough to sneak off for a smoke or a quick shopping trip” Shenzi said, motioning to the model she’d bought to work on. “What have you been up to, if you don’t mind my asking?”

Looking at the model for a brief second, Arwa looked back at Shenzi. “Smart, bit of R&R is always good” she took another slurp from her drink and looked at the event “Looking around of the inventions of today and tomorrow so to speak. Plus doing some podium talks about recent discovery. You not interested in it?”

Shenzi looked at the holographic watch on her cybernetic arm. “Well, I could stick around a bit longer, listen to the talks you’re gonna give. What discoveries you going to talk about?” She asked, taking another swig of her drink.

A him came from Arwa “Its about the mental toll that every person in the line of duty has to sacrifice. a known study shows that a person reacts in 3 ways. They either freeze, fight or flee in the moment of high distress. But recent study shows that the Borg changed that factor To either freeze or flee. It’s quite interesting. Your not interested in the other boots?”

“Ehhh, it’s not that I’m not interested in them, it’s more that they can’t hold their drink like I can, so bar hopping with them gets boring after a while. I am interested in how the Borg changed that 3 F’s factor, however.”

A smile appeared on Arwa’s with a firm nod. “Good to hear because you, as a fighter pilot, would need to deal with such a situation also. Well, let’s hope it’s not the Borg that is waiting for you as your enemy” Arwa shrugged a bit. “But this is a conference more focused on science, so it is understandable that not everything is in your area of interest”

“Well, I’m still kinda interested in everything that’s going to be discussed.” Shenzi replied. “Maybe a new interest will be sparked in a subject I hadn’t heard of before.”

Nodding to her, “That is the spirit; learning is what we do in Starfleet. Heck, I would laugh at anyone that would say we are doing anything else. Be it cultural learning or exploring the unknown. We wish to know more, and understanding is a powerful tool,” Arwa said, taking another sip. “Anything you like to know already? Because when i am on stage I kinda have to keep going and get a lot of questions, see it as a VIP treatment” Arwa laughed. 

“Like to know? You mean besides that thing about the Borg?” Shenzi asked, crushing the now empty energy drink, and tossing it at the nearby trash can, and missing. She made an annoyed noise. “Well, maybe someone will talk about that sentient nebula I had to fly my fighter through. The one that was messing with the minds of my wingmen, playing with their fears.” Shenzi said as she went to retrieve the empty can and put it in the receptacle before anyone got on her ass for littering. “Maybe figure out why it didn’t affect me. Couldn’t be from my telepathic abilities since telepaths usually get the worst from these things.”

Looking at Shenzi as she retrieved the can and put it into the trashcan, “No one really prepares you for what the unknown has to offer. No one really understands what makes us….well us” Arwa said with a smile “Every species out there is wired differently, and so are you….what affected your wingman doesn’t mean per se that it will affect you” Arwa thought for a second “So I guess there are a lot of things that the universe still has to answer for in a way to satisfy our curiosity.”

Shenzi smiled at that. “You’re absolutely right. As far as I know, I’m also the only hybrid of Caitian and Kzinti, so I don’t think I’ll be likely to find any other examples of myself to base this off of.” She retrieved her pack of cigarettes, but changed her mind and put them back before opening another energy drink. “Emphasis on wired differently in my case, though. Got enough machinery in me that I also need to get an engineer to look at me as well as a doctor.” She joked.

Nodding softly to that “Well enough chit-chatter lets get some sightseeing done” Arwa grabs her arm and started walking into the direction of the congress “It is quite fun when you get into it” Arwa pointed out and smiled a bit at her “Ready for the dive?” She saw Shenzi nod and smiled “Lets go!” and moving into the crowd of the congress. 

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