Trekkies United: Going Boldly

(Yeah, that sounds good.)

(OnO)

("10.38 seconds"... x'D)

Matrix frowned in puzzlement as he did his best to ignore the cadet, though he slyly snuck a few quick glances at him - very quick glances, too quick for any organic being to even recognize it as a glance. He noticed the other cadet's exceptionally high degree of concentration in his work, and gave a tiny, exasperated sigh. He couldn't fathom why the Vulcan hated him so much, but he sure was making his distaste very obvious.

-----

Two weeks and three days later, Matrix headed down to meet Brianna for lunch, feeling rather sullen. He'd just gotten assigned a joint project with T'kilk, and was dreading having to deal with the rude cadet. Over the past weeks, his behavior towards Matrix hadn't improved one bit. It was bad enough having to work in the same room as him; he couldn't imagine what it was going to be like having to actually interact with him...

"what's the matter?" Brianna asked--it was a question she'd asked often over the past couple weeks--as Matrix entered the room. as each day she knew him better and better, she found herself picking up quirks specific to the android cadet, such as addressing him in a normal soft speaking voice when he'd barely entered the very large room, a good forty feet away from her. she sat in a position where she could see him clearly the moment he came in, so she usually would ask some yes or no question and watch his head for an answer as he made his way over. sometimes she would also inform him of the meal's menu, knowing no one where he worked ever told him. "strawberry trifle today, if you want to grab some on the way over," she murmured, watching him walk toward her. she took another bite of her own trifle, hiding a frown. he was never this upset, though his cheerful demeanor had been slipping because of the constant exposure to the Vulcan cadet.

Matrix looked up as he detected Brianna's voice, even as far away as he was. He just stared at her forlornly, knowing there was no way he could explain what was wrong in a simple gesture. As she mentioned the trifle, he nodded, picking his way over to the line; today was definitely a day for dessert.

A couple of minutes later, he headed over to her with his plate, already sticking a bite in his mouth before he'd reached the table. He sat down, sitting his plate in front of him, and declared in a rather miserable tone, "I was assigned a collaborative project this morning... with T'kilk." With that, he scooped up another bite, sticking the spoon in his mouth once more.

"just to be clear," she said in an incredulous tone, "this is the same T'kilk who hasn't spoken a word to you in over two weeks?" she just shook her head, taking another bite of trifle. "no wonder you're miserable. I thought it was this week's hormones making me so upset, but really it was you, too." Brianna sighed and set down her spoon, reaching out for a moment as if to pat his hand or some other similar comfort gesture. "well...at least something has to come of this now. maybe being forced to work with you will teach him something. Vulcans are stereotyped as being very logical, right? so when confronted with evidence counter to their worldview, they would have to step back and re-evaluate?" she was hopeful that was the case.

Matrix nodded seriously. "Indeed... I am sorry I was making you feel worse, as well," he apologized, looking a little sheepish, though he scoffed slightly at the mention of Vulcan logicality. "Supposedly they are, though as of late I've found myself wondering if some of them are perhaps just a bit hypocritical..." He sighed. "In any case, I do hope this will be a cause for some sort of progress... though I will not 'hold my breath', as it were."

"yeah, don't do that, it'll make the trifle taste funny," Brianna joked, pointing with her spoon as she picked it up again to finish eating her lunch. "beef and barley soup for dinner, I heard. first time they've served it here, but it's a childhood favorite of mine." she chewed thoughtfully for a moment, trying to hide her concern about this new development. "Matrix...don't push things too far, but be assertive, okay? don't just roll over and let him lord it over you."

T'kilk was surly to say the least as he had, as usual, left the mess hall early to get back to work before Matrix could. if he did as much of the preparation now as possible, he would have to interact with the cadet less...

Matrix tilted his head in intrigue. "Interesting... Do things taste different to you if you hold your breath?" he questioned, never having heard of or thought about this before. He hadn't particularly tried eating whilst holding his own breath, and now he was immensely curious. He continued listening to her as she spoke about dinner, taking another bite of trifle and holding his breath just to see what would happen. To his slight disappointment, nothing seemed to - he supposed his sense of smell wasn't as heavily linked to his sense of taste, as he'd heard a human's was - so he resumed normal breathing in time to give a soft hum. At her last words, he nodded, if a bit hesitantly. "Alright... I will attempt to do so... but I am holding you accountable if it makes things worse," he joked lightly, giving her a slightly pained smile. It was nearly time to leave for the clinic again, and he was not looking forward to it.

"well...I'm sure you've heard the saying that sometimes things have to get worse before they get better," she tried to reassure him. "everything will work out somehow, but it's your job to make sure it works out in your favor."as she stood to put her tray away just before the chime sounded to go back to class, she finally gave in to the urge to pat Matrix's hand. hopefully this will finally cheer you up a bit...I've been trying to hide my stress from you, because I don't need you feeling any worse...

"Yes... I suppose you're right," Matrix sighed, about to get up as well when she reached forward and patted the back of his hand, resting on the table. He looked up at her with a bit of surprise, then gave her a much more genuine smile. "Thank you. I will let you know how it goes." He could've sworn he heard a slight echo of something else, but he couldn't make it out. Perhaps it was just someone else talking across the room. He shook it off, getting to his feet. "I'll see you at dinner, yes?"

(twas exercising)

"right. at dinner. go, and do your best." she waved as he headed off. 

T'kilk wasn't as finished as he would've liked as Matrix appeared. he set the box of prepared slides down rather heavily at Mat's work station and quickly turned away again to finish his own

(That's fine~)

Matrix nodded, picking his way back rather reluctantly toward the clinic.

He found T'kilk already there, apparently preparing slides. He watched as the Vulcan cadet dropped the box heavily at his workstation, and frowned, resisting the urge to grumble under his breath. The other cadet was beginning to wear away his patience, revealing a harder, more annoyed manner beneath it. His movements a bit stiff, he walked over to his station in silence, beginning to sort through the slides.

it turned out that in his haste to finish the slides, one or two had been prepared incorrectly for Matrix, and all the materials needed to fix the problem were at the other cadet's station, as he was still working on finishing his own slides and once again pointedly ignoring the android. he then seemed to start speaking to himself aloud. "the head nurse said she would be grading this project on a fifty-fifty split as there are two of us. I expect equal work for equal credit."

Matrix's annoyance grew as he realized that a couple of the slides had not been prepared correctly. He took a cursory glance around his station, but the other cadet had taken all of the necessary materials to his own station, across the room. This time, he allowed himself a nearly imperceptible grumble, intending to finish the correctly-prepared slides before dealing with the others.

However, the sound of the other cadet's voice caused him to raise his head, and T'kilk's final words brought a rare scowl to his face, his emerald eyes flashing. "Yes, as do I," he finally spoke up in a stern tone, turning around. "And, considering that two of my slides were not prepared correctly--" I would say that you're off to a very poor start... "--perhaps you should be a bit more careful instead of rushing in an effort to avoid me."

the annoyance on the cadet's face was unmistakable as he spun on one heel to face his accuser. "you will get the materials to fix those slides when I am done with my own, as I have seen fit to ease your workload by preparing the rest of your slides for you," he nearly snarled. "do you have a problem with that, android?"

Matrix simply stared, raising an eyebrow, as the other cadet spun around and practically spat at him. "While the 'favor' is appreciated," he began dryly, "it was entirely unnecessary on your part, seeing as I am fully capable of preparing my own slides. There was no need for you to rush in before me; I, despite what you may believe, am not unintelligent or unaware, and I know why you did it. I would've hoped that we could have worked together instead of you holding such hostility, but it would seem you are incapable of keeping your personal feelings to yourself for the sake of getting the job done."

"hmmph. forgive me if previous experience with your kind left me wanting," he growled. "I don't understand why a machine would have been built with the intention of attempting to treat organic beings. what was your creator thinking? or, indeed, were they at all?" he moved to turn his back on matrix. "you will have the materials when I have finished. no doubt you will be fully capable of doing your half of this project without any further aid if you object so strongly to it."

"I was not created with the intention that I would become a doctor," Matrix told him, a growl in his voice and his eyes now blazing.  "I have free will, and I chose my vocation myself.  I don't know what kind of prior experience you have had, but that is no reason to make assumptions about me, and certainly no reason for you to insult my father's intelligence or motives. What gives you the right to judge me simply on the basis that I am not an organic being?"

"your father? surely you mean your creator?" the vulcan sneered back. he didn't know anything about soong or his children and, indeed, grandchildren. poorly built vulcan androids were the only thing he'd ever been near, once that couldn't really hope to pass a sentience test despite their creators' technological prowess. "you cannot possibly possess such a thing as free will. I doubt you know anything about it beyond its basest definition."

"No, I mean my father," Matrix ground out, jaw clenched. "He created me from his own being, as the child of a biological organism is created from the genetic codes of their parents." He tipped his head forward slightly, glaring at the impudent cadet. "Would you care to test that supposition? Feasibly, I could throttle you right now - I possess more than enough physical strength and mental prowess to take on anyone on this station - but I am not a violent person; I would never willingly cause harm to another being. I am a healer, and I have a conscience. Isn't that free will?"

"It could easily be the result of programming laws," the cadet said confidently. though he knew the android was stronger than even him, and he knew he would not hurt him or even attempt to do so, T'kilk was in such a high passion himself that he looked a matter of milliseconds from lashing out physically himself. 

would the nurse come along and break up the two nearly shouting boys? would anyone?

Matrix's eyes blazed again for a moment before he closed them, taking a deep breath and trying to calm himself down. After a few more seconds, he opened them once more, still glaring, though it was clear he'd simmered down quite a bit, and when he spoke again his voice was no longer raised. "Fine. And I suppose there's nothing I could say or do that could possibly convince you. No matter - I have better things to do than to stand here arguing with you about something I, and most everyone else in the Federation, know to be true." With that, he turned his back on the Vulcan, resuming his work, though he kept part of his attention on the other cadet, noting his passion and wanting to be prepared in case he tried anything.

(You can still have someone come along - I just feel like he'd probably try to take the high road xD)

(most likely)

the head nurse came back from an errand she had been running, brianna at her heels, just in time to see the Vulcan cadet's arm flash across the space between the two medical cadets, straight for the back of matrix's head. there wasn't even time for the poor woman to shout a warning and Bri managed to jump forward and shout "MAT!" as she had felt the moment of decision, the final barrier of rage snapping in the Vulcan's mind...

Matrix heard Brianna's cry ring out at almost exactly the same time as he detected the sound of T'kilk shifting behind him, and he spun, wide eyed, just in time to flick his arm upward and catch the other cadet's advancing arm, halting the assault. He stared at the Vulcan's clutched fist for a moment before his eyes moved down to stare the other cadet in the face. The anger inside him had evaporated, leaving only sadness, and after a few more long moments, he spoke a single, soft word: "...Why?"

the movement, the action, was over in the blink of an eye, before anyone but the android could react. Brianna stopped short heavily and stared. the Vulcan stared too, in utter shock. he had made no move whatsoever to injure him in retaliation, or even by accident. he had chosen the movement most suited to stopping the attack, and nothing else. that...that was a conscious choice. there was no way to write a code that would allow for a cop-out on a self-preservation situation like that...

a second later it was madness, as the head nurse unfroze and started to panic at both of them, pulling them apart and ordering T'kilk into her office that instant! Bri went straight to Matrix, fussing over him even though she already knew he wasn't in any way hurt. "I ducked out of class to come see what was wrong, you've never been so upset and I was really worried-" she suddenly hugged him, head turned sideways so her ear was on his chest, not that she'd hear anything interesting "are you okay mat?"

(He has a heart, though. Or at least, something akin to it. xD We know for a fact that Data has a pulse and a functional circulatory system~)

Matrix was very overwhelmed by the sudden, panicked frenzy the head nurse was in, and quickly stepped backward, letting go of T'kilk's arm and looking a little sheepish, even though he'd done nothing wrong. Even more overwhelming was Brianna's fussing, and he just stared at her in bewilderment as she insisted on checking him over.

"Um.... Yeah... Fine... Just a bit... shocked..." he managed, stiffening a little at first in surprise as she hugged him before a bit of his tension finally eased up. His breath was a bit more rapid than normal from the shock of the ordeal and his heart was pounding away in his chest; he was certain she could hear it.