ROODLES

ACT II

Two weeks passed since the Enterprise left the M-17 space station. Lashunda skated toward the Ready Room as she wore her blue Starfleet uniform, black Starfleet skates, black Starfleet helmet, black safety pads, black Starfleet fanny pack, a ponytail, light green lip-gloss, and black mouth-piece. Lt. Spencer handed Picard several reports and sat down. She took off her helmet as she did transcription. Picard got up and leaned against his desk as he continued to speak. Shortly afterwards Lashunda left the Ready Room with her helmet on and began to work on the Bridge main computer.

Lashunda thought about her upcoming date with Marley, which was several hours away. It was a double date with Ziggy and Jayelle. Even though it was Lashunda’s second date with Marley, the double date was Ziggy’s idea. Several people, mainly the Gypsies, secretly knew about Lashunda’s intimate relationship while others thought that Lt. Spencer never had a boyfriend. Truthfully, Wesley was her first actual boyfriend by many standards since she had a couple of "arranged" dates with him. During her first year on the Enterprise, he was her escort at the ship’s public events. Sometimes he was her companion at private ceremonies. However, at her second year, everything changed dramatically. Wesley broke off his luxurious attachment. Soon Lashunda expeditiously discovered the very thin line between love and hate.

Many times she wondered about her fate of her present romance. Now things became stranger when she moved into Data’s quarters two days ago after a toxic gas leak. Since the move, Lashunda slept fully even though she slumbered in his bed. Also Data had been helping with her secret relationship with Marley. Yesterday Data went away on a mission so presently both Spot and Izzy were in her care.

Lashunda’s mind returned to the present period as she began to pilot the ship while she was on her skates. Surprisingly, Captain Picard didn’t say a word about it. For days, he was secretly happy that things went back to "normal" on the Enterprise since Lashunda’s return. Even though she stepped back into some of her old routines, she developed several new ones, like skate boarding in the gym and no longer ate at the Ten-Forward again since she learned how to cook and got a compact refrigerator, a compressed beverage maker, and other appliances. She still used them while in Data’s quarters. After her shift ended, she played classical Vulcan music on her music disk player as she quietly blew bubbles with her bubble gum.

Lashunda prepared for her date shortly afterwards. Abba changed into white pants, a light yellow 2290s-styled Starfleet Academy long-sleeved shirt, matching sun-visor, white and yellow British Knights, yellow 1980s-styled wraparound shades with black neck chain, and clear lip-gloss. Her curly blacks hung down the middle of her back with a crooked yet middle part. After several moments passed, the Keeley Brothers and Jayelle arrived. Jayelle wore a long-sleeved pink and blue jumpsuit, matching sailor cap, pink Nikes, dark pink lip-gloss, a ponytail, and a small blue backpack. Marley wore a long-sleeved gray striped shirt, black pants, black laced loafers, and 1980s-styled Raybans while Ziggy wore a long-sleeved navy blue shirt, denim pants, black British Knights, and a black fanny-pack.

They went to the theatre and watched "The Tango Queen", a musical movie. It lasted 1:48 and was unbelievable funny. During the movie, Ziggy put his arm around Jayelle while Marley slowly held Shun-Luc’s hand. Next, they went to Ten-Forward and had dinner at a booth that near the door. As the two couples ate, Marley and Lashunda moved a little closer to each other. During the end of their meal, Lashunda looked around and bit her bottom lip since she felt like that there were unusual stares on her. This was true because Picard secretly probed her during her date. For a while, he knew stealthily about her boyfriend and kept his distance yet he always liked Marley better than Wesley. To Picard, Wesley wasn’t good enough for his daughter though he helped arranged Lashunda’s dates with Wesley yet he chaperoned all of them himself. Sometimes either Dr. Crusher or Counselor Troi supervised with him.

On the following day, she played tennis with Charlie Ray after her first shift. He was her new tennis partner as well as new neighbor. He moved to the Enterprise a week ago. She wore a red and black Nike polo shirt, matching knee-length shorts, matching sun-visor, black Reeboks, clear lip-gloss, and a ponytail while Charlie Ray had a similar outfit but was tan and white colors with a matching baseball cap. His auburn mane was underneath his cap. They served many times and were tied. Charlie Ray and Abba had been friends for many years. They were also linked to many people, including Dean Marcus Steeplechase. He was the head of the Paradigm Academy for many years and sometimes taught. In other words, they were his former students. He was a tall, lanky Terran man, who wore an impressive semblance to Randolph Mantooth and was a few years older than Riker but looked younger.

Last month, the couple returned to their former school for a five-day reunion/festival. They were beverage vendors outside the Mondale Hall on the third day of festival. Dean Steeplechase wore a gray suit, a black Snoopy tie, black wingtips, black UCLA baseball cap, and black bubble shades and recognized Lashunda as Charlie Ray served him Terran clear fruit punch. Lashunda wore a colorful long-sleeved Hawaiian shirt, a black jumper dress, black Roman sandals, black ski shades, and clear lip-gloss while Charlie Ray wore a hooded purple Wally Gator sweats, purple and black Converses, black Panama hat, and black heart-shaped shades. They talked briefly before the dean left. The head master liked her and found Lashunda as a timid yet bright student who loved both music and dance. As for CR, he was more outgoing.

Lashunda left after the tennis match, as she walked down the corridor with her black gym, Cmdr. Riker stopped her. He first apologized for his possible rudeness. Then he remarked that her quarters were now toxic-free and she was able to return to her quarters. Shortly afterwards, he rode the Turbo-lift with her. Since her return from the T’Pagh, Cmdr. Riker had been nice to her. Recently, he talked to her in public yet Lt. Spencer still kept her distance from him. Even though they had a few missions together since her promotion, her dislike for Riker persisted.

As he continued to speak, Lashunda responded ascetically with rare glances at him. When his hand gently touched her shoulder, she became nauseous quickly yet didn’t show it. As she stepped off and went to her quarters, she became relieved. She changed into her blue uniform, black Starfleet fanny-pack, a ponytail, and Starfleet saddle-oxford uniform sneakers. She worked busily on the Bridge until her shift ended. Later she moved her remaining stuff back to her quarters. To her surprise, it didn’t take her long. When she handled some boxes, she noticed that one of them had several stained bed sheets. Soon she realized that the stains were residues of her cocoon. Two years ago, she awoke in a cocoon on her bed after she dreamt about Batman and had many hours of slumber. The cocoon glowed and became light-colored as it slowed altered her body. She screamed but nobody heard her. For a spell, she stayed there until her arm came out and afterwards the rest of her body followed. Her nude body was covered with fuzzy ooze. As she walked away from her cocoon slowly, she ripped off some hard matter that covered her face.

When she opened her bedroom, she walked slowly out. Soon as Worf and the security officers came, she collapsed faced-down on the floor. They later surround me while Worf covered me up with a blanket. Moments subsequently, she woke up in Sickbay and saw a familiar blue lab coat. The Sickbay was rather dark at the time as her eyes looked about even though she still felt strange. Her body was now coated with sweat yet her mouth was dry. She tried to move but she was pinned underneath that awful scanning machine.

"Don’t try to move." Dr Crusher spoke calmly as she relieved the discomfort. Next, she removed the machine and helped to sit up. Lashunda discovered that she was in a pale long-sleeved hospital gown. She quickly both improved and relaxed to the young teen’s shock just as soon as Picard held her hand and put his arm around her. Her facial cheek rested on his Starfleet uniform. Picard was silent during that whole time.

After a short time, she removed herself from his grip and turned to Dr. Crusher. The young teen got off the bio-bed. Her bare feet touched the floor. She walked about the room. Her frame moved like a body builder since Abba’s fat tissue was presently muscular. Her stomach was slightly flat and looked burly. She opened her mouth to speak yet immediately closed it. There was a long silence as Lashunda continued to glaze at the Chief Medical Officer.

"Doctor, what has happened to me." A deep baritone Barry White-like voice, which was two levels deeper than Worf’s, released from her lips. Shun expeditiously clasped her throat and became scared.

"Has my face changed also?" Dr. Crusher, who looked concerned, nodded and showed her to a nearby mirror. The mirror displayed dry skin and pustules that shrouded her round face. Thick bushy eyebrows were an inch and a half-wide while manageable fuzzy brown cheeks showed black wild sideburns that came straight down. The ridge, which was between her eyes, was currently gone, as her bony forehead became a little more pronounced. Her head was covered with thick but bouncy black shoulder-length ringlets while her dimples and dental braces remained the same. Surprisingly, Lashunda became amused with her new look and soon accepted it.

Over two years had passed; Lashunda prepared for the wedding of Devon and Emily. Lt. Spencer was one of the bridesmaids and put on her Starfleet dress uniform, light peaches and cream lip-gloss. In the beginning, Emily wanted her as the maid of honor but Lashun declined so Anna became Emily’s maid of honor. Her waist-length curls were bounded into a French roll. The wedding took place at St. Paul Baptist Church in Clemens, Canada III on Earth V. The maid of honor and the other bridesmaids were in pink and white while the groom and the others were in basic black tuxedoes. The bride wore a conservative white gown with 1950s-styled veined headdress.

Even though the wedding was elegant, it was a small gathering with close family and friends. Both the bride and the groom were nervous yet very in love. Tommy, the best man, calmly supported Devon during the vows while prayers and mixed thoughts raced through Emily’s mind. After the priest proclaimed them husband and wife, the newly married couple had a sweet yet mercurial kiss. Thereupon, the gathering was moved to the reception room. Tommy toasted the new soul mates with his trademark grin and started the dance. Mr. and Mrs. Devon Copper performed the first dance to the 3:42 version of Chicago’s "Beginnings". The music came from a portal medium-sized music disk player that shaped like a square yellow 8-track player. The second song was "Promise Us the Night" by Paul Gross and David Keeley as the others joined the new spouses on the dance floor. The third song was Elton John’s "Friends" while the rest of music was up beat. Finally, the ceremony officially ended, when the newlyweds left for their honeymoon at Jupiter IV.

Lashunda went back to Deep Space 9 on a shuttle-bus. Odo greeted casually as he walked by. Lt. Spencer welcomed it with a head bow as she walked toward her quarters. The young Starfleet officer wore her Enterprise blue uniform, five-inched Starfleet boots, clear lip-gloss, a ponytail, and a black fanny-pack. During her stay on the space station, the head security officer became slightly adjacent. He venerated the young refined yet sometimes isolated officer. She honored him dearly with mostly smile grins. Fortunately, they had a couple of missions together. Lt. Spencer put up her accouterments after she arrived at her quarters. She ran her fingers through her hair as she made Earl Grey tea with her beverage maker and checked for messages on her Lava Lamp Computer.

Consequently, she walked Zeppelin before she proceeded to the Stellar Cartography Department. She worked busily until her shift was over. She returned to her quarters and meditated for hours in her bedroom. During the past three years, her meditation had increased greatly. Her early Vulcan upbringing contributed it. Fore long, her meditation ended and she realized that it was time for slumber. She changed into her yellow and purple Sonic Youth pajamas and went to bed.

Many days passed as life went on Deep Space Nine. Lt. Spencer was in her kitchen about to prepare dinner when her communication screen beeped. It was Devon and Emily. They just had come from their honeymoon. They were both exceptionally happy and richly tanned. Devon first told Lashunda about the incredible honeymoon. Next, Emily thanked her to their present, which was a crystal candy dish bowl. Finally after a long while of conversation, the newlyweds bid her warm departure. Their faces disappeared from the communication screen and was replaced the UFP logo.