i'm in a hurry (and i don't know why).

[directives]

When; September 8th, mid-afternoon
Rating; PG?
Characters; Kathryn Janeway (deuterium) & OPEN
Summary; Still cursed, hiding out in Xandu.
Log;

Katie doesn't roll out of bed until mid-afternoon, having not succumbed to the pull of sleep until dawn's light started to creep over the horizon. She'd been determined to stay up as late as possible, afraid that if she went to sleep, she'd wake up as a completely different person. Her dreams were plagued with such thoughts and scenarios, waking up in a body that had a good decade or so to age, being called Captain and asked for directions she didn't have — like her body had returned to what Commander Chakotay had insisted was normal only to have her mind still stuck in the state it was in now.

To the nearest mirror she went, inspecting her image to make sure her features were as they should be, that she was still the woman she thought she was. Curse paranoia was going to drive her mad. (Good thing she wouldn't be Katie for very long, that when she did wake up tomorrow morning, she'd find herself Captain Janeway and not the Ensign that served on the Al-Batani under Tom's father.)

Wanting to avoid another run-in with someone who knew that Katie was short for Kathryn and fought the urge to address her as someone with a much higher authority than she possessed, she ducked out of the apartment and made her way to Xanadu.

She thought about taking her older counterpart's tricorder with her, and while the scientist in her screamed yes, the young woman who wanted nothing to do with a future she hadn't carved out for herself said no. And against her better judgement, she left her phone and combadge behind as well — no pockets to hide the latter, no desire to carry around the former.

Comments

[deuterium]

He slides down just as Katie moves to climb up there with him in spite of the fact that she's wearing a dress. She moves up the tree with ease, settling herself on that same branch, side pressed to the trunk, skirt tucked under her legs as to not give anyone who passes down below a free show. Growing up in rural Indiana -- at least, the 24th Century's version of rural anywhere on Earth came with perks. Such as climbing trees with her sister as a kid and having a father who encouraged her to enjoy the great outdoors instead of staying inside studying all the time.

She just took her studying with her up the tree and did her readings from the highest branch she could reach.

"I think I'm going to go with yes," she says once she's situated on the branch. "I do indeed know how to climb trees."

[candothat]

The boy is absolutely delighted by Katie's willingness to join him in the tree (and, of course, impressed by her skills). She's exceptionally cool for an adult. He perches next to her, feet swinging idly.

"Where did you learn?"

[deuterium]

"My father. He's really rugged and big into the outdoors."

A rare breed of admiral, one who insisted that his daughters learn to enjoy an appreciate the natural wonders that Earth still had to offer when it was so easy to get swept up into the technological advancements of the 24th Century.

[candothat]

Chekov doesn't know what rugged means; this does not, however, sound like either of his parents, who are very happy in their technologically-enhanced spheres of existence.

"Does he climb with you? My papa does not. He says that climbing is for monkeys.

[deuterium]

"Yeah, he did. He and my sister both." Katie swings her legs back and forth. "Do you have any siblings?"

[candothat]

"Big sister, or small sister? I have none. If I had one, I would chose a small sibling."